A MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO ALL OF YOU
FROM
THE AME PUBLISHER, THE REVEREND DR. JOHNNY BARBOUR
AND ALL OF THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER STAFF.
1. A WORD FROM THE EDITOR:
A pastor friend and I were talking about the importance of our ministers being grounded in the doctrine of the AME Church. He shared with me that he had visited a Sunday afternoon program and the scripture was read, followed by the prayer. Our liturgical protocol is that the prayer always precedes the reading of the scripture.
I shared with him that I was visiting one of our churches once and listened to the preacher extend an engaging and challenging invitation. The pastor then went on to ask if there was one who wanted to become a "Watch-care" member. Well, that was not the first time that I had heard an AME minister use the term "Watch-care." Needless to say, I was shocked and disappointed. We do not have a "Watch-care" system in Methodism and we do not have, nor do we, as African Methodists, use the term "watch-care" as a part of our liturgical lexicon
In African Methodism, we have "Affiliated membership" (See The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2000, or any of the earlier editions of The Discipline). The Discipline says, "Members of a local church, residing elsewhere for an extended period, may upon application be enrolled as 'Affiliated Members' of the African Methodist Episcopal located in the vicinity of their current residence." (Page 67)
This might be an indication that we, as a Church, might need to refocus upon the history, doctrine and polity of the Church and to insure that all of our candidates for ministry possess the necessary skills and knowledge to be competent pastors.
As an aside, I have received notes from several pastors in which their signature blocks said, "The Very Reverend…" It sure sounds good, but I am not sure that designation is appropriate for ministers in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
What are your thoughts? If you share your thoughts, please post your first and last name.
2. THE REVEREND DR. JOE DARBY TELLS SAYS IT'S OKAY TO SAY, "MERRY CHRISTMAS":
I've been both amazed and amused at the recent opinion page sound and fury over how to observe and acknowledge the many holy days that converge around the winter solstice, so much so that I decided to put my two cents worth in as a Christian. My appreciation of Christmas and my Christian faith were born and grew at my family church, Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church in Columbia. There was no question about the observance of Christmas in the Wheeler Hill community that surrounded Saint James Church, because all of the residents claimed membership in Saint James or in the Baptist and AME Zion Churches that were also located in the community. There was no debate about carols or prayer in school, because the administration, faculty, staff, support personnel, parents and students all professed Christianity and were all African-American in those days.
That community fell victim to what used to be called "urban renewal," and is now a part of the University of South Carolina campus, but the Christian faith I discovered there goes with me. Since growing up and leaving that community, it's been my pleasure to have a greater appreciation for an America that is not and has never been a "melting pot." America is more of a "salad bowl," where people of diverse faith traditions and ideas share the common bond of citizenship while maintaining their cultural identities. Those who founded and framed the laws of our nation assured that diversity when they embraced freedom of religion in our Constitution. They made it possible for people of all faiths and people who embrace no faith to live their lives in their own comfort zones and by their own traditions in an atmosphere of mutual respect as Americans. That view of our American heritage leads me to offer a few suggestions from my faith perspective that will hopefully be good for people of all faiths and for people who profess no faith.
My first suggestion is to lighten up. I'm not offended if I say, "Merry Christmas" and the person I'm speaking to simply says "thank you" or "happy holidays." My mother taught me that simply speaking when you're spoken to is the essence of courtesy, and that being insulted when the response doesn't suit you is childish. People of faith would also do well to remember that the Creator is all-powerful and is big enough not to need our defense to survive. If your faith or your faith tradition is endangered or diminished simply because others don't agree with you, then your faith needs work.
I'd also suggest that you respect the faith of others and respect those who have no faith, for respect does not necessarily mean agreement. My mother taught me that a good Christian could disagree with others without being disagreeable. It's admirable to hold to and state your beliefs, but it's a sign of insecurity when you demean the worth of others simply because they disagree with your view of things. If we as people of faith would model that positive regard to the community, then we've have less political strife and less community division, and we could find new common ground on our points of shared belief.
My final recommendation is to let your faith show in your deeds as well as your words. One of my late preacher uncles told me early in my ministry, "If you do what you're supposed to as a pastor, you won't have to constantly remind people that you're the pastor." Faith is not something just to be trumpeted, forced down the throats of others, used as a "holy blackjack" to bludgeon others into submission, or used as a test of human worth or citizenship. Faith shows through in the way that we relate to the Creator and in the way that we treat others and conduct ourselves. Christian Scripture says that the believers in Jesus studied together, prayed together, ate together, worshiped together, reached out to the needy and did so with glad hearts. Christian Scripture also says that new people embraced their way of thinking and joined them every day - not because they were forced to, but because what they saw, as well as what they heard, made a positive impact on their lives.
I hope that all who read this will have (or have had) a wonderful celebration of faith or of life as we begin another winter and look toward the New Year. I also hope that in the midst of the celebration, you take (or took) the time to reflect on the meaning of and reaffirm your faith. Real faith goes beyond and is not dependent on symbols and sayings. Simply saying "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa" or offering someone best wishes at Eid al-Adha isn't what matters the most, for words can be routine and insincere. What matters the most is that we live our faith by treating others right every day and making the lives of others better. We can then stop debating "political correctness" and embrace real progress.
The Reverend Joseph Darby, Senior Pastor,
Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Charleston, South Carolina
3. ST. PAUL AME CHURCH, DALLAS, TEXAS HOSTED WORLD AIDS DAY OBSERVANCE:
"Sensational" St. Paul AME Church in Dallas, Texas hosted an ecumenical Praise and Worship Service in observance of World AIDS Day on December 1, 2004. The Reverend Michael E. Bell, Sr., Senior Pastor has been an open supporter of the faith-based response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, has spoken about the issue regularly from the pulpit, and has opened the doors of the church to hold services that are HIV/AIDS specific. Last Spring, "Sensational" St. Paul participated in the National Black Church Week of Prayer for the Healing of HIV/AIDS. Pastor Bell states that, "It is important that the church keep the crucial issue of HIV/AIDS in front of the people."
The World AIDS Day Praise and Worship Service was an anointed evening of fellowship, filled with beautiful music from praise and worship leaders and liturgical dancers from various ministries. A wonderful display of unity among clergy across the Dallas metroplex filled the pulpit. Rev. Sharon Grant, an Associate Minister at "Sensational" St. Paul, coordinated the event with the faith-based non-profit organization, The Pastor's Initiative Against HIV/AIDS. The HIV/AIDS ministries from The Potter's House, Sr. Pastor, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and St. Luke "Community" UMC, Sr. Pastor, Rev. Tyrone Gordon were additional major participants in the powerful service.
The event was well attended, generating support from numerous churches and local agencies actively involved in the battle against HIV/AIDS. Rev. Grant remarked that, "The recent success in Uganda demonstrates that when the leadership and churches become visible and vocal with regard to issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, transmission rates are significantly lowered and lives are saved." She is prayerful and hopeful that the positive response generated from the ecumenical service will contribute to lowered rates of HIV/AIDS transmission and AIDS related deaths in the local African-American community.
(Article prepared by the Reverend Sharon Grant)
4. BROTHER ERIC AND SISTER STEPHANIE STRADFORD'S ARTICLE IN http://www.fas2.net/FAMILY/nashville.htm ABOUT THE GENERAL BOARD MEETING HELD RECENTLY IN NASHVILLE:
Retired Army Chaplain Heads Oldest Black Circulated Newspaper
Growing up AME, serving in the military, and teaching at Hampton University perhaps disciplined the Army veteran for a special assignment. (Submitted by Stephanie and Eric Stradford)
FAS2, Nashville, TN, December 7, 2004 - Army Colonel Calvin H. Sydnor, III tackled tough questions, today, concerning his new command of the oldest black circulated newspaper in the United States. In July, church delegates elected the retired chaplain, Editor, The Christian Recorder Newspaper, an official publication of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Bishop Gregory Ingram chairs the church's Publications Commission and has opened the door to fresh ideas. "The Christian Recorder is the oldest black circulated paper in the United States. If we can get some of us to have a little more sensitivity about our own publications, we can help ourselves get out of some of the quagmires we're in," said Bishop Ingram.
"I'm going to suggest to us that we talk about a subscription drive. Let's get behind our own publications. Let's support our own people so that we might be able to look with pride at what these persons are doing."
Dr. Sydnor brings to The Christian Recorder twenty-eight years of experience as a United States Army Chaplain, along with gifts in spiritual leadership, pastoral care, counseling, human resources, financial management, budgeting, logistics, and organizational development. Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram noted that, "we can help ourselves." Supporters for the new editor are already putting words to work. United by the theme, "Prayer Changes Things," correspondents, photographers, graphic artists and technicians are collectively transforming Internet chatter into a virtual workplace for solving problems. The Editor draws on experience in distance learning to bridge willing workers and work that needs to be done. Prior to his election, Sydnor served as Director of the Religious Studies Program and Assistant Professor of Ethics and Religion, Hampton University.
Past problems of getting the news out on time is being addressed through a value-added online subscription. Readers in Africa, The Caribbean, Europe, as well as the United States, are logging on The Christian Recorder like never before. Circulation could very well double in the coming months as new readers discover timely and relevant news about their global church family.
5. FOUR DAYS AGO A MILITARY COMPOUND'S DINING FACILITY IN MOSUL, IRAQ WAS ATTACKED BY A SUICIDE BOMBER. THE EMAIL MESSAGE THAT I RECEIVED AND IS EMBEDDED BELOW IS A GRAPHIC FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT FROM AN ARMY CHAPLAIN WHO MINISTERED TO WOUNDED SOLDIERS, CIVILIANS, AND CAREGIVERS. THIS ACCOUNT SHARES THE HORROR OF WAR:
MASCAL
By the time I got back to our compound it was all over the news. It seemed like the thing had just happened when in reality I had been neck deep in it for several hours. And there it was on TV. Frankly, it's kind of a blur.
The day began early as I didn't sleep very well last night. Once I was awake I decided not to just lay there and stare at the darkness so I got up, got dressed, shaved and headed into the TOC, the heart of what goes on. In the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) they monitor several different radio nets to keep abreast of what is happing in the area. It's the place to be if you want up to the minute information. When I arrived it was fairly calm. I made small talk with the guys there and sipped that first cup of morning coffee. The day was clear and there was very little going on, or so it seemed. A very short while later we received the initial reports. In this area there are several "camps" or "posts" that house the various combat and support units that do the day to day fighting and working around here. The first report said that a mortar had just hit one of the nearby chow halls during the middle of lunch (I'm on GMT so my morning is actually the middle of the day). It's called a MASCAL or Mass Casualty event and it's where the rubber meets the road in military ministry. They said there were approximately 10 casualties. That was the extent of it so I kind of filed it away in the back of my mind and continued to sip my coffee. The next report wasn't so good. 10 dead and approximately 50 wounded. They were being transported to the Combat Surgical Hospital down the street. The Chaplain at the CSH is a good guy and I knew he'd be in need of help so I woke my assistant and we rushed to the hospital. I didn't expect what I saw.
The scene was little more than controlled chaos. Helicopters landing, people shouting, wounded screaming, bodies everywhere. As the staff began to triage the dead and wounded I found the chaplain and offered my assistance. He directed me to where he needed me and I dove in. I would be hard pressed to write about every person I had the opportunity to pray with today but I will try to relate a few.
I found "Betty" on a stretcher being tended by nurses. I introduced myself and held her hand. She looked up at me and said, "Chaplain, am I going to be alright?" I said that she was despite the fact that I could see she had a long road to recovery ahead of her. Most of her hair had been singed off. Her face was burnt fairly badly, although it didn't look like the kind of burns that will scar. What I do know is that it was painful enough to hurt just by being in the sun. I prayed with Betty and moved on.
"Ilena" (a made up name. She spoke very softly and had a thick accent so I couldn't really hear her) had been hit by a piece of shrapnel just above her left breast causing a classic sucking chest wound. The doctors said she had a hemothorax (I think that's what they called it) which basically meant her left lung was filling with blood and she was having a very hard time breathing. For the next 20 minutes I held her hand while a doctor made an incision in her left side, inserted most of his hand and some kind of medical instrument and then a tube to alleviate the pressure caused by the pooling blood. It was probably the most medieval procedure I have ever been privy to. In the end she was taken to ICU and will be OK.
"Mark" was put on a stretcher and laid along a wall. A small monitor on his hand would tell the nurses when he was dead. Even a cursory glance said it was inevitable. Mark had a head wound that left brain matter caked in his ear and all over the stretcher he was lying on. I knelt next to Mark and placed a hand on is chest. His heart was barely beating but it was beating so I put my face close to his ear to pray with him. If you've never smelled human brain matter it is something unforgettable. I had something of an internal struggle. He's practically dead so why stay? He probably can't hear anything! A prayer at that point seemed of little value. But I couldn't risk it. I prayed for Mark and led him in the sinner's prayer as best I could. There are few things in this life that will make you feel more helpless. After that, I needed some fresh air.
I stepped outside and found the situation to be only slightly less chaotic. The number of body bags had grown considerably since I first went inside. I saw a fellow chaplain who was obviously in need of care himself. I stopped him and put my arm around him and asked how he was doing. A rhetorical question if ever I asked one. He just shook his head so I pulled him in close and prayed for his strength, endurance, a thick skin, and a soft heart. Then I just stood and breathed for a few minutes.
Regardless of what some may say, these are not stupid people. Any attack with casualties will naturally mean that eventually a very large number of caregivers will be concentrated in one location. They took full advantage of that. In the middle of the mayhem the first mortar round hit about 100 to 200 meters away. Everyone started shouting to get the wounded into the hospital, which is solid, concrete and much safer than being in the open. Soon, the next mortar hit quite a bit closer than the first as they "walked" their rounds toward their intended target...us. Everyone began to rush toward the building. I stood at the door shoving as many people inside as I could. Just before heading in myself, the last one hit directly on top of the hospital. I was standing next to the building so was shielded from any flying shrapnel. In fact, the building, being built as a bunker took the hit with little effect. However, I couldn't have been more than 10 to 15 meters from the point of impact and brother did I feel the shock. That'll wake you up! I rushed inside to find doctors and nurses draped over patients, others on the floor or under something. I ducked low and quickly moved as far inside as I could.
After a few tense moments people began to move around again and the business of patching bodies and healing minds continued in earnest. As I stood talking with some other chaplain, an officer approached and not seeing us, yelled, "Is there a chaplain around here?" I turned and asked what I could do. He spoke to us and said that another patient had just been moved to the "expectant" list and would one of us come pray for him. I walked in and found him lying on the bed with a tube in his throat, and no signs of consciousness. There were two nurses tending to him in his final moments. One had a clipboard so I assumed she'd have the information I wanted. I turned to her and asked if she knew his name. Without hesitation the other nurse, with no papers, blurted out his first, middle, and last name. She had obviously taken this one personally. I'll call him "Wayne". I placed my hand on his head and lightly stroked his dark hair. Immediately my mind went to my Grandpa's funeral when I touched his soft grey hair for the last time. And for the second time in as many hours I prayed wondering if it would do any good, but knowing that God is faithful and can do more than I even imagine. When I finished I looked up at the nurse who had known his name. She looked composed but struggling to stay so. I asked, "Are you OK?" and she broke down. I put my arm around her to comfort and encourage her. She said, "I was fine until you asked!" Then she explained that this was the third patient to die on her that day.
"Rachel" was sitting in a chair with no injuries. She was worried about two friends that had been moved to other hospitals in country. So we prayed.
"John", a First Sergeant, asked me, "How does my face look?" knowing he had been badly burned and would probably have some scaring. He was covered in blood, pus, and charred skin so I said, "First Sergeant, you look better than some people I know back home." He laughed and we prayed.
One of the many American civilian workers had been hit in the groin. He was happy to be alive and even happier to be keeping, "all my equipment." It was a light moment in a very heavy day.
As my assistant and I walked away at the end of the day I saw another chaplain and a soldier standing among the silent rows of black body bags. The soldier wanted to see his friend one more time. We slowly and as respectfully as possible unzipped the bag to reveal the face of a very young Private First Class. His friend stared for a few seconds then turned away and began to cry.
The last count was 25 dead, and around 45 wounded. Nevertheless, our cause is just and God is in control even when the crap is a yard deep. I'm where God wants me and wouldn't change that for anything, even if it means death. After all, "to die is gain."
Post Script: all patient names were changed to prevent identification of victims before family notification.(Email sent by Chaplain (CPT) Brad Lewis)
6. EDITOR'S NOTE:
War is a terrible thing! My heart aches for the families of soldiers who have been killed in action and for soldiers who are maimed. Wounded soldiers will be a burden on our nation for years and years. Our nation is in a "mess" that will not be resolved anytime soon. I wish that we could wind the clock back and extricate ourselves out of this quagmire.
The Christian Recorder would love to hear the stories from our AME chaplains and soldiers. Accounts such as the one above exposes the horror of war as a reality. I am afraid that newspapers across the country are relegating the everyday Iraq War news away from the front pages.
While we will pray for our soldiers and we all need to pray that we will get out of this "mess" and somehow bring our soldiers back home. The money we are spending on the war could be better spent in our communities here in the United States. We need to underpin democracy right here "at home."
