THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER (1/10/04)

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR:

I had to purchase a new computer last week and after transferring information from one computer to the new one, I had to completely erase everything off of the new computer and as a result, lost several important email messages and articles that were sent to me. Among them, was the speech that the Reverend Dr. Joe Darby gave last week at the Interfaith Service in memory and in honor of the tsunami victims in South Asia. It was dynamite speech and I will share it if Dr. Darby still has a copy of it and would be willing to resend it.

I also lost a piece that I was going to put in about St. John AME Church in Nashville. The Laity of St. John have a Founder's Day T-shirt initiative and the phrase on the T-shirt honors the AME Founder's Day as the "Original Black History Month Celebration." Think about it! Research (and someone at St. John may have already done the research) might show that our Founder's Day was the original Black History Week (now month) celebration. I wonder why Carter G. Woodson chose February? Was he building upon what was already established by the African Methodist Episcopal Church's Founder’s Day?

I also lost an article that I was writing about the Reverend Dr. Hardy who teaches at Tennessee State University and who heads the Religion Department at TSU. While speaking with him, I thought, "We have a lot of talent in the AME Church."

And, finally, I lost the Funeral Notification that was sent and that I was going to forward.

So, last week was unusual, but God is good and God is still on the throne.

I heard a great contemporary Spirit-filled sermon yesterday by the Reverend Donald Garner who is the Youth Director for Christian Education for the Thirteenth Episcopal District. He is also on the ministerial staff at Shorter Chapel AME Church, Franklin, Tennessee where the Reverend Charlotte Sydnor is the pastor. Reverend Garner's sermon was "on target." He is a gifted young man who made the sermon relevant for young and old.

This morning I had the opportunity to speak with the Reverend Denise Rogers who Pastors in Montana, in the Fifth Episcopal District. She is a rural preacher and is a contemporary circuit rider. She travels 500 miles, yes that's FIVE HUNDRED miles to get to one of her churches. She does not drive; she rides the bus to carry the word of God. She told me that it's a warm day in Montana this morning; it's only 15 degrees below zero. It's usually about 30 degrees below zero this time of the year. I am sure that there are other stories out there.

I am on my way to the Annual Seminar on Church Growth and Development that will be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina beginning tomorrow and will run through Friday. That event is sponsored by the Department of Church Growth and Development. Bishop Preston Warren Williams II is the Commission Chairman and the Reverend Dr. James C. Wade is the Executive Director. Bishop Vashti McKenzie will deliver the Inaugural Worship Service sermon. Other preachers include, Bishop Williams, Reverend Melvin Capers, Bishop Richard Norris, The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and Bishop A.J. Richardson. The Seminar includes sessions on Clinical Pastoral Leadership, Expository Bible Study, worship, effective outreach and a seaside prayer vigil for those in the Armed Forces.

I hope to be sending updates during the week from Myrtle Beach.

My email address: chsydnor@bellsouth.net