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. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
“Churches need leaders who take initiative and lead the people to new challenges. The churches must be shaken from their complacency with the possibilities of God. Established churches need leaders who have patience, who can wait on God's timing when it seems that nothing is happening. Churches need pastors who have the wisdom to know when to move and when to wait.
You must lead your church to reach a contemporary world. Some of the methods must change if that possibility is ever to become a reality. But you must also be willing—and even eager—to hold on to the traditions that really matter.”
Extracted from article entitled, “Tensions of the Church Leader,” authored by Dr. Thom S. Rainer, Dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky
2. ADVENT BEGINS THIS SUNDAY:Just another reminder that Advent begins this Sunday. The Advent Season is the four Sundays before Christmas. With Advent beginning this year on the last Sunday in November, it’s easy to forget and to assume that Advent will begin this year, as in most years, on the first Sunday in December.
If you have not already done so, and if you use Advent and the Christ candles to decorate your sanctuary, you need to purchase what you need this week.
3. A WORD FROM THE EDITOR – “HAVING A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND A GREAT EPIPHANY SEASON, TOO”:Christmas is fast approaching. Actually, the Christmas decorations have been up here in the Nashville area since Labor Day. Christmas carols can be heard in department stores, all over the malls, and even in the parking lots. The music of Christmas abounds. I find myself waking with an extra bounce in my step as I visit the local Wal-Mart and Target stores. The music, gaiety, and the friendliness of the store clerks make you want to spend money and especially to use your credit card.
And, guess what, the holiday hype is just that – it does not have anything to do with the spiritual season of Christmas and the birth of Jesus. Store clerks will not wish you a “Merry Christmas,” but will wish you “happy holidays.” In doing so, the merchants are making it plain that they are not honoring a spiritual or religious holiday. The stores and the folks who sell things are trying to encourage you to spend your money, and even if it means getting, you to spend money that you do not have. If you use your credit card, it usually means that you are spending money that you do not have.
I have been there – “spending money that I didn’t have” and carrying around a lot of credit cards. We had big Christmases, but wow, around Epiphany (January 6), or shortly afterwards, the bills arrived and I used to wonder why January and February were my low months of the year. It took me a while to figure it out. It was not the cold weather, the short days or the long nights. It was the arrival of the credit card bills. By the time the bills came in, the kids had broken many of the toys and would have been hard pressed to tell you what they received, if asked what they had gotten for Christmas. My wife, Charlotte, and I would have been hard-pressed to tell you, in January, what we received for Christmas.
Well, after reading several articles and books and listening to several talk shows on personal finance and debt we got smart, and decided to cut up the credit cards and to spend only what we could afford for Christmas gifts. It was hard. Cutting up the credit cards was like losing friends. But, after looking at all the finance and interest charges I paid over a year, I concluded that I could have paid for almost all of the Christmas gift what I had paid in interest, finance charges and late fees. No wonder I could not enjoy the season of Epiphany. Another thing, with the credit cards, the bills continued to pile up. When we got rid of the credit cards, life became more manageable and Christmas became a more spiritual holiday; and just as enjoyable. Epiphany and the days following became more enjoyable and now January and February are not my low times of the year.
So one-way to have a great Christmas and a great Epiphany season is to cut up the credit cards, or manage your credit card spending during this Advent and Christmas season. It is still not too late to take command of your holiday spending.
4. ADVENT DEVOTIONAL - INCREDIBLE FAITH AND HUMBLE SUBMISSION:
The Reverend Dr. James E. Russell –
The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, 'Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.'" Luke 1:26-28 (NIV)
The season of Advent serves as a time of preparation for celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ as a babe in Bethlehem's manger, and it inaugurates all the emphases of the Church during the year. The great story of the angels, the light in the heavens, the Wise Men from afar, and the multitudes of the other parts of the story all begin in Nazareth with a young Jewish girl named Mary.
For many people, the encounter between Mary and the angel is a strange part in the Christmas story. In this piece of the story, the angel told Mary that she would bear a son who would be the "Son of God." This news startled Mary, who protested to the angel "how can these things be since I am a virgin?" Even without our 21st century pseudo-sophistication, we can understand how unbelievable this all must have seemed to Mary. The angel's reply to her was simply "...nothing is impossible with God!"
Perhaps you thought the Christian issue of the "Virgin Birth" was what I meant by "strange part in the Christmas story." It is true that a virgin giving birth is strange to the human mind. It certainly would not be believable in today's skeptical and worldly culture. Most likely, Mary's assertion would be scandalous --- and probably would result in an invitation to appear on the Oprah Winfrey’s show as well as numerous other television talk shows!
However, something even stranger and more unbelievable to many people would be Mary's final reply to the angel. After hearing the heavenly message of the incredible things to come, she concluded her conversation with the angel with a startling total commitment to the will and purposes of Almighty God. Her humble response to God's will for her was simply, "I am the Lord's servant; may it be to me as you have said" (vs. 38).
During this first century, a young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster unless the father of the child agreed to marry her. Otherwise she would probably remain unmarried and face rejection and likely be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn a living. With her story of being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, she risked being considered crazy by society. Who of her day would ever believe Mary’s story? How would she explain this to her father? She also had to face her future husband, Joseph, and she must have wondered how he would respond and if he would consider her unfaithful. Lastly, there was the threat of her being condemned to death because of adultery. She had to face the possibility of being stoned because she appeared to be immoral. Mary’s reputation and life are at state.
With all of this before her, Mary accepts the situation with all its risks. She poignantly showed us the way to true joy and fulfillment. Mary was submissive to God. In one short sentence, she gave a response that is striking and meaningful: “I am the Lord’s servant; may it be to me as you have said.” Her humble submission to God and His path for her life is a graphic example for all of us to follow today. She bows to the Divine will, and asks God to do with her as He pleases. The word “servant” here means slave-girl. Mary was saying that she was a bond-slave, willing to sell herself out completely for God. She was willing to be available to God regardless of the price. She did not know about the tremendous blessing she would receive. She only knew God was asking her to serve him, and she willing obeyed. She trusted her faith alone to sustain her in this difficult and threatening situation.
I do not know your exact circumstances or the things you need to do to be true to your faith. I do not know what hurdles you may face in accomplishing God's purposes for you. What I do know is that a young Jewish girl long ago chose humble submission to God's will and His Providence over her own fears and the inevitable voices of vehement opposition. In her submissive response, Mary became an example for all people of faith to emulate! I also know that the angel-message comes to us, as it did to Mary, with Christ calling us into submission and into service to Him and humankind. Are we willing to risk our reputation, the most precious portion of our heritage, if God clearly asked us to do so? This is what Mary was ready to do.
This year, as we prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits to celebrate Christmas let us include our humble submission to God. The birth of God’s son requires a miracle. He sent His angle to Mary to achieve that miracle. Perhaps you will not get a visit from an angel, but I assure you that just like Mary, you will have a place in God's plan for His work in the world. Mary's simple and unselfish submission resulted in Christmas – which is the "rest of the story." I wonder what marvelous things could be in store for us this Christmas, and throughout our lives, if we gave our complete selves to God. Begin this year's gift giving by giving yourself to God. This could be your best Christmas ever!
Dr. James E. Russell, Jr., Presiding Elder Winston-Salem/Greenville District
The Christian Methodist Church
5. UPDATE ON MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE:
- Morris Brown College currently offers academic concentrations in Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology and an Adult Degree program in Organizational Management and Leadership.
- The College has a twenty-member Trustee Board under the leadership of Board Chairman Bishop William P. DeVeaux, Ph.D., Presiding Prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District.
6. 2005 Jordan Scholarship Awards at Morris Brown College
On Friday, October 14, members of the Board of the Artisha and Frederick Jordan Scholarship Foundation presented awards to twelve students at Morris Brown College.
Founded in 1976, the Foundation provides scholarships to students at the College who meet specific financial and academic criteria. The Jordan Foundation began with a generous endowment established by Bishop Frederick Douglass Jordan in memory of his wife, Mrs. Artisha Wilkerson Jordan. An alumnus of Howard and Northwestern Universities and Garrett Theological Seminary, Frederick D. Jordan became the 72nd Consecrated Bishop of the A.M.E. Church in 1952. After a lifetime of tireless service, Bishop Jordan died in 1979 at the age of 78. Mrs. Artisha Jordan was an alumna of Howard University and the University of Chicago. She was a member and officer in several church and civic organizations and a published author. Mrs. Jordan passed in 1974 at the age of 72.
Morris Brown College students receiving the Jordan Scholarships for 2005-2006 are Kimberlynn Barnett, Marcia Byard, Velsheda Carter, Alasa Hawkins, Carmella Jones, Jadon Relaford, Sonia Richardson, Rhoda Sye, Mike Izenady, Cheryl Thiesen, Ryan Washington, and Frederick Steverson. Each student received scholarships in the amount of $2,000 and one received an additional $1,000 through the Alice Julia Jordan scholarship, named for the sister of Bishop Jordan. Seated left to right are Mr. Getchel Caldwell (Morris Brown V.P. for Institutional Advancement), Atty. Kelli Irvine Neptune (Assistant Secretary-Treasurer of the Jordan Scholarship Fund), Dr. Jacqueline Jordan Irvine (President of the Jordan Scholarship Fund), Atty. Angela Jordan Davis (Secretary-Treasurer of the Jordan Scholarship Fund), and Dr. Samuel D. Jolley, Jr. (President of Morris Brown College).
Founded in 1881 and named for the second Bishop of the A.M.E. Church, Morris Brown College currently offers academic concentrations in Management, Entrepreneurship, and Technology and an Adult Degree program in Organizational Management and Leadership. The College has a twenty-member Trustee Board under the leadership of Board Chairman Bishop William P. DeVeaux, Ph.D., Presiding Prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District.
7. ANOTHER TRUCK FROM THE KENTUCKY ANNUAL CONFERENCE IS HEADED FOR KATRINA VICTIMS:
The Kentucky Annual Conference knows that aid to Katrina disaster victims is not finished. The Reverend Kenneth Golphin said, “The truck is on its way to Quitman, Mississippi! It just left Saint Paul in Versailles for Mt Nebo in Quitman. Thanks to the hard work of the members of the Kentucky Conference, we sent more on this truck than we did on the last! Speaking to Sister Rodgers in Quitman, the load is highly anticipated and greatly appreciated.”
Reverend Golphin says, “Thanks to all who participated, especially to those who did the loading. God's richest blessings be upon you.”
Pastor Kenneth Golphin
8. “ABLE” MABLE’S THANKSGIVING:By Stephanie and Eric Stradford
Atlanta, November 21, 2005 – “Able” Mable Thomas is on a mission. She is one in a handful of American women called by God and chosen by registered voters here. She is today’s featured agitator on a morning talk show segment revered for decades by the nation’s empowered.
Her great Thanksgiving “fish tale” takes a closer look at 100,000 fish or fishlike mammals that will never make it to a church fish fry and some hungry neighbors whose right to be has become a matter of law.
Politically, Thomas is the chosen representative for District 55, covering a portion of Fulton County. She is an active member of the Health and Human Services, Judiciary-Civil and the Natural Resources and Environment Committees of the Georgia House of Representatives.
Her calling perpetuates the spirit of an historic Free African Society, incubated in the cradle of democracy, and actuated through its "faith-based" offspring, the worldwide African Methodist Episcopal Church.
A simple shake of her hand or a look into the deep pain in her brown eyes reveals a uniquely enriched strand of the quiet strength DNA found in fellow African Methodist, Rosa L. Parks. But Thomas’ “rock-yo-world” personality is well suited for reversing long-term effects of domestic terrorism. Dr. C. DeLores Tucker, along with U.S. Representative Shirley Chisholm, established the National Political Congress of Black Women in 1984 and seeded a consciousness in government and society for balancing greed with fairness. Their victory in the war on terror is evinced by the courageous among us willing to pick up a mantle and run with it.
Following the Sunday Morning sermon at Cosmopolitan African Methodist Episcopal, and after the Benediction, a handful of faithful believers rose from their pews with a fresh sense of mission. A new morning talk show is perhaps the medium for a message defined by what must be started, TODAY!
- Today there must be a home for any homeless citizen in need.
- Today there must be quality healthcare for any sick citizen.
- Today there must be a job for any ready, willing and able citizen.
- Today there must be food for any hungry citizen among us.
- Today there must be equal justice and called judges.
- Today there must be repair for the terrorism inflicted on Free Africans in North America.
- Today every Christian must confess Jesus as Lord.
What makes this local tale a fish story of national significance? It is the broadcast on the Today Show aired live from the Georgia Aquarium TODAY. The Associated Press reported on whale sharks Ralph and Norton as kings of a6-million-gallon tank. “Their presence palpable even before they emerge from the murky darkness like massive star cruisers in a science fiction film,” reported AP.
As visitors to the new Georgia Aquarium gaze upon the only whale sharks on display outside of Asia, the imprisoned Ralph and Norton and 99,998 more fish will feed off an average $20 return on a $200 million “gift” from Home Depot Inc. co-founder, Bernie Marcus. The house that Bernie’s money built is the world’s largest aquarium by virtually all major standards of the industry except one.
Not too long ago a story featured one little boy, two fish, five loaves and the King of Kings. Neither Ralph, Norton nor Bernie earned honor, glory or praise for this fish story. Still, the tale stands as one of the greatest Thanksgiving Day stories of all time. It was bankrolled exclusively by a prayer of Thanksgiving in anticipation of met needs.
Email Your Comments to The Today Show TODAY:
today@nbc.com9. TWENTY-FIFTH MINISTERIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE REV. RONNIE E. BRAILSFORD, SR.:Columbia, SC (November 15, 2005) – The Bethel A.M.E. Church family will honor Pastor Ronnie E. Brailsford Sr. for his 25 years in the ordained ministry at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Christina Banks Family Life Center on the church campus. The banquet includes a full-course dinner. The cost is $12 for children 4-12 years old and $25 for those 13 and older. Tickets may be purchased between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday at the church. A souvenir journal will be produced for the momentous occasion. Sponsors should contact the church by Nov. 20 to purchase an ad for the souvenir journal. The theme for the occasion clearly depicts who the Rev. Brailsford truly is -- “A visionary Leader of Great Faith.”
The Rev. Brailsford became a licensed minister on January 20, 1980 at Liberty Hill A.M.E. Church in Summerton, S.C. Two years later, in October, he was ordained itinerant deacon and in October 1983, he was ordained itinerant elder. The Rev. Brailsford has served as pastor of Mt. Carmel A.M.E. Church in Gray Court, S.C. and Amanda Flipper A.M.E. in Atlanta, Ga. He has been the pastor of Bethel A.M.E. in Columbia since 1992. Under his leadership, over 1500 new members have joined, 62 ministries have been established, revenue has grown from $160,000 annually to over $2,000,000 annually, the church purchased property and facilities valued at $6.1 million and Bethel Learning Centers was founded and accredited. The Rev. Brailsford is actively involved in the community. He serves on the Columbia Urban League Board of Directors, the Allen University Board of Trustees, CaBrailSong School of Vocal Arts Board of Directors, the Violence Prevention Task Force, USC President’s Community Advisory Committee, and Bethel Bishop Chappelle Apartments Board of Directors. He is also a lifetime member of the NAACP.
Pastor Brailsford is married to national recording artist, the Rev. Carolyn Brailsford. The couple has three children: Veronica-Carol, Ronnie Jr., and David.
Bethel A.M.E. Church is located at 819 Woodrow St. For more information, call the Rev. Betty Wannamaker or Patricia Blakeney at (803) 779-0138.
10. ARTICLE ABOUT THE REV. WILLIAM M. CAMPBELL JR. APPEARED IN THE KILLEEN (TEXAS) DAILY HERALD:Jimmie Ferguson
First, it was "Born to Dream." And now, the Rev. William M. Campbell Jr. of Killeen has come out with "More Than a Conqueror: I Am a Possessor!" - a second book of religious discourses that he has written to enlighten congregations throughout the country.
"This work, 'More Than a Conqueror,' comes from the book of Joshua," said the 44-year-old pastor of Anderson Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Killeen. "Just as 'Born to Dream' reflects a transition in my life, so does 'More Than a Conqueror.'"
The 14-chapter book contains printed sermons dating back to 1996; a time Campbell said was his transition year, a year after he buried his father and a time in which God confirmed a significant change of course in his life and his ministry.
"If you want to be informed and inspired to pursue your destiny, 'More Than a Conqueror' is for you," said James C. Wade, the executive director of Department of Church Growth & Development of A.M.E. Church. "After reading the pages of this book, you will be more than a conqueror. You will be a possessor."
Dr. Russell T. Cephas Jr., the founder and president of Church Growth International, said he highly recommends "More Than a Conqueror," not only to pastors and to Christian workers, but also to all Christians, who want to overcome hindrances that prevent them from receiving God's ordained destiny for their lives.
Chapter 1 of the book is the sermon Campbell preached Dec. 31, 1996, at Mount Zion A.M.E. Church in New Brunswick, N.J. - the church of his late pastoral mentor and friend, the Rev. Henry A. Hildebrand, who died just before the book came out. Campbell said he wanted so much for Hildebrand to have lived to read his new book. "I'm really sad that this did not come out before his death, because it was on the day when I preached Chapter 1 that I made the announcement that I was moving from Florida to Texas," Campbell said.
Chapters 4, 6 and 7 are sermons he preached at Anderson Chapel. The other chapters are of sermons that he preached in Muncie, Ind.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Nashville, Tenn., and Duncanville, Dallas, all in Texas.
Campbell said "More Than a Conqueror" should have been completed seven years ago. “So, I'm a little behind time, and I have to repent to the Lord for my slowness," he smiled, noting he will have four more books published soon to catch up. "I should have had 'More Than a Conqueror' out in 1997, and now I am seven years late in getting this out to people who may have needed to learn how to become a conqueror sooner."
Campbell said he was inspired to put his sermons in writing while preaching a revival in January 1996 in Muncie, where the snow and sub-zero temperatures kept him inside, which gave him a lot of time to study and write. "It was a wonderful experience, when that series began to evolve into my life," he said. "I think someone said to me, 'Reverend, you need to put this into a book, on a tape or something."
March 2005, Campbell said, will mark 27 years that he has been preaching. "Often, as in 'Born to Dream' or as in 'More Than A Conqueror,' when I would come into a revival, a series would begin ... unbeknownst to me that it was going in that direction," said Campbell, noting the writing aspect was very easy for him. “I always hated English, " he said.” When I was 5, 6 and 7 years old, my mother, who was an educator as well, drilled me into writing correct sentences and words and made me read." Campbell dedicated "More Than a Conqueror" to his mother, Edith Campbell, "To the most remarkable mother of any man anywhere. Your life teaches me never to give up," he said. "More Than a Conqueror" can be obtained for a donation of $10 or more at Anderson Chapel or by ordering it on his Web site at
www.flamingfire21.org Campbell said some of the money made on the book will go toward ministry projects.
More about the Man
"Pastor C," as he is affectionately called, is just a tool in God's hand - a messenger of God, who has revived and enlightened thousands around the world with the eternal message of God's salvation. Born in the remote town of Milton in eastern Pennsylvania to a Methodist pastor and his wife, Campbell experienced quite a rich life in the itinerant ministry of Methodism. Having lived in Bermuda as well as in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida and now Texas, Campbell brings many colorful and diversified experiences to the ministry. His partner in life and in ministry is the former Melita Chew of Fort Worth. They have two children.
Campbell is the founder of the Flaming Fire Ministries Inc. of Dallas, an apostolic ministry with a global scope and a multi-denominational outreach. Since 1978, the Lord has allowed him to preach and minister around the world traveling throughout the continental United States, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa. Noted as a teacher first and then an evangelist, Campbell says he leaves "no stone unturned" in delivering the timely message of God's miracle-working power.
He is also the author of three teaching manuals, titled "Giving-Prayer-Fasting: Three Tenets of the Christian Faith," "To Seek and Save That Which Was Lost" and "A Messianic Passover Haggadah: Looking at Our Faith through the Eyes of Judaism."
In November 2002, Campbell was appointed pastor of Anderson Chapel A.M.E. Church, where he is already making a difference in this, his second pastoral assignment in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. At Anderson Chapel, he continues the work of congregation and community building that began in his first charge in Dallas. He also serves as the chair of the Richard Allen Community Development Corporation, which is the development arm of the church. Teaching continues to be the bedrock of his ministry and the weekly Bible study - Word Encounter - is well attended. His Internet column, "From the Pastor's Heart," has blessed hundreds around the world each weekday. Campbell has a liberal arts degree and is ever seeking to improve the quality of service that he renders and is presently working toward a Master of Divinity degree at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University in Waco.
Editor’s Note: The following article appeared in The Killeen (Texas) Daily Herald on November 13, 2004. Reprinted by permission of the Killeen (Texas) Daily Herald.
Staff writer, Jimmie Ferguson,
Editor, Dave Miller
11. APPLY NOW FOR THE WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST ENDOWED FELLOWSHIP FOR MINORITY STUDENTS:Washington, DC (BlackNews.com) - The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund (NSRF), a subprogram of NSPP, is now accepting applications for the William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship for Minority Students. NSRF previously offered the fellowship each summer, but due to increased endowment will now offer it three times a year. The fellowship, which is based on academic excellence and need, is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are members of minority groups and are U. S. citizens.
The Hearst Fellow serves as an intern with the Fund. Through this program, the Fund seeks to introduce a diverse group of students to issues relating to philanthropy, voluntarism, and nonprofit organizations. A fellowship grant of between $2,500 and $5,000 will be awarded, depending on the recipient’s educational level, financial need, and time commitment. Recipients may also arrange with their colleges or universities to receive academic credit for this experience. Please visit
www.aspeninst.org or
www.nonprofitresearch.org for application information.
Internship Availability and Deadlines:Spring 2006 Application Deadline, December 15, 2005Summer 2006 Application Deadline, February 15, 2006Fall 2006 Application Deadline, July 15, 2006
The mission of the Aspen Institute is to foster enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. Through seminars, policy programs, conferences and leadership development initiatives, the Institute and its international partners seek to promote nonpartisan inquiry and an appreciation for timeless values.
The Aspen Institute's Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program (NSPP) seek to improve the operation of the nonprofit sector and philanthropy through research, leadership education, and communication initiatives focused on critical nonprofit issues.
The programs major projects are:Nonprofit Sector Research Fund; Aspen Philanthropy Letter; Kellogg-Kauffman Seminar Series for Mid-America Foundation CEOs; State of Americas Nonprofit Sector Project; Fast-Growth, High-Impact Nonprofit; Community Giving Resource, and the Nonprofit Sector Strategy Group.
The Nonprofit Sector Research Fund awards research grants to support studies that examine the nonprofit sector and philanthropy. To access detailed information about NSRF, please visit
www.nonprofitresearch.org or contact Winnifred Levy, Communications Manager, at winnifred.levy@aspeninst.org
12. 13TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT PLANNING MEETING DECEMBER 1- 3, 2005:
Hotel registration for the 13th District Planning meeting is November 21, 2005. The room rate is $77.00 plus the taxes.
http://www.kylay.com/Files/hotel.pdfYou can also make your reservations by calling (800) 333-3333 the group name is 13th District Meeting for African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Please be advised that there are other events that are occurring this week and once the deadline for reservations for the group has expired the room rates will go up to approx. $149.00 or more.
Any additional information needed you can contact Gina L Relford email address:
Ginar4284@aol.comKentucky Conference Lay Organization
Website:
http://www.kylay.com/Email:
kylay@iglou.com13. CHURCH WORLD SERVICE MEMBERS CALL FOR 'SACRIFICIAL GIVING'
DURING 2005 HOLIDAYS:NEW YORK - November 17 - The members of the General Assembly of Church World Service and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA called for the Assembly's ecumenical family of Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant communions to make this Christmas season a time of sacrificial giving in light of the enormous needs at present around the world. The member communions present at the gathering last week in Hunts Valley, MD, took personal action, pledging more than $32,000 for worldwide relief efforts.
Rev. Peg Chemberlin, executive director of the Minnesota Council of Churches, is credited with challenging the Assembly. "Let's begin a season of giving," she said. She suggested a model in which Assembly members would pledge one day's wages to humanitarian agency Church World Service, which is currently responding to disasters in Indonesia, Pakistan, and the US Gulf Coast.
"We remember that there are over 1.2 billion of our sisters and brothers who live on less than a dollar a day," Chemberlin said. "Even an additional dollar from each individual in our member communions would result in $45 million."
To "give a gift that matters," call toll free (800) 297-1516 or visit
https://secure.churchworldservice.org/catalog/display.php?sid=214. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE WCC ASSESS 40 YEARS OF COLLABORATION AND LOOK AHEAD TO A RENEWED ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT:
The Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) could address issues of common concern together with a united voice to meet the expectations of people in a world of uncertainties and tensions. WCC central committee moderator Catholicos Aram I made this statement at the opening event of a 17-19 November consultation on the renewal of the ecumenical movement in the 21st century and the future role of a joint consultative group between the two bodies. "In a world of uncertainties and tensions," Aram I said, "people are increasingly expecting the churches' united voice." In response, the Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC could provide a "framework" for the two bodies to "address issues of common concern together".
"Such joint action would make a difference in many respects," he added. Founded in 1965 following the Second Vatican Council, the JWG has just turned 40. It is a consultative body entrusted with initiating, evaluating and sustaining the many forms of collaboration between its two parent bodies. Speaking at the same event, the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper, affirmed, "without danger of betraying our faith or our conscience, we could already today do much more together than we actually do". Sharing of biblical, spiritual and liturgical resources, as well as cooperation in theology, mission, ecumenical formation, cultural and social witness, development and environmental protection figured in Kasper's agenda for joint action. "Above all, there is a need for spiritual ecumenism," he said. According to Kasper, renewed ecumenical enthusiasm needs to clarify "the [theological] foundations, the vision, the ways and the practice of the ecumenical movement".
"There is no ecumenism without conversion;" he said, and affirmed that "institutional reform" is "an essential presupposition and condition for ecumenical progress"."We need to renew and reaffirm our ecumenical vision in language which is convincing and compelling for the churches - and for Christians! - in the 21st century," affirmed WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia as he welcomed participants to the event. Since churches "need one another in order for each of them to be fully what Christ intends them to be," "ecumenical institutions and structures which can respond to this situation" are also needed, Kobia said. The two co-moderators of the JWG, Archbishop Mario Conti (Catholic) and Bishop Jonas Jonson (Lutheran) participated in a public event of celebration and thanksgiving that opened the consultation. Off the shelves Making a critical assessment of four decades of work, Aram I emphasized that the "comprehensive and solid studies" undertaken by the JWG on issues like the understanding of the church or the doctrine of the Holy Spirit "retain their theological validity and ecumenical relevance".
But, he affirmed, they are sitting "on the shelves of the WCC and Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity". Instead, they "must be related to the life of the church on the local level, and must be appropriated by the churches through a process of ecumenical education". A movement "from reflection to reception" is needed, he said. In his address, Kasper highlighted that "sober self-critical theological reflection and discernment of the Spirit will be needed for healthy development of the ecumenical movement in the 21st century".
For Aram I, the PCPCU and the WCC have largely "avoided touching issues or areas of an explosive or divisive nature" for 40 years. However, he suggested, their common journey had surely created the conditions to enable them now to "wrestle pro-actively with controversial issues". "This requires not only a change of agenda priorities, but also a change of approach and methodology," he added. What exactly should be the future agenda, role and the content of a renewed mandate of the JWG is the topic of a consultation being held until 19 November at the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, near Geneva.
15. THE PASTOR’S CORNER - REMEMBER WHO BROUGHT YOU:10aWhen the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers…12Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deuteronomy 6: 10a & 12)
15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in aloud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. (Luke 17: 15-16)
As the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, God reminded them to remember “the Lord who brought you.” The Lord God is the One who brought you. He brought you over the rough roads, under His protective power, around the corners of change, through the storms turmoil, out of the darkness, and into the light. God’s desire is that you simply “remember who brought you.”
The second passage describes an encounter Jesus had with ten lepers. “They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When He saw them, He said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in aloud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. (Luke 17: 13-16)
The ten lepers exhibited faith in Jesus Christ. Despite the possibility of the penalty of death for entering the temple as lepers, “they went,” and “they were cleansed.” Only one leper remembered who brought him through his illness into a state of wholeness. One, now former leper, remembered Jesus. His actions illustrate for us what is required to “remember who brought you.”
1. “When he saw he was healed.” (v. 15a) – We must first recognize what God had done for us. What has God done for you? Every day in life is a gift from God. Have we remembered the giver of life?
2. “He came back.” (v. 15b) – We must make the effort to be in God’s presence. Do we come into His presence through daily prayer and Bible reading, and through weekly worship? Do we come back to Him?
3. “Praising God in a loud voice” (v. 15c) – By vocally giving glory to God, we let others know our appreciation for God. Are we witnessing to God’s goodness through uninhibited, selfless praise?
4. “He threw himself at Jesus’ feet” (v. 16a) – Are our lives yet submitted to the One who created us and died to redeem us? Whom do we follow? Christ? The culture? Our desires or appetites?
5. “And thanked Him” – Are we expressing gratitude? Do we regularly acknowledge what God had done for us?
6. “And he was a Samaritan” (v. 16b) – He recognized his unworthiness to receive what he had from God. This is the basis of true gratitude – recognizing that we get so much more than we deserve.
A father sought to teach his sons the meaning of true thanksgiving. He reminded them, “The wages of sin is death…” He also presented to them, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” He then asked his sons, “If all have sinned and the wages of sin is death, then what do you deserve?” Their reply was, “Death.” Some time later, he bought the boys new gym shoes. The shoes were not a popular designer brand. His sons were disappointed by what they received. The father withdrew the shoes and reminded the boys of the Biblical mantra they had established. A couple of days later the father again presented the shoes to his sons. The boys expressed their gratitude for the new shoes and eagerly accepted them. The father inquired of their change in attitude. The boys replied, “What we deserve is the wages of sin—death. Therefore anything else we receive is more than we deserve.”
This Thanksgiving and every day, let us remember the God who gives us so much more than we deserve. Let us remember who brought us out of sin and death and into salvation and life. Let us remember who brought us every new day—a day we do not deserve. Today and every day, “Remember who brought you!”
Pastor James M. Moody, Sr.Quinn Chapel AME Church2401 South Wabash AvenueChicago, Illinois 60616312-791-1846 office312-493-8755 cell
www.quinnchicago.org web site
16. BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:The Reverend Leroy Bailey Quinn, Presiding Elder Emeritus, in the 12th District passed on Thursday, November 10, 2005.
Services
Thursday, November 17, 2005
11:00 AM
Allen Chapel AME Church
1400 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73117
(405) 424-6625
Rev. Hugh Bennett, Pastor
Condolences may be sent to his Wife and Family
Mrs. Rudy D. Quinn & Family
1304 N.E. 53
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Submitted by the Rev. Mona G. Rodgers
Email:
monarodgers@sbcglobal.netPlease remember the family in your prayers.
17. 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.
18. 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
