THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (04/26/13)

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


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 3):
 Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III,
The 20^th Editor, The Christian Recorder
 
Women serving in AME ministry have significantly increased and when the church experiences such a demographic change as women in ministry, systemic training would have been appropriate and women in ministry training should have been mandatory.
 
Episcopal leaders, presiding elders, male clergy, female clergy and all aspirants for the ministry should have been provided training because if training had been provided local churches would have been better prepared to receive women as pastors.  Episcopal leaders, presiding elders, clergy and laity could have avoided some of the missteps and insensitive comments women in ministry have to endure. The reality is that it is late, but it’s never too late for training sessions to be implemented. Ordained women pastors are still being insensitively being called, “sister, honey, sweetheart, baby and other terms used to “keep them in place.”
 
Let me digress and say this
 
Seminaries do not prepare their graduates to pastor African Methodist Episcopal Churches. I am not sure any seminary prepares their graduates to be fully qualified pastors. Some seminaries have moved to funded pastoral internships as a way to address the problem of better preparing seminarians to be successful pastoral leaders.
 
Prospective AME candidates for ministry attending denominational seminaries are not being prepared to pastor AME Churches.
 
For example, the mission of Baptist seminaries is to prepare their graduates for Christian ministry, and most specifically for the Baptist pastoral ministry. Roman Catholic, Pentecostal and other denominationally-focused seminaries prepare their graduates for the Christian ministry of their particular denomination.  Nondenominational seminaries prepare graduates for the pastoral ministry in general.
 
And, let’s lay it out there. Some of the denominational seminaries attract and fund the education of AME students as a recruiting tool. Some denominations are experiencing a shortage of trained clergy and especially need trained clergy to go into ethnic areas.  
 
Divinity schools do not prepare their graduates to become AME pastors.  Divinity schools are usually affiliated with universities, i.e., Vanderbilt Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, etc. Like other university graduate schools, the divinity school has its own division as does the law school, medical school, the graduate college of education, but with its focus on the academic study of religion and Christianity. Divinity students can, and are encouraged to take courses unrelated to theological education. The divinity school prepares students to serve in academic, religious and non-sectarian and even non-religious settings.
 
With these examples in mind, the ministry of the AME Church boards of examiners becomes extremely important to the life of the Church and if they fail to train our pastoral leaders…
 
A new paradigm
 
I think most readers will agree with the statement “What worked 50 years ago does not work today.”
 
Technology, changes in family systems, the abundance of extra curricula activities, access of information and gender issues and demographics have changed the ecclesiastical landscape.
 
I also believe the increased academic levels of the clergy, especially high levels of training of AME women in ministry has an impact upon the way we do business; or should have an impact upon the way we do business. Trained pastors demand respect because trained pastors have options.
 
Let me get back…
 
Now let me get back to the subject at hand and share some needed areas of training, training, and more training that we need in the AME Church because seminaries are not focusing theological training from the perspective of our Zion.
 
But, first let me reiterate that training is not a one time event. Training must be repetitive.
 
Every profession has core and specialized competencies and outstanding organizations take special care to insure and validate the competencies of the profession by regularly scheduled training, certification and recertification.  
 
When I refer to training, training, and more training, I am specifically speaking about serious graduate-level academic and theological training. I am not referring to an “off the cuff” preaching presentation. I am speaking about bringing in experienced, credentialed trainers. Every training session should be considered as “train the trainer,” which means those being trained are expected to go back to their local churches and train the people. Every training session should be evaluated so that improvements can be made in subsequent training modules.
 
I suspect that we have had training environments where people were trained, but little or nothing happened. The training was not “carried forward.” 
 
Training should be uniform
 
The AME Church is a connectional church, but we do training as if we were a collection of independent churches. We apparently do not have, or we do not follow a pattern of connectional training. It is obvious that we still have pastors who have not wrapped their minds around the difference of the “Open Table,” versus “Open Communion.” There is a significant difference.
 
Laypersons still indicate that some pastors seem to struggle with infant baptism, the AME Order of Worship, the episcopacy and the connectional budget. Again, indicative of the need for training, training and more training.
 
Specifically
 
We have a great AME History, Polity and Doctrine, but the denomination needs to insure that “everyone,” clergy and laity are “on the same page” and able to articulate every aspect of AME History, Polity and Doctrine.  
 
Many churches experience conflict and some AME Churches are among the houses of worship that experience conflict. Conflict is a reality whenever there is a group of two or more persons. Our pastors especially (and even the lay leadership) need training in conflict resolution because congregations become dysfunctional in the absence of conflict resolution.  Some churches have negative reputations and most often it’s because they have functioned in conflict year after year.
 
Leadership training is essential for clergy. Leadership and decisionmaking can be taught and learned.  Leadership is not a “hit and miss” or “the Lord told me…” strategy for getting things done. Colleges and universities offer majors in leadership studies. Leadership skills are not attributes pastors can “pickup” talking with each other. Training, training and more training is needed to insure that pastors possess leadership skills.
 
Pastoring is tough and it takes multiple skillsets to successfully pastor a church.  Some people are natural leaders, but most leaders “learn” skillsets.
 
Some pastors are fortunate to have been trained by mentors, i.e., family members who are in the profession or seasoned pastors. Formal leadership training should be provided to pastors to help them to understand and learn how to coach and mentor staff, e.g., how to work with musicians and disgruntled church officers.  
 
Pastoral care and counseling are areas of great concern. Pastors need to understand the legal ramifications involved in pastoral counseling and when it’s best to refer counselees.  As an aside, I used to be pretty good as a pastoral care and counseling provider, but I haven’t done it in such a long time and I know that I am not qualified today to provide pastoral care and counseling to anyone; but, with training, training and more training, I just might be able to “get back up to speed.”
 
Writing and oral communication skills need to be honed by anyone who stands before the public and training can hone those skills. No matter how good a communicator a person is, there is always room for improvement. Training, training and more training is key to honing skills needed for ministry.
 
Our pastors, local church officers and parishioners need formal training in multicultural blending. The world is no longer black and white. The world includes brown, red and yellow and if we are going to grow, we must think beyond black and white, learn how to reach out to other ethnic groups; and that’s going to take training, training and more training.
 
Many denominations experience issues with clergy neglecting to care for themselves, and some denominations have put extensive programs and training in place to encourage clergy to take care of themselves. Energized and healthy clergy insures healthy congregations. Training, training and more training in the area of self-care will encourage clergy to take care of themselves.
 .
We are in serious need for training, training and more training in the areas of liturgy and worship and its importance in the life of the Church. It seems some pastors might not understand the importance of liturgy and worship and I believe that has happened because the AME Church has not provided training in those areas and it might be that success is measured by quantity – numbers of parishioners in worship rather than quality - spiritual fulfillment and measurable life-changes of parishioners. 
 
Training in ethics and morals are always appropriate, even for people who are considered holy. We all need reminders to be vigilant in guarding our moral and ethical behaviors. No one in this life has reached moral and ethical Nirvana.  Training, training and more training is needed; again and again, and then some more.
 
Training is needed in the essentials of fund-raising, investments and financial management.  Pastors need to hone their skills on stewardship strategies. Strategies cannot be “pulled out of the air” and it takes training to sharpen the skills in stewardship strategies and management.
 
We don’t talk about spiritual formation, but those of us who have participated in workshops and sessions dealing with spiritual formation know the value of spending time with that discipline. I suspect many of our pastors would benefit from spending time in sessions that deal with spiritual formation. Spiritual formation allows us to “stop and smell the roses.”
 
The training list could go and on and on ad infinitum, but the bottomline is the AME Church is in need of training, training, and more training.
 
And, guess what? A lot of other denominations are in need of training, training, and more training.
 
2. TCR OP-ED RESPONSE TO TCR EDITORIAL ON “TRAINING” OF MINISTERS:
 In response to Dr. Sydnor’s editorial on “training” of ministers beyond completion of seminary, many of us concur that continuing training is important, not only for AME clergy, but, by analogy, also applicable to our music, Christian Education, and other church ministries.
 
Most importantly, the church must budget for “training”, along with program expenditures and salary, for its ministries.
 
For example, within the music ministry, training funds should be allocated for the leadership to receive not only the type of training that would [1] enhance the ministry, for example, “Music and Cultural Arts” vs. “Minister of Orchestral Music” training, but  [2] also provide for participants’ individual “personal development” and growth of leadership within the AME Church.
 
In other words, if AME instrumentalists, Orchestra Directors, do not have training budgets that will enable them to attend these events, even on a rotating basis among all the members of the Committee or Ministry, we will be unable to grow, collectively, in the areas of church “polity”—e.g. theology and administration, and technical matters, as various facets of music, instrumentation, and leadership.
 
This analysis also includes “time off” for training—exclusive of vacation time-- for musicians or ministers.  In some denominations, a sabbatical, for the clergy, be it long or short, is provided.
 
Drawing on my personal experience with the U.S. Foreign Service and the U.S. Military, these organizations are top flight, and remain world class institutions due to their extensive internal training resources, and equivalent--training budgets.
 
Benoit Brookens, Esq. is Member of Metropolitan AME Washington, DC, and Assistant Director, Benjamin F. Canty, Jr. Orchestra, Potomac District, Washington, Annual Conference;   He received youth “training” at St. Mark AME Church, Milwaukee, WI, under the pastorate of the late Rev. Lovell Johnson, which enabled any youth to attend, without cost, any AME event of their choosing —e.g. Church School Convention, AME Camp Baber, Masters and Debutantes Commission.  The Rev. (Chaplain) Atticus Taylor, Lieutenant Commander, Ret., U.S. Navy; and Cynthia Bryant Pitts, who served as St. Mark’s Allen Christian Endeavor Fellowship Advisor and now and educational consultant, Baltimore, Maryland, and a Empowerment Temple AME member, are distinguished alumni of St. Mark AME, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
 
3. TCR OP-ED: RESPONSE, AME CHRISTIAN RECORDER EDITORIAL ON “TRAINING OF MINISTERS:
 *Ms. Cynthia Bryant Pitts
 
I am in fervent agreement with Dr. Sydnor, Attorney Brookens and Chaplain Taylor on the need for ongoing training and development for clergy and lay leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ.
 
One of the challenges that confronted the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:1-30 was the complex, unprecedented paradigm shift from the old system of the Law referenced in Hebrews 10: 1-9 to the new covenant activated after our Lord’s death, Resurrection, and Ascension to the Father.  At Pentecost, Acts 2: 1-4, the Holy Spirit ushered in an empowering inclusive faith that was available to all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.  This was a dramatic departure from the Levitical religious structure.
 
How did the First century Church meet the highly controversial demands of their day?
 
The Leaders had a love relationship with the Lord Jesus
 
The Leaders had surrendered to the Holy Spirit
 
The Leaders had been discipled, trained and equipped by the Lord Jesus and His Apostles
 
The emerging Church had the fluidity, resilience and agility to respond to what God was saying on a day to day basis
 
Today, church leaders, the clergy and the laity, are called to serve God and His people in the most rapidly changing time in the history of the world.  The times require that ministry demands be met within the context of greater urgency and uncertainty.  This requires preparation and excellence in mind and heart.
 
Our own Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson, in his book, A Liberated Past: Explorations in AME Church History quotes an admonition by Bishop William F. Dickerson as follows:  Churches and clergy need to embrace learning.  Well trained clergy and Lay Leaders are needed to defend the faith and keep in step with the progressive thought of each age.  (Have paraphrased)
 
*Ms. Cynthia Bryant Pitts is the President of Cynthia Bryant Pitts and Associates

4. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:  

-- To the Editor:
 RE: TCR Editorial - Weekend Weakened Churches
 
I bring you greetings in the precious name of Jesus, our Lord.  I read with interest, your article (see captioned subject).
 
I am a Local Elder in an AME Church in North Trinidad, but I live in the Deep South.  Under the tenure of the pastor that I met when I joined the church almost ten years ago, many of our activities were scheduled for the weekends because there are people like me, who would have a hard time with being involved in afternoon activities in our church.  Before this year's annual conference, we had official board meetings twice per month at our church at 5:30 p.m.  I get off work at 4:00 p.m.  There is no way that I can be at that meeting on time.  The meeting finishes at 8:30 p.m. approximately which means that I miss the 9:00 p.m. bus and end up stranded late at night on the street and have to be up early to get to my job. 
 
I was also paid a stipend as a keyboard player.  Our current pastor asked me to "sacrifice" it to the church for a few months because of something that they needed to do for the church.  I have not received it back as yet and I am not paid as a minister.
 
In our 2008 Book of Discipline, pastors are encouraged to be employed and not thrifingly, but gainfully employed.  For the most part, our congregations here in Trinidad are small and I have heard pastor(s) complain that his/her church (es) cannot take care of him/them so that their job is what pays their bills.
 
I also understand that Pastors must have their own house (something our congregations cannot provide and I am not sure that they get a housing allowance) when they retire.
 
Remember that no man can serve two masters (Luke 16:13).  Is it therefore fair to expect Pastors to be gainfully employed and still find it humanly possible to treat church ministry as a fulltime business?
 
The Rev. Primadonna Steele
 
5. I ASK:
 Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry

I Ask:
 After checking The Book of Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2008; the section on constitution and by laws, page 319, I find NO explanation concerning the automatic placement of the Bishop's spouse as The Women's Missionary Society Supervisor.
 
I really think that need to be examined. Where else does a bishop’s spouse automatically get a powerful position without any credentials for the position other than being married to a bishop?
 
(Name withheld)

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry’s Response to the Question:
 The section of The 2008 Book of Discipline which deals with the "Supervisor" is on page 342, Article IX Section 1 "The Episcopal Supervisor shall be the spouse OR the appointee of the bishop of the Episcopal District." 
While it is tradition that the Bishop's spouse is the Supervisor of missions, there have been instances when it was necessary for the Bishop to appoint someone other than a spouse to supervise the work of; for example: the Bishop is widowed or If for some other reason the spouse cannot serve, someone else of the Bishop's choosing may be named.  I found no requirements for "credentials."
 
There is of course, a historical reason for the spouse being named as supervisor.  In the beginning of Bishop Richard Allen’s ministry and the sending of itinerant preachers who were paid little or nothing, whose clothes became tattered and worn, Sarah Allen began the "work of missions” by repairing the clothes of these traveling preachers. (Please note the insert taken from the Wikipedia article on Sarah Allen, you will find it interesting reading.)
 
Do Unto Others 
 
Sarah Allen's distinctive brand of charity made its debut during the AME church's first annual conference. The young church had struggled both financially and emotionally. The preachers had withstood excessive traveling and tireless work without any significant funding, and they returned for that first conference in terrible condition, with their clothes and belongings worn, and in poor physical condition from the difficulties of preaching on the road. Allen's biographical entry in Profiles of Negro Womanhood described how the clergy had returned "in a rather 'seedy' condition, whereupon the bishop refused to adjourn their subsequent meeting for the customary dinner at his home … After hearing her husband's explanation, [Allen] later saw for herself that the [preachers] had 'ventilators at their knees and ventilators in their elbows and ventilators in the seat of their trousers.'… [Allen] and the women of the church … [spent] an entire night in productive labor. By morning, the preachers all had new sets of clothes and were thus made presentable in appearance for carrying out their ministerial duties."
 
Allen's biographical entry in Notable Black American Women explained that Richard Allen initially referred to these women as the "'Dorcas Society,'" a title that "generally refers to a women's auxiliary group that is engaged in clothing and feeding the poor." The same entry also pointed out; however, that Allen's efforts in particular were "directed internally toward preparing good meals, repairing garments, and improving the appearance of AME pastors." This care and support went on before and during each annual conference until 1827, when Allen officially identified the group as the Daughters of Conference. Once formally organized, the group expanded, and began helping the needy outside the clergy. Allen christened this far-reaching group the Women's Missionary Society, which was described in Notable Black American Women as one which maintained "a form of children's daycare school during the daytime hours, and helped organize adult classes at night to help educate their church members. They also cooked meals, mended garments, and gathered donated clothes for the needy." This focus on education for the community had served as a foundation for the Bethel church from the beginning, and remains a strong focus to the present day.
 
Read more: http://www.notablebiographies.com/supp/Supplement-A-Bu-and-Obituaries/Allen-Sarah.html#ixzz2RaU6nti7
 
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry (Retired)
African Methodist Episcopal Church
 
6. METROPOLITAN AME CHURCH FINALIST SPONSORED BY THE HISTORICAL PRESERVATION HISTORICAL TRUST:
 Metropolitan AME Church has been selected as one of the finalist in the grant competition for $100,000 sponsored by the Historical Preservation Historical Trust.  The final phase of the grant process requires that we get votes from our supporters via social media platforms.  Voting started this morning at 6 am. We have some very tough competition but we are in it to win it.  Presently, Metropolitan is ranked 19th of the 24 sites in numbers of points received.  Please help us improve our ranking.
 
We are asking you to register and vote for Metropolitan every day.  Please help your family, friends and associates to register and remind them to vote every day until May 10.
 
We are up against some very stiff competition, and we are already way behind in the voting. Use this link to register and vote. https://www.preservedmv.com/competitors/metropolitan-ame-church

7. BRIDGE STREET AME CHURCH HOSTS NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE, APRIL 22 THRU 28, 2013: 
 AME churches in the New York Conference gathered with their new Episcopal leadership, to report on the great work that churches have accomplished during this past conference year. The Rev. David Cousin, pastor of Bridge Street said. “I am excited about the work God has accomplished through the unified body of believers known as Bridge Street.”:
 
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your dedication and commitment to building our church spiritually and physically for the betterment of God's kingdom.  Your generous giving of time, talent and tithe have assisted us in supporting ministry programs as well as repairing the roof and compressors of our church.  It is my hope and desire for us to continue to build upon the great work we have done during the 2013-14 conference year.
 
Please remember to invite someone to church on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at 10 a.m. as we celebrate Empowerment Sunday along with many churches in the borough of Brooklyn.  Our speaker will be the Honorable Annette Robinson; Assemblywoman of the 56th Assembly District will be the preacher on Sunday, April 28, 2013 at 10 a.m. in celebration of Empowerment Sunday.
 
Members of Bridge Street Development Corporation will be available to answer questions and to provide information on products and services offered by the corporation.  During the service, two of our congregants will provide first hand testimony about how Bridge Street Development Corporation has empowered them toward wealth creation.  We hope you will be present to share in what promises to be an exciting day!
 
8. EPISCOPAL CHURCH WINS VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT RULING:
 By Michelle Boorstein
 
Virginia Supreme Court rules for Episcopal Church in Falls Church case
 
Episcopal Church wins Va. Supreme Court ruling after years-long dispute with breakaway congregation.
 
The Falls Church property is one of the country’s largest Episcopal churches and is a central landmark in downtown Falls Church.
 
The breakaway congregation, now called the Falls Church Anglican, has been worshiping in the Bishop O’Connell High School auditorium in Arlington County while it sought to overturn the Fairfax County Circuit Court decision from last year.
 
On Thursday, the Supreme Court affirmed that the property was rightly given to the mainline denomination but said some of the nearly $3 million in church coffers belongs to the Falls Church Anglican congregation.
 
It was not immediately clear whether there would be an appeal by either side. If there is not, this would end a property dispute that drew global attention starting in 2006 when more than a dozen Virginia congregations voted to leave the Episcopal Church but keep the church properties, arguing that the denomination had “left” by becoming more liberal on homosexuality, the role of women and how God views non-Christians.
 
Similar disputes have roiled Episcopal churches around the country and other parts of mainline Christianity, not only on questions of gay equality but also on more secular issues related to property rights. The Virginia dispute also became an issue in global Anglicanism — of which the Episcopal Church is part — when one of the breakaway leaders was disinvited to a global Anglican meeting.
 
Even after their votes, the conservative congregations have remained part of Anglicanism by being taken in by more like-minded Anglican bodies in Africa. They have since formed a U.S. wing that they hope will become a separate Anglican branch like the Episcopal Church.
 
After the Fairfax County Circuit Court decision, the Episcopal Church and its Virginia Diocese reached agreements with six other congregations involved in the court case to divvy up money and property. Only the Falls Church pursued an appeal.
 
George Ward, senior warden for the Falls Church Anglican, said that his community was disappointed by the ruling but that it is “thriving.” The Anglican group in the auditorium is far larger than the Episcopal group that won the sprawling property; about 200 Episcopalians come on a typical Sunday, said its rector, the Rev. John Ohmer.
 
The Rev. Shannon Johnston, the Episcopal bishop of Virginia, said the diocese was “grateful.”
 
“This decision ensures that Episcopalians will have a home for years to come in Falls Church, and frees all of us, on both sides of this issue, to preach the Gospel and teach the faith unencumbered by this dispute,” he said in a statement.
 
Read More:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/episcopal-church-wins-virginia-supreme-court-ruling/2013/04/18/51b9cc04-a82e-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html  
 
9. DERICK DAILEY SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES MEETING IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: 
 Derick Dailey, a Yale University Divinity School Student and a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church has been selected to participate in this prestigious program of the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) that will be held in Seoul, South Korea.
 
Over 150 seminarians and young theologians from all regions of the world and all Christian backgrounds have been invited to participate in the GETI, an intensive, two-week theological program taking place October 25 – November 9, 2013, in Seoul and Busan, South Korea, alongside the World Council of Churches’ tenth Assembly, themed: “God of life, lead us to justice and peace.” The curriculum of the GETI will focus on the future of ecumenism and the transformation of World Christianity in the 21st century.
 
Derrick is a member of Bethel AME Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas where the Rev. Tyrone A. Broomfield is the pastor. Derrick served on the Connectional Executive Board of the YPD as the Constitution and By-laws Chairman. Derrick lists his mentors: Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr.; Bishop Jeffrey Leath, Bishop F.H. Talbot, Mr. James McCoy; the Rev. C.V. Boyd, Sr.; Ms. Ruth Milligan (Intermediate Sunday School teacher) and his grandmother, Ms. Juanita Dailey. He is currently an active participant at Bethel AME Church in New Haven, Connecticut.
 
Derrick’s interests at Yale include black religion in the African Diaspora, Christian social ethics and Christian education and he is currently working with the Yale University Rudd Center on research involving food insecurity and the Christian community's response to hunger.
 
Derrick plans to matriculate to law school in the fall of 2014 and specialize in education law, international corporate governance and social corporate accountability.
 
Derrick said, “As a GETI fellow he is particularly interested in the continued evolution of the global ecumenical movement. I am most specifically concerned about the role that black Methodism will play in the global formation of the ecumenical movement. I am excited to be traveling to South Korea and to participate in this historic assembly of the Church!”
 
10. GOD SAYS, “TRUST ME!”
 * Ms. Failyn L. Brooks
 
Holy Trinity AME Church in Las Vegas, NV  just completed its first annual Stewardship Revival with the help of Revivalist, the Rev. Dr. James F. Miller of DuPage AME Church in Lisle, IL.  The three day revival featured the topics of: What does it mean to “Grow in Grace?” Tithing—Sacrifice and Worship are Synonymous; and If God is the owner, then what are we?  We are possessors.  We are stewards.
 
These biblical teaching moments were the first parts of the revival each night.  We learned that grace is sufficient, but that we “grow in grace” as we learn to get closer to Christ.  As we get to know Him, we invest in Him.  We need to be aware of the Spiritual Warfare that is constantly going on and be prepared to face it.  The closer we get to knowing God, the more Satan attacks us.
 
We learned about tithing…the word means “a tenth.”  When we are persons of Faith, we recognize that God has been good to us.  As a result of that recognition, we desire to thank Him for his goodness with our sacrifices.  Sacrifice and worship are synonymous.  He asks us to bring to the storehouse our first fruits.  By doing so, we are saying we love the Lord and our sacrifices are the evidence of such love.
 
Finally, we discovered that we own nothing!  We are simply “possessors” or Stewards over that which God allows us to use.  He often gives us blessings to encourage our growth…to become more like Him.  When we receive these blessings, we need to thank him by giving him his portion.  We don’t tithe to get the blessings!  We do not need “more” of anything.  We have all that we need.  We have become brain-washed into believing that we must have a little more; a newer phone; a bigger TV; a fancier car, etc.  Be thankful for what you have and not what you think you need.  Right now, we are preparing ourselves for what God has in store for us.  We need to be ready to receive it.  Following each of the teaching moments, we went into our revival with songs of praise and worship.  All-in-all, it was an auspicious occasion and a dynamic learning venue.
 
Dr. Miller is the son of the late Presiding Elder Roy L. Miller and the late Dr. Evelyn Davis Miller.  He has pastored three churches: Turner Memorial and Greater St. Paul, both in Chicago and DuPage AME in Lisle, IL.  Since October 1989, he has led DuPage AME in increasing membership from 150 to nearly 2300.  He has completed two multi-million dollar projects and built several capital and stewardship campaigns. 
 
Dr. Miller earned his B.A. degree from Morris Brown College and his Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary.  He is married to the Rev. Lana Parks Miller and they have four adult children.
 
*Failyn L. Brooks is the Administrative Assistant to the Rev. Delman E. Howard, Pastor of Holy Trinity AME Church, Las Vegas, NV.

11. BILL COSBY TO ADDRESS THE PAUL QUINN COLLEGE CLASS OF 2013 AT COMMENCEMENT CONVOCATION:
 DALLAS – April 24, 2013 – The Paul Quinn College Class of 2013, which includes students who made the courageous choice to attend the institution during its most transformative years, will have none other than the iconic entertainer who transformed the face and perception of American television, film and comedy as its commencement speaker.
 
The legendary Bill Cosby will deliver the commencement address at Paul Quinn College’s graduation ceremony on May 4, on the campus at 3837 Simpson Stuart Road. The graduation processional is scheduled to start at 9:45 a.m. with the ceremony immediately following.
 
“This is such a fitting conclusion to the Quinnite Nation collegiate experience for this class,” said Paul Quinn College’s President Michael J. Sorrell.  “These students battled landfills, witnessed the demolition of fifteen abandoned buildings, the transformation of the football field to an organic farm, the renovation of the dorm, dining hall, fitness center, student lounge, classrooms, the Grand Lounge, and more.  They deserve to have one of the most revered men in the world as their commencement speaker.  This is our way of saying ‘Thank you for believing in us and we love you.’ ”
 
Cosby recently completed the book “I Didn’t Ask to Be Born (But I’m Glad I Was)” and is once again on tour.  Cosby promises to bring his signature wholesome brand of comedic social commentary supported by thought-provoking social insights and his well-known passion for education to an institution recognized for its impressive renaissance.
“It is always a pleasure to see those fresh faces of the new graduates,” says Cosby about delivering commencement addresses.  “It’s also fun to notice the relieved smiles of the parents who are wondering, ‘Are they going to be all right?’  The unanswered questions are now really directed at them.”
 
Cosby, a Philadelphia native, is well-known for having an epiphany about the value of a formal education during his time in the Navy.  “Four years later in May,” Cosby has famously recalled, “I hit the ground running from Norfolk, VA and immediately enrolled at Temple University in Philadelphia.” Eventually, he would earn his master’s and doctorate degrees in education.
Cosby has shown no signs of slowing down.  “People always say ‘You don’t need money, why are you still working?’  My answer is that it isn’t about money. That’s academic.  It’s about accepting the challenges of one’s own ideas, clarifying the unanswered questions and pursuing the excitement of discovery,” he says.  Cosby has received honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities.
 
Cosby became wildly popular for his family-oriented stand-up comedy.  Over the years, Cosby leveraged his comedic influence to become an actor, author, television producer, educator, and activist.  He is best known for creating the cartoon “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” and “The Cosby Show”, which went on to become the highest ranking sitcom of all time.  One of only three American television programs to have been number one in the Nielson ratings for at least five consecutive seasons, “The Cosby Show” sparked a robust conversation throughout the national African-American community about whether or not the fictional affluent Huxtable family served as an accurate depiction of how some African-Americans live.  Among his honors are a Kennedy Center Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.  In 2011, the U.S. Navy made Cosby an honorary Chief Petty Officer.
 
Paul Quinn College is opening the doors of the commencement ceremony to welcome members of the Dallas community to attend. However, the college will require all guests to have a ticket. Tickets are free and will be available for pick up from noon to 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 30 through Thursday, May 2, in the Paul Quinn College Business Office, Room 219 in the John Hurst Adams Building of the campus. Each guest will be limited to obtaining a maximum of five tickets per visit to the Business Office. For more information regarding tickets, please call 214-379-5560.
 
About Paul Quinn College
Paul Quinn College, a finalist on the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll and the 2011 HBCU of the Year, is a private, faith-based, four-year liberal arts-inspired college founded by and affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
 
Submitted by Eddie Francis, Director of Communications

12. FULBRIGHT-HAYS GROUP PROJECTS ABROAD PROGRAM FISCAL YEAR 2013 COMPETITION ANNOUNCED:
 Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program Short Term Projects
Application Deadline: June 13, 2013
CFDA Number: 84.021A
 
Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-041713-003
 
The U.S. Department of Education and the International and Foreign Language Education (IFLE) office is pleased to announce a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program opportunity.
 
Under the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad (GPA) Program, the funds will support overseas projects in training, research, and curriculum development in modern foreign languages and area studies for teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor. Projects may include short-term seminars, curriculum development, or group research/study.
 
Duration: Applicants may apply for a maximum grant performance period up to eighteen months in duration for short-term projects; proposed start and end dates should be September 1, 2013-March 31, 2015.  Educator groups may travel abroad anytime during this eighteen month period. The minimum time abroad is four weeks total.
 
Eligible Applicants:  (1) IHEs, (2) State departments of education, (3) Private nonprofit educational organizations, and (4) Consortia of these entities.
 
Eligible Participants: An individual is eligible to participate in a Fulbright-Hays GPA Short Term Project if she/he is: (1) A citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States; and Currently employed full-time in a United States school system, institution of higher education, local education agency or state education agency (not applicable to students); (2) And at least one of the following: a) A teacher in an elementary or secondary school (please see note below);  b) A faculty member who teaches modern foreign languages or area studies;  c) An experienced education administrator responsible for planning, conducting, or supervising programs in modern foreign languages or area studies at the elementary, secondary, or postsecondary levels;  d) A graduate student or junior or senior in an institution of higher education, who is a prospective teacher in the areas of social sciences, humanities and foreign languages. The student should meet the provisions set by his or her local and state education agencies.
 
Project Types: Short-Term Seminars, Curriculum Development, and Group Research or Study
 
Financial Provisions: The institutional award will pay for group travel and host country expenses, including: maintenance stipends based on fifty percent of the amount established by the U.S. Department of State; round-trip international travel; a local travel allowance for necessary project-related travel within the host country; purchase of project-related artifacts, books, and other teaching materials in the country of study; rent for instructional facilities in the country of study; clerical and professional services performed by resident instructional personnel in the country of study; and other expenses in the country of study deemed necessary for the project's success and approved in advance by the U.S. Department of Education.
 
Please note that the grant does not provide funds for project-related expenses within the United States. The GPA program will not provide funds for: 1) U.S.-based salaries and fringe benefits; and 2) U.S.-based activities such as pre-departure orientations and post-travel follow-up, although these activities are required.
 
The application package will be available starting April 18, 2013 at http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=dYkcRxyYrlCfvkKLDQjkZy0nh7nZQ6y2pPkpGGjGyQZvpzgmjBdc!-189593869    
 
For more information, please go to http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsgpa/applicant.html
 
13. ALBAN INSTITUTE ARTICLE - LISTENING TO THE LISTENERS OF SERMONS:

 By Lori J. Carrell
 
Adapted from Preaching That Matters: Reflective Practices for Transforming Sermons, by Lori J. Carrell, a book that Ronald J. Allen calls “inspirational, challenging, and practical--all at once.” 
 
Thousands of listeners from across the United States can contribute to your thinking about the potential value of preaching. These adult listeners attend all kinds of churches—tiny and mega, but mostly medium; healthy and troubled; mainline, evangelical, Catholic, and community. Their responses have been gathered through multiple studies. Fifty-four pastors will arrive at the Center for Excellence in Ministry in a few months, ready to hear feedback from their listeners. Their parishioners have recorded responses to recent sermons through ten-question surveys. If these new listener-respondents are like the thousands surveyed previously, they do not usually provide their preachers with feedback. More than 78 percent of listeners say that they have “never” discussed a sermon with their preachers, so how could you possibly know what your listeners are thinking? I am writing to share compiled results of listeners’ responses about the value of your preaching, to apologize for our previous silence, and to set the record straight. Pastor, here’s why we listen and why your preaching matters to us. 
 
We Listen to Your Preaching Expecting Inspiration  
 
When asked to list the elements of the church service “most likely to have an impact on my spiritual journey,” the number one answer from listeners was “the sermon.” Preachers did not predict their listeners would answer that way! Said a listener from a coastal state, “I like good music and my church friends, but I come on Sunday hoping for inspiration from the sermon, inspiration to encourage my spiritual growth.” When asked to give advice to pastors, another wrote, “Recognize the power of your words.” The role of inspiration in preaching is often overlooked by pastors who may be focusing on explanation and exposition. Please hear the affirmation of your role as a leader of a community of Christ-followers who are seeking spiritual growth through the inspiration present in your preaching. Perhaps you thought their silence suggested they were not responding. Think again. 
 
We Look to Your Preaching for Spiritual Leadership  
 
We can download daily devotionals and upload viral videos, but where do we gather to hear a community leader speak with us about important issues? In the United States, in 2013, that place is still the church. One listener admits, “I can get better presentation from television preaching, but I want to hear this person I know, this person who knows me, this leader in our community of believers. . . . I really believe God speaks through the pastor to us.”
 
Though some analysts predict that a few podcasting super preachers will soon proclaim to a great global pew, right now most Christ-followers are seeking spiritual direction from the public spoken words of their pastors. Your physical presence in the congregation creates the opportunity for relationship with the listening community. The credibility emerging from that relational connection is a critical contributor to the potential power of your preaching. Listeners expect spiritual direction from your preaching. 
 
We Rely on Your Preaching for Spiritual Content  
 
Preaching is unique among sources of advice. Listeners are clear that they want biblically based content in sermons. One dissatisfied listener complained, “At our church, we’re encouraged to be nice, be kind, have a positive attitude. How is that different from everybody else? What does it have to do with the Bible or God?” In less than the split second it took to push the Enter key just now, a Web search for spiritual growth help provided 52,800,000 links for me to browse. And yet, listeners find unique value in sermon content. They keep coming back to church. Why? They are seeking spiritual content from your preaching; quite specifically, they want to hear from God. 
 
If you are a preacher who sometimes wonders what parishioners are expecting, please hear this crucial response from your previously silent listeners: We are listening to you for spiritual content, which we have determined is a priority for us, listening to hear God’s voice through you, listening for something we don’t hear or view or download anywhere else. 
 
We Listen to Your Preaching Expecting Long-Lasting Impact  
 
Even listeners who say a particular sermon merely reminded them of something they already knew resolve to “think about” the content during the week. Now that’s determination! Listener optimism about the value of preaching is reflected in another significant response: a vast majority of the thirty thousand plus listeners participating in this research thus far anticipate that sermons—regardless of topic or preacher—are likely to affect their spiritual journeys “in lasting ways.” Even when the pastor hasn’t used inspirational language, hasn’t included ideas for implementation, or hasn’t even asked for change, listeners are still committed to contemplating the content, because they perceive there is potential for spiritual growth to occur. And many who didn’t find content that might lead to spiritual life-change this week still say, “I am motivated to come back to hear more sermons.” 
 
We listeners crave your spiritual leadership. Overwhelmed? Doubting your impact? God has a well-established pattern of calling inadequate people to monumental tasks, speaking through them in spite of their deficiencies or failures. I heard one of you preach about that just last Sunday.  
 
Believing in the potential power of your preaching can begin a radical transformation process. Yes, attention spans are short. Yes, biblical literacy is lower than it used to be. Yes, solidified deposits of individualism and materialism may be barriers to your preaching about New Testament Christ-following communities. But preaching can make a difference. A significant difference. And it’s not just your listeners who have such grand expectations for the impact of preaching. The Message Bible paraphrase of I Corinthians 1:21 and puts it like this: 
 
Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.
 
Preaching Matters  
 
Affirming that preaching matters is itself transformational. If you actually believe that those minutes you will spend communicating with your congregation next Sunday have the potential to change lives, you may approach the pulpit and your prayer life and your sermon preparation a little differently from the way you did last week, when you wondered if those spoken words of yours were evaporating. Preaching, and all related tasks, may move up on your priority list. 
 
The spoken act of preaching remains the predominant mode of communicating God’s Word to God’s people. Next weekend, next month, and probably next year, you will continue to speak face to face with believers who want to grow spiritually. As a person called to a spiritual leadership role, your commitments to studying Scripture and deepening your faith are both critical to pending transformation in your congregations and communities. What else is needed? 
 
In a recent address to academics who study learning, Georgetown University’s Associate Provost for Institutional Renewal Randy Bass provided a challenge appropriate for both scholars and preachers. He described a visit to the Cape Cod ceramics studio of acclaimed potter Joan Lederman. Joan began decades ago to work with mud discarded from an oceanography institute in her Woods Hole, Massachusetts, community. As Randy (carefully!) examined a piece of her pottery created with sediment from the floors of all seven oceans, he asked her to describe how she deepens her learning, continuing to grow as an artist. Working at her wheel, Joan described a moment-by-moment, heightened awareness of how the mud responds to her touch. That encounter inspired Bass to embrace a similar scrutiny for his work, and to declare that intense inspection of what we do as we do it is necessary for deep learning. 
 
For as long as you continue to speak for God publicly—to preach or teach or proclaim—a close, authentic examination of your sermon communication through reflective practice is needed. Challenge yourself, prayerfully—for your calling to preach is high and holy.
 
This article is excerpted and adapted from Preaching that Matters: Reflective Practices for Transforming Sermons by Lori J. Carrell. Copyright ©2013 by the Alban Institute. All rights reserved. 
 
Ever wish there was a "Congregational Conflict 101"? 
 
There is, and this is it!
 
Don't wait until you are mired in conflict.
Learn skills that you and your congregation can use right now for healthy communication and decision-making.
 
Register now and save:  Early Bird rates through May 30!
 
Subscribe to the Alban Weekly.                       
Archive of past issues of the Alban Weekly.              
 
Alban Weekly, 2013-04-18
Number 456

14. MARYBETH GASMAN’S HBCU CLASS TACKLES THE CASE OF A STRUGGLING COLLEGE: 
 Students in Dr. Marybeth Gasman’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) class are doing their best to change the future of higher education—especially the future of Morris Brown College in Atlanta. And along the way they’re writing a book about the contemporary issues facing these institutions. 
 
Morris Brown, founded in 1881 under the auspices of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, boasts a proud heritage as one of the few colleges created by African Americans for African Americans. Among its alumni are such luminaries as civil rights leader Hosea Williams and Pulitzer Prize-winning author James A. McPherson. The college continues to trumpet its dedication to preparing its students for a lifetime of learning and achievement in a global society. 
 
Yet in spite of its ambitions and rich history, Morris Brown’s situation is dire. The institution lost its accreditation in 2002 because of financial problems. With a debt exceeding $30 million, the college filed for bankruptcy last August. The student body is down to 55 intrepid souls and the few remaining faculty and staff stay because they love the institution. Now the college is desperately seeking a way forward.
 
This is where Marybeth Gasman’s hands-on course on the history, context, and contemporary issues of HBCUs comes in. Armed with information about the inner workings of Morris Brown and guided by Dr. Gasman, her students are serving as volunteer consultants. At the end of the term, they will deliver comprehensive recommendations for solving the college’s problems to Dr. Stanley Pritchett, President of Morris Brown. They will address regaining accreditation; fundraising; public relations; the board of trustees; alumni involvement; relationships with the surrounding community; and the college’s connection with the AME Church, which controls it but does not provide all of its financial resources.  
 
Dr. Gasman, Professor of Higher Education at GSE, brings to this class her expertise as an historian of higher education, her deep understanding of HBCUs, and her knowledge as a pro bono consultant to Morris Brown College.
 
“This can be a life-changing course,” says master’s student Matt Nelson. “The experience we’re getting as consultants for Morris Brown, combined with the opportunity to write for publication, will be invaluable in our careers as professionals in higher education. The course reinforces how powerful our voices are and how important it is that we use them.”
 
The class is unusual in that it requires a commitment longer than a single term. For the final assignment for the course, each student is writing a book chapter addressing contemporary issues at HBCUs. “I’m turning my students into authors,” Dr. Gasman says.  “I had to get buy-in from them at the beginning of the course because there’ll be a lot of work over the summer as we edit their papers for publication.” Dr. Gasman will co-edit the resulting book with Teaching Assistant Felicia Commodore, a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education at GSE.
 
What is the future of Morris Brown College? “It’s like a house into which people have put a lot of sweat equity, which is why they won’t give up,” says Dr. Gasman. “I understand that. I want to see the legacy continue, but what form it will take I don’t know.  While I’d like to see it move forward as a four-year liberal arts college, it might be that embracing a new future is the best strategy. I believe my students will come up with some innovative ideas that might just help Morris Brown get back on track.”
 
This article was forwarded by Felecia Commodore is a native of the Eastern Shore of Maryland who is a Student in Dr. Marybeth Gasman’s class. She is a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA where she received a B.S. in Marketing with a minor in Sociology.  She has also obtained an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. Her research focus area is HBCU leadership, governance, and administrative practices. Felecia is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and is a member of Reid Temple AME Church in Glenn Dale, Maryland, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington.  While at school she is an affiliated member of AME Union Church where the pastor is the Rev. Paul J. Thomas.  She currently holds the office of Young Adult Representative for the Second Episcopal District Lay Organization.  She also serves on the Connectional Lay Organization Scholarship Committee, and contributed as a writer to the Connectional Lay Study Guide. Felecia is currently a candidate for Young Adult Representative for the Connectional Lay Organization.
 
*This article published with the permission of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

15. BEYOND STEREOTYPES IN BLACK AND WHITE: HOW EVERYDAY LEADERS CAN BUILD HEALTHIER OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS AND MEN:
 By Henrie M. Treadwell, PhD
 
The manifold costs of not insuring, employing, educating, and nurturing African American boys and men are clear. The health and well-being of African American boys and men is seriously threatened by virtually all social and policy systems. Meaningful improvement will only come when everyday people of every race and sector discover their own leadership attributes and act to reverse a stunning trend of elimination of hope and aspiration that has been the norm for generations of African American males.
 
Beyond Stereotypes in Black and White: How Everyday Leaders Can Build Healthier Opportunities for African American Boys and Men by Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell exposes the plight of African American boys and men. In her new book, Dr. Treadwell identifies the social and policy infrastructure ensnaring this sector in a downward spiral that worsens with each exposure to our system; a system that offers unemployment, low-wage work, marginalization and incarceration.
 
“In this book, I provide a concise presentation of the facts of this history, and a voice from the vantage point of the boys and men themselves,” says Dr. Treadwell, “as well as that of advocates in communities around the country. I give readers a context for the policies that have put African American boys and men on the downward spiral. I then set the parameters for new policies and new leadership on every level—from government officials to members of the media, from CEOs of large corporations to small business owners, from elite educators to single parents.”
 
An eye-opening read, Beyond Stereotypes in Black and White examines:
 
- Why African American boys and men face more illness and die younger than any other racial grouping the United States
 
- The real impact of racism on the life opportunities of men and boys of color
- Why African American boys and men are given very few health coverage options
 
- Why they are consistently incarcerated at rates widely disproportionate to their representation of the U.S. population
 
- How this tremendous injustice comes with a cost that burdens all groups in American society, not just African Americans
 
- And much more!
 
“Through Beyond Stereotypes in Black and White,” adds Dr. Treadwell, “I am challenging Americans to see that all of us must act individually and collectively to right this social wrong.”
 
Dr. Henrie Treadwell is a full time Research Professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine. Her major responsibilities include program oversight and management for Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved, a special informing policy initiative funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and which she established and operated for 16 years prior to joining the National Center for Primary Care. She is also the recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Award for Outstanding Advocacy Achievement.
 
Dr. Treadwell has programmed, lectured, and provided consultative services throughout the world in countries as diverse as Salzburg (The Salzburg Seminar), Vienna (The World Congress on Men’s Health), Haiti, Southern Africa (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho), the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, and beyond.
 
Dr. Treadwell holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of South Carolina where she enrolled as the first African American after a civil rights lawsuit and was the first African American to graduate from the University since the Reconstruction. She was also the first African American woman to ever graduate from the University. In addition, Dr. Treadwell holds a master’s degree in Biology from Boston University, a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biology, Atlanta University, and completed postdoctoral work at the Harvard University School of Public Health.
 
For more information, please visit http://www.abc-clio.com/product.aspx?isbn=9781440803994
 
Beyond Stereotypes in Black and White is available at Amazon and through all major booksellers.
 
16. POVERTY IN AMERICA: MILLIONS OF FAMILIES TOO BROKE FOR BANK ACCOUNTS:
 Travis Dove / for NBC News
 
Kim James outside the Dove House, a half-way house in Durham, NC that helped her recover from poverty and addiction. James has since been able to start banking again through the Self Help Credit Union.
By Bob Sullivan, Columnist, NBC News
 
Sabino Fuentes-Sanchez hid $25,000 all around his house because he didn't trust banks. Lasonia Christon receives her Wal-Mart salary on a pre-paid debit card. Kim James was homeless for most of the past decade in part because she had no place to save money.
 
There are plenty of reasons people still live all-cash lives, but the sheer number who do it might surprise you. At a time when the majority of Americans use online banking, and some even deposit checks using their cellphone cameras, roughly eight percent of America's 115 million households don’t have a checking or savings account, according to census data compiled by the FDIC.
 
The numbers are far higher among minorities: More than 20 percent of African-Americans and Hispanics are essentially left out of the American banking system.
 
Frozen in the cash-only past, they face myriad “kick-them-while-they-are-down” situations where getting money costs money. Banks typically charge $6 to cash checks. Want to secure an apartment? Fee-based money orders are the only option. Without credit cards, they must turn to triple-digit interest rate payday loans for emergencies.
 
Lasonia Christon of Jackson, Miss., tries to avoid getting paid in checks, but when her state tax refund for $231 arrived recently, she had to pay $7 to cash it at a nearby convenience store.
 
Christon works at Wal-Mart. Her paychecks are deposited onto a prepaid debit card -- an improvement over old-fashioned paper paychecks, which led to high check-cashing fees. It’s hardly a good substitute for direct deposit, however. One cash withdrawal per period is free, but others cost $2. She can avoid the fee by shopping at Wal-Mart and getting cash back at checkout.
 
She is among the 60 percent of unbanked Americans who previously had a checking account. Christon used to share one with her sister, but it cost her dearly.
 
"There was an overdraft here and an overdraft there, and it just didn't work out," she said.
 
Kim James at the Dove House, a half-way house in Durham, NC that helped her get back on her feet after struggles with poverty and addiction.
 
Fuentes-Sanchez made a fairly good living working for a tree removal company in Lumber Bridge, N.C., for about 10 years. But he was skeptical of banks, and when he tried to open an account, he was surprised by the cost.
 
"Instead of making money, I would have to pay fees," he said, through a translator. "(So) we used to keep money in the house. We were always trying to look for ways to hide the money in the house and keep it safe."
 
At one time, Fuentes-Sanchez had $25,000 stashed in different places throughout the house – his Latino community had been plagued by house burglaries because neighbors did the same. When his wife got cancer, her treatments devoured all their savings. Down to their last $500, and before she passed away, she convinced him to open a bank account at Latino Community Credit Union, which was opened in part to help stem the burglary problem.
 
“She managed the money," and was disciplined enough to avoid spending it, said Fuentes-Sanchez, 37, who now raises five children alone. "(I) sometimes see something and I am tempted to buy it ... Now the money is in the bank.”
 
Saving -- putting money out of temptation's reach -- is the core concept of consumer banking. But the importance of participating in the financial system has stretched far beyond the quaint notion of interest, said Jennifer Tescher, CEO of the Center for Financial Services Innovation, who is generally regarded as the person responsible for popularizing the term unbanked.
 
"A bank account in a way has become like a passport or a driver's license," said Tesch. "It's a kind of access device."
 
James, 55, has been in and out of homelessness for several years.  She now lives at a half-way house called Dove House in Durham, N.C., and figured she could never move into her own apartment unless she could stash away the money needed for a security deposit. Without a savings account, that was a challenge.
 
"Cash in hand is cash spent, my mother always said," she said.
 
Two years ago, she met Duke University student Janet Xiao, who was part of a group named the Community Empowerment Fund, which visited Dove House offering life skills training, including a class on personal finance where she nudged women to open a bank account.  James was reluctant.
 
"It's really demoralizing to open up an account and have it sitting in there with no money in it," Xiao said. “I think most folks want to take one step at a time, and get a job first. Also, there is this fear of being charged fees you don't understand.”
 
When James got a part-time job in January, she finally took up Xiao’s offer of help.  The two set up an account with the Self-Help Credit Union on Xiao’s laptop right at the Dove House kitchen table.
 
"She even put the first $5 in there for me," James said. After depositing her first paycheck in person at Self-Help, Xiao said, James did a little dance.
 
“Now whenever I get even $10 or $20, I go to the bank and deposit it,” James said. Within a few months, she put together enough to pay her security deposit and first’s month’s rent. As soon as she saves enough for a bed, she’ll move in.
 
James has been able to start banking again through the Self Help Credit Union, and has saved enough to pay a security deposit and the first month's rent for her own apartment.
 
'Saving for the future'
 
Self-Help is part of a growing set of financial companies called Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). Supported by the U.S. Treasury Department, their mission is to help the unbanked get into the financial system.
 
”You make sure people are getting products and services they need,” said Mark Pinsky, CEO of the Opportunity Finance Network, which helps fund CDFIs. “Banks may be the best place, they may not, but we don't want to just leave them vulnerable to the predators out there.”
 
Christon has recently been persuaded to open an account in a different way. Her 3-year-old twins’ day-care facility was recently visited by representatives of the Mississippi College Savings Account program, who helped her open a small account for the children. She then realized she needed her own savings account.
 
"I want to be a good role model for them, so they can learn about savings," she said.  "I know I need to be better and show them about saving for the future."
 
Bob Sullivan writes The Red Tape Chronicles blog on NBCNews.com. Follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
 
NBC Latino's Sandra Lilley contributed to this story.
 
Read More:
 
http://inplainsight.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/22/17840373-poverty-in-america-millions-of-families-too-broke-for-bank-accounts?lite
 
17. WANT TO WORK FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA? AFRICAN AMERICAN INTERNS WANTED FOR 2013 WHITE HOUSE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM:
 Washington, DC (BlackNews.com) -- The 2013 White House Initiative’s Year-round Internship Program provides current undergraduate and graduate students with an opportunity to learn about African American-focused education policy, communications, and outreach at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C.
 
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Collecting and compiling research and data on African American education, institutions and communities; Performing data entry and managing the office database; Greeting and escorting visitors to meetings; Participating in strategic planning and staff meetings and other Department policy briefings and meetings relevant to the work of the Initiative; Responding to constituent inquiries verbally or in writing; and more.
 
Throughout the course of their internships, students will have the opportunity to attend and potentially lead in the planning and management of meetings, briefings and other special events on the Hill, at the White House and in other federal agencies.
To apply for the 2013 White House Initiative’s Year-round Internship Program, visit:
 
http://www.findinternships.com/2013/04/white-house-initiative-year-round-internship-program.html#.UXlUvMqkTqQ
 
18. GETTING TO ZERO: A CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONFERENCE REPORT:
 By Dr. Oveta Fuller
 
The 17th District Board of Christian Education Conference (BOCE) occurred April 21st –April 28th 2013 at the Kabwe Trades Training Institute in Kabwe in the Central Province of Zambia. It is an amazing experience! The theme is the same as the Bishop’s Council Quadrennial theme “Discipleship for Radical Transformation”. The BOCE brings together people from twelve annual conferences in six different countries that comprise the 17th Episcopal District located in the heart of the continent of Africa. The countries are Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya.  Each of these countries knows well the impacts of HIV/AIDS on its people.
 
Though there are many themes addressed within the 17th District BOCE Congress, I share here several that are directly related to G20.
 
Young adults and youth who still have the highest HIV transmission rates feel more challenged today than even ten years ago. They know that they have access to many options. These range from cable television, internet, easy mobile phone connection, alcohol use and available drugs (legal or illegal) if they want. This, combined with high levels of lack of employment opportunities and limited access to education, make a volatile mixture that results in opening of many gateways to intimate sexual engagement. Intimate sexual engagement can lead to sharing of semen and vaginal fluid- contact that can transmit HIV and other pathogens from one person to another. People want to feel connected to someone. Many will take known risks to do so.
 
Early and continuous connection for communication between parents or guardians and youth- children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, godchildren- starting from a very early age, can help in navigating through challenges. The communication about anything, including sexuality and intimate relationships, MUST be purposefully kept open. This starts from a very early age. Young adults and youth stated that “their parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles have the biggest influence on what they learn, think and do as children, teens and young adults.” Yes, young adults and teens actually say this. During the development time they are learning about themselves, about others, about expectations, about love. They do hear the communication of their parents. This is the time they are setting healthy limits and developing standards for their lives and actions.
 
There is visible progress in cities of Zambia on de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS. The most important aspect of continuing radically transforming perceptions and understanding of HIV/AIDS is that everyone gets a test for HIV infection. Everyone needs to get VCT=HCT.
 
HIV counseling and testing (HCT) determines that either the virus has, or has not, entered a person’s body. With either result, there MUST be a plan to deal positively with the HCT outcome. If + (HIV is in the body and antibodies have been formed) immediate medical care is needed to determine the state of the immune system and level of progression towards the disease state AIDS. If – (HIV is not in the body and thus there are no HIV specific antibodies) one must develop, reaffirm and recommit to an effective strategy to keep HIV outside of the body. This will be by using “Combination of Preventions” and personally committing to do one of the ABCs at ALL times.
 
“Combination Prevention” means using any or all of what works for you and your situation from the choices that are available. There is no vaccine or cure. The available choices include use of the ABCs of prevention at all times; preventing mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) by adequate ante-natal care; treatment as prevention (TAP) to provide anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) that can lower the amount of circulating virus in an HIV+ person and in a community; ARVs in anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and medical monitoring for those who are HIV+; male circumcision; and increasing science-based education.
 
- A hurdle in de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS (at least in this region) is getting ground level understanding and education about the virus (HIV) and its disease (AIDS) so that people are correctly informed. Though more is known than ever before, more needs to be known. The religious networks and faith communities can help with this process.
 
- An even greater hurdle, a gigantic hurdle here, to de-stigmatizing HIV/AIDS is not what people think about people who are living with HIV infection (PLWHA). It is what people who are living with HIV/AIDS think people will think about them if it is know that they are HIV+.  The fear of being labeled and isolated is almost as great as the fear of the outcome of the infection and disease.
 
- The question of how often should one get HCT arises often. The answer from me is “as often as there is an opportunity or need, or routinely at least once per year.” HCT will determine and affirm a person’s HIV status. This is critical to controlling HIV/AIDS. Completing HCT also models ownership of controlling the disease. It goes far in changing fear of HIV/AIDS. It impacts reluctance of others to get a test for HIV. By its nature, getting the test acknowledges that HIV/AIDS is a viral infection that can happen to anyone who is sexually active, or who has contact with blood or breast milk.
 
- There are many efforts occurring by individuals and groups in these central African countries to address the impact of HIV/AIDS. They include engaging in “sensitization programs”; running and supporting homes for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and also for women; participating in football (soccer) associations that also teach about HIV/AIDS to young people; economic empowerment efforts; support groups that train and meet in churches to show personal compassion to people who may be ill with something (maybe including HIV/AIDS, maybe other diseases), but who are ignoring the obvious symptoms and need for medical attention. 
 
From this 2013 BOCE we can conclude that there IS progress. There is a glimmer of light that must be further transformed into a clearly visible light beam at the end of a tunnel of darkness about how to get to ground level community control of HIV/AIDS.
 
Perhaps one of the best developments is obvious at the BOCE Conference in Kabwe in 2013. We are talking about HIV/AIDS. It is on the agenda. It is there in multiple places. This is because the leaders understand that it must be there. The people who attend plenary and breakout sessions want to increase their understanding while we are here. They are very willing to engage to learn and to get questions answered.
 
Here, and as has been (occurred) in episcopal districts during Christian Education Conferences across the AMEC connection, biomedical science-based HIV/AIDS education is an absolute part of reversing infection and disease trends. Religious leaders in their established networks (such as the AMEC) are ideally situated to help with getting to zero. We are charged by Christ to help provide the education and lead the transformation. Religious leaders in their established networks, by the supernatural power of God, can plant and grow corn even at the top of the mountain. We can help to bring about change that is not easy to do. Christian Education conferences can help. Let’s get on with it.
 
“My people perish for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 6:4
 
19. CHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2013 - HOPE COMES FROM GOD’S GRACE: 
 *Brother Bill Dickens
 
2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, 9-17
 
Basic Need
 It is common to ask about the source of things we enjoy seeing or experiencing.  The brilliant Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt attributes the source of his phenomenal athletic prowess to preparation and dedication.  Cosmologists and physicists agree that the source of energy is the Sun in our solar system. Parents provide the source of protection and encouragement for their children.   Something comes from something.  The Adult AME Church School lesson for April 28, 2013 explores the source of hope for a Christian.  The answer is found in God’s unmerited favor (grace) that He indiscriminately extends to all.  Understanding that source involves avoiding and rejecting the pitfalls caused by the Adversary who seeks to keep believers in a state of ignorance about God’s Divine Plan and Purpose. 
 
Basic Lesson
 Paul’s second epistle to the church at Thessalonica (Chapter 2) provides careful instruction about separating fact from fiction.  Many of the Thessalonians were experiencing anxiety pains about the promise of Jesus’ triumphant Second Coming.  This is a continuation from last week’s lesson about the events associated with the Rapture. Paul assures his audience that the Parousia or Second Coming is a certain event but certain milestones must occur prior to Jesus’ return.  Those milestones consist of the emergence of the “Lawless One” or Satan, an epidemic of deception and false beliefs and finally an era of hedonistic indulgence in unrighteousness.  The believer is encouraged to stand fast in the midst of the social chaos to the true teachings provided by Paul and his colleagues. The Gospel reflects the Grace of God which is ultimately the source of our hope.  Jesus unequivocally stated, “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”

Basic Application
 “Just say no” was a phrase popularized by former First Lady Nancy Reagan as a strategy to help youth trapped by the vicious circle of drugs and despair in the 1980s. It sounded simple and naïve but ultimately the message was correct in recognizing that we all have to make choices.  The early Thessalonians had to make choices about what to believe concerning the return of Jesus.  The sound teachings and traditions of the spiritual experience for African Americans has emphasized knowing right from wrong and making sound choices that reflect our core values and belief system.  The AME Church has a rich heritage admonishing members to just say no to false teachings about sin, salvation, poverty, illiteracy and social disenfranchisement.  Our hope comes from knowing that God’s Grace is open to all.  The revised AME Motto emphasizes this important point by stressing: God our Father, Christ our Redeemer, Holy Spirit our Comforter and Humankind our Family.   
 
*Brother Bill Dickens is currently the Church School Teacher at Allen AME Church in Tacoma, Washington.  He is currently a member of the Fellowship of Church Educators for the AME Church.
                                                         
20. MEDITATION BASED ON MATTHEW 6: 5-13

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
 The color green - the color of growing things - is universally associated with the coming of springtime, but the color yellow is a close second in the American south.  You see, we southerners are surrounded with an abundance of pine trees that produce thick and visible yellow pollen each spring.  Pine pollen coats everything outdoors in yellow - from patio furniture to sidewalks to cars - and sends those with pollen allergies running to pick up medications to cope with itchy eyes, coughing and stuffy noses.
 
Pine pollen is a visible sign of springtime and of allergy season down south, but pine pollen isn’t the most common cause of springtime allergies.  Pine pollen particles are actually so large that although they’re visibly annoying, they’re also hard to breathe in. The real culprits that cause most allergic reactions are the pollens produced by oak, maple, elm and cedar trees and by numerous varieties of grass.  They’re smaller in size and far less visible, but they’re easily breathed in and actually cause the allergy symptoms that we southerners usually blame on heavier and more visible yellow pine pollen.
 
That “pollen lesson” from nature symbolizes what we often go through in life.  Most of us learn to anticipate and prepare for life’s visible sources of stress and frustration like sickness, stress, fear, financial need and disappointment.  Life has a way, however, of throwing unanticipated but crippling troubles in our way that we can’t easily see in advance, prepare for or cope with.
 
Unanticipated and unseen problems will touch all of our lives sooner or later, but that’s not what really matters.  What really matters is that the God who knows what we need before we even think to pray or ask for it knows us best, knows the obstacles in our way and always stands ready to bless us, protect us and provide for us, even in the face of unseen trials and troubles.
 
Take the time each day, even in the midst of a world filled with unanticipated and unexpected problems, to go to God in prayer.  You’ll find new strength to face each day, new assurance that you don’t walk alone and new affirmation in the words of the hymn writer who said, “Jesus knows all about our struggles, He will guide till the day is done, there’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus, no, not one, no, not one.”
 
Get Ready for Sunday, and have a great day in your house of worship!
 
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby is the Presiding Elder of the Beaufort District of the South Carolina Annual Conference   

21. GENERAL OFFICER FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT: 

-- Dr. Joanne E. Williams Cooper, wife of General Secretary/Chief Information Officer Dr. Jeffery Cooper inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, National Medical Honor Society
 On April 23, 2013, Dr. Joanne E Williams Cooper, wife of General Secretary, Dr. Jeffery Cooper was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha, the National Medical Honor Society at a banquet in her honor at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. where she serves on the School of Medicine Faculty.  The selection was based on her outstanding scholastic achievement, integrity, capacity for leadership, compassion, and fairness in dealing with colleagues. 
 
Congratulatory responses can be emailed to: Jwill05@Emory.Edu, Dr. Joanne E Williams Cooper.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
 
22. EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE: 
We sadly inform you of the death of Dustin Kelly Henning who died from a very short illness on Sunday, April 21, 2013. Dustin is the father of Asha Henning, and the son of the late George Miller Henning; and Rita Claiborne Henning; brother of Attorney Kris Henning and Marcus Scott, and Kyle Miller and Justine Song Henning.  He is also the nephew of Dr. Herman William and Cynthia Henning: Bishop C. Garnett Henning and Supervisor Ernestine Henning; Former Supervisor Yvonne Henning Parks, Mrs. Mita Henning; and Ainsley M. and Presiding Elder Anne Henning Byfield.
 
The service will be held on Friday, April 25, 2013
Family Hour: 10:00 am; Funeral at 11:00 a.m.:
 
New Allen Chapel AME Church
1559 South Third Street
Memphis, Tennessee, 38106
Telephone: (901) 775-0925
The Rev. Agnes Henderson, Pastor
 
Eulogist:  The Rev. Kevin E. Parks, cousin.
 
Services are entrusted to:
 
Family Memorial Funeral Services
326 W. North Street
Canton, MS 39046
(601) 859-1509     Fax: (601) 859-1507
 
Hotel accommodation:
 
Marriott
2625 Thousand Oaks Blvd
Memphis, TN  38118
(901) 369-5923     Fax: (901) 369-5955
 
To send a condolence:
 
For Kris Henning: Henningk@law.georgetown.edu; Kyle Henning: kmhenning1@yahoo.com; Dr. Herman Henning: nutrole@aol.com; 
Bishop Henning: lanroc@aol.com; Supervisor Parks: Mslady3x@aol.com; Presiding Elder Anne Henning Byfield: pehenby@aol.com; Kevin Parks revkparkplace@yahoo.com.
 
23. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
 We sadly announce the passing of Mr. Edward Edgerton, 83, the brother of the Rev. Cleo Brenda Freeman, the wife of the Rev. Dr. John E. Freeman, pastor of United AME Church in Xenia, Ohio.
 
Edward Edgerton, age 83 departed this life on Saturday, March 20, 2013 at his Columbus, Ohio residence. He was born on February 25, 1930, the son of Pink and Elizabeth Edgerton. Ed was a long-time resident of Maybeury, West Virginia until he relocated to Columbus, Ohio to be near his daughters.  He attended school in McDowell County and later worked in the Coal industry until he retired. He was a member of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Maybeury, West Virginia. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Shirley (Brown) Edgerton; daughter, Gloria Jean Edgerton; one brother, Pink Edgerton Jr.; five sisters; Eugena Mae Payne, Gertrude Edwards, Eula Mae Ervin, Eliza Fountain and Doretha Daughtry. He leaves to morn his passing one daughter, Donzella Edgerton, Columbus, Ohio; and one son, Darryle (Marissa) Edgerton of Colorado Springs, Colorado; three sisters; Reba Phillips, Columbus, Ohio, Cora Crandall, Yellow Springs, Ohio, the Rev. Cleo Brenda (John) Freeman, Fairborn, Ohio; Four brothers Thomas (Sherri) Edgerton, Columbus, Ohio, Frankie and Glen Edgerton of Fairborn, Ohio and Chauncey Edgerton, Powder Springs, Georgia; three grandchildren; Tiffany Edgerton, Devante, and Juwan Edgerton; three great-grand children Teon, Tyshon and TherRon Jennings; and a host of nieces, nephews other relatives and friends.
 
Services:   Thursday April 25, 2013
Visitation:  10:00 .am. until time of funeral service
Funeral: 11:30 a.m.
Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church
Rte 52
Maybeury, WV 24861
 
Telephone: 304.827.2388
 
The Rev. Pledge Calloway, Eulogist and the Rev. Dr. John E. Freeman Officiating.
Interment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, Bluefield, West Virginia.
 
Arrangements entrusted to Porter-Qualls-Dunlap Funeral Home, Springfield, Ohio.
 
24. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
 We regret to inform you of the passing of Presiding Elder Cornelius E. Jenkins, Retired Presiding Elder in the 11th Episcopal District, serving The Old Ft. Myers District, Tampa Conference, Pensacola District - West Florida Conference and The Old Ft. Pierce District - South Conference, and he has served as pastor in the South Florida Conference of the Eleventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
 
He leaves to cherish his memories five daughters, four sons, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends across the connectional church.
 
The services for Elder Jenkins will be 11 AM:
 
Friday, April 26, 2013
 
Greater Allen Chapel AMEC
2416 S. Lipscomb Street
Melbourne, FL 32901
 
The Rev. Joyce Moore, Pastor
Telephone (321) 724-1557
Bishop John Hurst Adams, Eulogist
 
The wake will be held on Thursday, April 25 from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Greater Allen Chapel
 
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
 
The Jenkins' Family Home
2403 Dunbar Ave.
Melbourne, Fl 32901
conradjenkins@earthlink.net
 
Services are entrusted to:
 
Stone Funeral Home
516 King Street, COCOA, FL 32922
Phone: (321) 636-2344 / 632-2234
Fax: (321) 631-5243
 
25. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
 We regret to inform you of the passing of Antjuan Wallace, the son of the Rev. Carl and Ella Wallace, pastor and first lady of Allen Chapel AME Church in Wabasso, Florida.
 
Services for Antjuan Wallace are scheduled for:
 
Saturday, April 27, 2013, 2:00 p.m.
 
Allen Chapel AME Church
2416 S. Lipscomb Street,
Melbourne Fl 32901
 
The Rev. Joyce Moore, Pastor
 
The Buggs Funeral Home is in charge of services:
 
2701 South Harbor City Boulevard
Melbourne Fl   32901
Telephone: (321) 728-7076
The Reverend Leon Tucker, Eulogist
 
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
 
Allen Chapel AME Church
The Rev. Carl Wallace, pastor
PO Box 700676
Wabasso, FL 32961
 
Telephone:  772.918.4577
Cell: 321.795.7787                 
Email: rebnewwhome@earthlink.net   
 
26. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
 We regret to inform you of the passing of Isabella F. Boyer, mother of the Rev. Belindia E. Boyer, pastor of Hebron AME Church in Linwood, Pennsylvania (Delaware Conference-Wilmington District).
 
The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
 
Saturday, April 27, 2013
 
Viewing: 8:00 a.m. -10:00 a.m.
Funeral: 10:00 a.m.
 
Temple Baptist Church
736 West 7^th Butler Street
Chester, PA 19013
 
Telephone: 215-876-7800
The Rev. Jeremiah Witherspoon, pastor and eulogist
 
Professional Care has been entrusted to:
 
Earl L. Foster Funeral Home
1100 Kerlin Street
Chester, PA 19013
Phone:    610-874-2877
Fax: 610-874-8201
Email: fosterfh1@comcast.net
 
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:
 
The family of Isabella F. Boyer
816 West Third Street
Chester, Pa. 19013

27. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE: 
On Friday, April 19, 2013, Sister Wanda Wood, the wife of the Rev. Douglas O. Wood, pastor of St. Mary AME Church in Greenville South Carolina transitioned to her heavenly home after a courageous battle against cancer.
 
The funeral service for First Lady Wanda Wood was held on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at Allen Temple AME Church in Greenville, South Carolina. Sister Wood was an active member of the Piedmont Conference MSWAWO. Members of the organization will serve as Flower Bearers for the services. Members are asked to wear the traditional funeral attire for our organization, black suits with black shells and the MSWAWO stoles.
 
28. 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  
 
29.  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.
 
Did someone you know pass this copy of The Christian Recorder to you? Get your own copy HERE


Click Here: Guidelines for Submitting Articles to TCR

*You have received this message because you are subscribed to The Christian Recorder Online

Forward to Friend

Copyright © 2012 The Christian Recorder, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a current subscriber to The Christian Recorder.

Our mailing address is:
The Christian Recorder
500 Eighth Avenue, South
Nashville, TN 37203-7508

Add us to your address book

Unsubscribe from this list    Subscribe to TCR/ Update subscription preferences