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:
Pentecost
Sunday May 19, 2013
General
Board Meeting - June 22-26, 2013
Bishop
Sarah F. Davis Investiture – June 24, 2013
1. TCR EDITORIAL - WHAT THEY DIDN’T TELL
ME:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III,
The 20th Editor, The
Christian Recorder
A lot of things change, but a lot of things remain the same. When I have asked young aspiring pastors
about their call to ministry what were their hopes for ministry, their
responses are pretty much the same as my responses when I answered my call to
ministry.
I remember my first thoughts about ministry when I accepted and
acknowledged my call to the ministry. I was going to be the best preacher in
the world and my preaching was going to fill every church I pastored. I had a
plan for ministry and I had a plan for success.
Influences
I was influenced early in life by the various pastors of AME Churches I
attended in Ardmore and Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and in Rahway, New Jersey.
My ministry was influenced by my pastors; all of them were fulltime
pastors. The Rev. Jesse Owens instilled
in me a love for the ministry. He was a dynamic preacher who loved to teach and
he loved the AME Church. The Rev. T. S. Clements who pastored Bethel AME Church
in Ardmore, Pennsylvania was a dynamic preacher and he made preaching look
easy. His sermons were relevant and biblical. The Rev. B.C. Burton, who
pastored Bethel AME Church in Bryn Mawr, demonstrated the importance of the
ministry of pastoral visitation.
I made a commitment to “me” that when I was given a pastoral appointment;
I would be faithful to my preaching responsibilities and would be faithful in
pastoral visitation.
The Rev. George (Tookie) Reid demonstrated that a pastor could be “down
to earth” and he demonstrated how important it was to relate to “the people.” He instilled in me the need for preachers to
“lighten up” and to be ourselves. And,
in addition to being “down to earth,” he was a great preacher and parishioners
loved him.
Come to think of it, all of my preacher mentors emphasized the importance
of the preaching ministry. When I was with my peers, it seems that preaching
was all we talked about; preaching was the center of our conversation.
Bishop Frederick D. Jordan told me about the importance of saving money,
paying Social Security, contributing to the AME pastors’ retirement program,
investing, acquiring property and the importance of preachers to keep their
minds sharp. Bishop Jordan also reminded us that we needed to take care of our
families. He drove the point home when he said, “If you die today, the folks at
your church will expect your wife and kids to be out of the parsonage within 30
days; they will be focusing not on your family, but getting the parsonage ready
for their new pastor and family.” I
never forgot that example.
My father-in-law added another dimension to the preaching ministry. We
had many conversations about the ministry and shortly after being appointed to
my first pastoral assignment, Dad Blake gave me some fatherly preacher advice.
He cautioned me to never use the sermon as a “bully pulpit.” He looked me right
in the eyes and said, “Resist the temptation to use a sermon as a way to attack
parishioners or as a means to influence an agenda.” He went on to explain that the sermon is a
vehicle that uses the Bible to connect God to the people sitting in the pews.
He explained “The sermons should bring alive the biblical text, proclaim the
gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ in such a way that connects God's word to
the lives of God's people that helps them to orient their lives to be in
concert with God’s Word and God’s Will.” He went on to explain, “And if you do
that, you won’t have time to fuss, ‘get back’ at people or engage in
nonsense.” After explaining all of that,
he added, “Having said all of that about not using the sermon as a ‘bully
pulpit,’ there will be times when you might be tempted in a sermon to get back
at a person using an illustration or biblical example, but don’t do it!”
The real
seminary
My seminary education began at Conwell School of Theology at Temple
University in Philadelphia. It was there
that I met a mentor. His name was Robert
F. Walters. He was an older pastor, or at least I thought he was older. He was
pastor of an African Union Methodist Protestant (AUMP) church in Norristown,
Pennsylvania. He helped me to get off to an excellent academic start. In 1976,
he became a bishop of the African Union Methodist Protestant (AUMP) Church. I
remember that he said, “We are the only two blacks here and we will make ‘A’s’
and never less than a ‘B.’” And, during
our coffee breaks he took me aside and gave me the “facts of life” about the
pastoral ministry. I most remember that he said, “There are some things that
your parishioners will forgive you when you ‘fall short of the mark” and there
are some things they will hold against you.
They will forgive you if you ‘bomb out’ on a sermon’ because everyone
has a bad day. AMEs are like AUMP, they are Methodist and when you do Holy
Communion, do it well; memorize the liturgy; don’t mess up the Communion
Service. Don’t mess up when you are performing a wedding and when you lead
funerals; that’s when members bring their guests and friends and you will need
to make sure those services are done without flaw. They will forgive you for a
lot of things, but don’t embarrass them in front of their friends and
relatives. If a family wants another
preacher to do the eulogy, don’t get in fight; be gracious and generous and you
will be endeared to them forever.”
The advice Bishop Walters and my other mentors gave me carried me
through my ministry. Bishop Bob Walters gave me a seminary education that the
seminary couldn’t give me.
Maintain
high moral and ethical standards
All of my mentors emphasized the importance of maintaining high ethical
and moral standards. They all said, education can help you get to the top, but
character will keep you there. To a person they all said, in one way or the
other, “If the people lose confidence and respect as it relates to your ethical
and moral behavior, your preaching and your ministry will be without power.”
A
surprise
I was given a lot of great advice about ministry and I am most
appreciative, but 50 years later I am most surprised at what no one told me.
They told
me
They told me about preaching, about the prophetic and priestly functions
of ministry. They told me about the importance of maintaining high ethical and
moral standards. I was told about saving, investing, acquiring property and the
importance of providing for my family. They told me about ministerial ethics
and etiquette and the importance of maintaining healthy relationships with
other pastors and with the church members. They told me about the importance of
staying abreast academically and theologically and how important it was to
maintain an active prayer life and keep a sharp edge on understanding the Bible
and biblical studies. I was cautioned quickly understood that the learning
process was ongoing and there was no such thing a terminal degree or terminal
knowledge. I was told so many helpful things that impacted my ministry.
No one
told me…
The one thing no one told me; and that one thing occupied a significant
place in my ministry. I was confronted with it at my first pastoral
appointment.
What they didn’t tell me “hit me between the eyes” when I held my first
official board meeting. What they didn’t tell me became a focal point of my
ministry; and especially during the first couple of years, what they didn’t
tell me, kept me awake at night.
Let me
digress.
If what my mentors told me was the focus of my ministry, life would have
been good. Life would have been good if ministry was preaching, visiting the
sick, “being a good pastor” leading a godly life to the best of my ability,
maintaining a vigilant prayer life,
study the Bible, take some academic and theological courses, attend a couple of
worships to keep me encouraged and sharp, keep my finances straight, be
involved in the community and active in the life of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, maintain healthy relationships with clergy and laity, and maybe being
able to invest in some property, buy a home and be a good husband and father to
my children. Life would have indeed been
good and ministry would have been good.
What they
didn’t tell me…
No one told me that I had to raise money for the connectional budget. I
knew there were some administrative aspects to ministry, but I didn’t know
raising funds would take up such a large part of my ministry.
I knew that the local church paid the connectional budget. I used to
hear the old folks talk about “dollar money” and “conference claims,” but when
I thought about ministry, I never thought of those things and how it would
impact my ministry.
Before my first pastoral assignment, no one ever explained to me that a
pastor who failed to meet the connectional budget could be taken to the
Ministerial Efficiency Committee.
No one told me, but I quickly discovered that the administrative
responsibilities would play an important role in my ministry.
No one told me, but I quickly came to understand that what they didn’t
tell me was the very thing that could derail my ministry.
I came to understand that the ministry was more than preaching and
visiting the sick.
2. I
ASK:
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry
I Ask:
I received a letter from our church making a request that the members
give generously to the upcoming “Friends and Family Day.” I have been a member
of this church for many years and our congregation recently received a new
pastor. I immediately noticed that our church had new stationary and was caught
off-guard because the new church stationary does not have “AME” or “African
Methodist Episcopal Church” anywhere in the letterhead. Not only that, but the
neither term was listed in the appeal to members to give generously for our
upcoming “Friends and Family Day.” Is
there any place or inference in The Discipline that requires that the “AME
Church” name be listed when listing the name of the church in documents?
(The Writer wishes to remain anonymous.)
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry’s Response to the Question:
Dear "Long-Time" member,
I have been unable to find any requirement in the Book of Discipline
that mandates the use of the denominational identification on stationary or
bulletins or flyers.
Having said that, because you had no question concerning any other
"practice", I am assuming that the worship and other procedures of
your Church adhere to The Book of Discipline
of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
It is necessary that the Legal Documents such as Deeds, Insurance
Papers, Articles of Incorporation, etc., include the legal name of the Church,
e.g., "Seaward African Methodist Episcopal Church” (AMEC).
Please let me suggest that you request a meeting with your pastor to
ask what the rationale is for not using "AME" or African Methodist
Episcopal on the stationary. The Pastor may have what he/she considers a good
and valid reason.
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry (Retired)
African Methodist Episcopal Church
3. REFLECTIONS OF THE LIFE OF LOIS BERNADINE
MURRAY:
April 2, 1930, a beautiful baby girl, Lois Bernadine Cousin, was the
middle child born to the Rev. Sylvester A. and Marlena Cousin. Bernadine, as
she was called, was the only girl in the family, having three brothers:
Sylvester Alvin Cousin Sr., Philip Robert Cousin Sr., Gary Edward Cousin; and
having three brothers had a lot to do with her fearless spirit, fierce
independence and spunk.
Learning was a passion for Bernadine, even in her formative years in
Xenia and Yellow Springs, Ohio. Her father’s ministerial assignments caused
Bernadine to change schools several times, but she was always a good student.
Because of her father’s illness, the family moved to warmer climates in
Florida.
Their first Florida ministry was in Daytona Beach, and when Bernadine
was in the 10th grade, the family was transferred to West Palm Beach, Florida.
This would prove to be an enchanting place for Bernadine because she
met the one who would change her name and change her life. “THE ONE’S” name was Cecil Murray who changed
her name to Dino. Dino’s assessment
about this extraordinary young man added up to his being the guy of her dreams.
He was a Christian young man; that was the first requirement. He was a hard
worker; that was the second requirement. He was intelligent; that was the third
requirement; and he was fearless, not afraid of her brothers, but in accord
with the time, definitely afraid of her father. She was enchanted by his charm
and wit, but she was a girl who had her priorities straight; so off to college
she went.
The year was 1947. Jackie
Robinson courageously writes baseball history and becomes the 1st African
American to play major league baseball. It was that kind of spirit that fueled
Dino’s college career as she entered Central State College in Xenia, Ohio. She
was focused and purposeful, much like Jackie Robinson, and she became one of
the few young African American women in her birth town to go to college. In
1951, Dino graduated from college with double degrees in sociology and
education.
Dino had passion for learning and a generous heart for teaching. She returned to West Palm Beach and taught at
Palm View Elementary School for a period of seven years; training and
empowering young minds with the skills that would enriched their lives. She
gave children an education and tools to have a fulfilling life. Cecil admired this woman for her startling
outer beauty, but more for her profound inner beauty and spirituality. And,
June 25, 1958, he asked Bernadine for her hand in marriage. They were wed in
Miami, Florida. And off to their
honeymoon they went.
The honeymoon was a cross-country drive to Oxnard California, where
new husband, Chip, (she changed his name too) was in his 7th year in flying
service with the United States Air Force. Together they were to spend three
more years of active duty, moving to three different bases. In June of 1961, both committed to separating
from the Air Force and to Captain Chip attending seminary at the school of
Theology in Claremont, California. There Dino worked in the President’s Office
while Chip finished his doctoral training in theology with the aid of the GI
Bill of Rights and a separate job.
Their formal ministry began together, in Pomona, California, with
seven members at Primm AME Church. Three
years later, having grown to 150 members; and their family having added a son,
Drew Murray; Chip was reassigned to Kansas City, Kansas. After five years there, they moved on to
First AME Church in Seattle, Washington.
While Chip developed as a pastor, Dino developed as a missionary. She
was an excellent leader, developing Head Start programs for youth; feeding,
clothing, and housing services for the impoverished. She was the ‘wind beneath’
her husband’s wings as they flew higher and higher in community outreach and
service. In 1977, off to Los Angeles
they came: Chip, Dino and son Drew.
They were assigned to the leadership of First AME Church in Los Angeles,
California. This was the beginning of a 27 year relationship that Chip, Dino
and Drew would cherish as their life’s calling. Dino took as her ministry, the
mission of the Missionary Society. Her years as teacher, counselor and advocate
for children inspired her to start mentoring programs for youth, tutoring
programs and scholarship programs to enhance their educational opportunities.
Dino’s dedication inspired her to develop an AIDS ministry, providing AIDS
victims with meals, toiletries, visits and prayers. She embraced AIDS victims
when society deemed them untouchable. Dino’s missionary unit went to Skid Row
to serve meals to the homeless; she collected and distributed school supplies
and toys for underserved children and sponsored fundraisers to send glasses,
socks, clothing, books and medicines to Africa. Her missionary unit served
outreach community programs that provided food, clothing and support for the
2000 tenants in the 13 housing villas built by the church. Her leadership garnered the love of the AME
missionaries, who named the newest missionary unit after her and started a
school in Africa bearing her name.
She will be remembered during service as THE FIRST LADY OF FAME, a
title she did not demand, but earned with hundreds of expressions of faith,
hope and love for people. She is cherished by those who love her simply as
DINO…there will be a tear; but then there will be a smile.
She completed her mission and went home on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at
7:35 a.m. She leaves to cherish her memory: her husband, Cecil L. “Chip” Murray
and son, Drew; brother, Philip Robert Cousin and sister-in-law, M. Joan Cousin,
in Bolingbrook, Illinois; brother and sister-in-law Edward and Mary Murray of
San Antonio, Texas; sister-in-law Louise M. Bowman, Los Angeles, California;
two nieces: Tammie Murray and April Thomas, Los Angeles, California; nine
nephews: Terry Shawn (wife Carmen), Tampa, Florida; Gary Dean, Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina; Philip Cousin (wife Angela), Durham, North Carolina; Steven
Cousin (wife Linda), Kansas City, Kansas; David Cousin (wife Valerie),
Brooklyn, New York; Michael Cousin (wife Marcy), Detroit Michigan, Joseph
Cousin, Ann Harbor (wife Nicole), Michigan; Anthony Murray, (wife Lisette), San
Antonio, Texas; Kevin Murray, San Antonio, Texas; five caretakers: Linda
Clarke, Natalie Neal and Datsey Carr; John Wilkes, Julia Jackson and a host of
aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Of this we can say of Lois Bernadine Murray:
She
lived the life she loved, and she loved the life she lived.
May she
live forever!
Taken from the Obituary for Mrs. Bernardine Murray
Submitted by Mrs. "Jackie" Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker
4. PASTORAL
CHANGES IN THE NORTH GEORGIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
The Atlanta North
Georgia Annual Conference scheduled Tuesday - Friday, May 7-10, 2013 did not
end until after midnight on Friday, May 11th – early Saturday
morning.
Bishop Preston Warren Williams II
made the following pastoral changes in the North Georgia Annual Conference.
The Rev. Dr. Gregory Eason to St.
Paul, Pryor
Road- South Atlanta District - PE Walter Daniels
The Rev. Dr. Thomas Bess to Allen
Temple, Atlanta - West District, PE
Charles Bennett
The Rev. Dr. John Foster to Big
Bethel, Atlanta - North District - PE, Dr. David B. Rhone
The Rev. Jai Haithco to Turner Monumental - East District – PE, Dr. Earle
H. Ifill
The Rev. Bruce Francis to
Cosmopolitan - North District – PE, Dr. David
B. Rhone
5.
METROPOLITAN AME WINS $90,000 PRESERVATION GRANT:
Washington, D.C. 2013
Great News! Metropolitan A.M.E. Church will be awarded
$90,000 from the Partners in Preservation competition. Thank you for your
support of our online competition. Some of you voted everyday and some
solicited support from your contacts.
Whatever you did to support this effort, we are grateful. Please share
this thanks with your friends and family who voted for us. We are pleased that
Metropolitan received the third largest award.
Partners in Preservation Announcement
American Express and the National Trust for Historic
Preservation are pleased to announce that Metropolitan AME Church is among 14
historic places in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia that will receive
grants as part of Partners in Preservation’s $1 million commitment to
preservation efforts in the area.
The
National Cathedral of the A.M.E. denomination has been symbolic of the
sustained strength of a people and their belief in the equality of all people –
the first independent Black religious body in the US – from 1816 to 1896. This
pulpit has been symbolic of the sustained strength of a people and their belief
in the equality of all people. The land-site is the oldest continuously
Black-owned parcel of land in the District of Columbia. A $90,000 grant will
restore stained glass windows on church’s primary facade.
Use
the link below to see the 14 grants awarded:
6.
AMERICAN AIRLINE (AA) DISCOUNT CODES FOR FLIGHTS TO JAMAICA:
American Airlines has agreed to give a 10% discount on
flights to Kingston, Jamaica for the Investiture of Bishop Sarah Frances Davis
/ General Board Meeting / Bishops’ Council in June. The down-side is that you
can only book your flight between June 1st to June 16th. They gave us 1000
individual codes, which mean we have to staff a position to receive request and
give out the promo codes.
It is also my belief that if you wait until June 1st there
will only be middle seats left and prices tend to rise once you have less than
30 days before your flight (usually more than 10%). I have asked to have the start date changed
to immediate sales vs June 1st; don't know if American will agree. However, I
am listing below 5 codes if you or someone you know wants to use them.
If you need additional codes let me know by email: claytie@swbell.net.
If we can get AA to change the date I will send a notice.
Blessings,
Supervisor Claytie Davis
Five
American Airline Discount Codes for flights to Jamaica:
BQJQJ3Q7CM9B
BQJQJ36CW4FB
BQJQJ3JX5CB8
BQJQJ3N6BL7A
BQJQJ37J7L6S
7. THE
WASHINGTON ANNUAL CONFERENCE’S “LOVING REUNION”:
Members of the 63rd Session of the Washington Conference of the Second
Episcopal District comprised of churches in Washington, D.C., Maryland, North
Carolina and Virginia fell in love all over again in mid-April. From Wednesday, April 17 to Friday 19, 2013,
the Washington Annual Conference convened with the homecoming of Second
District native son and daughter, The Right Reverend William P. DeVeaux and
Episcopal Supervisor Dr. Patricia Ann Morris (PAM) DeVeaux. This dynamic Episcopal couple had previously
been the pastoral team that, for ten years, led Metropolitan AME Church in
Washington, D.C., the Cathedral of the African Methodist Church, until Bishop
DeVeaux was elected to Episcopal service in 1996.
With inimitable wit, wisdom, and compassion, the Bishop and Supervisor
taught, exhorted and directed the members of the Washington Annual Conference
to immerse themselves within the Conference Theme: The Seeking, Serving, and
Spirit-Filled Second Episcopal District.
Through their candor, humor, humility, and their refreshing persona,
their approach to ministry were immediately displayed; to the delight of the
Annual Conference. The love affair was
begun.
Spiritual electricity flowed prior to Wednesday’s Opening; beginning
on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at the Missionary Annual Day. Under the leadership
of Episcopal Supervisor, Dr. PAM DeVeaux and President, Mrs. Oveta Watkins the
Missionary Society held a festive worship experience. International President, Sister Shirley Cason
Reed keynoted a salute at the Living Legacy luncheon, which honored
Missionaries 75 years and older. During the Missionary Night in White Episcopal
Supervisor DeVeaux turned up the voltage with a fervent message “Bustin’ Loose”
which challenged the society to bust loose from the safe and traditional manner
wherein they had previously operated.
Clergy and laity responded to the altar call for inclusion in a prayer
that God would allow the entire Washington Conference to bust loose to higher
worship and service. The day included 158 missionaries being pinned and
capped.
The fruits of Potomac District Presiding Elder Rev. Louis-Charles
Harvey and Capitol District Elder Rev. Goodwin Douglas’ extraordinary planning
and organization of the Conference were evident from the onset. From an outstanding Conference choir directed
by Susan Todd Edwards, to the Men’s Choir of Ebenezer A.M.E., Fort Washington
to worship and praise celebrations ably led by The Rev. Charles Sembly, the
music of the Conference proved to be transcendent. Utilizing the gracious facilities and
membership of conference site venue hosts, the Rev. Grainger and the Rev. Jo
Ann Browning and the Ebenezer AME Church, Fort Washington officers and members,
genuine hospitality was extended to thousands of conferees. Conference Coordinator, the Rev. Harold B.
Hayes, pastor of Hunter Memorial AME and Co-Conference Coordinator, the Rev.
Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope AME Church ensured that the historic
Annual Conference proceeded seamlessly and energetically.
At the call of the Bishop, 238 Itinerant Elders, 72 Itinerant Deacons,
12 Local Elders, 79 Local Deacons and 14 Superannuates answered the roll
call. The Board of Examiners presented
the names of 26 Licentiates to the Conference Body to be passed onto the next
stages of their spiritual journeys. Two clergy members he Rev. Dr. Michael E.
Bethea, pastor Hemmingway Temple and the Rev. Diane Parker retired.
The Rev. William Lamar, Pastor of Turner Memorial A.M.E. Church
inspired the Conference with his opening Conference sermon, “Exorcists Wanted”,
while The Rev. Tony Lee, Pastor of Community of Hope A.M.E. stirred the spiritual passions of thousands
of Sons of Allen “Mighty Men of Valor” in his powerful Men’s Night Celebration
declaration, “Started from the Bottom; Now We’re Here” The Women in Ministry led the Conference’s
Thursday Midday Refreshing Service wherein Conference Coordinator, The Rev.
Dr. Dianne Coles delivered an anointed
Word which inspired and challenged clergy and laity alike. Through the
leadership of Washington Lay President, Brother Matthew Douglas, Second
Episcopal District Lay Organization President, Sister Valerie Gary Bell,
challenged the attendees with an incisive call to action in her keynote message
offered at The Annual Lay Witness Service.
During the Conference’s Institute moderated by The Rev. Lois Ann Poag
Ray, Dean Washington Conference Board of Examiners, The Rev. Lee P. Washington,
Pastor of Reid Temple A.M.E. Church provided superb teachings on how to
recognize and manage a church’s unique culture.
Nearly 30 Administrative and Literary Committee reports, filled with
highly progressive recommendations including calls to action and proactive
stances on issues affecting our church and communities, were presented. Political remedies to help ensure enactment
of gun violence prevention legislation, measures actively seeking to reinforce
the AME Church’s oppositional stance to Same Sex Marriage as Federal law, and
calls for the church to brandish a more aggressive and compassionate voice with
regard to issues of immigration were among the many highlights of these
thoughtful reports.
A Memorial Service offered by the Committee on Memoirs and Necrology
for deceased ministers and spouses constituted a solemn and introspective
moment as The Reverends Delois Faulkner, David Sparrow, and Barbara Harmon were
fondly remembered.
Thousands of family members and friends, filled Ebenezer Fort
Washington to capacity, to witness the ordination and progression of those
called to ministry. During this final
evening’s Service of Ordination , Communion, and commissioning, Bishop DeVeaux joined by The Right Reverend John Bryant,
Senior Bishop, Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District, ordained and
consecrated 12 Itinerant Elders, 11 Itinerant Deacons, 5 Local Deacons, and 1
Local Elder. Bishop Bryant, in a
visionary and prophetic sermon reminded the ordinands and licentiates that all
who are called to ordained ministry “Are under Assignment.”
During the commissioning service there were three new
appointments: The Reverend Thann Young –Hemmingway
Temple A.M.E. in northwest Washington D.C.; The Reverend William Kenlaw – Agape
A.M.E. Gaithersburg, MD, and The Reverend Caroline Jones –Galilee A.M.E. in
southwest Washington D.C.
The 63rd Session of the Washington Annual Conference concluded with
the assemblage expressing sincere thanks, appreciation and love to Bishop and
Supervisor DeVeaux for their outstanding leadership abilities which have
already brought the Conference to unprecedented heights of spirituality,
accountability, unity, expectation and peace.
The love affair continues!
The Rev. Donald Marbury
Pastor Ebenezer AME Church
Brunswick Maryland
8. PENSACOLA/MARIANNA DISTRICT
MINISTER’S SPOUSES ALLIANCE SPONSOR LITTLE MISS PRINCESSES AND LITTLE MASTERS
CORONATION:
The
Pensacola/Marianna District Minister’s Spouses Alliance sponsored the Little
Miss Princesses and Little Masters Coronation held on the afternoon of March
24, 2013 at Greater St. Joseph AME Church in DeFuniak Springs, Florida (The
Florida Annual Conference).
Mrs. Mae F.
Myrick, District MSA Coordinator served as the Worship Leader was. The
Invocation was given by Master Sean Kimbrough. Psalm 100 was recited by Little
Miss Anna Martin. Mrs. Eldora O. Campbell welcomed everyone to the program.
Sister Katrina Stakley presented the Mistresses of Ceremonies, which were
Sister Erika Dotson and Sister Betty Rouse. Little Miss VonLoris Davis recited
a poem and received a standing ovation. The coronation ceremony began with a
total of six participants.
The winner
for the Little Miss Princess was Tyranique Battle from Cluster Six and the
winner for the Little Master was Teavian Pugh Harmon from Cluster Five. The
first runner-up was Chancellor Robinson (cluster one), the second runner-up was
James Howard Black, II (cluster four), the third runner-up was Kendall Stakley
(cluster two), and the fourth runner-up was Daijana Hill (cluster three). The
six clusters and participants are listed as follows:
1st
Cluster – Sister Monica Tellis is the Chairperson and Sister Ida Singleton is
the Assistant Chairperson. Little Master - Chancellor Robinson, a member of Allen Chapel
AME Church in Pensacola, Florida where
the Reverend Freddie Tellis is the pastor
2nd
Cluster – Sister Cassandra Williams is the Chairperson and Sister Katrinia
Stakley is the Assistant chairperson. Little Master - Kendall Stakley from Mt. Zion AME
Church in Crestview Florida where the Reverend Charles Flowers, Pastor
3rd
Cluster – The Reverend Linda Ellis is the Chairperson and Brother Eddie W.
Ellis, Brother Michael Clark, and Sister Betty Rouse are the Assistant
Chairpersons. Little Miss Princess - Daijana Hill, a member of Allen Chapel AME
Church in Lynn Haven, Florida where the Reverend Sandra Hooper-Clark is the
pastor
4th
Cluster – The Reverend Jessica Muss is the Chairperson and Sister Betty
Speights is the Assistant chairperson. Little Master - James Howard Black II, a
member of Mt. Olive
AME Church in Marianna, Florida where
the Reverend Jessica Muss is the pastor.
5th
Cluster – The Reverend Sandra Jones is the Chairperson and the Reverend Douglas
Jones is the Assistant Chairperson.
Little Master - Taevian Pugh Harmon, a member of Sylvania
AME Church in Vernon, Florida where
the Reverend Calvin Pierce is the pastor
6th
Cluster- Sister Harriett Davis is the Chairperson and Lic. Richard Davis is the
Assistant Chairperson. Little Miss Princess - Tyranique Battle, a member of
Greater St. Joseph AME Church in DeFuniak Springs, Florida where the
Reverend Gregory Harris is the pastor
The
children ages 3-6 gave their names, names of pastor and church affiliation, and
explained what they wanted to be when they grow up.
The Reverend
Douglas Jones gave the Invitation to Discipleship and remarks were given by the
Mistresses of Ceremony, Sister Erika Dotson and Sister Betty Rouse; and Sister
Mae F. Myrick, District MSA Coordinator.
The
Reverend Freddie Tellis closed out the service by introducing the ministers and
providing closing remarks. The Ministers’ Spouses’ Benediction was recited.
Bishop Adam
J. Richardson, Jr., Presiding Prelate
Mrs. Connie
Speights Richardson, Episcopal Supervisor
Presiding
Elder James H. Davis
Sister
Deborah Davis, District Advisor
Sister Mae
F. Myrick, Pensacola/Marianna District MSA Coordinator
9. THE 4TH ANNUAL
DISTRICT CONFERENCE, MONTGOMERY-SELMA DISTRICT ALABAMA RIVER REGION CONFERENCE:
By the Rev.
Ruby Heard-Bustamonte
The fourth
annual Montgomery-Selma District Conference was hosted at Historic Brown Chapel
African Methodist Episcopal Church, Selma, Alabama (March 22-23) where the
Reverend Leodis Strong is the newly appointed Pastor. The dynamic and efficient
leadership of the Reverend Albert L. Hezekiah Hyche, Presiding Elder, and
Attorney Ida Tyree Hyche, Women’s Missionary Society International Editor and
Coordinator, District Planning and Support, provided their expertise and
guidance throughout two days of spiritually uplifting and educationally
empowering workshops and worship.
During the
Pastors’ Council Meeting on Friday morning, we received a surprise visit from
U.S. House Representative Democrat Terri Sewell, of the 7th
Congressional District of Alabama. As a member of Historic Brown Chapel AME,
she came to welcome the District Conference to her church and to Selma,
Alabama.
The
business session began with the organization of the District Conference. The Secretary, Marshall, Reporter, and Bounds
were established. This was followed by the roll call of churches and
certification of delegates. The new pastors to the district were acknowledged
followed by the reports from the various district components.
The
Episcopal District Significant Upcoming Events were noted as being The Feeding
of the 5,000 in the Amphitheater on the construction site of the future home of
Daniel Payne College Legacy Village. This event will take place on May 18, 2013
with Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, MD
as the guest preacher. The Ninth Episcopal District Summer Meeting, Christian
Education, Ministers’ Institute, and Leadership Congress, will be held at Troy
University, Troy, AL on July 22-25, 2013.
The six
Leadership Skills Clinics presented were: “The Importance of Political and
Social Awareness in the Church”; “Understanding Church Finances: Money
Matters”; “Pentecost 2013: Effective Witnessing: Walk, Talk Reach Out and Evangelize”;
“Technology, Outreach and The Church”; “ABC’s of Discipleship”; and “Ministers’
Taxes and Benefits.” The Evening Worship message was delivered by the Reverend
Yvonne Howze, Pastor, Quinn Chapel AME, Uniontown, AL. Her message was entitled “It’s What’s in You”
taken from Daniel 3:16-18. Her Spirit
filled message was followed by the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.
On Saturday
following the devotional period conducted by the Ministerial Candidates, the
business session for the day was the report from the Board of Examiners. Four persons were admitted on trial. The Allen Christian Fellowship Workshops were
conducted at Ward Chapel, Selma, AL during the continuation of the Leadership
Skills Clinic VII for the adults. The
topic for the clinic was, “The Kidneys and How They Work.” The Sons of Allen conducted the Noon Worship
Service. The message was given by the
Reverend James McCoy, Pastor, St. John AME, Socopatoy, Alabama. His message was entitled, “The Word Does the
Work” and was taken from Genesis 1:1-3. The presence of the Holy Spirit moved
as this messenger of God delivered a powerful message from God. The District
Conference concluded with the presentation of awards.
10. A
MAN CALLED SYDNOR:
Brother
Luegene Hill and Sister Dianna Maddix
On April 6, 2013 at Bethel AME Church, 2329 Flora Avenue, Kansas City,
Missouri, over 200 members of the Midwest Conference both clergy and laity,
came together to fellowship, learn and worship.
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor, III, the 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder, the Organ of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, road into town and took over the conference
for one brief weekend through his magnanimity. Rarely, if ever, has there been
such a coming together of all components of the conference in such numbers
under one roof in such a setting as this.
It all started Friday night when twenty-six members of the clergy and
laity joined to break bread and greet Dr. Sydnor and welcome him back home, as
he had spent a year of military training at Fort Leavenworth and was a member
of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Then early Saturday morning, a scrumptious Continental breakfast was
prepared to welcome those who had come from all parts of the Conference to take
part in a Learning and Worship Experience and to discuss The Anatomy of a 21st
Century Church with “A Man Called Sydnor.”
After the workshop, we were treated to a delectable meal and there was
no standing in line waiting to be served.
We were all served at our tables by a host of servers.
We had fellowshipped together, learned together, and dined together.
Now it was time to worship together; to hear what thus saith the Lord through
His instrument, A Man Called Sydnor.
Using as a subject "Where Are You Pitching Your Tent?" and
using as Scriptural Reference Genesis 13:1-13.
Dr. Sydnor reminded us that our physical vision may sometime fail us and
lead us off in the wrong direction, causing us to stray away from God and what
He has planned for us. As like Lot, who
chose what his physical eyes appeared to be the better land, and chose to dwell
in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom, leaving Abram to
settle for what appeared to be the worse land and dwell in the land of
Canaan. Oh, but you know the story. Dr. Sydnor reminded us that God grants us the
same privilege. To re-pitch our tents from a direction away from Him to a
direction that allows us to spend eternity with Him.
As with any event of this magnitude, a whole 'bunch' of people put in
a whole 'bunch' of work to pull this off and make it the tremendous success
that it was. But if God had not been in the mix, it would have all been for
naught, validating that where two or three are gathered in His name, He shall
be in the mix.
To God Be the Glory!
Midwest Conference Lay Organization
President Donald P. Jones
Director of Lay Activities Phyllis Kitchen
Workshop Coordinator & Editor Luegene Hill
Director of Public Relations Dianna Maddix
11. THE
NOTABLE NECESSARY NORTH DISTRICT OF THE ILLINOIS CONFERENCE:
The 142nd Session of the North District of the Illinois Conference
convened on April 11 & 12 at Wayman AME Church in Bloomington, IL. Rev.
Charles Orr served as the host pastor. Presiding
Elder opened the conference on Thursday morning. Elder Parks established the
atmosphere for the conference when he invited the Holy Spirit to be present
throughout the conference.
Then, Elder Parks created the boundaries for the conference. The
conference began with a powerful devotion when the members of the conference
also invited the Holy Spirit to come and worship with us. After devotion, the
conference began with Sis. Ileta Smith calling the names on the roll: pastors,
preachers, elders, deacons, licentiates, officers, and delegates with all
reciting their favorite scripture when they acknowledged their presence. During
this time, Elder Parks shared a package of information with the pastors about
upcoming events and dates for the remainder of this conference year. As the pastors received their packages of
information, they were also given additional pins to support the 4th District
renovation project in Chicago, IL under the awesome leadership of Bishop John
R. Bryant.
At 11:00 a.m., we moved the conference from business to worshipping the
True and Living God. Elder Parks
presented Rev. Frederick Gaddy as the speaker.
His scripture was II Corinthians 3:17-18. His sermon title was “It’s not about
You.” He shared some brilliant facts to
support his title. For instance, Rev. Gaddy advised each of us that worship
isn’t about us at all, worship isn’t about getting anything, and it is all
about giving God our best. The
conference members were very moved by this profound message from the man of
God. He emphasized that God should
always be our focus, and we must return to the heart of worship and remove
ourselves out of the way.
During Elder Parks’ Planning meeting, each chairperson shared their
plans for the conference year. At the afternoon session, each chairperson began
to share how their plans have unfolded during the conference. We had reports
from the following: Finance Committee, Christian Education, Church School,
Worship Leaders, Evangelism, Ministerial Training, WIM, District Trustee,
Stewardship Committee, Social Action, District Stewardess, YAN, Marshalls,
Presiding Elder’s support committee, and Salary Adjustment. Each chairperson gave an account of
stewardship time & efforts for this past conference year. Members of the
conference were allowed to ask questions if the need had arrived.
At the 7:00 p.m. worship service, we were blessed with Rev. Frank L
McSwain who is the proud and humble pastor of Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist
Church in Bloomington, IL. His message
from God was to share “The Path to Discipleship.” He expounded on the Word by advising the path
to discipleship is self-denial. We must
be willing to deny ourselves the pleasures of life that we think are good for
us and seek God’s guidance for directions.
We must be willing to take a good look at ourselves, repent of the any
sins, and turn to God. We must take up
our cross and follow Jesus. God has already promised us in Matthew that He will
be with us always. Matthew 28:19-20
The spirit of God continued on Friday morning with a devotional that had
everyone on their feet. This was a beautiful experience in the presence of the
Lord. Presiding Elder is always about
teaching and educating the people of God not only spiritually, but financially,
as well. He presented Rick Golusza, the
Regional Director of the Illinois Credit Union League to the conference. He
shared information about the only African American Credit Union in Illinois,
which is Imperial Credit Union. The members
of the Conference asked Mr. Golusza questions to fully understand how members
of the North District could become members of Imperial Credit Union.
The conference members were pleased with the work that had been done for
kingdom building. The members of the
conference expressed their appreciation to Elder Parks for his spiritual
leadership that he had given throughout the conference year. Presiding Elder
contributed that he is and all that he will become is because of the Grace of
God. He gave God all the credit.
At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, the North District’s Lay Organization was in
charge of the worship service. Rev. James Hailey of Bethel AME Church in
Quincy, IL was given the honor to introduce the speaker of the hour. Sis Jeanette Green spoke to the conference on
the subject “What Was Church, Back in the Day.” Her main focus was that people
don’t take the time to be holy. We must
spend time with God during the week to be prepared to meet Him on Sunday during
worship service.
The afternoon session opened with presentations from the Rev. Larry
Lewis of Bethel AME Champaign, IL and Rev. Orlando Dial of Bethel AME in Iowa
City. The pastor presented on the topic
of the “Unfairness of Life” from a secular’s perspective. They shared some enlightening points about
how life isn’t fair in the following: love, fatherhood, education, criminal
justice system, war, business, politics, and the AME Church. Then, Rev Gregory Armstrong of Allen Chapel
in Danville and Rev. Dr. Bridgett Black of Bethel AME Church in Des Moines, IA
shared on the “Unfairness of Life” from a spiritual’s perspective. The Rev. Armstrong spoke from the following
scriptures: Luke 8:17, Proverbs 1:3, Songs of Solomon 1:15, Ezekiel 18:25,
Matthew 16:2. The Rev Black finished up
this portion of the presentations with the following scriptures: II Corinthians
3:13-15, Isaiah 55:6-12, and Job 2:13. After the four pastors had presented
from a secular and spiritual viewpoint, the Rev. Elaine Walters of Ward Chapel
AME Church summarized the both presentations with the theme “Fair Ain’t Fair,
It’s Divine. We must trust God and know that He is God. We must keep our hands in God’s hand and
believe the scripture that God will never leave or forsake us.
The Friday evening worship service reached an all-time high for the
North District. We were blessed with
praise dancing from the North District, the Mime Team from Mount Pisgah Baptist
Church, and Praise on Purpose (P.O.P).
The Elder Parks introduced the Rt. Rev. Phillip R. Cousin the Retired
96th Bishop of the AMEC as the speaker for the hour. Bishop Cousin’s scripture for the evening was
Isaiah 52:12. His sermon title was “How Do WE Get Over.”
Bishop Cousin’s main focus was God is our vanguard. God is our provider,
path finder, and protector. He is
guiding and protecting us from the front.
God is steering us from the front because he is omniscient, omnipresent,
& omnipotent. The Lord God of Israel is our real guard that is how we are
able to get over.
The North District Conference closed with all members on a spiritual
high and motivated to continue in kingdom building. The North District members
of the Illinois Conference under the Presiding Elder Tyson Parks will continue
to put God first and seek his guidance for all that we do. Each person left with a renewed desire to
continue walking with the Lord and making disciples as we were commanded by
Jesus.
Sister Brauder Smith
District Superintendent of
North District of the Illinois Conference
12.
COMBINED MIDWEST DISTRICT CONFERENCE HELD IN TOPEKA, KANSAS:
St. John AME Church Hosts Combined Midwest North/South District
Conference
Topeka, Kan. — — Once again, the
two presiding elder districts of the Midwest Annual Conference met for a
combined District Conference from April 18-20, 2013, in the beautiful capitol
city of Topeka, Kansas. The combined meeting was St. John A.M.E. Church, where
the Rev. V. Gordon Glenn II serves as the pastor.
The Rev. Donna F. Roberson, Presiding Elder of the Midwest North
District, and the Rev. Steven A. Cousin Sr., Presiding Elder of the Midwest
South District were the co-hosts for this auspicious event, which combined
dynamic worship and informative presentations with the business of the District
Conference. The theme of the combined district conference was “Teamwork Makes the
Dream Work.”
At the opening worship service on Thursday, April 18, a powerful message
was delivered by the Rev. Victoria Parker, pastor of Bethel AME Church in
Omaha, Nebraska. Her sermon was based on Nehemiah 4:15 and entitled,
"When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had
frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall."
Emphasizing the theme, she commented that our resources are managing us instead
of us managing our resources, adding. “We need to be resourceful and rebuild
our walls.”
We saw this later when the delegation took up a collection of more than
$3000 on Saturday morning to help some of the smaller churches that are in
financial difficulty. The presiding elders are committed to helping churches
that are experiencing financial difficulties. The offering was a way designed
by the presiding elders and their staffs as a way to help struggling churches.
The collection was mission accomplished and demonstrated the theme of the
combined meeting that “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work.”
The students of the Board of Examiners, under the leadership of Dean,
the Rev. Dr. Betty Hanna Witherspoon, led devotions before each business
session began with songs, scripture, prayer and testimony; which set the
spiritual stage for the business sessions.
On Friday, following roll call and organization of the District
Conference, we were led in our Conference Institute by the Rev. Dr. Eraina
Aseme, pastor of Cain-Grant AME Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Pastor Aseme,
through interactive exercises and a PowerPoint presentation, lead the
delegation through the proper planning for handling the budget, emphasizing
“It’s all in how we plan.”
Reports from the District Stewards, the Board of Examiners, Evangelism,
the Conference Trustees, and ministry components such as the Conference Lay
Organization, Women’s Missionary Society and various other components, were
presented professionally and received with enthusiasm.
The Friday Hour of Power featured another member of Women In Ministry as
the preacher for the hour. The Rev. Elizabeth Lane-Burns, pastor of St. John
AME Church in Kansas City, Missouri did not disappoint.
During the Friday night worship, the youth of the conference, under the
leadership of YPD President Joseph Shepard, were in charge. The Ministry of
Music was provided by the Midwest Conference Youth Choir, under the direction
of the Rev. Rochelle Settle from First AME Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Music
and dance from various groups and soloists from across the Conference also
ministered to the congregation.
The YPD President gave a powerful message to the youth reminding them
that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega and their BFF - "best friend
forever." Brother Shepard spoke from 1 Tim. 1:15-ff; “Your Help is on the
Way.” Following the message the invitation yielded many young and old who came
to the altar for special prayer, lead by the pastors of the Conference.
On Saturday Morning, during the wrap-up session of the Conference,
Brother Don P. Jones, President of the Midwest Conference Lay Organization,
presented a proposal: the Midwest Conference Supplemental Fund Committee. The
Mission of which is “To develop a Midwest Conference Supplemental Fund to
support the Connectional Budget of the Fifth District, with the goal of accomplishing
this via free-will, individual Supplemental Fund contributors.” After much
discussion, the proposal was approved.
The Combined District Conference ended as it began, with worship.
Dr. Aseme closed us out as the preacher for the closing Hour of Power
bringing with her several members of the choir from Cain-Grant AME Church,
which provided the ministry of music.
God blessed the Combined Midwest North/South District Conference with impeccable
accommodations at the Topeka Downtown Ramada, wonderfully catered meals,
powerful worship, meaningful preventions and impressive reports from the
churches of both districts.
The Combined District Conference 2014 will be hosted by the Rev. Barry
Settle and First AME Church in Kansas City, Kansas.
*Prepared by the Rev. V. Gordon Glenn III, Midwest Conference Director
of Public Relations and Sister Rosalyn V. Carr, St. John AME Church District
Steward
13. THE 4TH
DISTRICT HONORS EXEMPLARY WOMEN:
The Fourth District AME Church makes monumental strides in recognizing
exemplary women whose lives have enriched, empowered, and defended women and
children. The World of Women Praying Convocation will be held June 27th – 30th,
2013 in Rosemont, IL, has selected the following women to honor because of
their life witness, at the Impact Awards Breakfast on Friday June 28, 2013.
Mrs. Beverly Adams-Thomas – Founder, Fine and Performing Arts Institute
for Youth
The Rev. Elna Boesak – South Africa – Advocate for Women and Culture
Dr. Marsha Foster Boyd – Ecumenical Theological Seminary – Theological
Advancement
The Rev. Nancy Neal, Bread for the World/1,000 Days Movement
The Rev. Aisha Cooper Bruce – The Girl Child in Liberia
The Rt. Rev. Sarah Frances Davis – Global Apostolate of Prayer
Dr. Leah Gaskin Fitchue – Theological Advancement for Women
Mrs. Ingrid Hagen – Voice of the Martyr
The Rev. Minetta Hare – Global Economic Empowerment
Her Excellency Jacinth L. Henry-Martin / Ambassador, St. Kitts and Nevis
– Persecuted Women
Ms. Jeri Lynne Johnson – Founder and Music Director, the Black Pearl
Chamber Orchestra
Presiding Elder Minnie Sarah Peddiny – Founder, the AME Church in India
Dr. Sylvia Ross Talbot – World Health – Commitment to Women’s Health
Levonne Treadwell – Community Organizer, Chicago Police
On Thursday evening, June 27th, the City of Rosemont,
Illinois will provide a private reception in their honor. After which they will be escorted to special
seating at our Royal Gathering at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center at
7:30 p.m. Awards will be presented on
Friday morning, where the Honorees will be welcomed by 2,000 Christian women.
As June approaches we are preparing to gather Christian women from
across the globe who have heard our call to prayer; our call to global action
through prayer. Our sisters in Europe rallied together and from Italy, England
and France they come, the called on our sisters from the continent of Africa:
and from Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, Liberia and South Africa. They come as prayer
warriors, survivors and Faith believers. They reached out and touched their
sisters in India and together they travel as one. Calling on sisters of the
Caribbean; Trinidad, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Dominican
Republic and stretching their hands of hope towards South America. Women are
preparing from Brazil and Mexico to come and still they respond, from the North
of Canada to the spirit filled Native American women, the pathway to the World
of Women Praying Convocation is aglow with flags from every nation and hearts
on fire to pray a change throughout our world. Raising our voices to Heaven we
call. Have you heard the call of our praying women? Won’t you respond!? www.prayingchicago.org
Bishop John Richard Bryant, Presiding Prelate, 4th Episcopal
District
The Rev. Dr. Cecelia Bryant, 4th Episcopal District,
Episcopal Supervisor
Joyce M. Keys – 4th Episcopal District President, Women’s
Missionary Society
Jerusha Richards, 4th Episcopal District 1st Vice
President, Women’s Missionary Society
14.
MONTGOMERY - SELMA DISTRICT, ALABAMA RIVER REGION CONFERENCE, CONVENES ITS
FOURTH ANNUAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE:
The Reverend Ruby Heard-Bustamonte, M.DIV.
A few weeks after the history-making visit by United States
Vice-President Joe Biden to the historic city of Selma, Alabama, the Historic
Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church welcomed the Presiding Elder
Albert L. Hezekiah Hyche, First Lady Ida Tyree Hyche, pastors, clergy and
members of the Montgomery-Selma District in hosting the Fourth Annual District
Conference. The dynamic and efficient leadership of the Reverend Albert L.
Hezekiah Hyche, Presiding Elder, and Attorney Ida Tyree Hyche, International
Editor of the Women’s Missionary Society International Editor and Coordinator,
District Planning and Support, provided their expertise and guidance throughout
two days of spiritually uplifting and educationally empowering workshops and
worship.
During the Pastors’ Council Meeting on Friday morning, we received a
surprise visit from U.S. House Representative Democrat Terri Sewell, of the 7th
Congressional District of Alabama. As a member of Historic Brown Chapel AME,
she came to welcome the District Conference to her church and to Selma,
Alabama, and to greet her newly appointed pastor, the Reverend Leodis Strong.
The business session began with the organization of the District
Conference. The Secretary, Marshall,
Reporter, and bounds were established. This was followed by the roll call of
churches and certification of delegates. The new pastors to the district were
acknowledged followed by the reports from the various district components.
The Episcopal District Significant Upcoming Events were noted as being
"The Feeding of the 5,000" in the Amphitheater on the construction
site of the future home of Daniel Payne College Legacy Village. This event will
take place on May 18, 2013 with the Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor of
Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, Maryland as the guest preacher. The
Ninth Episcopal District Summer Meeting, Christian Education, Ministers’
Institute, and Leadership Congress, will be held at Troy University, Troy, AL
on July 22-25, 2013.
The six Leadership Skills Clinics presented were: “The Importance of
Political and Social Awareness in the Church”; “Understanding Church Finances:
Money Matters”; “Pentecost 2013: Effective Witnessing: Walk, Talk Reach Out and
Evangelize”; “Technology, Outreach and The Church”; “ABC’s of Discipleship”;
and “Ministers’ Taxes and Benefits.”
The Evening Worship message was delivered by the Reverend Yvonne Howze,
pastor, Quinn Chapel AME, Uniontown, Alabama.
Her message was entitled, “It’s What’s in You” taken from Daniel
3:16-18. Her Spirit-filled message was
followed by the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.
On Saturday following the devotional period conducted by the Ministerial
Candidates, the business session for the day was the report from the Board of
Examiners. Four persons were admitted on
trial.
The Allen Christian Fellowship Workshops were conducted at Ward Chapel,
Selma, Alabama during the continuation of the Leadership Skills Clinic VII for
the adults. The topic for the clinic
was, “The Kidneys and How They Work.”
The Sons of Allen conducted the Noon Worship Service. The message was given by the Reverend James
McCoy, pastor, St. John AME, Socopatoy, AL.
His message was entitled, “The Word Does the Work” and was taken from
Genesis 1:1-3. The presence of the Holy Spirit moved as this messenger of God
delivered a powerful message from God.
The District Conference concluded with the presentation of awards.
15.
BLACKS ARE STILL MAJORITY OF THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED:
Tuesday, 14 May 2013 02:35 0
COMMENTS
By Freddie Allen
NNPA Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – When a Baltimore grocery store employee fingered
26-year-old Michael Austin for the murder of a security guard in the spring of
1974, Austin didn’t even match the police sketch. The wanted suspect was less 6
feet tall and Austin was the size of a small forward in the NBA. The only other
evidence linking him to the crime was a business card with the name of an
alleged accomplice, a man who was never found.
The store owner, who was positive Austin wasn’t the shooter, was never
called to testify during the original trial and Austin’s defense attorney never
called a single witness to back up Austin’s alibi that he was at work across
town when the crimes were committed. A year later, Austin was convicted of
first-degree murder and robbery and sentenced to life in prison on the
eyewitness account of the grocery store employee, a college student, according
to the prosecution, and a drug addict and high school dropout.
Austin spent half of his life behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit,
only gaining freedom through a New Jersey-based lawyers’ group that works to
free the wrongfully convicted. The grocery store employee died of an overdose
in 1997, but not before he told family members that he lied about what he saw
during the murder and sent an innocent man to prison. In December 2001, Austin
was granted his freedom. Three years later, Austin won a $1.4 million
settlement from the state of Maryland.
Michael Austin’s story was chronicled in The National Registry of
Exonerations, a collaborative effort between the University of Michigan law
school at Ann Arbor and the Center on Wrongful Convictions at the School of Law
at Northwestern University in Chicago. An updated registry of features stories
of the wrongfully convicted and was recently released.
According to the report, Blacks account for nearly half (47 percent) of
all known exonerees in 1989, and Whites made up nearly 39 percent of all known
exonerees. When the updated exoneration report was released in April, 57
percent of the known cases that occurred in 2012 involved Blacks.
Samuel Gross, a law professor at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
and the editor of The National Registry of Exonerations said the 10 percent
increase for Blacks was striking, but it’s too early to draw any firm
conclusions. Gross said that he continues to learn about new cases that
occurred in 2012. In last year’s report released in June 2012, the registry
found that 50 percent of the all known exonerees were Black.
“It’s striking and if it stands up and it repeats in another year or two
it will be an important trend,” said Gross.
According to the registry report, 52 percent of the wrongful conviction
cases involved perjury or false accusation, 43 percent involved official
misconduct and 41 percent involved mistaken eyewitness identification.
The majority (57 percent) of all known exonerations was in homicide
cases and 47 percent of those cases involved Black defendants and 37 percent
involved Whites. Blacks accounted for 63 percent and Whites 18 percent of those
wrongfully convicted of committed robberies.
“Homicide and robbery, sadly to say, are crimes that African Americans
are heavily overrepresented in the prison population,” said Gross.
The report found that “African Americans constitute 25% of prisoners
incarcerated for rape, but 62% of those exonerated for such crimes.”
Faulty eyewitness identification continues to drive the high rate of
Blacks involved in adult sexual assault exoneration cases. Gross said that this
is likely because of problems associated with cross-racial identification.
“White people don’t have the type of experience living with and
distinguishing members of other races as minorities do,” said Gross. “There is
also a long terrible history of racial discrimination in the prosecution of
African Americans for rape when they are accused of raping White women and that
may be a factor here, too.”
According to the National Registry of Exonerations, a majority of the
cases (52 percent) involve witness making a false accusation or committing
perjury. Forty-one percent of the cases involve faulty eyewitness
identification.
“As a group, the defendants had spent nearly 11,000 years in prison for
crimes for which they should not have been convicted – an average of more than
10 years each,” stated a report by The National Registry of Exonerations
released in April.
These are often the most productive years of a person’s life and the
reason why many criminal justice advocates say that seeking compensation for
wrongful convictions is the only chance that exonerees have in regaining a
foothold in a world that is often much different than how they left it.
“Unfortunately, many of our clients have been in jail for decades and
often these were the best years of their life; the years where you can go to
school and get an education, years where you can build a career and learn how
to do a job,” said Paul Cates, communications director for the Innocence
Project. “When they get out after 15 or 20 or 25 years, it’s very difficult to
enter the job market without an education and without any marginal skills.”
Cates said that, when the government confines someone for those lengths of
time, they definitely deserve to be compensated. Cates added: “It’s
particularly true when you consider that they have no way of making a living
once they’ve been released.”
Despite the proliferation of crime shows depicting the use of DNA in
solving murders and proving innocence or guilt of a suspect, DNA testing is
becoming less of a factor in wrongful conviction cases, because it is often
initiated before cases go to trial.
“DNA evidence can be very persuasive to courts and to judges and to
prosecutors, because it’s a very definitive proof of innocence,” said Cates.
“But in all these other cases where this evidence is not available, it’s really
hard to prove when someone has been wrongfully convicted and the court system
doesn’t make that easy.”
That could be changing. According to the registry report, for the first
time, law enforcement officials cooperated in the majority of the known cases
that freed the wrongfully convicted in 2012.
Revisions to state policies involving post-conviction DNA testing,
greater oversight of convictions in prosecutorial offices, and the evolution of
law enforcement practices could have contributed to the increase, according to
the study.
“It’s pretty clear that we make mistakes as you would expect from any
human system and we should acknowledge that and that’s becoming more widely
understood and accepted,” said Gross. “The more realistic we are in
understanding that we do mistakes the better we’ll be at identifying them and
preventing them.”
16. A
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PEW:
Preach with clear auditory reception.
Acknowledge the presence of the people.
Make eye contact in your delivery.
Keep it simple. Not seven
points. Not three points. Make only ONE point in your message. Jesus, in His parables, only gives one clear
point to take back into everyday life.
Allow the listeners to look deep into the surface. Not deep behind the surface. The x-ray of a beautiful person may not seem
appealing, will not hold my attention.
But the picture of the surface of a person can give off warmth and
color.
Taken from The Pulpit Digest
17.
GETTING TO ZERO: GRATEFUL:
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
It is now three months into the 2013 sojourn in Zambia working with clergy
and religious leaders in a controlled field study of the Trusted Messenger
Intervention (TMI). TMI is a science-based education approach to help religious
leader to mobilize to take control of HIV/AIDS.
This week I read a story and watched a YouTube video about a woman
living in Zambia. In the mid-1990s she found out that both she and her husband
had been infected with HIV.
Further, each of their three young children also was infected with the
virus. With tears streaming still, she talks about how she watched all three
children eventually die of AIDS, as did her husband. They knew about
anti-retroviral (ARVs) drugs. However the choice came down to using the money
they could earn for either food or for enough medicine for maybe one of the
family members.
How is she alive to tell the story?
She says that even through the deep despair of these family events, she
somehow heard of a new clinical study with ARVs. She was determined to be a
part of this and found herself as the first in the line to sign up. The ARVs,
her strict adherence to taking them and consistent monitoring by the medical
profession, as some of the blessings of God, keep her alive.
She thinks of her life-saving ARVS as a forever partner “until death do
we part.”
She now works to help people go for Voluntary HIV Counseling and Testing
(VCT). She helps those who are positive to get the medical care needed. She
helps them to find a support group to aid the compliance required for ARVs to
be most effective.
The story goes on to tell us that now in 2013, she is a new mother. As
an HIV+ woman, she has given birth to an HIV- daughter. The correct and
consistent use (compliancy) of ARVs under supervised medical care for a woman
who is infected reduces the changes of transmission from about 1 in every 2
infections per pregnancy without treatment, to less than 1 in every 20 with ARV
treatment and medical care.
The woman in the article, let’s just call her Carolyn, is so amazed and
grateful.
She is grateful that she is a mother again, after conceiving, carrying
and giving birth to three other children only to watch as they were overcome by
the varied opportunistic infections of HIV/AIDS.
Because of the biomedical research and clinical trials by scientists,
physicians, health care personnel and regular community people like Carolyn,
and the commitment by policy makers of governments, the United Nations and
non-government private agencies and
assistance from some pharmaceutical companies, Carolyn is a new mother. She is
the mother of a child who is born free of HIV.
I am excited for Carolyn. I can
feel and share in her great joy.
We look forward to the time coming soon when no child is born with HIV
because their mother is infected.
We look forward to the time when no child is exposed to HIV from contact
with blood or through the fluids of sexual transmission.
We look forward to welcoming, supporting and cheering on the “AIDS-free
generation” to achieve whatever is their life’s purpose.
Getting to Zero for no infections from mother to child transmission
requires standardizing HIV testing as part of all pre-natal care. It requires
broad availability of ARVs and the medical care for guidance wherever they are
needed.
In 2013, we know how to prevent mother to child HIV/AIDS transmission
(PMTCT). PMTCT efforts are widespread. They are part of the UNAIDS “Getting to
Zero” 2015 vision. The task is not technology, but the will and the resources
to make sure that every woman gets adequate care during pregnancy and delivery.
We celebrate and stand with Carolyn and the women around the world who
have lost a child to HIV/AIDS or for any reason. We pray that the time for such
stories of loss, at least from HIV infection, has past. It is not the natural
order of things that a parent would bury their child.
Interestingly, in recent HIV/AIDS testing as part of AMEC events in
Zambia, of 147 people that screened for HIV infection, 11 were positive and 136
were negative.
All 11 positives were females who are over 18 years of age.
We can get to zero transmissions from mother to child. God has given the
knowledge to use the scientific method for long-term research and clinical
studies that lead to effective medicines.
We are grateful indeed for progress. There is more to be done. With God
all things are possible!
*The Rev.
Dr. A. Oveta Fuller is an Associate Professor in Microbiology and Immunology at
the University of Michigan Medical School and Adjunct Faculty at Payne
Seminary. She served as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Adrian, MI for seven
years before primarily focusing on global HIV/AIDS ministry. Currently, she
serves at Brown Chapel AME Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan in the 4th
Episcopal District while continuing HIV/AIDS research in parts of Zambia and
the USA.
18.
MEDITATION BASED ON HEBREWS 11:1-16:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I’m scheduled to fly to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania next week, and while
I appreciate the speed and ease of air travel, I still get a bit uneasy about
hurtling through the air in a pressurized metal tube at high speed a few miles
above the earth! I know that hundreds of
flights take off and land safely each day, but it still bothers me to know that
a lot of them are often in the air at the same time.
I thought of that a few years ago above Atlanta’s extremely busy airport
on a very rainy and cloudy morning. The
air traffic was so heavy that we had to circle for almost an hour in zero
visibility, knowing that there were more than a few planes that we couldn’t see
through the clouds doing the same thing.
The Flight Attendants must have sensed our apprehension, because one of
them said through our plane’s sound system, “We know that we’ve been up here
for a while and that you can’t see anything but the clouds, but don’t worry,
because the controllers in the tower know where we are and will keep us safe.”
The words of reassurance that calmed those of us on that flight can also
reassure us as we face life’s cloudy times, when aggravations, demands,
disappointments and stress envelop us, obscure our vision of hope and
well-being and make us question our safety and security. The demands of our
busy lives can easily reduce our vision and make us fearful of unseen
obstacles, but the God who made us and who saved us by means of His Son still
says to us through His Holy Spirit, “Don’t worry, because I know where you are
and I’ll keep you safe.”
Let that blessed knowledge guide, direct and encourage you as you travel
through life. We’ll all eventually run
into unseen roadblocks, trials, dangers and let-downs, but they really don’t
matter. What matters is that the God of
all creation still says to our spirits, “Don’t worry, because I know where you
are and I’ll keep you safe.” When we
really believe that, then we can face life’s cloudy times not with fear, but
with faith, saying as did one hymn writer, “I sing because I’m happy, I sing
because I’m free, for His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”
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
19. GENERAL OFFICER AND CLERGY FAMILY
CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS:
EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the
passing of Ret. Chief Master Sergeant Louis James Allen, the uncle of Bishop
Samuel Lawrence Green, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the Twelfth Episcopal District
AME Church.
Obituary:
Chief Master Sergeant Louis James
Allen was the last living uncle of the Green Family.
Uncle Allen served proudly in the
Armed Forces. He received numerous awards and prestige's honors including two
Bronze Stars while serving multiple tours during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
After 27 years of dedicated service to his country he retired honorably.
God called him home on May 14,
2013. Louis leaves to cherish his precious memories; Mary Jane Allen, dedicated
wife of 56 years; Addie Allen Williams, loving and devoted daughter; Brother,
Theodore (Doris) Allen; 6 Grandchildren; God-son, Shawn Bell; devoted niece,
Minerva Peterson; and nephews, Presiding Elder Henry (Jennifer) Green, Jr.; the
Rev. Dr. John (Phyllis) Green; Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr.; and the Rev. Dr.
David (Kim) Green, Sr.
Visitation will be held on
Friday, May 17, 2013 from 5-8 PM at Allen Temple AME Church, 241 C Street, Lake
Wales, Florida.
Funeral Service will be held on
Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 11 AM at Allen Temple AME Church, 241 C Street, Lake
Wales, Florida with Pastor H.L. Hollingsworth and Presiding Elder Henry Green,
Jr. officiating. Interment: Washington Park Cemetery, Orlando.
Arrangements Entrusted to:
Postell's Mortuary
811 N Powers Drive
Orlando, Florida 32818
Telephone: 407-295-3857
Fax: 407-295-0307
Expressions of sympathy may be sent
to Postell's Mortuary, address above or to:
The Office of the Twelfth
Episcopal District AMEC
P. O. Box 147
Little Rock, AR 72203-0147
501-375-4310
501-375-0306 - FAX
Expressions of sympathy may be
emailed to:
Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr.
Presiding Elder Henry E. Green,
Jr.
The Reverend Dr. John Green
The Reverend Dr. David W. Green,
Sr.
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with deep regret and sympathy
that we announce the death of Mr. Ollie Mack. Mr. Mack was the Uncle of the
Rev. Dr. Micheal A. Smith, pastor of Mayo AME Church in Matteson, Illinois.
The funeral arrangements are as
follows:
The funeral service will be held
at 12:00 p.m. at Cote Brilliant Presbyterian Church, 4673 Labadie Ave. St.
Louis, MO 63115 on Friday, May 17, 2013.
Please send cards and condolences
to the following:
Mrs. Marie Mack (wife),
3030 Airway
St. Louis, MO 63114
Or
The Rev. Dr. Micheal A. Smith
20839 Homeland
Matteson, Illinois 60443
Funeral Preparation and Care has
been entrusted to:
Austin Layne Mortuary
7239 West Florissant Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63136
Phone: 314-381-6900
Fax: 314-381-6321
Expressions of sympathy may be
emailed to:
The Rev. Dr. Micheal A. Smith: Revmichealasmith@aol.com
21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the
passing of THE Rev. Benetia Tekosky Johnson, an Itinerant Elder and associate minister
at Bethel AME Church in Copiague, NY (Long Island District). The Rev. Johnson
transitioned from this life on Thursday, May 9, 2013 after a recent illness.
The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Viewing - 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Funeral - 7:00 p.m.
Bethel AME Church
20 Simmons Street
Copiague, NY 11726
Phone: 631-842-8463
Fax: 631-841-3408
The Rev. Keith Hayward, Pastor
Burial - Monday, May 20, 2013
Amityville Cemetery
Harrison Avenue
Amityville, NY
Professional Care entrusted to:
J. F. Good Funeral Home
545 Albany Ave.
Amityville, NY 11701
Phone: 631-842-6464
Expressions of Sympathy may be
sent to:
Mr. Harry Johnson
406 Cassata Drive
Copiague, NY 11726
22. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the
passing of Mrs. Jessie M. Franklin. She was the grandmother who raised and
nurtured Keith Coston, Jr., the First Episcopal District President of the Young
People's Division (Y.P.D.) of the Women's Missionary Society. The following
information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Wake - Friday, May 17, 2013, 7:00
p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Homegoing Service - Saturday, May
18, 2013, 9:00 a.m.
Mt. Zion AME Church
630 East Front Street
Plainfield, NJ 07060
Telephone: 908-753-9411
Fax: 908-753-4445
The Rev. W. Golden Carmon, Sr.,
Pastor
Expressions of Sympathy may be
sent to:
Keith Coston, Jr.
1341 W. 4th Street
Plainfield, NJ 07063
23. 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
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMEC_CFIC
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
24. 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.
