THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (12/21/13)

The Right Reverend 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

1. TCR EDITORIAL – END OF YEAR AND BEGINNING OF YEAR BITS AND PIECES

Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III

The 20^th Editor of The Christian Recorder

The AMEC Sunday School Union will be closed for the Christmas holidays until January 2, 2014.

Part 2 of TCR Editorial “I Would Like to See AME Church News Year’s Resolution that Acknowledges…” will be published in the first January Issue of TCR Online.

The Christian Recorder print edition is behind mailing schedule because of printing press replacement, staff shortages, holiday closings, printing of the Minutes of the 49^th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference and a heavy production schedule. The issues of TCR print edition have already been prepared and are in the queue.

Readers of The Christian Recorder Online and print editions have probably already figured out that the Editor is sensitive and protective of African Methodism and in Methodism, in general.  Methodism has had a positive influence in religious life in the Americas and abroad. One of my pet peeves is the notion about the genesis of the Watch Meeting Night service and each year I attempt to set the record straight. I am encouraged because I have seen some corrective modifications in articles tying Watch Meeting Services to the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862.

This article below was first published in 2007 and in subsequent issues of The Christian Recorder each year.

Please allow me, to once again, set the record straight, at least among AMEs and for all of the readers of The Christian Recorder that Watch Meeting Night began in AME Churches before 1862.   

TCR Editorial - The Watch Meeting Night Services in black America:

Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III

The 20^th Editor of The Christian Recorder

We are approaching the New Year 2014 and pastors and local church leaders have hopefully planned for Watch Meeting Night Services.

The Watch Night worship service has been a strong African Methodist tradition from the very beginnings of the AME Church. I mention that because there has been a revisionist account that originally stated that the genesis of Watch Night Services in black communities are traced back to gatherings on December 31, 1862, also known as "Freedom's Eve" when blacks came together in churches and private homes to await the news that the Emancipation Proclamation was going to become law.

The revisionist account of the Watch Night Service says, “Black folks have gathered in churches annually on New Year's Eve ever since, praising God for bringing us safely through another year.” The story is heartwarming, but there is more to the story. 

Today, the Watch Night Service is held in a lot of black and white Churches; and the Emancipation Proclamation story has relevance and I am certain that the night of December 31, 1862 had a special meaning for the slaves. However, President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did not free all of the slaves, only the slaves in the slave-holding states, but I am also certain, for those who took advantage of the emancipation order, December 31^st remained a significant day in their lives as long as they lived. 

But, the Watch Night service didn't begin in 1862; it began many years prior to that date.

The Watch Night Service reportedly began with the Moravians in Germany and was picked up by John Wesley who incorporated the service in Methodism.  In England, Europe, and in America, the early Methodists and other religious groups also observed Watch Night services; the Moravians certainly did.  The noted homiletician, Charles H. Spurgeon, a Baptist preacher, preached a Watch Night Sermon on December 31, 1855 and took his text from Lamentations 2:19.

In America, among the earliest Watch Night services was probably held at St. George Church in Philadelphia where Richard Allen and other blacks were members.

To say that the Watch Meeting services began in the mid-1800 is a myth. It is certain that Richard Allen celebrated Watch Meeting Night services at St. George Church and it would follow that Watch Meeting Night services were held at Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. 

Originally, Watch Night services were held to deepen the spiritual life of the Methodists and Wesley, himself explained in his Journal that watch Night services in England were generally held between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. on the Friday nearest the full moon "so that participants walked safely home through moonlit streets." 

In 19^th Century Philadelphia, the Methodists continued the practice of watch-night services on New Year's Eve.  The newly-formed AME Church members, wherever AME Churches were located, celebrated Watch Meeting Night services.

Watch Meeting Night Service is a tradition that I hope will continue because we have a lot for which to be thankful.  All of us have a testimony to give, a song to sing and a prayer to be prayed. 

In the black community, the Watch Meeting Night began with us, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and with the Right Reverend Richard Allen, the first consecrated and elected bishop.

Though other denominations have Watch Night services, Watch Meeting Night worship is a Methodist tradition and we should never, ever, forget it.

2.  FAVORABLE RULING FOR AMEC IN THE CASE OF FAME CHURCH OF LOS ANGELES V. THE REV. DR. JOHN HUNTER, MRS. DENISE HUNTER AND FIVE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS:

Los Angeles, California

The following statement was issued last week after the favorable ruling in the case of First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles v. the Rev. Dr. John Hunter, Mrs. Denise Hunter and five individual defendants:

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Mooney denied the Defendants' Demurrers and motions to strike our Second Amended Complaint.  The Judge ordered the Defendants to answer our complaint within 20 days. 

In denying the Defendants' motions, the Court ruled that FAME and Pastor Boyd have the legal right (standing) to sue the Defendants for their illegal activities, including their ultra vires attempt to amend the FAME Corporation By-Laws, to disenfranchise FAME from voting on the directors of the FAME Corporations and blocking Pastor Boyd from assuming his role as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of each FAME Corporation.”

Judge Mooney also set the trial date of October 14, 2014 for this case.                     

The Rev. J. Edgar Boyd is the Senior Minister and Pastor of the oldest African-American church in Los Angeles. 

**Submitted by the Rev. J. Edgar Boyd

3. AMEC SOCIAL ACTION COMMISSION 'S "CALL TO ACTION":

The leadership in the African-American faith community has spoken via a letter declaring that, "We, leaders of predominantly African American denominations and other faith leaders, believe that our devotion to God requires us to be actively involved in promoting the well being of all people.

We affirm our support for the Affordable Care Act.

We understand that over time aspects of the Act will be revised as government learns more, but it is essential that we work aggressively with what we have right now.  We cannot afford to put this off any longer.  Additionally, we have pledged to work together:

• To facilitate the critical enrollment numbers necessary to ensure the success of the Affordable Care Act, and,

• To seek other opportunities to work towards improving the health status of our constituencies e.g. Health and Wellness Sundays, which will include thematic preaching on specified Sundays along with other related activities...."

        

(Signed by 15 leaders including Senior Bishop John R. Bryant)

The Social Action and Health Commissions of our church, in support of this truly interfaith effort, urge and invite you to read very carefully and act!! 

The AME Church has committed to Outreaching, Educating and Enrolling Every Person who is eligible to participate in the new healthcare plan.  You can learn more, so that you might be that catalyst in your local church, your community, your annual conference or your Episcopal District.

The Affordable Care Act is the law.  Every eligible person needs to be educated about the program and how it might work for him/her.  

We remind you that if a person is enrolled by:

Dec. 23^rd - Coverage begins Jan. 1st

Jan. 15^th - Coverage begins Feb. 1st

Feb. 15^th - Coverage begins March 1st

March 31^st - Coverage begins May 1st

(The gap is due to how insurance plans implement coverage)

We urge you to become involved in outreach, education, and enrollment in your episcopal district and community.

There is still time for you to make a difference!!

You are invited to Participate in the AME/ Enroll America Affordable Care Act Webinar, Tuesday, January 7^th, 2014 at 8 p.m. ET; 7 p.m. CT; 6 p.m. MST; and 5 p.m. PT. The session will last approximately one hour.

Sign up today and spread the word -

RSVP here to receive the Call-In information and the agenda:

https://cc.readytalk.com/r/5yx7zermuvyx&eom

For more information call:

Telephone: (202) 779-3253; 213-494-9493; or 770-328-2002 

Prayerfully submitted,

African Methodist Episcopal Church Social Action & Health Commissions

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Chair – Social Action Commission

Mrs. “Jackie” Dupont-Walker, Director – Social Action Commission

Bishop Wilfred J. Messiah, Chair – Health Commission

Dr. Miriam J. Burnett, Medical Director – Health Commission

4. MESSAGE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE:

The Affordable Care Act has been in the news a lot recently -- and increasingly for the right reasons.

The law is working: Already, nearly 365,000 people across the country have picked private plans through the Marketplace -- and 800,000 more are on track to get Medicaid through their states. These are people for whom health insurance might not have previously been an option -- people who in the past might have been discriminated against for simple medical conditions like asthma, or who may have been dropped from their coverage just because they got sick.

Now, thousands of Americans are signing up for coverage every day. That matters. It means financial security for families all across the country. It means freedom from the fear that one illness or accident might cost you everything you've worked so hard to build.

If you don't have health insurance, go to HealthCare.gov right now and sign up. You can compare plans based on your own needs and budget, and you can sign up for coverage:

 https://www.healthcare.gov/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=whitehouse&utm_campaign=wh_potus&utm_content=12_18_13_6pm

And if you do it before December 23^rd, you can be covered on the first day of the New Year.

Now, if you already have health insurance, I'm asking you right now to help make sure that your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and the people you go to college or church with know the facts about how they can get covered, too. Moms and dads, remind your kids this holiday season. And if you've recently signed up, tell your friends.

I'm asking you to spread the word about getting covered -- and we're providing some tools to help you do it.

Whether you talk to a family member, share a photo or a story on Facebook, tweet using the hashtag #GetCovered, or walk a friend or colleague through the website -- your effort will make a difference right now.

That's because the most important source of information about this law isn't going to be me or anyone here at the White House. It's going to be you, telling the people you know to check out HealthCare.gov for themselves, and make their own decision about getting covered.

Tens of millions of people have already felt the benefits of reform, from free, recommended preventive care like mammograms, to more affordable prescription medications. But there are millions more of our fellow citizens who stand to be helped -- and we've got to make sure they know exactly how.

Thanks for your help.

President Barack Obama

Feel free to Contact the White House:

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20500

Telephone: 202-456-1111    

5. THE HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

Since it launched in October, we have made dramatic improvements to HealthCare.gov, taking it from a system that didn’t perform nearly as well as it should, to one that can help you learn about your new health insurance options, create an account, learn about financial help you may be able to receive, compare your options and select a plan. If you’ve tried HealthCare.gov and been unsatisfied with your experience, or if you’ve been wondering if you’re eligible for a more affordable option under the health care law, here are some tips for you. Remember, you MUST enroll in a plan by December 23, and pay your premium, to get coverage on January 1, 2014.

Haven’t tried yet? Review your options.

We have added a new feature to healthcare.gov that lets you “window shop” for the types of coverage as well as discounts on premiums and other costs that might be available to you. Log on to healthcare.gov and click “See Plans.” You’ll only need to answer a few simple questions to see detailed information about each Marketplace health insurance plan offered in your state – before you apply. Using this new tool you can compare plans, understand covered benefits, review physician and hospital networks, and more – before you login or complete an application.

Tried HealthCare.gov and had problems? Try these tips.

If you’ve tried Healthcare.gov – especially in October or early November – and your application seems stuck or you can’t move forward, try starting the process again. First, log in to your account, select the application in progress and hit “remove.” Then close and re-open your web browser. Log back into your Healthcare.gov account and start a new application. Having trouble? Call our Customer Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.

Filled out a paper application? Take the next steps to enroll.

If you filled out a paper application, call our Customer Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 to get your application ID number and find out if your eligibility determination has been made. You can use this information after you create an account on HealthCare.gov to review plans and enroll. You can use this information after you create an account on HealthCare.gov to review plans and enroll. You can use this information after you create an account on HealthCare.gov to review plans and enroll. Or you can finish the process on the phone or with in-person assistance in your local community (visit https://localhelp.healthcare.gov to find a trained assistor).

Did you pay your premium? Don’t forget the final step!

No matter how you apply for coverage and select a plan through the Marketplace, you need to pay your premium on or before December 31, 2013 in order to have coverage by January 1, 2014. Although you compare and choose a plan using the Health Insurance Marketplace, once you select a plan, you must pay your premium to the insurance company directly – not to the Health Insurance Marketplace. If you select a plan on Healthcare.gov, you will see an orange message indicating you must make payment to be covered on January 1. Insurers handle payment differently, so follow the instructions from the insurer you select about what forms of payment are accepted and the due date of your first premium – which will be on or before December 31, 2013, depending on the plan you choose.

Not sure if you’ve fully completed the process? Call the health plan you chose.

If you aren’t sure if you’ve finished the process and enrolled in the plan of your choice, call your insurance company. They can confirm that you have paid your first month’s premium and you are enrolled. They will also send you plan information and insurance card. If you’re having trouble, call our Customer Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.

There are many ways to enroll. Get help online, on the phone, or in person.

You can get help where and when you need it – on Healthcare.gov, by phone or in person. You can also use more than one of these tools to enroll. For example, you can start an application online and then call our Customer Call Center 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1 855-889-4325) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to get help enrolling over the phone. Or, you can also find in–person help from certified assisters in your area. Just enter your Zip Code to get started.

6. AME MOTHER/DAUGHTER TEAM TRAVELS FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO LIBERIA, AFRICA TO HELP BUILD PERFORMANCE ARTS CENTER:

*Ms. Angelena Spears is the Philadelphia Annual Conference Reporter

For the past several years, a mother-daughter team from Thornbury AME Church, Glenn Mills, PA, have been on a mission to make life better for children in the West African country of Liberia.

Sandra Clarke has been an active member of Thornbury for more than 23 years – and has served faithfully as a steward, director of Christian Education, church treasurer, and choir member. Her pastor, the Rev. Maurice Butler, describes her as “a very committed and dedicated servant of God.” 

Her daughter, Shoana Clarke Solomon, grew up at Thornbury; however, after visiting Africa as a young adult – has been busy constructing projects to benefit the children there. Those projects have included the construction of an orphanage, summer camps and most recently a performance arts center.

Shoana is also responsible for helping to erect a multi-purpose building that serves as a school during the week and is used for worship on Sundays and some week nights.

The inspiration for the projects came from a vision to help the children left homeless after two devastating civil wars between 1989 and 2005.  Between the two conflicts, more than 250,000 Liberians died and another million fled to refugee camps in neighboring countries – leaving behind hundreds of thousands of orphans.

This fall, Sandra took a leave from her church duties to join her daughter with her most recent project – The Cachelle International Creative Arts Center, a performance arts school in Monrovia, Liberia, which teaches visual and performance arts.

The trip to the West African nation is not Sandra’s first – it is her fourth since 2009.

Her first trip was in the 1970s after completing undergraduate studies at Lincoln University.  While studying for her bachelor’s degree, she met a fellow student, A.B. Clarke, a young man from Liberia.  As fate would have it, the two fell in love, married, and after one year, they headed to his homeland to start their new family.  All three of the couple’s children were born there.

When the civil war erupted in 1990, Sandy left the country and headed back to the United States with her husband and children.  At the time, Shoana was 13.

It wasn’t until 2005 that Shoana returned as a wife, mother, photographer and graphic artist. She visited her late grandmother’s abandoned property and was moved to renovate it and turn it into a school for girls.  She dedicated the performing arts center in honor of her late grandmother, Marie Josephine Clarke, who had been a lawyer and educator.

All of the projects Shoana has developed have relied heavily on donations; and Sandy says that their Thornbury church and other churches in the community have been extremely supportive.  Through their efforts they have raised much needed funds to purchase educational materials, computers and software, and to pay for students to take courses at the center.

Prayerfully, members from the Thornbury community will be able to join Sandy and Shoana in Liberia for a two-week mission trip in the future.  The vision is to have them assist the center by helping to teach classes and mentor students, while also instilling Christian values.

*Ms. Angelena Spears is the Philadelphia Annual Conference Reporter

7. AUGUSTA-ATHENS DISTRICT CONFERENCE FOCUSED ON ADVENT, LITURGY OF THE CHURCH AND AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT:

*The Rev. Lola S. Russell

Jefferson, GA - The Augusta-Athens District of the Sixth Episcopal District held its District Conference Thursday, Dec. 12th and Friday, Dec. 13^th at Paradise African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Rev. Ella Mae Samuels is Presiding Elder of the district and the Rev Stephen Smith is the host pastor.

The theme for the conference was “Equipping God’s People for Kingdom Living” based upon the scriptural basis of John 10:10. 

The conference opened on Thursday with “The Women’s Missionary Society on Stage,” led by Sis. Martha Clayton (Augusta Area WMS President) and Sister Jetty Lawson (Athens Area WMS President). Following their meeting, the Rev. Karen Bennett, pastor of New Hope AME Church in Braselton, presented a report as Chair of the Committee on Preachers to the Annual Conference. The opening worship and Holy Communion Celebration featured the Rev. Jeannette Pinkston-Jackson, pastor of Salem AME Church in Farmington, GA, as proclaimer of the word. The Rev. Jackson preached from the conference theme with a sermonic focus of “Who Wouldn’t Serve a God like This?”

On Friday, the conference opened with spiritual enrichment by the Rev. Dr. Claude Ray James, pastor of First AME in Athens and an assistant to the presiding elder. A most informative session, “Highlights of the Advent Season,” was led by the Rev. Terrie Patterson, pastor of the Washington Circuit and the District Christian Education director, and she was assisted by Sis. Betty Holston, Christian Education Director at Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Athens. The Rev. Mark S. Pierson, pastor of Bethel AME Church, a Candidate for Bishop and Chief Assistant to the Presiding Elder, effectively offered two sessions: 1) Love Feast in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and 2) African Methodist Episcopal Church Polity. 

Presiding Elder Samuels presided over a business session related to the upcoming annual conference (4/25/2014 - 05/02/2014) and preliminary committee assignments pending confirmation by the bishop, as well as a report from the Committee on Preachers to the Annual Conference related to candidates for ministry. Sis Betty Holston was the chair for the Service of Memorial and the Rev. James Lawson, pastor of Greater Bethel -Athens, was the chair for the church reports.  The Rev. Bennett, who is also the GA State Representative for House District 94, coordinated an Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) session with representatives from Enroll America, the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services, and the University of Georgia. The conference ended with evening worship led by the Lay Organization and the Sons of Allen. The Rev. Rashaan Matthews, pastor of New St. Mark AME Church in Athens, was the proclaimer of the word. Bro. Willie Gainous is the district Sons of Allen Coordinator and Sister Ruby Dunaway is the district Lay President.

Bishop Preston Warren Williams II is the Presiding Prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District and Sister Delores Williams is the Episcopal Supervisor.

*The Rev. Lola S. Russell is the Public Relations Chair of the Augusta-Athens District

8. LETTER BY MORRIS DEES CONCERNING "DUCK DYNASTY" CONTROVERSY:

*Morris Dees

I’ve never seen "Duck Dynasty," but like many of you, I’ve been hearing a lot about the remarks of Phil Robertson, one of the stars of the reality show seen by millions.

Robertson said some highly offensive things about LGBT people in an interview with GQ Magazine and, after much criticism, has been suspended indefinitely from the A&E Television Network.

But I want to talk about what the 67-year-old from Louisiana said about African Americans during the pre-civil rights era:

“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field. They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’ – not a word! … Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

That’s simply breathtaking.

I don’t know anything about Robertson’s experiences. But I grew up on a small cotton farm in Alabama and also worked in the fields alongside African Americans. It shouldn’t even be necessary to say that they were treated as second-class citizens, most of them mired in abject poverty and with very little opportunity for anything more. There was no such thing as equality in any sense of the word.

And of course black folks didn’t go around saying anything about “these doggone white people.” The threat of racist violence was ever present, and there was virtually no chance any white person who harmed a black person would face anything close to justice. I wonder what Robertson would say about the four little black girls who were killed in the Klan bombing of Birmingham’s Sixteenth Street Baptist Church – or the many, many others who were lynched over the decades? What would he say about Emmett Till, the 14-year-old who was murdered for supposedly flirting with a white woman in Mississippi? Were they happy about their situation, too?

Those like Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, who trot out First Amendment arguments to defend the offensive speech of Robertson and bemoan the consequences they face, are equally misguided. Sure, Robertson has every right to say hateful, offensive things wherever and whenever he wants. But there is no First Amendment right to have a TV show. There is no First Amendment right to be free from criticism. No one is calling on the government to shut him up.

Maybe Robertson simply doesn’t understand the hurtful nature of his words. Maybe he was blind to the reality of life for African Americans when he was growing up. Maybe he still is. Being oblivious to the suffering of others is at the root of racism.

But why is anyone in this day and age defending segregation and attempting to paint over the terrible injustices that took place during Jim Crow? 

Regardless of Robertson’s personal experiences, this idea that African Americans had it good during Jim Crow is the same kind of historical revisionism that we hear from Holocaust deniers who want us to ignore the lessons of history. It must be denounced loudly and clearly.

         

*Morris Dees is the Founder, Southern Poverty Law Center

9. NAACP APPLAUDS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AS IT CONTINUES PUSH ON FAIR SENTENCING:

Obama Commutes 8 and Grants 13 Pardons for Inmates Imprisoned Under an “Unfair System”

(BALTIMORE)—The NAACP commends President Obama for granting clemency to twenty-one individuals, including eight commutations and thirteen pardons of inmates who were serving time in prison under severe sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine offenses.

“Today, the administration is continuing to correct a badly drawn path by law and practice,” stated Interim NAACP President and CEO Lorraine C. Miller. “When the War on Drugs was initiated, too many laws were passed that were not fully thought through— one of those being mandatory sentencing for crack cocaine possession and other drug offenses that was partially driven by media sensationalism and faulty information on drug distinctions, their use, and their effects. Caught in the middle of that war were the poor and communities of color in America that are more likely to be targeted, caught and incarcerated for crack cocaine offenses.”

All of the men and women inmates whose sentences were commuted had served at least 15 years in prison. Six were serving life terms. Neither inmate would have been committed to those long terms under the new sentencing guidelines set by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2011, which was passed to in part to address the 100-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses.

“We are ecstatic that the administration has been able to continue the progress it has made in addressing this issue of disparities and injustices in drug related sentencing and offenses,” said Hilary Shelton. “The Fair Sentencing Act signed into in 2011 sought to address the vast disparities in sentencing that has disproportionately harmed racial and ethnic minority citizens. It is our hope that the administration and the Congress will continue to work to correct these disparities in our criminal justice system.”

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans make up approximately 13% of illegal drug users in the nation. White Americans make up about 60% of illegal drug users in the country.

However, African-Americans make up 84.7% of crack cocaine convictions, while white Americans only make up less than 2% of those convicted.

10. PRESIDENT OBAMA COMMUTES SENTENCES OF PEOPLE SERVING LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE:

WASHINGTON – President Obama today commuted the sentences of at least three people who were serving life without parole for nonviolent offenses. Prior to today’s announcement, Obama had only pardoned 39 people and commuted only one sentence, which is the fewest by any president in recent history.

Below is a statement from Vanita Gupta, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union:

“President Obama today gave several Americans who were unnecessarily sentenced to die behind bars the chance to reunite with their families. This is one important step toward undoing the damage that extreme sentencing has done to so many in our criminal justice system. We hope the President will continue to exercise his clemency powers and lend his support to systemic reform that will make our criminal justice system smarter, fairer, and more humane.”

Clarence Aaron, Stephanie George, and Reynolds Wintersmith, Jr., who all received commutations today, were profiled in the ACLU’s recent report on people serving life without parole for nonviolent offenses.

The report is available at:

www.aclu.org/living-death-sentenced-die-behind-bars-what

This press release is available at:

www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform/president-obama-commutes-sentences-people-serving-life-without-parole  

11. STUDY- BLACK TEENAGE PREGNANCY RATES DROP DRAMATICALLY:

-  Unwanted pregnancies among African-American youth are down by 51 percent.

By Kellee Terrell

It’s not often that we hear good news when it comes to the reproductive health of Black teenagers. But a recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives us just that. It found that teen pregnancy has dropped dramatically among Black teens.

Researchers from the CDC found that between the years 1999-2009 unplanned pregnancy rates among African-American teens dropped by a whopping 51 percent and 40 percent for Latinos.

Why the decline?

"Research suggests that more teens are delaying initiating sex, waiting longer to have sex," said Rachel Jones, a senior research associate with the Guttmacher Institute, who was not associated with the study, wrote CNN.Com. Jones added, "More teens are using more contraceptives and using more effective methods of contraception."

This study also found that abortion rates were at an all-time low dropping a little more than 30 percent. 

What’s ironic is that despite these signs of progress, the public believes otherwise. A recent survey conducted by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unintended Pregnancy found that nearly half of Americans thought teen pregnancy was getting worse over the years, says the Washington Post.

One thing to keep in mind though: While this recent news is optimistic, the racial disparity gap is still steep. Teen pregnancy rates among African-Americans and Latinos are almost double those of their white counterparts. When it comes to abortion, our rates our still the highest: 31.8 abortions per 1,000 Black women aged 15–44 years — and 90 percent of those women were single.

Obviously, there is more to do. Perhaps Obamacare, given that it requires insurance plans to cover all FDA-approved forms of birth control for women, could get us greater access to the contraception that we need.

Learn more about forms and methods:

http://www.bet.com/news/health/2013/08/13/pills-patches-and-implants-our-complete-guide-to-birth-control.html 

Filed Under: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Birth Control, Teen Pregnancy, Abortion, Obamacare, Health News

12. CREDIT CARD DEBT THREATENS BLACK MIDDLE CLASS:

By Jazelle Hunt

NNPA Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – Still reeling from the Great Recession, middle class Blacks are maintaining their status by using credit to help cover their basic living expenses, according to a report from the NAACP and public policy research organization, Demos.

In the Recession’s aftermath, 79 percent of middle class African American households carry credit card debt. And although they have less debt than before the Recession, the credit crunch continues as Black households spend an average $368 on credit to make ends meet.

“The report highlights the need to look at how much credit is serving middle class Americans and how much it’s giving a false illusion,” says Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, senior director of the NAACP Economic Department and co-author of the study. “Everybody needs credit but it should be a tool to help your economic life. Now we see it as a drain on African Americans trying to gain a middle class life.”

Released earlier this month, the report, “The Challenge of Credit Card Debt for the African American Middle Class,” is an outgrowth of a larger national study on middle class credit card debt since 2010. It found that although African Americans owe less than they did in 2008, 42 percent of households are relying on their cards for basic living expenses when their incomes and savings fall short, a trend that persists across the entire middle class. Black families are also building their futures on credit, using cards to support higher education, entrepreneurship, and medical expenses.

“Use of credit in long term investments for the future is a specific African American problem, largely because of the historical impact of racism in wealth building, and current racial bias in lending,” says Demos policy analyst, Catherine Ruethschlin, who co-authored the study. “Hypothetically, if [an African American] family was in America during the ‘60s but excluded from the same wealth-building that White families had, [they] don’t have the same financial assets to fall back on.”

The seeds for economic disparities seen today have been sown over 50 years of redlining, blockbusting, and predatory lending. Today Black Americans have $1 in assets for every $20 owned by White Americans, and, according to the study, more than half of it is tied to homeownership.

Enter the Great Recession, when the housing bubble inflated by predatory lending practices bursts, dragging the global economy and hope for long-term Black wealth down with it. Only 55 percent of the study’s Black respondents own their home, compared to the 72 percent of White respondents.

If homeownership has been considered the cornerstone of the American Dream, then education has been considered the bulldozer that clears the way. According to the report, 80 percent of Black college grads took out some amount of loans in order to attain a higher education, compared to 65 percent of Whites.

Credit debt as a result of student loans can then affect career outcomes, as credit checks are sometimes part of the hiring process. Those with poor credit are often relegated to low-paying jobs due to this dubious but legal practice.

For this and other reasons, entrepreneurship has also been considered a path to the good life. In the study, an overwhelming 99 percent of indebted moderate-income African American households who had expenses related to starting or running a business in the past three years still carry that expense on their credit card bill.

Ruethschlin explains, “If you don’t have access to small business loans because the market went dry during the Recession, those with the worst credit history are going to be the last to get back into the system. It shifts an additional financial burden. It could be those additional challenged that make it harder to run a successful business.”

Interestingly, Black and White households reported different reasons for poor credit: 44 percent of White respondents cited late mortgage payments and using all or nearly all of their credit lines while 40 percent of Black households cited late student loan payments and credit report errors.

However varied the causes, middle class credit use and debt levels are similar across race—it’s the consequences that raise eyebrows.

“I’d assume before this report that there would be greater disparities [in card use], but even the amount of debt we have is not that different,” Asante-Muhammad says. “What is different is that we have worse credit scored and receive stronger collection tactics.”

The report found that African Americans and Whites had similar rates of card default, late payments, bankruptcy, eviction, and repossession. However, 71 percent of African American households had been called by bill collectors, compared to 50 percent of White households. African Americans in the report were also more likely to report card cancellations, limit reductions, or credit rejections in the last three years (53 percent of Black respondents compared to 36 percent of Whites).

Even if credit score isn’t a problem, indebted African American households face higher interest rates, reporting an average APR of 17.7 percent on the card where they carry the greatest balance. For White households it’s 15.8 percent.

Despite this, African American respondents were less likely to moderate their card use as a result of higher rates, which suggested to the authors that Black households have less of a choice in staying afloat.

“It’s not surprising that the middle class relies on credit cards to get their expenses met,” says Nikitra Bailey, executive vice president of the Center for Responsible Lending. “When we think of the catastrophe caused by the Recession, most families didn’t have wealth resources necessary to fall back on. Our own reports show that the typical household only has about $100 left over every month after needs are met.”

The government stepped in 2008 with the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which has helped at least a third of the African American respondents in the study pursue financial freedom. The CARD Act attempts to create a more equitable and less predatory credit climate for all Americans through billing transparency and plain-language credit terms and conditions.

“The CARD Act has been really useful and is working in the manner intended,” Bailey says. “What’s unique about the Act is that it provides transparency around credit bills without the bait-and-switch we saw before the act. Late fees have dropped more than half, and credit delinquency is the lowest it’s been since 1994.”

In its first year alone, the CARD Act halved the amount of late fees Americans paid, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Most Americans have noticed a warning on their bill about the consequences of making a late payment (77 percent of Americans), or only paying the minimum (70 percent).

Bailey believes that with support, these trends in greater credit debt management will result in restored homeownership, stronger communities, and a strong economy overall. The report makes similar assertions and offers both state and federal policy recommendations for fostering fairness in the credit industry, including an expansion of the CARD Act’s success.

“Too often people fall into the false narrative of African Americans that the wealth disparity is due to undisciplined spending habits, but if you look at the report you see that they’re using credit for basic living expenses,” Asante-Muhammad points out. “The problem isn’t around spending; the problem is income inequality, wealth inequality, and a decline in opportunity for middle class African Americans as a whole.”

13. BIG BETHEL AME CHURCH, ATLANTA, GA HOSTS “CELEBRATING OUR BLESSINGS”:

By Sister Alaya Boykin

Big Bethel AME Church, under the leadership of the Rev. John Foster, Ph.D., Senior Pastor, hosted a special service on Sunday, November 17, 2013 called, “Celebrating Our Blessings.” “Celebrating Our Blessings” is part of the continuing transitional transformation at Big Bethel.  “God has blessed Big Bethel and we needed the local church family to celebrate what God has done for us over the past six months,” says Pastor Foster. “Celebrating Our Blessings” is the continuation of a whirlwind of changes at Big Bethel. The church family is excited and prayerful about what is to come.

Members of Big Bethel listen to the testimonials at “Celebrating Our Blessings”

The “Celebrating Our Blessings” service provided testimonials on seven specific blessings that God has delivered to the Big Bethel AME Church family.  

The seven blessings are: The Bethel Towers Mortgage Burning; the Payoff of the Dobbs Parking Lot Taxes; a Love Gift of $30,000 to Morris Brown College; the Implementation of the Multimedia Ministry; successful church audits; the “New Faithfully Obeying Christ with Unwavering Stewardship”  (F.O.C.U.S.) Initiative; and the Church Vision.

The Bethel Towers Mortgage Burning

The Bethel Towers high-rise apartments consist of 120 units of low-income housing was built in 1971.

During most of its existence the management and fiscal control of Bethel Towers was outside of the influence of Big Bethel AME Church. As a result of paying off the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) loan, Big Bethel AME Church now has management and fiscal authority over Bethel Towers for the first time in its history.

The Payoff of the Dobbs Parking Lot Taxes

Big Bethel AME Church was notified in 2011 of a tax liability from the City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia in the amount of $729,829. Through an initiative denoted as “Faithfully Obeying Christ with Unwavering Stewardship” (F.O.C.U.S.); fundraising efforts were initiated to make supplemental monthly payments. The Dobbs Parking Lot taxes in arrears were paid in full on October 22, 2013.

A Love Gift of $30,000 to Morris Brown College

Each church in the Sixth Episcopal District was asked to raise a love offering in support of Morris Brown College. The overall Episcopal District goal was to raise $1.5 million over the next nine months. Big Bethel’s apportionment was $30,000, which it successfully raised on October 28, 2013, at its 166^th Church Anniversary celebration.

The Implementation of the Multimedia Ministry

Big Bethel has been discussing for several years the possibility of implementing a multimedia ministry, including overhead projectors, large video screens, PowerPoint video presentation to support the worship service, and live video streaming for weekly broadcasts.

The dream became a reality on September 1, 2013 when Big Bethel began weekly broadcasts of its worship services. During the September – November 2013, timeframe, the live and archival broadcasts have been seen by more than 4,500 viewers.

Successful Church Audits

Big Bethel had not conducted a full audit of its financial records, systems, and processes since 2005. In order to bring the Church up to date, fiscal years 2011 and 2012 were both audited. Feedback from the audit team showed that Big Bethel now has processes and systems in place to insure fiscal accountability.

Dr. McDonald Williams, Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams (Retired General Officer of the AMEC), Mrs. Janice Murphy, and Mr. Don Murphy received the testimonials.

At the conclusion of the audit presentation another blessing was received. Mr. Don Murphy, President and CEO of The Wesley Peachtree Group in Atlanta, Georgia made a spontaneous announcement to the Big Bethel family as he waived the $15,000 accounting fee for the two-years of audits.

The New F.O.C.U.S. Initiative

Thanks were given to the Big Bethel AME Church Family for their sacrifice for “Faithfully Obeying Christ with Unwavering Stewardship” (F.O.C.U.S.) Phase I, and a new beginning for debt reduction for Phase II. The new F.O.C.U.S. goal will include mobilizing the congregation to pay off the debt on sanctuary over the next five years.

The Church Vision

Pastor Foster presented the final blessing -- the Church Vision for Big Bethel AME Church. The Church Vision statement is “To be the Preeminent Religious Presence of the Auburn/Edgewood Corridor in Atlanta, Georgia that proclaims, ‘Jesus Saves.’” 

Pastor John Foster introduced the Seven Pillars of the Vision to the Congregation at “Celebrating Our Blessings”

The Vision encompasses Seven Pillars which are part of a seven-year plan that outlines attainable goals specific to Big Bethel AME Church. They include: Worship, Christian Education, Youth, Young Adults, Adults and Seniors, Community Outreach, and Economic Development.

Each Pillar includes several different missions.

Under the Youth Pillar, there are the YPD, local to the connectional; youth church; youth Sundays; youth projects and events; community projects; and travel outings.

“The Pillars define the areas that require strength to support the vision.

Strength in Pillars 1 through 5 will affect change in the congregation; strength in Pillars 6 and 7 will affect change in the community,” said Khamisi Walters, a Preacher’s Kid (PK) and trustee at Big Bethel.

The Rev. Ali Holness, youth minister at Big Bethel, believes Pastor Foster is not “going out of reach” with the Seven Pillars of Vision. “These are goals we can attain and have already started working on. They’re just seeds that need watering,” said Holness.

The Rev. Holness, who is new to Big Bethel, takes great pride in being the youth minister. “Youth are often overlooked and undervalued in churches,” the Reverend Holness says as she sees Pastor Foster trying to help them to make smooth transitions into all of the ministries of the church by involving them in the various ministries as they grow into young adults. “In order to run a successful ministry, you have to have supportive leadership, and that’s Pastor Foster. Our youth have voices that are being heard,” she said.

Pastor Foster ended his presentation by introducing the vision slogan, Big Bethel 2020. He then challenged the congregation with the question, “What do you want Big Bethel AMEC to look like in the year 2020?”

“I have never witnessed a day like this at the local church level,” said Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams. “The Bishop may have appointed Dr. Foster to Big Bethel, but God sent him to be with us for such a time as this.”

Big Bethel AMEC is excited about what God is doing. As one of the oldest African American congregations in Atlanta we are distinguished, but at the same time we are stigmatized.  Although rich in tradition, the stigma is the illusion that we, as a congregation, cannot stay abreast with the times and that we are resistant to change.

The Seven Pillars of Vision can be the catalyst for change that Big Bethel needs to reinvent ourselves in our community.

The momentum starts with leadership and administration and is ignited in the congregation so that we can successfully meet the challenges we face. These goals are certainly attainable through faith and dedication. We are well on our way to shape our future in a new, innovative way.

Special thanks go out to Sisters Azira Hill and Rosa Baxter who served as chairpersons for the “Celebrating our Blessings” service. Their leadership was priceless as they worked with committee members on making this service a success.  Both Sisters Hill and Baxter also served as chairpersons for the Foster Family reception which was held in July 2013.

Sister Alaya Boykin is the Young Women’s Initiative (YWI) Member at-Large for the Big Bethel’s Laura L. Turner Women's Missionary Society. She is also a recent graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.

Big Bethel AMEC Chorale sings “To God Be the Glory”

14. CONTINUE MANDELA’S LEGACY:

Bishop Don DiXon Williams

This month the world lost Nelson Mandela, one of the most revolutionary leaders of our time. At a moment when our Congress is divided, when people continue to suffer from hunger and poverty around the world, Mandela’s passing reminds us of the change that is possible if we unite.

President Obama made a speech on poverty and income inequality earlier this month. He sounded some of the same themes that Bread for the World stresses in its 2014 Hunger Report— investing in good jobs, ending the political brinkmanship that led to the sequester, investing in people, strengthening the safety net, and encouraging community partnerships.

However, we are disappointed that the president didn’t draw a line in the sand against further cuts to food stamps or poverty focused development. A drastic cut in food stamps just took effect, and Congress is considering even deeper cuts in the coming days. A great speech is not a substitute for tough resolve on one of the most effective components of our safety net.

Churches and food charities nationwide are already overwhelmed by increased need resulting from recent cuts to SNAP. The recent cuts slashed 10 million meals a day from the SNAP program, which is more than all churches and charities combined in this country provide.  We are in danger of losing more with Congress considering proposals for additional cuts more than twice as large.

Some Republican leaders—Paul Ryan and Eric Cantor, for example—have said that they plan to explain how conservative principles can lead to more opportunity for struggling, low-income Americans. Now is the time for them to explain more fully what they have in mind. I'd love to see our two parties compete to demonstrate their effectiveness in tackling hunger and poverty.

Ladders of opportunity can’t exist if the safety net is in shreds. People around the world will continue to live in a perpetual cycle of hunger and poverty if we neglect our poverty-focused development assistance. Now is the time for President Obama and congressional leaders to stand up and forcefully protect programs that enable hardworking people to put food on the table and provide a secure future for their kids.

If we are to continue Nelson Mandela’s legacy, Congress must robustly support life-saving humanitarian and poverty-focused development assistance in all upcoming fiscal year 2014 funding negotiations and related legislative activity.

Bishop Don DiXon Williams is racial-ethnic outreach at Bread for the World and sits on the Board of Bishops of the United Church of Jesus Christ, Baltimore, Md.

15. NAACP CONGRATULATES MICHELLE HOWARD FOR BEING NAMED FIRST FOUR-STAR FEMALE ADMIRAL:

(Baltimore, MD) – The NAACP is proud to congratulate Michelle Janine Howard on her nomination by President Barack Obama for appointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as vice chief of naval operations. This appointment will make Howard the first female four-star Admiral.

Last year, Admiral Howard received the NAACP’s Chairman’s Award during the 44^th NAACP Image Awards.

“This is a historic and well-deserved appointment for Admiral Howard,” stated Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “Admiral Howard serves as a true inspiration for women, particularly women of color, in the military and across the nation. We look forward to her continued service to our country as a four-star admiral.”

On March 12, 1999, Howard became the first African American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy.

From May 2004 to September 2005, Howard was the commander of Amphibious Squadron Seven.  Deploying with Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 5, operations included tsunami relief efforts in Indonesia and maritime security operations in the North Arabian Gulf.

Vice Admiral Howard is the recipient of several awards for her service.  While serving on board Lexington, she received the secretary of the Navy/Navy League Captain Winifred Collins award in May 1987.  Howard is also the recipient of the 2008 Women of Color Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Career Achievement Award, the 2009 Dominion Power Strong Men and Women Excellence in Leadership Award, and the 2011 USO Military Woman of the Year.

16. SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA LEGAL SERVICES SEEKS AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:

*Submitted by the Rev. Althea J. Hayward

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) seeks an Executive Director to lead this nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal aid on civil issues to low income households. 

SLLS has been well-served by its highly regarded long standing co-executive directors.  SLLS began in 1979 with a grant from the Legal Services Corporation. In 2002, SLLS and New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation, which was founded in 1967, merged.  SLLS expanded again in 2011 to areas in and around Baton Rouge and Houma. On its budget of more than $6 million, SLLS serves an area nearly twice the land mass of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined which includes twenty-two southeast Louisiana Parishes.  One half the state’s poverty population lives in the SLLS service area. 

About the Position

The next Executive Director will lead SLLS in a time of great change and opportunity as the organization undertakes initiatives to strengthen legal work, streamline intake, support professional development, update technology, and grow resources.

High Priority Roles and Responsibilities for the next Executive Director:

• To articulate a clear strategic vision for SLLS’ future, including its legal work

• To safeguard its focus on clients

• To strengthen relationships throughout the community as the leader and public face of SLLS

• To implement the recommendations of the strategic planning process

• To develop leadership throughout SLLS

• To bring offices and staff together to a shared vision and full potential

• To develop and expand the resources of SLLS

Qualifications of the next Executive Director:

• Possession of a JD and the willingness and ability to become licensed in Louisiana

• A passion for advocacy for the legal rights of low income clients

• Ten years in the practice of law

• Management experience involving staff supervision, financial oversight and reporting, budget development, and compliance with grant, contract and legal requirements

• Experience in a multi-million dollar, multi-site nonprofit organization a plus

• Experience in a legal aid organization a plus

• Success in resource development, including grant writing and private fundraising

• An open and compassionate communication style

• Confident leadership and decision-making skills

• Experience working productively with individuals and organizations with shared or diverse goals, including staff, Board of Directors, bar associations, judiciary, client communities and the general community

• Interest in advancing technology solutions in service of clients and efficiency

Application Process

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.  To receive full consideration, you are encouraged to submit your application materials by December 13, 2013.  Please submit a letter expressing in detail your interest in the position, your qualifications for the position, and what you believe you can contribute to the organization’s future.  Please include a current resume and names and contact information for three professional references. 

Materials should be emailed to ppap@m-i-e.org in Microsoft Word or pdf format.

SLLS is being assisted in the search by Patricia Pap, Executive Director, Management Information Exchange (MIE), 99 Chauncy St., Suite 700, Boston, MA 02111, 617-556-0288, ppap@m-i-e.org, www.mielegalaid.org. 

Candidates with questions about the position or process are encouraged to contact her. 

SLLS aims to make a hiring decision in mid-February 2014 and to have the successful candidate join SLLS soon thereafter.

SLLS is an equal opportunity employer and encourages candidates with disabilities, women, persons of color and others who represent distinct linguistic or cultural communities to apply.

About Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and most of the SLLS service area with 145 mph winds.  Eighty percent of New Orleans flooded after passage of the hurricane and six of the service area’s ten parishes were devastated.  Less than a month after Katrina, the area was hit by Hurricane Rita.  Three years later, while the Katrina/Rita clean-up was still ongoing, Louisiana was again hit with back to back Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. 

Following the 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, SLLS joined with other LSC and non-LSC funded civil legal aid providers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to respond to the legal needs of low income residents.

SLLS adjustments in diversity strategies, legal advocacy and collaborations with the judiciary, the private bar, law schools and law students, regional and national law firms, pro bono lawyers, and other legal and non-legal public interest organizations following these disasters are recognized nationally as major accomplishments in the delivery of civil legal aid.

This resilience and commitment to clients are important to SLLS’ future as it fully develops its relationships throughout its expanded service area; manages the wide range of work it undertakes including special projects in the areas of income tax, foster children and foreclosure; and continues its leadership throughout Louisiana on public interest legal efforts.

SLLS has revenue of over $6 million from federal, state, and local sources, both governmental and private.  Its largest funders include the Legal Services Corporation, the Louisiana Bar Foundation, and the Department of Justice.  Other sources of funding include IOLTA, court filing fees, juvenile, VAWA, and many others.  SLLS has a staff of 90, including 50 lawyers.  It has staffed offices in the cities of Hammond, New Orleans, Covington, Marrero, Baton Rouge and Houma. 

For more information about Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, visit www.slls.org.

Patricia Pap

Executive Director

Management Information Exchange

99 Chauncy St., Suite 700

Boston, MA 02111

Telephone: 617-556-0288

Fax: 617-507-7729

ppap@m-i-e.org

www.mielegalaid.org

*The Rev. Althea J. Hayward is a Program Analyst, Office of Program Performance, The Legal Services Corporation in Washington, DC – the federal funder for Legal Aid programs throughout the United States and its territories. 

17. BELIEVE IN THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS:

By Rosalie Jones Moore

Three men came from the East bearing gifts,

As they gazed towards that star in the sky,

They followed the path to our Savior,

A magical miracle that was born just to die,

He was born of the Virgin Mary,

To save us all from our sins of today,

He lived a life filled with many adventures,

He taught us all how to live day-by-day,

The Wise Men knew that the birth of this baby,

Would be a blessing for the whole world to see,

The gift that he brought to the world,

Was priceless and did not cost a fee,

By trusting in his supernatural power,

And walking by faith both day and night,

We can illuminate the darkness of the world,

 By becoming an everlasting spiritual light,

If you believe in the magic of Christmas,

Then you believe in the magic of Love,

If you believe in our Lord and Savior Jesus,

You will receive blessings sent from Heaven above…

Amen.  Amen.  Amen.

Copyright © December 13, 2013

18. GETTING TO ZERO: DRAFT- MOVING TO EFFECTIVE ACTION:

Dr. Oveta Fuller

The annual celebration of the birth of Christ and the start of another year provide a time to assess and reflect. A recent TCR editorial did just that. Rather than write a letter to the editor, this column is a call to action that could visibly and effectively lower the impact of HIV/AIDS.

By now it should be clear that stopping the impacts of HIV/AIDS is possible by putting into action what we already know, what already has been “discovered”. By now it is clear that routine testing for infection with HIV is the first required step to control. By now it is clear that people of color all over the world are brutally affected by HIV/AIDS. Here is my take on where we are and what needs to happen in getting to zero and an end to HIV/AIDS.

Efforts now occur in the AMEC connection and through other organizations/agencies to address HIV/AIDS. Lots of money is spent by governments, private foundations and others to address HIV/AIDS. There is progress. We see a decline in mother to child virus transfer. We even see a decline in the overall rate of infections. The peak in new infections (not the absolute number) occurred in 2005. This is good, but not good enough.

If efforts to combat HIV/AIDS are occurring, why is progress in controlling HIV/AIDS so slow?

. Typically, efforts are not publicized widely (or effectively). Perhaps this is because we still do not think or talk much about HIV/AIDS; it has not become a household word. People who work with HIV/AIDS prevention, education and care typically are not the ones who also spend time or have the expertise to well publicize what is happening. People take action to make a difference in immediate needs, not to get noticed for taking action.

. Current efforts may have some impact, but most are not highly effective for the money and energy invested. For some HIV/AIDS events, the number of participants is low or people are not mobilized thereafter to consistently use effective ABCD preventions. When an effort does work well, evaluation should help to understand why and how to make it work well again. Low impact may be because events are isolated (once every year at a given location). Rather than in a coordinated effort, events are limited to one church or agency in a geographical area (a certain city, region or state). Low impact may occur because someone thinks a “one size fits all” approach will work. It won’t. Assessing what works and why is not done much except perhaps as required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [Did you know there is a CDC website that lists proven successful and recommended prevention and education programs or initiatives that can be adapted? Yet, these are used mostly by health departments.]

Where does a well-meaning, take-action pastor and congregation go to know what works? The Balm in Gilead (www.balmingilead.org) is a longstanding engaged entity for programming, training and resources on HIV/AIDS prevention. Perhaps the Quarterly Conference and Annual Conference reports should ask, “Is your church registered with The Balm in Gilead? How in this quarter did you take advantage of their offerings?”

Clearly, some good things are happening in some places. Can we be more effective and efficient? Absolutely yes!

Change happens slowly. In the meantime lives, giftedness and people are loss.

. Faster change requires concerted coordinated efforts by religious leaders in a subject area that can be murky (HIV/AIDS and human sexuality). To avoid paralysis, confusion, burn-out and disappointment, one must purposefully remember that “HIV is a relatively fragile virus whose spread takes advantage of human sexuality. HIV infection can lead to a deadly disease. Yet, these can be stopped.” Perceived or real moral, economic and social-behavioral aspects of a sexually transmitted disease can be paralyzing. Aspects of HIV/AIDS especially can be challenging for a leader who wants to make a difference and wants also to move up or to keep a decent approval level in their current position. Other issues in the congregation and community may seem to be less filled with booby-traps than tackling HIV/AIDS. Coordinated continuous effort by well-prepared leaders is required to move forward faster.

Effective coordinated efforts are needed? What are some specifics? Glad you asked.

.  Our bishops could require that Annual Conferences host a mandatory biology-based training on HIV and how it leads to AIDS. This would be an assignment to Presiding Elders. As I am aware of such has been initiated within at least two Episcopal Districts. In the Quarterly Conference report, Presiding Elders could inquire about what is done effectively in a congregation to address HIV/AIDS. The action can be open to whatever that pastor, congregation and its leadership believe will effectively address the most pressing issues with HIV/AIDS in their community context. To comply, something must be done each quarter to promote effective understanding about HIV, how it can lead to AIDS and how to stop virus spread and death from disease.

. The Connectional Church, coordinated by one or more responsible committed service entities, can sponsor a connection wide “Get to the Test”. Such an initiative would foster friendly competition of Episcopal Districts to get the most people tested in a given time. This would support the priority goal that each person will know their HIV status. An AMEC network-wide effort would remove stigma and reframe HIV while promoting the key concept of HIV testing as part of regular routine health care. HIV testing makes good sense! HIV testing should be routine, like getting a mammogram (I hate it, but I get it); or like getting a prostate exam (I expect males have similar sentiments about this). HIV testing should become common place like blood pressure checks at each healthcare visit, like getting the annual flu shot, like a periodic colonoscopy if you are over 50.

What would be the goal(s) of our Zion, our Episcopal District, our Annual Conference, our local district, our church, individuals? What are the specific resources and dates?

Some timely target goals and specific all Connection-wide initiatives could be established. Leaders or designated persons would do what works for their District, church, community.  Resources and most effective strategies could be shared. Action on many fronts by most in the large global AMEC network would bring about real and visible change.

To stop HIV/AIDS will take time. Most critically, it will take coordinated, multi-faceted, sustained and effective action by leaders at all levels. Failure in doing this gives the virus power to continue to spread and affect lives. Why would we want to give HIV any power to continue?

The recent TCR Editorial urged Supervisor Dr. M. Joan Cousin to come out of retirement and engage. Dr. Cousin may want to be in retirement and deserves to be in retirement if she wants. (She and others continue to work still from such an official state.) She has already primed the pump so that many others can do what is needed to take the sustained effective actions (or learn what they are) to move forward. Why are folks always looking for a savior?  Rather, let each person commit to be the blessing we want to see in whatever way an individual thinks that they can make a difference. Let’s use the resources that are within our own Zion or those that are within our reach. Let’s carry forward a spirit of “must do” because doing is a God-given responsibility.

It has been suggested, “Why should one focus so on HIV/AIDS? There are many things that need our attention and there are limited time and resources.” I’m glad for the question because there is an answer. 

Yes, there are many health, economic and equity issues that require attention and resources. HIV/AIDS is one that we can do something about now! We can get beyond it, put it under our feet. With current understanding and technologies, an end to HIV infection, and thus to AIDS, is envisioned. In contrast, conquering of some issues is more difficult, maybe not possible. Perhaps Jesus said it best “The poor will be with you always.” We can provide a meal to alleviate today’s hunger. We can teach people to fish so they can deal with tomorrow’s hunger. However, solving the issue of poverty forever is unlikely. In contrast, by working together effectively, HIV/AIDS can be controlled and eventually eliminated.

Summary:  This fight to conquer/control/eliminate HIV/AIDS is not a one person or one entity short-term effort. It will take purposeful sustained effort to stop the brutal impacts that are especially high for people of color around the globe. Putting HIV/AIDS under our feet will require coordinated, continuous, multiple approaches over time. Everyone can do something. Each person is responsible to learn and then take the action needed to do whatever they can. Some can teach. Some can preach. Some can care for others. Some can work with children. Some can administer. Some can write about the events. Some can counsel. Some can organize. Some can donate funds or resources. Some can use their influence to open minds and motivate. Everyone can do something. Each person must do what they can do. Stopping HIV/AIDS is not a one person or one commission undertaking. As a connectional church, the AMEC is ideally suited to lead in a successful long-term effort. What holds us back?

Imagine the impact if the Council of Bishops would agree that each Episcopal leader will carry out a long-term initiative for their District so that each Annual Conference takes coordinated action against HIV/AIDS. What if across all twenty Districts this is a priority similar to the training that occurs about sexual harassment? Mandatory training of clergy and leaders to understand HIV/AIDS would become the norm. Leaders would be more confident to talk about and better equipped to take effective action to address HIV/AIDS.

“If we keep doing the same old things, the same old way, we will get the same old results.”

With coordinated effective AMEC action, Dr. Sydnor and others will not have to keep wondering, writing or talking about what is not happening with HIV/AIDS in our churches. Action and progress will be evident. It would be pure joy to try to keep up with reporting the effective actions happening to stop HIV/AIDS that has an unnecessarily high impact on our communities.

*The Rev. Dr. A. Oveta Fuller is a tenured professor in Microbiology and Immunology and faculty in the African Studies Center at the University of Michigan. An Itinerant Elder in the 4th Episcopal District, she served as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Adrian, MI for seven years before focusing fully on global health research in Zambia and the USA for HIV/AIDS elimination. At Payne Theological Seminary she teaches a required course, “What Effective Clergy Should Know about HIV/AIDS.”

19. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013 - JESUS IS BORN - LUKE 2:1-17

Bill Dickens, Allen AME Church, Tacoma, Washington

Church School Lesson Brief

The Nativity Story is definitely not a story made for Hollywood.  The mother is not wealthy, the earthly father is a member of the blue-collar working class, and the town of Bethlehem can hardly be mistaken for a major city with bright lights and 24/7 entertainment. 

A close reading of Luke Chapter 2 reveals that the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was prophetic.  Some suggest it was serendipitous, but interpretations of serendipity must be rejected because God’s master plan is not subject to chance or luck. 

As Luke describes in verses 1-4 in Chapter 2, Mary and Joseph are in Bethlehem because of the announcement by Caesar Augustus to participate in the census.  Joseph, being a law-abiding Jew and a descendant of the lineage of David has received angelic permission to end his temporary exile in Egypt and return his back to his native land to participate in the census.  In their long journey Mary’s time for delivery was drawing near and it was decided to seek a place for the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem.  The only place available was a stable and that is where Jesus was born. (Verse 7)

 

In 1965 the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, then US Assistant Secretary of Labor, wrote a report which examined the causes for black economic underdevelopment.  The Moynihan Report, as it was called, focused on the deep roots of black poverty in America and concluded controversially that the relative absence of nuclear families (those having both a father and mother present) would greatly hinder further progress toward economic and political equality.  Moynihan argued that the rise in single-mother families was not due to a lack of jobs but rather to a destructive vein in ghetto culture that could be traced back to slavery and Jim Crow discrimination.

Despite the acknowledgement of inter-generational racism that negatively impacted on black family structure, critics dismissed Moynihan’s thesis about black family dysfunctionality as a form of “blaming the victim” and vilifying black family values. 

Today, nearly 75% of children born in black families are living in homes with just a single parent, typically a mother.  At the time of the release of the Moynihan Report the percentage of single-headed black families was a little over 40%. 

Churches across all denominations recognize, welcome and accept all family structures.  While the benefits are clear that both parent’s active and present in the life of a child improves a child’s long-run economic prospects, it is equally true that single-headed households can be impactful on the life of a child.   If the key ingredients of love, support and nurturing are absent in the home of a child, it won’t matter about the type of family structure affecting a child’s life.

*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 JOHN 1:1-9:

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

I had the pleasure of helping to decorate our family’s home for Christmas this past week.  My wife claims to be the “decorator-in-chief,” but she kindly allows me to help and to do my favorite part - putting up the Christmas lights.  She prefers the simple, white variety for our Christmas trees, but I put up as many of the brightly colored variety on the porch as she’ll let me get away with - not nearly as many as I’d put up on my own!

The end result is lovely, but is most beautiful when night falls.  The lighted trees shine through their adjacent windows - with their ornaments and garland bathed in light - and the porch becomes sufficiently bright and colorful that the usual front porch light isn’t needed.  Our Christmas decorations look their best when the sun goes down - and the darker it gets, the lovelier they become.

The same thing happens when we let the light of Jesus shine through in our lives.  The end of an old year is a good time for reflection, and all of us can reflect on things that didn’t go as planned in the year gone by - on upsets and stress and aggravation and disappointment.  It’s easy for the best of us to become consumed by life’s negatives and to wonder why we seem to have so many dark days.

When we take the time, however, to look back at our lives through the eyes of faith, then our darkest times take on a different appearance.  We’ll realize that we made it through our dark times because the Lord Jesus stood with us and blessed us, that the light of Jesus shone through the darkness in our lives to illuminate new hope, new strength and new possibilities.  We’ll realize that the darker life gets, the more the light of Jesus shines through to bless us.

Remember that during this season of the year, when many churches light Advent candles, and during every season of your life.  Dark days are a part of the human condition, but when we let the light of Jesus guide us, then our dark times become beautiful reminders of why a Christmas Carol of my faith tradition says, “Walk in the light, beautiful light, come where the dew drops of mercy shine bright, shine all around us by day and by night, Jesus, the light of the world.”

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 of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

21. CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS:

-- Derek E. Bruce, Esq., Shareholder, Gunster, Yoakley, and Stewart, was selected one of the top-rated lawyers practicing Government Law.

The Orlando Life Magazine partnered with Martindale-Hubbell to collaboratively share the list of lawyers who have reached the highest level of ethical standards and professional excellence.  Derek E.  Bruce, Esq., Shareholder, Gunster, Yoakley, and Stewart, was selected one of the top-rated lawyers practicing Government Law. As the Team Leader for the Orlando office, he travels extensively between the 11 offices in Florida and Washington, D.C. During the legislative sessions in Tallahassee, FL, he serves as a Lobbyist.  He is the youngest son born to the union of the late Dr. Y. B. Bruce, former General Officer and Presiding Elder at the time of his demise and Gloria S. Bruce.

Congratulatory well wishes can be emailed to Mrs. Gloria S. Bruce; brucegs@bellsouth.net.

-- Jeremy C. Darby receives Fine Arts degree

Jeremy C. Darby, the youngest son of Presiding Elder and Mrs. Joseph A. Darby, Beaufort District, South Carolina Annual Conference, Seventh Episcopal District, received his Bachelor's In Fine Arts Degree with a Major in Graphic Design and Illustration from the University of South Carolina on December 16, 2013.

-- Presiding Elder and Mrs. Joseph A. Darby celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary

Presiding Elder and Mrs. Joseph A. Darby celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary on December 17, 2013.

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to Presiding and Mrs. Joseph A. Darby, josephdarby@bellsouth.net.

-- Marquita Renee Ward, the daughter of the Reverend and Mrs. Clinton E. Ward II to receive Master of Arts degree

The Reverend Clinton E. Ward III and Mrs. Darlene Ward, Senior Pastor and First Lady of Wayman AME Church, Chicago, Illinois are proud to announce the graduation of their daughter, Marquita Renee Ward from the Eastern Illinois University of Charleston, Illinois with a Master of Arts degree in Gerontology, commencing on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.

Congratulations can be sent to:

Marquita R. Ward

3044 E. Hickory Lane

Crete, IL 60417

mrward@eiu.edu

The Rev. Clinton E. Ward III, Pastor, Wayman AME Church, Chicago, IL - waymanamec@prodigy.net

-- First AME Church Manassas VA to honor and celebrate 20 years of pastoral leadership

First AME Church, Manassas, Va. Board of Stewards, its Board of Trustees, and congregation honored and celebrated 20 years of pastoral leadership by Pastor Ronald A. Boykin and the unwavering devotion of Lady Helen Boykin, on Sunday December 15, 2013.  The church recognized and commemorated their 20 years of faithful and dedicated service, commitment, and leadership at First AME Church and to the communities of Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park.  In recognition of their sustained, grateful reflection upon the faithfulness and provisions of our heavenly Father, our theme for the celebration was, "Great is Thy Faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Pastor Boykin and First Lady Helen Boykin have served the congregation of First AME in worthy manner since December 1993. They have given their best and by exemplifying the power of God's Spirit in their lives, others have rallied to eagerly follow and honor their leadership. 

Many members of the congregation have expressed their appreciation for what Pastor Boykin means to them - through his thoughtful and well-delivered sermons, the special attention to their emotional and spiritual needs, and the care shown to the various ministries that impact all, from the seniors to the youth - and how he makes every member of the congregation feel that each is special to him. 

Pastor and Mrs. Boykin do not do what they do to earn accolades, but we at First AME and the Greater Manassas community have watched them change the lives of many people.  We are thankful for Pastor Ronald Boykin, a gifted and compassionate minister and Sister Helen Boykin for her support; they have been a real blessing to our congregation and to the community.

Congratulatory well wishes can be emailed to Pastor Boykin and First Lady Helen Boykin; Revboykin@aol.com. 

22. GENERAL OFFICER FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Dr. Samuel G. Eubanks Jr., MD, the brother of Mrs. Mary A. E. Dickerson and the brother in law of retired General Officer, the Rev. Dennis C. Dickerson, Ph.D. 

Dr. Samuel G. Eubanks Jr. M.D., an Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist in Louisville, Kentucky passed suddenly on last evening. 

Expressions of sympathy may be emailed to:

Mrs. Mary A. E. Dickerson, MaryDickerson@comcast.net

Or mailed to:

Dr. and Mrs. Dennis C. Dickerson

212 Aspenwood Lane

Nashville, TN 37221

Telephone: (615) 662-0531

Fax: (615) 662-5242

23. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The Home Going Celebration for Mrs. Patricia Conley Hunter Pearson, mother of the Reverend Billy Ray Hunter, pastor of Bethel AME Church, Onancock, Virginia will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 21, 2013 at the Shiloh AME Church, 1323 North Powerhouse Road in Morganton, NC 28655 where the Rev. Wayne Beatty is the pastor.

Funeral services are entrusted to: Ebony Funeral Services, 220 Avery Avenue, Morganton, NC 28655; telephone: 828-437-2864.

Expressions of condolence may be shared with the family:

     

The Rev. and Mrs. Billy Ray Hunter

1205 Medcap Court

Virginia Beach, VA 23453

Telephone: (757) 962-3326

Mobile: (757) 344-5169

Email: Bhunter77@aol.com

24. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

With deep regret we announce the transition to eternal life of Brother Marshall V. Garrison, the brother of the Reverend Ernest Garrison, pastor of Wayman AME Church in Racine, Wisconsin. Brother Marshall Garrison was a resident of Detroit. He was Honorably Discharged from the Air Force, Navy and Army and retired from the City of Detroit, Department of Housing.

The funeral service for Brother Marshall V. Garrison has been planned for Friday, December 20, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. at Saunders Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church, 3542 Pennsylvania Street, Detroit, Michigan 48214, where the Rev. Dwayne A. Gary is the pastor.

Church telephone: 313-921-8111

Email: saundersamec@aaol.com.

Condolences may be sent to:

The Rev. Ernest Garrison

403 North Memorial Drive

Racine, Wisconsin 53404

25. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of retired pastor, the Reverend Joseph A. McDonald, of Santee, South Carolina on Thursday, December 12, 2013.  The Rev. McDonald served the Lord diligently and had a long career as an African Methodist Episcopal pastor. He ministered in the 1^st, 5th, 7^th, and the 11^th Episcopal Districts. Upon his retirement, due to illness, he was the pastor of Cedar Grove AME Church in Orangeburg, South Carolina in the 7^th Episcopal District.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Vanetta McDonald; four daughters, Victoria Hamilton of New Jersey, Quanda Godfrey of North Carolina, Briana Krueger of Los Angeles, and Jennifer McDonald-Cousins of Orlando, FL; five grandchildren, William and Zechariah Hamilton, Judith and Justin Godfrey, Tyler Krueger; two great-grandchildren, LaVeaha and Ajineh Hamilton; a god-son, Kevin Milligan; a step-mother Obera Mc Donald; one sister Sheri Nailon; one nephew, Jack Nailon; one brother, Michael; a brother and sister-in-law, Bruce and Simmie Wilcox; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Memorial Service for Reverend McDonald:

Friday, December 20, 2013

12 noon

Dukes-Harley Funeral Home

3379 Columbia Rd.

Orangeburg, SC 29118

The Rev. Bennie Colclough, Eulogist

Services Entrusted to Dukes-Harley Funeral Home, 3379 Columbia Road in Orangeburg.

Telephone: (803) 534-6621

Condolences may be sent to:

Mrs. Vanetta McDonald

2014 State Park Rd.

Santee, SC 29142

Telephone: (803) 854-3409

 26. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Anna L. Duncan, of Green Pond, South Carolina on Saturday, December 14, 2013.  Mrs. Duncan was the mother of Sister Antoinette Kinsey, 7^th Episcopal District, Ministers' Spouses, Widows and Widowers Organization Plus PK’S, PK Coordinator and the mother-in-law of the Rev. Gregory Kinsey, pastor of St. John AME Church in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Mrs. Duncan was a member of Joshua AME Church in Green Pond, South Carolina.

Funeral & Wake Services for Mrs. Duncan:

Viewing, Friday, December 20, 2013

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Koger's Mortuary

508 S. Jefferies Blvd

Walterboro, SC 29488

Viewing, Saturday December 21, 2013, 10:00 a.m. until the hour of service

Funeral Services - Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 12 noon.

New Covenant Fellowship Ministries

2593 Clover Hill Road (Hwy 303)

Green Pond, SC 29446

The Rev. Kenneth White, Sr., Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Aurellio D, Givens, Eulogist

Condolences may be sent to:

The Reverend Gregory/Antoinette Kinsey

353 Springhill Road

Green Pond SC 29148

Email: akkinsey@yahoo.com

Home telephone: (843) 844-2203

27. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Sister Gloria Faye Anderson, mother-in-law of the Reverend Dr. Charles Holsey, pastor of Campbell Chapel AME Church in Pulaski, Tennessee and mother of First Lady Dr. Tanja Anderson Holsey.

Funeral Service will be Friday, December 20, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.: 

Murray Brother's Funeral Home (Chapel)

1199 Utoy Springs Road, SW

Atlanta, GA 30331

Telephone: (404) 349-3000.

Notifications can be sent to:

The Rev. Charles M. Holsey

1908 Stoney Creek Dr.

Chattanooga, TN 37421

Email: chashol@aol.com

28. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

With profound sorrow we announce the passing of Queen Esther Brown of New York, the family of Dr. Frank M. Reid, III and Lady Marla, Bethel AME Church, Baltimore Maryland.

Viewing and funeral were held on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

Bethel AME Church

60 W. 132^nd Street

New York, New York 10037

The Rev. Henry Allen Belin III, Senior Pastor

Dr. Frank M Reid III, Eulogist

Condolences may be sent to:

First AME Church: Bethel

Care of the family of Queen Esther Brown

60 W 132^nd Street

New York, New York 10037

Phone: 212 862-0100

Fax: 212 694-1323

Email: info@famebethel.org

29. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. James A. Benson, retired pastor of the New Jersey Annual Conference. The Rev. Benson pastored several churches in the New Jersey Conference. His last church was St. James AME in the Camden/Trenton District from where he retired in 2008.

He is the founder of the Benson History Museum, a treasure trove of black history located in Lawnside, New Jersey.

The viewing and funeral were held on December 14, 2013 at the Haddonfield United Methodist Church in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Interment was held on Monday, December 16, 2013 at the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Burlington County, New Jersey.

Condolences may be sent to:

Mrs. Ellen Benson

C/o The Rev. Linda Ellerbe, pastor of Mt. Pisgah AMEC

306 Warwick Road

Lawnside, NJ 08045

Fax: 856-547-6816

Email: PastorEllerbe@aol.com

The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to help further the Rev. Benson's work at the history museum he founded.

       

The Benson History Museum

C/o Susquehanna Bank

305 White Horse Pike South

Lawnside, NJ 08045

30. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Sister Helen N. Ellis, the mother of the Rev. Dr. Linda C. Hill, pastor of Mt. Pisgah Turner Memorial AME Church, New York City (Manhattan District).

The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.

December 16, 2013, viewing from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

St Luke AME Church

1872 Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY 10031

Phone:    212-870-1349

December 19, 2013

Viewing: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Service:   12:30 p.m.

Saints Homes United Methodist Church

1390 Thurmond Street

Winston- Salem, NC 27105

Telephone: 1-336-724-2514

Eulogist: The Rev Ronnie E. Roseboro

All services are entrusted to:

Condolences may be sent to:

The Rev Dr. Linda C. Hill

C/o Mt Pisgah Turner Memorial AME Church

1484 5^th Avenue

New York, NY 10035

31. 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  

32.  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 / Update subscription preferences