10/18/2013

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (10/18/13)


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

October is National Breast Cancer Month (U.S.)
The Clock changes to Standard Time in the U.S. on November 3, 2013


1. TCR EDITORIAL – REAL PREACHERS OF THE AME CHURCH:

Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder

There has been a buzz about the new reality series on Oxygen television station called Preachers of L.A., which offers a glimpse into the lives of several pastors from Los Angeles including “Bishop” Ron Gibson, Clarence E. McClendon, Jay Haizlip and “Bishop” Noel Jones.  Please notice that I chose to put quotation marks around “bishop” to indicate my bias to distinguish them from mainline bishops. The title, “bishop” has become so popular that some clergy do not want to be called “reverend” and prefer to be referred to as “bishop.”   So, what else is new?  Some of the preachers are calling themselves “apostle.”  I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them start referring to themselves as “pope.”

In addition to this editorial, there are two articles in this edition of the TCR Online that address the Preachers of L.A.

T.D. Jakes and other well-known preachers have also shared their opinions and concerns about the Oxygen television program. 

I have gotten off-track

First a disclaimer, I have not viewed any of the episodes of the Oxygen production of the Preachers of L.A. series. 

I was sent and viewed the trailer and decided that I had seen enough. 

A CNN article described the show as “… a chaotic mix of prayer, "house porn," and neatly orchestrated dust-ups between senior pastors and their “first ladies.” 

The trailer I watched showed the preachers as bling-wearing, prosperity-gospel pitchmen. Of course prosperity was a reality for them.  I didn’t see or hear much about Jesus, God or the Holy Spirit in any substantive or theological way, just the clichés all of us are familiar with.  I heard a lot about their thoughts about how they viewed life, the things they enjoyed and how God had blessed them with material things.  

Another disclaimer

I have no problem with what kind of car a preacher drives, the kind of home a preacher owns or the clothes he or she wears. I suspect that the L.A. Preachers are helping people and I would assume that some people are blessed by their ministry; at least that’s my assumption. Having said that, my problem with the program is that it showcases a skewed-view of the ministry; a heterodox view of ministry.

I suspect and am concerned that there might be some young, immature aspirants for the ministry who might view the Preachers of L.A. as their model for ministry. We do not need any more foolishness in ministry. The gospel is serious business and ministry is not some frivolous enterprise.

Television shows are business enterprises

I am smart enough to know that the Preachers of L.A. television show attracts lots of viewers and a lot of money is made from the show. I also know that Oxygen would not make money if they produced a television show about the day-to-day ministry of ordinary pastors, especially of preachers of small and medium-sized churches, which make up most of the pastors in the pastoral ministry. Very few viewers would be attracted to that type of programming.

Let me say that I celebrate and honor the lives of pastors and their families who labor in “vineyards” of all sizes, week after week, month after month, and year after year. Some of them have to supplement their ministry with additional employment to make ends meet, yet they labor and work for the Lord, attend annual conferences year after year and sing, “And are We Yet Alive,” answer the roll-call, and give their pastoral report.

Most of our pastors might be unsung heroes to television audiences, but to me, and I know too many others, they are the called-men and women of God who are faithful to their calling to the pastoral ministry.

Preachers

Last week, Charlotte and I attended Deliverance 2013, which was sponsored by the 2nd Episcopal District.  Dr. Pam DeVeaux conceived and organized the wonderful event.  Bishop William DeVeaux is the Presiding Prelate of the 2nd Episcopal District.

Deliverance 2013 was a dynamic event, well attended, organized, and spiritual; a model for district and conference-level events. It rained during the entire meeting, but the rain did not keep people away.


Let me get back to the preachers –

I don’t know where to start, but let me say that our Zion has clergy who are second-to-none. In my opinion, the AME Church has the best preachers “on the planet! 

Having said that let me focus my comments on the Deliverance 2013 conference, its venue and the preaching. Of course the music was off the chart superb! The liturgical dancers were the best – professional-level dancers.

The Deliverance 2013 preaching was superb. Evangelist Susie C. Owens delivered a dynamic sermon.  The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright was superb and he preached a dynamically challenging sermon. Those two non-AME preachers were excellent. I want to focus on the AME preachers and especially the venue.

As I observed the leadership of the district, the attendance, presence and support of Deliverance 2013; and especially the clergy participants for the worship services, my mind went back to the Preachers of L.A. trailer I had watched and I thought, our pastors are just as dynamic, creative and innovative as the preachers on any reality television show; and perhaps moreso.

Let me get to the AMEs

On Friday night, the Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning and the Rev. Dr. Joann Browning preached the Word and what a mighty Word! I observed them on Thursday night when they were participants in worship and then had the opportunity to observe them when they stood behind the sacred pulpit delivering the Word of God.

Their message was spirit-filled, dynamic, relevant, biblical, theological, educational, and dramatic and whatever other words one wants to use to describe excellence. Everyone who knows them knows that they are outstanding visionary pastors / preachers / teachers, not to mention their homiletic skills. 

What I do want to mention is their authentic humble spirit each time I have observed them.  They are humble when they converse with others, in the pew or when they are in the pulpit. They are just such nice people, no pretense; just humble spirits.

They are team-players and are generous with their kind words for others. The Browning, exhibiting their humbleness would have made a great reality television segment.

It’s obvious their parishioners respect and follow their leadership. I believe that I counted five or six buses that brought their 100+ voice choir to Deliverance 2013. That kind of support could make a preacher or co-pastors arrogant, but the Brownings model humbleness. 

When I recalled the Preachers of L.A. trailer, I did not see “humble, I saw a haughty.”

The venue

The venue for Deliverance 2013 was Reid Temple North Campus in Silver Spring, Maryland and the pastor and Conference host was the Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington.

The venue for Deliverance 2013 was not the Reid Temple’s Glenn Dale Main Campus, but the North Campus.

When I traveled to the Reid Temple North Campus, I was expecting a nice storefront facility, but the Reid Temple North Campus facility is a full-fledged / full-service facility; it’s huge. It is obviously not only a weekend, Sunday operation; it’s a fulltime operation. The sanctuary seats 1100 worshippers. The facility has administrative office space, Credit Union, Bookstore, Counseling Center, Recording Studio, classrooms and adequate parking.

The Rev. Matthew Lawrence Watley serves as the Executive Minister of Reid Temple AME Church under the dynamic leadership of the Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington, Senior Pastor. 
  
Another real preacher

I share the information about Reid Temple AME Church’s North Campus, which seats 1100 worshippers and Reid Temple’s Glen Dale Campus which seats 3000. Reid Temple AME Church membership, according to its website, has 15,000 members as an introduction to another real preacher, the Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington.

The Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington is another humble man of God. He is obviously has a brilliant mind, is an intellectual, master pastor, administrator, theologian, biblical scholar, and visionary; and many more accolades would be appropriate. 

As with the Brownings, observing Dr. Washington, whether sitting in the pew or in the pulpit; he is so unassuming. With all of his accomplishments, one would not be surprised if he was just a little arrogant; but he is not. He has a humble spirit. Dr. Washington’s accomplishments are many and significant, yet he exudes a generous and sharing spirit and a respect for the episcopal leadership.

Followship is an attribute

The Rev. Matthew L. Watley obviously learned much growing up in the parsonage and from his dad, the Rev. Dr. William Watley and continues to learn from the Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington.  The Rev. Matthew Watley also exudes a humble and unassuming spirit. He is a young man and he fills an important ministry position as the Executive Pastor of the prestigious Reid Temple AME Church ministry.  I suspect some young preachers in his position might take on an air of arrogance, but Watley has not done so. He does not flaunt his accomplishments.

The Rev. Watley has an awesome ministry and apparently he respects and follows the leadership of his senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Lee P. Washington. The interaction between the Rev. Watley and Dr. Washington was one of respect in both directions. It is wonderful seeing a young, upcoming leader who has a healthy respect for leadership and retains a humble spirit.

And, of course the other real preacher at Deliverance 2013 was the Rev. Dr. Frank Madison Reid III. I did not hear his, and Frist Lady Marlaa’ M. Reid’s presentation or the other preachers and presenters on Saturday morning because we were on our flight back to Nashville. I know that their messages were on-target dynamic.

Dr. Frank Madison Reid III, too, is a humble man who has a dynamic ministry at Bethel AME Church in Baltimore. He has been there for 25 years and he could easily, with all of his accomplishments, be arrogant; but he, too, is a humble spirit. He and First Lady Marlaa’ are team.

And, thankfully, the African Methodist Episcopal Church and other denominations have a number of pastoral teams consisting of clergy couples, clergy and spouse, and unmarried clergy. They are not on reality television, but they are doing reality pastoral ministry.

Hopefully, no one will write about AME ministry being “… a chaotic mix of prayer, ‘house porn,’ and neatly orchestrated dust-ups between senior pastors and their “first ladies [first gentlemen].” 

TCR Editor’s Note: Press releases and articles are being prepared by the Deliverance 2013 Public Relations


2. TCR OP-ED: THE “REAL PREACHERS OF L.A.”:

*Dr. Joe Darby.

I thank Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III for sending me a link about the new “Preachers of L.A.” series airing on the Oxygen Channel.  I suspect that he knew I’d feel compelled to share my “two cents worth” on the reality show!  I have to confess up front that I’m not a fan of the “reality show” genre.  I was raised at a time when African-American mommas and daddies taught their children to “keep your business to yourself.”  With that disclaimer made, let me say that I have grave reservations about the show for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that while poverty is not an inherent virtue and while our Savior said that He came into this world so that we can live abundantly, we don’t have to flaunt our abundant blessings, as do those who hang their “bling” out for all to see.

My first very gratuitous high school summer job was being a general handyman for Jeff Hunt, the son of the man who employed my late father as a chauffeur.  He was a multimillionaire, but you’d never have known it.  His home was comfortable, but not ostentatious.  He owned a Cadillac Eldorado, but usually drove a beat up Chevy sedan.  He had major influence over what happened in Columbia, South Carolina but few people knew his face or name. I enjoyed working for Jeff and I remember something he once said” “If you’ve got it and God gave it to you, then you ought to simply give thanks and use it to help others.” 

I have problems with clergy who have to show their prosperity in ostentatious ways, because that’s generally a sign of insecurity and an insecure pastor is often an arrogant pastor.

The second reason is based on what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 12:2, 3 - “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.   For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”

Regardless of the strength of our witness or the nature of our blessings, clergy should be sanctified - set apart - for the work of the Lord. Those who have to rely on the worldly signs of prosperity to affirm their worth and impress others conform to the standards of worldly success.  The difference between a preacher and a pimp ought to be easily discerned.

Preachers who lift up their worldly success as a way to impress others and pass on to them the promise of prosperity without prophetic responsibility also diminish the power of the Jesus who said that if we put God’s Kingdom, God’s Will and God’s Way ahead of our personal well-being, we’ll have all that we need. 

Preachers who lift up their worldly success as a way to impress others also minimize the power of the Gospel and of the Jesus who did not elevate worldly prosperity as our ultimate goal, but who continually called us to serve those that Jesus labeled “the least of these.”

The third and final reason for my concern with the “Real Preachers of L.A.” is that they don’t typify “real preachers.”  I’m blessed to work with thirty-one “real preachers” in the Beaufort District of the South Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. 

“Real preachers” answer the call to preach with fear and trembling, and maintain a healthy sense of humility. 

“Real preachers” often work in obscure places with congregations where the needs are considerable and the resources to provide them with the worldly trappings of pastoral success are minimal.

“Real preachers” often work other jobs to make end meet and quietly but efficiently engage in pastoral administration and address pastoral needs like counseling the confused, encouraging the troubled, burying the dead and changing lives not for worldly acclaim, but to hear the Savior say, “Well done…”

The “Real Preachers of L.A.” might be an entertaining reality show, but it’s not a faithful depiction of authentic pastoral ministry. 

I pray that all authentic pastors and clergy will walk in the footsteps of the Jesus who was elevated not because of His celebrity but of His humility, the real Jesus who changed humble people because they were able to identify with his humble Spirit, the real Christ who said in Mark 10: 43b-45: “...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. 

That’s a real preacher!

*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

3. THE “REAL” PREACHERS OF LA HIT HOME:

Bishop Eric J Freeman

I've done my best to hold my peace concerning The Preachers of LA. However, it's become apparent that the general populous is ill equipped to navigate the garbage being peddled to our people.

I want to share with you ten lessons we learn from The Preachers of LA. In fact, I'm going to give you “ten signs that you might be following a megalomaniac.”

The vast majority of pastors are faithful, bi-vocational, educated, and denominationally submitted community servants.

But for the few "boy or girl wonders" out there - and every city has two or three - my goal is to expose them in hopes they will relent their empire building and return to authentic servanthood.

Each of the pastors featured on The Preachers of LA preaches a "powerful", "revelatory" word. They each, up until this recent exposure, spoke the language of being community focused. But Jesus said they will do many things in my name and I know them not.

So don't be fooled by another controlling, condescending stump speech. Don't listen to their words- they're good with words - look at their actions.

Don't allow them to hide behind buildings and other slight of hand methods to excuse their megalomania.

As a final thought before sharing the ten signs, let me say this: What we are observing is NOT a money problem...it's an EGO problem. And we would all do well to name the sin and repent.

Ten Signs That You Might Be Following a Megalomaniac:

1) A “We're better than everyone else” mentality.

2) A critical assessment of historic churches in the community as a part of their teaching, preaching, and "branding".

3) No seminary education by conviction. In essence, an unwillingness to be taught.

4) A message built on people renouncing their families, churches of childhood, fraternities, sororities, etc. The use of hyper demonization is one of the most useful tools of an abuser and megalomaniac.

5) An anti denominational stance as a conviction, which is primarily an unwillingness to be legitimately held accountable for one's actions.

6) A need to compare their church size, worship style, message etc. to other churches. This should be self-explanatory.

7) The need for quick "success".

8) The unwillingness to accept feedback from senior pastors in their region.

9) A conviction that they have new revelation that makes their followers somehow more special or advantaged.

10) A prideful/arrogant spirit. God resists the proud. P.S. "But he teaches ‘the word of God'" is not an excuse for rudeness, arrogance, and ego.

If most of these fit, you may be following a 'real' preacher. They may not be on television…yet. But rest assured; they are definitely using you and your family to feed their egos with Mazeratis, mansions, and money.

Senior Pastor/Founder of The Meeting Place Church International

TCR Editor’s Note: This article was extracted from Bishop Eric J. Freeman’s FaceBook post

4. TCR OP-ED - THE PASTOR NEEDS A TECH - WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE A VIRUS:

Lately, for the last few years, I have encountered individuals who believed they had a computer virus.  Most times, that would be the case if a person does not have an effective antivirus program installed.  However, even those who have installed the top antivirus programs like Symantec, McAfee, Kaspersky, Webroot, and other programs don’t have confidence in their antivirus programs.

What has been taking place over these few years is an ingenious marketing strategy of the “now” novel geeks for product (programs) promoting.  The market for antivirus, antispyware, and like programs has developed into a large financially beneficial one.  These novel geeks are able to get the attention of many in an ingenious indirect way.  I call this indirect method “Intrusive Backdoor Entrance” (IBE).  The “intrusiveness” has been unknowingly allowed by the (end) user.  The “backdoor,” by way of the user’s unknowingness, but known to the program designer, is now opened and the program walks right on in – installing itself and executes its mission of disruption.  There is no stopping once it has an entrance.  It is “intrusive” because it’s a program not a virus, “simulating” a virus attack on the user’s computer very effectively.

When this marketing strategy started some years ago, the program announces “Your Computer is Infected with a Virus” in nice visible lettering, immediately catching the user’s eyes. [Come On!  Viruses do not announce themselves.  They just complete the mission assigned – destruction!]  Of course, many would think that whatever is happening to the computer is due to a virus: There is a continuous announcement of virus infection, but not by the installed antivirus program; the computer is being congested with garbage spreading throughout the system like a “roach infestation” that eventually will cause computer failure – a crash!

Now, the catch!  Following the kindly provided announcement of infection, a “solution” is offered for the cleansing of the problem.  [Again, Come ON!  You think a virus will go through all that trouble?]   The offered solution is having the user purchase a particular removal program.  [When this marketing strategy first started some years ago the solution started at $19.99.  As time went on with the development of other virus, malware, phishing, and others, it became $39.99, $69.99, $110.99 and now some as more as $135.99.]

The purpose of this program is given, followed by the announcement of a virus remover. Specifically, it tells the user in advertisement format that a particular program can be purchased for “X” amount of dollars to rid your computer of this perceived “virus” infection.  I have found these programs not so much as HARMFUL as much as they are “intrusively annoying”.  Like a virus, there is a malignancy of unnecessary files infesting the hard drive.  This growing infestation interferes with the normal functions of computer performance and operation.  It definitely prevents the user from trying to do what he/she normally would like to be doing.  Even though, like any program, it can be seemingly “terminated” by a click.  However, this little nuisance of a program, will “POP” right back up once it is “believed” to be terminated from running.  It is insistently “intrusive” – following the orders of its programming.  “Click termination” becomes less and less able to happen.  The user is led to believe either to buy the announced “remedy” program solution as suggested or let the computer max out until it crashes due to the infestation.  One could take it to a tech support entity like Best Buy’s Geek Squad (which one may be looking at to start -- $175 +++) or to a private IT person (like myself) for less cost.

The most cost effective remedy I find is having one do it him/herself by using the systems’ tools that come with the Windows operating system (98, 2000, XP, Vista, Seven or Eight).  The provided OS software program feature is called “system restore” to an earlier time – provided that there are “restore points” available before all this infestation started.  ALSO, there is the hope that the infected program has not yet disabled the user’s accessibility privileges to the restore feature.  If the restore feature has been compromised, one has to consider the following options:
Do what was mentioned previously.

W I P E the computer – LOSING EVERYTHING (if you don’t have back-up copies), reinstall the OS (operating system), applications and other programs.

Or find a user-friendly-tech person having knowledge on how the situation can be remedied.  [This will require a process equivalent to a neurosurgical procedure – like lobotomizing the brain, by “editing” the windows’ “registry” and “cutting-out” ALL segments of disruption (“infestations”) by the designed program.  Once the “core” name of the malevolent program is identified and the multiple registry locations, eradication becomes a sterilizing completion process without causing loss of data, programs, and other information.  Any residual of the infestation, like a cancerous cell, can replicate beyond its present location and continue to spread throughout the registry.]

Now, many may asked, “How did I get this annoying program?”  They come in many fashions and process forms.  Some are:  a) “Pop-ups” that become automatic downloads.  b) “Slide-in” on downloading desired programs.  [Most users when downloading program, are not aware that they are IGNORING ‘offers’ associated.  They are not “declining” or selecting “skip all”.  Many continue to click “next”.  Thus, other programs are scheduled to download with the wanted downloading file.]  Or c) Unfortunately, I have observed these invisible annoying programs are mostly associated with the downloading of music.  Sometime the intrusive downloaded attachment is of sexually explicit advertisement more so then of a virus simulation program and sometimes both.

Be careful what you click and don’t fall for what you “think” may be needed.

This was just an informative sharing for my AME family members from The Pastor Needs a Tech!

The Rev. Calvin J. Bush is the Associate Minister, Technology & Education at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the Rev. Dr. Steven A. Jackson is the pastor.

5. MT. CALVARY AME CHURCH HONORS ITS CIVIL RIGHTS’ PIONEERS:

As the country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, Mt. Calvary African Methodist Episcopal Church in Towson, Maryland honored its own civil rights pioneers who helped steer the church through 124 years of physical growth, spiritual stability and community service. 

A special ceremony marked the one year anniversary of the opening of the church’s Family Life Center and the congregation, led by the Rev. Dr. Ann Lightner Fuller paid tribute to three trailblazers, who over the years, were instrumental in the preservation of the church and its ministries.

The Rev. Dr. Fuller says “Honoring, Attorney Iglehart, Dr. Byrd & Mrs. Doris Jackson, was the fulfillment of a dream I’ve carried for many years.  Attorney Iglehart and Dr. Byrd stepped into the life of Mt. Calvary at a crucial time.  In 1996, as were preparing to build our new sanctuary, they attended a Trustee Board Meeting here and asked me to share my vision for the Church with them; after telling me them our desire and need for more space for our growing congregation and our desire to serve the East Towson in a greater capacity, they offered to give us the lots adjacent to our church and a monetary gift of $50,000.00!  We were all overcome with excitement and thanks to our God for opening such “a wide door of opportunity’ for us.”

“As regards Sister Doris Jackson, all I can say is her life was poured out as a love offering to the people of Mt. Calvary and beyond.  When I was young and had very little finances and the church could only afford a meager salary, Sister Doris and her husband made the difference with personal gifts to me and my son.  She was like a mother to me and made sure I lacked nothing as I attended A.M.E. Conferences,” Dr. Fuller said.

Iglehart and Byrd, both noted civil rights activist in the Baltimore area, joined forces through the Metropolitan Housing Incorporated, Inc. to create better living conditions for African Americans living in East Towson.

Jackson, a lifelong member of Mt. Calvary AME Church served as a lifelong missionary, reaching out to the local community to help educate children and to provide food and shelter to those in need.  The three, including the Rev. Fuller, had rooms in the Family Life Center dedicated in their names in honor of their commitment and personal sacrifice in helping to improve the East Towson Community.  One of the rooms includes a food pantry that is open to the surrounding community.  The Iglehart-Byrd Visioning Center (Pastor’s Board Room), is the place where leaders continue to “write the vision and make it plain up on tablets” (Habakkuk 2:2).

As the congregation celebrated the milestone of 124 years of continuous service, the dedication of the Family Life Center was made even more significant as the church continues to build its future in the growing East Towson community, keeping the legacy of Iglehart, Byrd and Jackson alive.  With an eye towards that goal, the Rev. Fuller says “The Family Life Center will set out to reach even more souls for the Lord through service ministries like the Doris Jackson Food Pantry, Saving Our Sons Ministry (S.O.S), Daughters of Destiny (tween ministry), 20Something (mentoring program for young women), Campus Ministry reaching out to students at surrounding colleges, and many more ministries that serve to make Mount Calvary the HUB of the East Towson Community.”

(For more information about the Mt. Calvary AME Church Family Life Center please call 410-296-9474.)
  
6. ALLEN TEMPLE CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF MINISTRY:

By James A. Mallory
    
Allen Temple AME Church in Woodstock, Georgia is celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year.
    
The church marked the milestone in June with a month of activities acknowledging the anniversary and 20 years of service at the church by Pastor Carl A. Moore Sr., and his wife, Gloria.
     
It was a glorious celebration for a church that has gone from 70 members in 1993 to 1,513 members today and 44 ministries serving its membership and the surrounding community.
     
“We’ve been able to thrive even at 150-years-old by focusing on the Christian basics,” said Pastor Moore.
     
The church is centered on teaching the Word, evangelism, tithing and loving “the people,” he said.
     
Located at 232 Arnold Mill Road, the church’s presiding prelate is Bishop Preston Warren Williams II. The Rev. Dr. David B. Rhone, Jr. is the presiding elder.
    
Allen Temple was founded in 1863 under “a canopy of tree limbs and bushes,” according the church history.
    
 “All that was lacking was a roof—so they built one,” the church history states. “This faithful group both Baptist and AME members established Cherokee County’s first African Methodist Episcopal Church. The new church was named Allen Temple after one of their devoted members, Deacon Allen Dial.”
    
The church actually predates the city of Woodstock, which was founded in 1897
     
The church has undergone a number of changes during its history.  A new wood-framed church was erected in 1909. For many years, the church shared property with Woodstock’s first black school. A new more modern church was built in 1977 and had a multi-purpose community room added in 1995.
     
The church had 70 members when Pastor Moore arrived at Allen Temple in 1993.  By 1998, the church had more than 500 members fueled by an influx of young families and children to the Woodstock area.
    
Allen Temple has embarked on a number of activities that aid the Woodstock community.  Through its annual “Jay (Dude) Brownlee Golf Tournament, named after the late church patriarch, the church raises scholarship money for graduating high school seniors. To date, over fifty $1,000 scholarships have been awarded to students from schools in the surrounding areas.
      
Woodstock also has an annual celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday, spirited by Allen Temple. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity breakfast started in the multi-purpose room of the old church and has grown into a major event in January that fills a large banquet room at the Northside Cherokee Conference Center in Canton, Georgia.
     
In 2001, Allen Temple members embarked on a campaign to raise money for a new church building. In December, 2004, Pastor Moore preached the first sermon in the new sanctuary which sits just up the road from the original church location.
    
Another lasting legacy of the tenure of Pastor Moore is the Allen Temple Christian Academy started in 2007. The Pre-K program is now has 50 students.
    
“I am most proud of the growth that Allen Temple has realized over the past 20 years,” Pastor Moore said.  “Spiritually, we’ve had over 1,100 salvations; numerically, we have over 1,500 members; and financially we have a budget of over $1 million a year.”

7. CONN-M-SWAWO PLUS PK’S 2013 LEADERSHIP PLANNING RETREAT AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS:

The Connectional Ministers’ Spouses, Widows and Widowers Organization Plus PK’s of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (Conn-M-SWAWO Plus PK’s) will hold its Annual Leadership Planning Retreat and Election of Officers on December 6-8, 2013 at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside, Wilmington, North Carolina.

The Schedule of Events is as follows: Friday, December 6, 2013 there will be a Welcome Reception hosted by 2nd Episcopal District M-SWAWO Plus PK’s) at 7 p.m. The opening session and election of officers will be held at 8:00 p.m.
       
The business session, Empowerment Luncheon and 2013 Clergy Family Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday and the Gala Event will be held Saturday night.

The group will worship together on Sunday Morning at St. Stephen AME Church in Wilmington, North Carolina where the Rev. Wayne A. Johnson, Sr. is the pastor.

The Final Report of the Nominating Committee, Carolyn Anderson (12th), Chairperson, has been received.  In accordance with the Organization’s 2012-2016 Constitution & By-Laws, the named persons listed below have met the criteria as outlined in our Constitution & By-Laws are eligible to be elected to serve a four-year term from 2013-2017.

The contested positions are President, 1st Vice President and Parliamentarian and those persons names are listed in alphabetical order.  

President:
Lula Cleckley (7th Episcopal District)                                              
Rhonda McCall (1st Episcopal District)

1st Vice President                                             
Anita M.E. Brannon (12th Episcopal District)                                            
The Rev. Candace Gray (2nd Episcopal District)

Parliamentarian:
Jennifer Green (11th Episcopal District)
Adrienne E. Quickley (10th Episcopal District)      

Uncontested positions: 2nd Vice-President: Juanita Duncombe (9th Episcopal District); Recording Secretary: C. Ann Thomas (4th Episcopal District); Assistant Recording Secretary: Nellie  Alexander (11th Episcopal District); Corresponding Secretary: Shirley Saunders (1st Episcopal District); Financial Secretary: Charmaine Alexander (6th Episcopal District); Treasurer: Irene Montague (2nd Episcopal District);  Historiographer: Dr. Roberta Hill (13th Episcopal District); Worship Director: Mildred Swint (10th Episcopal District); and Coordinator of P.K.’s, Brenda Hurst (8th Episcopal District).                                                                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                       
Deadline for meeting registration and hotel reservations is November 1, 2013.
 
For more information contact your respective Episcopal District M-SWAWO President or visit our website at www.amemswwpk.org and click on the Our Meetings tab. 

Submitted by Mrs. Fredia A. Hanley-Johnson, President, Conn-M-SWAWO Plus PK’s

8. YALE STUDENTS TRAVEL TO THE 17TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT: GRACE ABOUNDS:

In June 2013, Derick Dailey, from North Little Rock Arkansas in the 12th Episcopal District, and the Rev. Jamilah George from Detroit, Michigan in the attended the Bread for the World National Gathering in Washington, DC. They met Mrs. Carol Messiah, the Episcopal Supervisor of the 17th Episcopal District of the AME Church at that meeting. They were surprised to see her there and introduced themselves to her. Upon learning that they are both students at Yale Divinity School with different passions to serve God and God's people, she invited them to come preach and teach during a few of the Annual Conferences in the 17th Episcopal District.

Immediately following their return to Connecticut, Derick and the Rev. Jamilah began to raise the funds necessary for traveling to Zambia, since the next conference was just around the corner in August!

They worked hard soliciting funds from friends, family, church members, and colleagues until they met their goal. Within 1 month, they were able to purchase their tickets and head to Lusaka, Zambia, where they were welcomed with open arms and warm hearts by a group of AME ministers and missionaries at the airport. The people of Zambia were very excited to have them come and visit, providing some of the best hospitality they had every experienced.

After a twelve hour drive from Lusaka, Derick and the Rev. Jamilah arrived in Solwezi, Zambia to attend the Zambezi Annual Conference, where they met with Bishop and Mother Messiah in order to plan when they would be teaching.

Bishop Messiah allowed them to teach two days of the conference on the connectional theme, "The Cost of Discipleship."

After each lesson, Derick and the Rev. Jamilah were bombarded with questions, reflections, and ideas from the members of the conference; clergy and lay alike. Mother Messiah noticed this and recommended that they be allowed to sit for a panel discussion along with the Episcopal District Board of Christian Education director, Royd Mwandu.

The same evening, Bishop Messiah provided time for a panel discussion. Derick and the Rev. Jamilah addressed an array of questions on topics ranging from retirement plans for clergy members, strategies on how to create a culture of discipleship in one's church, to ways for women to be involved in ministry beyond the Women's Missionary Society. The people were so engaged and interested in hearing from Derick and Rev. Jamilah that many of them have requested to keep in contact with them and invited them to come back to Zambia really soon.

While in Zambia, Derick and Jamilah were able to spend time with the Rev. Dr. Oveta Fuller of the 4th District, a current Fulbright Scholar who is working with the faith community in Zambia on HIV/AIDS awareness and treatment. Derick and the Rev. Jamilah are seeking the Lord for guidance about what the next steps are that they will take in ministry, but they are extremely excited about returning to Zambia; the people impacted their lives and blessed them in ways they could never imagine!

We thank God for their obedience and desire to build up the kingdom of God in this capacity. We know that God has been glorified through this excursion, and for this we are grateful.

*Mr. Derick D. Dailey is from North Little Rock, Arkansas attends Yale University-School of Divinity and is M.A.R. Candidate 2014 and serves on the National Board of Directors for Bread for the World/Institute and was a 2011 Teach for America Corps Member.

*The Rev. Jamilah George is from Detroit, Michigan and is a student at Yale Divinity School and is an ordained Itinerant Deacon in the 4th Episcopal District.

9. AME PASTOR SEEKS WORLD RECORD ON LIFE FITNESS STAIR CLIMBER:

The Rev. Antonio (Tony) Stuckey will attempt to set a world record for spending the most time on a Life Fitness Stair Climber. The longest he has spent on a life Fitness Stair climb has been 4 hours and twenty minutes -1102 floor climb. The Rev. Stuckey says, “I am a hard core stair climber and cyclist. At the Man vs. Machine charity event I climbed 993 floors on your competitor's brand of stair climber. I have broken several of your competitor's brands, but I cannot seem to break a Life Fitness Stair climber even on level twenty-maximum warp 13.4 floors per minute. I have been training on various stair climbers for the past ten years.”  On Tuesday, October 15 the Rev. Stuckey set a new personal record on a Life Fitness Stair Climber climbing 379 floors in 65 minutes at the Georgetown (Kentucky) Fitness Center where he is known as "The Stair Master King." 

Revered Antonio Q. Stuckey will attempt to spend 3 hours and 45 minutes, five 45 minute sessions, on a 4000PT Stairmaster. One 45 minute session at level 6 simulates climbing 193 floors. He is going to attempt to climb 965 floors, which will be the simulated equivalent of climbing nine and a half Empire State Buildings. The Empire State Building has 102 floors.

The event is a fund raiser for Victory Now Youth Organization. The Rev. Stuckey will also attempt a “Flash Dance” for the last ten minutes-(his legs will move so fast that they will appear to be a blur).

The Rev. Stuckey will attempt to set a record on Saturday, December 14, 2013 at the Georgetown Fitness Center located in Georgetown. The Rev. Stuckey said, “I plan on shooting for eight hours with a 2000 floor stair climb.”

The Reverend Antonio Q. Stuckey is the pastor of Saint James AME Church in Cynthiana, Kentucky.

10. INTERVIEW WITH THE REV. DARRYL R. WILLIAMS:

By: Dr. Michael C. Carson

Recently I had the opportunity to be in conversation with the Reverend Darryl R. Williams, pastor of St. Mark A.M.E. Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and his beloved wife, Laurelyn Williams. In 2016 Pastor Williams is seeking the Office of Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The following is part of the conversation I had with Pastor and Sister Williams.

Carson: Pastor Williams, when did the desire for becoming a Bishop come to you?

Pastor Williams: As long as I can remember. My grandfather, Reverend William Reid and My uncle, Dr. Wilfred Reid, were AME pastors. Both had ministries that rejected parochialism; ministry for them had to reach beyond the narrow confines of their communities. From that I gained not only a passionate love for God, but for God’s people everywhere. In addition I gained a love for African Methodism; forever my venue of choice to transport this love around the world. A burning desire is in me to continue the legacy of Richard Allen, William Paul Quinn, Daniel Payne, Henry McNeal Turner and the present and past Bishops of the church. John Maxwell says the best way to impact an organization is to impact its leaders. I believe I have something to offer the clergy and laity of African Methodism.

Carson: Where have you pastored?

Pastor Williams: My first pastorate was Alexander AME Church in Evansville, Indiana. At that time the church presented some serious challenges. Presiding Elder William Sampson Nelson asked if I would want to accept such a difficult assignment. I accepted the challenge and in two years we paid off the church’s mortgage, which was way behind in its payments. I also reestablished Alexander AME Church as a vital part of the local community. Our tenure was one of the longest in the history of that church. To this day, the people fondly remember the Williams’ years - To God be the glory! 

Simultaneously, I pastored the Bethel AME Church in Mount Vernon. I didn’t alternate Sundays I served both churches every week. I was a circuit-rider in the Wesleyan tradition!

After Alexander Chapel and Bethel I was promoted to Vernon Chapel AME Church in Flint, Michigan.  My wife and I still have some wonderful memories of that congregation. As a result of our labor there we had one of the largest youth groups in the entire city! We had some thirty liturgical dancers. We had a youth group and choir that consisted of about fifty youth. The Church was usually filled to capacity. Vernon Chapel was not only a spiritual powerhouse but a political one, conducting registration drives and political forums. A good number of the political leadership were and still are members of that congregation.  The crowning achievement of that ministry was the building of the 1.5 million Family Life and Enrichment Center.

I am presently the pastor of St Mark in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Our campus, which consists of four parcels of land, is host to a myriad of ministries geared to improve the quality of life of the residents of Milwaukee and beyond. We’ve been recognized numerous times for our outreach.

Carson: Sister Williams, how did you meet Darryl?

Sister Williams: We met in 1986 we were married in 1987. What I saw in him was someone who was very conscientious and serious about ministry? He later admitted that he saw the same in me. We have been partners in marriage and ministry ever since, though I am not in the ordained ministry.

My part in ministry is to be a support to him. My own unique gifts are ministering to women and youth. Early on I couldn’t figure out what they were but as a result of time and prayer they have fully evolved.           

When I think about the great possibility of becoming an episcopal supervisor - that’s an awesome responsibility - it’s an awesome calling! I can remember a person that we refer to as our spiritual mother asking me, “How do you feel about this possibility?” I shared with her “It’s overwhelming, it’s something that should not be taken lightly - It’s a calling from God because you are responsible for so many lives, and assisting them in their spiritual growth is a tremendous task. It’s humbling and therefore something that we pray about unceasingly. Where God guides, he will provide.”

Carson: Laurelyn, you and Darryl have a daughter.

Sister Williams: Yes we have a daughter; Christina. She is living and working in Ohio. We are very proud of her. She loves God and is doing well professionally. She’s graduate of Central State University.

Carson: Darryl, share your vision concerning what you will bring to the church as a bishop.

Pastor Williams: Mike, we have such a wonderful story to tell. We were the first to espouse a gospel of self-­­­­­help and economic thrift. Even before the establishment of our church there were Free African Societies doing ministry that empowered one another exemplifying that it was group that was ahead of its time. We were practicing a holistic gospel before that term became popular. I believe if we used every marketing technique available to us to tell our story we can thrive. We can have a good number of every demographic group represented in our church.

In addition, it is critical that we continue to reinvent ourselves. More and more of our churches are in neighborhoods that have changed. Having worship services that attract them while still respecting our traditions and doing outreach that meet their unique desires will be necessary to show we are serious about meeting the needs of an ever changing population.

The gospel tells us to go into all the world…Henry McNeal Turner had a vision for expansion in Africa, Bishop John Richard Bryant and the Rev Cecelia Williams Bryant had a vision for India; the vision for global expansion must be “front and center.” I saw firsthand what African Methodism has meant for India. They now have dignity, pride and a sense of belonging that heretofore was not there.

Lastly, I believe some are set aside for the ordained ministry; however, everyone should feel that their ministry is an integral part of the life of the church: the laity, young adults, youth, men, and women, chaplains in the armed services, hospitals and prisons.  All of these ministries are valuable and worthy of high respect and honor. 

With respect to the chaplains, we thank God for the work of Bishop Reginald Jackson and the past Bishops who were ecumenical officers: Bishop McKinley Young, Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Bishop Earl McCloud and Bishop John White who worked hard to ensure this was a valued ministry.

Carson: Pastor Williams, reflecting back on when I met you in 1984, on the campus of Garrett Theological Seminary, you are essentially the same person; just more seasoned.  When I met you-you were a person of high integrity.

Pastor Williams: Yes, integrity is defined as a strict adherence to a value of standard. My value of standard has never changed and never will.

Carson: Darryl, the passion that you have has not changed. I remember basketball games over at Patton Gymnasium and the Noyes Gymnasium on Northwestern University Campus. You were a fierce competitor; you took no prisoners.

Pastor Williams: Who I am when I play sports is who I am in ministry. My philosophy as they say in basketball “is to leave it all on the floor.”

With many people of African heritage there isn't any separation between the sacred and the secular. I adhere to that as well. So if I am passionate at basketball I am the same with ministry.

Everyone has had times in ministry where it was difficult. I know I have. But it was the passion to make a difference that kept me going. I don’t want to be a bishop because I want to be something; I want to do something. So if a difficult assignment is my lot, “Williams is willing and God Is Able.”

Carson: Pastor Williams, you were an excellent student at both Wilberforce and Garrett-Evangelical; achieving high honors at both. Are we going to be able to glean some of your scholarship?

Pastor Williams: Yes, in fact I have written several articles for some of our publications; my sermons are published in one of the Milwaukee Courier, one of our local newspapers. I plan to publish a book of sermons in 2014.

Carson: Sister Williams, how do your shoulders remain broad and strong during this period in your and your family’s life?

Sister Williams: I do it through a lot of prayer. I pray unceasingly, and I know when it is time to retreat and go into a season of prayer. I’ve been around him long enough that I can sense when he really needs special prayer support. Prayer has seen us through! I also thank God for some very special friends that I know pray for us all the time.

Knowing that you are in the will of God will keep you anchored though the most trying times. We believe we are in the will of God.

We are asking the church to pray for us; this is a spiritual venture more than anything else.

Carson: Pastor Williams any closing thoughts?

Pastor Williams: You have to have the end in mind. The writer of Hebrews 12:2 declares: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross….” The good I believe I can do through God’s power will help me to stand through the rigors of this entire process. “I am willing and God is Able!”

11. DR. FRANK M. REID LOOKS BACK ON QUARTER-CENTURY AT BETHEL:

Blair Adams
AFRO Staff Writers

Dr. Frank M. Reid, Oct. 13 launched a yearlong observation of his 25 years of pastoral service at Bethel AME Church in Baltimore, themed “Honoring the Footprints of a Legend.”

During his 9:45 a.m. service in east Baltimore, Reid stood among nearly 500 congregants, as many members and notables came together to honor one of Baltimore’s most prominent clergyman.

“He is a great pastor, teacher and leader,” City Comptroller Joan Pratt told the AFRO. “He’s given us support, love and is a very compassionate preacher.”

Pratt, who’s been a Reid Temple member since 1976, said she expects Reid to continue to build God’s kingdom and bring the lost into the church.

Proclamations were presented by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Marilyn Mosby, on behalf of her husband Councilman Nick Mosby, and Pratt.

Blake said during the presentation that it was a pleasure to be there to “celebrate your 25th Pastoral Anniversary.”

“I’m grateful to be in the number,” Blake said. “Congratulations on doing good work and May God shed favor in your life.”

During the service, the robe Reid wore 25 years ago when he delivered his first sermon as a minister at Bethel AME was hung at the pulpit during the service.

“When you think big for God, God will do big things for you,” Reid said as the crowd applauded.

Bishop Sam Green of the 12th Episcopal District spoke in honor of Reid and the Rev. Steve Jones sang, “Jesus You’re the Center of My Joy” which was noted as Reid’s favorite song.

The yearlong celebration will include monthly celebrations that focus on Reid’s ministry. There will be a family reunion, a New Generation Circle group, a meeting to discuss a Legend’s impact on men and women and a Legend concert.


12. NEW TELEVISION PROGRAM ON AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY:

Block out 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET Tuesdays Oct 22- Nov 26, 2013 to watch on your local public television station, Dr. Gates new six part series "The African American - Many Rivers to Cross" - http://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/

"Noted Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. recounts the full trajectory of African-American history in his groundbreaking new six-part series, The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, premiering Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 8-9 p.m. ET on PBS. Written and presented by Professor Gates, the six-hour series explores the evolution of the African-American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives they developed — forging their own history, culture and society against unimaginable odds. Commencing with the origins of slavery in Africa, the series moves through five centuries of remarkable historic events right up to the present."

13. SUPREME COURT HEARS ORAL ARGUMENTS IN CHALLENGE TO MICHIGAN'S PROPOSAL 2:

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments today in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, a challenge to Michigan's Proposal 2. Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, argued the case before the court.

Proposal 2 is a 2006 ballot measure that led to a state constitutional ban on race-conscious college admissions policies, effectively creating two separate and unequal systems for determining the admissions criteria used at state universities.

"This case is ultimately about whether minority students will be allowed to compete on the same playing field as other students. Right now, there are two separate playing fields with two separate rulebooks," said Rosenbaum. "Minority students and those who support a diverse student body should not have to overturn a constitutional amendment to have their voices heard in the admissions process when everyone else can simply lobby the university."

Under Proposal 2, donors, athletic officials, church groups, alumni, and others can lobby universities to have their constituents' affiliations or experiences – such as legacy or athletic achievement – considered in admissions decisions, but students cannot ask that race be considered.

In 2006, the ACLU, NAACP, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and the law firm of Cravath, Swaine and Moore, LLP, filed a lawsuit on behalf of students, faculty and, prospective applicants to the University of Michigan challenging Proposal 2.

Plaintiff Kevin Gaines, a professor of history and African-American Studies at the University of Michigan, has seen Proposal 2's negative impact on students' educational experience.

"The lack of diversity has had a chilling effect on the quality of discourse in the classroom," said Gaines. "A university should be a place where a variety of viewpoints are expressed, shared and debated. Proposal 2 has hindered, not helped, students from receiving the robust education they deserve."

Molly Nestor, a 2013 graduate of the University of Michigan and now a teacher in Brooklyn, N.Y., is a case plaintiff. As a student, she said the dwindling diversity in her university classroom negatively impacted her education.

“As a student who graduated with a class admitted after Proposal 2 passed, I feel I am less prepared to serve diverse communities,” she said. “If universities want to prepare leaders that create a more equitable future, they have to foster equality and diversity in their student body. Proposal 2 keeps that important work from happening."

There has been a notable decline in minority enrollment since Proposal 2 took effect. For example, African-American enrollment plummeted 33 percent at the University of Michigan/Ann Arbor between 2006 and 2012, even as overall enrollment grew by 10 percent.

In 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit struck down Proposal 2 as unconstitutional for placing an unfair burden on those seeking to have race considered as one of many factors in university admissions.

"The appeals court properly recognized that the system created by Proposal 2 is unfair and unconstitutional," said Joshua Civin, an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. "The Supreme Court has previously struck down laws that place extra burdens on the ability of minorities to participate as equals in the political process, and we believe the court should do so in this case."

More information about this case:


14. SOCIAL ACTION COMMISSION AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH TELLS CONGRESS - END THE SHUTDOWN NOW: IT'S A MORAL ISSUE:
  
 (Los Angeles) The African Methodist Episcopal Church joins with the overwhelming majority of American citizens all across this country, in expressing both our disappointment and frustration with the shutdown of the United States government due to the failure of Congress to pass a continuing budget bill funding government operations. “The AME Church sees this as a moral issue based upon its harm to citizens, including members of the AME Church," proclaims the AME Social Action Commission chair, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson.

More than our frustration and disappointment with the shutdown is the attempt by a minority of members of the House of Representatives, to hold the President and the people of the United States, hostage to their demand that the president agree to withhold funding for the Affordable Healthcare Act for a year. The Affordable Healthcare Act was passed by both Houses of Congress, signed by the President and upheld by the United States Supreme Court; it is the law of the land. More than forty times, Republican members of Congress have tried to defund the Healthcare Act. Enough Already! This attempt to blackmail and hold hostage the United States for their ideological obsession is irresponsible and a violation of their oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.

Fortunately, not all Republicans are supportive of this charade and manipulation of government. There are enough votes of Democrats and Republicans to pass a "clean budget bill" if House Speaker John Boehner will allow the bill to be put up for a vote in the House of Representatives. Speaker Boehner insists that the President call and negotiate with him and other Congressional leaders on a continuing budget bill. President Obama has refused and we support his position. Funding for the Affordable Healthcare Act should not be subject to negotiations or "blackmail," it is law and has nothing to do with the continuing budget bill. After the budget bill is approved, the President has said he will negotiate spending cuts to reduce the national debt. The Affordable Healthcare Act is the signature achievement of this President and the effort of Tea Party Republicans to defund it is nothing more than a cynical attempt to undo this historic achievement and also to deny healthcare access to more than 50 million Americans, a large number of whom are African Americans. The United States, the wealthiest nation in the world is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide its citizens with healthcare. For more than seventy-years, U.S. Presidents have tried to achieve it, but only this President was able to get it done; and we congratulate him and urge him to stand tall and strong against this effort to blackmail him and to hold the country hostage.

We call upon House Speaker John Boehner to exercise courage and moral leadership and not allow "Tea Party" Republicans to hold him hostage. He should demonstrate leadership and post the budget bill for a vote. His failure to lead is causing hardship for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, threatens to slow the recovery of our economy, puts our national security at risk, impacts millions of Americans who rely on the government for services; has closed parks and monuments and has tarnished the image and stature of the United States around the world.

We call upon House Speaker Boehner to post the continuing budget bill for a vote so that negotiations can begin immediately to increase the nation's debt ceiling so that the United States does not go into default for the first time in the nation's history. This must be done by October 17th.

This is a moment that requires those elected to leadership positions to lead. President Obama is willing to negotiate, but he needs a partner. We call on Speaker Boehner to rise to the moment and join him. The nation is watching and waiting.

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Chair                                                                       
Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Director, Social Action Commission

15. END THE BICKERING, END THE HUNGER:

*By Bishop Don DiXon Williams

The number of chronically hungry people all over the world has dropped by 26 million, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Still, hunger in both the United States and around the world remains high.

According to the State of Food Insecurity in the World report released by FAO in early October, 842 million people were estimated to be suffering from chronic hunger, or regularly not getting enough food, in 2011-2013. In the United States, 49 million people, including one in five children, often struggle to put food on the table.

Globally, fewer children are going to bed hungry and fewer families are worrying where their next meal will come from, but the rate of hunger around the world remains unconscionably high
The U.S. government shutdown and proposed cuts to nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), poverty-focused development assistance, and food aid will only increase hunger.

Substantial progress has been made, but it is fragile progress. Sudden changes in food prices could lead to a setback, as was the case in 2008 with the famine in the Horn of Africa. And any decrease in foreign assistance due to brinkmanship in Congress and the government shutdown will have devastating results worldwide and could throw millions of people back into chronic hunger.

The FAO report noted that despite the overall decrease in global hunger, some countries, such as Botswana, Zambia, and Tanzania, continue to suffer from unacceptably high under-nutrition rates, as indicated by the proportion of children who are stunted. Stunting is a condition resulting from long-term undernourishment, and is a more severe measure of chronic hunger. The report also indicated that if past trends continue and additional efforts to reduce hunger are implemented through enhanced safety nets and investments in agriculture, the number of hungry people could be cut in half by 2015, meeting one of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.

We are at a point in history where we can end hunger in our time. We have the ability to carry out Christ’s mission of feeding all of our brothers and sisters. We must remind our leaders that they must set aside partisan politics and work together to protect the moral and economic stability of our nation and our world.

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

16. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:

The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical Text: John 20:29

Our text is a commentary on the blessings of faith as it reveals in no uncertain terms that there is a reward in store for those who believe without seeing. It points out, quite clearly, that there is a tremendous bonus in store for those who accept Jesus and His promises.  There is a reward for those who step out on His Word with faith.

The concept of Christianity is quite simple. Christianity is built on faith. As a matter of fact faith is the most basic tenant of our entire doctrine. What we believe to be true, what we consider without question is based on faith. None of us have seen God with our natural eye, nor have heard God with our natural ears. Yet we come together, week after week to worship Him and to demonstrate that we believe beyond any doubt He does exist.

When we are asked for proof that God exists we can quickly point out that we see God in nature, in science and in humanity. We sing songs that give proof of our faith that God lives. A song writer penned—“Over my head, I hear music…there must be a God somewhere!” We believe by faith, and not by sight.

Folk without faith are just like “Doubting Thomas” who couldn’t grasp the concept of faith.  He needed that fleshly experience of touching and seeing and hearing.

Consider, if you will, how small our Christian community would be if everyone had that same attitude? I submit to you that doubting spirit would have crushed the Christian movement before it ever got off the ground. That would mean that the only members of the early church would have been those who had seen Jesus, those who had witnessed His miracles. The only members of the early church would have been those who had walked with Him and talked with Him.

This doubting doctrine of skepticism first promoted by Thomas would have caused the Christian movement to die with the witnesses.  After all, Jesus does not come down every now and then to be inspected by the masses!

We can find in the Bible three times where what Thomas said is recorded. In each instance Thomas appears to be doubting or contradicting something that Jesus has said.

The first recorded words of Thomas were spoken as Jesus and His disciples prepared to go to Bethany so that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead. The second time where we find Thomas expressing his doubt was in the Upper Room with the disciples. They were sharing in the Last Supper. Jesus told them at the supper that He was leaving them. Jesus told them that He was going on to prepare a place for them, a place where they would be able to join Him. Jesus said, “Whither I go, ye know; and the way ye know.” Brother Thomas spoke up, showing his doubt and disbelief when he said, “Lord, we know not wither Thou goest, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him—“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.”

No matter what the subject was; Thomas always responded with more questions.  We find in our text Thomas refuses to believe that Jesus has risen from the dead. When Jesus arose from the dead, He appeared to His disciples on that very same evening.  But for some reason unknown to us, Thomas was not there.

A few days later Thomas ran into the disciples and they said to him, (I’m paraphrasing) “You should have been there at the meeting. We saw our Lord!” Of course Thomas immediately replied, (paraphrasing again) “I saw Him die with my own eyes. I heard Jesus say, ‘It is finished!’.” However, the more Thomas expressed his disbelief, the more insistent the others were. They continued to try to convince Thomas that they had seen their Lord, Jesus Christ. This is when Brother Thomas broke out with his now famous words saying, “Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

When it came time for the disciples to meet at the appointed place, Thomas was with them.  After a while Jesus showed up. Jesus said “Peace be unto you.”  You wanted proof, well, here it is!  Thomas immediately realized what a disappointment he had been to his Lord. Thomas was ashamed of the demands he had made and of the doubt he had shown. As Thomas stood off in the distance, he cried out with a mixture of penitence and conviction, “My Lord, and My God.”

It was then that Jesus said the words that should prove to be the foundation of our faith. “Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Christianity rests not on seeing, not on touching.  Christianity rest—on faith alone!

*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins is the pastor of Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina

17. 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON EVENT STAMP TO BE UNVEILED IN GOOSE CREEK:

Fifty years after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the U.S. Postal Service is commemorating the August 28, 1963, event with a limited-edition Forever® stamp. It marks the anniversary of an important milestone in the civil rights movement, when some 250,000 people joined one another in the hope and belief that change was possible.

The U.S. Postal Service in partnership with the Goose Creek NAACP branch will honor the 50th anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom by unveiling a new stamp with a special official Goose Creek postmark.  The special postmark will be put on the program of the attendees so attendees will depart with a memorable collector’s item.

The stamp carries an oil-painted image of marchers carrying placards calling for jobs and equal rights, with the Washington Monument as a backdrop. The unveiling will occur 7 p.m. Monday October 28, 2013 at the Berkeley Electric Cooperative building located at 2 Springhall Drive, Goose Creek, SC.  This event is open to the public.

The Postal Service created the new Forever stamp as part of a three-part set to celebrate the civil rights movement this year. The other two stamps commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation that freed slaves, and the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rosa Parks, the African American activist who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala. bus in 1955.

The 1963 March on Washington was another milestone in the civil rights movement, one that King called “the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.”
Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act less than one year after the march, desegregating public institutions and prohibiting job discrimination. The following year, the Voting Rights Act became law, providing federal oversight of voting rights in the South.

The stamps honoring Rosa Parks and the stamp marking the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation the other two of three stamps in the civil rights set celebrating freedom, courage, and equality being issued in 2013 were also unveiled in Goose Creek. The stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.

David Cakley, president Goose Creek NAACP says, “We are proud to host this historic event in Goose Creek” and encourages the public to partake in celebrating the historic occasion. 
Attendees will be able to get the limited-edition stamp on an envelope with a special, for this occasion only official March on Washington postmark. This will surely be a stamp collection item.

Harry Spratlin, U.S. Postal Service District Communications Coordinator for Greater South Carolina District says, “The U.S. Postal Service has commemorated Black Heritage since 1940, when it began issuing stamps to honor distinguished African Americans and related significant events, the first of such notables being educator Booker T. Washington.”

For more information contact John Matthews, Unveiling Committee Chairman via phone at 843-442-1319 or goosecreeknaacp@gmail.com.


18. CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. DENNIS DICKERSON, RETIRED GENERAL OFFICER:

Congratulations to Dennis C. Dickerson! Dennis’s chapter, "African-American Methodists and the Making of the Civil Rights Movement," has been published in The Cambridge Companion to American Methodism (Cambridge University Press, 2013).

Information provided by Heidi Welch, Vanderbilt University Department Education Assistant, History Department

19. GETTING TO ZERO:

The Rev. Dr. Oveta Fuller has returned to the U.S.A. from Zambia and will resume her column when she gets settled. She is a J. William Fulbright Scholar Faculty, African Studies Center Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

20. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 - SIBLING RIVALRY GENESIS 21:13-14, 17-21; 26:2-5, 12-13:

*Bill Dickens, Allen AME Church, Tacoma, Washington

I am the second of three sons born to James R. and Bessie L. Dickens of Tarboro, North Carolina.  We were born close together so we would fall under the pediatric nomenclature as “stair-step” brothers. 

As the middle child, I had to bear the emotional challenge of not being the oldest which carried family status and neither the youngest which also carried special status.  I was “stuck in the middle”.  Sibling rivalry is a direct result of the perception of unequal treatment /in the household unit.  As a middle son I can relate to this perception. 
The Adult AME Church School Lesson for October 20, 2013 tackles this sensitive issue in the household of Abraham. The Old Testament highlights several sibling rivalries: Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his ten brothers and Isaac and Ishmael. 

The two brothers, Ishmael and Isaac are born in the same household but receive differential treatment by both Sarah and Abraham.  While Ishmael is born thru the union of Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s insecurity about Ishmael creates family tension and conflict that sadly results in Hagar and Ishmael being removed from the household.  Perhaps if Sarah didn’t display a clear lack of faith regarding the prophetic announcement that she would be pregnant, this precursor to the popular TV show “Scandal” could’ve been avoided.  Nonetheless the lesson shows that despite the cruelty Hagar endured from her mistress she persevered in her banished state and God provided protection and provisions for both Ishmael and his mother. 

The author of Genesis illustrates God’s mercy by blessing both sons even though they would not grow up in the same household.  Ishmael becomes the father of a great nation thru his Arab descendants and Isaac becomes the father of a great nation (Israel) because he is the Promised Son.  What began with doubt and disobedience by Sarah and family conflict ends with an amicable separation of the brothers and God’s mercy and blessings extended to both.

*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.

21. MEDITATION BASED ON PHILIPPIANS 3:1-14:

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

Moving from the parsonage of Morris Brown AME Church to our own residence - on fairly short notice - meant packing up years of accumulated stuff, moving it to our new home and sorting it out later to determine what to keep and what to let go.  One of the things that we recently let go was a set of encyclopedia in absolute mint condition. 

We bought them from a very good salesperson when my oldest son was in elementary school.  We soon realized, however, that they weren’t a very good investment, because the simple progress of current events made them almost immediately obsolete. 


What was then the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has now become a number of independent nations, what was then Apartheid in South Africa ended in the 1990s, and 1980s state-of-the-art Space Shuttles are now museum exhibits.  The set of encyclopedia still looked lovely and impressive on the bookshelf, but the passage of time made them useless and worthy of being let go.

We’d all do well, now and then, to do with our lives what our family is doing with what we packed up and moved.  All of us accumulate memories, thoughts, ideas, habits and experiences as we go through life - some good and some bad.  Some of them are instructive for what we do from day to day, but others can become old baggage that hampers our growth and hinders our progress. 

Too many good people are slowed down on life’s road to well-being because we get caught up in reliving old victories, fretting about old failings and clinging to old ways, beliefs and grudges that simply serve to hold us back.

Take the time every now and then to conduct a prayerful inventory of your life, and let God lead you to discern what to let go of and what to keep - even if it means letting go of some ideas and habits that are attractive, but obsolete and useless.  When you do, you can find new hope, feel new strength, discover new possibilities and be poised for new joy and new victory.  You’ll understand why those who bore the burdensome baggage of American slavery in their lives could look to the Lord, trust in the Lord and sing, “I feel better, so much better since I laid my burdens down.”

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

22. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Greetings in the name of Jesus the Christ.  This communication comes to share the news of the passing of Mr. George Biggs.  Mr. Biggs, the father of our Episcopal WMS President, Sister Charolett Biggs Martin (the Rev. Randolph W Martin, Sr.), Patsy Biggs, Rebecca Green and George Kevin Biggs, and the beloved spouse of Sister Ruthie Biggs. He died on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 at 3:00 p.m., at Baptist Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Family Hour and the Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, October 18, 2013 at St. Paul AME Church, 1501 Caddo Street in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Family Hour - 10:00 a.m.
Celebration of Life - 11:00 a.m.

Services have been entrusted to the Williams Funeral Home, 1517 Caddo Street, Arkadelphia, AR 71923. 

Cards and condolences may be sent to the family at the funeral home.

23. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Burnetha Lewis, the sister of the Rev. David L. Chavous, pastor of Embry Chapel AME Church in Shelbyville, Kentucky.

The following information is regarding funeral arrangements.
 
Visitation:  Friday, October 18, 2013, 9:00 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Celebration of Life Service:  11 a.m.

Paoli Baptist Church
33 East Lancaster Avenue
Paoli, PA 19301

Telephone: 610. 647-1612
     
The Rev. Harold S. Chavous, Eulogist

Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:

The Rev. David Chavous
6100 John Moser Way
Prospect, KY 40059

24. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Carrie Belle Wilkins, the mother of the Reverend Charles E. Wilkins, Sr., pastor of Bethel AME Church in Millville, New Jersey.

The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.

Visitation:  Thursday, October 17, 2013, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Marvin C. Zanders Funeral Home
232 West Michael Gladden Boulevard
Apopka, Florida 32703

Telephone: 407-886-3388
Fax: 407-886-5656

Celebration of Life Service:  Friday, October 18, 2013, 10:00 a.m.

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church of Eatonville Florida, Inc.
412 Kennedy Blvd.
Eatonville, FL 32751

Telephone: 407-647-0010
   
The Rev. Willie C. Barnes, Pastor
The Rev. Charles E. Wilkins, Sr., Eulogist

Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:

The Rev. Charles E. Wilkins, Sr.
2229 Finch Street
Vineland, NJ 08361

25. CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:

Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Phone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Phone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751




26.  CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend T. Larry Kirkland; the Publisher, the Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and the Editor of The Christian Recorder, the Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III offer our condolences and prayers to those who have lost loved ones. We pray that the peace of Christ will be with you during this time of your bereavement.

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