Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor
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1. REV. JACKSON RESPONDS TO INFLAMMATORY COMMENTS BY PAT ROBERTSON:
CHICAGO – (AUG. 23, 2005) - The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, issued the following statement today, responding to conservative Christian Coalition leader Pat Robertson’s recent call to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez:
Rev. Jackson described the following statement by Robertson as an affront to the international community.
Robertson said: “If he [Chavez] thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.... It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war... We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."
Rev. Jackson responded: “These comments are morally reprehensible and dangerously suggestive. The international community repudiates Robertson’s remarks, and calls upon him to retract his remarks. Calling for the assassination of world leaders is wildly provocative. It is just the latest of Robertson’s outrageous and intemperate declarations. President Bush and Secretary of State Rice should immediately rebuke and disassociate the administration from Robertson’s comments.
Presidents Ford and Reagan previously issued executive orders banning political assassinations. In October, the White House was forced to deny Robertson’s claim that the president told him there would be no casualties in the Iraq invasion. Earlier this year, Robertson was harshly critical of judges and Supreme Court rulings that he disagreed with, noting that judicial activists represented a greater threat than terrorists.
During a State Department, hearing Robertson declared, "Maybe we need a very small nuke thrown off on Foggy Bottom [the State Department’s headquarters] to shake things up."
He has also made inflammatory remarks about Muslims and the Islamic religion, saying, "It's clear from the teachings of the Quran and also from the history of Islam that it's anything but peaceful."
Yet, Robertson never raised his voice against racial segregation in the South. He did not join the chorus of witnesses to free Mandela. He instead became a mining trading partner with the tyrant Mobutu in the Congo.
The Bush Administration, his fellow Christian conservatives, and the international community must condemn this history of despicable remarks from Christian Coalition leader Robertson. His rhetoric, especially if taken to the conclusion, only undermines international diplomacy and dialogue, and has no place in today’s world.
The Rainbow/PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization, which seeks to protect, defend and gain civil rights, even the economic and educational playing fields in all aspects of American life and bring peace to the world. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. For more information about the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, please visit the organization’s website, www.rainbowpush.org, or telephone (773) 373-3366. To interview Rev. Jackson about this topic, please call the numbers listed above.
2. THE GLOBAL CORNER:
- Letter to the Editor
Dear Dr. Calvin,
We in Mozambique would like to congratulate the AME Church and you in particular, for giving us the opportunity to know about our Church events on the internet and in the language, we know better. This is great! We are the only Portuguese speaking country in the Southern Africa Region and very often miss information because of the language limitation.
God is great and works through people like you and others who saw the need to provide us with information.
Thanks for this! As a beginning, obviously, the Portuguese will not be as correct as it should be but we are getting the intent of the messages.
I would recommend and let you know that we write, God (Deus) with a capital D and I would suggest we do that so that we will not create confusion with people who have been used to treat God as the master and with a capital D. The same applies to Jesus (J capital) and to Lord (Senhor).
I would request if possible to have some pages with the History of the AME in Portuguese. People want to know more about this great Church and it would be good if we had hard copies that we could distribute to our constituency.
Once more, thanks for giving us the opportunity to read AME information in Portuguese.
Yours in His Service,
Muito obrigado!
Sara Zandamela
3. THE CHAPLAINS CORNER:
A letter from our AME Chaplain in Afghanistan
It is great to hear from you. Thanks for sending me an on line Christian Recorder. I have enjoyed reading it.
It is a small world! To think that I can communicate all the way from Afghanistan is in it self, amazing. Bishop Ingram had me down to preach the annual sermon for our upcoming annual conference, but because of the upcoming elections here in Afghanistan in September and the fact that I could not be sure I was going to get out of here on time I had to respectfully decline. I was concern about being stuck here or in Kuwait and miss the conference. It is okay, I will be home for good in another six months.
I am doing well. I am serving as the Combine Joint Task Force Base Operations Chaplain. I am at the CJTF Headquarters in Bagram. CH (COL) Charles R. Bailey is the Theater Chaplain. He has really been a gem to work with. I have been truly inundated with plenty of work to do. I do not mind because it helps the tour speed along. I have traveled all over the country working with the numerous BASEOPS UMTs. I get to preach almost every week. I preached Sunday the Liturgical Service, last week at the General Protestant Service and the week before at the Gospel Service. I always preach the Gospel Service Communion Sunday when I am not traveling. The Gospel Service is truly off the hook. I wish I could bring each one of the worship leaders back to Waco with me. The Gospel Service is the largest Christian Worship Service in Afghanistan.
Take care and I hope to hear from you again soon.
Your Brother in Christ,
The Reverend George Johnson
Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) United States Army
4. NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
- Chattanooga Church holds benefit for missing man
Chattanooga, Tennessee. Terrance Williams disappeared nearly two years ago in Florida, and police still have no leads in his case. His mother is appealing to anyone who might know of his whereabouts. A benefit for Terrance Williams will be held Saturday night at six at Saint Paul AME church, Williams Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- St. Mark AME Church, Milwaukee welcomes its First Lady with a Tea Reception
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is a tea party. Members of St. Mark formally welcome its first lady, Laurelyn Williams on Saturday, August 27, 2005, at an afternoon tea. She and her daughter, Christina joined her husband, Rev. Darryl Williams, in June of this year. The Williams were appointed pastoral charge of the St. Mark congregation in November. As an educator, she and her daughter are looking forward to transitioning into the Milwaukee school system and community.
The reception is from 2:00 to 4:30 in Ezekiel Gillespie Fellowship Hall at the church, 1616 W. Atkinson Avenue. Women are invited to wear their hats, gloves and men to wear their linen suits, and panamas for an afternoon program of fun and fellowship. For more information and reservations, please contact the church at (414) 562-8030.
- Church criticized for hiring convicted child molester.
Bright Temple AME Church in Warwick (Bermuda) hired Christopher Winslow Darrell as a musical director. The Royal Gazette newspaper reports that the church gave Darrell the position even though it was aware of his previous convictions because the pastor wanted to give Darrell a “second chance.” Some of the Church members lauded the Church for giving Darrell a second chance. Others criticized the church after recent allegations of molestation were lodged against him.
5. THE RURAL CHURCH: NOW IS THE TIME!
George R. La Sure, D.Min.
As we approach the General Conference of 2008, we, as a denomination, are looking at a delegation size that will be reduced by 35% as per the Treasurer of the Church. Brother Richard Allen Lewis has indicated, in great detail, how financially burdensome it is for the African Methodist Episcopal Church to provide for a delegation as large as the delegation of 2994. Brother Lewis has said that we had too many folk there and that it was exceedingly difficult and expensive to provide for such a large group. Next time we must trim our sails and reduce this huge gathering by 35%. We cannot afford it.
Anyone who served as a delegate, an alternate or, an observer would have to respectfully disagree. An examination of the record would reveal that each delegate, alternate and observer paid his/her own way. They paid for their hotel accommodations, their meals, their transportation and, their General Conference fees. By all outward appearances, all of these folk enjoyed the opportunity of being there. There was a very peaceful atmosphere and, there were no fights or threats of expulsion. The vendors in and out of the area were overjoyed by our presence and, thousands of folk walked the downtown streets of Indianapolis and observed the sights.
While countless masses throughout the world are braving the bitter cold and the intense heat and many other harsh elements to say to the world’s governing bodies that they want representative forms of government that pay attention to their needs, the African Methodist Episcopal Church is saying, by its arbitrary action to reduce the number of delegates to the General Conference, to its masses that we don’t need to see all of you, we don’t need to see your strength in numbers, and we don’t need to hear your loud voice.
Rural and small membership churches within the AMEC already feel that their voices are not heard. Budgetary assessments are much too high for many smaller congregations and, have been so for a number of years. It is the general consensus of the rural and small membership community that no budgetary relief appears to be in sight. Many rural and small membership churches are at their budgetary limit. Many feel that the time is long overdue for denominational budgetary re-apportionment. Many of our rural and small membership churches have experienced dwindling membership for the past several years and, their budgetary apportionment has never been adjusted. One more budgetary increase might cause many of our rural and small membership churches to bolt and run.
Rural and small membership churches are not represented as a bloc in the meeting rooms where the decisions are being made to set the course for the AMEC in this new millennium. The rural and small membership church is smothered by “mega church” issues and concerns, when, in fact, it pays the overwhelming bulk of the AMEC General Budget. The real issues that are negatively impacting the rural and small membership church never get discussed. There is no recognizable rural and small membership church representation guarantee at the General Conference level. At the last General Conference there was not one piece of legislation that spoke to addressing rural and small membership church concerns. If there were, the professional disrupters, the “experts in parliamentary procedure”, saw to it that we never heard it.
An old adage says, “Time will bring about a change”. The time has come for the African Methodist Episcopal Church-at-large to sit down and seriously consider and address the issues that affect the healthful continuation of the rural and small membership church. The continuing health of the AMEC is tied directly to the continuing health of the rural and small membership church. They have been overlooked and “kicked to the curb” for too many years. This writer would offer the suggestion that a Blue-Ribbon panel consisting of significant rural and small membership church representation and the chief officials of the church (Bishops, General and Connectional Officers) be established to review salient rural and small membership church issues and concerns and, to offer recommendations for corrective legislation to be considered at the next General Conference.
As we approach 2008, it would be helpful to the continuing health of the overall AMEC if the envisioned 35% reduction in the number of delegates and alternates and observers be rescinded. The people who struggle day and night to scrape up every AMEC budgetary request (by selling chicken dinners and sandwiches, fish dinners and sandwiches, baby contests, men‘s and women’s day activities, church anniversaries, bake sales, pew rallies, festivals, golf tournaments, shoe size rallies, Tom Thumb weddings, fashion shows, hat sales and a thousand other activities) deserve the right to attend a session of the General Conference to see, first hand, how the church works and, how the church governs itself. This is the greatest opportunity that rural and small membership churches have to learn the church and how it operates, on a first hand basis. This opportunity will do much to enhance growth and development as AME’s at the local church level. This is the greatest opportunity for the rural and small membership church to feel that it is a significant part of the larger connectional body.
The founding fathers of this great nation (U.S.A.) sent a loud message to King George before the American Colonies’ horizon blazed with the fires of liberty: “there shall be no taxation without representation!” One writer, James Otis (1763), stated, “Taxation without representation is tyranny”. This same spirit of integrity and self-worth drives the rural and small membership church today. It is simply saying that the General Church should strengthen its efforts to promote ‘inclusion’ and, do much to eliminate policies of ‘exclusion’.
Now is the time!
7. FUNERAL NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Reverend Horace Edward Burton. He was the retired pastor of St. James A.M.E. Church, Atlantic City, New Jersey (New Jersey Annual Conference). The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing - Saturday, August 27, 2005 9:00 a.m. - 12 noon
St. James A.M.E. Church
101 North New York Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Funeral - Saturday, August 27, 2005
Service - 12 noonSt. James A.M.E. Church
See above address
Eulogy - Bishop Richard F. Norris
Rev. Louis Attles, Pastor
Phone: 609-345-0179
Fax: 609-345-1345
Condolences may be sent to:
Mrs. Margaret Burton c/o St. James AME Church
101 North New York Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Please keep the Burton family in your prayers.
8. FUNERAL NOTICE:
We sadly report the passing of the Father of Mrs. Renee White.
(Renee is the wife of Pastor Leslie R. White, Grant A.M.E. Church, in Los Angeles)
Condolences may be sent to:
The Family of:
Mr. Robert Peek
3680 Crosby Drive
Atlanta, GA 30331
Funeral Services:
Friday, August 26 - 12 :00 Noon
Murray Brothers Funeral Home, Inc.
1199 Utoy Springs Road S.W.
Atlanta GA 30331
Rev. Dr. George R. LaSure, Pastor
Cosmopolitan A.M.E. Church, Officiating
Please remember the family in your prayers.
9. BEREAVEMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Commission on Social Action Clergy Family Information Center
Mrs. Ora L. Easley - Administrator Email: Amespouses1@aol.com
(Nashville, Tennessee Contact) Phone: (615) 837-9736 Fax: (615) 833-3781
(Memphis, Tennessee Contact) (901) 578-4554 (Phone & Fax)
Please remember these families in your prayers.
10. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Gregory G. M. Ingram; the Publisher, the Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and the Editor of the Christian Recorder, the Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III offer our condolences and prayers to those who have lost loved ones. We pray that the peace of Christ will be with you during this time of your bereavement.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
