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. BREAKING NEWS: THE BISHOPS OF THE AME CHURCH HAVE PLEDGED THEIR COMMITMENT TO HIV/AIDS TESTING:
The “National HIV Testing Day” will be observed on June 27 and will focus on HIV testing as routine health screen and to address HIV/AIDS crisis.
The Bishops of the Church have agreed that the AME Church will take the leadership HIV testing and HIV/AIDS testing will be part of the General Board and Bishop's Council meeting next week in Columbus, Ohio. The HIV/AIDS testing is scheduled to be held on Tuesday and the Bishops, in order to model the position of the church, have agreed to be tested themselves. The AME Church is the first major denomination where highest faith leaders lead by example (by word and deed) to address stigma and ignorance currently surrounding HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS testing will be available to all attendees at the Bishops’ Council/General Board Meeting. Full participation of Church leadership i.e. bishops, supervisors, General Officers, general board members are expected to participate in the testing. HIV/AIDS 1s a preventable virus infection and community crisis that the AME Church and the black American community must address. Bishops Philip Cousin, E. Wilfred J. Messiah, Paul Kawimbe, Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Sarah Davis, and Earl McCloud, Jr. are taking the lead in the HIV/AIDS collaborative effort.
Also engaged in some manner in this effort will be the Ohio Commission on Minority Health, Payne Theological Seminary, AME-SADA, Commission on Health, Department of Global Witness and Ministry, Christian Education and Global Witness and Ministry departments.This is amazing timing or our Zion to make a statement by the words and actions of its leaders to show pioneering Christ-centered leadership. CDC and other's now focus efforts to ignite the faith community to help stop crisis of HIV/AIDS in African American and African communities.
The AME Church will be a participant in the HIV/AIDS for African American Faith Leaders on Friday, July 13, 2007. The participants chosen to attend by Bishop McCloud are: Dr. M. Joan Cousin, Dr. Ovetta Fuller, Dr. B. J. Primis Cotton, and two students from Turner Theological Seminary.
African Americans make up less than 13% of the U.S. population, and account for nearly 50% of HIV/AIDS diagnoses, yet African American females account for 67% of the new AIDS cases among women; African American men make up nearly 64% of HIV/AIDS cases among African Americans; and African American teens (13-19) account for 73% of the new AIDS cases.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church is committed to Break the silence and increase awareness of HIV/AIDS among friends, family, and co-workers; Talk about HIV/AIDS in places where African Americans live, work, play, and worship; and Motivate people to seek early testing and treatment, and encourage healthy behaviors to prevent the spread of HIV.
Presiding elders and pastors are empowered and encouraged to organize HIV/AIDS testing in every presiding elder district and in every local church as appropriate. AME pastors are expected to take leadership in HIV/AIDS testing and to be tested themselves as an example of their commitment to the HIV/AIDS program.
The Right Reverend Robert V. Webster is the Host Bishop for the 2007 Bishops’ Counsel/ General Board Meeting.
For additional information and requests for interviews, contact Dr. Clement Fugh, the General Secretary/CIO for the AME Church, 500 8th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203; Phone:(615)254-0911; Fax:(615)254-0912; Email:cio@ame-church.com
To respond to this article, contact Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, The 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder, "The Official Newspaper of the A.M.E. Church"; Email: chsydnor@bellsouth.net , Office: 615. 714-0986; FAX: 615.658-5552
2. EDITORIAL: WHO IS TO BLAME? - PART II
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
As I wrote in the last issue, “Blame has been around for a long time; actually, since the beginning of time” and church folks, and especially AMEs know how to blame.
So who is to blame for some of the shortcomings of the AME Church? This is just my opinion.
It is not the bishops of the AME Church. Leaders are responsible for all that happens or fail to happen in an organization. The bishops and presiding elders are responsible, but they are not to be blamed. The 2004 Book of Discipline does not contribute to any failures in the AME Church; The Book of Discipline, if read and enforced by pastors and laity would enhance the growth of the AME Church. If we followed the rules we already have, many of our churches would be bursting at the seams. So it is not The Discipline. Our shortcomings are not because of The AME Hymnal. The AME Hymnal has old-school music and contemporary music and any competent musician can rearrange hymns and gospel songs published in our hymnal to meet the needs of a particular congregation. And the blame does not fall to the pastor, or at least, not to the pastor by him or herself.
So, who is to blame?
Everything in the AME church, including the ministry, begins at the local church. Every bishop and every pastor got his or her start in the local church. The local church is “where the buck starts.” A part of the blame goes to the local church.
Local churches endorse and affirm candidates for ministry and sometimes, evidence have shown, they will affirm a person for ministry that they know is unfit and unqualified for ministry. There are stewards, trustees, stewardesses and other leaders in the local church who have never read The Discipline, or at least the current Discipline, and believe it or not, many of us have probably met pastors who have not read The Discipline. And, certainly, we have met lay members who have never held The Discipline in their hands and yet pastors continue to recommend them for leadership positions in the Church. Years ago, I had a Baptist deacon who told me, “The strength of the AME Church is that you don’t have precedence-setting situations in the AME Church, or at least very few, because you all have the rule of The Discipline. In the Baptist Church we routinely have precedence-setting situations and it precipitates bickering and arguments.” When local churches don’t follow The Discipline, chaos can be the order of the day. Local churches need pastors who are courageous and kind, and who have the leadership attributes to encourage and insist upon spiritual and temporal competencies of the leadership in the local church.
Who in the local church is to blame?
The spiritual glue and anchor in the AME Church is the Steward Board. This may come across as radical, but the problems of the AME Church should be laid squarely at the feet of the Steward Board. The Discipline states that stewards must be of solid piety, know and love the Word of God, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (Pages 67- 69 explain the duties of the Stewards in detail).
Stewards are nominated by the pastor and confirmed by the Quarterly Conference. And as Congress has to vote on the President’s nomination by voting yes or no; that is to confirm or not confirm; the members at the Quarterly Conference have to vote to affirm the pastor’s recommendation or to reject some or all of the pastor’s nominees. A vote has to be taken to confirm the stewards. The Discipline says that the Quarterly Conference “shall confirm them or, reject them.”
I would guess that across the AME Church most stewards are confirmed without question, even though the steward board is a spiritual ministry.
The persons nominated by the pastor should possess spiritual attributes, be courageous and have a love for the Word of God and The Doctrine and Discipline of the Church. They should be active in the spiritual ministries of the church. There have been examples of churches losing members and local churches that have the presence of spiritual wickedness and the steward board remained silent.
I also suspect many pastors nominate members to steward board who they like and who they can control and that creates a broken link in the system. And, when things start to go “south” in the local church, there is no voice of reason from the steward board because they have allowed themselves to be compromised. They allowed themselves to be compromised because they did not understand the scope of their responsibilities because they had not read The Discipline and probably have not read much of the Bible.
Ethically, if a steward board supported a pastor’s unethical program, a steward or board of stewards would be derelict if they did not address the issue. I am afraid that we have too many steward boards that see questionable or unethical programs and refuse to get involved.
Stewards should not be “yes persons” and a smart pastor would not want them to be “yes persons.” Stewards should work harmoniously with the pastor, but those who fill the position of a steward must remember that they are the congregation’s representative; their ministry is spiritual. The qualifications require them to be of “solid piety, know and love the Word of God, the African Methodist Episcopal Church doctrine, and The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.” Stewards must be fruitful and of good nature or acquired ability to transact the spiritual and temporal business of the church, and when they are not faithful, they are the bottom-line blame of what might be some of the short-comings of the AME Church.
And, one more thing, the local church membership needs to understand that they have significant input into the steward confirmation process, and if they abdicate that, the local church ministry and growth will suffer.
And, just one more thing, if the lay leadership and the members haven’t read and don’t know the rules in The Discipline, they have no way of knowing what’s right and wrong in the local church and they become a part of the problems of the AME Church.
And, finally, all local church officers, but especially stewards, should attend and participate in the spiritual programs of the church, like Sunday school, Bible study, and prayer meetings.
3. THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:
“If you (the pastor) don’t show up in the preparation, God won’t show up in the presentation (the sermon).”
Dr. James Webb, professor, Auburn University and an AME pastor
4. LETTER FROM AME-INDIA:
Greetings to all of you. Thank you very much for your prayers.
I have not been able to send mails to you because I have been out of station. My Father is seriously ill and has been admitted in the ICU ward of the hospital. It has been a serious matter of concern for all of us over here. I have been attending to him at the hospital along with my brothers and sister. He is sinking everyday and now doctors have given him 24 hours before he breathes his last breath. We are all kind of prepared yet the emotional attachment is too strong for us to let him go. Request you for your prayers especially for my mother. Thanking you.
Yours Sincerely,
Sarah Peddiny
AME-India
5. THE REV. MARCELLUS A. NORRIS, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN ACHIEVER, RECEIVES DUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS MASTERS OF DIVINITY, ORDINATION AND PROMOTION IN MINISTRY:
Rev. Edrena Houston Brown, M.A.C.E.
Christian Recorder, Staff Writer
The Reverend Marcellus A. Norris is a Scholar, an African American Achiever, receives dual accomplishments as a life long leader in academics from to seminary, graduated May 17, 2007, from the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg, PA., where he earned the Masters of Divinity degree. Following his graduation ceremony at Lutheran Theological Seminary this month, he was ordained in the Philadelphia Annual Conference, June 2007 as an Itinerant Elder, where Senior Bishop, Philip R. Cousin, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the Fourth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church, delivered the ordination sermon.
The First Episcopal District Planning Meeting, was held June 2007 in Philadelphia, Pa., where many of Rev. Norris family members, friends and colleagues in ministry attending these various events, shared in the happiness and blessings with Pastor Norris for the many spectacular achievements as he received and his pastoral appointment, as the new pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Norwalk, Connecticut in the New England Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, where Bishop Richard Franklin Norris is the Presiding Prelate and The Reverend Herbert L. Eddy serves as the Presiding Elder.
Pastor Norris, accepted the call to preach on August 6, 1995 at St. Matthew A.M.E. Church, Philadelphia, PA., following his call to preach he delivered his trial sermon on September 24, 1995 and received license to preach on September 25, 1995. Following these accomplishments in May 1997 Rev. Norris was ordained as an Itinerant Deacon in the A.M.E. Church. After much hard work and the persistence and consistency to achieve, he was determined in his calling from the Lord to further pursue his vocation, while pastoring and attending seminary, while serving the People of God.
His previous pastoral charge as Pastor of Bethel A. M.E. Church, Bryn Mawr, PA., of the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Rev. Norris acknowledges; the work of the Lord increased tremendously in saving souls and enhancing new ministries and developing the Kingdom of God for church growth, in sharing in the Love of Jesus.
During his tenure, many accomplishments were achieved; the Norris Praise Team was implemented, an 8:00 a.m., Contemporary Service every third Sunday, a Dance Ministry, a new state of the art digital piano, purchased and debt free, reinstituted the Acolyte Ministry, expanded the Music Ministry to include Drums and Bongos, paved new parking lot for additional parking spaces, created and designed website for the Bethel Church Family and recently installed New Flooring in the Hallways and Community Center.
He served as a leader in the church as well as in the community; as the Assistant Treasurer of the A.M.E. Preacher's Meeting of Philadelphia, Treasurer of the West District Philadelphia Annual Conference, and President of the Main Line Black Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance are among the many achievements he possess. Pastor Norris was awarded the "Man of the Year Award" by St. Peter's A.M.E. Church, Certificate of Achievement Award by The Pennsylvania Black Conference on Higher Education commission, The Minority Student Affairs Shabazz Award and the Harmonic Voices of Truth Award for Outstanding Community Service, Shippensburg University and The First Episcopal District YPD Appreciation Award for Dedicated Christian and Community Service.
Pastor Norris is the spouse of the lovely, Mrs. Dawn Elizabeth Norris and is the proud son of Bishop Richard F. Norris, Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Mrs. Mary Ann Norris, Episcopal Supervisor of the First Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church.
6. THE SEVENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT’S WHOLE PERSON HEALTH DAY:
* Benjamin Harrison
Saturday, May 5, 2007, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 17 locations throughout South Carolina, the Seventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in partnership with the S.C. Department of Social Services and the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, introduced its first annual ‘Whole Person Health Day.’ These organizations, along with other agencies, are collaborating to promote ‘family health’ and ‘social welfare’ as top priorities in church congregations and local communities statewide.
Bishop Preston W. Williams II, presiding prelate of the Seventh Episcopal District, commented that, “African Americans, in particular, must become increasingly aware of positive health strategies, so as to make good choices towards living long, healthy, and productive lives. Health education is the key to helping individuals lead healthy lifestyles. Our first annual Whole Person Health Day is specifically designed to uplift the health of the entire person as well as the communities in which they live.”
Whole Person Health Day focused on seven key health categories which include: Psychological, Physical, Social, Economic, Spiritual, Educational, and Environmental Health. According to Ms. Rosetta Swinton, Episcopal Health Director, “The goal of this awareness campaign is to empower people through knowledge of preventive health care methods; personal and relationship health strategies; financial independence goals; educational, spiritual and career planning; and the basics of maintaining clean air, food and water.”
Attendance was free, and thousands of participants statewide had access to fun and informative interactive workshops on: First Time Home Buying; Becoming a Business Owner; Burn Out & Depression; Cancer Prevention; Choking Demonstrations; College Funds; Domestic Violence; CPR Training; Financial Issues; Healthy Lifestyle; Heart Health & Stroke; Hospice; Improving Credit; Lupus; Medicaid Part D; Nutrition for Life; Sexual Health; Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid; and Writing A Resume.
There were also free screenings and services for: Blood Pressure; Blood Sugar; Body Mass Index (BMI); Cholesterol; Dental, Mammography, Prostate, and Oral Cancer; Food Stamp, Nutrition & Family Independence; Hearing; Juvenile Justice Informational Sessions; HIV; Mobile Health Unit; Prescription Drugs; and Vision.
Whole Person Health Day is a creative way for individuals and entire families to engage in educational workshops, screenings, cooking demonstrations, physical activity and more. Giveaways took place throughout the day and all were invited to come and be creative and interactive participants and to acquire knowledge in creating personal wholeness health strategies. For more information please visit www.health-e-ame.org.
* Benjamin Harrison (P)Public Relations Director7th District AME ChurchTel 803.935.0500 ext 107Cell 803.528.7104Fax 803.935.0830HarrisonAMEMedia@aol.com
7. NEWS AROUND THE CHURCH:
Rev. Edrena Houston Brown, M.A.C.E.
- Please join us for an afternoon of pleasure in honor of Mrs. Carol Isabella Messiah, Episcopal Supervisor of the 20th Episcopal District will be honored at "The Supervisor's Fashion Show" on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. at Saint Paul A.M.E. Church, 639 East Long Street, Columbus, Ohio. Fashions and Models are provided by Pieces for Wear, Joyce Hannah Beatty is the proprietor. The proceeds from the luncheon will benefit the 20th Episcopal District, Girl Child Scholarship program. Dr. Patricia Larkins Hicks is the chair of the event.
- You are cordially invited to attend The Turner Theological Seminary National Alumni Association will sponsor a Fellowship Breakfast on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 7:00 a.m., at the Bishop's Council and General Board Meeting located at the Hyatt Hotel, Columbus, Ohio. Come and meet the former candidates of Turner and other candidates from various districts, who are seeking the positions for the Episcopacy and General Office positions of the A.M.E. Church. For further information call Dr. Daniel W. Jacobs, Sr., (404) 527-0800.
- The Reverend Willie J. Cook, Sr., M.Div., host pastor and the Historic Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, Tampa, Florida will host the Eleventh Episcopal District Lay Organization Convention that convenes June 19-23, 2007. The convention will be held at St. Paul A.M.E. Church 506 East Harrison Street (Downtown) Tampa, Florida. Mrs. Marian B. White, Episcopal President, Mr. Jesse Burns, Connectional President.
- The Rev. Dr. Frank Madison Reid II, Host Pastor is sponsoring an" Intensive Healing Training for the Masculine Soul" MAN UP II," A wakening the Warrior Within," This event will be held on Sunday, June 24, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. and on Tuesday, June 26, 2007 with the following speakers: Bishop Liston Page, pastor of Highway Church, Patterson and the Rev. Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope A.M.E. Church, Hillcrest Heights, Maryland. For more information and to register online go to: wwwbethel1.org or call (410) 523-4273.
- The Second Episcopal District Youth & Leadership "A Christian Education Congress" for youths, Adults, Clergy, WMS and Laity will commemorate on July 5-7, 2007 at the Hampton Convention Center, Hampton, Virginia. Coordinators are; Rev. Dana Swann, Christian Education, Sister Robin Porter Smith, Christian Education and Sister Shirley Reed, Debutante-Masters. Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Jr. is the presiding prelate of the 2nd Episcopal District and Mrs. Connie S. Richardson is the Episcopal Supervisor.
- The Christian Education Congress of the Eleventh Episcopal District will convene on July 2-5, 2007 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel, 9939 Universal Blvd., Orlando, Florida. Special Guest will be Bishop David R. Daniels, Presiding Prelate of the 14th Episcopal District. Bishop McKinley Young is the presiding prelate and Dr. Dorothy J. Young is the Episcopal Supervisor. For further information please email the 11th Episcopal District Office: 11thdistrictoffice@bellsouth.net
8. THE IRS AND POLITICAL LOBBYING:
*Orletta E. Caldwell
The time has again come! Time to elect another President! Debates, primaries, and oh, those wonderful political commercials. The African Methodist Episcopal Church has a legacy of active participation in the political process, but we must be careful. According to the Internal Revenue Service no 501 (c) (3) organization including churches cannot:
- Devote a substantial amount of their activities to attempting to influence legislation,
- Or participate, or intervene in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.
The IRS defines attempting to influence legislation or elections if the church contacts or urges the contact of members or staff of the legislative body concerning advocating or opposing legislation. Churches are allowed to established educational activities i.e. voter’s guides or events that are unbiased in nature. Moreover, any events sponsored by the church must include an invitation to all of the candidates running. Any materials distributed should have candidates listed. Refrain from asking questions that favor one candidate over the other.
Religious leaders should be cognizant of their personal remarks during the campaign season. It is not the intent of the Internal Revenue Service to restrict the minister’s freedom of speech. However, it is imperative that the minister’s comments are their own. The IRS has mandated that:
- partisan remarks should not be made in official publications or church functions
- it be indicated that all commentary are personal in nature
- equitable invitations to the church or functions must include all of the candidates with equal access to the congregation
The penalties are costly. Non-compliance can jeopardize a church’s tax exemption and add an excise tax. Church leaders should contact a knowledgeable attorney before embarking upon any political expression.
Source:
Internal Revenue Service (2007) Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations: Benefits and Responsibilities under the Federal Tax Law. Washington DC: Internal Revenue Service.
* Sister Orletta E. Caldwell is a member of Payne Chapel AMEC, Colorado Springs CO
9. NOTED AUTHOR ON NATIONAL BOOK TOUR:
Arthur S. Jones of Richmond, Virginia has begun the second leg of a tour of several states and cities in the United States and overseas promoting his recently published books, "500 Golden Proverbs" and "The Birds, The Bees, and The A.M.Es"
The books have received wide acclaim from Church leaders and laypersons. In commenting on the books, the author writes, "in writing 500 Golden Proverbs I have searched my files, my previous books, my sermons, my speeches, my lectures, my mind, my heart, and my soul to produce the most insightful, inspirational, and interesting sayings of which I am capable." In, "Birds and Bees…," I write of humor in the A.M.E. Church. And, like every other great institution, our Church is filled with moments of irony, humor, and sometimes pure hilarity. In this book I have tried to capture some of those moments"
During the tour, Dr. Jones will appear in cities and towns in Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, the District of Columbia, and the Island of Bermuda.
In 2004, after a 50-year career as a pastor in the AME Church, Dr. Jones with his wife, Erma, established a self-publishing company, Arthur S. Jones Religious Enterprises. They serve as president/CEO and vice-president, respectively.
For additional information, contact:
Arthur S. Jones Religious Enterprises
P.O. Box 73342
Richmond, Va. 23235
Email: Ajones1269@Aol.Com
Telephone: 804. 921-8423
10. A SISTER’S LOVE FOR HER BROTHER - THE REV. JAMES E. MURRAY, JR:
By: Rev. G. Paris M. Kelly
The Bible tells us a lot about brothers, some were born for adversity; Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau and Joseph and his brothers. As I continued to read the scriptures it came to me what really happened to Moses’ sister was that she didn’t follow his leadership. When God calls women and men into ministry or into leadership positions, they must always realize that leadership involves leading and following.
I realized that at an early age, as a product of a broken home that my oldest brother was left to tend to many of the family needs and especially the care of his younger siblings.
My oldest brother, known as known as “Spock and Junney” when we grew up was honored to be among the “Who’s Who” among young leaders at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia when he was a student at Crestwood Junior High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. There was no doubt in the minds of the community leaders that this young gentleman would not reach higher heights. My brother, the Rev. James E. Murray, Jr. is the pastor of St. James A.M.E. Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My brother attended Indian River High School, Chesapeake, Virginia was named “cuties” among the young men of the school and “most likely to succeed” by his Principal, Mr. Scott.
He was not only a community leader but a scholar in the business field. Our family tradition was that we had to attend college directly upon graduation from high school. Business Administration was his field of study and he loved it. Each night he would have a group of students at the house studying. The family knew that the kitchen in our house was closed after 6:00 p.m. because the kitchen then turned into a study hall.
My brother finalized his studies at Norfolk State University enlisted in the United States Army and became a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division.
He began his ministry 30 years ago at New Mount Olive, A.M.E. Church, Chesapeake in the Second Episcopal District. My brother pastored three A.M.E. Churches in the 3rd District: Allen Chapel, West Virginia, Quinn Memorial, A.M.E. Church, Steubenville, Ohio and is presently the pastor of St. James, A.M.E. Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I can honestly say that this “man of God” has a heart for people as well his family. He is truly called and commissioned to do a work for the Lord.
The Rev. James E. Murray is currently married to the former Yuolanda Smith of Pittsburgh and they have three sons and five grandchildren.
This humble man of God did not lift himself up, had I not read The Christian Recorder Online, the family would have never known that he will be the host pastor for the Pittsburgh Annual Conference on September 5 - 9, 2007 at St. James A.M.E. Church, 444 Lincoln Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15206. The Rt. Rev. Robert Vaughn Webster is the Presiding Prelate. The Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown is the Presiding Elder of the Allegheny/Scranton District.
Congratulations to my oldest brother, the Rev. James E. Murray, Jr.
11. CLERGY OF THE WEEK: REV. DR. G. L. CHAMPION FOR EPISCOPAL SERVICE A.M.E. CHURCH "2008" ON A MISSION FROM A MISSION CHURCH:
* Rev. Edrena Houston Brown
Reverend Dr. G. L. Champion, a candidate for Episcopal Service 2008 of the African Methodist Episcopal Church has been nominated as "Clergy of the Week", related that his campaign motto is; "On a Mission From a Mission Church" as he travels throughout the connectional church in hope of inspiring and improving mission churches.
A native of Jacksonville, Florida and the son of the late Rev. George Maurice and Annie Mae Champion who served over 50 years of dedicated and committed service to the A.M.E. Church in the Eleventh Episcopal District.
He is married to Mrs. Bettie Davis Champion and they are the parents of five wonderful children, one daughter in ministry, The Rev. Annie Champion Shaw, M.Div., the assistant pastor of Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church, Kansas City, Missouri where her husband, Rev. Robert R. Shaw, M.Div., is Pastor.
Dr. Champion, Sr., has an extensive portfolio which includes his vocation and service as a servant of God, in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He has rendered unto the church unselfishly as a Former General Officer, Pastor, Publisher, Author, Facilitator, and as a servant in helping others. While serving as a Pastor, he has pastored eight (8) charges which includes; St. Mark A.M.E. Church, Lumpkin, Georgia, Greater Grant A.M.E. Church, Jacksonville, Florida, St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Delray Beach, Florida, New Bethel A.M.E. Church, Lakeland, Florida, Bethel A.M.E. Church, Gainesville, Florida and Builder of Saint Mark A.M.E. Church, Orlando, Florida into the largest Black Methodist Church in Florida.
Reverend Dr. Champion, served as the Former Dean of Turner Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, Georgia, he is the youngest former Dean to have served during his tenure. He was elected for 12 years, and served as the Former General Officer for the Department of Church Growth and Development in the A.M.E. Church. His visionary administrative leadership through Evangelism, Church Growth and Development, created many opportunities for numerous connectional officers, general officers, pastors and laity of the church to utilize their gifts in missions to serve in diverse capacities of Church Growth and for the laity of the church to appreciate their many God given gifts and talents.
As an ecumenist, he has traveled internationally and throughout the United States bringing together leaders, pastors, teachers and families in building a better A.M.E. Church and a better world. He is a strong community leader and the writer of ten books concerning Church Growth and Ministerial Training and Christian Education.
Pastor Champion presently is the Pastor of Historic Saint James A.M.E. Church, Sanford, Florida where he received his pastoral appointment by Bishop McKinley Young, Presiding Prelate of the Eleventh Episcopal District in November, 2006. Saint James is the oldest black church in Sanford, Florida, a growing mission church of 98 members. The members of Saint James A.M.E. Church are excited about Dr. Champion's campaign for Episcopal Service and are supporting him tremendously in his endeavors as Bishop for 2008.
When asked about his Motto for his campaign, he related that; I am on a Mission from A Mission" he expressed that, “Historic St. James, Sanford, Florida is a congregation of believers who have the desire to grow spiritually. As a serious candidate for the 2008 Episcopacy, Dr. Champion feels that he must strengthen Saint James and lead the church towards being a station charge.
In conclusion, Rev. Dr. Champion stated that; "As a candidate for the bishopric in our Zion, I am on a mission to move the church to be involved with the work of the church." I am on a mission to further enhance the A.M.E. Church to be in favor with God. My mission is for dedicated clergy and outreaching the laity and youth throughout the connectional church. I am on a mission from God, for God’s people."
* Rev. Edrena Houston Brown, M.A.C.E., is a staff Writer for the Christian Recorder
12. INT'L DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE- US CONFERENCE FOR THE WCC:
WCC member churches worldwide are once more invited to pray for peace on 21 September 2007 or the closest Sunday. In order to help your churches recognize this day of unity for peace, our office would like to highlight two new resources:
a. Members of our own US DOV Committee created a resource to help churches PREPARE for the IDOPP, and the result is a flyer, available in English and Spanish, to be distributed at the local level 4-6 weeks prior to 21 Sept. It contains details about the IDOPP and suggestions for how each congregation can work toward peace. It is available as a free download at www.wcc-usa.org/resources
b. The WCC's DOV staff has prepared a bulletin insert to be used to CELEBRATE the IDOPP on 21 Sept. This colorful insert includes liturgical resources and an invitation from the WCC General Secretary. It is also available as a free download, at www.overcomingviolence.org/en/about-the-dov/international-day-of-prayer-for-peace/resources.html (or just navigate to www.overcomingviolence.org and look for IDOPP resources).
Please distribute these resources in your church newsletters, source packets, and listservs.
In God's Peace,
Jim Stokes-Buckles
Office Administrator & Programme Assistant
More about the IDOPP: The International Day of Prayer for Peace offers an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies. The idea was proposed in 2004 during a meeting between WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (press release), and coincides with the UN International Day of Peace. The Day of Prayer is one of the initiatives of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence. Congregations worldwide are invited to pray for peace - possibly using the same prayers - in all participating churches on September 21 or the Sunday preceding it.
Jim Stokes-Buckles
Office Administrator & Program Assistant
US Conference for the World Council of Churches
475 Riverside Drive, Room 1371
New York, New York 10115 (USA)
+1.212.870.3260
Fax: +1.212.870.2528
WCC website: www.wcc-coe.org
US Office website: www.wcc-usa.org
DOV website: www.overcomingviolence.org
The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 348 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church.
This message was received from the Right Reverend E. Earl McCloud, Jr.
13. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS RELEASES NEW ORLEANS RISK ANALYSIS:
NEW ORLEANS – (June 20, 2007) – Today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the prototype risk assessment for the hurricane protection system in the New Orleans, La., vicinity. This comprehensive risk analysis was developed by the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) as part of their mission to study the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the protection system.
The innovative risk assessment provides information on the vulnerability of the protection system as it existed June 1, 2007. Future risk analysis work using these new modeling tools will look at the next level of protection (100-year storm elevations) for the protection system that will be provided in the coming years.
These prototype risk products profile pre-Katrina and current protection system conditions. This shows the dynamics of risk and the effects of system improvements on risk and vulnerability. The risk products already show risk reductions in some areas from repairs and improvements to the protection system.
This risk information will be useful for officials and the public to make their own informed decisions. The risk products for the 100-year elevation levels of the protection system will be done later this summer by the New Orleans District using the IPET risk models.
The IPET risk analysis employs the most advanced physics, mathematics, engineering, hydrological, geological and meteorological knowledge available. It incorporates three main factors when determining risk: hazard (probability of hurricanes, their surge and waves), the protection system (performance of levees, floodwalls, and other structures) and consequences (loss of life or property).
Incorporating the hazard into the risk assessment involved modeling the chances of many possible future hurricanes. The IPET factored the chances by using a suite of 152 different possible future hurricanes that might hit the Louisiana coast, ranging in severity from 50-year storms (2 percent annual chance of occurring) to 5,000-year storms (.02 percent annual chance of occurring). To achieve this modeling feat, an entirely new advanced hurricane modeling method was developed by the IPET, the Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, universities and private industry.
The hurricane modeling provided critical water levels (storm surge and waves) about hazard for future storm events. These water levels were then applied to New Orleans’ 350-mile hurricane protection system to determine reliability factors. More than 135 reaches of floodwalls and levees, representative of uniform areas of the system, and 350 specific structures (gates, transition points, pump stations and other features) were profiled in the protection system model. Information on elevation, design, construction, maintenance, soil foundations, soil erosion and other factors was incorporated into the structural data to determine the overtopping, overtopping and erosion breaching, foundation failure, and other parameters of the protection system performance. These factors gave the reliability and potential flooding aspects of the protection system.
This information was then applied to pre-Katrina population and property values to determine risk for loss of life and economic losses for the entire region by natural drainage basins in the area parishes. Annualized risk for flooding (water depths) was also computed for these areas based on hurricane hazard, structural reliability, and ground elevation.
Risk modeling can be developed into a variety of products, such as maps, graphics and other information. This information displays risk elements by sub-basin, basin, or region:
- Probability of inundation (getting your feet wet, to deep water flooding);
- Risk to populations or property;
- Relative risk by parish (county);
- Principal sources of risk from breaching, overtopping, flooding from a transition point or special feature, etc.; and.
- Specific sources of risk (i.e., a gate, transition point or structure).
The first set of publicly-released risk products on June 20 is prototype drafts that will receive additional detailed technical review and public comment.
Peer review panels from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the National Academies’ National Research Council will complete technical reviews, as they have for all the IPET analyses, reports and findings.
The Corps of Engineers has already solicited comments from local officials and the public from a series of presentations of the draft risk products during the last six weeks to ensure the risk products are useful and effective.
Samples of the risk products, interactive map links, and other information can be accessed at http://NOLArisk.usace.army.mil or at https://IPET.wes.army.mil .
14. THE PASTOR’S CORNER - WHAT WE BELIEVE – GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION:
For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. (John 3: 16-17)
Just as new members to the Body of Christ are instructed in what we believe and how the Body operates, so will every member of the Body benefit and grow through a focused study on “What we Believe.”
God’s Plan of Salvation
Let’s receive and write on our hearts the first element of God’ Plan of Salvation: God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.
God’s Love for Us
God loves the whole of creation. God demonstrated His love for creation when He sent His Son Jesus into the world so God would have us back in right relationship with Himself. God is not seeking to punish me or you or anyone. God desires to have an intimate loving relationship with us.
Too many folks believe the description of God as an angry being who is waiting to catch us doing wrong and punish us harshly. This is a belief that has tremendously negative effects on our lives, our self image, how we treat others, how we raise our children, and how we achieve and grow in life. We’re busy attempting to please God to avoid punishment as opposed to living in the freedom that is ours through Jesus Christ. Coming into a proper understanding of the nature of God will change your life.
In I John 4: 16 God tells us, “God is love!” Sometimes we overlook the obvious because of our own beliefs about where and how to find it. In preparing this writing, I searched for a profound or provocative way to express God’s love. As I researched, the phrase from Romans 8:39 continued to surface, “nothing can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus.” Surely there had to be something better that this phrase. I mean, really! I needed something worthy of the hearers, viewers, and readers of this message to present God’s love. There’s got to be more required than this simple statement.
Because of my misguided beliefs, I was missing the obvious. Persons are going through life believing they are unworthy of love because they have missed the obvious. We’re sometimes “messed up” because of mistakes in our upbringing, mistakes we’ve made, cruel people, difficult circumstances, or other reasons. When God says He is love – “agape” – that really means there are no conditions required by God for God to love us. If there are no requirements on us for God to love us, there are then no things that can separate us from the love God has for us. I John 4: 10 reads, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He love us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” God loves us and “nothing can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus.”
God demonstrates His love for us collectively and at the individual level (Luke 15: 1-7). He loves us one at a time, all together. An affirmation we repeat regularly at Quinn Chapel is, “God loves me!” For many persons it seems self-centered and conceited to point to one’s self and proclaim, “God love me.” Jesus reinforces the point of God’s love for the individual as He tells the story of the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep to find the one sheep who strayed away. After finding the sheep, Jesus tells us the shepherd put the sheep on his shoulders and carried it back into the herd. Upon coming home the shepherd invited his friends to join him in celebrating the return of the one lost sheep.
For the person who somehow finds it difficult to accept the love of God on an individual basis, please yield your thinking to accept the obvious meaning of Jesus parable: If you had been the only one who needed a Savior, God still would have sent His only Son to find you, lift up onto His shoulders, and carry back in to the fold of God’s kingdom. That’s love!
The sending of God’s Son is the demonstration of God’s love for me and of God’s desire to be in relationship with those God created. God is not interested in condemnation or punishment. God wants us all to be in a loving eternal relationship with Him. That’s what it means to be saved. That’s God’s plan of salvation. That’s what we believe.
*The Rev. James M. Moody is the pastor of Quinn Chapel AME Church, Chicago
Copyrights © 2007 by the Rev. James M. Moody. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be copied or reproduced without the written permission by the author. To contact the writer go to quinnamechicago@sbcglobal.net
15. CLERGY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Rev. John T. Broadnax, age 75, former pastor and presiding elder in the 13th Episcopal District and father of the Rev. Michael D. Broadnax, Sr., pastor of Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church in Nashville, passed from labor to reward on June 13, 2007. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Evon Broadnax; sons, Rev. Michael Broadnax, Sr. (Charlotte) and Timothy Broadnax; grandchildren, Yolanda Headen, Michelle Broadnax, and Michael Broadnax, II; great-grandchildren, Dorian and Anyla Galbreath; and a host of other family and friends.
Service Arrangements:
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The family will receive friends: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Funeral Service begins at 4 PM
Bethel A.M.E. Church
2460 Parkview Avenue
Knoxville, TN 37917
(865) 522-6396
Interment:
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
The National Cemetery
Pegram, TN.
Arrangements are entrusted to:
Jarnigan and Son Mortuary
2823 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue
Knoxville, Tennessee 37914
Phone: (865) 524-5575
Condolences and expressions may be sent to:The Broadnax Family6310 Rivers Run DriveKnoxville, Tennessee 37914865-524-0683 PhoneorEmail: called813@aol.com
Michael D. Broadnax, Sr.615-498-8040 Phone
16. CLERGY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Rev. Lucretia Leonard on Saturday, June 16, 2007. She was a retired and former pastor at Emanuel AME Church in Montclair, New Jersey (New Jersey Conference, Newark District). The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Funeral - Thursday, June 21, 2007
Funeral - 11:00 a.m. First Baptist Church of Princeton
Paul Robeson Pl and John St.
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: 609-924-0877
Fax: 609-924-0862
The Rev. Carlton E. Branscomb, Pastor
Funeral Director:
Hughes Funeral Home
324 Bellevue Ave.
Trenton, NJ 08618
Phone: 609-599-9006
Fax: 609-695-2072
Expressions of Sympathy and Condolences may be sent to:
Mrs. Joan Leonard Hudgins (Daughter)
4 Cornwall Drive
East Windsor, NJ 08520
Phone: 609-443-8146
17. CLERGY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Brother Roland Charles White, brother of the Rev. Mary W. Williams, pastor at Emanuel AME Church in Montclair, New Jersey. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing and Funeral - Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Viewing - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral - 11:00 a.m.
Whigman Funeral Home
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd
Newark, NJ
Expressions of Sympathy and Condolences may be sent to:
The Rev. Mary White Williams
1497 Liberty Avenue
Hillside, NJ 07205
Phone: 973-923-6534
Fax: 973-923-1656
18. CLERGY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Mr. Wilmer Thomas, father of the Rev. Gregory Thomas, pastor of Greater Bethel AME Church, Cleveland, Ohio went home to be with the Lord, on June 19, 2007.
The funeral for Mr. Wilmer Thomas will held on:
Saturday June 23, 2007
Wake: 10:30 AM
Funeral:
11:00 AM
St. Paul AME Church
13004 Liberty Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Office 1-216-941-6767
Pastor Georgina Thornton
Rt. Rev. R. V Webster, Presiding Bishop
Arrangements are being handled by:
Lucas Memorial Chapel
5555 BarlettBedford Hts.
Ohio 44146
440-735-3030 Office
440-735-8227 Fax
Jason Lucas, Funeral Director
You can send correspondence, cards, etc. to:
Mrs. Mae Frances Thomas
12409 Hirst Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Or to:
The Rev. Gregory and the Rev. Mrs. Michelle Thomas
Greater Bethel AME Church
14735 Thames Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44110
19. CLERGY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The passing of Bessine Lyons, sister of Mrs. Katrina Horton and sister-in-law of Presiding Elder Larnie G. Horton, Central District, Western North Carolina Conference, 2nd Episcopal District.
Service arrangements for Bessine Lyons:Sunday, June 24, 20074:00 PMSt. John AME ChurchRaleigh, NC
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Rev. and Mrs. (Katrina) Larnie G. Horton
1301 Granada Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 782-4803
Fax: (919) 781-9024
E-mail: lghorton@bellsouth.net
20. CLERGY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Matthew Maxwell Henry, the brother of Mr. Wayman Henry, Past Baltimore Conference Lay President passed away after a brief illness. Bro. Matthew, better known as "Mack", was a member of Antioch AME Church in Stone Mountain, GA.
The Henry Boys (Wayman, Clif, Mack and Bill), as the four brothers are known, are the sons of the late Rev. J. Wayman Henry, Sr. and the late Rev. Mary Henry. Along with their sister, Joanne, they were raised in the AME church and attended several churches in Baltimore while the father served as pastor.
Bill, Wayman and Joanne are still lay members in the Baltimore Annual Conference, and the 3rd brother, Clif, is a member of the Washington Annual Conference.
Funeral services held for Matthew Maxwell HenryMonday, June 18th11:00 AMAntioch AME Church765 South Hairston RoadStone Mountain, GA 30088Rev. Stafford J. N. Wicker, Pastor
21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
The Clergy Family Information Center
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Commission on Social Action
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
E-mail: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Phone: (615) 837-9736
Voice Mail: (615) 833-6936
Fax: (615) 833-3781
Cell: (615) 403-7751
22. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Gregory G. M. Ingram; the Publisher, the Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and the Editor of The Christian Recorder, the Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III offer our condolences and prayers to those who have lost loved ones. We pray that the peace of Christ will be with you during this time of your bereavement.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
