Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram, Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor
1. EDITOR’S CORNER:
Yesterday, I was speaking with Dr. Dennis Dickerson, the Historiographer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, about the lack of subscribers for The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. Dr. Dickerson felt that every pastor should subscribe to The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. I had a slight disagreement with him. My position is that every minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church should subscribe to The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. I would even go further and say that every candidate for ministry should be required to subscribe to The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. As a matter of fact, they shouldn’t have to be required to subscribe, they should want to subscribe to the Church periodicals. Our clergy and those who aspire to the ministry should want to be knowledgeable about the Church in which they aspire to do ministry. And from my observations, we ministers especially, and laity, need to learn more about and keep updated about our Church. The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder are outstanding denominational resources. The A.M.E. Church Review is a superb source for learning about the history, polity, and doctrine of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It’s the premier source for learning about the Church. It’s an outstanding tool for theological, historical, and doctrinal update. Every profession, i.e., medical, legal, dental, academia, etc., has its professional periodical that everyone in the profession is expected to read. Even mechanics have a professional journal. Beauticians and florists have professional journals. My point is that we, in the profession of ministry need to keep ourselves updated. The A.M.E. Church Review is an excellent way to keep updated. And the cost for a subscription is more than reasonable. Try subscribing to the medical or legal professional journals for what we are charged for our AME periodicals! We need to take advantage of what is available to us.
I know that we need theological and doctrinal update. I recently heard a minister who was teaching pastors about baptism say, “The AME Church baptizes, but we also sprinkle and pour.” He repeated himself and received more than one “amen.” And if you have to think about what is wrong about that sentence, then you would benefit from theological and doctrinal update that can be gleaned from The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing; we all need to keep ourselves updated. Now, what I hope that teacher meant to say was, “The African Methodist Episcopal Church has three modes of baptism: sprinkling, pouring and immersion.”
I heard a minister at an annual conference state that his church was planning on putting in a baptismal pool. He seemed excited about that and I got the impression that he was going to push immersion as the preferred mode of baptism. Now there is nothing wrong with a baptismal pool, but there is nothing wrong with a baptismal font. What we, as African Methodists, need to do is to be able to explain the biblical, theological, and doctrinal position of our Church concerning baptism.
I would advocate that ministers appearing before Boards of Examiners be required to have their Bible, Hymnal, required books and an issue of The A.M.E. Church Review with proof of subscription to that and the other periodicals of the Church.
And, speaking about the Board of Examiners, and what I call the Saturday morning madness, with all of the alternatives to acquiring an education today, Boards of Examiners should be the “exception rather than the rule.” Applicants for the ministry should be required to fulfill the academic requirement for ministry. Period! In extreme hardship cases, perhaps applicants could be allowed to go through the Course of Study, but that should be the exception. We still have ministers on Boards of Examiners who are not Seminary graduates. They are probably competent people, but they are not credentialed. Trainers should be credentialed. As a matter of fact, trainers should have the highest professional credentials.
Well, I’ll stop, because I did not mean to write this much. Just meant to share a little “food for thought” about the importance of subscribing to our AME periodicals.
2. SHAME, THE SILENT DEMON BY THE REVEREND VERSY A. WILLIAMS
There’s nothing more opposing to God’s love for us than thinking and feeling that we are worthless or inferior. There is no greater love than when a man would lay down his life for a sheep (John 10:11). The Good Shepherd is Jesus. We are his sheep. Jesus is speaking of his love for us. God absolutely loves us.
Shame makes us feel that we not acceptable. Shame doesn’t just pop up in our emotions and thoughts, it has to have help penetrating our esteem. I know; I suffered quietly. Abuse told me that I was no longer acceptable. I was never good enough. Of course I made excuses for the violence against me. Excuses for my abuser’s behavior towards me made my hell more palatable.
Drug addiction no only affects the user but unfortunately becomes the plight of their co-dependent victim(s). When I reflect on those years, I am amazed I kept my sanity. Actually for a short while, I lost my sanity. Rebuilding my life was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. I tried to forget how bad things really were. I lied, I covered, and I swept the humiliation and degradation neatly away, deep in my heart never to surface again. I simply was not going to ever discuss it again.
Crack-cocaine is one of the most powerful mind altering drugs available to African Americans. It is cheap and deadly. Except the death lingers and destroys the blessings and promises that God intends for us. Crack-cocaine is Satan’s scheme to destroy our minds. Since it controls our mind, the user can’t renew their mind with God’s word. The co-dependent victim is in a continuous battle. You either fight back or become like one of them. I know the battle took place in my home.
I lived with crack-cocaine many years. It was mysterious but never distant. It ruled my house. When I finally discovered it, it was a relief. My abuser became even more cruel after I learned he was a drug addict. I couldn’t help him. So I began working with people in alcohol and drug recovery. It was the silent part of my work in God’s vineyard. My shame wouldn’t let me get too close to those recovering. It wasn’t their fault. They were very appreciative of my love and helping them. I was proud of each of them. How I wished it could have been a choice of my abuser. You see, if I let them get too close to me I would become vulnerable again. While I was loving and cherishing my husband he loved and cherished his lover. It wasn’t me. I wasn’t going to become vulnerable again. For years I cried, begged and hurt. Of course, it didn’t do any good. Crack had carefully disguised itself; each time I begged and cried, I actually worshipped the god of addiction. I remember our introduction. I stumbled upon its hiding place. I threw up. It took my breath away. Wow.
Of course I was too ashamed to tell how it had thrown me to my knees all those years. I was thankful that my God heard my cries. You know those silent cries that no one hears but God? Yes, those cries. God heard every one of them. Finally, crack left my house. Wow. I had my life back. I was too ashamed to tell. I decided to live with the battle scars. At least I could hold my head up again.
Did I tell you that I took my seat each Sunday…
(READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE IN THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER)
3. TSUNAMI: SOMALIA, KENYA, TANZANIA
Black Church expands U.S./Caribbean relief efforts to African families hit by tsunami
TCR Staff Report
The Christian Recorder, Los Angeles, CA – Faith-based development agencies are rallying church members to a higher level of concern for victims of the devastating Tsunami. The Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church has stretched limited resources to meet emergency needs in the Caribbean and southern US communities in Alabama and Florida. The leadership will expand its relief efforts to African nations recovering from the December 26 tsunami and years of economic despair.
Family members in Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya experienced massive tsunamis on December 26, 2004, triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Aftershocks continue to occur in the region, affecting several countries throughout South and Southeast Asia.
The Service and Development Agency of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMESADA), a 501c3 public charity, coordinates relief efforts on behalf of some 3.5 million sons and daughters of Africa. AMESADA works hand in hand with the AME Church Social Action Commission and with other international relief agencies around the world.
Contributions via church offerings or directly to AMESADA will ensure that no nation is left behind in receiving much needed aid. AMESADA will coordinate mission support for cooperative strategies with its international partners.
The agency is uniquely structure to address the special needs of the historically underserved. According to January 14 U.N. reports, an estimated 4,000 people displaced by the tsunami in northeastern Somalia will need to rebuild their houses in a new location. Waves from the tsunami altered the geographical coastline and destroyed the sand dunes that protected communities from high tide and flooding.
Homes on the Hafun peninsula were the hardest hit and residents will need to rebuild at least one kilometer inland to avoid future flooding. In Somalia more than 200 persons lost their lives and another 50,000 had their homes destroyed (flattened). In Kenya, the loss of public roads, destruction of homes, and the difficulties of traveling have resulted in a major strain to an economy that could not support the basic needs of its people. Reconstruction needs will be far reaching, and costly.
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, chairperson of the Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) continues to connect needs to means. “Our church’s commitment to make a difference will include the collection of funds and other resources to be distributed via SADA, the international relief and development arm of the AME Church. Please remember the local residents and visitors in your prayers,” said Bishop Tyler Guidry.
Direct Contributions may be made toSADA (Service and Development Agency)
Dr. Robert Nicolas, Director
202/ 371-8722 – voice202/ 371-0981 – fax
1134 11th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
