Bishop Richard Franklin Norris - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
Thought for the Week -
When we quit fear of what others think, we choose freedom.
When we quit lies, we choose truth.
When we quit blaming, we choose to take responsibility.
When we quit faulty thinking, we choose to live in reality.
- (Author unknown)
1. EDITORIAL – WE MUST NOT FORGET:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
It is so easy to forget. We forget where put our keys. We forget each other’s names. We forget the faces of people we have met. We forget appointments. We forget birthdays and anniversaries. And, especially, as we get older, we go downstairs or upstairs and forget why we went downstairs or upstairs. We go to the store and we forget what we went to the store to buy. We forget a lot of things.
It is certainly understandable if we forget insignificant thing, but it’s amazing that we forget important things. Forgetting a face of someone we met once is insignificant and often without consequence except the embarrassment it causes us. Forgetting where we left our car keys is normally not too big a problem because more often or not we find our keys and life moves on.
Though we forget many things, there are some things that we do not, or should not forget. Certainly, we should not forget our mother’s love or the tender moments of our childhood. I can still remember the names of the teachers who made an impact upon my life; I can go all the way back to the second grade. There were some spankings, no, some whippings that I will never forget. I will never forget the names and memories of the pastors who impacted my life.
There are some things that we should not forget, but we do forget. Sometimes we forget to say “Thank you.” We forget to apologize when we have uttered a harsh or inappropriate comment and sometimes we forget to say, “I am sorry.”
There are times and things we should not forget, but we forget because they slip “off of the table,” and we become preoccupied with more pressing issues; and “time” has a way of causing pertinent issues to fade from our minds and our thoughts.
Some important things slip to the “back burner”
I am afraid that some of us have let Haiti slip to the “back burner” and I sense a lull and a putting out of our minds the issue of the earthquake and what it did in Haiti. I must confess that I had put Haiti “on hold” or on the “back burner” until last week.
Last week, August 30 – September 1, 2010, I had the privilege of participating in the gathering of AME clergy and laity working for a “New Haiti” and what an experience! The gathering was set up by Bishop Sarah Davis, Presiding Prelate of the 16th Episcopal District and ably assisted by Supervisor Claytie Davis. The purpose of the gathering was to implement a strategic plan for building a “New Haiti.”
We must never forget and I must not forget
We must never forget our responsibility to the people of Haiti and we must not forget our AME brothers and sisters in Haiti.
I have traveled all over the world in my 28-years in the military, and in my position as the Editor of The Christian Recorder.
I have traveled to Southeast and Southwest Asia, Europe, the Caribbean islands, Africa, and Central and South America. I have seen poverty in all of the continents I have visited, and thought I had seen poverty at its worst, until I went to Haiti last week.
I went to Haiti with the mindset of the visit I made to Haiti in 1970. It was a poor country then, and the people were a proud people. I felt pride then as I stood in the pulpit of St. Paul AME Church in Port au Prince in 1970 and worshipped with the congregation. The government seemed to have been working, there was electricity and the infrastructure was third-world, but had a semblance of working. It was better in Haiti at that time than what I observed in some of the poor areas of Saudi Arabia when I was there during Desert Storm. I had often remarked that I would rather have been poor in Haiti than in Saudi Arabia.
But, last week when I saw the devastation of the earthquake that destroyed Haiti in January and looked in the eyes of the people and saw their blank stares, I sensed that this was a far different Haiti than the Haiti I visited in 1970; and the Reverend Francois Murat put this visit in perspective for me when he told me that sixty-percent of the people living in Haiti today were not alive when I visited in 1970 and those sixty-percent have never seen any semblance of a functioning Haiti.
We had the energy
The African Methodist Episcopal Church had a lot of energy and excitement immediately following the earthquake in Haiti and the AME Church responded generously to the call to raise funds.
I said then, and will say it again, that raising funds for a “New Haiti” is not a one-time event, we are going to have to “dig deeper” if we are going to make any kind of appreciable impact upon the work in Haiti. And, not or half helping, our people in Haiti is non-negotiable; we, as a denomination, must “step up to the plate” and stay there until the work is done – well beyond my lifetime.
How to say it
I don’t know how else to say this and the situation in Haiti cannot be sugar-coated. Haiti is an example of devastation. Haiti is a mess! There is little or no infrastructure. Bishop Sarah Davis has a Herculean task in front of her and she has “picked up the mantle”; and she needs our help. She needs massive help. And, the bishop who follows her will need help.
The people of Haiti need help. Jobs are so scarce that we can say, “There are no jobs.” The government is not fully functional and we could sympathize with those in the government who would just “throw up their hands” and say, “We don’t know what to do.” The country is going to need massive aid, more aid than the AME Church and AME-SADA can give.
Haiti needs America and it needs American aid. Our leaders: Bishops, General Officers, Connectional Officers, pastors and laity need to influence any connection we might have to the members of Congress and to the Executive Branch of our government. The money we are spending in Afghanistan and the money we have spent, and continue to spend in Iraq need to be diverted to Haiti, but that’s another editorial.
Haiti should be on the “front-burner” of our thinking and on the “front burner” of the United States and on the “front burners” of other caring nations. We must not forget Haiti.
And just as important, or more importantly; the African Methodist Episcopal Church must do what it needs to do to help our AME brothers and sisters in Haiti. Churches have to be rebuilt. Parsonages have to be rebuilt. Homes have to be rebuilt. Clinics have to be rebuilt. We have to provide uplift for our people and provide education for our children. Schools need to be rebuilt and scholarships need to be provided for Haitians to attend colleges in the United States so they can receive an education and go back to Haiti to help in rebuilding the nation. Haitian lives need to be put back together and that’s a long term project.
We need to work with the other social agencies in providing assistance; and more importantly, we need to work with AME-SADA, who is already doing a great work in Haiti and in other areas around the world. We all need to get smart on AME-SADA. Dr. Robert Nicholas and his staff are doing a magnificent job.
We have a lot of work ahead of us and we have a lot of work to do and we must not forget about the work that needs to be done in Haiti.
We must not forget Haiti!
Editor’s Note: We have three articles and a link to photos taken by Dr. Kenneth Robinson in this issue. Please read; the articles and view the photos.
2. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
- To the Editor:
RE: Editorial – Everybody Should Read This Message
First, let me just say how much I appreciate the lead article in the current online issue of The Recorder, which sadly, will continue to be ignored.
I (oft times, literally) at the number of message that I receive with 3, 4, or maybe even 10 screens of pages of previously forwarded messages. I almost always delete these for the reason mentioned (privacy), but also, because it saves space and just makes good common sense. Why share email addresses when one would not share home or phone addresses so recklessly, hopefully!
Brother Agapidas Clark
-To the Editor:
What a timely article in the June 28th issue of The Christian Recorder, on the periodicals of the AME Church.
On June 20th, my church, Embry AMEC (2nd District/Washington Conference), hosted the monthly conference Lay Meeting. The topic was the Periodicals of the AMEC.
Along with our conference Director of Lay Activities, Sister Jeanette Hite, and our local president, Sister Barbara Seldon, we were able to present to the body a brief synopsis of each of the periodicals mentioned in your article. Copies of the periodicals were circulated to the body and discussion was held about several of them.
With your article and the monthly meeting, we hope that members will take more of an interest in the church’s publications and subscribe to more of them.
Thanks for a well-written article.
Sister Linda G. Butler
Director of Lay Activities
Embry AME Church
5101 Lakeland Road
College Park, Maryland 20740
- To the Editor:
RE: Bishop Adam J. Richardson Statement about proposed burning of the Qur’an and Bishop John Bryant’s support of Atlantic Beach CME Church
Over the past few weeks, we have seen various statements from various Bishops on various issues of importance in the United States and abroad.
The Senior Bishop went to South Carolina to be with the CME Church. The Bishop of the 2nd District issued a well-written statement regarding the proposed Qur’an burnings in Florida.
I would like to know who speaks for the Church. Is it the Senior Bishop, the President of the Council of Bishops, the Chair of Social Action, and the President of the General Board, the resident Bishop, the Ecumenical Officer or all, or none of the above. It is at times confusing to know where we stand on great issues of the day and worse off where concerns should be sent to be addressed.
We desperately need our Bishops to speak to us and be the symbols of the unity of the Connection. If the decision process of the Council were explained as to how statements are made, it would make a lot of us feel easier and less perplexed. One of the reasons perhaps for our lack of a voice globally is the absence of a clearly defined system of external communication.
Name Withheld by Request
- To the Editor:
RE: Bishop Adam J. Richardson Statement about proposed burning of the Qur’an
I am in total agreement with Bishop Richardson’s perspective.
The Rev. Sekoboto J Tau
Living Waters AME Church, Strand
Cape Town, Republic of South Africa
- To the Editor:
RE: Bishop Adam J. Richardson Statement about proposed burning of the Qur’an
Outstanding!! I'm grateful that Bishop Richardson has stepped up to the plate and taken a stand … and he voiced it so forthright and eloquent. I applaud and support his statement.
Ora Washington
AME Member living in Okinawa, Japan
- To the Editor:
RE: Bishop Adam J. Richardson Statement about proposed burning of the Qur’an
The joy of serving the Lord is always my strength. I thank God for the life and ministry of Bishop AJ Richardson - always with clarity of mind, and articulating himself on topical issues to give direction and leadership.
The world suffers when 'good people' are silent on such important issues. The African Methodist Episcopal Church must be heard and seen to be advocating religious tolerance. Not because we doubt our stance on faith but simply allow others to have their differences with us. This way we are not cowards but peace makers and are the children of God. People must become Christians due to their convictions and not because they are compelled!
May God grant us world peace so that more resources are availed for human development and not for wars.
The Rev. Simon Willem Hanse, Presiding Elder
Presiding Elder of Cape Town
15th Episcopal District
- To the Editor:
RE: Just wanted to share the good news
On Sunday, August 22, 2010, the Union Bethel AME Church of Amelia, Louisiana (USA) celebrated 145 years of ministry.
The church was founded in 1865 as part of the Thibodauxville Mission of the Louisiana Conference. It purchased land in 1888 and built its current building in 1902. The building was remodeled in 1992 after being damaged by Hurricane Andrew. The congregation is led by the Rev. Lorenzo T. Neal. The Rev. Dr. Lloyd Washington, Presiding Elder of the Alexandria-Thibodaux District of Central North Louisiana Conference. Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry is the Presiding Prelate of the 8th Episcopal District.
There was a great time of praise, worship and thanksgiving led by Pastor Lorenzo Neal and the Family of Praise Chorale. The message entitled, "Faith to Believe and Favor to Receive," was delivered under the anointing by Presiding Elder Lloyd Washington, Jr. The church is currently in the planning stage of constructing a new edifice to the Glory of God the Father.
The Rev. Lorenzo Neal
- To the Editor:
RE: “Bishop Williams Works to Address Educational Crisis in the 7th District”
Reference is made to the article written by Benjamin Harrison in The Christian Recorder dated September 6, 2010; “Bishop Williams Works to Address Educational Crisis in the 7th District.”
The alarm is not ringing in South Carolina, USA, but an awakening is taking place in the churches, class rooms and board rooms of the Seventh Episcopal District Recently there has been a call for a new “movement” in South Carolina, which has the power to begin correcting the poor educational performance of students who attend public schools throughout the state. Bishop Preston W. Williams II, Allen University and the Seventh District of the AME Church now stand at the genesis of a movement.”
“On April 22, 2010, Bishop Williams assembled a meeting with Allen University’s Board of Trustees and a number of South Carolina’s most powerful and influential economic, political, and social leaders. The central topic of their agenda was the social and educational crisis affecting the youth who are attending South Carolina’s public schools.”
The preceding sentence phrase in the paragraph caught my attention with up most respect to Bishop Williams intent, it is my personal belief and professional opinion, that the church and all its organizations are in a position to help and assist families and the youths that are within the family structure and/or those youths that have no family structure of support. Parents – not the church organizations or government entities – are responsible to bring up their own children in light and truth and teach them the principles of the Gospel.
Respectfully submitted by The Reverend Jessie H. Kirkland, II
3. THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AS IT APPEARS IN THE 2008 DISCIPLINE:
Some may not be aware that the Mission Statement of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was expanded and updated for the new Mission, Vision and Purpose of the Church in The Book of Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2008.
The Historical Preamble
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, whose founders affirmed their humanity in the face of slavery and racism stands in defense of disadvantaged and oppressed peoples in the 21st century. From the origins in the Free African Society through the involvement of the AME clergy and lay in the Civil War of the 1860’s and the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, the AMEC has preached salvation from sin and deliverance from bondage. The mission expanded to others within the African Diasporas in the Americas, Africa, Caribbean, and Europe. Whether in schools, seminaries, hospitals or social service centers, the AME Church has lived the gospel outside its sanctuaries. This mandate still informs its ministry, vision and mission in the Church’s third century of existence.
The Mission
The Mission of the AME Church is to minister to the social, spiritual, and physical development of all people.
The Vision
At every level of the Connection and in every local church, the AME Church shall engage in carrying out the spirit of the original Free African Society, out of which the AME Church evolved: that is, to seek out and save the lost, and to serve the needy. It is also the duty of Church to continue to encourage all members to become involved in all aspects of church training.
The Purposes
The ultimate purposes are: (1) make available God’s biblical principles, (2) spread Christ’s liberating gospel, and (3) provide continuing programs which will enhance the entire social development of all people.
The Objective
In order to meet the needs of every level of the Connection and in every local church, the AME Church shall implement strategies to train all members in: (1) Christian discipleship, (2) Christian leadership, (3) current teaching methods and materials, (4) the history and significance of the AME Church, (5) God’s biblical principles, and (6) social development to which all should be applied to daily living.
4. REPORT FROM GATHERING OF AME CLERGY AND LAITY WORKING FOR A “NEW HAITI”:
Bishop Sarah Davis, Presiding Prelate, 16th Episcopal District
"On a Mission to Transform Minds and Change the World"
Conveners: Bishop Sarah F. Davis and Supervisor Claytie Davis, Jr.
When: 30 August – 01 September 2010
Where: Kaliko Beach Club, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Participants:
The Reverend Dr. George Flowers (GO)
The Reverend Dr. Calvin Sydnor (GO)
Dr. Willie Glover, (CO)
Dr. Jamesina Evans (CO)
The Reverend Nichole Edness (1)
The Reverend Terrence McKinley (1)
The Reverend Dr. Jonathan Weaver (2)
The Reverend Bruce Butcher (3)
Dr. Sherell Vicks Crawford (6)
The Reverend Ronald Owens (6)
The Reverend Frederick L. Fields (8)
The Reverend Belinda Washington (8)
The Reverend Jerome Green (9)
Dr. Linda Green (9)
Dr. Robert Nicholas (AME SADA)
Dr. Remy (AME SADA)
Dr. Parett (AME SADA)
Mrs. Betty Pleasant, (LA Journalist)
Brother Larry Hollie (10)
The Reverend Carl Garmon (10)
The Reverend Roderick Dawson (10)
The Reverend Terence Gray (11)
The Reverend John White, II (11)
The Reverend Hezekiah Steward (12)
The Reverend Roderick Belin (13)
The Reverend Dr. Kenneth Robinson (13)
Brother Leonard Curry (13)
The Reverend Willie C. Barnes, Macedonia Baptist Church, Orlando, Florida
Hosts: Haiti Annual Conference Steering Committee Members
The Reverend Joel Jean Maurice, P.E. (16)
The Reverend Joel Mehu, P.E. (16)
The Reverend Francois Murat (16)
Sister Carolles Milbin (16)
Sister Elvire Douglas (16)
Purpose: Strategic Planning for Working to Build a “NEW HAITI”
- Site visit of AME Churches, Schools, and AMEC SADA Clinics
- Discussion with Local and Central Government Officials
- Develop plans for the way forward in strategic areas
Outcomes:
The group was able to visit:
- Rosetta Lee AME Church and School
- St. Paul AME Church
- Lula Brokenton AME Church and School
- On Monday night, August 30, 2010, Mayor Mills of Cabaret and Mayor Jean-Yvonn Nestor of Arcahaie. The AME Church has Church, School and SADA Clinic in these two communities. We thank Dr. Robert Nicholas for arranging the visit of the Mayors to our group.
- On Tuesday morning, August 31, 2010, the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister met with 12 persons selected by Bishop Sarah. The offices of the Governmental officials are small and thus the entire group could not be invited. Those meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister, Mr. Jude Hervey Day included:
- Bishop Sarah Davis
- The Reverend Dr. George Flowers
- The Reverend Dr. Calvin Sydnor, III
- Dr. Robert Nicholas
- The Reverend Dr. Kenneth Robinson
- Brother Larry Hollie
- Dr. Willie Glover
- Dr. Jamesina Evans
- The Reverend Ronald Owens
- The Reverend Dr. Jonathan Weaver
- The Reverend Dr. Terence Gray
- The Reverend Dr. Jerome Greene
The meeting with Mr. Day was very enlightening and open. He gave copies of the National Restoration Plan for Haiti to us and referred us to other resources to further help in our understanding of what was taking place in Haiti. He answered all questions and promised to assist us in our customs challenges. Dr. Robert Nicholas is commended for the work he did in arranging our visits to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Tuesday afternoon and evening we divided into breakout groups after hearing and discussing Bishop Sarah’s vision for the work which can be done in Haiti. Each group was asked to work through dinner and then report back to the body after dinner. Each breakout group was to address actions for moving forward and ways and means of accomplishing the actions identified. Those areas and the coordinator (bold typed) for the group discussion and planning were:
Education –
- The Reverend Dr. Jonathan Weaver
- The Reverend Jerome Green
- Dr. Jamesina Evans
- The Reverend Nichole Edness
- Sister Carolles Milbin
- The Reverend Jean Joel Maurice
Health –
- The Reverend Dr. Kenneth Robinson
- The Reverend Carl Garmon
- Dr. Linda Green
- Dr. Sherell Crawford
Spiritual/Mental Care –
- The Reverend Ronald Owens
- Dr. Willie Glover
- The Rev. Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Consultant
- The Reverend Joel Mehu
Disaster Preparedness/Risk Reduction –
The Reverend Belinda Washington
- The Rev. Dr. George Flowers - Consultant
- Sister Elvire Douglas
- The Reverend Frederick C. Fields
- The Reverend Carl Garmon
Agriculture –
- Dr. Robert Nicholas
- Brother Larry Hollie
- The Reverend Roderick Dawson
- The Reverend Francois Murat
Housing and Development –
- The Reverend Terrence McKinley
- Brother Larry Hollie
- Reverend Terence Gray
Social Action -
- Sister Jackie DuPont Walker (excused)
- The Reverend Bruce Butcher – Co-Coordinator
We will convene the Breakout groups via teleconference the last Thursday of each month to bring everyone up to date with what is going on in our groups and with our planning.
Reports of each breakout group will be shared as soon as all reports have been received in my office.
What We Can Do Now
The shipping of goods and materials is still a logistical and financial impossibility at this time. Spread the word that “monetary donations” is the better choice for Haiti.
Short Term Priorities [4 Months September - December]
A. School year opening – 2010-2011 October
* Funds to purchase “school packages”
* Payment of tuition fees for pupils
B. Health
* Mobile Clinics (SADA have more access; investigate what can Stateside physicians, medical professional do on grounds in Haiti to help)
* Annual/Bi-Annual female examinations and self care classes
* Physical exams (Ear/Eye/Teeth)
C. Engineering Assessment and Topography Studies of AME Churches/Schools Destroyed
What We Can Do In The Future - Long Term Priorities (18 Months and Forward 6+ Years)
A. Rebuilding of Destroyed AME Churches/Schools
B. Housing and Rubble Removal
C. Education
* Train school teachers [Train school teachers annually]
* Provide financial support to enable pupils attend school
* Implement and equip literacy centers
* Implement pre-school programs
D. Agriculture
E. Model Community Development
Sarah F. Davis
126th Bishop of African Methodist Episcopal Church
16th Episcopal District - Caribbean, Windward Islands, South America, Europe, (Cuba)
Jamaica Cell: 876-792-6016; Jamaica Residence: 876-702-2818
5. WORKING FOR A “NEW HAITI” - COMMITTEE ON SPIRITUAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL CARE:
*The Rev. Ronald L. Owens
Purpose: To Provide Spiritual Care, Crisis Intervention and Worship Experiences.
Premise: The Church made up of pastors and caring members represents a large and influential resource that unfortunately is underutilized during disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti. Pastors and church members, with appropriate training in pastoral care and crisis-intervention can provide much needed support for people in the aftermath of this tragedy.
Need: The National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) reports that earthquakes produce high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder in survivors, with 32 percent to 60 percent of adults and 26 percent to 95 percent of children experiencing such symptoms. Stress of a crisis such as this can lead to negative and destructive behavior. The sooner intervention is provided it will lessen the percentage of PTSD. It can take up to six months to detect PTSD. It is clear that the mental health resources are overwhelmed, necessitating the utilization of professional groups whose primary training is not in mental health. Disasters such as this often challenge the most fundamental belief of systems including spiritual or religious belief; and Spiritual Care Teams (SCT) are available assets.
Rationale: It is reported that 94% of people believe in God and that more people believe in organized religion than any other social institution. More people turn to spiritual or religious support systems than to physicians or mental health professionals during crisis. With appropriate training in spiritual care and crisis intervention SCT may be mobilized to serve in a variety of roles to assist in the improvement of and recovery from ensuing psychological problems. We join God where God is at work in ‘Working for a New Haiti.”
Action: A two day training program for SCT will be conducted to prepare participants in providing basic crisis intervention services to individuals and groups in crisis using a structured crisis intervention program. SCT’s will consist of clergy and laity from the nine AME congregations, particularly the stewards and class leaders. The SCT groups of no more than twelve will go through a two hour crisis intervention session lead by the trainer, which they will later conduct with two persons per team for groups of no more than twelve. Coaching and supervision will be provided by the trainer. The initial focus will be on the 398 AME families and then the camps and larger community. Brochures will be provided outlining the committees and help they are providing. The training will be conducted as soon as the SCT are identified.
The SCT will assist also in establishing worship centers in designated locations to provide worship services for displaced people and where AME Churches have been destroyed. Ministers from the U.S. Episcopal Districts will be asked to come and do revivals at the worship sites.
Objectives for Participants:
- Understand Pastoral/Spiritual Care.
- Understand Crisis Intervention.
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of the crisis state.
- Recognize the crisis of faith.
- Understand Spiritual intervention.
- Understand basic psychological intervention.
- Understand grief support.
- Understand and Practice SCT intervention.
- Attend and conduct a debriefing group session.
- Understand self care.
Chairperson, the Rev. Ronald L. Owens; Members, Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Consultant; Dr. Willie Glover; the Rev. Terence R. Gray; the Rev. Hezekiah Stewart; the Rev. Willie C. Barnes; Presiding Elder Jean Joel Maurice.
6. PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE REV. KENNETH ROBINSON, M.D., DURING “RENEW HAITI” COMMITTEE MEETING:
Click here for Photos taken by the Rev. Kenneth Robinson, M.D., during “Renew Haiti” Committee Meeting. Look at the photos and read his reflection.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee
7. REFLECTIONS ON HAITI AND “AMES WORKING FOR A NEW HAITI”:
*The Rev. Kenneth Robinson, M.D.
August 30-September 1, 2010
It was the worst I’d ever seen. Worse than West African poverty; where throngs of hopeful, hungry or hustling children converge on visitors for small tokens or change. Worse than rural Jamaica, clawing back from the devastation of waves of seemingly annual hurricanes. Worse than the cramped, crowded, cardboard and corrugated tin townships of South Africa, in which people of color live just in the shadows of world-class cities. I saw Haiti, eight months after a catastrophic earthquake, with a death toll which has now risen to a quarter million. Depressing.
The places were dramatically, breathtakingly horrific. St. Paul AME church, reduced to rubble; showing only a vague resemblance to the historic structure that used to be there – with a vestige of its altar remaining intact, in the midst of heaps of crushed concrete. Even the Presidential Palace – untouched since “the event,” as the earthquake is locally referred to – stood sandwiched and teetering precariously; a stark reminder of the absence of an authoritative, coordinated response to the disaster, of the impotence of a weak human government to overcome the impact of a powerful act of God. There were the “official” 1300 or so camps, like Corrail (pronounced “Cor-ray”) which we visited, with a sea of white synthetic tents, lined up row after row. We were told these camps housed as many as 1.5 million persons, for now what had stretched out to be over six months. Then, just beyond the “official” camps, which were established by NGOs such as World Vision and UNICEF, and which provided “something” – some food, water, UN Forces security - there were the “unofficial” tent camps. They too were sadly distinctive; with their uniform blue plastic tarpaulins, which had been provided or sold widely immediately following the earthquake. Those places had nothing; no porta-potties, no food, no water, no sanitation, no nothing. They dotted the landscape as far as we could see, on up into the ecologically damaged, strip-mined, vegetation bereft mountainside. We were told that perhaps another million displaced persons lived in those dwellings. The tents in all of the camps became unbearable in daytime heat, and flooded with any rain. Depressing.
Then there were the faces, which were worse than the places. Blank-stared men, sitting in what looked like bombed-out buildings in Port-au-Prince, old women in the open air markets or just sitting on the side of the road. The YPD Director standing in the midst of her destroyed church. The women; cooking in makeshift kitchens in makeshift houses in the open air, holding babies, balancing burdens on their heads. The mother who brought several of us to tears, clutching the hand of her 2-year old, giving an account of the hardships that she, her husband, and her son had endured. The angry men who were the spokespersons for the camp residents. The children, with UNICEF lunch plates in their hands, and the look of sheer distress on their faces. The teenage girls leading little ones around, or suspiciously strolling the camp – perhaps planning to do what we were advised some were doing to earn as little as $.50. The little boys bathing naked at the public pump where others were gathering drinking water and washing clothes. Depressing.
But there was, indeed, a plan. I was among the subgroup invited by Bishop Davis to meet with the Prime Minister’s Chief Of Staff. He pointed us to “The Plan” devised by the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission, and provided copies in French and the link to the online version in English (http://www.cirh.ht/). Without the plan in hand, I just asked him to tell us from his experience what not to do; as one of the many well-wishing groups which had certainly come before him over the previous months. With some exasperation and perhaps some relief over my open, frank, and practical question – he settled back and proceeded to complain bitterly about groups which came into Haiti, executed a task, or performed a focused service which satisfied their purpose, but which made no real impact on the overwhelming challenge of restoring Haiti. His most poignant message to us was that the government simply, ideally needed to “empty” Port-au-Prince; to literally get the population out of the city, to facilitate its rebuilding. He pointed to, and provided us with the data to reflect the fact that 70% of the city’s population had indeed fled the city in the aftermath of the earthquake. But without any cities or communities with services, jobs, infrastructure or sustenance to keep them out there, they had begun to migrate back. What we saw certainly verified that; a sea of humanity – in the streets, squatting among the ruins, back in the huge ghettos of Port-au-Prince. What The Plan would call for would be the restoration of the capitol city, facilitated by the development of “new” communities with infrastructure; economic, educational and employment opportunities, public health services, and agricultural development. That’s what Haiti needs - everything. It will clearly require a multinational, multidisciplinary, multifaceted, multi-billion dollar effort. Challenging.
In the meantime, and in the midst of such depressing, challenging realities, it was pure pleasure to see that the AME Church had meaningful assets on the ground. The work of AME-SADA was significant, substantive, and sustained. Since the AME Church clearly cannot be unilaterally effective in addressing the magnitude of the problem, or in providing the wide-ranging, demanding solutions that the Chief Of Staff recommended, it was reassuring that we have boots on the ground. We already have functional ministry, healthcare services, and positive relationships in Port-au-Prince. I saw the clinic adjacent to St. Paul. The clinic survived, even though the church had not. We met two of the SADA physicians, the nurses who provided the well-child, pre-natal and family planning services, and the community workers who organized maternal and child health-focused “mothers’ groups” and ran the micro-loan economic development programs. We also heard the warm stories and testimonies of some of the women who had been blessed by AME-SADA’s work. Encouraging.
And there we were, the delegation of 25 or so, invited by Bishop Sarah Davis to come from across The Connection; General and Connectional Officers, empowered and commissioned pastors and laypersons.
Some of us hadn’t been out of the United States before. Some had, but – like I – had never, ever seen such before. But all of us were there; each with very relevant roles back home in our corner of AME ministry, and each with a faith that would not fail – even in the face of such a mess. And it was our faith and the church we serve that thrust us into that moment; that propelled us to become AMEs “Working for a New Haiti.”
It was remarkable, really, to see Bishop Sarah – her fortitude and determination – against withering odds, her obvious warm and real relationships with the people of the 16th District, and her love for the people. It was clear that Supervisor Claytie Davis was not only a pillar for her, but a strong tower for the people in the District; a calming and lighthearted soul, with a serious commitment to mobilize the resources of the AME Church for change.
So, we spent hours, first listening to our resident experts – the Presiding Elders, and lay members of the local committee; then breaking out, writing down, sharing our thoughts. At Bishop Davis’ instructions, we developed working agendas of action items, which could pragmatically improve the lives of “the poorest of the poor” there in Haiti on an immediate basis. We identified action items to be disseminated to African Methodism. Her stated and unequivocal intent was for the denomination to “do” Haiti; to take on this mammoth effort intentionally, even given the many, many domestic and other international challenges begging for our denomination’s financial and human resources.
We shared our short-term recommendations on:
- Spiritual and Psychosocial Restoration
- Support for the Educational System
- Health and Healthcare Provision
- Infrastructure Development
- Agricultural Development
- Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Recovery
Bishop appointed me to chair/facilitate the Health Workgroup. Our recommendations are appended.
Finally, we all then also responded to Bishop Davis’ request to project how the AME Church could, long-term, facilitate the literal building of new “model communities” in Haiti; complete with all of the elements we were seeking to shore up on a short-term basis; but in a contemporary, planned development.
We realized more than anyone who had not come to see Haiti that our denomination could not stand alone, plan alone, or ameliorate the situation alone. But we did develop an agenda for our Church. Hopeful.
In fact, I came home and preached about a “new kind of hope” – a Romans 4:17-18 kind of hope. This is a hope that “hopes against hope.” It is a hope not built upon what past experience would tell us about Haiti, nor upon the visual examination which we undertook, or upon the low expectations that much of the world has for the country. It is what I now call “Haiti Hope;” hope in a God who made a 90-year old Sarah a mother, who brings life out of death, and who calls things that be not as though they are. “Haiti Hope” is built on Christ the Solid Rock, who can take the depressing devastation of “the event” and perform a miracle.
I join Bishop and Supervisor Davis, in believing that God will use the AME Church to help work that miracle. I’m extraordinarily grateful that Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and Supervisor Stan McKenzie recommended me to help represent the 13th Episcopal District; to become integrally involved in the process of “hoping against hope” for a New Haiti.
Now, we not only have reflections, we have projections.
*The Rev. Kenneth Robinson, M.D. is the pastor of St. Andrew AME Church in Memphis, Tennessee
8. BISHOP ADAM J. RICHARDSON STATEMENT ABOUT PROPOSED BURNING OF THE QUR’AN:
Let me mince no words by saying at the outset that I adamantly object to the proposed Quran burning by Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove Global Outreach Center Church of Gainesville, Florida or anyone else. The proposed burning of the Qur’an falls far beyond the pale of what is both civil and spiritual. Even if it did not put undue security risks upon our military personnel, putting our troops in greater danger, as President Obama and General Petraeus have insisted, it would still be totally unacceptable.
The burning of books, like the banning of books, has always seemed to be an exercise in futility. The effect is generally the opposite of the draconian and drastic action being taken. The logic seems to follow along these lines: If the book is worth burning or banning, it must also be worth reading. It always seems to raise greater interest in the questions why, and a greater appeal for the ideas and principles contained in them. We owe it to our Muslim neighbors (and global neighbors) to respect the sacred text of Islam, as sign and symbol of the reasonableness of our own faith commitment as Christians (or not), as well as the value we place upon the Constitution and what it means to be an American. I expect no less respect for the value that I place upon the Holy Bible.
It is not necessary for us to be in agreement about the contents of the books we profess and allege to be holy; it is only necessary that we be respectful. Not only is this a civil response to the spiritual sensibilities of others, it is basic to almost all religions: “regard for others.” While I am certain that Pastor Jones’ intent is to be loyal to the Christian Scriptures and to uphold the claims of the Christian faith, he has forgotten one valuable verse, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” From our own sacred text (the Sermon on the Mount), Jesus says that this “sums up the Law and the prophets.” No wonder it is a rule called “Golden.”
Adam J. Richardson, Jr., Bishop
Second Episcopal District
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Washington, DC
9. BISHOP GUIDRY TO DELIVER INVOCATION AT ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS PRAYER BREAKFAST:
The Right Reverend Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Presiding Prelate of the Eighth Episcopal District will deliver the Invocation for the Annual Congressional Black Caucus Prayer Breakfast that will be held on September 18, 2010 at 7:30 a.m. in Washington D.C.
Submitted by Mrs. Celestine Palmer, Executive Administrator, Eighth Episcopal District Bishop’s Office
10. EDITOR SYDNOR PRESENTER AT SIXTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT LAY BIENNIAL CONVENTION:
The 6th Episcopal District Lay Organization Ninth Biennial lay Convention will be held September 16-18, 2010 at the Marriott Hotel and Trade Center in Columbus, Georgia. Mrs. Gloria T. Byrd is the 6th Episcopal District Lay President. Bishop William P. DeVeaux is the Presiding Prelate of the 6th Episcopal District and Dr. Pam DeVeaux is the Episcopal Supervisor.
11. PASTORAL APPOINTMENTS MADE AT THE CLOSE OF THE WEST KENTUCKY ANNUAL CONFERENCE (9/4/10):
- The Rev. Kenneth Golphin, former presiding Elder of the Lexington District of the Kentucky Annual Conference assigned to Asbury Chapel AME Church, Louisville, Kentucky
- The Rev. Robert Strode, former pastor of St. John AME Church, Frankfurt, transferred to the West Kentucky Annual Conference and assigned to Young’s Chapel AME Church, Louisville
- The Rev. Tobias Pace, Supernumerated at his request so that he can attend seminary full-time
- The Rev. Jermaine Wilson, former pastor of Young’s Chapel AME Church, Louisville, Kentucky transferred to the Kentucky Annual Conference and assigned to St. John AME Church Frankfort, Kentucky
- The Rev. Kenneth Love, former pastor of Asbury AME Church, Louisville, Kentucky assigned to Bethel AME Church, Shelbyville, Kentucky
- The Rev. Barry Frazier and the Rev. Fonseco Frazier, assigned to St. Paul AME Church, Owensboro, Kentucky
- The Rev. Frank Price assigned to St. John AME Church, Paducah, Kentucky
- The Rev. Troy Thomas, pastor of St. Paul AME Church, Lexington, Kentucky is the acting Presiding Elder of the Lexington District.
12. CONNECTIONAL LAY ORGANIZATION FLYER FOR 2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING:
This message was received from Mrs. Eileen Warner, CLO Online Administrator, The Connectional Lay Organization Online
Message:
Attached you will find the "CORRECTED" flyer for 2011 Executive Board Meeting. Connectional Lay President, Dr. Willie Glover's statement explaining the date change is also appended below. Please note that the flyer has new dates and new prices.
Dr. Glover has released the following statement for the African Executive Board Meeting and Tour:
“We are forced to change the dates of the African trip due to several Episcopal Districts holding Annual Conferences in the month of October. As you know 2011 is election year of delegates to the General Conference and a number of persons expressed regrets of not being able to join the African trip because of the elections. The new dates for the African trip are December 6 - 15, 2011. Airfare has a slight increase but all other costs are the same. Hopefully, these dates will allow more laypersons and clergy to participate.”
13. ARTICLE: A “GREAT GATHERING” INITIATIVE: COMING TOGETHER IN PRAYER FOR THE HEALING OF HIV/AIDS:
*Brother Devon A. Horton, District Director of Youth, Jersey City Christian Education Department of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Earlier this year in Columbia, South Carolina, The African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.), African Methodist Episcopal Zion (A.M.E.Z.), and Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) “gathered” together in an event known as the “Great Gathering.” This event gave the three Major Black Methodist Churches an opportunity to come together and address various issues such as unemployment, births out of wedlock, and the high rise of black men being incarcerated. Having been in attendance at the Great Gathering, God spoke in my spirit to bring the purpose of the Great Gathering to New Jersey—thus the formation and implementation of The “Great Gathering” Initiative: Coming Together In Prayer For The Healing Of HIV/AIDS.
The “Great Gathering” Initiative: Coming Together in Prayer for the Healing of HIV/AIDS took place at Clinton Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, Newark, New Jersey. The event consisted of various sessions for Adults, Young Adults, Youth, and Children. Essentially, the gathering was designed to educate individuals about HIV/AIDS and provide spiritual guidance. Individuals from various denominations (not only Methodist) came out and participated in the various sessions. Over 100 persons were in attendance!
The sessions were followed by an actual service, which consisted of representatives from the Three Major Black Methodist (CME, AME, AMEZ). Dr. Theresa G. Oliver, the Pastor of Mt. Zion C.M.E. Church, Bronx, New York, along with her Stepping Ministry (The Mt. Zion Knights), and the many members of her church represented the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The Reverend Bankole Akinbinu, Minister to Youth at St. James A.M.E. Church, Newark, New Jersey where Dr. Watley is the Pastor, served as the preacher for the gathering.
The Reverend Bankole Akinbinu is a dynamic preacher. Rev. Akinbinu was very eager to accept the invitation. In addition to accepting the invitation to the Great Gathering Initiative, he provided an opportunity for the Liturgical Dancers of St. James A.M.E Church to minister during the service. Not only was he incredibly nice, but it was evident that he has a genuine heart for God and His people! He brought forth a powerful word entitled, "Jesus Said Get Up (Mark 5:35-43). Not only did he “Preach,” but he adamantly charged us to become more intentional with our young people, and that Youth Ministry is more than just “board games and activities—it’s got to be about Jesus!” I contend that the Reverend Bankole Akinbinu is both anointed and appointed by God. He sincerely displays the Fruit of the Spirit, and it is evident that Jesus is “all over him!” As he continues on in ministry, I believe that Rev. Akinbinu will do great things that will be advantageous to both the church and the Kingdom of God!
As I stated in the Great Gathering Purpose, we as the people of God must declare that the devil is still a liar; and that our God is still might and undoubtedly strong! As spirit filled believers, we can no longer allow sick or infected people to come to our churches and leave without there being deliverance. When God's people are intentional and "Gather" together for a true purpose, regardless of Denomination or Creed, God will be glorified and His truth will continue to march on! "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 20:17)
*Devon Horton Serves as the District Director of Youth, Jersey City Christian Education Department of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) Church in The African Methodist Episcopal Zion. He desires to work more with the AME Church in any capacity (Worship, Facilitator, etc. Email: Vocalskillze@aol.com; Twitter: http://twitter.com/ManDownVocal97 3
14. GEORGIA PASTOR INTERVIEWED BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LOGISTICS AND INNOVATIONS:
The Georgia Department of Logistics and Innovations at Georgia Tech conducted an interview with the Rev. Ronald Slaughter of Saint Paul in Macon, Georgia on September 7, 2010 at 1 p.m. The purpose of the interview was to seek Rev. Slaughter's thoughts about strengthening Georgia's Infrastructure.
Rev. Slaughter was selected as one of two Middle Georgians, and the only clergy for the interview that will be conducted by a crew from Washington, D.C.
Rev. Slaughter is recognized as one of the emerging leader in Middle Georgia. Rev. Slaughter said, “I am humble and excited over the opportunity to represent Middle Georgia, and above all, the African Methodist Episcopal Church.”
Rev. Slaughter expressed that "President Obama presently has a $50 Billion Dollar Infrastructure Bill on his desk that Georgia desperately needs to take advantage of. By strengthening our state's Infrastructure it will position Middle Georgia and Georgia as a whole to attract new businesses and companies to our state. Furthermore, it will enable us to create more long term jobs as well as make our roadways better to travel upon."
Rev. Slaughter concluded, "When people outside of Georgia think of our state the only city they can name is Atlanta. Georgia is more than just Atlanta. We need to do a better job of energizing and marketing other cities in Georgia to become more attractive and vibrant for big time businesses. When one thinks of North Carolina (by the way if we are not careful it will be the new "Capitol of the South" soon) several cities immediately come to mind; Wilmington, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Fayetteville, and Charlotte, to name a few. That is due to the fact that North Carolina has done a better job on its infrastructure, which has caused other cities other than Charlotte to grow. We need our local and state officials to stop debating over who is right or wrong, or who will get the credit, and come together for a common cause. That cause is to make Georgia a better place to live. After all, Infrastructure is simply providing the basic services for a community to survive. The time is NOW to strengthen Georgia's Infrastructure so that we can survive in the 21st Century.
The interview was conducted by Bonner and Associates of Washington, DC (www.bonnerandassociates.com). Mr. Jack Bonner, President of the company at the end of the interview stated to Pastor Slaughter "If preaching doesn't work out, give me a call. I have a job for you on tomorrow. This was by far the best interview in Georgia." The interview was done in High Definition and will be seen throughout various leadership meetings across Georgia.
15. BETHEL AME CHURCH, GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA - AN AWESOME WALK OF FAITH:
Bethel AME Church has an extraordinary opportunity for the African Methodist Episcopal Church to represent the tenets of our faith and our self-help heritage. Bethel AME Church established in 1865 as the oldest African American Church in Georgetown, South Carolina has a rich heritage of servanthood birthing churches in the community and in 1968, establishing Bethel Apartments, Inc. which continues to provide thirty units of affordable housing.
Although we weren’t at all in “the market,” we are in the stream of the providence of God. God provided an opening for us when just down the street the Carolinian Inn (www.CarolinianInn.com) became available. The eighty-nine room facility, reception center, restaurant, and swimming pool are situated on 4.93 acres on SC Highway 17 overlooking a scenic pond and marsh view in Georgetown, South Carolina. Georgetown is located between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Georgetown is in dire need of additional affordable housing as a result of its growing senior population. This act of ministry is the adaptive use of forty-nine rooms to thirty-four affordable senior citizen units, a meal program, and the retention of forty hotel rooms built in 1989. Upon acquisition of the property a commemorative brick wall will recognize the partners of this historic undertaking.
We often think about economic development. We often meet and talk about it.
Join us in leading the church and community in glorifying God. Let us share more with you about the Carolinian Mission Project by contacting us at 843-546-4503, mcragin1@hotmail.com, or Find us on FaceBook, HistoricBethelAMEChurch and our link to the Carolinian Mission Project and Affordable Senior Housing in Georgetown, South Carolina.
16. MESSAGE FROM AMEC SOCIAL ACTION COMMISSION - THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) EXTENSION BILL:
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) extension bill has passed the US House of Representatives twice - both in March and May, but the U.S. Senate has not acted yet.
Extending this program will keep thousands of Americans working, thus earning money for their livelihood and assisting struggling businesses and community based organizations to provide needed services.
You are encouraged to contact your U.S. Senator
What:
- Share any experience you have had with the TSE Program, especially personal "impact" stories
- Get at least 10 other people to make a call
- Send an Email (most websites ignore "per forma" petitions and those from non-constituents)
- Add something - a question or request - that will require a response to you.
When:
Today, Tomorrow and Next Week ... then let me know by email. Send to jdupontw@aol.com when you have taken action.
Please feel free to contact me via telephone: (213) 494-9493.
SIStah "Jackie" Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Director/Consultant, Social Action Commission, AME Church
17. MT. HERMON AMEC MIAMI GARDENS CELEBRATES SISTAHS MONTH 2010:
The Women’s Ministry of Mt. Hermon African Methodist Episcopal Church in Miami Gardens, Florida, has declared October “Sistahs Month 2010,” a celebration of the Word taught and preached by anointed daughters of the King, including 13th Episcopal District Presiding Prelate Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Senior AMEC Episcopal Supervisor, the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant, 10th Episcopal District Supervisor, the Rev. Dr. Jessica K. Ingram and Ebenezer AME Church, Ft. Washington, Maryland co-pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jo Ann Browning.
The month-long observance begins October 4-6 with a Sistahs Revival, featuring the Rev. Dr. Ingram and the Rev. Dr. Browning. Following a series of female-focused activities promoting spiritual, physical, mental and emotional health, the festivities culminate October 29-31 with Bishop McKenzie and the “Rev. C” preaching at Mt. Hermon’s Sistahs Summit 2010, the church’s Fifth-Annual Women’s Conference and sharing as the featured authors at its Second-Annual Sistahs Month Literary Luncheon.
“We are eagerly expecting a powerful outpouring of God’s Spirit,” says Mt. Hermon Assistant Pastor, the Rev. Maria Mallory White, who leads its Women’s Ministry. “In addition to the revival and women’s conference, we will be blessed by Sistah-Preachers during our 7 and 10 a.m. Sunday Celebration Services and Wednesday mid-week services throughout October.”
For nearly two years, “Rev. Maria” has led the women of Mt. Hermon in a twice-monthly Sistahs Bible Study. The teaching is focused primarily on discipleship and the Kingdom of God.
“Jesus is recorded in Luke 17:21b (Amplified Bible) saying, ‘For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you],’” Rev. Maria says. “We are intentionally seeking the Kingdom as the governing reality of our lives, and in Sistahs Month 2010, we continue that effort.”
Sistahs Summit 2010 opens October 29 in the Mt. Hermon Sanctuary with a Celebration Service featuring the “Rev. C,” who currently serves as the Episcopal Supervisor of the Fourth Episcopal District.
October 30 will be a day of worship and “Wordshops” at the beautifully appointed Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Conference Center and Spa.
The Rev. Mila P. Cooper, pastor of the Mt. Moriah AME Church in Maples Heights, OH, and the Rev. Sharon D. Moore, assistant pastor of the Historic Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Detroit, will lead the adult women in an exploration of the conference theme, “Kingdom Living: Our Identity, Our Inheritance and Our Intention.”
Meanwhile, a concurrent youth conference will instruct and engage young women ages 13-18 in the theme. During the lunch hour both groups will gather for Mt. Hermon’s Second-Annual Sistahs Month Literary Luncheon, a time of dialogue and question-and-answers with spotlight authors “Rev. C” and Bishop McKenzie.
Sunday, the Sistahs will convene once again in the Mt. Hermon Sanctuary for the closing worship, where Rev. Moore will preach at 7 a.m. and Bishop McKenzie at the 10 a.m. services.
Sistahs Month 2010 is just one example of the vision of Pastor John F. White II for Mt. Hermon, which includes passionate worship, intentional faith development, extravagant generosity, risk-taking mission and service.
Partners in marriage and ministry, Pastor White and Rev. Maria moved to South Florida November 2008 following Pastor White’s appointment to Mt. Hermon by Bishop McKinley Young.
For more information about Sistahs Month, consult the Women’s Ministry of Mt. Hermon Miami Gardens group page on Facebook, the church’s Web site, www.mthermonamec.org, or call the church at (305) 621-5067
18. THE 6TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS ANNOUNCES EPISCOPAL DISTRICT LAY ORGANIZATION IS GOING GREEN:
http://issuu.com/laynotebook
Approximately 16-years ago, Dr. Robert J. Williams, who was at the time serving as President of the Sixth Episcopal District Lay Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, created a one or two page document which he ran off on an old mimeograph /ditto machine type copier and distributed at each quarterly meeting of the Sixth Episcopal District Lay. Dr. Williams gave this publication the title, "Lay Notebook."
The publication was later taken over by the Directors of Public Relations of the Sixth District Lay Organization, who employed various methods of publication, depending on the availability and advancement of printing technology. This included typewriters with preprogrammed memory, cut and paste copying, copying to computer printer in black and white and color print, or commercial printing press. We also maintained our own website on AOL until AOL discontinued the hosting of private and individual websites.
In March 2010, Robert Thomas Matthews, III, Director of Public Relations of the Sixth Episcopal District Lay Organization, announced that the next level of newsletter publications was then being explored and paper copies of these publications were being abandoned for emailed copies using PDF. However, it was also announced that this was only a step in the direction of the new technological advance, which allowed the publishing of an online flip-page magazine.
Therefore, I am pleased to announce that this goal has also been met --
As of September 4, 2010, the Lay Notebook online flip-page magazine is now a reality. Those who hold membership in the Sixth Episcopal District Lay Organization of the African Methodist Episcopal Church may now view the three quarterly issues which we have published in 2010, with the look and feel of actually reading and turning the pages of a real magazine.
Please go to the link which appears on the top of this email (http://issuu.com/laynotebook) to gain access and read these magazines. You will also find the options to enlarge, reduce, and flip the pages or to scroll right or left or up and down. Thanks for your support and we hope you will enjoy this new technological advancement of the publication of Lay Notebook.
Sincerely,
Robert Thomas Matthews, III
Director of Public Relations
Sixth Episcopal District Lay Organization
African Methodist Episcopal Church
19. ANNAPOLIS HEAD COACH KEN NIUMATALOLO LAUDS AME MEMBER OF NAVY’S FOOTBALL TEAM:
The Rev. Keith Mayes, pastor of Allen Chapel AME Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee shares the good news about his son, Chris Mayes who is on the Navy football team. Son, Chris also auditioned and was selected for the Naval Academy Gospel Choir and is the lead vocalist for "Lord Prepare Me to be a Sanctuary.” The rev. Keith Mayes said, “I am truly a grateful and proud father!”
20. GOSPEL RECORDING ARTIST RICHARD SMALLWOOD AND VISION HEADLINES TRIBUTE TO THE LATE BISHOP WALTER HAWKINS:
Gospel Recording Artist Richard Smallwood and Vision headlines Tribute to Bishop Walter Hawkins at the 2nd National Celebration of September as Gospel Music Heritage Month.
Grammy Award Winner Gospel Recording Artist Richard Smallwood and Vision will be the headliner for the 2nd Annual National Gospel Music Heritage Month Celebration which is a Tribute to Bishop Walter Hawkins at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC) during their Open House Arts Festival on Saturday, September 11, 2010. Gospel Music Advocate Carl Davis has been appointed again to serve as chair of the event. It is indeed an honor to have Richard Smallwood and Vision to salute one of Gospel Music Legends Bishop Walter Hawkins this year who made his last public appearance in April 2010 at the Kennedy Center during their Gospel across America.
It is only befitting that this year celebration be a National Tribute to Bishop Walter Hawkins and who else more appropriate to honor his legacy none other than his good friend the Maestro Richard Smallwood and Vision said Davis. Churches and other civic organizations are encouraged to celebrate September as Gospel Music Heritage Month.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Arkansas) offered a resolution for the third year in a row designating September as Gospel Music Heritage Month. Davis stated this National Celebration of Gospel Music Heritage Month Tribute to Bishop Walter Hawkins concert is free and open to the public. “Growing up listening to the sounds of Thomas Dorsey and Mahalia Jackson, I will certainly shout and make a joyful noise unto God for the passing of this legislation. The concert will start at 3:00 PM in the Concert Hall.
Sheila Jackson Lee, member of Congress from the 18th Congressional District (Texas) said, I have worked tirelessly in collaboration with Senator Blanche Lincoln, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Gospel Music Advocate Carl Davis, Alvin Williams, Jazzy Jordan of Verity Gospel Music Group, the Smithsonian Institution, Gospel Music Workshop of
America, Gospel Music Channel, Gospel Music Association, The Stellar Awards and The Grammy’s to designate September of 2010 as “Gospel Music Heritage Month. I extend my gratitude and appreciation to these gracious individuals and insightful organizations who had the vision and foresight needed to recognize the importance of gospel music to modern culture and to celebrate its rich history.
Davis stated, there will also be a Houston Celebration of Gospel Music Heritage Month on September 24, 2010 at 7:00 PM at Bishop I. V. & Dr. Bridgett Hilliard’s New Light Church (East Campus) 7317 East Houston Rd Houston, Texas under the leadership of gospel greats V. Michael McKay, and Dr. Theola Booker and produced by Ernest Walker of Walker Entertainment. They will tell the story of gospel music through song and word.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Senator Blanche Lincoln also extend special thanks to Jazzy Jordan of Verity Gospel Music Group, Gospel Music Advocate Carl Davis, Ernest Walker of Walker Entertainment, Bishop I. V. and Dr. Bridgett Hilliard, V. Michael McKay, Dr. Theola Booker and Garth Ross of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for their strong support of Gospel Music Heritage Month.
21. WOMEN IN MINISTRY EVENT DURING THE 146TH SESSION OF THE CALIFORNIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
The Women in Ministry Annual Day at the 146th Session of the California Annual Conference will be held on Monday, September 13, 2010
Safe Haven Project Workshop will be held Noon-2:00 p.m. The
Preaching Workshop: "Identifying Your Preaching Signature" will be facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Associate Professor of Homiletics and Director of Black Church Studies, Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. She will also be the preacher for the Evening Worship Service.
Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Presiding Bishop; Mrs. Mary L. Kirkland, Episcopal Supervisor; the Rev. Pamela Myrtis Mason, 5th District WIM President; and the Rev. Robin Hughes Crawford, California Conference WIM Coordinator.
Submitted by the Rev. Va' Nechia M. Rayford, M.Div., BCC
22. FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF DR. JOSEPH DARBY:
Mr. Jason Darby has created a website to follow the progress of his dad, Dr. Joseph Darby, pastor of Morris Brown AME Church, Charleston, South Carolina.
To keep you up to date on Joseph Darby, I created a CaringBridge Website. You can follow Joseph’s progress and show your support.
Visit Joseph’s website:
- Visit the CaringBridge Website by clicking the link below.
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/revjoedarby
Show your support for Dr. Joseph Darby
• Visit and keep up to date.
• Leave a message in the guestbook.
• Receive e-mail notifications when the journal is updated.
Submitted by son, Jason Darby
23. EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A DEGREE! PASS-ON TO SOMEONE WHO CAN USE THIS:
Great jobs for young men who aren't in college and strong young women also! This is Obama money for "infrastructure" the jobs are located all over, paid training in Atlanta. This is an awesome opportunity, please pass this on.
These jobs pay good wages.
Training: You will attend two or three weeks of training at the Railroad Education & Development Institute in Atlanta, GA. CSX will pay for travel, lodging and meals as required by collective bargaining agreement.
Track Worker-030702
Job Summary: Work as a member of a crew to install new railroad track, maintain existing track and right-of-way. Replace or repair track switches with specific components. Slide and align tie plates. Drill holes through rails for insertion of bolts and tighten or loosen bolts at joints that hold ends or rails together. Correct deviations in track surface, alignment and gauge Cut rails to specific lengths etc.
Pay Rates
Entry Rate $19.36/hour; Full Rate $21.52/hour
Promotional/ Advancement Opportunities: Under Maintenance of Way Collective Bargaining Agreement, Track Workers may be considered for advancement or promotion to other positions within the Engineering Department if qualified.
Machine Operator $23.25 - $24.81/hour
Welder Helper $21.93/hour
Bridge Tender $21.93/hour
Bridge Mechanic $22.65/hour
Foreman $22.71 - $25.53/hour
Track Inspector $23.98 - $25.14/hour
Qualifications: High School diploma/GED; 18 years of age or older; Valid Driver's License.
At CSX, two of the company's core values are “People Make the Difference” and “Safety is a Way of Life.” We are committed to offering our team members the most competitive compensation and benefits package available, unlimited opportunities for development and growth throughout an exciting and rewarding career, and the safest work environment possible.
CSX is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer that supports diversity in the workplace.
Apply online to this and other positions: http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=careers.main
Editor’s Note: If you need a job and you fail to apply, you cannot be hired, no matter how qualified you are.
24. ASBURY THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND ASBURY UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES WESLEYAN STUDIES SUMMER SEMINAR TO BE HELD JUNE 2011:
Asbury Theological Seminary and Asbury University announce their first annual Wesleyan Studies Summer Seminar to be held June 2011. This seminar is being established to develop and support research, writing and publication in the broad field of Wesleyan studies. The seminar will promote the work of serious researchers in the following ways:
- Making the scholarly resources of Asbury Seminary and Asbury University available to each participant.
- Fostering dialog between researchers and the faculty of Asbury Seminary and University who have expertise in the researcher’s field.
- Creating an environment for conversation, study and networking among scholars in the field of Wesleyan studies.
There are no tuition charges for the seminars, and participants will have access with full privileges not only to the B.L. Fisher and Kinlaw libraries (including significant electronic databases) but also to their special collection holdings in Wesleyan and Methodist studies. The staff of the Wesleyan Studies Summer Seminar will also help to make arrangements for free housing at the Asbury Inn for each participant throughout the seminar. Asbury Seminary will pay the airfare for international researchers. Beyond this, all other personal expenses (travel and food for example) will be the responsibility of the researchers, though the Seminary will provide a common meal on the evening of each seminar.
For more information or to apply, click here.
Click Here For Media Kit
Editor’s Note: If you don’t apply, you cannot be considered for selection. This looks like a great opportunity for persons interested in Wesleyan Studies
25. AWARD-WINNING FILM "WESLEY" AVAILABLE FOR CHURCH SCREENINGS:
Foundery Pictures has just announced the availability of a special license for local churches to screen the award-winning independent film Wesley for their congregations. The movie, which premiered in 2009, was exhibited at select theaters across the US and at several international film festivals. The home DVD was released in July from Vision Video, www.visionvideo.com.
The film stars Burgess Jenkins (Remember the Titans, The Reaping) as John Wesley, Emmy-nominated TV legend June Lockhart (Lost in Space, Lassie) as his mother, Susannah Wesley, Golden Globe winner Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Death of a Salesman) as Bishop Ryder, and R. Keith Harris (Big Fish, Junebug) as John's brother Charles Wesley.
The movie documents the personal struggles of John Wesley, whose work and ministry would transform the face of England in the 18th century. For the first time, Wesley's fascinating spiritual struggle is presented in this dramatic feature film based on John's own private journals. These journals, kept in a secret code, were not translated until the early 1980s; earlier books and one 1950s feature film were based only on the public record, and did not have access to the private thoughts, doubts, and struggles of this great spiritual leader.
John Wesley is well known as the spiritual father of Methodism, and today over 75 million Christians worldwide trace their spiritual heritage back to him. His heartfelt struggles, his passion for authentic faith expressing itself through meaningful kingdom work, and his message of saving grace resonate with audiences of all ages and denominations.
The movie has been featured at several international film festivals, including the Gideon Film Festival, the International Christian Film Festival in Wales, the Heart of England Film Festival in the UK, the Phoenix International Christian Film Festival, and the CEVMA Film Festival in Milan, Italy. It has won numerous awards, including the Silver Telly Award in the "Religion & Spirituality" category and the Silver Crown for "Best Picture" at the International Christian Visual Media Association's annual Crown Awards. Unusually for a Christian film, the movie has also won recognition for cinematography and special effects, including the American Pixel Academy's FEXY Award for CGI effects.
The special church license for congregations is available directly from the official movie web site, www.wesleythemovie.com. License agreements are also available for exhibition at educational institutions. The home DVD may not be exhibited publicly without the purchase of a special exhibition license; Wesley is not covered by the CLVI license.
Review screeners of the movie can be obtained by press representatives directly from Foundery Pictures. For more information on the film, and a full Press Kit with downloadable high resolution photos, visit the official web site of the film, www.wesleythemovie.com, and click on the PRESS menu item.
26. THE COMMITTEE:
*The Rev. N.T. Pitts
I have no idea where the concept of “a Committee" originated, but one thing that I know for sure, there is a down-side to committee work.
In my studies of the Scriptures, I have not found anywhere, where God ever called or sent or appointed a committee to carry out a mission.
God has always called and chosen individuals. Over the years I have had the privilege to serve on various committees and even chaired a few. At times, my experiences with committee work were turbulent and acrimonious. There were times that I dreaded being on a committee because of the assigned task. Working on a committee was not always a pleasant task.
I don't know what would have happened if God had sent a committee instead of sending one man, Moses to go bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt. God did send Aaron along to speak for Moses only because Moses had an impediment of speech, but God did not send a committee. I am sure there would have been more confusion and extended heated debates if God had sent a committee.
Some people are placed on committees so that they can feel that they are a part of the process and in hopes of giving them a sense of involvement. I have known people, after being assigned to a committee, go to their respective hotel rooms and some even go shopping, but they stand on the floor to witness what they had no input and had not seen until minutes before the report was read.
I have chaired committees where members of the committee voted on an issue and when it got to the floor and they discovered that it was an unpopular decision, "crabbed” out and blamed the chairperson.
A case in point:
I was chairperson of the Board of Examiners in my Conference and I had the unpleasant experience of being literally “blessed out” on the church ground by the wife of one of the candidates who was recommended to be retained in his class. The members of the Board voted unanimously to retain him, but two of the members had told her that it was the chairperson who was the blame for her husband being retained; that was a bitter pill to swallow. I did not have a good night’s rest; as a matter of fact, I did not sleep at all that night.
There was one committee I never wanted to serve on and that was the Finance Committee because there was too much at stake. If the committee came up short of the finances announced to the congregation, the members of the Finance Committee had to go into their pockets and make up the difference.
I believe those who are chosen to serve on annual conference committees should be notified months in advance in regard to what committee they will be appointed so that they may have ample time to do their homework, but to wait until the opening day of a conference/convention to be told that they are on a committee is counter-productive.
Some committees are overloaded with those who have the least knowledge about the topic of which they are to address or uninterested. There is an old saying "too many workers spoil the work." There is some logic to that.
I have seen chairpersons who acted as if they had all of the knowledge worth knowing. Some had the audacity to look down and talk down to members of the committee as if they were ignorant of if they were children.
Chairpersons don't know everything. They aren't supposed to know everything. They shouldn't have to remind the committee that he or she is the chairperson. If a chairperson or a pastor has to remind folks that they are the chairperson or the pastor, they are not, in reality the chairperson or the pastor; someone else is the chairperson or the pastor.
It is this writer's opinion that the smaller the group the more effective the work. If two or three persons are given an assignment they could bring back their findings and recommendations. And if the body does not like or agree with what is being recommended, the group can always send it back, vote it down or amend it from the floor. But to load a Committee with people who really don't have any knowledge and have no input is an insult and an embarrassment. And above all, having them to stand and witness the reading of a report of which they had not seen before it comes to the floor is a disgrace. Some literary reports read at annual conferences are "recycled reports” from previous years and oftentimes, that’s the reason a lot of people pay little attention to them.
Oftentimes there are personality clashes that inhibit the effectiveness of the work. People who are given the task of chairing a committee should be perspicacious enough to work with people with diverse opinions and also respect their opinions.
Moses sent out twelve men, one from each tribe, to spy out the Land of Canaan, in other words Moses sent out a "the committee." The minority report was positive, the majority report was negative because they were scared and as a result the people had to spend years wandering in the Wilderness.
Jesus sent the Apostles out by two, not by committees, and they were effective.
Qualities of God's chosen leaders:
The faith of Abraham
The meekness of Moses
The patience of Job
The strength of Samson
The Wisdom of Solomon
The zeal of Jehu
The spirit of Elijah
The perseverance of Daniel
The prophetic qualities of Isaiah
The tenderness of Jeremiah
The power of Peter
The love of John
The evangelical skills of Paul
The character of Cornelius
The eloquence of Apollos
We must admit however, that no one person can possibly possess all of these qualities. But if there is any who possess none of these he/she needs to re-evaluate their calling.
*The Rev. N.T. Pitts is a retired AME Itinerant Elder who lives in Eatonville, Florida
27. EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Mrs. Mamie Curtis Jackson, mother of Dr. Dorothy Jackson Young, wife of Bishop McKinley Young of Jacksonville, Florida; and the mother of Ms. Sandra Jackson Jenkins of Dorchester, Massachusetts passed away Monday August 30, 2010 at her home in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
The funeral has been held.
Condolences and other expressions of sympathy and love can be sent to Bishop McKinley and Dr. Dorothy Young at 11857 Honey Locust Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32223, 904-260-9316 and/or Ms. Sandra Jackson Jenkins, 117 Humboldt Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02121, 617-445-6708.
Hotel accommodations can be secured at Hampton Inn and Suites, 811 Massachusetts Avenue, Roxbury, MA, 617-445-6400.
AME Church 11th Episcopal District (11thdistoffice@bellsouth.net)
28. RETIRED GENERAL OFFICER'S CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of Mrs. Jerrie L. Reid, wife of the late Reverend Walter Winstead Reid, Sr., mother of the Reverend Walter Winstead Reid, Jr., (13th Episcopal District), the Reverend Rodric K. Reid, 4th Episcopal District, Deborah Spencer and Laurie Jones; sister-in-law of the retired Reverend Dr. Robert H. Reid, the 18th Editor of The Christian Recorder and the Reverend Dr. Wesley I. Reid (3rd Episcopal District).
Mrs. Jerrie L. Reid passed away on Tuesday, August 31, 2010 in Indianapolis, IN. She was a founding member of Conn-M-Swawo+PK's
The funeral has been held.
Email contact for the sons and daughters of Mrs. Reid:
Deborah Spencer (Robert, Deceased)
spencerknxv@aol.com
Rev. Walter W. Reid Jr. (Brenda)
browwr15@bellsouth.net
Laurie Jones (Stephen)
lmj.1124@yahoo.com
The Rev. Rodric K. Reid (Rev. Tisha)
RKRXJ6@AOL.COM
29. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Mr. Amos W. Carter Jr., brother of Mrs. Geraldine M. Tate and brother-in-law of the Reverend P. Robert Tate, Presiding Elder of the Youngstown District-North Ohio Annual Conference. Mr. Amos W. Carter Jr. passed away on Thursday, September 2, 2010. Funeral Arrangements for Mr. Amos W. Carter Jr., are as follows:
Saturday, September 11, 2010
L. E. Black, Phillips and Holden Funeral Home Inc.
1952 McGuffey Road
Youngstown, Ohio, 44505
Phone (330) 744-7770
Calling Hours: 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Funeral Service: 10:00 a.m.
Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs. Geraldine M. Tate
4593 Michigan Blvd.
Youngstown, Ohio 44505
Phone: (330) 792-3720
Expressions may also be emailed to: prtate@sbcglobal.net
30. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce that retired Itinerant Elder, the Rev. W. C. Roberson of the Sixth Episcopal District and his wife, Mrs. Ruth Roberson lost their daughter LaVerne Roberson on Tuesday morning, August 31, 2010.
The funeral has been held.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
The Rev. W. C. Roberson and Mrs. Ruth Roberson
P. O. Box 282
Cochran, GA 31014
478-934-1198
ruthroberson@bellsouth.net
31. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with saddened hearts that we announce the passing of Mr. Elwell Gaymon, the brother of Reverend Linda Conyers. Reverend Conyers is the pastor of White Oak A.M.E. Church in the Manning District of the Central South Carolina Conference in the Seventh Episcopal District.
The funeral has been held.
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
The Reverend Linda Conyers
1197 Sterling Drive
Manning, SC 29102
Telephone: 803-478-7927
lgconyers@ftc-i.net
Services entrusted to:
Fleming & Delaine Funeral Home
302 West Boyce Street
Manning, SC 29102
803-435-8994
803-435-8360 FAX
32. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Mrs. Verdia Lee Woods, the sister of the Reverend Diane Dalton, Eighth Episcopal District, South Mississippi Conference.
The funeral has been held.
Condolences may be sent to:
The Reverend Rosa S. Burnett
32543 Hwy 18
Utica, MS 39175
1 (901) 268-3353
33. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with great sorrow that we inform you of the passing of the Reverend Jasper Scott, (retired) on August 29, 2010 at St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe, Louisiana.
Services for Reverend Jasper Scott:
The funeral has been held.
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
The Reverend Betty Scott
200 Marx
Monroe, Louisiana 71202
(318) 322-6736
revbettyscott@yahoo.com
34. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of the Reverend Nathaniel L. Williams, a retired itinerant elder, having pastored several churches, of the Philadelphia Annual Conference. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing and Funeral, Saturday, September 4, 2010
Viewing - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral - 11:00 a.m.
Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church
380 North Fairfield Road
Devon, PA 19333
Phone: 610-647-5835
Email: ama9787@aol.com
The Rev. April Martin, Pastor
Bishop Richard F. Norris, Eulogist
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
Mrs. Ella Williams
305 Greenfield Street
Manchester, PA 17345
or
Jackmon Funeral Home
1020 DeKalb Street
Norristown, PA 19401
Phone: 610-656-4787
35. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of Brother James T. Wilson, the uncle of the Reverend Melvin E. Wilson, pastor of St. Luke AMEC in NYC (New York Conference, Manhattan District) and President of the A.M.E. Ministerial Alliance of NY & Vicinity. Brother Wilson passed on Saturday, August 28 in Abington Hospital after a lengthy illness.
The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing and Homegoing Service, Friday, September 3, 2010
Viewing - 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Service - 10:00 a.m.
Christ Baptist Church
1509 Church Lane (at Old York Road)
Philadelphia, PA 19141
Phone: 215-224-2760
The Rev. Arthur Taylor, Pastor
The Rev. Melvin E. Wilson, Eulogist
Interment
Washington Crossing National Cemetery
830 Highland Road
Newtown, PA 18904
The family requests that no flowers be sent. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made (recipient to be named shortly).
Professional Services Entrusted to:
Francis Funeral Home (Uncle T's last employer)
5201 Whitby Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone: 215-747-5200
Fax: 215-747-5201
The Rev. Melvin E. Wilson and family
104 Hutchinson Blvd.
Mount Vernon, NY 10552
36. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We announce with regret the passing of Mrs. Bernice Postell, sister of Presiding Elder Elijah Smith, Southwest Georgia Conference, Eastern District. Mrs. Postell passed on Friday night. Please keep them in your prayers.
Services for Mrs. Bernice Postell are as follows:
Wake: Friday, September 3, 2010
6:00 p.m.
C. J. Edwards Funeral Home, Inc.
409 Preston Street
Fort Valley, GA 31030
478-825-2730
Homegoing:
Saturday, September 4, 2010
11:00 a.m.
Liberty Praise Holiness Church
211 Davidson Drive
Fort Valley, GA 31030
478-825-2730
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Presiding Elder Elijah Smith, Sr.
2008 Armory Drive
Americus, GA 31719
229-928-9727
Email: elijahsmith01@bellsouth.net
37. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Mr. Henry Warren, the beloved father of First Lady, the Reverend Ellen Rice, Mrs. Susan Baskin and the father-in-law of the Reverend Dr. C. Calvin Rice, Senior Pastor of Canaan AME Church, Maywood, IL. Mr. Henry Warren passed on Tuesday, August 25, 2010 in Detroit, MI.
Service Arrangements for Mr. Henry Warren:
Public Viewing
Tuesday, Saturday, August 31, 2010
3:00 PM-8:00 PM
Barksdale Funeral Home
1120 E State Fair
Detroit, Michigan 49203
Homegoing Worship Service
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Family Hour - 10:00 AM
Bethel AME Church
5050 Richard Allen Blvd.
Detroit, Michigan 48202
The Reverend Alford Johnson, Pastor
Church Office (313) 831-8810
Eulogist: The Reverend Dr. C. Calvin Rice
Condolences and Expressions of Love may be sent to:
The Rev. C. Calvin & the Rev. Ellen Rice & Family
1665 Asbury Lane
Romeoville, Ill 60446
Phone: (815) 230-3233
Cell: (317) 385-2206
Email: RevRiceC6@Yahoo.Com
Professional Arrangements provided by:
Barksdale Funeral Home
1120 E. State Fair
Detroit, MI 48203
(313) 368-7773
38. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of Mr. Alonzo Paul Moss (99), the father of Dr. Marie Phillips Braxton, assistant pastor of Metropolitan AME Church, Washington, DC, father-in-law of Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Braxton, pastor of Metropolitan AME Church and the uncle of Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, presiding prelate, 13th Episcopal District.
Service Arrangements for Mr. Moss:
Friday, September 10, 2010
Family Visitation - 10:00 a.m.
Funeral - 11:00 a.m.
St. James Episcopal Church
829 N. Arlington Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21217
(410) 523-4568
Professional Arrangements:
Vaughn C. Green Funeral Home
8728 Liberty Road
Randallstown, MD 21133
(410) 655-0015; (410) 521-9570 [f]
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to Vaughn C. Green Funeral Home at (410) 521-9570 [f]
Or to:
Dr. Marie Phillips Braxton & the Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Braxton
6805 Diploma Drive
Laurel, Maryland 20708
And:
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie
13th Episcopal District AMEC
500 8th Avenue, S
Nashville, TN 37203
615-242-6814
615-242-2496 - FAX
Submitted by,
The Family
39. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of the Reverend Alfonso Sherald, pastor of Bethel AMEC, Morristown, New Jersey (New Jersey Annual Conference, Newark District). Rev. Sherald was a member of the Board of Incorporators/Trustee of the AME Church, the president of the Morristown NAACP and a Chaplain at the Youth Guidance Center of Morris County. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing and Funeral, Saturday, September 11, 2010
Viewing - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral - 11:00 a.m.
Calvary Baptist Church
10 Martin Luther King Drive
Phone: 610-647-5835
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: 973-267-8912
Fax: 973-455-0855
The Rev. Jerry Carter, Pastor
Bishop Richard F. Norris, Eulogist
Professional Services are entrusted to:
Rowe-Lanterman home for Funerals
71 Washington Street
Morristown, NJ 07960
Phone: 973-538-0520 Fax: 973-539-2880
Hotel Arrangements for out of town guest:
Hyatt Morristown at Headquarters Plaza
3 Speedwell Avenue
Morristown, NJ 07960
1-800-492-8804 (Rev. Sherald Funeral Guest)
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
Miss Geraldine Sherald
227-02 88th Avenue, Apt. 2
Queens Village, NY 11427
40. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of the Reverend Melford Mesquitta, a retired Itinerant Elder of the New England Conference. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Viewing and Homegoing Service, Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Viewing - 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Service - 12 noon
Bethel A.M.E. Church
532 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: 508-997-2410
The Rev. Irma Thibodeaux, Pastor
Bishop Richard F. Norris, Eulogist
Professional Services are entrusted to:
Saunders/Dwyer Funeral Home
495 Park Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: 508-994-0100
Fax: 508-997-7772
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
The family of Melford Mesquitta
P. O. Box 294
North Carver, MA 02335
Or
Bethel A.M.E. Church
6 Sever Street
Plymouth, MA 02360
Phone: 508-746-4239
Fax: 508-746-4239
41. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with saddened hearts that we announce the passing of Mrs. Christina Polk-Osumah, the daughter of the Late Rev. Dr. A. R. Polk and Dr. Sallie Polk who served as the former pastor and first lady of St. Paul A.M.E. Church - Detroit, MI. Mrs. Polk-Osumah was the former Michigan Conference Y.P.D Director and served as mentor at every level to numerous young people in the Y.P.D.
Service Arrangements for Christina Polk-Osumah:
Public Viewing: Thursday, September 9, 2010
12:00 noon - 9:00 pm
Swanson Funeral Home
14751 W McNichols Rd.
Detroit, MI 48235
313-272-9000 Phone
313-
Funeral: Friday, September 10, 2010
Family Hour - 11:00 am
Funeral - 12:00 noon
St. Paul AME Church - Downtown
2260 Hunt St.
Detroit, MI 48207
313-567-9643 Phone
313-567-7144 Fax
The Rev. Councilman André L. Spivey, Pastor
Expressions of sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
Garrett Osumah (Son)
3300 Sherbourne
Detroit, MI 48221
313-861-0281
Dr. Sallie Polk (Mother)
3300 Sherbourne
Detroit, MI 48221
313-861-0281
Hotel Arrangements provided by:
Hotel St. Regis
3071 West Grand Boulevard
Detroit, MI 48202
313-873-3000
CODE: Polk Family
42. 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
Web page: http://www.amecfic.org/
Phone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Phone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
BLOG: http://ameccfic.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMEC_CFIC
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
43. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Richard Franklin Norris; 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
