2/04/2005

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (2/4//05)

1. THE EDITOR’S CORNER:

- I just returned from the Turner Theological Seminary’s Founder’s Day celebration and what a celebration! Great presentations and great preaching! Coverage of the Turner Theological Seminary Founder’s Day will appear in both the online and hard-copy editions of The Christian Recorder.

- I am interested in getting news from across the Church. So far, the First, Second, Fifth, Thirteenth, Sixteenth, and several of the African Districts consistently forward their news and events. I would like for all of the Episcopal Districts to be consistent in sending articles about the news and upcoming events taking place in their districts. Individual churches are also encouraged to utilize The Christian Recorder. We are your source for news about what is happening in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and for sharing what is happening in your districts and in your local churches.

- A reminder: We publish the hard-copy edition of The Christian Recorder every two weeks, just long enough for news to get “stale” and added to that we have to stay about two weeks ahead in submitting issues to the Publisher for printing. It’s a tricky operation and, as you might imagine, time is critical. That is why I believe that the online edition is so important for up-to-the date news. When events happen and you want it in the hard-copy edition, your writers have to get it to us quickly.

- Subscriptions are important. We, as AME’s, need to support our publications – all of them. Especially, every person who is an applicant for ministry should subscribe to all of our publications. The A.M.E. Church Review is the academic and theological venue for dissemination of doctrine, history, and issues related to the polity of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Ministers and laypersons need to be faithful in keeping updated – subscribing to The A.M.E Church Review is the way to keep you updated. And, for the news about what is happening in the A.M.E. Church – you need to subscribe to The Christian Recorder!

2. BLACK METHODISTS BEGIN LENTEN SEASON WITH WORSHIPFUL REFLECTION; JOINT ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE FEB. 9

Submitted by the Reverend Kevin Taylor

LOS ANGELES — (January 31, 2005) — On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Christians all over the world mark the beginning of the Lenten season with prayers, fasts and quiet introspection. For the leaders and parishioners of the Southland’s historically Black Methodist Churches, the evening will be filled with worship and reflection on the plight of the African-American community.

“Out of the ashes is the manifestation of the kingdom of God absent of denominational walls that have historically divided a broken community,” explained the Rev. Mark Whitlock, pastor of Christ Our Redeemer A.M.E. Church of Irvine. “This service represents a wise beginning to a living end — the beginning of a unified worshiping body and an end to territorial boundaries.”

Whitlock and members of the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian Methodist Episcopal churches will gather for Ash Wednesday service in what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind event in the area.

The 7 p.m. special service will be held at Grant A.M.E. Church, 10435 S. Central Avenue in Los Angeles and features a mass Methodist choir.

“We need to transcend our institutional mindsets and do something for the kingdom of God,” Whitlock continued. “God has been calling his Church to come together to do kingdom work which means representing him in the community. And what better way can we do that than by coming together.”

Bishops John R. Bryant and Henry M. Williamson of the A.M.E. and C.M.E. churches, respectively, will lead the teaching and preaching for the evening. Likewise, clergy of the three denominations will be on hand to ceremonially place ashes on worshipers’ foreheads as a sign of humility before God and as a symbol of mourning and sorrow.

The tradition, which generally uses the ashes of the previous year’s Palm Sunday palms, is known as the “imposition of ashes” and is how the day earned its name.

It is apropos that the event coincides with the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season, a time of reflection, introspection and sacrifice, explained the Rev. Leslie R. White, host pastor of Watts’ largest congregation.

“As we journey through the Lenten season, we embark on the same 40-day period that Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness prior to beginning his pubic ministry,” White noted. “As we consider how we too might become living sacrifices to God, we must consider the needs of the community around us.”

Rallying to save the King/Drew hospital that serves the minority community, fighting to improve education and working to raise awareness and reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS are ways to do just that, White added, and is why they are major themes of the evening.
Like Ash Wednesday itself, the three denominations are deeply rooted in history as well — each with ties to the Methodist Episcopal Church, which officially became the United Methodist Church in 1968.

The A.M.E. Church, for example, was founded in Philadelphia in 1787 by the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen after he and other freed slaves were not permitted to worship freely. The A.M.E. Zion Church began under similar circumstances nine years later in nearby New York City under the leadership of James Varick.

The C.M.E. Church came on the scene soon after the Civil War as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church in America. In 1930 they dropped “in America,” and in 1954 they became the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

According to the 2001 Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, the denominations have a combined membership of more than 4.5 million members in more than 12,000 congregations around the world.

For the Rev. Kwesi R. Kamau, pastor of Amos Memorial C.M.E. Church of Los Angeles, the event is an opportunity to emphasize the “very concrete and significant role” that the three denominations have played in the African-American community.

“The question has always been raised when something goes down in the community, ‘Where is the church?’” Kamau noted. “We don’t always come out with t-shirts with crosses, but in every significant cause the Church has been involved and in leadership roles…. We want to highlight the fact that God’s Church has been represented in meeting the needs of our community that night and in the months and years to come.”

For more information, contact Grant A.M.E. Church at (323) 564-1151 or visit www.grantamechurch.org.

For Immediate Release Contact: Rev. Kevin T. TaylorJanuary 31, 2005 (323) 564-1151

3. HISTORICALLY BLACK METHODIST CHURCHES UNITE IN WORSHIP AND PURPOSE FEB. 9; ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICE FOCUSES ON KING/DREW MEDICAL CENTER, EDUCATION AND HIV/AIDS AWARENESS:

Submitted by the Reverend Kevin Taylor

LOS ANGELES — (January 31, 2005) — In 22 years of ministry, the Rev. Bonnie Hines has seen just about everything: natural disaster, gang and domestic violence, layoffs, teen pregnancy, divorce and more.

But there is nothing natural about the education system, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the proposed closing of King/Drew Medical Center that’s plaguing Los Angeles’ Black community, she says.

So when Hines, the new pastor of First A.M.E. Zion Church in Los Angeles, got a call to help plan a Wesleyan worship service with those issues as its core focus, she jumped at the opportunity.
“In all of the congregations that I have served,” Hines said, “HIV/AIDS has touched each and every one. It’s running rampant — there is no way that you can’t be touched by it.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS is a leading cause of death among black women aged 25-44 years and among black men aged 25-54 years. Black men are nearly nine times more likely than white men to have AIDS, and Black women are 23 times more likely than white women to have AIDS.

The situation is just as bleak when it comes to education. A recent report of the National Center of Education Statistics shows Blacks more likely to drop out of high school than whites and while, the proportion of Blacks completing college increased between 1975 and 2000, Blacks still remained less likely than Whites to earn degrees.

That’s why Hines and other leaders of the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian Methodist Episcopal Churches will unite in worship and purpose on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005 at 7 p.m. at Grant A.M.E. Church in Watts.

The event comes just two days after the CDC-sponsored National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and less than two months after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to close the trauma unit at King/Drew.

“Historically African-Americans have looked to the Black Church to be the change agent in our community,” Hines said. “Through this event the historically Black Methodist bodies are being more purposeful and deliberate than ever. We want people to walk away with the sense that the African-American Church is still that voice and is still that change agent in our community.”
The service is the result of months of brainstorming by bishops of the three groups — the Rt. Revs. John R. Bryant, Roy A. Holmes and Henry M. Williamson of the A.M.E., A.M.E.Z. and C.M.E. churches, respectively — on ways the denominations can leverage their power to impact the community.

“Our denominations share a rich history and heritage of serving God’s people,” explained the Rev. Leslie R. White, host pastor of Watts’ largest congregation. “I believe our bishops recognized that we can do more by standing united than when we tackle these issues separately. So we gather together to ask the Lord to strengthen our faith as we strengthen our resolve to save King/Drew, improve education and eradicate HIV/AIDS.”

White says the proceeds from the service will be donated to the African American Women Health & Education Foundation, which sponsors the Southern California Regional 5K AIDS Walk for Women and Children in April.

The service will also feature a combined Southern California Black Methodist Choir, teaching by Bryant, preaching by Williamson and a special presentation from U.S. Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald (D-California, District 37).

The Rev. Kwesi R. Kamau, pastor of Amos Memorial C.M.E. Church of Los Angeles, says the service is an opportunity to declare victory on these social issues.

“In the Black Church the power of our worship experience is that we’re celebrating a victory won,” Kamau said. “The first is Christ’s victory over death which gives everyone hope and a new chance of life. Second, we celebrate victory in our communities…From civil rights to women’s rights to economic justice; the Black Church has been the backbone to help make that happen. In 2005, we’ve come together to celebrate what God has done in and through our lives and how He will help us alleviate these issues in our community.”

And when the benediction is offered at the close of Wednesday’s service, Kamau prays that it won’t be the last time that the denominations come together in this manner.

“I hope that this will be the beginning of something great in terms of…laying a foundation of cooperation for the Black churches across the region. I hope that we can do this at least once a year,” he said.

For more information, contact Grant A.M.E. Church at (323) 564-1151 or visit www.grantamechurh.org.

Also see the National African-American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day Web site, www.blackaidsday.org and visit the Southern California Regional 5K AIDS Walk for Women and Children at www.scraidswalk.org.

For Immediate Release Contact: Rev. Kevin T. TaylorJanuary 31, 2005 (323) 564-1151

4. THE PHILADELPHIA DISTRICT COMMEMORATES THE REV. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Rev. Dr. Esther L. Seales And Rev. Maxine L. Thomas

“Take away from me the noise of your songs; for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like amighty stream!’ Amos 5:23, 24

The power of the Holy Ghost fell upon all who witnessed the proclamation of God’s Word, as our bishop, the Right Reverend Richard Franklin Norris, presiding prelate of the First Episcopal District expounded on the subject “Justice and Righteousness” as he preached the sermon for the Philadelphia District’s First Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Service which was held Sunday January 16, 2005 at Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia, PA at 4:00 p.m.

Bishop Norris challenged all assembled to make sure our lives correspond to the songs of Zion that we sing. “God is not impressed with our singing. But God desires righteousness and justice from us,” Bishop Norris said.

He reminded us that America had better get ready for a day of reckoning for the wrongs that have been done, the bombs that we have dropped on innocent people, the diseases that we have caused, the hunger that we have spread, and for all of the inequities of life. “We are hard pressed to explain why we are in Iraq. As a nation, one day we will have to explain why our ships sat out on the bay and watched while hundreds of our boys and girls in Monrovia, Liberia were being killed. We are living in a critical and difficult time…a time where there is a lack of justice and a lack of righteousness.”

The power and conviction of the preached Word caused those assembled to stand and praise God as a witness because the preacher let us know that there is still hope because Jesus Christ paid the price for us with his shed blood on Calvary.

Bishop Norris took us to the mountain top. He said, “I am still dreaming the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let righteousness run down and let justice exude America. Let righteousness come forth from the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania, from the snowcapped Rockies in Colorado, from Lookout Mountain in Tennessee… from every village and every hamlet….”

“I am so glad that the debt has been paid. There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins, and sinners plunged beneath the flood, lose all their guilty stains.”

“Let Justice Roll down and Righteousness come forth, and God will do a new thing!” Bishop Norris proclaimed the Word with power and authority as he applauded the work of Dr. King and challenged his listeners to ascend to higher heights of accountability and with paralleled victory and vision lay claim to the dream that will move us forward as we continue to proclaim liberty and justice for all.

The Rev. Dr. Henrietta Scott Fullard, Presiding Elder of the Philadelphia District had the vision for the District’s First Annual Martin Luther King Commemoration Service. During the service, Elder Fullard recalled her experiences growing up in the south under “Jim Crow” Laws. In retrospect, she continued: “I grew up in a segregated south …

(Read the complete article in The Christian Recorder)

5. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER

Subscribe to The Christian Recorder and have the hard-copy paper edition mailed directly to your home! You may call 1-800-648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card. Or send $26.00 check or money order for a one year subscription to:

The Christian Recorder
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Nashville, TN 37203.

6. SMALL CHURCH WITH BIG PLANS: PASADENA'S BROWN MEMORIAL A.M.E. CHURCH TO RETIRE DEBT, RENOVATE AND ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN 2005

Submitted by the Reverend Kevin Taylor

PASADENA, Calif. - (January 31, 2005) - Don't let his small membership roster fool you. The Rev. Carlton V. Rickman Jr. of Brown Memorial A.M.E.Church in Pasadena is a man on a mission: retire the Church's debt, address homelessness in the community and most importantly, save 100 souls by year's end.

The anointed, charismatic Rickman was appointed pastor of Brown Memorial in October 2004. Already he's reduced the existing debt by nearly 7 percent, begun a feeding program for persons down on their luck, sought 501(C)(3) status and declared victory over the church's financial situation by March 2005.

"My vision for the church is that Brown will become a source of spiritual, social, political and economic empowerment for the people within the community," said Rickman, a 17-year veteran of ministry in the A.M.E.Church, 16 of which were spent at pastoral charges in Ohio and West Virginia.

In the long-term, Rickman is working toward affordable housing, youth mentorship and tutoring, job placement and job referral programs, and access to affordable healthcare for neighborhood residents.

In the short-term, however, he is feverishly working to retire the $72,000 debt that's plagued the congregation for more many years. Once it's liquidated in mid-March, Rickman will need another $40,500 for new renovations - a new roof and energy efficient wiring among them.

To accomplish the goal, he's enlisted a cadre of spirit-filled preachers, including the Rev. Leslie R. White of Grant A.M.E. Church in the heart of Watts. White was the keynote speaker for the Mortgage Liquidation/Church Renovation Rally Kick-off on Sunday, Jan. 23, where another 4 percent was shaved from the debt through the offering.

White's sermon, "Fix this House!" was taken from Jeremiah 7:1-4 and encouraged the nearly 150 persons in attendance to develop a "strong social and moral consciousness that is not in conflict with the financial obligations of the church…”

(Read the complete article in The Chrsitian Recorder)

7. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER

Subscribe to The Christian Recorder and have the hard-copy paper edition mailed directly to your home! You may call 1-800-648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card. Or send $26.00 check or money order for a one year subscription to:

The Christian Recorder
500 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203

8. NEWS FROM JOHNSON CHAPEL, SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA:


- Johnson Chapel is proud to welcome the 122nd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rt. Reverend Carolyn Tyler-Guidry to our pulpit as the preacher of the hour this Sunday as a part of our First Sunday Communion Worship Service. Bishop Guidry, our former Presiding Elder, is the second women elected to the bench of Bishops in the 218 year History of the AME Church and is currently assigned to be the 16th Episcopal District which covers the Caribbean, London, Holland and South America. As a part of the worship service, Bishop Tyler Guidry will also be formally presented with a check in the amount of $2,000 which represents the amount collected from the Johnson Chapel Church Family for emergency disaster relief in the Caribbean Welcome Bishop Carolyn Tyler-Guidry!

- This Wednesday, February 9, 2005 at 7:00 p.m., the Johnson Chapel Church Family will be joining with Bishop John Richard Bryant and A.M.E.s from across Southern California, Bishop Henry Williamson and Members of the CME Church as well as Bishop Roy Holmes and members of the AME Zion Church in a joint Worship Service designed to “Tear Down Denominational Walls.” The service will be held at Grant AME Church Los Angeles. Transportation from Johnson Chapel will be provided for all those who are interested in attending. Please reserve your seat by signing up today at the Information Station. Vans will be leaving the church at 5:30 p.m. and are anticipated to return at approximately 10:00 p.m..

For more information please contact the church office at (714) 972-8983

- Honors Johnson Chapel Heroes On behalf of the Dr. John Howard Morrow Award of Merit Selection Committee as well as the entire Johnson Chapel Church Family, the Pastor is extremely pleased and most proud to announce our 2005 Honorees. They are: Jackie Thompson, Alvin Alaman, Rayford Rodgers and Mattie Lang. This years list of Johnson Chapel “Heroes” is truly an eclectic one in terms of age, gender as well as the nature of the contributions to church and community that each have made. The one constant among all four is that they are all, extremely positive Christians role models who demonstrate a passionate love for God that manifests itself in a life-long pattern of service to others. In a day and time where individuals in our culture and society are afforded “Hero” status for significantly less reason than that, we proudly take this occasion to stand together as a Church Family to salute these four individuals and to lift them up as genuine “Heroes from Within”. Each of our 2005 Award Recipients will represent Johnson Chapel in this Saturday’s Orange County Black History Parade. Each will also be individually honored (in the order in which they appear above) on each of the four Sundays of February as part of our Church’s Black History Month Celebration. This Sunday (First Sunday) we will be honoring Sister Jackie Thompson.

9. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Reverend Lee F. Lewis which occurred on Wednesday, January 26, 2005.

FUNERAL SERVICE:Funeral Service was held on Monday, January 31, 2005Funeral - 11:00 a.m.
St. Matthew A.M.E. Church
215 North 57th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19131

Condolences can be sent to the family:
Mrs. Helen Lewis
544 North 63rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19151

Please remember the Lewis family in your prayers during this time of their bereavement.

10. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regretfully report the death of the Mother of one of our Presiding Elders in the 16th District. Mrs. Ilene Morris, mother of Presiding Elder Andrew C. Morris-Grant passed away in Queenstown, Georgetown Guyana. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Condolences may be sent to
The Rev. Andrew C. Morris-Grant
209 New Garden Street
Queenstown Georgetown, Guyana

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry

11. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Mrs. Mamie Brown McClellan Fripp, the mother of Mrs. Paulette Cryer, The Connectional Director of the Young People's Division, and the mother-in-law of Rev. Eugene Cryer, Jr. passed away after a brave duration of illness on Wednesday morning, January 26, 2005.

The homegoing celebration was held January 31, 2005, at 1:00 p.m. in Greater Trinity AME Church, Charleston, South Carolina. The eulogy was delivered by senior pastor, Rev. Robert Stokes.

Condolences may be sent to:

Mrs. Paulette Cryer
7739 Outlook Drive
North Charleston, SC 29418

(843) 552-2034
Email: PMCRYER@aol.com

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Hospice of Charleston or the Trinity AME Church YPD Scholarship Fund.

Submitted by: Lula S. Cleckley, President
7th Episcopal District M-SWAWO

Please remember Sister Paulette Cryer and family in your prayers.

12. ALL CLERGY FAMILY BREAVEMENT NOTICES RECEIVED FROM:

Ora L. Easley, PresidentCONN-M-SWAWO +PK'S
Email: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781
WEBSITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Page: http://connmswawo3.com/

AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

1/31/2005

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/31/05)

1. A LIVING LEGEND IS GONE – BISHOP DECATUR WARD NICHOLS IS WITH THE LORD:

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols, the 59th elected bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who lived to be 104, was laid to rest on Saturday, January 29, 2005. His funeral was a homegoing celebration of the highest order. Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 37-41 West 119th Street in Harlem was filled to capacity. The Bishops and General Officers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church were there, as well as Connectional Officers, presiding elders, pastors and laity. In one way, the homegoing of “Papa Nick” was a mini-General Conference because a cross-section of the Church’s leadership was in attendance; and he was the presiding bishop.

The worship service, led by Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, was African Methodism at its best, beginning with the Emanuel AME Church Choir, directed by Mrs. Evelita Williams. The musicians, Dr. Arthur E. Clarke and the Reverend Wayne Arthur Johnson accompanied the choir magnificently. The soloists, Ms. Juanita Faulkner, the Reverend Floyd Black and Ms. Christina London added significantly to the spiritual and liturgical movement of the service. The Reverend Fathers and Mothers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishops Zedekiah Lazett Grady, John Richard Bryant, Carolyn Tyler-Guidry, C. Garnett Henning, Sr., Frank Curtis Cummings, Gregory Gerald McKinley Ingram, Frederick Calhoun James, Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Philip Robert Cousin, Sr., Richard Allen Hildebrand, Henry Allen Belin, Jr. and Richard Allen Chappelle, were model participants.

The Honorable Ernest Davis, Mayor of the City of Mt. Vernon, New York, recalled that Bishop Nichols said, “Titles, money and position in life do not matter, it’s the impression that you leave on others that’s important.” Jesse Burns, President of the Connectional, Lay Organization observed that Bishop Nichols’ election to ‘the bishopric (1940) was the last General Conference held in a church building and went on to say that “Bishop Nichols was passionate about things for which he had a compassion.”

The Reverend John C. Gillison, representing the clergy, observed that “giants were courageous” and that Bishop Nichols was looked upon by the clergy and the laity of the Church as a giant. He went on to say that Bishop Nichols loved to laugh and often remarked, “Laughter gives one good health.” Once when Bishop Nichols was in his late nineties and was told that he was surely going to live to be 100 years old, asked, “And is that all you are going to give me?” Gillison went on to share that Bishop Nichols never disrespected a minister in public, but went on to say, “When Bishop “Nick” asked an errant minister to step into his office, that minister had our deepest sympathies.”

The Reverend Samuel Bouie, the current pastor of Emanuel observed that Bishop Nichols had left his “footprints” on Emanuel which had 14 members when Bishop Nichols was assigned to the pastorate of that congregation and grew it to over 2500 when he was elected to the Episcopacy. He observed, “Bishop Nichols had a sense of humor but he was a man of great dignity.”

Dr. Richard Allen Lewis, representing the General Officers, noted, “Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols spent more that 65 of his 104 years during the “dash” that appears on his tombstone between his birth date and the date of his death, working for the Lord as a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He went on to say, with laughter from the congregation, “I was privileged to be the fifth treasurer of the Church to generate compensation for Bishop Nichols.” He pointed out three things that we should learn from Bishop Nichols, “You should never let adversity get you down – except on your knees”; “The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift and not a right,” and “When God measures a person, God puts the tape around the heart instead of the head.”

Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, representing the retired bishops, gave a Prayer of Thanks for Bishop Nichols’ life and observed that Bishop Nichols was faithful to family, and friendships. He noted that Bishop Nichols was a wise businessman, had candor, and that his ministry was ecumenical and global. He shared that Bishop Nichols was a preacher of the highest order, was ageless in aging and had a deep faith in God.

Bishop Vashti McKenzie, representing the Council of Bishops noted that when Bishop Nichols was born in 1900, milk was delivered to homes and that the cream was on the top. Bishop Nichols’ ministry was the “cream on the top” of the ministry of African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Nichols wrote articles for the Afro-American newspaper and was a close friend of her grandfather, who was the editor. She related that Bishop Nichols shared experiences with her about her grandfather that her grandfather could not, because he died when she was young. She went on to say that Bishop Nichols will be remembered for his intellect, wit, humor, and preaching. She closed with, “He leaves behind global footprints in the sands of time.”

Mr. Stephen Henry, the oldest grandson of Bishop Nichols, remembered his grandfather, "Papa Nick" as a caring and loving grandfather. He and brother learned early to ask their parents for what they wanted in front of Papa Nick and they always got what they wanted.

Mrs. Kay Taylor Hightower, oldest granddaughter fondly remembered that her grandfather loved to give advice. She shared four insights of "Papa Nick." He said, “Cheating is wrong, except if you playing checkers.” He loved to play checkers and was the best checker-player in the family. He believed, “A coat of paint would fix anything.” He was known in the family as “Cheap Charlie.” When told that he should just spend some money and get whatever was broken fixed instead of putting a coat of paint on it, responded, “Look at your checkbook and look at mine...,” and Kay Taylor Hightower remarked, “That usually ended the discussion.” She shared that her grandfather believed that ice cream was best when eaten out of the carton and that he did not want ice cream in a bowl. He insisted that he be given his ice cream that he could eat out of a carton. And fourth, he said, “When speaking publicly and when you want to get a point across, say it three times.”

Bishop Philip Robert Cousin, Sr., the Senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church remembered the ministry of Bishop Nichols as a high-point in the history of the African Methodism. He introduced the eulogist, the Right Reverend Richard Allen Hildebrand as the appropriate person to deliver the eulogy for Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols. He noted that Bishop Hildebrand needed no introduction in Harlem.

Indeed, Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand was the appropriate preacher for the occasion. His ministry was launched by Bishop Nichols. It had to have been a difficult task for Bishop Hildebrand to eulogize a person that he known for so many years and who had such a positive impact upon his ministry. He was up to the task. He recalled the text of the “Talents” as found in Matthew 25 and pointed out that we usually get what we can handle and what God gives us, requires that we do our best. He observed that Bishop Nichols had the unique ability to assign ministers to the right pulpits and gave them pastoral assignments that they could handle. He recalled that Bishop Nichols was an extraordinary individual who was spiritually robust with a deep belief in God. Bishop Hildebrand interspersed his eulogy with humor and recalled that Bishop Nichols had his own unique ways. Bishop Nichols thought that he was always right.

Bishop Hildebrand also recalled that a bishop from South Carolina long ago passed his Episcopal ring down to Bishop Nichols with the instructions to the Nichols family that upon Bishop Nichols’ death, the ring would be passed on to a bishop that had been born in South Carolina. Bishop Hildebrand, with a twinkle in his eyes, remarked, “I thought that I would never get that ring!” He was told by Bishop Nichols’ family that he would be given the ring.

Bishop Hildebrand said that Bishop Nichols was a great preacher who preached with power and that his legacy will be a lasting legacy in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The service ended with a rousing rendition of “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols’ funeral was indeed a celebration.

The Internment was at the Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York.

The hospitality of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was “first-class, and second to none.” The folks in Harlem are great cooks and extended a warm welcome to all.

2. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

Subscribe to The Christian Recorder and receive your own hard-copy edition of The Christian Recorder mailed directly to your home!

Call 1-800-648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card.

Or. You may send $26.00 check or money order to:

The Christian Recorder
500 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37203.

3. PRAYER REQUEST FROM CHAPLAIN (CAPTAIN) LYLE SHACKELFORD SUBMITTED BY THE REVEREND DENISE ROGERS:

Special Prayer Request:

My name is Lyle Shackelford and I am a Chaplain in Iraq for a transportation battalion. My unit delivered the voting machines and the ballots to villages and cities throughout Iraq during the elections (January 30). Encourage your friends and family members and those within our Churches to pray for us and specifically for the electoral process.

I always pray with the soldiers under my pastoral care before they leave on their convoys to move outside our installation gates here at Tallil. The soldiers in my unit are at the nerve center of the logistic operation to deliver supplies and equipment throughout this region of the theater. They often drive to, and enter the area of enemy operations. This is not a game for them; it is a historical mission that is extremely dangerous.

Your prayer support and God's intervention are needed.

Blessings,
CH (CPT) Lyle Shackelford, Battalion Chaplain
HHD, 57th Transportation Battalion
Providing with Mobility "Keep 'em Moving"

4. FOUNDERS’ DAY OBSERVANCE TO INCLUDE PRESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION:

Columbia, SC-This year, Allen University’s annual Founders’ Day observance will include a symposium that analyzes 135 years of history and achievement at the institution, and an Installation Ceremony for University President Charles E. Young.

The institution traditionally observes Founders’ Day during the second week in February, the same week as its founding organization, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. This year’s theme is “Creating Excellence through Scholarship.” All events are free and the public is invited to attend.

On Thursday, February 10, Dr. Gregory Grooms, religion department chairman, will moderate a panel discussion and dialogue entitled “Allen University: A Legacy of Excellence in Preparing for the Future.” The event will feature three successful Allen University alumni, who will be on hand to discuss Allen’s legacy in a panel discussion and dialogue with current students. The alumni panelists include Dr. John R. Stevenson, ‘51, first black superintendent of Richland School District One; Dr. Focell Jackson-Dozier, ‘85, a Timmonsville-Florence physician; and the Honorable Clementa Pinckney, ‘95, state senator.

“When you talk about an institution’s legacy and what it’s done, there is no better evidence than its graduates,” said Dr. Grooms. The symposium will be held at 10 a.m. in the John Hurst Adams Gymnatorium. For additional information on the symposium, contact Dr. Grooms at (803) 376-5720.

Members of the community will have an opportunity to see, firsthand, some of the recent developments and construction at the institution during one of a series of campus tours that will be conducted by the University’s Admissions Office between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

These improvements to the campus include renovations to historic Arnett and Coppin Halls; the addition of a Counseling and Wellness Center, Allen-Waverly Community Technology Center, and several new computer labs to meet the needs of a growing student population. For additional information on the touring schedule, contact Aaron Bishop, admissions director, at (803) 758-2702.The University culminates its Founders’ Day celebration with an Installation Ceremony for its 23rd President, Dr. Charles E. Young. The ceremony will be held Friday, February 11, at 10 a.m. in Adams Gymnatorium. A reception will follow.

For additional information, contact Alzen Smith at (803) 376-5754 or asmith@allenuniversity.edu

Dr. Charles E. Young is the 23rd President of Allen University, a historically black Christian liberal arts college in Columbia, South Carolina. A native of Georgetown County, S.C., he was educated in Georgetown County schools and graduated from Choppee High School. After serving two years in the United States Army, Dr. Young enrolled at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Va., where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1975. He later earned a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia International University, Columbia, S.C., in 1981. His Doctoral degree was earned in 1989 from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in the area of Urban Anthropology.

Dr. Young’s professional career includes work as a probation and parole agent for the State of South Carolina, youth counselor for delinquent and runaway youth, and prison chaplain for the S.C. Department of Corrections. For 15 years, he taught in the areas of Urban Anthropology, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, and Doctrine of the Church at Columbia International University in Columbia. He also supervised students in practical field education experiences and has taken church planting students to England, Germany, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Dr. Young is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His pastoral ministry includes several pastorates in the state of South Carolina. Beginning in 1981, he served as pastor of St. Matthew AME Church and Pleasant Grove AME Church in the Newberry area. In 1985, he was assigned to Turner Memorial AME Church in West Columbia. Dr. Young’s most recent pastoral charge was Ebenezer AME Church in Charleston, where he led the congregation in a one million dollar capital fund drive for community revitalization of Charleston’s historic East Side. Three historic buildings were purchased for renovation, and under his direction, the church acquired a $2.2 million housing complex for affordable housing also in the city’s East Side.

In addition to his urban planning efforts, Dr. Young was able to create programs that focus on the elderly and community youth. A nonprofit organization was founded under his leadership that currently operates a Senior Day Care Center. Prior to his departure, Dr. Young laid the foundation for what is now Charleston Development Academy, a federally funded charter school for grades K-6.

In Charleston, Dr. Young served as Chair of the Enterprise Community Board in Charleston, an organization that honored him in 2000 for his many contributions to the City of Charleston. He was one of the founders of PASTORS (Pastors Associated Successfully Together to Obey, Restore and Serve), a nonprofit church-based organization established to provide housing and community revitalization.

He currently serves on the Boards of Columbia International University, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Reid House for Christian Service, and on the advisory board of the South Carolina Community Bank. Dr. Young is Secretary/Treasurer of the S.C. Association of Colleges and Universities and Vice President of the S.C. Association of Developing Colleges. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and was awarded a community service award by the Mu Alpha Chapter in 1999 and named Citizen of the Year by the Omicron Phi Chapter in 2003. The Medical University of South Carolina also recognized him for community service in 1998.

Since Dr. Young’s arrival at Allen University in August 2001, he has initiated numerous projects. In 2003, a college-owned house on Pine Street was renovated to create the Allen-Waverly Community Technology Center for student and community use. Several buildings have been renovated or upgraded, including historic Coppin and Higgins halls in 2002, the present Elementary Education Building in 2003 and a Counseling and Wellness Center in 2004. Gifts from the Wachovia Corporation have been used to add math and reading labs in Gibbs Hall. Dr. Young has worked to raise one million dollars towards the renovation of the historic Chappelle Administration Building. More recently, the college received a grant of two million dollars from the NNSA to implement programs in math and science.

In the area of academics, several new Ph.D.s have been recruited to the faculty in the areas of Business, Chemistry, Biology and English. Dr. Young’s vision for the institution have also led to the creation of the Excel Program, a program that offers working adults an opportunity to complete their undergraduate education. Student enrollment has doubled since his arrival, reaching 647 in the fall 2004 semester.

Dr. Young has worked diligently to build relationships and form partnerships with the business community, among them BellSouth and Michelin. Dr. Young has also created an Advisory Board of corporate and business leaders from the Columbia area who meet monthly to assist in the growth of the institution.Dr. Young and his wife Sandra have two children: a daughter, Charlotte, and a son, Christopher.

Founded in 1870 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Allen University is an academic community whose mission is to provide education with a strong commitment to teaching and community service. Allen – the oldest historically Black university in South Carolina to be established by African Americans – is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jason Darby Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Allen University
1530 Harden Street
Columbia, SC 29204

Voice: 803.376.5749
FAX: 803.758.2694
http://www.allenuniversity.edu

5. BISHOP CAROLYN TYLER-GUIDRY TO PREACH AT JOHNSON CHAPEL AME CHURCH, SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA:

On Sunday February 6th, Johnson Chapel is proud to welcome the 122nd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rt. Reverend Carolyn Tyler Guidry, to our Pulpit as the Preacher of the Hour for our First Sunday Communion Worship Service. Bishop Guidry, our former Presiding Elder, is the second woman elected to the bench of Bishops in the 218 year History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is currently assigned to preside over the 16th Episcopal District which covers the Caribbean, London, and South America. Make plans to be present and invite your family and friends to join with you as we celebrate the life and ministry of this dynamic and anointed leader of our Zion.

6. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Submitted by: j.l.wharton@att.net

The Rev. Charles J. Fenwick, Associate Pastor of Bethel AME Church, Church Hill, Maryland - Baltimore Annual Conference passed.

Funeral Arrangements:
Bethel AME Church
Centreville, Maryland

Wednesday, February 2, 2005, 11:00 a.m.
Pastor: Rev. Wedell Gary; Host Church Pastor: Rev. Terry Gaddy

Wake and Memorial Service
Tuesday

Bethel AME Church-
Church Hill, Maryland
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Rev. Wendell Gary Pastor--
Rev. Dr. Joan L. Wharton
Mt. Zion AME Church"

I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength."
Please remember the family in your prayer.

God Bless!Ora L. Easley, President
CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'S
Email: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEBSITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/http://www.connmswawo3.com/