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. SUBSCRIBE TO AME CHURCH PERIODICALS:
Subscribe to The Voice of Mission, $20.00 annually:
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Subscribe to The Christian Recorder, $26 annually
The Christian Recorder
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2. THE EDITOR’S CORNER:
AME Bishops are doing the work of ministry and are touching every corner of their districts. Here are a few of the great things I have picked up on that several of our bishops are doing.
3. BISHOP SARAH DAVIS VISITING EVERY CHURCH IN THE EIGHTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:
The Right Reverend Sarah Davis, Presiding Bishop of the Eighteenth Episcopal District plans to visit all of her presiding elder districts and visit each church, congregation, school and school staffs. Bishop Davis reports that she has visited seven of her fifteen presiding elder districts and is planning to complete the other eight districts before the next annual conference series that begin in late August.
4. BISHOP CAROLYN TYLER-GUIDRY SENDS MONEY TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN SOUTH ASIA AND EAST AFRICA WHO WERE DEVASTATED BY THE TSUNAMI:
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Secretary, AMEC Publishing House recently in a conversation with some of the General Officers commended Bishop Carolyn Tyler-Guidry for giving aid to tsunami victims so soon after her district had been devastated by a natural disaster.
Editor’s comment: There is a blessing in giving, and I believe that “God loves a cheerful giver.”
5. BISHOP W. J. MESSIAH IS ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE THEOLOGICAL TRAINING AND DENOMINATIONAL RESOURCES TO HIS PASTORS IN THE 20TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:
Bishop Messiah invites pastors and academicians to help
Bishop Messiah extends an invitation for pastors and academicians to come to the 20th Episcopal District to provide training. He said, “If you have knowledge of persons wanting to come to the 20th, specifically Zimbabwe on sabbatical, who can teach (Pastoral Counseling, Missiology, Old and New Testament, Ethics, Systematic Theology, Church Administration, Church Growth & Development to our Pastors, in an informal setting, we would welcome them.”
Bishop Messiah asks that persons interested in lending their pedagogic and theological expertise contact him via email: wjmessiah2004@yahoo.com
Bishop Messiah teaches two courses, AME Discipline and Polity, at one of the schools in his district. He is soliciting assistance in the courses that he is teaching.
The 20th Episcopal district is in need of teaching staff, AME periodicals, Bibles (NRSV and RSV); copies of AME Polity by Bishop Henry McNeil Turner; copies of the 2000 AME Discipline, copies of The A.M.E. Church Review and other historical publications of the AME Church that can be used for AME History and other study resources would greatly assist this District. Bishop Messiah also went on to say, “I am also asking for assistance in receiving hardcopies of the Christian Recorder so that I can give these to our seminary students and for use in the Library. We are in need of several publications in this District since none of our pastors have formal theological training.”
Bishop Messiah says, “The work is all divine!”
Editor’s comment:
We can do a lot of great things on the grass-roots level, especially when providing help. Denominational legislation is not needed when we make up our minds to help those in need.
Any preachers or academicians want to travel? Bishop Messiah is asking for help. I know that we have people in our Zion who can do this. Airline tickets purchased sooner rather than later, are cheaper. There are some reasonable airfares to Africa; you just have to look for them. You will need a passport. You may go to: http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html and apply for a new passport or to renew your passport.
I am committed to assisting Bishop Messiah and our other overseas bishops who need copies of The Christian Recorder. It’s not in my budget so the funds for this effort will come from our personal funds and from friends and folks who would like to assist. I will give an accounting of funds received for this endeavor. This is not a public monetary appeal for assistance. Reverend Charlotte and I will contact family and friends directly.
I agree with Bishop Messiah, “The work is all divine!”
6. BISHOP SARAH DAVIS SHARES HER FIRST- HAND EXPERIENCES OF “LOOKING POVERTY IN THE FACE”:
”I Looked POVERTY in the Face Today” is taken from my journal of my visit to Beira, Mozambique, February 13-25, 2005.
Since February 13th, I have been visiting all the churches and schools of the 18th District. Beira is located northeast of Maputo on the Indian Ocean. It is approximately 1100 Km from Maputo. The Beira District, under the leadership of Presiding Elder Vasco Tui, was the fastest growing District in the Mozambique 2004 Annual Conference. In November of 2004, the Beira District received the 18th District's "High Steppers" honors for church growth. They had 247 conversions, 333 accessions, and 267 baptisms for the conference year.
During my 13-day visit to Beira and the surrounding provinces, I taught, preached and traveled to distant and very rural places. Many of the district's members had never seen a Bishop. I visited 19 churches or church locations. I met members and officers from 25 churches or new works. Some of our churches services were held under trees and many could only be reached by foot after traveling by van.
Traveling with me to Beira, Muda, Chimoio, Caia, Marromeu, Luabo and the zones included in these areas were Pastors Jose Bussane, Andre Massumane, Manuel Emiliano and Louisa Rosario; Reverend Antonio Muti (interpreter); Mothers Bussane and Massumane; and Brothers Adriano Bomba, Jeremia Massola, Hilario Fernando and Bernardo Jose.
"I Looked POVERTY in the Face Today" may call you to action or it may just open your eyes to a greater understanding of how truly real poverty is in Africa.
Hopefully, "I Looked POVERTY in the Face Today” will cause you to share the story with others so that the need for everyone to take on the challenges of POVERTY in Africa becomes clear.
"I Looked POVERTY in the Face Today," for I believe it is impossible to affect what we cannot see.
Bishop Sarah Frances Taylor Davis
7. I LOOKED POVERTY IN THE FACE TODAY:
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was a 9-year-old village boy who, when given a peppermint candy, bit it into five pieces and passed a piece of the candy to each of his sisters and brothers with him without being told to do so.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were children who looked with curiosity at a lady who was called Bishop; but who gathered around when asked to take a photo; who smiled big when smiled at; who wanted to hang on when I embraced THEM.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were pastors and CHURCH MEMBERS gathering in a crowded, hot, mud-STRUCTURE church building WITH MEN sitting on home made benches and WOMEN AND CHILDREN ON mats on the ground, but praising God and dancing and praying as if they were in a cathedral somewhere else.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was praying through the lips of the young and the old; prayers of the men and the women. Prayers like those on the Day of Pentecost… all praying, and I not understanding any of it, BUT was able to feel the Spirit of the Lord in the place!!!! Hallelujah, Jesus!!!!
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were fourteen in total: 7 men and 4 women and 3 young men; no jobs to go to; dressed in shirts and ties and some even with coat jackets; sitting on a rented non-air conditioned van THAT I rented; going with the ME to the villages where some AME members have no churches, but meet under trees to worship.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were fourteen strong in a rented van for seven hours, still smiling and singing as they shared their first meal of the day together: three half-filled bags of mixed nuts I brought from Maseru (to eat in the hotel room if I got hungry, but decided to bring for the trip today).
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...THEY WERE children of all ages running around dirty, but with smiles on their faces as they were at recess at their over crowded, windowless, NO-ELECTRICAL POWER schools.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...He was a little black toddler who had flies all over his/her (couldn’t tell the gender) face because of an infected open sore on the back of THE ear. The infection caused the ear lobe to be three times the size of the other ear lobe; yet the little toddle had that special smile of "I love you, and I know you love me" which completely swallowed my heart.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were the young people and the older people running up to our van so that we could buy some of their vegetables as they shoved them through the windows of the van.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was the lady from the side of the road who was now smiling and seemingly saying "Thank you Lord, someone bought my pumpkin!" as she walked back to the side of the road slipping her 10 meticais ($0.50) in her pocket and starting her sales yells all over again.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...He was at Muda and was pressing his claim for me to please buy 3 goats and 5 chickens so that their church project could be started which would bring in money for their families and the church.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...He was the administrator for Ndeja, a new work. He wanted ME to know that they are now having church under a tree because the wind had blown down the first church they had tried to build. He pleaded that they needed to build another church soon so that members would not leave and go where they could worship in a church building and not under a tree. [Ndeja is a new work off the main road and in the bushes and through the cornfields for about a 20 minutes drive.]
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was an elderly woman who had brought a bushel of corn on the cob for ME since I had come to visit them in the bushes.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...He was on a home made crutch, hopping on one leg, but singing about heaven and Jesus! He was waving his hands and praising his God as THE VISITORS AND I approached the pulpit under their tree.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were men and women walking down a long road from Beira to places on the road to Mau (2 hours in a van)...feet in tongs and some barefooted, but walking briskly toward the nearest village or city.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was bent down from the waist in stagnant dirty water with a hoe in her hand working the rice fields.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were with hoes or sickles in their hands, men and women, working the sugar cane, the barley, and the fruit plants on the sides of the road, in the fields and in the marshlands.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They had uncovered butts, dirty torn t-shirts, torn skirts, no shirts, towel diapers with plastic coverings, but they were playing in the dirt, with each other or playing alone.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...He was sitting on the side of his hut in the bushes with his children making baskets with his hands from straw.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was some 25 children leading the way for US to their church (Zinga-Zinga, Pastor Louisa Rosario), up the mountainside, off the main road and about a 25-30 minutes walk; they were singing and smiling and WERE excited.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were seventy five children and about 87 adults who were sitting and listening to ME tell them about Jesus and His love.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...They were seventy-five children who have no schooling because they are too far from the nearest school and the main roads, but who when I promised that Zinga-Zinga would have a church and a school in the very near future...clapped and sang and shouted on their feet!
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was a 2 year and 2 months old baby girl whose eyes just rolled around, never focusing on anyone or anything, as I held her in my arms and prayed for her. Her name is Baby Betinho Albert Olieveira.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was lines of people, some with babies on their backs in the hospital waiting on their turn to see a nurse or doctor while I was escorted immediately to a room with a doctor and examined.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was three little boys (8-9 years of age) dressed in blue shirts with an HIV/AIDS logo on it and the name of the home from which they had come. They came to me and said: "We are orphans of parents who have died of HIV/AIDS and we would like it if you could give us a donation to support our care." After I gave my gift one looked me in the eyes and said: "Thank you madam, and may God bless you."
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was a blind lady with her baby on her back and with 2 little girls (I assume her daughters) leading her by the hand begging for whatever was in my hand.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was a pregnant blind woman with two girls (9-10 years of age) by her side.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was ME WITH MY traveling preachers and THEIR spouses and others leaving for Caia and Marromeu with 6 (20 liter) containers of diesel on top of the 15 passenger van where the luggage was also stored and exposed to the sun. When asked about the danger, the reply was "it will be alright; petro is to scarce further north and where it can be found it is too expensive."
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was our van being stopped and harassed by the black Mozambique policemen, even with our hand-made church sign on the dash board, while a white driver was not even waved down, but given a smile by the police and allowed to continue his travel.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was 316 children, women and men all together in a mud church too small, but all were praising God and listening intently as the Bishop preached through the interpreter; sometimes smiling, sometimes clapping hands and sometimes roaring with laughter.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was Pastor Manuel Emiliano calling ME forward to give ME gifts from the people of 7 de Abril African Methodist Episcopal Church: two live doves, a branch off a banana tree full of bananas and a straw hat.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was a young man packed and ready to travel with us back to Beira to look for a university to enroll in, but told he had to stay back because we did not have room for him on the already packed 15 passenger van. “I" promised him he would get into school and that "I" would not forget him.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was Aida, an 11 year old girl (a twin) who was cooking meal for herself and her five other siblings who live with her in a hut alone as they are orphans of HIV/AIDS parents.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was a mother of twins (one twin 3 times the size of the other) with each sucking on each breast at the same time.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...She was a two year old girl whose buttock was bare as she played in the dirt.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...It was a little boy with his finger in his baby sister’s mouth as the baby was sucking on her mother’s nipple.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...Babies WERE everywhere, on every other woman’s back or in her womb; toddlers running around dirty, with colds, sores in their heads, open wounds on their legs or ankles, behind their ears and/or on the sides of their eyes or mouths; little boys and girls with runny noses; swollen navels, and red eyes.
Interesting, ”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...but nowhere was POVERTY lamenting its plight or looking like it felt sorry for itself.
POVERTY was moving forward making the best of the situation it was in.
POVERTY did not see itself for it did not know it was POOR, or MAYBE it did not let its "lack" keep it from trying to get more.
”I looked POVERTY in the face today”...Lord, help me never to forget what POVERTY looks like. Let me remember so that I will always be found trying to help my sisters and brothers wherever they are. Amen.
Submitted by Bishop Sarah Davis
Editor's comment: Powerful!
8. THANKS TO THE REVERENDS JOHN AND JANIE DANDRIDGE FOR FREE, NON-DEGREE ONLINE COURSES OFFERED BY JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH:
The Dandridges wrote, “We may have some people in our congregation(s) interested in Public Health. Now keep in mind this program is not for credit but it is for the enthusiast and motivated self-learner.
The Reverends John and Janie Dandridge
9. JOHNS HOPKINS BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH OFFERS FREE COURSES ONLINE:
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has launched the initial phase of its OpenCourseWare project, which provides free and open access to some of the School’s most popular courses. The courses are available through the Internet to students, self-learners and educators anywhere in the world.
“OpenCourseWare is really a departure, because it provides everyone with access to a wealth of knowledge and information,” said James D. Yager, PhD, head of the OpenCourseWare project at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and senior associate dean for Academic Affairs. “The main beneficiaries of OpenCourseWare may be in the developing world, where students cannot afford textbooks, or at universities that are looking for help when setting up courses. This service will be a tremendous resource for them.”
OpenCourseWare differs from the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s distance-learning initiatives because it does not involve an active exchange of information between faculty and students and because courses are not offered for credit, degrees or certificates.
OpenCourseWare provides encouragement for self-learners to seek formal education; complementary materials for students at the Bloomberg School or other institutions; information with which faculty can plan course curricula; and continuing education for public health practitioners.
The OpenCourseWare concept was developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2001. In February 2005, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Harvard University Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Tufts University and Utah State University met informally with MIT to develop their own OpenCourseWare plans.
The OpenCourseWare project at the Bloomberg School of Public Health is supported by a $200,000 pilot grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
OpenCourseWare classes are available online at http://ocw.jhsph.edu. Currently, five courses are available: “Understanding Cost Effectiveness Analysis in Health Care,” “Statistical Reasoning in Public Health,” “Family Planning Policies and Programs,” “Problem Solving for Immunization Programs” and “History of Public Health.” Five additional courses are expected to be online by the end of April 2005. The School hopes to add 75 to 100 courses in the next five years.
Public Affairs media contacts for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons or Kenna Lowe at 410-955-6878 or paffairs@jhsph.edu.
Editor’s comment: Here is a great opportunity to learn. Our thanks to the Dandriges for sharing this important information.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
