Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor, The Christian Recorder
Message from the editor: The next couple of scheduled issues The Christian Recorder Online will be sent from the site of the General Conference.
1. EDITORIAL – GENERALITIES DO NOT TELL THE WHOLE STORY AND OFTEN DISTORTS THE TRUTH:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
Several days ago, I was among a number of persons who received an email message that lauded the citizens of Iowa and their response to the catastrophic floods that hit Iowa and other Midwestern states.
Imbedded in the message was a statement that found dramatic “contrasts between the chronic New Orleans / Louisiana whining and the Iowans' positive attitudes / approaches to their flood woes.”
Another part of the email observed that the people from Iowa and the people from Katrina who were interviewed during each of their events by the news media had a much different approach on their responses to their catastrophes. The people being interviewed from Katrina appeared, to the writer, to ask, "What is the government doing?" and the folks from Iowa, with resolve said, "We will rebuild!"
As I read the email, I thought, “Now here is a perfect example why generalizations are so harmful.”
Generalizations seem harmless and can sound patriotic, or even religious. I don’t mean to get sidetracked, but we preachers have problem with the overuse of generalizations in our sermons.
I wish that life were so simple that generalizations could be the reality of what was and what is. Unfortunately, generalizations are insidious and destructive because generalizations often represent lies and distortions. Generalizations often surface because those who utter them have not bothered to search for the truth and have disregard reality.
I had to respond to the message that forcefully stated, not implied, but forcefully stated that the Iowans exhibited resiliency, while the Katrina victims were whiners.
There are some noticeable differences between those who were victims during Hurricane Katrina and the victims of the 2008 floods in Iowa and in the other Midwestern states.
First, the FEMA responses have been much improved since the FEMA Katrina fiasco.
The Iowans, like the Katrina victims, accepted handouts; that’s first and foremost; but, there were some notable differences.
In Iowa, FEMA went in immediately and set up bottled water and other supply distribution points. The water and other supplies were not readily available for the Katrina victims until days later.
The flooding in the Iowa and in other areas of the Midwest has been devastating and I wouldn’t want to see anyone go through what those citizens have gone through, but FEMA and the other governmental responses have been improved as a result of what happened during Katrina.
Another difference is that the devastation in Katrina was more localized with a larger concentration of people. The state, local and federal governments were unprepared for the disaster and as a result there was more confusion.
In the Midwest, the population was more dispersed and the governmental agencies responded more quickly. If the situation in Iowa had the same delayed response as the Katrina victims, there would have been a loud outcry from the Midwestern flood victims. If thousands of people had been herded into stadiums with insufficient food and water; people left in hospitals to die with officials running around like “chickens with their heads cut off,” there would not be the talk of the resiliency of the Iowans. One can talk about resiliency when systems work; when systems fail to work, chaos and uncertainty surfaces.
People are people, wherever they live, whatever their background or ethnicity; but their responses are largely based upon both internal and external circumstances. It is easier to be positive when agencies are working efficiently.
FEMA learned from Katrina. The June 24, 2008 edition of The Tennessean (Nashville), had a headline on page 1 that said, “Katrina lessons improve FEMA’s response to Midwest flood. “The lessons we learned from Katrina we’ve taken very seriously,” said Glenn Cannon, FEMA assistant administrator for disaster operations. The lessons-learned have benefited many subsequent disaster victims.
Indeed, the Iowans and many of the Midwestern flood victims could be more resilient because the victims of Katrina paid a dear price in lost lives, displacement, breakup of families, unresponsive and ill-equipped local, state, and federal agencies; water and food shortages; and especially the snafus created by the FEMA’s ineffectiveness.
2. RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
To the Editor:
RE: Payne Theological Seminary’ graduation of online M.Div students
I read, with great interest, the announcement of the first graduates of Payne Seminary's online MDiv students. I was impressed that Bishop Williams had foresight and commitment to provide 50% scholarships (in exchange for a minimum of seven years of service to the 7th District). My inquiry has to do with whether Bishop Williams’ plan or vision is capable of replication from district to district. Even on a connectional level, this seems to be a way to expand educational opportunities to clergy, ensure against limited financial means (and time restraints) being excuses for further education, AND enable the church to retain its "learned" pool or clergy said to be leaving the denomination in droves.
Rev. Lisa Hammonds
Editor's Note: Thanks you for your response to the article, entitled, “Payne Theological Seminary’s First Master of Divinity Online Program Graduates.” Hopefully, other episcopal leaders will get excited and follow the model of Bishop Preston W. Williams II.
- To the Editor:
RE: We Need to Keep Some Things in the AME Church and Other Things Need to be Kept Out
I greatly appreciated your editorial "We Need to Keep Some Things in the AME Church and Other Things Need to be Kept Out." You raise an excellent point regarding the spirit in which the liturgy should be read and followed. Church is not meant to be a "straight-jacket" experience and the liturgy should not be seen as a barrier to the Spirit, but an enhancement. If one ever doubts this, all they need is go to the 22nd Article of Religion in the Discipline regarding "Rites and Ceremonies of the Churches".
Richard Allen stuck with Methodism because he believed that the simplicity of the liturgy combined with frequent usage would provide spiritual nourishment for his flock. In eschewing the Order of Worship and its components, we cheat ourselves of a full worship experience. A holistic worship experience is more than just the choir or the sermon. If that were the case, we could all stop going into churches and buy CDs or DVDs. I have spoken with friends my age and younger who have never heard the full Decalogue or said the Affirmation of Faith regularly in a service. I know that some would argue that in order to make ourselves more "relevant" we need to mimic prevalent trends and gut our liturgy. But as you point out, a dry service doesn't come from the words but the way in which they are said by parishioner and pulpit alike. We do need a revival to wake up the "dry bones".
This time last year I wrote a piece about the state of affairs in the Dominican Republic after the AME liturgy had been lost due to lack of translation into Spanish. With assistance from Bishop Tyler Guidry, Dr. Flowers, and others, the Dominicans have been helped to remember what an AME service looks like and many Dominicans have told me that they never want to go back to the time period without the Call to Worship. Perhaps we do not truly know what we have until we have lost it.
John Thomas III
Ph.D. Student
Department of Political Science
University of Chicago
jthomas3@uchicago.edu
Editor's Note: Thank you for your kind words and thank you for your written response. I have gotten more responses from this editorial than from any other. I had sensed that this was an important issue as a result of the numbers of emails that I have received from clergy and the laity.
- To the Editor
RE: We Need to Keep Some Things in the AME Church and Other Things Need to be Kept Out
You get a big "atta-boy" for the editorial - I'm passing it on!
The Rev. Dr. Joseph Darby
- To the Editor:
RE: We Need to Keep Some Things in the AME Church and Other Things Need to be Kept Out
I am a die hard reader of the Christian Recorder online. I must say that this editorial is one of the best yet. As a layperson in this great connectional church I have learn so much about being a fine A.M.E. layman. In my local church I made myself a committee of one. With the consent of my pastor I constructed a bulletin board entitled TO KNOW YOUR CHURCH. On this board I post all of your editorials to enlighten my fellow members. I must say it is working real well. Leadership has played a big role in my life and like you those leadership skills started with me during my military career. "AIRBORNE." "ALL THE WAY SIR"
Brother Jesse A. Hill
- To the Editor
RE: We Need to Keep Some Things in the AME Church and Other Things Need to be Kept Out
Addressing this issue is long overdue and I thank you very much for it. I have been very unhappy about the way some of our churches are losing theological, denominational, and liturgical roots.
Jessie
JESSROE1@aol.com
- To the Editor:
RE: General Conference Call to Prayer
Thank you for sharing this message. May I also remind us all that we are redeemed. Jesus, our Savior was offered by God the Father for our redemption. All will be as God the Father has assured us, that the redeemed, those who believe that Christ is our redeemer, saved us to another life experience--one that is without doubt...our Christian journey takes us to plateaus not seen by us, but seen by God.
Elections will come, elections will go, and God's great forgiveness will continue, God's great support will continue. God so loved the world that He gave His Son - and whosoever believes that- shall have a life beyond expectations. Just be comforted and believe. We are praying with you, Bishop Davis, and others as we know and get closer in touch with God's blessed redemption.
- To the Editor:
RE: We Need to Keep Some Things in the AME Church and Other Things Need to be Kept Out
Bravo! I read this editorial and shared it with of my friends outside of our denomination who have a respect for liturgy and what worship truly means in bringing people together. Within our Church there are many who feel that our liturgy and worship is outdated and a term I hear too often is “irrelevant” which brings me to a sense of melancholy. My view of worship is that we bring people together on common ground to honor a God who is worthy of adoration and praise. Liturgy seeks to bring all people to a single heart and mind for God, which brings all to “one accord” and then we are all open to the move and presence of God. Hymns are a great help because people connect in common meter and words, which are easy to understand and no one is left to feel on the “outside” within a worship setting. It is the quality and excitement of the worship leader or Pastor that can help set the tone for a vibrant experience if all come with a heart and mind to truly worship.
I am thankful here in the First Episcopal District for Bishop Norris and his declarations of how vibrant our worship can be. When we gather as a district folks shout over hymns, anthems, gospels, and contemporary music. If we truly worship God in spirit and truth, then our worship of God can be achieved no matter the tempo, because God is always worthy. Many groups have patterned their order of worship, consecration liturgy, and style after ours, so I often ask, “Why do we reject what made us great?” If we look outside the denomination one of the greatest Bishops in COGIC history, G.E. Patterson, sang hymns with such feeling and emotion that many “had church”, so I ask “why don’t we find value in our worship liturgy?” The Decalogue is important because we recite so that we may remember. The nation of Israel was told to write and recite for their children and following generations. There is value in this. What is considered one persons old junk, has become the treasure of others.
Please continue to give great editorials to remind us of the value we have as the African Methodist Episcopal Church, which is still the best thing going for people of color today!
The Rev. Jerome Stembridge
Mt. Zion AME Church
Princeton, NJ
www.mtzionameprinceton.com
- To the Editor
Thank you for the wealth of information provided through the online Christian Recorder. I look forward to reading, hearing and learning more about our history and the continuous work of the AME Connectional Church.
The Rev. Stephanie Handy
Randallstown, Maryland
- To the Editor
RE: Focus of the Church
I recently read a copy of The Christian Recorder for the first time. I am not a member of the A.M.E. Church and am not well-versed (much less “versed”) in all of its traditions and doctrines. Instead, I am writing as a seminary student from Western Theological Seminary, which is connected with the Reformed Church in America. My connection with the A.M.E. Church is through a summer internship at Fresh Fire A.M.E. Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Please accept my thoughts not as criticism, but as concerns that I also address to the R.C.A.
I read the May 19, 2008 copy of The Christian Recorder with both interest and sadness. I enjoyed learning something about the A.M.E. and reading all of the thoughtful articles. Much of the remainder of the paper raised questions for me. As I stated, I am not versed in the traditions or even the structure of the A.M.E.—I am still learning. What I saw in the paper, though, were all of the advertisements for the quadrennial convention and concerning those pastors and others desiring to become bishops in the church. It was not the fact of the advertising that concerned me—and maybe it should—but what was stated by most of the candidates as their qualities and achievements. These included construction of large sanctuaries, a project that cost $13.5 Million, a $1.5 Million sanctuary, and a $4.5 Million Renovation. These achievements also included apartment buildings, an $8.9 Million senior facility, and a church advertising a new development with “24-Hour Concierge Service.” Even the Quadrennial Conference identified three of its four “Highlight Events” as a golf tournament, a district banquet and an afternoon with the arts.
I do not write to say that these things are not good, but instead write because of a concern I have, even within the RCA, that we as leaders of Christ’s church have allowed ourselves to fall away from the focus of living a life like Christ and our focus being service to others. Instead, the concern many times seems to focus on new members (saved or not), big buildings, and a lot of money. As someone once put it to me, “butts, buildings and bucks” seem to be the focus. Yet, when I look to the Bible, the Word of God, I do not see any concern with any of these things of the world. Instead, I see the example of Christ who had nothing, did not have a sanctuary, and relied on the grace of God and the goodness of those around him to be clothed and fed. Christ was the one who instead threw the money changers out of the temple. Christ was not concerned with these things of the world, but with bringing the message of the Kingdom of God to the world. I also see the example of Paul. Paul did not build sanctuaries, did not ask for money—except that money to be sent to Jerusalem, and when he ran out of money or food, worked as a tent maker for an existence. Paul’s focus had nothing to do with buildings, money or people for the sake of having people. Instead, it was to bring the message of the saving grace of God through the life, death and resurrection of Christ.
Some may wonder if I am a hypocrite. Maybe I am. I accept a salary for the work I do in my internship. Yet, I hope that I remain focused on the message that God is sending through me rather than on the material things of this world. This focus is the one that I worry is being lost by the focus on the material things that I see in many in the church today. If the church of today is seen as focusing on the material world, then it seems to have lost the focus we were given by Christ and by the early church. The early church did not grow by focusing on buildings or money or people for the sake of people. It grew because the Holy Spirit worked within the souls of the poor and oppressed to grow in numbers of saved people.
Should we think that growth cannot occur without relying on money or buildings, I close with an example. There once was a group of people who struggled with the concept of accepting money to increase the size of their organization. In the face of hundreds of thousands of dollars available to them through donations, wills and bequests, this group chose a path to remain corporately poor. They believed that the idea of accepting money for their true purpose would harm the group and harm the message they were teaching. That group started out with two people, grew to one hundred people and today its members number at least 2.5 million. This group is Alcoholics Anonymous. I give this example not to support this group, but to show that the universal church can learn a lot about the power of remaining focused on bringing God’s message to the world and not on “butts, buildings and bucks.”
I thank the A.M.E. for the opportunity that it has given me this year. May your ministries continued to be blessed by God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Yours in Christ,
Mark A. VandenBosch
Editor’s Response to Rev. VandenBosch
Thank you for your thoughtful and thought-provoking letter. I appreciate your candor and I will publish your letter. I am not sure if you have read or if you read The Christian Recorder Online; the online edition does not run advertisements for some of the reasons highlighted in your letter.
There is a cultural fascination in the AME Church around the office of bishop, the highest position in the AME Church. After the General Conference that will convene in St. Louis on July 3-11, the ads will disappear for another 3 ½ years; the ads are a four year phenomenon.
I would also encourage you to read The A.M.E. Church Review and some of our other periodicals and in that way, I believe you will get a more well-rounded impression of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Also, visit The Christian Recorder Online: www.the-christian-recorder.org.
Thank you for reading The Christian Recorder and thank you for your candid observations.
To the Editor:
Your editorials have been great.
I wish that you would elaborate on the duties and functions of a worship leader / liturgist.
It would be good for our episcopal leaders to provide training or have workshops on this issue.
Some Worship Leaders make a complete spectacle of themselves and the worship service; probably because they have not been taught or trained.
Some worship leaders function as a master of mistress of ceremonies and feel that they have to get up and introduce each worship participant. Others feel that they have to make remarks after each worship event and after every musical selection. They wear people out to the point that when the preacher gets up he/she has to work hard to get the people in the frame of mind for worship. Some say and do some things unrelated to the purpose of the service. They even make comments after prayer; they say such things as “Give God a hand clap" and "God is good all the time, and all the time God is good." And if worshippers don’t respond as they are expected to, they ridicule them and claim they don't have the spirit.
Worshippers praise God in their own way and manner, and if a person does not wish to stand when the preacher is exhorting them to do so, it does not mean that, that person is not involved or not spiritually moved. Some people shout within and others are more animated. Worship leaders and pastors should not stereotype worshippers.
I wish that we, AMEs, would be more careful when we select people from other denominations to be worship leaders in our worship services. Sometimes, it is obvious that they just do not know our liturgical and denominational traditions.
Last, worship Leaders should check to see if all participants are present, check to see if there are enough chairs provided for the participants and when the worship service begins, proceed with the order of service, limiting their remarks and make changes only when necessary.
A note of humor; I was at a service sometime ago and there were several ministers present. The worship leader asked one of the visiting ministers, "Would you mind doing the invocation for us?" The minister stuck his chest out and with his deep voice said, “No I didn't come prepared to do that."
The Rev. N.T. Pitts, Retired
Eatonville, Fl.
3. GET TESTED! NATIONAL HIV TESTING DAY - FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2008:
According to recent CDC statistics:
- There are 1.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States right now.
- 25% of these individuals do not know their status and risk transmitting the disease to others.
- HIV was the 4th leading cause of death for African American men, and the 3rd for African American women in 2004.
- In 2005, teen girls represented 43% of AIDS cases reported among 13 - 19 year-olds.
Knowing your status is vital to ending the spread of HIV/AIDS, and with advancements in medical technology testing is easier than ever before, a standard rapid-test takes just 20 minutes!
Don’t forget to forward this message to someone you care about!
Submitted by Mrs. Saundra Lucas
WMS National Health Director
4. AN OPEN LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH:
I am overwhelmed with elation to know that on my birthday (Sunday, July 6, 2008), at a worship service taking place during the forty-eighth Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, at The America's Center, in St.
Louis, Missouri (USA), at 10h00 a.m., in the presence of the officers, delegates and observers from across the Connection, you will posthumously Award an African heroine, Mother Charlotte Mannye Maxeke, your Quadrennial Distinguished Service Award. I read this, this morning, from a programme of Worship Services for the General Conference which was circulated by the Editor of Christian Recorder, the Official Newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, to all its Online Subscribers.
Your collective wisdom and decision promises to be historic for many of us, especially on the African Continent. Although I am not going to be at the General Conference, I am certainly going to virtually connect and be part of the worship service, if technology will allow me. In fact, I will forgo the time to study for a five hour university examination scheduled for the morning of Monday, July 7, 2008, to connect and be part of the service as it unfolds. If provided the opportunity by technology, I refuse to miss being part of that glorious moment and willing to share it with many as I set a screen in the church for them to watch that evening (South African time).
Bishops, your gesture and decision to nominate Mother Maxeke for the award is so great because to look in the direction of Africa and see Mother Maxeke means that you did not only look at her great work in bringing about the birth of the AME Church in Southern Africa but also the birth of the freedom South Africans enjoy today. She fought and died for our spiritual and physical liberation, giving us a shoulder to stand on in the world of nations.
Bishop Wilfred J. Messiah, what a glory it is that you will represent Bishops in handing the award! You represent another historic moment, remaining to be a live and active symbol of what God can do through the Church. My recollection of 2004, points out that you were the first African clergy elected on a first ballot to the Episcopal Service in the AME Church and making you the leader of the class of Bishops elected in that same year. The Bishops have deemed it not robbery that you would represent them in handing this posthumous award to a heroine in the person of Mother Maxeke, the first African women to be awarded collectively by the Bishops of the Church in the General Conference.
Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, Jr., my deepest and sincerest thanks go to you, in particular, for keeping your word on this and heard us cry. Your sleepless nights preparing to propose and motivate for this moment with your colleagues have not only caught the attention of your colleagues and ours but, we believe and know; it caught God's attention too. Thank you all, my beloved Bishops, for believing his belief about Mother Maxeke!
I believe that, had she been alive to receive this award, she would have urged the Church, as it gathers, to remember Zimbabwe and its people. She would be disgraced by the denigration and the debasement of the rights and dignity of the people of Zimbabwe. She would decry the empty basket Zimbabwe has become because of tyranny devastating its resources and people. She would have condemned elitism in the name of liberation which only inflicts brutality on the ordinary people of the country, intimidating its people form exercising their right to vote. She would detest the religious mask used to justify entrenchment in position of power and tyranny, finding support in biblical texts such as Romans 13:1-7. She certainly would not be blinded by the colour of the skin to seek justice for the less regarded.
Not only is Maxeke known for prophetic ministry towards tyranny, she was pastoral to the people affected by injustice. I believe she would inspire hope among the millions of people in Zimbabwe, especially children and women.
Your Pastoral and Prophetic leadership, as the General Conference proceeds would certainly make a difference to the people of Zimbabwe.
I pray you would not be silent in this regard.
We are on our knees here for you as you prepare, spend and work yourselves for the General Conference pastoral leadership. Our best wishes journey along with you until the last minutes thereof. We pray for daily renewal for the task ahead and the blessings of God over lives and ministries.
Kind regards.
Because He Lives, I am
The Rev. Teboho G. Klaas
Resident Pastor: W.M. Ndlazi Memo Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church P.O. Box 97, DIEPKLOOF 1864 Office Tel.: +27 (0)11 241 7811/2
Mobile: +27 (0)76 692 9583
tgksacc@gmail.com or tgk@sacc.org.za
5. ST. PAUL A.M.E., DOWNTOWN DETROIT, CELEBRATES LAY DAY:
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Downtown Detroit, Michigan, celebrated their annual Lay Day on Sunday, January 27, 2008, during the morning worship service.
The theme for the day was “Refocusing Our Ministry to Serve the Present Age” (Gal 6:9-10) which is being uplifted throughout the Connectional Lay Organization.
The worship participants for the day included members of the local Lay Organization: The Call to Worship and Opening Hymn, Sis. Adrienne Jones; Invocation, Brother William Robinson, Jr.; Responsive Reading, Sister Glenda Burton; The Occasion, Sister Dorothy Tyler; Lay Litany, Sister Cheryl White; and introduction of the speaker, Brother Keith Moore.
The speaker for the day was St. Paul’s own Brother Theodore (Ted) Harris. Brother Harris is the president of the St. Paul Lay Organization. He also serves on the AME Church General Board, and is a delegate to the 2008 General Conference. Ted is known throughout the connection as an active participant in the Lay Organization and truly loves the AME church.
Brother Harris brought a powerful, relevant message. He focused on the need to reclaim our families, church, community, city, country and most of all, God. His message moved several persons to commit their lives to Christ on that day.
The St. Paul Annual Lay Day was a wonderful celebration and is thankful to its pastor, the Rev. Andre’ L. Spivey for his wonderful support and vision. It should be noted that the seed for the Connectional Lay Organization was planted at St. Paul.
The Lay Organization strives to continue to work to empower the lay of the church in the words of the lay benediction: May God bless us with the true spirit of Christianity, that we may live together, not as man over man, but as Lay persons working with God.
Sister Cheryl White, Secretary
St. Paul Lay Organization
6. SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION BRINGS GOOD SUCCESS:
By: Delanda S. Johnson
Special to the News
Team Tyler District of the North Texas Conference held its two-day convention in Texarkana, Texas June 20-21, 2008. The Rev. James W. Ford is the Presiding Elder of the Team Tyler District of the North Texas Annual Conference.
With approximately 42 churches in the Tyler District, members of Johnson Chapel AME Church in Malakoff were there in attendance on Saturday, June 21st.
The Rev. John H. Holmes, Jr., pastor of Hamilton Memorial AME Church and his congregation made affords to make each guest feel welcome and at home.
The theme for this year convention “A 21st Century Church School” focused on those called to Teach, why teaching is needed in the church, why we need to study and understanding that the Word of God should be the central ingredient in every Christian’s life.
Each speaker expressed to the congregation that to be effective you must have a basic mind set in knowing your relationship with God.
The Rev. James W. Ford, Presiding Elder of the Team Tyler District of the North Texas Conference expressed that to be mind set you must teach people to know, preach to get people to go, finding your gifts.
The Rev. Mittie Muse, Sr. stated, “You can’t seek anyone out with knowledge. You must know how to act, know how to carry yourself, and let JESUS shine in you.”
The Rev. Herbert R. Denson told the parable of Jesus tells of a Sower who went out to sow his seed. Some fell by the wayside, some fell on rocks, some fell among thorns, but others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundred-fold. The seed was the Word of God and was making reference to Him and the role He is to play in our lives.
Denson said, “When we are facing temptations, trials, and battles in our lives, we too have good ground to fight on. Our defense is the Word of God.”
Rev. Ford congratulated each speaker for their excellent presentations and praised Team Tyler District for their willingness to work together in make this District a District to POWER.
Brother Marlin Roy, President of the Tyler District Lay Organization held a special meeting. The meeting consisted of discussion of the 4th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference July 4-11 in St. Louis, MO and the State Lay Elections August 2nd in Waco, Texas.
7. AME-INDIA REPORT FOR MAY 2008:
*The Rev. Sarah Peddinny and the Rev. Abraham
AME-India praises God for God's goodness and kindness during the month of May 2008. This is the hottest time of the year in this part of the world, with temperatures touching up to 48-49 degree Celsius (118.4 – 120.2 degree Fahrenheit). During this time of the year, all the schools across the country have summer holidays.
To creatively and constructively use this opportunity most of the churches conduct Vacation Bible Schools (VBS), for a period of 10 days, where children between the age 4 -15, get an opportunity to learn songs, stories and lessons from the Bible and sharpen their skills and talents to sing, act, paint etc. Apart from the children of each church, the other non-Christian children of the surrounding areas also attend these VBS.
Around 1400 children were ministered to across all the churches of AME-India during this time. The children are divided into four groups i.e., beginner, primary, junior and senior classes. The teachers are trained a week prior to the VBS on their respective syllabuses. Many children made a conscious decision to follow Jesus; the respective pastors take the responsibility to do the follow-up by way of the regular Sunday Schools. Most often the opportunity to reach the children provides an effective way for the Pastor to reach the parents of the child. We praise God for this wonderful opportunity to minister to children.
Pastor Peter Morris reports of a lady named Amuda, who used to suffer from a severe headache exactly at 12 noon every day. She had voluntarily come forward to offer her services as a teacher in the Vacation Bible School. Surprisingly for all the 14 days she never had any headache and now she claims to be healed completely. Unfortunately her husband is not a believer and he vehemently opposes of her going to the church. Please remember her in your prayers.
In another instance a lady named Divya who works as a house-maid, shared the gospel to the house-owners where she worked and this has led to the conversion of the owners of the house who now want to come to the church. Praise the Lord for this.
Pastor Morris also informs that as a result of the special prayer that he had organized for the students who were writing their exams, all of them have passed except two students. One girl named Sharanya, who scored 860 out of 1000, is unable to continue her studies, because her mother is sick and now it is Sharanya's turn to earn for the family, at the same time the mother opposes Sharanya's new found faith in Jesus Christ. Please remember her in your prayers.
Pastor Morris informs that there seven new seekers who are coming to his church, six of them are Hindus and one is from the Catholic Church. Kindly pray for their salvation.
Pastor Sam Paul reports that a man named Ratnaraj was mentally retarded due to depression and was admitted to a rehabilitation home but to of no avail, then he was brought to the church on a Sunday by his family members and when the church members prayed over him, he was healed and he regained his normal composure.
A lady named Vimala was possessed by the evil spirit, but through prayer she was liberated and now comes to the church regularly.
One, Mrs. Praveena Kumari had suddenly absconded from her family because of some family problems. On Sunday she appeared in the church and the Holy Spirit ministered to her through the message and touched her, she had a change of heart and she rejoined her family. We praise God for the wonderful way God works in the lives of people.
Pastor Samuel Ramachandran from Tranquebar and Vanagiri, requests for prayers for a place for worship. Right now they gather for worship services in a believer's house, which has been under threat from the Hindu fanatic group in the village. These enemies of the gospel do not want any Christian activity in that locality. This village is a newly organized colony for the Tsunami victims. We need to pray for a breakthrough and for a bigger place for worship.
Pastor Samuel wants to reach out to the following three villages, i.e. Pudukkupam, Neyithavasal and Poompuhar. Let us pray for open doors and opportunities for Pastor Samuel to reach the people of these villages with the message of the love of Jesus.
Pastor Samuel of Kancheepuram informs that he has found a place for worship at Chittatoor for regular Sunday worship. He also informs that the women of his congregation regularly go out in groups to distribute tracts in the neighboring villages. There are ten new comers to his church. He also informs that as a result of prayer five people who were sick were healed of their physical infirmities. This church got together and fed 20 lepers and shared the love of God in that particular area. (The lepers are stigmatized in the Indian society, they mostly survive by begging.)
Mr. Abhimanan and Mrs. Sharada request prayers for them as they are pioneering the ministry of AME-India among the Badaga tribe of the Nilgiris. They are deeply burdened to reach out to the 500,000 people of their tribe. They have started a small worship group at their residence. They have also started fasting prayer, women's meeting, cottage prayer meeting etc. They also work in hostile situation, because of the opposition from the Hindu fanatics or that region. This particular tribe urgently requires a burial ground.
We are very pleased to inform you that we had organized a Pastor's meeting on the 30th May
The ministry in 2008 is very successful. A total of 28 Pastors gathered at this meeting, including the leaders of the YPD and WMS. Some of them could not come because of other engagements. We had hired a place on rent for one day to have the Pastor's Meeting. We began at 10:00 A.M. in the morning and ended the meeting at 5:30 P.M. in the evening. After a time of praise and worship the Rev. Abraham Peddinny brought the Word of God on the theme of faith with some new outlooks which God had been prompting him to speak to the pastors for quite some time. While the sermon was going on two miracles took place; Pastor Paul Ebenezer who had applied for a job was given a job to teach in a seminary and Pastor Pradeep very unexpectedly was given a place in a seminary to do his M.Div studies. Both the testimonies coincided well with the sermon. All the participants were blessed by it.
In the afternoon session after lunch, Abraham and Sarah taught and explained about the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the discipline of maintaining accounts. We also encouraged them to strengthen the YPD and WMS. Following this the pastors came forward to share their ministries which was very encouraging, because it provided an opportunity for them to learn from each other's experiences.
The month of May had been very hectic for us because we had to visit all the churches while they were having their Vacation Bible School. Though it was very tedious and tiresome to travel during this time, (because it is peak of summer heat during this month, as mentioned above) God gave us the strength to fulfill the responsibilities given to us. We praise God for the protection and the endurance during this time.
We would also like to share with you a miracle that we have experienced recently and we give God all the glory for it. We had applied for admission for our daughter Beverly in a good school which is under Christian management, but we did not receive any reply from the school. We had visual proof from God by way of vision and scripture. Usually it is very difficult to get a seat in this school. We held on by faith on God for a miracle. The school re-opened on the 4th of June, by faith we approached the Principal who had newly taken-over the administration. She obliged and in a week's time all formalities were done and Beverly began her studies in this esteemed institution. We praise God and give God the glory for this experience.
We also humbly request you for your valuable prayers for Rev. Abraham to get a visa to the US to be able to attend the 48th Quadrennial Session of General Conference. Rev. Abraham had been denied a visa when he went for the visa interview on the 15th May 2008. We are still trusting God for a miracle as in the case of Beverly. All the doors are closed, God has to do a miracle and let us hope that God will do, for the sake of God's church.
We sincerely thank Bishop John and the Rev. Dr. Cee for all their encouragement and guidance they have given to us. They played a very major role in God's plan to extend the ministry of AME to this part of the world. We will forever be grateful to them for confiding in us and entrusting us with such a great responsibility. We thank God for Bishop John and Rev. Cee, for their courage, their boldness, their patience and their perseverance. We promise to continue to pray for their lives and their ministry.
*The Rev. Sarah Peddinny and the Rev. Abraham Peddinny, Presiding Elders, AME Church-India
Editor’s Note: Thank you for this and for all of the informative AME-India reports. All of your AME-India reports are so interesting.
8. STATE OF THE COUNTRY REPORT DELIVERED AT THE 2008 VIRGINIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
To Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, the presiding prelate of the Second Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, to Connie Speights Richardson, our beloved Episcopal Supervisor, Host Presiding Elder Paul Clifford Adkins and Associate Presiding Elder Chester Morris, to all the clergy and laypersons assembled, your Committee on the State of the Country presents the following report:
Nature, scope and task
Politics has rarely been of keener interest to the ordinary citizen as it is in the present moment, a moment that has the full weight and charge of history at its back. No candidate for the nation’s highest office has more electrified and galvanized the young and old alike, black and white together than Barack Obama. In the wake of so stunning an upset as that his campaign engineered in Iowa and in every subsequent state primary that he won it should not prove surprising that he should now come under blistering attack and withering criticism. In years past this committee has assayed different issues of profound consequence to our country’s people, from race to judicial punishment and from economic inequity to the scarcity of natural resources. This year’s report focuses generally on the role of religion in a free society of freethinking people, and upon the role of the black pulpit in the affairs of the nation most particularly. We do not seek to urge people along a single line of choice in the current political scene. We do, however, wish to address how media coverage, for good or ill, either discloses or misconstrues entirely the whole mission of the black church as executed by clergy. Jeremiah Wright is but symptom of the larger problem that continues to afflict the relations of church and state.
Process and data gathering
We begin by referencing the historical markers that animate black preaching specifically but black oratory more globally. This act of remembrance is central to black culture and our employment of it here is appropriate to the exercise we wish to prosecute. Whence, after all, black preaching? The answers of course extend far beyond the scope of our project and an exhaustive response cannot be forthcoming here. Still, we would cite that the earliest instances of black self-assertion under the hostile conditions of slavery sought the favor of Legba, Damballah, Yemanja and even mighty Shango himself. Memory of these and the other Orisha, yet unforgotten by the first Africans to land on these foreign shores, survived in North America for as long as it took several generations of Africans to be born in America and not in Africa. In their enthusiastic adoption of the new religion of Christianity, these slaves, men and women without a continent and without a country, determined to see in it a call to the dispossessed, the dislocated and the distressed. And as one learned scholar after another has taught us, it was in the new religion that the fierce and resolved desire for literacy came upon the benighted bondsman. To read, to read the Bible especially, signified a yearning for freedom that was never vain for it was understood even by the coarser lot of men and women that a lettered preacher enjoyed a privileged insight into the nuanced meaning of the “Word” and that it was by the light of that Word that the preacher could open a door onto a new world where all could and would be free one day. Our data is to be found in the written records of our fathers and mothers, the well-documented witness of their lives lived out under lash and sun. We recommend the reading and re-reading with fresh eyes of the works of Equiano, Jacobs and Douglass, of Sojourner and Brown.
In these sources are to be found the distinction between authentic Christianity and the barbarism of the slave auctioneer whose countrymen, with him, dared call themselves Christian, even in the moment that the yelp of children could be heard as they were torn from their mothers for sale into ‘Bama or the Carolinas. The years following the great Civil War, a war fought to extinguish slavery from the body politic and the culture of the nation, saw the coming of Reconstruction and the loss of nerve its promise required. The black masses found that they would need more than ever to depend upon those institutions they themselves could create and sustain; chief among these was the black church. Even before the war had come our church, the AME church, was born in response to God’s call but also as a protest of the servile conditions to which blacks were forced to acquiesce in the common worship of Philadelphia Methodists.
Findings
The consequence of this history has produced a militant clergy, answerable not to the princes of this earth but to God alone. Jeremiah Wright is far from unique but he is exemplary.
Our duty as black preachers is to preach the incorruptible word of God unashamedly and unapologetically. It is our task not to make friends at the expense of the gospel but to win over the soul of the nation through our call to repentance instead. The well-known distinction applies here as it always has from the time of Jonah and Isaiah. The prophet thunders and proclaims the will of God to Kings and Priests who mistake personal or national interests for divine rule. The prophet knows that this category mistake is the sin of idolatry and that the nation so convicted cannot long sustain the curse that God ordains. It is our task to preach the truth concerning what is damnable in the country’s affairs, both without and within. What is damnable about the war, damnable about prisons that abuse with cruel and unusual punishment the guilty and innocent alike, what is damnable about the practice of state sponsored torture, what is damnable concerning these and all such transgressions is the underlying presumption that state interests are God’s interests.
Goals and objectives
Our committee would propose the following goals for our nation’s people.
• The recollection of religious duty as distinct from but critical for the proper exercise of civic duty
• The advocacy of deep literacy for our people as an antidote for suspicion, rumor, idle speculation and Biblical illiteracy
• The collective embrace of the responsibilities for the earth’s dwindling resources and fragile ecosystems for “the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof”
• To resolve to trust our democratic impulses for the sane resolution of our nation’s conflicts
• To make real in the world our faith that justice is for the sake of the other, even the other who we may despise
• To exercise a stewardship of our blessings so others may be blessed, particularly “the least of these” Recommendations
Under present conditions and in view of our current political climate we call for an even more aggressive strategy of preaching that makes truth abundantly evident to power. We urge the ministries of our churches here and abroad to a commitment of service that never fails the Word: to seek the lost and to comfort the comfortless. But we admonish every preacher to live by the solemn oath and vow that she or he took when she and he kissed the Bible in the moment of ordination: to take the authority to preach God’s word; not a man or a woman’s word. It will require that one preach in and out of season and it will occasion consternation and the vilification of one’s person by media as powerful as they are public. Nonetheless, we are convinced that we have been called to serve this present age and that the God who has equipped us is sovereign enough in power, wisdom and love to sustain us in the journey. Preach peace in a time of war; preach justice for the enemy and our friends; preach a high regard for the earth’s remote regions. The nation’s welfare may depend more upon our prayers than upon the man or woman we may elect. For whosoever that person proves to be, our prayers availeth much for the summer, fall, winter and spring and even for November.
If the fury of the Lord is kindled against Washington for failure to heed his call, woe unto us should the blame be ours that we had not joined the Jeremiah of this day to proclaim the wrath of God upon the obdurate of heart and the obtuse of spirit.
Respectfully submitted: The members of the Committee on the State of the Country to the One-Hundred, Forty-Second Session of the Virginia Annual Conference, the 25th day of April, in the year of our Lord, 2008
Clergy:
The Rev. Edward A. Scott
The Rev. Ruby Brown
The Rev. Debbie Bryant
The Rev. Billy Hunter
The Rev. Eboni B. Kearney
The Rev. Gwendolyn Minor
The Rev. Earl Morris
The Rev. Glenn Orr
The Rev. Willie L. White
Lay Delegates:
Barbara Ford
Kassandea Ford
Joanne Roberts
Juanita Turner
Matilda Watson
Connie Wright
9. THE 140TH SESSION ALLEGHENY SCRANTON DISTRICT CHURCH SCHOOL CONVENTION:
Submitted by Miss Shelly Brown, Allegheny Scranton District Secretary
On Thursday, June 12, 2008, The 140th Session Allegheny Scranton District Church School Convention commenced under the respected leadership of the presiding elder, the Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown at First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Clairton, Pennsylvania, where the Reverend Dr. Judith C. Moore is the pastor.
The theme for the 2008 Church School Convention was “Serving Well in Clairton, Penna.” I Peter 4:10-1.
Following the organization for this Church School Convention with the young people participating as musicians, assistant secretary, marshals and serving on the Finance Committee and the Resolution Committee, the opening worship experience commenced with the preached word delivered by the Reverend Kenneth Burnett, pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Scranton, PA. Scripture was II Timothy 4:21-22. The church has not changed and it needs help today as it did back in the day of the Apostles. We all need to “serve” Jesus while we can. To serve well, the equation is simple, which is: Pray squared plus work squared times study divided by your creativity equals building your life one day at a time.
On Friday, June 13, 2008 morning everyone in attendance either went to a local nursing home in Clairton or to the Senior Citizen Center in Clairton. We certainly “Served Well in Clairton” as we prayed, sang songs of Zion and fellowshipped with those residents. It uplifted their spirits as well as put a smile on everyone’s heart.
Everyone then went to the Clairton’s Community Park were Valerie McElvy, Allegheny Scranton District Church School Superintendent, was the moderator for the Bible Bowl. As everyone enjoyed God’s great outdoors, even though the rain did come, it did not stop us from having fun in Clairton by playing football, bat mitten, Frisbee, volleyball, jump rope, hopscotch and participating in line dancing – not to mention eating a great BBQ!
On Saturday, June 14, 2008, the closing business session commenced and First A.M.E. Church was awarded the attendance banner. Presiding Elder Emeritus Reverend Samson M. Cooper brought forth the Word for the Closing Holy Communion Worship Service. Text taken from James 2:14. We must care first about God before we can serve well and we must share our resources and love as Jesus loved us!
The 2008 Allegheny Scranton District Church School Planning Committee Members:
The Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown
Miss Shelly Brown
Ms. Jackie Cook
Ms. Judi Goolsby
Reverend Melva Hartzog
Evangelist Elizabeth Henderson
Mrs. Valerie McElvy
Miss Renee Lyles
The Reverend Dr. Judith C. Moore
The Reverend Cheryl Ruffin
The Reverend Kary Williams, Jr.
Presiding Elder Eric L. Brown thanked everyone for their participation and commissioned everyone to continue to “Serve Well” in their church and community.
10. DISASTER ASSISTANCE INFORMATION:
Homeowners, renters, and businesses of all sizes, as well as private non-profit organizations affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding beginning May 25, can get the application process started. The toll-free number is open 24 hours, and online registration is available.
To apply by phone call 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362)
(TTY 1-800-462-7585 for the speech- or hearing-impaired) Or apply online at www.fema.gov
Important: Please have the following information available when you call:
• A phone number and a reliable alternate in case we need to call you back
• Address of the damaged property
• Brief description of damages
• Social Security number
• Insurance information (if you have insurance)
• Current mailing address
• *Bank Account Information (if you are eligible for disaster assistance, you may choose to have the assistance check deposited directly into your bank account)
Government disaster assistance covers basic needs only and will not normally compensate you for your entire loss. If you have insurance, the government may help pay for basic needs not covered under your insurance policy. Some disaster aid does not have to be paid back, while other assistance may come in the form of loans.
For information on the process, or to register online, visit http://www.fema.gov/assistance/index.shtm
Submitted by Mrs. “Jackie” Dupont Walker
11. THE GOSPEL MUSIC CHANNEL AND THE RECORDING ACADEMY(R) ANNOUNCE THE "GOSPEL MUSIC HERITAGE MONTH" INITIATIVE CELEBRATING GOSPEL MUSIC'S GREAT LEGACY:
WASHINGTON, DC June 18, 2008 - The Gospel Music Channel television network has joined with Senator Blanche L. Lincoln (D-Ark.), Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), and The Recording Academy(r) to launch the "Gospel Music Heritage Month" initiative. The legislation in the House of Representatives (H.Con. Res. 370) and the Senate (S. Res. 595) designates September 2008 as "Gospel Music Heritage Month," honoring gospel music for its valuable long-standing contributions to American culture. The initiative was created by the Gospel Music Channel, the country's first and only 24/7 television network devoted to all forms of Gospel/Christian music. This effort was lead by Charley Humbard and Alvin Williams of Gospel Music Channel along with Gospel Music Advocate Carl Davis. They worked tirelessly with the members of Congress to get this initiative passed in both Chambers. The initiative was publicly unveiled at The Recording Academy's GRAMMYs on the Hill event at the U.S. Capitol on June 18.
"Gospel Music is a cornerstone of the American musical tradition and has grown beyond its established audience to achieve pop-culture and historical relevance across the globe," said Lincoln. "My home state of Arkansas has a rich history in gospel music and I am proud to honor this tradition that has touched audiences around the world."
"In addition to its contribution to American music, gospel music has provided the cultural and musical backdrop across all of mainstream media, including art, books, television and motion pictures. It is infused in the DNA of our entire society and a month to recognize its importance and vast contributions to our country is long overdue," commented Hutchison.
"Gospel music is an important American legacy and continues to play a significant role of the lives of millions. It is appropriate to honor the countless contributions Gospel music has made to our society," said Leahy.
"Gospel music is an historical American art form that has spanned hundreds of generations and both inspires and entertains across racial, ethnic, religious, and geographic boundaries. We must officially recognize the great contributions to American culture that have derived from the rich heritage of gospel music and its artists," said Jackson-Lee.
"By surpassing culturally constructed boundaries, gospel music has emerged as the musical thread uniting the fabric of America and is more popular than ever. It is important that we recognize and celebrate the vital role that gospel music and all its many styles have played in shaping music history," commented Bono Mack.
"This is the opportunity for the millions of gospel/Christian music fans to have their own national month to honor and celebrate the rich heritage of their music," said Charles Humbard, Founder and President of the Gospel Music Channel. "We thank Senators Lincoln, Hutchison and Leahy, and Representatives Jackson-Lee and Bono Mack, for their efforts and The Recording Academy for its partnership. We look forward to celebrating 'Gospel Music Heritage Month' in September."
"A key mission of The Recording Academy is recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "To have gospel music nationally recognized in the month of September pays great homage to this influential and inspirational genre. It's an honor to make this announcement at our GRAMMYs on the Hill event in our nation's capital."
Those interested in "Gospel Music Heritage Month" resolution should visit:
www.GospelMusicChannel.com
Gospel Music Channel (GMC) is the nation's first and only 24/7 television network devoted to the uplifting, inspiring and diverse music that is Gospel/Christian music. Gospel Music Channel is the fastest-growing network in television today and can be seen in nearly 40 million homes on various cable systems around the country and on DIRECTV.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards - the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music - The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. In its 50th year, The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com.
12. (UMC) LEADERS FOCUS ON BACKBONE OF DENOMINATION: SMALL CHURCHES:
Jun. 24, 2008
By Linda Green*
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS)--The United Methodist Church must focus on small and rural churches and not simply go where the wealthy are to build new churches, says a small membership church leader.
"Small churches are the backbone of the denomination," said the Rev. Julia Wallace, director of ministries with small membership churches at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
"It is no accident that we have a church every three to five miles. At that time we wanted to get the church as close to people as we can. Our job now is keep church as close to the people as we can," she said.
Today, 76 percent of the denomination's congregations are small churches, which are defined as those having 200 or fewer members and fewer than 120 in worship.
More than 40 people working with small churches across the country participated in three June 2 telephone-conference conversations to learn about revitalizing small churches and ministries from the Rev. Terence Corkin, a small church expert and top executive of the Uniting Church in Australia. The pastors, district superintendents, directors of connectional ministries, lay ministers and community developers also discussed emerging issues and challenges facing small churches.
"It is important that we have conversations with people who are trying innovative things and are learning leaders," Wallace said. Issues like deployment of pastors, budgetary constraints; the use of lay pastors versus ordained pastors, lay ministers and licensed local pastors are issues that the Australian church overcame to be effective in the towns across the countryside.
"I see the Uniting Church of Australia as being 10 years ahead of the curve from us because it is already dealing with some of the dire issues that we will be facing," she said.
Differences between countries
Corkin, who served for 20 years in rural ministries before he became top executive in the Uniting Church eight years ago, described the similarities and differences between rural churches in the United States and in Australia and the changes small churches are encountering.
"We have significant experience of congregations that are self-supporting with a very modest amount of external relationship with the wider church in ministry personnel," he said. The congregations are "stand alone" and are linked together in various ways for mutual support and resource sharing and grouped into about 30 presbyteries, comparable to districts in The United Methodist Church.
Corkin described the Uniting Church as a union church formed in 1977 with Congregational, Methodists and Presbyterian churches. "It is a church that understands itself as a national church in that it has a sense of place and presence across every part of Australia," he said.
The church's presence is expressed through indigenous ministries, remote area patrol ministries and community services and through the nearly 1,800 congregations and 1,500 ministers in active service. Some of the congregations are linked, with one minister serving more than one locale.
In many rural areas in the United States and in Australia, there is a drift toward reduction of services and diminishing capital, aging people and increasing poverty which impact the ability to sustain congregational life, he said. Rural areas also have itinerant populations of people who come in to farm the lands, work in the mines or other industries and then leave.
"I do think a characteristic of small churches at this present time is their morale is not very high," Corkin said. "They have a memory of being bigger or something else. Some have memory of another time and are conscious of the changed circumstances in which they live."
Measures of viability
One of the biggest issues facing small churches is money. Many lack the resources to pay clergy salary, building maintenance, insurance premiums and other operating costs, noted the teleconference participants. Some churches already know they will not be able to pay the heating bills this winter and will not be able to open their doors.
In The United Methodist Church in the United States, self-sufficiency and financial vitality are sometimes measures of a congregation's viability.
Viability, Corkin said, is not measured by a congregation's capacity to raise enough funds to pay a minister. While church officials may use it as a strategy to discontinue churches, "it is not one that we believe is an adequate indicator of vitality," he said.
There are numerous churches that cannot pay a salary but are well-connected to one another and "are very effective in bearing witness to the hope that is within them and inviting people to respond to the Christ that they know," Corkin said.
The faithfulness of the church should be the measure, he said. The faithfulness is evident in how the church works in partnership with God and participates in the mission of God, he said.
Assets for evangelism
The reality in the United States and in Australia is that churches are different communities even if they are only 20 kilometers or 12 miles from each other. The churches, he said, regardless of where they are located, provide different missional opportunities.
"Rural congregations are among our greatest assets for evangelical and missional renewal among the people called Methodist in the 21st century," said Bishop Kenneth Carder during a rural life celebration at the 2008 General Conference.
Corkin agrees. "God has raised people up to call his own in these communities and they are going to be there whether there is a roll of members or if we are prepared to support a building continuing to be there."
"We don't make the church," he said. The church exists because of the saving work of Jesus Christ to confront and call people into new life and those people are called into new life in community.
Wallace spoke of a church of eight people who feed 150 every day. The church's feeding ministry launched a partnership with others and caused all involved to think about ministry in new and different ways. "They have learned to be that community which pulls other faithful people together to be in relationship with the homeless.
"They had to figure it out. I think people today want to figure out how to be church," she said. "People want opportunities for ministry."
Using all gifts
The use of teams for ministry is critical in revitalizing small churches in the future, Wallace said. "We must move away from being dependent on one person, whether that is a clergy pastor or a lay pastor," she said. "We must begin to celebrate being the whole people of God in that place and use all of the gifts we have been given. The days of clergy dependency are forcing us to now rethink of the way we are going to be a church."
Revitalizing existing churches and planting new ones is the focus of Path One, an organized strategy team on congregational development under the United Methodist Board of Discipleship.
Path One seeks to help the church start 650 congregations by 2012. The emphasis on church growth aims to return the denomination to its evangelistic heritage of starting a new congregation every day.
"The time for revitalization is a reality," Wallace said. "We happen to have everything we need."
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
*Used with the permission of the United Methodist News Service
13. CLERGY EFFECTIVENESS STUDY WILL ENHANCE TRAINING, SAYS LEADER:
Jun. 24, 2008
A UMNS Report
By Vicki Brown*
An analysis of what makes an effective pastor will enhance training provided this summer to United Methodist annual (regional) conferences.
The Rev. Sharon Rubey, director of candidacy and conference relations at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, said the study would provide useful information for those who work with candidates for ministry, assign pastors to churches, and do clergy supervision.
Richard P. DeShon, a psychology professor at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., used focus groups to conduct the study. "The breadth of tasks performed by local church pastors, coupled with the rapid switching between tasks and roles prevalent in this job is unique," he reported. "It is remarkable how complex this job is."
The next step, according to Rubey, is to develop and distribute a survey about the underlying behaviors associated with effective ministry "to learn more about the amount of time and the value that is given to each behavior."
"Along with that, we hope to survey congregations… to find out the kinds of knowledge, skills, abilities, and personal characteristics (that) are desired in pastoral leadership," she added. "Together, these studies will offer guidelines that can be helpful in matching pastors with congregations."
The study, completed last December, used focus groups of pastors who were identified as "high performing pastors" by boards of ordained ministry and district superintendents. The 20 pastors chosen were diverse in gender, racial/ethnic background and age and represented a variety of ministry settings and different sizes of churches.
Tasks contribute to effectiveness
A set of 13 clusters or groups of tasks that contribute to effective performance emerged from the discussions. Those are: administration, caregiving, rituals and sacraments, facility construction, communication, relationship building, evangelism, fellowship, management, preaching and public worship, self-development, United Methodist connectional service, and other development, such as performing activities to teach, train or mentor individuals and groups to improve their knowledge and skills.
"Every pastor is not going to be able to perform all these tasks well," DeShon said. He pointed out that "the people who are effective at very big churches could out-compete CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The problem is there aren't that many of them."
The Rev. Tom Pace, senior pastor of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston and focus group participant, believes there is one crucial element an effective pastor must have. "You have to know how to learn, and you have to like doing it," he said.
"I also think pastors have to be self-assured enough that they can be psychologically grounded," he said. "There is no work other than politics or acting where it is so much about whether people like you."
When he first came to St. Luke's - a church with about 2,000 weekly attendance at worship - some people left simply because he wasn't the former pastor, and they did not like him as much, Pace acknowledged.
Scope of responsibilities
The Rev. Sara Thompson-Tweedy, pastor of The Federated Church of Kerhonkson in Kerhonkson, N.Y., said she was stunned at the scope of the tasks identified by the focus groups.
"But really, it's the work of the church. It falls on clergy to do it or see that it gets done, but there is no way one person could do everything," she said. The church she pastors has about 100 members in a community of 2,000.
Both Thompson-Tweedy and Pace said churches teach their pastor things they need to know.
"When I went into ministry, I would have thought care giving was my strength," she explained. But now, she believes her particular strengths are preaching and public worship. "I feel so alive when I preach, teach, and lead worship."
Tweedy-Thompson said good pastors must learn to delegate and be willing to let people fail gracefully. "If you stand over someone with your foot in their chest, they are going to do nothing or get sick of you and leave. You may discover you've delegated to the wrong person. If they fail, you need to pat them on them on the back and say that's fine."
DeShon said all of the pastors in the focus groups talked about the importance of a strong call and also about finding a balance between life and being clergy.
In addition to a call, DeShon noted it was clear that good pastors have to be adaptable, intelligent, and have good social skills. "You must have a strong sense of call and nothing can substitute for that," he said. "A lot of other things you can work on."
To read the study, visit www.gbhem.org and click on Boards of Ordained Ministry.
*Brown is associate editor and writer, Office of Interpretation, United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry
*Used with the permission of the United Methodist News Service
14. EPISCOPACY AND CLERGY CONGRATULATORY NOTICES:
- Presiding Elder, the Rev. Malcolm L. Eve and Mrs. Elvia Y. Eve of the Bermuda Annual Conference will be celebrating their 50th (Golden Wedding Anniversary) on Thursday, June 26, 2008. The occasion will be celebrated in a formal setting at St. Paul Centennial Hall on Court Street, Hamilton, Bermuda.
Congratulations can be sent to:
Presiding Elder & Mrs. Malcolm L. Eve
P.O. Box FL 631
Flatts, FL BX
Bermuda
Or e-mailed to:
bdaannualconference@logic.bm (Presiding Elder Malcolm L. Eve)
eyeve@logic.bm (Mrs. Elvia Y. Eve)
- Dr. Louis Charles Harvey, PhD. Presiding Elder, Potomac District, Washington Annual Conference and Mrs. Sharon Jefferson of Dayton, Ohio wish to announce the graduation of their daughter Melanee Charles Harvey from Spelman College, Atlanta, GA.
Ms. Harvey graduated Magna Cum Laude and was awarded a BA Degree in Art History. She has been accepted into the MA/PhD programs in Art History at Boston University and will matriculate this fall.
Congratulations can be sent to: PresidingelderH@aol.com or Louischarles873@aol.com
- Jakaila Chanel Langston, the youngest daughter of Pastor and Mrs. Kelvin T. Calloway (Second A.M.E. Church - Los Angeles, California) graduated with honors from Gov. John Rogers High School on June 14, 2008.
- Jakaila will attend Tennessee Sate University in Nashville, Tennessee where she will major in Business. She received the Elizabeth Wesley Youth Merit Incentive Award.
Congratulations can be sent to: jfcalloway@yahoo.com
- Wesley Alfred Stovall, the youngest child of the Rev. V. Cora Stovall, Pastor of Mt. View AME Church in Winchester, Tennessee is a recent graduate of Ooltewah High School in Ooltewah, Tennessee. He plans to attend The University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee.
Congratulations can be sent to: funnyeyez@hotmail.com
- Christina Noelle Williams, the daughter of the Reverend Darryl and Laurelyn Williams, pastor and First Lady of St Mark A.M.E. Church - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, graduated from the Rufus King High School in Milwaukee. Christina will be attending Central State University in the fall.
Congratulations can be sent to: dwilliams@stmarkame-milwaukee.com
15. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Nathaniel Manuel Mills, the son of the Rev. Anthony Mills and Mrs. Geneva Craft will be laid to rest on June 28, 2008. Rev. Mills is the pastor of Greater Hayes A.M.E. Church, Oakdale, LA - Central Louisiana Conference of the 8th Episcopal District. Please pray for Rev. Mills, Mrs. Craft and the family.
The funeral arrangements are as follows:
Visitation / Viewing, Friday, June 27, 2008 - 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, June 28, 2008 - 11:00 a.m.
Both services will be held at:
Mt. Olive A. M. E. Church
2457 Second Street
Slidell, Louisiana
(985) 641-4960
Rev. Cedell Raggs, Pastor
Services are entrusted to:
Doyle Funeral Home
2430 4th Street
Slidell, LA 70458
(985) 290-3768
Condolences may be sent to:
Rev. Anthony Mills
11035 Ericson Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
(225) 295-8014
Or to:
Mrs. Geneva Craft
1731 McArthur
Slidell, LA 70458
16. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The 8TH Episcopal District sadly announces the death of Justice Revius O. Ortique (former member of the Board of Incorporators of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, now known as Trustees of the African Methodist Episcopal Church). He was a member of St. Luke AME Church in New Orleans, Central New Orleans-Bogalusa District, 8th Episcopal District A.M.E. Church where he served as a member of the Trustee Board until his death. Revius Ortique Jr., who passed on Sunday, June 22, 2008 at the age of 84, was the embodiment of the progress ushered in by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s.
He was New Orleans' first African-American Civil District Court judge, the first African-American chief judge of that court and the first black member of the Louisiana State Bar Association's House of Delegates. His ultimate career achievement, though, was election in 1992 as the first African-American member of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
He previously had served five terms as president of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans and three terms as president of the Community Relations Council. During those years he helped bring about the peaceful desegregation of lunch counters, bathrooms and other public facilities in New Orleans in the early 1960s. Longtime associates described Justice Ortique as fearless, meticulous and gentlemanly. That combination of qualities served him well in his work as a civil rights lawyer, a judge and a community leader.
Justice Ortique achieved great personal success in his chosen career and was called into service by five U.S. presidents. But his most important accomplishment was to help transform his hometown into a more tolerant and inclusive city.
The 1st viewing will be Thursday, June 26, 2008, 4:00 - 7:00 pm in the Will W. Alexander Library:
Dillard University
2601 Gentilly Boulevard
New Orleans, LA 70122
2nd Viewing will be Friday, June 27, 2008, 7:30 - 9:45 a.m. and Funeral Service begins 10:00:
Franklin Avenue Baptist Church
2515 Franklin Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70122
Rhodes Funeral Home in charge
7411 Chef Menteur Highway
New Orleans, LA 70126
(504) 241-5556
Condolences may be sent to:
Mrs. Miriam Ortigue
2230 North Vega Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70815
(225) 216-7311
17. 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
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.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
