Bishop T. Larry Kirkland - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
Mark and Save Date in your Calendars:
April:
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April 15-21 as National Minority Cancer Awareness Week
AME Church Connectional Day of Prayer – April 13, 2013
Pentecost Sunday May 19, 2013
General Board Meeting - June 22-26, 2013
Bishop Sarah F. Davis Investiture – June 24, 2013
1. TCR EDITORIAL – TRAINING, TRAINING AND MORE TRAINING (PART 1):The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
Mark and Save Date in your Calendars:
April:
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April 15-21 as National Minority Cancer Awareness Week
AME Church Connectional Day of Prayer – April 13, 2013
Pentecost Sunday May 19, 2013
General Board Meeting - June 22-26, 2013
Bishop Sarah F. Davis Investiture – June 24, 2013
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III,
The 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
We have a problem in many historically black churches and we have problems in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. I am not going to address the black church, I am going to focus this conversation on the AME Church because as retired Navy Chaplain (Colonel) Carroll Chambliss used to say, the African Methodist Episcopal Church is “The Church of My Choice.”
All organizations experience problems, but an organization’s strategy for dealing with problems before their problems become conditions tells the story of an organization’s effectiveness. The AME Church, as with every other organization, has good news and bad news.
The good news
I have said it before and I will say it again, the AME Church has the best preachers on the planet. If we didn’t have a workshop or seminar on preaching, we would not be negatively affected. As important as preaching is if we didn’t have preaching at any of our connectional meetings for the next year, we wouldn’t be worse off for the absence of preaching, because preaching is our forte. That’s a skill that AME preachers, in small, medium, large and mega-sized churches possess.
Across the board, the AME church probably has the best music of any denomination. The organists who play the pipe organ can compete with the best organists. And, those who play the Hammond or gospel organ are among the best. And, I suspect that the AME Church is in the forefront of musicians who can play reading the music and “by ear.” We have, perhaps, the most versatile musicians of any denomination. Our connectional music program is unique and expanding.
We have the best choirs and the best singers on the planet! If the truth be told, we do not need to bring musicians and choirs to any of our meetings because we have superb talent in our churches.
Our AME all-inclusive clergy is among the best-trained clergy in the world. We have a multi-trained ministry. WE have pastors who are board-certified counselors, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) trained pastors and even CPE supervisors in our ranks. We have ordained itinerant elders who serve in the military, Veteran Affairs and as prison chaplains; and to serve in those positions they have to be fully qualified.
We have itinerant elders who have doctoral degrees, who serve as professors in top-rated universities and theological seminaries. We have world-renowned itinerant elders who can stand “head and shoulders” with the best-trained clergy anywhere in the world.
The good news is that our clergy is among the best and if probably the best of any denomination.
The good news is that the African Methodist Episcopal Church has all of the resources that it needs to be an outstanding global denomination.
The AME Church does not lack talent and God has blessed us with a rich heritage that continues to this day. We, AMEs, need to stop “scratching like chickens” and began to soar like eagles; but, that’s another editorial.
Whenever there is good news, there is almost always some bad news.
The bad news
We spend far too much time in church. Actually it’s a paradox. We spend too much time in church, but on the other hand we do not spend enough time in church - “Too much Sunday, not enough Monday – Saturday!”
A Sunday morning worship service does not need to run more than 2 hours; and that’s probably a bit too long.
We don’t have limits on worship, but common sense and consideration for older parishioners and children should prevail. I suspect some pastors conduct marathon worship services because they are trying to compensate for what does not happen the other six days of the week, and thus the paradox – a lack of weekday religious programs; and in that sense, we don’t spend enough time in church. Long worship services might be an unconscious or conscious attempt to fit a week’s worth of ministry in the Sunday morning worship.
I am not trying to “quench” the Holy Spirit, but having a Spirit-filled worship that has movement, creativity, drama and an outpouring of God’s Spirit where parishioners can feel, resonate with, and receive God’s blessing because of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
So we have folks spending too much time in church, while at the same time not spending enough time in church. Over-compensating at the Sunday Morning worship cannot address the ministry that should be taking place the other six days of the week. Any other business would fail with our design of a “part-time, overcompensation” model of doing business.
Unfortunately, too many of our churches are in lock-down; not even a bag-lunch opportunity for senior citizens during the week. Doors are locked so tightly a person can’t even stop by the church for prayer.
The problem in some of our churches include sermons that are too long, too much singing, excessively-long announcements and too much redundancy; too much quantity and not enough quality. We have “a quantity” and sometimes “a lack of quality” problem on the conference, district and connectional level too. Too much “quantity” and “lack of quality” is indicative of a lack of planning – trying to do too much in a limited space of time. Events that run from early evening to past midnight are indicative of a lack of planning.
Should be a model
Connectional, district and annual conference meetings should model how local churches are expected to function.
Something else no one will say
We have a glaring absence of training at far too many of our connectional, district and annual conference meetings.
Much of the agenda at our connectional, district and annual conference meetings focuses upon the business of the church, which is necessary and it’s a good thing that the church takes care of its business; and that’s good news.
The bad news is that we do not spend time training; and by that I mean serious theological, academic and professional training. The church, at every level should require some, at least one, mandatory assessment training.
For instance, when The Discipline is published, literally, within minutes, AME global mandatory assessment-qualifying training should be provided on the contents of The 2012 Discipline. Every AME pastor should be required to attend and pass a qualifying exam on the Disciple, even if it’s an “open-book” exam. The AME church has pedagogists in the U.S. and abroad who are capable to developing an assessment document.
It’s interesting to note, when I served as an Army chaplain, where all of the clergy were fully academically-trained, we had a mandatory training event once a month – twelve times a year. The monthly training event was a requirement and a training officer was responsible for setting up the training schedule. I saw the importance of scheduled training. And, after every training event there was a written evaluation so the participants could share the strengths and weaknesses of the training, which motivated the training officer to provide the best training possible. Some of the training was routine, but other training modules were serious academic sessions on homiletics, leadership training, pastoral care and counseling, theology, MBTI training, and other relevant training related to ministry. We were kept abreast of the latest scholarship related to ministry. Most of the time, local trainers provided the training.
In the university setting there was continuous opportunities for faculty training. Faculty members who expected to be promoted had to “stay on top of their game.” And, as in the case of the military chaplaincy, most of the time, trainers came from the local academic community.
Training, training, and more training
Let me say upfront, we need to take training seriously and I believe our episcopal districts have the available training resources in their episcopal districts. We need to invest as much time in teaching as we do in promoting… (To be continued in the next edition).
TCR Editor’s Note: We welcome people to write op-ed articles.
2. YOU ARE INVITED TO SPEAK OUT - THE CAMPAIGN TO END GUN VIOLENCE:
Fellow AMEs:
The need to end Gun Violence throughout this country should not be debatable, yet it is - in the US Senate and the US House of Representatives. In the neighborhoods that we minister to and serve, and for far too many people, gun violence has become "something that expected even though not wanted".
Now, the drive to reduce gun violence in the USA has the strong support and attention of the White House and our Chief, President Obama. Over 40 faith groups have come together to form Faiths Against Gun Violence, AME components have spoken out, and other coalitions have developed their campaigns. What is missing is YOUR strong and consistent voice in the dialogue..... at the table..... as a Advocate. Our church - the AME Church is a part of the advocates to End Gun Violence... and our leaders have been engaged, but our true voice cannot be heard unless YOU are speaking!
Please take the time to join me as we respond the White House Office of Public Engagement. See below and keep me posted on your efforts.
Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Director, Social Action Commission AME Church
Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Chair, Social Action Commission AME Church
3. FROM THE WHITE HOUSE - OFFICE OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
What did you feel after Newtown? Anger? Sadness? Helplessness? But here’s the thing: you can help. You can do something. You can help stop the tragedies. Here’s how:
• Sign on here with Twitter or Facebook: http://www.whitehouse.gov/nowisthetime/action
• Encourage YOUR followers to join in (sample tweet): "I just spoke out to support common-sense steps to reduce gun violence. #NowIsTheTime to act. Add your name, too: http://wh.gov/nowisthetime/action"
• Keep the conversation going by using the hashtag #NowIsTheTime
• Learn more about the President's common-sense proposals to reduce gun violence here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/preventing- gun-violence
Retweet: @Whitehouse: https://twitter.com/whitehouse/status/322370957475995648 "I just spoke out to support common-sense steps to reduce gun violence. #NowIsTheTime"
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/11/make-your-voice-heard-now-time-do-something-about-gun-violence
In January, President Obama proposed a series of executive actions to help keep our kids and communities safe, and put forward a set of commonsense proposals for Congress to consider that can make a real difference in protecting our citizens from gun violence. But they are only going to act on them if they hear from the American people.
You can make your voice heard by joining the White House call for action on social media. Here's how it works:
1. Sign on to share a tweet or Facebook message through our action page here:wh.gov/nowisthetime/action
2. We'll gather as many voices as we can, then post all the messages and tweets simultaneously for maximum impact
3. The more people who sign up, the louder our collective voice will be, so after you sign on, encourage your friends and family to participate.
Learn more about the President's proposals here, and keep the conversation going on your social networks with the hashtag #NowIsTheTime.
4. SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH:
*Mrs. Deborah Taylor-King
The month of April has been designated “Sexual Assault Awareness Month” (SAAM) in the United States. The goal of SAAM is to raise awareness about sexual violence and to educate individuals, churches and communities on how to prevent sexual assault and abuse.
What is Sexual Assault? Sexual assault happens when someone forces or manipulates someone else into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Absence of resistance or physical injury does not mean consent.
Listen to Sexual Assault Statistics:
Rape is the fastest growing violent crime in the U.S.
1 in 3 women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
1 in 4 girls will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18.
1 in 6 boys will be sexually assaulted by the age of 18.
Every ninety seconds, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
95% of rape victims are female.
1 in 7 married women are raped by their husbands.
73% of those forced to have sex fail to recognize their experience as rape.
82% of rape survivors say the rape permanently changed them.
Approximately 68% of rape victims knew their assailants
575 of rapes happen on dates
30% of rape survivors contemplate suicide after the rape.
[Sources: The U. S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Warsaw, R., I Never Called It Rage, New York, Harper Collins, Publisher 1994.]
During April 2013, the Connectional Women’s Missionary Society will join forces with the SAAM initiative to help bring churches, societies, communities and states together in an effort to prevent sexual assault!
Through coordinated planning of special events, we can raise awareness… we can bring media attention…and we can bring momentum to prevent and eradicate sexual assault. YES WE CAN!
This April, we are asking each local church and/or Episcopal District to engage in a “Week of Action!”
The Connectional Women’s Missionary Society proudly joins the National Sexual Violence Resource Center to suggest “Ten Ways to Make a Difference”:
Host a “Breakfast With” event - Invite local legislators, who have sponsored legislation that addresses sexual violence to talk about contemporary trends in anti-sexual violence law. You can also invite local business leaders, law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and other groups that would be impacted by pending or recently passed legislation. Make sure that your organization’s services are highlighted during the presentation. If possible, have speakers and presenters wear stickers, pins, or T-shirts advertising your organization.
Honor Denim Day - Denim Day is an international protest responding to the Italian Supreme Court's overruling of a rape conviction in 1999. An Italian woman was raped, and when the case went to trial, the jury found her assailant guilty. The Supreme Court then overturned the ruling, saying that jeans are too difficult to remove and the assailant could not have done so without the victim’s help. To honor Denim Day, people are encouraged to wear jeans to work or school in order to promote awareness. Your organization can also print stickers or buttons with Denim Day slogans on them, to encourage people to ask, “What is Denim Day?” To make this event successful, effective promotion is key. Publicize this event to as many businesses and schools as possible.
Information about sexual assault should be sent out with the information about Denim Day. Peace over Violence (formerly the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women), sponsors a Denim Day in LA campaign with related resources. For more, visit www.denimdayinla.org.
Suggest a faith-based community challenge - Challenge area faith communities to address sexual violence during April in services, prayer sessions and through articles, and donations to local rape crisis centers. Remember to ask for permission to have sexual assault information on display throughout the month.
Launch a letter-writing campaign - Some organizations take part in political advocacy during Sexual Assault Awareness Month by writing letters to local, state, territory, tribal and national government officials about policies related to sexual violence that affect your community.
Sponsor a movie screening - There are several films you can highlight during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Use discussion guides to get the audience thinking and talking about sexual violence and the issues addressed in the movie. Inquire at local theatres about having specific movies shown during April, with a portion of proceeds donated to local sexual violence centers as another way of raising awareness.
Offer a poster contest - Hold a contest for students to create your organization’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month posters. Use social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter to promote the contest and announce the winner. Offer a prize for the winner to attract more submissions.
Shine some “Light” on sexual violence - The concept of Shine the Light on Sexual Violence was originally developed by the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles Sexual Assault Crisis Program. Shine the Light can be as simple as encouraging the community to use car headlights, candles, lamps, or flashlights to develop awareness about sexual violence. You may also choose to coordinate a community event such as a candlelight vigil at dusk, for which you designate a time and place for the community to gather. Remember to disseminate flyers with the event information, including location and time, before the date in order to increase community participation.
Welcome survivors to “Speak Out” - This type of event creates a safe space for survivors of all forms of sexual violence to “speak out” about their experience, recovery, and healing. Choose a fairly quiet location for your event and ensure that local rape crisis center professionals are on hand to provide assistance to speakers and/or audience members in need. One option is to have two podiums and microphones set up, one for survivors that are willing to have their stories recorded by local or campus media, and one for those who do not want press coverage.
Support V-Day - V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sexual slavery. Through V-Day campaigns, local volunteers and college students produce annual benefit performances of “The Vagina Monologues” to raise awareness and funds for anti-violence groups within their own communities. The V-Day website (www.vday.org) provides information on holding a Vagina Monologues event in your community. V-Day events often occur during the month of April but also take place throughout the calendar year.
Invest in traditional as well as non-traditional outreach. For instance, still use a press release and brochure or flyers, but, also create events on FACEBOOK and consider launching a blog or creating an outreach video during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
As officers and members of the Women’s Missionary Society, God has called and commissioned us to make a difference.
So, let’s not just talk about it…let’s BE about it!
Be involved!
Be advocates!
Be about change!
It’s time…it’s time to talk about it!
Talk early, talk often. Prevent sexual violence.
Dr. Shirley Cason-Reed is the President of the AMEC WMS
Deborah Taylor King, Chair, Commission on Christian Social Action
Resource: National Sexual Violence Resource Center, resources@nsvrc.org
*Mrs. Deborah Taylor-King is the First Vice-President of the Connectional Women’s Missionary Society of African Methodist Episcopal Church
5. DR. RUTH HILL JONES OLDEST MEMBER OF QUINN CHAPEL LOUISVILLE DIES:
Dr. Ruth Hill Jones, 103, second daughter of the late Reverend and Mrs. John Acton Hill was born in Somerset, KY, on July 31, 1909. Dr. Ruth Hill Jones passed on Saturday, April 6, 2013. Dr. Jones earned the honor of Life Membership in the Women’s Missionary Society of the AME Church for more than 25 years of meritorious service in 2004.
She graduated from Central High School in 1927. Dr. Ruth holds degrees from Wilberforce University, the University of Chicago and Indiana University. She united with Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church in 1941. She worked as a teacher and librarian in the Jefferson County Public School system for 41 years. Additionally, she served as the librarian at Simmons Bible College for 20 years.
Dr. Jones was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
She leaves behind her niece, Ann Blackwell; grandnephew, Devin W. Blackwell, who affectionately called her "Lil Girl" (Marshelle); great-niece, Daisy Ann; great-nephew, Devin Jr.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Sunday at her church, 1901 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. Visitation will be 1- 2 p.m. Sunday at the church. A.D. Porter & Sons Funeral Home entrusted with arrangements.
Online condolences: www.adporters.com
6. AME YOUTH RELIVE HISTORIC WALK ON BIRMINGHAM “LIVING BEYOND THE LEGACY”:
AME-YPD Leadership Training Institute – “Living Beyond the Legacy”
More than 700 youth from the AME Church attended the annual YPD Leadership Training Institute which was held in Birmingham, Alabama this year, April 5-7, 2013. Youth from AME churches all over the USA attended including one young person from South Africa. Among those in attendance were 50 youth and adult supporters from AME churches in Texas which comprises the 10th Episcopal District of the AME Church. The 10th Episcopal District is headed by Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and Supervisor Stan McKenzie.
Ms. Carmen Jones, 10th Episcopal District YPD Director, organized a motor coach “Unity Tour” to promote bonding and unity among Texas youth who attended the Institute. The weekend also offered leadership training workshops and youth-led worship experiences with powerful praise, worship and preaching all focused on the theme “Living beyond the Legacy”. A highlight of the weekend was the opportunity to relive Dr. Martin Luther King’s historic walk on Birmingham as the 700+ youth walked from the Sheraton Hotel to the Civil Rights Museum and park in downtown Birmingham. The walk included a tour of the museum and lunch provided by the St. John AME Church. The Texas delegation also paused for a photo opportunity on the steps of the historic 16th Street Baptist Church.
Bishop McKenzie is the 117th elected and consecrated Bishop of the AME Church and first woman to be elected Bishop in the 213 year history of the predominantly African American denomination. She is also Chair of the Commission on Global Witness and Ministry for the AME Church and was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Advisory Council of the White House Faith-Based and Neighbourhood Partnership.
7. WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR SELECTED FOR CLIMATE CONTROL WORKSHOP:
Professor D.R. Buffinger has been selected to attend the 2nd Annual Climate Studies Course Implementation Workshop in Washington, DC from May 19-24, 2013. As a signatory of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), Wilberforce University has committed to using Dr. Buffinger’s workshop experience to create a course in Climate Studies during the 2013-2014 academic year. “This workshop and the subsequent course will allow our students to gain increased awareness of climate change factors and become better stewards of planet earth,” says Wilberforce University President Patricia Hardaway.
With a focus on climate change and sustainability-related topics, the May 2013 workshop will feature presentations from climate scientists at NOAA, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Howard University, George Mason University, James Madison University, and other DC-area educational and research institutions. Participating faculty will learn how to offer AMS Climate Studies and be trained as local climate education leaders. They will be invited to the January 2014 AMS Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA to report on their course implementation progress. Program funding is provided through the National Science Foundation Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences Award #1107968.
8. THE BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPS FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS:
By Freddie Allen
NNPA Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – There wasn’t much good news for any of the worker groups in the March jobs report, released last Friday. Even though, the unemployment rate fell to 7.6 percent, most economists agree that the drop is attributable to nearly half a million workers exiting the labor force.
“The unemployment numbers look good on the surface, but the real reason is that people left the labor force,” said Steven Pitts, labor economist at the University of California at Berkeley.
The Black unemployment rate decreased from 13.8 percent in February to 13.3 percent in March. The White unemployment rate also declined from 6.8 percent to 6.7 percent over the same period.
The unemployment rate for Black men declined from 12.9 percent in February to 12.7 percent in March. The jobless rate for White men dipped from 6.3 percent to 6.1 percent over the same period.
The jobless rate for Black women over 20 years old slid from 12.5 percent in February to 12.3 percent in March. The unemployment rate for White women over 20 years old climbed slightly from 6 percent in February to 6.1 percent in March.
The employment participation rate, a measure of those either employed or looking for work, fell for all worker groups over 20 years old except for White women, which was the same in February.
In a post for the Economic Policy Institute website, Heidi Shierholz, an economist for the think tank, wrote that the decline in the employment participation rate, also called the labor force participation rate, has nothing to do with retiring baby boomers.
“The labor force participation rate of the ‘prime-age’ population, people age 25–54, is also at its lowest point of the downturn, 81.1 percent. It’s the lack of job opportunities—the lack of demand for workers—that is keeping these workers from working or seeking work, not other factors,” wrote Shierholz.
According to the Labor Department, 496,000 workers left the labor force joining more than 800,000 discouraged workers who have already given up hope of finding work.
Federal government shed 14,000 jobs in March, continuing to drag down anemic job gains, raising early concerns about the effects of the sequester, the automatic budget cuts that went into affect last month.
“This could be the tip of the iceberg in terms of the larger impact of the sequester,” said Pitts.
In her post on EPI’s website Shierholz wrote that, since the recovery began in June 2009, the public sector has lost 720,000 jobs with nearly half of that (352,000) in local, public education.
In a statement released last Friday Congressional Black Caucus Chair Marcia L. Fudge said:
“While the private sector has steadily added jobs for 37 months, the public sector, where many African Americans are employed, continued to lose them. Last month 385,000 more requests for unemployment benefits were made and by year’s end, sequestration threatens to put an additional 750,000 people with full time jobs out of work. If Congress cannot come to an agreement on the best way to address this country’s fiscal health, these statistics show our economic future remains in jeopardy.”
http://www.blackvoicenews.com/news/news-wire/48747-the-black-unemployment-rate-drops-for-all-the-wrong-reasons.html
9. LEADERS URGE OBAMA TO END WAR ON DRUGS:
Written by Michelle Phipps-Evans
African-American leaders hosted a press conference to urge President Barack Obama to end the War on Drugs, on April 4, the 45th Anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Recommend Investing in Black Communities
African-American leaders recently announced a day of direct action to pressure President Barack Obama to end the longstanding War on Drugs, which historically led to the mass incarceration of young black men and women; and to instead invest in jobs, economic development and social programs in black communities.
"To say we're disappointed in some of the policies of this president is not an understatement," said Dr. Ron Daniels, president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW), an advocacy organization based in New York. "We're disappointed in his stance on the War on Drugs. This is his second term. What's he waiting for?"
Daniels convened a press conference on April 4 at the National Press Club in Northwest to bring attention to the upcoming day of action on Monday, June 17, the 42nd Anniversary of the War on Drugs. More than 30 individuals attended the press conference in the Zenger Room to show their support for the upcoming day of action.
Daniels has enlisted a group to spread the word.
Leading up to the day of action, faith leaders and other community organizers will educate congregations and the community in the greater Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., areas to mobilize participants to take part in a rally at Lafayette Park near the White House.
The IBW, a national network of scholars and advocates, believes the War on Drugs is actually a "War on Us," a racially biased policy and strategy, the "New Jim Crow," which has devastated black families nationwide. This war led to policing tactics such as the stop-and-frisk programs, tougher and unequal sentencing for drug possession, and mass incarcerations. The mass incarcerations subsequently led to higher levels of joblessness, underemployment, crime, violence and fratricide within communities of color, said Daniels, a lecturer at York College, City University of New York.
There was, in fact, a different philosophy when it came to policing largely African-American communities years ago, said Ronald Hampton, a 20-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hampton, who has since retired from the police department, and focuses much of his energy on educational issues, said a double standard, existed.
"It wasn't written policy in terms of what they wanted us to do, but it was an unwritten policy," said Hampton, a native Washingtonian and Ward 4 resident. "There were brutal civil rights violations in our community. But when we were fighting crime in Ward 3, these oppressive tactics were not [utilized]." Hampton said that in poorer communities, residents weren't involved in solving crimes; but in affluent ones, there was an emphasis on "community policing."
"Poor people don't complain," he said. "It's part of the environment and part of public policy."
Hampton, who is a member of a justice collaborative, including IBW, made his comments following the press conference on April 4, the 45th anniversary of the death of civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The justice collaborative comprises social justice, drug and criminal reform advocates, organizations that have partnered with IBW to ensure that the day of direct action is a success.
"What's the real War on Drugs all about?" asked Dr. Divine Pryor, executive director for the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions, the only think tank in the U.S., led by formerly incarcerated individuals. "When you launch a war, there's an enemy. There's a choice to criminalize addiction, which the American Medical Association has diagnosed as a disease."
Forty-two years after President Richard Nixon declared a War on Drugs, to halt drug trafficking in the United States, Daniels said the policy has disproportionately targeted people of color.
It was a decision to use "zero tolerance," paramilitary policing strategies, "get tough" laws and mandatory sentencing to pacify "out of control" Black communities, rather than focus on social, racial and economic justice, Daniels said.
According to IBW's research, African Americans comprise an estimated 15 percent of drug users and account for 27 percent of those arrested on drug charges, 59 percent of those convicted, and 74 percent of all drug offenders sentenced to prison.
The press conference was convened on the heels of the Good Friday silent march and rally led by the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Northwest to increase awareness of the disproportionate arrest rates of African Americans. Daniels is hopeful that the increased public pressure on the "state of emergency in black America," will encourage President Obama to move on the "manifesto," the collaborative will present in June.
The group wants the president to intensify efforts to eliminate disparities in sentencing between powdered and crack cocaine; to issue an Executive Order terminating the War on Drugs and replace it with an initiative that treats drug addiction as a public health concern; to issue an Executive Order ending the use of incarcerated persons as prison labor; to publicly support decriminalization of the possession of small quantities of marijuana; and to form a presidential commission to initiate a national dialogue on the regulation and taxation of drugs.
In terms of paying a debt to society, Courtney Stewart, chair of the nonprofit, the Reentry Network for Returning Citizens, said there're many different categories of crime that shouldn't be lumped together.
"Nobody's saying that crime isn't a problem in our community," said Stewart, 50. "But we have to look at the broader issue of crime in understanding that not all are the same. Some people are only associated with others, and they all get put together. Many were previously incarcerated for non-violent and minor offenses yet face tremendous difficulties in rebuilding their lives."
http://washingtoninformer.com/index.php/us/item/13507-black-leaders-urge-obama-to-end-war-on-drugs
10. COMMENTARY: CHANGE OR DIE:
*Tom Ehrich
(RNS) Church is being reinvented. So are technology and education. And all for the same reasons.
Facebook just started moving Google’s cheese with its launch of Home. An army of upstarts in Silicon Valley is challenging the hegemony of Microsoft. Nothing is staying the same; disruption is the path to prosperity.
The reason: the marketplace is highly dynamic. New needs emerge. New products stimulate new needs. New entrants want to make a difference right away. Problems and opportunities multiply faster than bureaucratic pillars can respond.
In education, new technology such as online learning is ramping up tension between bricks-and-mortar institutions and students seeking affordable education.
Many church leaders continue to believe that reinvention is an optional choice they can or cannot make. They think they can control the pace of change and shape its outcomes.
Those attitudes are delusional. The reality is: reinvent or die. The pace of change is driven by external factors, not by earnest deliberations and visioning exercises. As Jesus himself found, we have no control over outcomes.
What does a reinvented church look like? Take your pick. Depending on the constituency being sought, it can take many forms, thus confounding cultural stereotypes of organized religion.
The reinvented church can rent space in a strip mall, university or school. Not as a temporary way-station on the road to erecting an edifice, but as an ongoing solution to inflexible and costly overhead.
It can create satellite operations, such as the congregation in Manhattan whose 5,000 young adults meet in four separate locations at four separate times on Sunday.
The reinvented church can downplay Sunday morning altogether. Meet instead on weeknights and Sunday evenings, when young adults are more likely to be available.
Or don’t gather at all, in the sense of the whole congregation being together in one place. Focus instead on a network of small groups and house churches, which nurture strong relationships and are what Jesus himself envisioned.
Or focus on a tech version, like Oklahoma-centered LifeChurch.tv, which has 15 locations around the country plus an online church.
A reinvented church can go intentionally small. Some house churches have no desire to grow, to depend on clergy or to join denominations. They meet, talk, worship, pray, sing and provide mutual care.
Many traditional congregations are trying to reinvent themselves by going hybrid. They offer a standard Sunday morning service — but go way beyond it with additional offerings, alternative styles, small groups and satellite presences.
Even staid denominations are open to reinvention efforts. The United Methodist Church in Atlanta, for example, allowed and now encourages a start-up called Sacred Tapestry that meets in a strip mall and takes the form of a coffee house serving brunch.
Reinvention touches everything. Clergy become communicators and organizers. Small groups provide pastoral care. Worship has a leader walking the aisle or leading an on-stage combo, not an organist seated at a bench. Classes deploy online tools. Evangelism uses social media, not doorstep conversation. Mission projects matter more than parish history.
Communications promote networking, not institutional needs and offerings. Vestments that set clergy apart give way to jeans and sport coats — whatever says we’re in this together.
None of this is exactly new, but the willingness to experiment and to reinvent seems to have swept into most corners of the Christian enterprise in America.
Congregations that cannot push past an older generation’s loathing of such reinvention are likely to wither away.
*Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus” and founder of the Church Wellness Project. His website is www.morningwalkmedia.com. Follow Tom on Twitter @tomehrich.)
11. PROVIDING A PLACE AT THE TABLE FOR ALL PEOPLE WILL BE THE FOCUS OF BREAD FOR THE WORLD’S 2013 NATIONAL GATHERING:
Washington, D.C., April 9, 2013 – Bread for the World invites members and anti-hunger advocates from around the country to Washington, D.C., June 8-11 for the 2013 National Gathering. The organization’s premier event features renowned preachers, high-level government officials, members of Congress, development and nutrition experts, and other well-known speakers—presiding over worship, delivering legislative information, engaging participants in anti-hunger advocacy, and more.
Consistent with Bread’s 2013 Offering of Letters campaign, which petitions President Barack Obama to set a goal and work with Congress on a plan to end hunger, this year’s National Gathering is themed “A Place at the Table.” Bread for the World joined forces with Participant Media last month for the release of A Place at the Table: Bread for the World’s 2013 Offering of Letters and A Place at the Table, a documentary film about hunger in the United States.
“The National Gathering is significant because congressional budget debates continue to threaten hungry and poor people worldwide,” said Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “We pray that the drumbeat of activities—from the new documentary to our Offering of Letters and our National Gathering—will raise awareness and spark change.”
On Saturday, June 8, participants and local residents will enjoy a performance of Lazarus, based on the parable in the New Testament. Originally composed for Bread for the World by Joel Underwood, the musical will be resurrected with new music and staging by musician Bill Cummings. The next morning, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, whom Newsweek named as one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world, will deliver a powerful message at the Sunday worship service. The schedule for that evening also includes a special screening of A Place at the Table.
On Monday, June 10, participants will interact with international development experts, nongovernmental organization leaders, and policymakers regarding progress and next steps in global maternal and child nutrition at the biennial International Meeting, co-hosted by Concern Worldwide.
“The international community must continue to support foreign assistance programs that reduce extreme poverty and hunger around the world by emphasizing better nutrition for women and children,” said Asma Lateef, director of Bread for the World Institute. “We look forward to reuniting with this dynamic group of thought leaders at this year’s International Meeting to look at how far we’ve come and map out next steps.”
After three days of worship, education, networking, and engagement, the National Gathering will culminate with Bread for the World’s annual Lobby Day on June 11. Participants will meet with their senators, representatives, and congressional staffs to advocate for U.S. foreign assistance that effectively reduces poverty.
From now until April 30, the cost to attend the National Gathering is $185 ($150 for students), with limited scholarships available. For more information, please visit http://www.bread.org/event/gathering-2013/. To join the National Gathering conversation on Twitter, please use hash tag #BreadRising.
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Bread for the World (www.bread.org) is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad.
12. THE SEVENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT 2013 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE:
The Rt. Rev. Richard Franklin Norris, Presiding Prelate
Mrs. Mary Ann Norris, Episcopal Supervisor
August 11, 2013 Palmetto Annual Conference – DMC
Location TBD
August 12 – 17, 2013 Palmetto Annual Conference
Session 103rd Session
Host Church: St. Luke AME Church, Charleston
Host Pastor: The Reverend Herbert L. Temoney
Host Presiding Elder: The Reverend Dr. Allen W. Parrott
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Dr. Juenarrl Keith
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Rosalyn G. Coleman
August 25, 2013 Northeast Annual Conference – DMC
Location TBD
August 26 – 31, 2013 Northeast Annual Conference
Session 122nd Session
Host Church: New Zion AME Church, Bishopville
Host Pastor: The Reverend Archie Temoney
Host Presiding Elder: The Reverend Dr. Robert L. McCants
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Dr. William Smith, Jr.
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Robert Cooper, Sr.
September 8, 2013 Columbia Annual Conference – DMC
Location TBD
September 9 – 14, 2013 Columbia Annual Conference
Session 136th Session
Host Church: Pine Grove AME Church, Columbia
Host Pastor: The Reverend Dr. James Cooper
Host Presiding Elder: The Reverend Joseph Postell
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Sandy Drayton
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Dr. James R. Glover
September 22, 2013 South Carolina Annual Conference – DMC
Location TBD
September 23 – 28, 2013 South Carolina Annual Conference
Session 150th Session
Host Church: Mother Emanuel AME Church, Charleston
Host Pastor: The Reverend Clementa Pinckney
Host Presiding Elder: The Reverend John H. Gillison
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Jonathan C. Roberts
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Malachi Duncan
October 6, 2013 Piedmont Annual Conference – DMC
Location TBD
October 7 – 12, 2013 Piedmont Annual Conference
Session 103rd Session
Host Church: Mt. Carmel AME Church, Gray Court
Host Pastor: The Reverend Roland E. D. Sigman
Host Presiding Elder: The Reverend Judy Richardson
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Samuel L. McPherson
October 20, 2013 Central Annual Conference – DMC
Location TBD
October 21 – 26, 2013 Central Annual Conference
Session 90th Session
Host Church: Rock Hill AME Church, Vance
Host Pastor: The Reverend Robert L. Morris
Host Presiding Elder: The Reverend Lorenza T. Baker
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Barbara Chisolm
Associate Presiding Elder: The Reverend Eddie Gaston, Jr.
13. GETTING TO ZERO: PRAYER CHANGES THINGS:
*The Rev. A. Oveta Fuller, Ph.D.
This week we provide excerpts of a recent interview with the G20 columnist from the Fulbright residency site in Lusaka, Zambia.
Why is a column like G20 needed in The Christian Recorder (TCR)?
The TCR is an official publication of the global African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) that appears weekly in electronic form and twice- monthly in print. Theoretically, it eventually should reach every pastor, clergyperson, leader and church and many other members. Issues of and about our Zion, and those of high relevance to member and community wellness are critical to address therein. Informing, mobilizing, challenging and applauding efforts of the AMEC network to reduce impact of HIV/AIDS is the purpose of G20. TCR is an ideal venue. I am blessed and grateful that its editor is a forward thinking journalist and responsible AMEC clergyperson with courage and vision.
Don’t you think by now that most people know about HIV/AIDS?
That’s an interesting question. I have heard the statement a few times. But, I more so have heard that “as people of faith, we do not know what we need to know about this virus and disease.” Or “I am afraid that people will put HIV/AIDS on the back burner while the virus continues to silently spread, affect and devastate individuals and families.” The latter statements align with facts for HIV/AIDS prevalence and trends even in 2013. With as much as we now know, new HIV infections in 2010 (the latest official data) were still more than the deaths from AIDS. This suggests that there is a disconnect between what is known biomedically about HIV/AIDS and what people know and do. Most people may know something, but is it accurate or useful?
Where do you think this disconnect occurs?
I wish I knew the answer, but can only speculate. Science and medicine have made major strides in learning about HIV, how it reproduces, how it affects the body and some ways to interfere with these. We have learned about HIV more rapidly than any major human pathogen in history. US government agencies such as the National Institutes of Health as well as other research supporting agencies, private and public, have made funds available as a priority to tackle HIV as a priority pathogen. Much has been discovered or revealed.
The disconnect, I believe, is getting some of that biomedical understanding to people who must make informed and tough daily life decisions.
Preventing HIV infection requires making decisions about something that is not simple like what do I wear today. Decisions concerning HIV/AIDS are at a primal level - “do I follow the natural inclinations of my body when it comes to the God-given sexual drive?” “Or, do I filter this physiology-driven wiring through responsible reasoning from whatever level of mental and spiritual understanding that I have about HIV/AIDS?”
The disconnect happens in part because HIV takes advantage of human sexuality as its major mode of spread. It affects all people around the world, regardless of geography, economics, religion, physiology or intellect.
What do you try to provide in the G20 weekly article?
HIV/AIDS, in its simplest description, is a microbial pathogen that can lead to life-threatening immune deficiency. However, it intersects with many facets of human existence. One can appreciate this, for example, from understanding that the main mode of HIV transport is through sexual intercourse. No animal or insect vector is involved in transport. HIV spreads by the same process that in most cases could initiate a new human being. The virus hijacks an essential part of human existence.
This makes HIV/AIDS difficult to combat. Success requires a conscious effort, repeated many times over. Like losing weight and keeping it off, this is a life-style issue that requires making intentional choices to avoid possible exposure to HIV. Decisions have to be made purposefully and often until they are habit, part of one’s every day nature.
Understanding how to successfully combat HIV/AIDS can easily get bogged down in often debated issues of morality, sexuality, legal rights, education, gender-biases, stigmatization, economics and inequitable distribution of resources.
With G20, we want to keep biological insight front, center, fresh and clear. When this happens, other entanglements are cut through to more successfully handle the pandemic. HIV/AIDS becomes known as a relatively fragile virus that one has to give permission to enter our body. We have to allow it access to one of four entry routes (through contact with blood, semen, vaginal fluid or breast milk).
Other entanglements and very real issues don’t go away. They are highly relevant to eliminating HIV/AIDS. They are better addressed when the biological understanding is front and center. It makes possible that each person knows better why and how to protect and care for themselves, family and friends. This is the G20 goal.
Is there one last comment in this interview that you would like to share with TCR readers?
Yes, thank you for asking. In this week of the AMEC Connectional Day of Prayer, it is critical that people appreciate many ongoing struggles for quality and dignity of human life. As Christians we are called to address real needs of people. As Christians we also are given a powerful tool. That tool is prayer.
In this week and going forward, I ask each clergy and layperson- everyone, to pray for the conviction, accessible resources and sustained resolve to bring about global control and elimination of HIV/AIDS. We ask this so that children born in the current decade are “an AIDS –free generation.”
I see that our compassionate God has provided the means to eliminate HIV/AIDS. It is not with a fully protective vaccine like for measles, hepatitis B or polio. It is not with an absolute drug cure to get rid of the virus forever for someone who is infected with HIV.
We have been given what we need to know biologically on how to stop the virus and disease. We have been given simple guidelines for living that, if followed, would keep most people safe from exposure to HIV. Effectively using what is already provided will put this pathogen and its impacts under our feet.
We ask each person to include in prayer, the resolve by AMEC leaders, members and others to use what we know continuously and effectively to get to zero in eliminating HIV/AIDS.
Collective fervent prayer can activate unseen, unfathomed, but available power and presence of God on the issue.
Prayer changes things.
*The Rev. Dr. A. Oveta Fuller is an Associate Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School and Adjunct Faculty at Payne Seminary. She served as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Adrian, MI for seven years before primarily focusing on global HIV/AIDS ministry. Currently, she serves at Brown Chapel AME Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan in the 4th Episcopal District while continuing HIV/AIDS research in parts of Zambia and the USA.
14. CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013 - THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES – ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2:1-13:
Bill Dickens, Allen AME Church, Tacoma, Washington
Basic Need
It is no surprise that people enjoy receiving gifts. We typically receive gifts during special occasions like Christmas, birthdays, weddings or job retirement. Gifts raise our sense of self-esteem and we feel good as a result of the act. Most importantly, gifts communicate the importance of belonging. Our multicultural world recognizes the value of belonging to the global family. This requires communication to understand we have more in common than what the differences may suggest. The software language tool, Rosetta Stone is used to help foster that communication by providing an outlet for the user to learn a foreign language. The AME Adult Church School Lesson for April 14. 2013 looks at how God used a pre-Rosetta Stone technique to communicate a special gift - the advent of the Holy Spirit. "Parlez-Vous François?"
Basic Lesson
The stories about The Tower of Babel and shibboleth remind us about the consequences of poor communication. The events described by Dr. Luke in today’s lesson occur in Jerusalem. The participants are celebrating the feast of Pentecost. Pentecost marked 50 days after the Passover. Pursuant to the directions Jesus provided in last week’s lesson and Acts 1:8, the Pentecost celebration will soon become a memorable occasion for the attendees. Since Pentecost was a pilgrimage experience, many Jewish celebrants came from different parts of the surrounding area to join in the activities. The advent of the Holy Spirit is symbolized as a powerful wind commencing from the earth’s stratosphere or Heaven anointing attendees with flames or tongues. The attendees began speaking in a language different from their native tongue but easily understood by their non-native colleagues. Understandably, the non-native attendees were astonished at what they were witnessing. The foreign language was a form of worship describing what God was planning to do to help spread the Gospel. Despite this unimpeachable evidence of God’s power, some in the audience dismissed the historic event as a mere case of the foreign pilgrims being filled with wine and being in a drunken stupor.
Basic Application
The lesson in Acts Chapter 2: 1-14 illustrates how God-sanctioned foreign language is instructive and edifying. The topic of “speaking in tongues” prompts much spirited (but not always spiritual) discussion among Christians. The position about “tongues” for the AME Church is clearly outlined in our Articles of Religion Number 15. When the United Nations representatives hold meetings in New York they are provided a hearing device that allows for translation of the information in their native tongue. No Rosetta Stone crash course is required. The advent or arrival of the Holy Spirit in Acts Chapter two is not a serendipitous event. God does nothing by accident. Attendees are vessels to communicate to their peers (different only by nationality) about God’s Master Plan. Skeptics will always try to discredit our faithful service. The skepticism however should not cause discouragement but be interpreted as a silver lining and confirmation that not only what you do for Christ will last but your work is not in vain.
*Brother Bill Dickens is currently the Church School Teacher at Allen AME Church in Tacoma, Washington and is a member of the Fellowship of Church Educators for the AME Church.
15. MEDITATION BASED ON JEREMIAH 18:1-6:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I’m writing this week’s meditation while waiting - like a child on Christmas Eve - for the FedEx delivery of my brand new iPad! Portable computer tablets like the iPad allow their users to literally and easily take their computers with them and to do everything from surfing the internet to checking email to composing documents to taking notes at meetings wherever they are.
My first iPad has been made obsolete by new technology, so I’m buying a newer model, but I’m doing so in a different way from the way that I bought my first one. My first one - bought at a retail store - was brand new, but my new one - bought from the manufacturer’s online store - is a “refurbished” model. The manufacturer bought it back from the original owner, rebuilt it, made it as good as new and offered it for sale at a very attractive price and with the same warranty as a new model. My new iPad won’t actually be “new,” but will be made as good as new and warranteed as new by those at the Apple Corporation who first built it.
God does for us what the Apple Corporation does for old, used iPads. Coping with the stress, strain, challenges, disappointments and temptations of life can easily make all of us feel like “damaged goods” that are far beyond renewal, hope or redemption. When we take the time, however, to turn our bruised and broken lives over to the God who made us, who knows us best and who sent His Son into this world to heal our brokenness, then we can walk on in newness of life.
Regardless of how broken we are, Christ our Savior will still always welcome us, always forgive us, always fix us, always change us and always give us blessed and Divine renewal so that we can face life not focusing on what’s gone wrong, but on the God who can make things right in our lives.
No matter how broken and helpless you think you are, turn your life over to Jesus. When you do, He’ll “refurbish” you, give you new hope, new joy and new direction and enable you to find new meaning in life and in the words of the Apostle Paul, who told the Christians in the City of Corinth, “If anyone is in Christ, he (or she) is a new creature.”
Get Ready for Sunday, and have a great day in your house of worship!
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby is the Presiding Elder’s Desk of the Beaufort District of the South Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
16. EPISCOPAL AND CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Bishop Frederick Calhoun James celebrates his ninety-first birthday
Retired Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, the 93rd Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church celebrated his 91st Birthday, on Sunday, April 7, 2013.
Birthday greetings and well wishes can be mailed to:
Bishop Frederick Calhoun James
3700 Forest Drive #420
Columbia, South Carolina 29204
Telephone: 803-787-8201
FAX: 803-787-8215
Birthday greetings and well wishes can be emailed to: BishopFCJ@aol.com
- The Rev. Gordon Glenn and Rev. Rachel Williams-Glenn Announce the Birth of their second child
The Rev. Gordon Glenn, pastor of St. John AME Church in Topeka, Kansas and the Rev. Rachel Williams-Glenn, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Manhattan, Kansas, wish to announce the birth of their second child, Virginia Grace Glenn, born on Good Friday, March 29, 2013.
Well-wishes can be sent to:
511 SW 7th Street
Topeka, KS 66603
Or emailed to: rev_glenn@yahoo.com
First Lady Yvette Williams will appear on Lifetime in the Show entitled "Preachers Wives" Tuesday April 16, 2013
First Lady Yvette Williams, the wife of the Rev. C. Dennis Williams, PhD, the new pastor of Smith Chapel AME Church in Dallas, Texas, will appear on Lifetime in the show entitled "Preachers Wives" airing Tuesday, April 16, 2013.
Lifetime's new pilot, "Preachers Wives" offers a rare glimpse of some of LA's finest first ladies who proudly support their husbands in the pulpit and bring their gifts, talents and influence to the community to produce a spectacular Glitz and Gospel event for a cause near and dear to their hearts! Our preachers' wives are young, dynamic and no-nonsense. They are Lady Rinnita Thompson (Pastor Xavier L. Thompson) of Southern Missionary Baptist Church - LA; Lady Yvette Williams, (Pastor C. Dennis Williams) formerly at Brookins AME now of Smith Chapel in Dallas, Texas, First Lady Myesha Chaney (Pastor Wayne Chaney) of Antioch Church of Long Beach and First Lady In Training, Leslie Young (Elder Jonathan Young - Associate Pastor) of Miracle Temple Church of God Pentecostal with special appearance by Lady Togetta Ulmer (Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer) of Faithful Central Bible Church of Los Angeles.
See:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201030124536101&set=t.1413171346&type=1&theater (First Lady Yvette Williams in white)
Preachers' Wives Pilot:
Behind every great man is a greater woman. In the world of competitive churches, we reveal the real powers behind the pulpits--the dynamic, outrageous Preachers' Wives. There are no retiring church mice here. Instead, these ladies wear five-inch stilettos, power-suits, and their talents as entrepreneurs, hostesses, fundraisers and wedding planners are astonishing.
The pilot airs at 11:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Check local listings for show times in your area. http://www.mylifetime.com/lifetime-tv-schedule
Congratulatory messages can be emailed to:
First Lady Yvette Williams, yvetterwilliams@earthlink.net
-- The Rev. Cynthia Womack receives "Teacher of the Year Award"
Congratulations to "Historic" Allen Chapel's Youth Minister, Rev. Cynthia Womack, who received the "TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD" last evening at L.B. Johnson Elementary School - Grand Prairie, Texas where she is employed as a Music Teacher.
The Rev. Cynthia is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Raymond (Irene) Womack. The Rev. Raymond Womack is a member of the Ministerial Staff of "Historic" Allen Chapel AME Church, Forth Worth, Texas where the Rev. Dr. Sherryl Matlock is pastor.
Congratulatory messages can be sent:
The Rev. Cynthia Womack: cynt_wom@yahoo.com
Telephone: (972) 639-0354
17. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened by the homegoing of Mr. Robert J. Pettis, spouse of sister Angela T. Pettis, Member of the Revision Committee 2012 General Conference, Director of Public Relations of the 4th Episcopal District and the Chicago Conference. We are requesting prayers for Mrs. Pettis and her son Bobby.
Visitation is Tuesday April 16, 2013 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. The Family Hour and Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday April 17, 2013 at DuPage AME Church 4300 Yackley, Lisle Illinois where the Reverend Dr. James F. Miller is the pastor. Interment: Fairmount-Willow Hills Memorial Park Cemetery, Willow Springs, IL. Services Entrusted to T M Hughes-Perry Mortuary, LLC, Reverend Thomas M Hughes, Director.
Family contact:
Mrs. Angela Pettis
8600 South 83rd Court
Hickory Hills, Illinois 60457
Email: tripettis@comcast.net
*T M Hughes-Perry Mortuary, LLC, Presiding Elder Thomas M. Hughes, Director
18. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
James Bailey, Jr., age 73, the brother of the Rev. Robert L. Bailey, Superannuate of the East Tennessee Annual Conference, passed away Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at his Fayetteville, Tennessee residence. He was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee on October 2, 1939 to the late James, Sr. and Virginia Gladys Reese Bailey.
He was retired from Amana Refrigeration and a faithful member of St. Paul AME Church where he served on the Trustee Board, as an usher, groundskeeper/handyman and on the kitchen committee.
Survivors are, his wife of 52 years, Patricia Ann White Bailey, daughter, Cheryl R. Bailey (Roy) Mitchell, sons, James Derek Bailey, Kevin Todd Bailey, sisters, Lelia M. Bailey, Mary Ann (James) Thomas, Edith Bailey (Marvin) Shoulders, brothers, Willie Reese (Emma) Bailey, Rev. Robert L. (Ella) Bailey, grandchildren, Rodriguez D. Edmiston, Kevin T. Bailey II, Rico D. Bailey, William P. Mitchell, great grandson, Ayden Noll and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. in the chapel of Gallant-Riverview Funeral Home with the Rev. Chris Grizzard, Sr. officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant View Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday from 3:00 until 4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 2:30 p.m. until time of service.
Gallant-Riverview Funeral Home
508 W. College Street
Fayetteville, Tennessee 37334
Telephone: (931) 433-4511
On Line Guest Book for James Bailey, Jr: http://www.gallantfuneralhome.com/
19. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Minnie Washington Williams, the mother of the Rev. Idola Batson, pastor of Mt. Calvary AME Church in Concord, Delaware (Dover District). The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
The Homegoing Celebration is Friday, April 12, 2013
Visiting hours: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Service: 11: 00 a.m.
Mt. Airy Baptist Church
73 Frank Street
Bridgeport, CT 06604
Phone: 203-334-2757
Fax: 203-334-6808
The Rev. Anthony L. Bennett, Pastor
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:
The Rev. Idola Batson
10510 Concord Road
Seaford, DE 19973
Email: ibatson2@hotmail.com
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. Lamont W. Harmon, retired pastor of the Delaware Annual Conference, Dover District. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
The Homegoing Celebration is Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.:
Mt. Zion AME Church
18211 Beach Highway
Ellendale, DE 19441
Telephone: 302-422-5808
Fax: 302-422-6063
The Rev. Iona Smith Nze, Pastor
The Rev. Winton M. Hill, III, Presiding Elder of the Dover District, Delaware Annual Conference, Eulogist
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs. Sandra Harmon
37850 Oysterhouse Road
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the untimely passing of Raymond B. Scharf, the son of the Rev. Martha Daniels, a member of Christ our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine California where the Rev. Mark Whitlock, Jr. is the pastor.
Services for Raymond B. Scharf:
Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.
Christ Our Redeemer AME Church
46 Maxwell St.
Irvine, CA. 92618
Telephone: 949 955-0014
Fax: (949) 955-0021
Donations in lieu of flowers should be sent to:
COR CDC - Martin Luther King Scholarship Fund (In memory of Raymond B. Scharf)
Attention: Hermia Shegog-Whitlock, CEO and Executive Director
46 Maxwell St.
Irvine, CA. 92618
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:
The Rev. Martha Daniels
85 Argonaut, Suite 200
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
Email: mdaniel@imri.com
22. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of Sister Francine Beavers Brunson, former AME Church General Board member and former Connectional Lay Officer who passed on Sunday, March 31, 2013 in Henderson, Nevada. Sister Brunson is the widow of the late Brother Thomas C. Brunson, who served as Principal of the Bradley County Elementary and High Schools in Warren, AR. Sister Brunson was a member of St. Paul AME Church, Warren, Arkansas and later an affiliate member of Holy Trinity AME Church, North Las Vegas.
Funeral services for Sister Francine Beavers Brunson was held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Holy Trinity AME Church in North Las Vegas where the Rev. Delman Howard is the pastor
Expressions of sympathy may be extended to:
Rev. Dorothy Beavers Dykes and Family
2891 Sunlit Glade Avenue
Henderson, NV 89014
Telephone: (702) 260-6804
Email: oddfrand@aol.com
23. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Fannie Hawthorne, the mother of the Rev. Betty Gulley, pastor of Green Hill AME Church in Blevins, Arkansas (West Arkansas Annual Conference). Mrs. Hawthorne died Monday afternoon, April 1, 2013 at 1:30 p.m.
The funeral service was held on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at the Canaan Missionary Baptist Church in Gurdon, Arkansas.
Condolences may be shared with the family via:
The Rev. Betty Gulley
609 Miller Street
Gurdon, AR 71743
Telephone: 870-353-6493.
24. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Email: 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
25. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend T. Larry Kirkland; 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.
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