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. OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
World attention has been drawn to the devastation along the Gulf Coast of the United States, standing in awe of the primal power of Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of families have been displaced, hundreds of persons presumed dead, and multitudes more who are emotionally and pragmatically wounded from the economic legacy of the storm.
Like so many religious and socially aware organizations, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, guided by the Council of Bishops, is responding to this crisis with dispatch and Christian concern for the multitude of people affected by this horrendous natural disaster. Our response seeks to be comprehensive and holistic, with an understanding that such care must be a long-term commitment. Through the Office of Global Witness and Ministry, we are cooperating with organizations who offer immediate and emergency assistance with financial support, goods and services appropriate for the specific needs of each affected community. Many of our congregations have already responded by using their facilities as temporary shelters and food service sites. We also propose licensed counseling for persons profoundly affected by this disaster.
The bulk of our financial resources, however, will be directed through a special response committee with stringent accountability measures in place to ensure public confidence for the purposes intended. This task force will operate through the office of the bishop of the Eighth Episcopal District (Louisiana and Mississippi) the Rt. Rev. C. Garnett Henning, the office of the bishop of the Ninth Episcopal District (Alabama), the Rt. Rev. T. Larry Kirkland, and the office of the bishop of the Eleventh Episcopal District, the Rt. Rev. McKinley Young. We believe that this gesture will make certain that persons on the very low end of the economic and social spectrum will not be overlooked or forgotten.
For the present, we are appealing to AMEC congregations throughout our vast connection, to begin receiving offerings for hurricane relief this Sunday, September 4, 2005 (continuing through the end of the month) earmarked for hurricane relief. Over the past 12 months, the AME Church has raised substantial funds for hurricane relief in Florida, Alabama and the Caribbean, as well as for Tsunami relief. In addition to monetary benefaction, additional resources consisting of dried goods, food, water and personal items will likewise be received across the connection and shipped to the appropriate agencies on the ground in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Addresses for receipt of these goods are listed below.
Offerings are to be sent to the Episcopal Districts' offices and forwarded to the Department of Global Witness and Ministry. A special Response Committee will analyze, evaluate and recommend disbursements to the affected areas. The Response Committee consists of Bishops Philip R. Cousin, Gregory G. M. Ingram, Richard Allen Chappelle in their capacities as senior bishop, president of the Council of Bishops, and president of the General Board, along with the presiding bishops of the affected areas, Mrs. Jamesina Evans as president of the Women’s Missionary Society, Mr. Jesse Burns as president of the Connectional Lay Organization, Dr. Clement Fugh, Mr. Richard Allen Lewis, and Dr. George F. Flowers as executive director of Global Witness and Ministry. Reports of our work will be made to the church at the usual intervals, and intermittent reports (no less than quarterly) through the organs of the church.
Additionally, the Council of Bishops is considering measures to support pastors and their families whose congregations are without capacity to support the ministry. The Council is also appealing to creditors to be sensitive to persons who have been devastated by this historic and horrific natural disaster.
Our prayers are with the families who have known the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We stand firm with those affected with tangible support and meaningful encouragement. We are reminded that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. Lest we forget, we are called to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us” if we were similarly situated.
In the Eighth District, the addresses where supplies and support materials can be brought to serve as distribution sites for other assistance units are:
Pearl Street African Methodist Episcopal Churchc/o Rev. Samuel Boyd2519 Robinson Rd. Jackson, MS 39209(601) 352-6087
Allen AME Churchc/o Rev. Bland Washington6175 Scenic Hwy. Baton Rouge, LA 70802(225) 357-8110
In the Ninth District, the addresses where supplies and support materials can be brought to serve as distribution centers for other assistance units are:
Daniel Payne College
c/o Ninth Episcopal District
2101 Daniel Payne Drive
Building 2
Birmingham, AL 35214
St. Stephen AME Church
c/o The Rev. Harrison Wilson
2707 Josephine Street
Mobile, AL 36607
Ward Chapel AME Church
c/o The Rev. Michael Hinson
809 Philpot Ave.
Selma, AL 36702
This press statement was submitted by Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson
2. DR. GEORGE FLOWERS WILL TRAVEL TO AREAS AFFECTED BY HURRICANE KATRINA AND WELCOMES VOLUNTEERS:
The Executive Director of GWM, Dr. George F. Flowers and a small team will travel to the gulf coast region to access the damages and carry needed items and supplies for the people caught in the vicious storm of Katrina. I will leave Charleston, South Carolina on Monday, September 5th and will travel throughout the affected region through Friday, the 9th.
We will travel by van to the Panhandle of Florida, Mobile, Alabama, the Mississippi Gulf region, (Jackson, Mississippi) and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The LORD willing, we will try to help to meet the daily needs of as many persons as possible.
There are many short-term needs to be met daily of persons who were left with nothing. I am asking the church to be in prayer for all the people affected by this “monster-of-a-storm.”
To a degree, I understand the agony and pain of the people because 16 years ago when Hurricane Hugo made landfall in Charleston, South Carolina, many of the residents were left with nothing. But, thanks be to God, many AMEs came to our rescue.
If you wish to join me on this mission relief journey, you may call our office at (843) 852-2645 or my home at (843) 402-4530.
Many persons are calling to volunteer time and service by going to Mississippi and Louisiana to help feed the hungry and bring comfort to the hurricane victims; so please pray for safe travels.
Dr. George F. Flowers
Secretary-Treasurer
Department of Missions
3. LETTER FROM SISTER ROSEMARY PALMER:
Thank you for your persistence and dedication of The Christian Recorder Online. We are grateful for this opportunity to connect with our church family.
Communication lines are down and finding friends and relatives is very hard, especially in the wake of our total loss. Most of us in the New Orleans area have totally lost the material things in life. Pray for us that we may hold on to that which is beneficial. For, “What if a person gains the whole world and loses his or her soul.”
Pray for the souls of men, women boys and girls in our area and the surrounding areas. We are receiving news sporadically, news of loss, death and despair.
When a praise report comes in we call everywhere we can to spread the good news. Our awesome God is at work. We praise HIM!
God Bless!
Rose Palmer (in Houston, TX now)
4. THE CHAPLAINS CORNER
A message from Chaplain David Brown
We have moved our support to the Biloxi, MS area. We are doing everything that we can to support the relief effort.
Everyday, sailors who have families in the affected area come to me for counseling and to make numerous attempts to contact their loved ones. I have a hotline phone number via satellite with the RED CROSS. As they receive our requests, they forward them to local law enforcement agencies as well as the Army National Guard. Also, our helicopters are still picking people up off rooftops and taking them to safe areas for shelter, food, clothing, etc.
Please pass on to everyone that the needs are dire and emergent. There is no doubt in my mind that AMEs, as well as countless others, are DIRECTLY affected by this disaster.
Blessings,
Chaplain Brown
5. A WORD FROM NOTED AUTHOR, JEANETTE JOHNS:
I just saw Franklin Graham (Billy Graham's son) speaking on Fox TV and he just proposed that churches across that region “step up to the plate.” He says that if you are Presbyterian, Catholic, Baptist, A.M.E. (YES! He mentioned AMEs) - if each church in the area would volunteer to house 10 families for 3 months that would be a big step forward.
If Franklin Graham mentioned AMEs, it is time for us to say something for ourselves. I would like to see such information as the Pearl Street's activities on national TV somewhere! I am sure there are other A.M.E. churches acting as safe havens, as well. I think it would be comforting for the public to know. It is not enough to hear simply "churches" are helping.
You know how our AME folks are; it is important for them to know where the money goes and this is a good opportunity for us to publicize our stewardship.
Then, after saying all that, I do certainly realize that providing help and getting the job done is our goal and that is the most important thing.
6. WCC "COMPASSION AND SOLIDARITY" WITH VICTIMS OF HURRICANE KATRINA:
WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia expressed today the compassion and solidarity of the member churches of the World Council of Churches with all the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which US officials fear has claimed thousands of lives in recent days.
"The whole fellowship of the World Council of Churches unites in prayer for the people, leaders and churches of the United States as you come to grips with the tragedy brought to your shores by hurricane Katrina. We pray for those who mourn, who suffer, who search for meaning. We pray the time will come when even those who are now most troubled in spirit will rediscover the hope of resurrection. We pray for those who have perished and are already safe within God's eternal keeping. And, we pledge our solidarity with those who have begun the task of rebuilding broken walls and restoring stricken lives. In particular, we hold in our prayers all the church relief agencies, workers and volunteers who are struggling to assist those in need.
"May the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good, that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:2021).
Gloria I. Feliciano
Office Administrator
US Office for the
World Council of Churches
475 Riverside Dr, Room 1371
New York, NY 10115
7. THE TROOPS HAVE ARRIVED:
Already I see troops swaggering with their M-16s and riding in their armored vehicles. I just hope that no one gets hurt; especially innocent people who are frustrated with the unsanitary living conditions and the government’s inept handling of this disaster. Troops have been sent in when thy need to send in counselors to talk to the people and to provide comfort to people who are hurting and whose futures are uncertain. Troops are sent in when they need to send in undertakers to remove the corpses.
I do not know what the national, state, and local governments are thinking. They send troops in to restore law and order. Unbelievable! The government sends in guns when they need to send in doctors and other health professionals and sanitary workers. They send in guns when they need to send in water and food. I was shocked to see the helicopters “dump” the water out of the hovered helicopter, dump it out like you shovel out corn from a tractor to feed the cattle. The method for delivering the food and water shows to those trapped in the Superdome showed no respect for the people.
I shutter to think about the numbers of persons in the Superdome who needed, and need dialysis and persons who need their blood pressure medication, heart medication, and sugar diabetes medication. To the world, we look like a third-world nation. I am embarrassed at the way this situation is being handled.
The President waited too late to speak out and I believe, if those in the Superdome had been white middle and upper-class people in the Superdome, he would have been there “in a heart-beat, giving comfort. All kinds of food, water, and medical assistance would have been provided. Instead of going to New Orleans, he has chosen to go to Gulfport, Mississippi. He should visit all of the areas and speak to people who are hurting. That what real leaders do. That is what Dr. George Flowers, Secretary-Treasurer, Department of Missions for the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the volunteer who are going with him are doing when they leave for the area on Monday.
The AME Church will make a difference even though we do not have the budget underpinnings of the government and of some of the more wealthy denominations. AME Churches from around the world are responding to the call to provide assistance for the victims of Katrina. The African Methodist Episcopal Church will make a difference.
8. HERE IS INFORMATION ABOUT HOW ORGANIZATIONS CAN MAKE CONFERENCE CALLS:
Reverend Tyronda Burgess provides the Website, which has information about how churches can make conference calls. Microsoft is offering a free trial period.
The following link can take you to the Microsoft Live Meeting product. Microsoft is offering a free 14-day no obligation trial of the product. Check it out.
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusiness/
products/livemeeting/detail.mspx
Blessings
Reverend Tyronda Burgess
9. FOURTH DISTRICT SCIENTIST LEADS RESEARCH TEAM IN DISCOVERING THE POSSIBLE “ACHILLES HEEL” OF THE HERPES VIRUS:
Written by Rev. Versey A. Williams
Michigan Conference Director of Christian Education
When Supervisor, Dr. Joan M. Cousin convened the Michigan Missionary Conference, she and her husband, Senior Bishop Philip R. Cousin were already beaming with joy and much pride about the discovery. They had every right to be. Their spiritual daughter, The Reverend Dr. A. Oveta Fuller-Caldwell is changing the way the medical profession will treat people with one of the most shameful and guilt-ridden viruses that infects millions of people – the herpes virus. On July 25, 2005, a press release from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor hailed the discovery to the world.
Words cannot express how excited and proud they were when Supervisor Cousin shared the world changing news. As she told us of Dr. Fuller’s discovery, Bishop Cousin sat in the background smiling as any proud father would.
God has enabled this brilliant woman to find a receptor that is used by the widespread herpes simplex virus (HSV). HSV affects over 45 million people in the U.S.A. alone to cause painful oral or genital herpes lesions. This virus can get inside almost any kind of human cell, reproduce in vast numbers and linger for years in the body to cause sporadic reoccurring lesions in many people. It is a special concern for those with reduced immune defenses as occurs with organ transplants, treatments for cancer and simply as a result of aging. It can also increase susceptibility to many nerve and brain disorders and is a risk factor that increases the possibility of transmission of human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.
Working with genes from a human genomic library and culture of human and pig cells, her research team has discovered a human gene that makes a protein that appears to function as one “lock” that HSV opens to allow it to enter into human cells. They discovered that a type of pig kidney cell is not vulnerable to infection by human herpes virus. They used this system to isolate one human protein receptor, designated “B5”, that allows entry of HSV. The receptor is predicted to act at the vulnerable step of virus and cell membrane fusion.
Dr. Fuller says, ‘This may be one central part of the Achilles’ heel in interactions of this herpes virus with a cell to start infection. We can use the receptor molecule to try to understand the process and perhaps combat infection at this vulnerable site of virus entry into a cell. While we are still a years away from being able to use this new knowledge to find effective drug candidates, this is a very exciting confluence of discoveries”. Dr. Fuller’s team included dedicated doctoral and postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Interestingly, while Dr. Fuller and her team’s discovery was being published, Italian scientists reported a possible ‘key’ on the herpes simplex virus surface that may match the ‘lock’ found by Dr. Fuller’s team. The Italian team has identified a region of a viral surface protein that matches the U of M team’s prediction of what the virus likely would use to bind and engage this cellular receptor protein. This supports the UM team’s predictions of how B5 might function to allow HSV infection.
Throughout the 119th Session of the Michigan Annual Conference Dr. Fuller explained to us in groups or individually what all this means. She emphasizes, “There is much more work ahead. However, this receptor seems to play a unique role among the cell proteins used by the virus. It may provide a new site to block infection.” It was amazing to listen to this humble servant of God. God has given her the wonderful gift of curiosity and the opportunity to explore nature through science.
All of this information can be found on several web sites. To read more about Dr. Fuller and her team member’s work at the University of Michigan, go to any search engine (such as google.com) that allows searching of the internet. Type in keywords herpes simplex virus and Fuller.
We are very proud of our beloved Rev. Dr. Fuller-Caldwell. Perhaps Supervisor Cousin’s words were prophetic as she said, “Maybe God has called Dr. Fuller to find a cure for AIDS in our lifetime? Maybe God has called her for such a time as this?” Please join Bishop and Supervisor Cousin and the entire Fourth District family as we continue to pray for Dr. Fuller’s family, her research team and the Bethel- Adrian congregation where she serves as pastor. Prayer can change things to release the awesome power of God.
Dr. Fuller-Caldwell and spouse Dr. Jerry Caldwell, also a scientist who works with the Honors Program at Wayne State University, have three children, Brian, Maya and Nyki Caldwell. We join in prayer to ask God’s continued care and guidance of this family as they together seek God’s perfect will to serve this present age.
References: Press release by Kara Gavin (http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2005/herpes.htm. Articles in --Journal of Virology, June 2005, p. 7419-7430 and p. 7431-7437, Vol. 79, No. 12. Talk presented, Session 80V, Symposium: Virus Receptors, Congress of Virology, International Union of Microbiological Societies, San Francisco CA., July 2005.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
