11/08/2013

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (11/08/13)


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


Thanksgiving November 28, 2013
Advent begins on Sunday December 1, 2013



1. TCR EDITORIAL – “THE DISCIPLINE 2012” IS READY – PLEASE NO “ASSUME” MENTALITY:

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

I have seen some Communion liturgies at begin with “The Table is Ready!”  In the same spirit, let me say, “The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 is ready!”

It’s ready and it looks good!

The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012, hereinafter sometimes referred to as The Discipline, is available for sale from the AMEC Sunday School Union.

Episcopal District Offices, except the 6th Episcopal District, have supplies of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 for sale.

If your episcopal district has exhausted its supply of The Discipline or if you want to purchase The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 directly from the AMEC Sunday School Union, it can be ordered by telephone with a credit card by calling 1-800 648-8724.

Additionally, The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 and other items can be purchased from the AMEC Publishing House Website: http://amecpublishinghouse.com.

Have said it before and will say it again

Every pastor, clergy, aspirants for the ministry, local church officers and parishioners who want to be informed members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church should purchase The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012.

The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 provides information about the AME Church leadership, the connectional budget, and the proper procedures for how our churches are organized and how our churches should function. It provides information about the pastoral ministry, the qualifications for ministry, information about local church officers and their duties, election and responsibilities of bishops, general officers, connectional officers and the various departments of the AME Church. The Doctrinal Affirmation in The Discipline has the Mission, Vision, Purposed and Objectives of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Discipline has information about our doctrine and polity. It defines everything and anything related to the AME Church. Local churches and every entity from the local church to the General Conference do not need to make any rules or regulations about any aspect of the AME Church because all of the rules for the AME Church are in the book of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012.

Most often the problem

Conflicts in local churches often surface because parishioners, local church officers and sometimes even pastors have not taken the time to read, study and understand The Discipline; and sometimes attempts are made to implement rules and initiatives that are in contravention of The Discipline. And, conflict is exacerbated in decisionmaking situations when parishioners, particularly church officers who have little or no knowledge about The Discipline, interact with those who are knowledgeable about The Discipline, which is why it is so important that everyone, particularly those in decisionmaking positions in the local church, be knowledgeable about the rules of The Discipline.

Experience and discipline

Experienced pastors do not assume that every local church officer is knowledgeable about the rules of The Discipline.  Astute pastors take the time and energy to provide training on the rules and the contents of The Discipline.

Assume

Those who served in the military remember the ditty about those who functioned with the notion to “assume” and, often, its outcome. Those of you who were not in the military don’t try to figure it out. Simply stated; to assume, without knowing, often leads to undesired results.

It takes time and discipline to train people and to get them “on board.” If pastors would take some time upfront to train their parishioners, they would probably avoid problems and conflicts “down the road.”  If local churches functioned following the rules of The Discipline, they would function more efficiently.

Smart pastors do not assume every parishioner is biblically proficient and everybody who carries a Bible is not biblically literate. A concerned pastor insures that his or her church has Bible study

Parishioners have to be trained and pastors shouldn’t be lulled into the “assume” mode, which often leads to undesired results. A church that is biblically trained and trained in the rules of The Discipline is a more efficient AME church.

At all levels

Bishops might have more efficient high-functioning clergy if they would take the time to insure that clergy are fully and capably trained on the rules of
The Discipline. Bishops too, have to resist the temptation to “assume,” and the result of succumbing to the “assume” mentality. The biblical book of Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything and maybe it’s a time to stop the singing and start teaching. 

And, likewise, presiding elders would have more efficient high functioning clergy if they would take the time to insure that clergy are fully and capably trained on the rules of The Discipline. Presiding elders shouldn’t be lulled into the “assume” posture with its possibility of undesired results.

Another problem

Too often, perhaps because of being so busy, pastoral leaders, at all levels, fail to be proactive in training and teaching. 

AMEs love programs, especially singing programs and good singing makes us feel good, at least for a moment and perhaps for several moment; but singing may not provide long-term feel-good feelings in the midst of serious congregational conflict as a result of parishioners, church officers, and sometimes pastors who have not read and do not understand the rules of The Discipline and do not understand how following the rules of The Discipline insures a more efficient functioning of the local church.

Sometimes, parishioners and even pastors want to do things their way, disregarding The Discipline and sometimes the Bible, because they are hard-headed, lack training, or maybe just don’t understand the significance of rules and order or the intent of the “fathers and mothers” of the AME Church who, over the years, laboriously put in-place the best practices for the efficient functioning of local churches.

Be assured

The quadrennial hard work of the “fathers and mothers” of the African Methodist Episcopal Church did not presuppose an “assume” mentality of governance and ministry for the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Gumbo mentality ministry

As a cook, unfortunately, I have come to the notion that some pastors and parishioners function with a “gumbo” recipe mentality for ministry, but that’s another editorial.

2. TCR OP-ED - A FEW HOURS A MONTH FOR SEVEN MONTHS A YEAR:

*The Rev. V. Gordon Glenn III
       
During the ordination service at Annual Conference, the Board of Examiners presents candidates to be ordained Deacon and Elder. When the dean of the Board presents the candidates, the liturgy calls for the presiding bishop to charge the presenter with the following statement:
       
“Take heed that the persons whom you present to us be apt and meet, by their godly conversation, to exercise their ministry duly to the honor of God and the edifying of the Church.”
       
The reply by the dean presenting the candidates is thus: “I have inquired concerning them, and also examined them, and think them so to be.”
       
Before the bishop moves on with the ordination rite, the bishop turns to the assembled conference and asks if there is any “impediment or crime” known of the candidates, and if so that the person who knows of it should come forward and let it be known.
       
Once that happens the same eerie silence falls upon the conference that fell earlier in the week when the character of the pastors is passed. Yeah, it’s quiet but we still hear the whispers behind us from folk unwilling to come forward.
       
It’s funny, but it’s not so funny. We hear of folk who go through the Class on Admissions and through four more years of instruction including coming to District and Annual Conference and being ordained twice. Then they go out to pastor and the demons that were obvious to their local church at the local church conference where they were first presented begin to rear their ugly heads.
       
The people of that receiving congregation get angry with the bishop who sent them that pastor, at the AME Church in general for the system in place, and get mad at the Board of Examiners in particular for not stopping this person when they came through the process.
       
The Board is shocked many times because they always had their work in on time. They showed up for every class. They participated well. They had respect for their teachers. When it was time for them to preach, they preached well according to their level, experience and abilities. But, the Board of Examiners, in a best case scenario, only sees the candidate for a few hours a month for seven months a year.
       
The rest of the time, they are in the local church. The Board doesn’t see them disrupting church. The Board doesn’t see the disrespect they may show their local pastor. The Board hasn’t heard the sermons that failed to preach Christ Jesus or uplift the spirits of the people because they bring their best sermons to class. And if it’s not in the pastor’s recommendation of them that is received just before we go to annual conference, the Board doesn’t know that the candidate, while faithful to the Board of Examiners is less-so in their local church. The Board only sees them for a few hours a month for seven months a year - at best.
       
Your Conference Board of Examiners needs your help. If the person who is being presented to you at your church conference or at a special service where they will deliver their “trial sermon” would not be welcome back, assigned as your pastor, don’t vote to let them go on to be someone else’s pastor either.
       
It’s difficult, I know, because you’ve watched them come up through the YPD or seen the wonderful work they’ve done in your outreach ministry and you know who raised them, perhaps they could make a good pastor - someone else’s pastor for sure.
       
Before they get to the Board for examination, the Board needs you to properly examine them, pray with them, and hold their hands. Even though they have gifts and graces for ministry, perhaps the ordained ministry is not for them. Independently, the Board of Examiners cannot determine that.

*The Rev. V. Gordon Glenn III is the Secretary/Webmaster for the Midwest Conference Board of Examiners (5th District) and pastor of St. John AME Church, Topeka, Kansas

3. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH OUR ZION:

*The Rev. Clive J. Pillay 

 It is so sad that we have time for everything else except that which should be such an integral part of our ministry. Most of our ministry seems to be chasing after materials things that are not urgently needed, another day older and deeper in debt. There is such lot of talk about reconciliation and bringing unrepentant people who have harmed the church greatly, back in the fold.

Yet, on our door-steps, hour future is battling to move forward, keeping the banner of African Methodism flying high and not a minister in sight. I am talking about the Cape Annual Conference's YPD Debutante where their pastors shone with their absence (only one in sight).  We need to really sort out our priorities!! Reaching out to those who do not give two hoots for the church, and leaving our own desolate. What kind of encouragement are pastors giving to their young people? What efforts are being made to keep them in the fold and above all, to encourage them to hold on to that which is precious to us?

The beauty of the New Testament church is its homogeneous diversity: young and old, rich and poor, all united by the Gospel and gathered around the common ministry of the Word, the Lord’s table, prayer and fellowship, together as the body of Christ. There is sweetness in God’s people, and we rob our children of experiences of God’s grace when we neglect to incorporate them into the corporate body and show an interest in what they are busy with. When they are disconnected from the activities because of the laissez fair attitude shown by those who lead them, it should not surprise us that young adults, who have never known the feeling of belonging, are disinclined to embrace it when their age-graded group has run its course and they should stand in as the new leaders. If we want your children to participate in the church when they become adults, then we must cultivate their participation by displaying a better interest in the work they are now busy with the limited resources and abilities

As you say, so shall it be; a church without any active young people is a church with no future

*The Rev Clive J. Pillay is the pastor of St. John Kensington AME Church in Kensington, Cape Town, South Africa

4. DR. JOHNNY AND MRS. CLARA M. BARBOUR CELEBRATE 51 YEARS OF MARRIAGE:

The Rev. Dr. Johnny, Dr. Barbour, the Secretary-Treasurer and Publisher of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Sunday School Union and Mrs. Clara Barbour will celebrate their 51st Wedding Anniversary on November 24, 2013. Johnny Barbour, Jr. married Clara Mae Jackson in Springhill, Louisiana on November 24, 1962. 

Dr. Johnny Barbour met beautiful Clara Mae Jackson at Campbell College, a small AME school located in Jackson, Mississippi when they were both in college.

Dr. Barbour had already accepted the call to ministry and majored in religion and philosophy and earned an Associate of Arts degree and from Lampton School of Religion and she earned a degree in business administration and secretarial practice and procedure.

Both Johnny and Clara were native Mississippians, He was born in Greenwood, Mississippi to Zula and Johnny Barbour, Sr. and she in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi to Isaac and Lucille Jackson; though born in Bay St. Louis she was reared in Waveland, Mississippi. 

It was love at first sight; they were both native Mississippians and they discovered that they had a lot in common, which they have shared for 51 years.

Upon graduation from Campbell College they both matriculated at the University of Southern, Mississippi.

In July 1964, the Barbours arrived in Meridian, Mississippi on his pastoral assignment at Alan Chapel AME Church on the day that three young Civil Rights’ workers, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Mickey Schwerner were reported missing. The three Civil Rights’ workers had been working to register black voters in Mississippi during Freedom Summer. The Reverend Barbour met with Mrs. Chaney, the wife of James Chaney who was a member of Alan Chapel.

One of the things Johnny and Clara had in common was their love and commitment to the civil and human rights. They both were active in the Civil Rights’ Movement in the voter registration campaign.  Mrs. Clara Barbour worked in the NAACP office in Meridian, Mississippi.  Dr. Johnny Barbour served as coordinator for the NAACP in Meridian, Mississippi as well as NAACP coordinator for voter registration and education for the state of Mississippi.

Johnny and Clara were also active in the life of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; he as an active pastor and leader in the annual conference and the 8th Episcopal District; and she was an active worker in the local church, annual conference and the Episcopal District Women’s Missionary Societies.

They are the parents of one son, Thomas Monroe Barbour II, who when asked if his mother was a disciplinarian, laughed out loud and said, “Oh, yes she was a strict disciplinarian.”

In the 50 years of their marriage, they have lived in Yazoo City, Meridian, Fayette, Laurel, and Jackson, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana. They have homes in Jackson and Nashville, Tennessee.


In addition to their son, they have a daughter-in-law, Juanita Adams Barbour; and two grandchildren, Thomas Monroe Barbour III, who graduates from Jackson State University in December 2013; and Brianna Kathleen Barbour, a junior at Fisk University and a member of the famed Fisk Jubilee Singers.

In 1986, Dr. Barbour was awarded the Doctor of Divinity Degree from Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. 

5. THE METHODIST THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL IN OHIO (MTSO) FEATURES MOTHER BETHEL AME CHURCH PASTOR:

The Rev. Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler will lead the Schooler Institute on Preaching Feb. 10 and 11 at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware, Ohio. Tyler is senior pastor of the historic Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia and a fully affiliated faculty member at MTSO, where he teaches homiletics and African-American studies.

Thanks to the generosity of Schooler Family Foundation, the event is offered to the public without cost. Advance registration is required. A complete schedule and online registration form are available at www.mtso.edu/schooler.  MTSO is offering one CEU credit for a $25 administrative processing fee.

Tyler holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Dayton, a Master of Divinity degree from Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio, and a B.A. in religion from Clark Atlanta University. In 2008, he was appointed pastor of Mother Bethel, the first congregation founded by Bishop Richard Allen, the founder of the AME Church. Mother Bethel has been a spiritual, social and community force since the late 1700s.

Tyler, who began teaching at MTSO in 2007, recently was interviewed by host Henry Louis Gates Jr. for the PBS series “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross.

“It goes without saying that Mark Kelly Tyler is an excellent preacher,” said MTSO President Jay Rundell. “Our Schooler Institute participants will quickly realize what MTSO students already know: He also is an engaging and dedicated teacher of the craft. We look forward to his insights.”

Methodist Theological School in Ohio prepares transformational leaders of many faith traditions for service to the church and the world. MTSO offers masters degrees in divinity, counseling ministries, theological studies and practical theology, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree. For more information, visit www.mtso.edu.

6. THE SAINT JAMES AMEC-DOUGLASVILLE 2ND ANNUAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PRAYER VIGIL:

With domestic violence contributing greatly to the destruction of many marriages, Pastor Keenan Hale and the Saint James AMEC-Douglasville of the West-Atlanta District, Atlanta-North Georgia Conference, for the past two years have sought to shed light on this issue through their domestic violence prayer vigil. The Christian Education Department of Saint James, under the leadership of Mrs. Vickey D. Hale, has sponsored this event with hope to educate the surrounding community and embrace those affected by domestic violence.  Every year during the month of October, Saint James take to the grounds of Hunter Park, located in Douglasville, Georgia with prayers, words of comfort, liturgical dance, poems, and appropriate music to remember the names of those lost to domestic violence and those who have lived through the abuse. 

“Remember My Name” has been the theme for these past two years, with the focus being placed upon those who have died and those who have suffered under the pressures of domestic violence.  As always, the prayer vigil began with a great reception for those in attendance. The Chic-fil-A restaurant of College Park, Ga., where Mrs. Melissa Winkfield is owner/operator was once again this year’s reception sponsor.  This year, we heard from local city leaders, such as Judge Barbara Caldwell-the only African-American sitting judge in Douglasville, Mayor Harvey Person, Rachel Bowman-Legal Advocate for Douglas County Task Force on Family Violence, Rev. Madolyn Hubbard-Senior Pastor of New Hope United Methodist Church of Bowden, Georgia and many others.

The prayer vigil was informative to many of those in attendance, as well as healing for our guest speakers, who came forth and shared their story of either living with abusive parents or having suffered from an abusive spouse.  A key segment of the domestic violence prayer vigil was the reading of the poem, “I Got Flowers Today, written by Paulette Kelley. This poem highlights the different phases of abuse, which ended with the death of the character and the flowers presented through tradition at funerals.

The closing of this solemn occasion was completed with the reading aloud of the sixty persons who has died in Douglasville, Georgia due to domestic violence.  Pastor Hale and the Saint James church consider it an honor to be able to continue to uplift the name of Jesus through effective and relevant ministerial activities that addresses the whole person.  Remember, domestic violence is an issue that is plaguing America and we as the body of Christ, must do our part by sounding the alarm!

Submitted by Pastor Keenan D. Hale, Sr.

7. ST. JAMES AME CHURCH DOUGLASVILLE, GEORGIA MOBILE FOOD BANK MINISTRY:

Since 2006 St. James AME Church has been meeting the needs of the surrounding communities of Douglasville and Douglas County with its onsite food-bank ministry.  Beginning in August 2011, St. James initiated its Mobile Food-Bank.  St. James distribute food for its mobile food-bank once every month and the walk-in food-bank items are distribute twice a month, normally a week after the mobile food-bank date.
  
Realizing the economic conditions that we are currently living, the St. James’ church family is glad to be that helping hand, by providing well balanced and nutritious meals to the local families of Douglasville, Ga. During our mobile food-bank ministry alone, we provide over 200 families with enough food that would allow them to prepare a complete meal for two weeks.  When an emergency food shortage arise within any local Douglasville family, St. James will assist in meeting that need by providing a box of food once the call is made to our food-bank director, Mrs. JoAnn Arnold.  On a monthly basis, many of the families that we serve show their appreciation with words of gratitude.  Some family members show their appreciation by volunteering during the mobile food-bank.

During the Atlanta-North Georgia Annual Conference year of 2013, with St. James AMEC being the only Mobile Food-Bank in Douglas County, St. James was able to feed over 2,740 families with over 96,000 lbs. of food through its mobile food-bank ministry.  This feat was accomplished by leveraging our partnerships with the Atlanta Community Food-Bank, Target, Kroger, & Wal-Mart. Because of these relationships, we are able to make a major dent into the hunger crisis that is plaguing Douglas County, Georgia.

*Submitted by Pastor Keenan D. Hale, Sr.

8. AME, THE REV. MELVIN WILSON AMONG CAMBRIDGE POLICE COMMISSION INAUGURAL CLASS OF POLICE CHAPLAINS:

Five chaplains recite oaths during ceremony at Cambridge City Hall

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – November 5, 2013 – Faith-based organizations are an integral part of our communal lives.  The Cambridge Police Department recognizes the importance, influence, and impact that faith-based leaders have on our community’s spiritual health.  The Cambridge Police Chaplaincy Program is designed to formalize a collaborative relationship between the religious community within our city and the department.

While many police departments utilize chaplains internally, the Cambridge Police Chaplaincy Program is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth where chaplains will work with the department and be called out to crime scenes and significant events to offer services to officers, victims, and members of the community.

With this in mind, the Cambridge Police Department commissioned its first class of police chaplains at a ceremony on Friday, November 1st in the Sullivan Chamber at Cambridge City Hall.

Joined by Mayor Henrietta Davis, City Manager Richard C. Rossi, Commissioner Robert C. Haas, and over one hundred friends, family, city staff, and members of their congregations, Bishop Brian Greene, Reverend Larry Kim, Reverend Lorraine Thornhill, Father Matthew Westcott, and the Reverend Melvin Wilson recited an oath to City Clerk Donna P. Lopez and began their service as police chaplains.

“This is so needed in Cambridge,” said Mayor Henrietta Davis.  “It is important to include people of faith in our efforts and I am certain you are all up to the challenge of serving our diverse community.”

City Manager Rossi congratulated the new chaplains, saying, “It is wonderful that we are increasing our army of healers.  Our goal, always, is to bring the community together and we are proud and lucky to have you aiding us in that endeavor.”

“We appreciate the support of your congregations in this new program,” said Commissioner Robert C. Haas.  “Every day police, like the clergy, are called upon to serve, and we thank you for willingly taking on this awesome responsibility.”

“There is unity among those of us who serve the public,” said Lead Chaplain the Reverend Melvin Wilson of St. Paul AME Church.  “Our group reflects the diversity of Cambridge because everybody needs somebody to be there in their time of need.”

9. FORMER EPISCOPAL SUPERVISOR MRS. NANCY STOKES HONORED AT PAYNE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY:

Friends for Payne and its founder, Mrs. Nancy Stokes, were honored at Payne Theological Seminary’s 2013 commencement ceremony on the occasion of their 20th year anniversary. Mrs. Stokes received an honorary degree at the ceremony.

"Friends for Payne" was founded in 1993 by Mrs. Nancy Stokes, wife of the late Bishop Rembert Stokes, as a non-profit volunteer organization serving Payne Theological Seminary to advance its cause and fulfill its mission. Friends for Payne is a cross section of ladies from the Wilberforce, Xenia, Yellow Springs, Springfield, and Dayton communities whose service advance the school and assist in keeping it viable. Projects sponsored by Friends for Payne have provided vital monetary and human capacity supports for the institution, including the Brick Walkway of Faith, Historical Marker, and handicap ramp, and monetary support of the library and Mitchell Hall, just  to name a few. Payne is pleased to have such a committed set of loyal community supporters.

"Friends for Payne" sponsors an Annual Luncheon Fundraiser to foster the efforts of Payne Seminary. This event is held in the spring and is the major fundraiser for the organization.

10. A MIGHTY ADDRESS BY BISHOP GREGORY G.M. INGRAM, PAYNE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY’S 2013 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER:

The 2013 Payne Theological Seminary Commencement Ceremony was a high holy occasion held in the Alumni Multiplex at Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio.  The evening was filled with anointed musical selections rendered by Gospel Explosion Ecumenical Choir under the direction of 17-year-old Hayden C. Jackson.

The highlight of the evening was the commencement address entitled, “Rising to the Call,” delivered by Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram, Chairman of Payne’s Board of Trustees and Presiding Prelate, First Episcopal District.  Bishop Ingram reiterated the importance of one’s call to ministry by saying, “Graduates, as you seek to define your purpose and fulfill your calling, keep in mind that your calling is deeper than a job, a career, and all your benchmarks of success. Your calling is the truth that God called you to Himself so decisively that everything you are, everything you do, and everything you have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to God’s summons and service.” Bishop Ingram challenged the graduates to meditate on three things as they rise to the call of their ministry. He said, “If you are going to be a leader and a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, your inner life is important and to whom much is given much is required, and your greatest challenge is to remember.”

Following the commencement address, Bishop Ingram, Presiding Elder Robert Keesee, Thirteenth Episcopal District (ret.), and Mrs. Nancy Stokes, Founder, Friends for Payne, each received an honorary degree of Humane Letters.

In the words of Dr. Leah Gaskin Fitchue, President of Payne Seminary, “Commencement reminds us that we were founded for the purpose of promoting scholarship, religion, and morality through educating persons for the Christian ministry. Our graduates have been equipped with an arsenal of practical tools to carry onto the soul-winning battlefield for the uplift of the people. Christendom will be a much better place with these well-prepared transformational leaders of the Gospel.” Dr. Fitchue and Dr. William Augman, Interim Academic Dean, conferred Master of Divinity Degrees on the following 28 students.

Anne Henning Byfield  
Jim Locke, III                    
Sylvia Roberts
Charlie Dilworth, Jr.            
Obie Madison                     
Cheryl Ruffin
Melody Essex                     
Veronica Mathers-Jones       
Rodney Smith
Stanley Flowers          
Stefon McBride           
Stephen Thurston
Cheryl Jackson           
Gwendolyn Walls McClure    
Leon Tucker, Jr.
Kerry James                       
Tammy McGhee          
Christopher Vaughn
Maxine Johnson          
Tesha Miller                       
Bettye Walker-Broomfield
Robert Johnson, III             
Demetrese Phillips             
Carl Wallace
Shari Laster-Morris             
Sandra Phipps                    
Randall Webster
Harold Wilson

Graduates, their families, and friends fellowshipped in a Graduation Reception held immediately following the Commencement Convocation.

*Submitted by the Rev. Jules Dunham Howie, Payne Theological Seminary Fund Development Director

11. PASTORAL TRANSFERS MADE AT THE FIFTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT PLANNING MEETING:

Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Presiding Prelate of the Fifth Episcopal District made several pastoral appointments and/or changes on Tuesday, October 29, 2013 at the closing worship service of the 5th Episcopal District Planning Meeting that was held in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Rev. Dr. W. Eugene Marshall was transferred from the Ninth Episcopal District (Alabama) to Saint James AME Church in Saint Louis, Missouri.

The Rev. Vernon Burroughs was transferred from the California Conference to Brookins AME Church in Oakland, California.

The Rev. Clinton Stancil was transferred from the Midwest Conference to Wayman AME Church in Saint Louis, Missouri.

The Rev. Mark Smith was transferred to the Midwest Conference to Allen Chapel AME Church in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Rev. Robert R. Shaw was transferred from the Missouri Conference back to the Midwest Conference to Bethel AME Church in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Rev. Godfrey Patterson was transferred from the Second Episcopal District to Bethel, Marysville, California.

The Rev. Freda Cash was moved to Murph Emmanuel AME Church in North Highlands, California.

The Rev. Delman Howard was transferred to the Pacific Northwest Conference and is now the new Presiding Elder of the Pacific Northwest Conference.

The Rev. Andrew Simpson was transferred to the Desert Mountain Conference and is now the pastor of Campbell Chapel AME Church, Denver, Colorado.

The Rev. Dr. J. Arthur Rumph (Candidate for Episcopal Service - 2016) was moved to Grant AME Church, Los Angeles, California.

The Rev. Pamela Mason was transferred to the Southern California Conference and is now the pastor of Holy Trinity AME Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.

*Submitted by the Rev. V. Gordon Glenn III, Director of Public Relations, Midwest Conference

12. FIRST WOMAN AND AFRICAN MODERATOR ELECTED TO THE WCC CENTRAL COMMITTEE:

Agnes Abuom, new moderator of the WCC Central Committee at the WCC assembly in Busan.

08 November 2013
In one of their first decisions as the Central Committee for the World Council of Churches, the newly installed 150-member committee made history Friday by electing Dr Agnes Abuom of Nairobi, from the Anglican Church of Kenya, as the moderator of the highest WCC governing body.

Abuom, who was elected unanimously to the position, is the first woman and the first African in the position in the 65-year history of the WCC.

Two vice-moderators were elected, United Methodist Church Bishop Mary Ann Swenson from the USA and Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
“My open prayer is that we shall move forward together, in the next years, despite our diversities that have the potential to divide us,” Abuom said shortly after her election, “…and that the WCC will continue to remain an instrument for providing a safe space for all who can come and share their hopes, aspirations and visions, and prophetic voice.”

Aboum said the prophetic voice is vital for “ecumenism in the 21st century and the church in our world today.”

As the first woman moderator of the worldwide body, Aboum says the model of consensus discernment “resonates very well with *femine decision-making processes,” consultative and careful listening and seeking to understand the other person’s perspective.

Abuom has served on the WCC Executive Committee, representing the Anglican Church of Kenya. She is also a development consultant serving both Kenyan and international organizations coordinating social action programmes for religious and civil society across Africa.

Abuom was the Africa president for the WCC from 1999 to 2006. She has been associated with the All Africa Conference of Churches and WCC member churches in Africa. She is a co-president of the Religions for Peace and the National Council of Churches of Kenya.

Abuom’s areas of work include economic justice, peace and reconciliation.

Gennadios, who will serve his second term as the WCC Central Committee vice-moderator, is a professor of theology. He served as vice-moderator of the WCC's Faith and Order Commission from 1998 to 2006. He was a staff member of the WCC's Faith and Order secretariat in Geneva from 1983 to 1993. He is involved in a number of bilateral dialogues involving the Orthodox, the Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches among others.

In addition to being vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee, Gennadios has served as a member of the presidium and of the governing board of the Conference of European Churches.

Swenson, who will also serve as the WCC Central Committee vice moderator, was ordained to the ministry by the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in 1973. Swenson also served as senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, Wenatchee, Washington from 1989 to 1992. While a pastor in Wenatchee, she also served as president of both the Board of Directors of the Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Center, and on the Board of Directors of the North Central Washington AIDS Coalition from 1989 to 1992.

Swenson was elected to the episcopacy of the United Methodist Church by the 1992 Western Jurisdictional Conference. She now serves as president of the church's General Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns (GCCUIC).

*Urban Dictionary: Femine is a portmanteau of "feminine" and "vermin." Femine are women so low, so debased, they are willing to associate with almost anyone or anything, no matter how disgusting and degraded.)

13. MANY SUNNIS AND SHIAS WORRY ABOUT RELIGIOUS CONFLICT:

Concern Especially High Among Muslims in Lebanon

Washington, D.C. — This week Sunni and Shia Muslims ushered in the Islamic New Year and the beginning of the holy month of Muharram. For Shias, the month also is a time to mourn the events that sparked the centuries-old schism between Shia and Sunni Muslims. A new Pew Research Center analysis of polls conducted in 2011-2012 finds high levels of concern about sectarian tensions in several countries where Sunnis and Shias live side by side. Among the five Muslim-majority countries surveyed, these concerns are particularly pronounced in Lebanon, where fully two-thirds of all Muslims, including about half of Shias and 80% of Sunnis, say sectarian tensions are a very big or moderately big problem. Roughly half of all Muslims in Iraq, more than four-in-ten in Afghanistan and nearly a quarter in Iran say the same.

Concerns about religious extremism in general also are widespread in the countries surveyed, with about two-thirds of all Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan, half of all Muslims in Lebanon and roughly a quarter of all Muslims in Iran expressing worry about radical religious groups. However, when members of the two sects are compared, Shias tend to express less concern than Sunnis about extremist groups, despite the fact that Shias are a minority among Muslims globally and often have been targets of religious violence.

With regard to religious beliefs and practices, the polls find that majorities of Shia and Sunni Muslims share key tenets of the Islamic faith. However, they differ substantially in their attitudes toward certain rituals commonly practiced by Shias during Muharram. On the 10th day of Muharram, Ashura, Shias commemorate the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, by making pilgrimages to holy shrines. The polls show that visits to shrines are nearly universally accepted by Shias, while Sunnis are significantly less likely to say it is permissible in Islam to visit the shrines of saints.

The polls were conducted from November 2011 to May 2012 among a total of more than 5,000 Muslims in five countries with substantial numbers of both Shias and Sunnis (Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon). Although Shias make up only about 10%-13% of the world’s Muslims, three of the five countries surveyed (Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan) have Shia-majority populations. The full report, including comparisons of religious beliefs and practices among Shia and Sunni Muslims is available at http://www.pewforum.org/

The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It does not take policy positions. Its Religion & Public Life Project seeks to promote a deeper understanding of issues at the intersection of religion and public affairs.

14.  20. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013 - REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE EXODUS 12:1-14:

*Bill Dickens, Allen AME Church, Tacoma, Washington

Church School Lesson Brief

In the popular Disney movie, The Lion King, an exiled Simba once glanced up in the sky and heard a familiar voice in the wind. It was the voice of his deceased father Mufasa who reprimands Simba for forgetting who he is and his failure to assume his proper responsibility in life.  Simba’s actions in exile with his merry, care-free friends Timon and Puumba were indicative that he forgot his father.  Throughout the brief epiphany Mufasa repeatedly states, “Remember, remember.” 

The Adult AME Church School lesson for November 10, 2013 spotlights the topic of “Remember and Celebrate.” 

Moses, with his new job assignment, communicates to Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave Egypt.  Pharaoh denies the “request” and God sends a series of sequential plagues with increasing human misery designed to loosen Pharaoh’s grip. 

The tenth and culminating plague is the killing of the first born male, human and animal.   This plague was memorialized as the Passover to commemorate a specific historical event when the death angel passed over the residences of the Israelites who were protected with the blood of an unblemished lamb prominently displayed on their door. Homes that did not have this symbol of protection endured death and sadness as their firstborn died.  This was the plague that “broke the camel’s back.”  A special meal was designated (roasted lamb and unleavened bread) and established throughout all generations in Israel to symbolize their speed of exit from Egypt and how God delivered them from Egyptian captivity.  Freedom yields celebration.  

The great Commandment in Exodus Chapter 20 about the Sabbath Day begins with the word, “Remember.”  Jesus was remembering and celebrating Passover during His Last Supper.  Passover is a part of the liturgical calendar for both Jews and Christians.  Sadly, many of us are like Simba in exile where we suffer from spiritual amnesia.  We forget who we are and the important sacrifices others have made for our comfort.  Amnesia is the anti-thesis of remembrance.   When we remember we stay in touch with God, connect with our identity and remain faithful to our purpose and mission in life.   The price of “forgetting” is too expensive.

*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.

15. MEDITATION BASED ON JEREMIAH 18:1-6:

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

I’m a fifteen year resident of Charleston, South Carolina, but church, community and family obligations still lead me to make regular trips to my hometown of Columbia, South Carolina.  Many of those trips are short and are for specific business reasons but when I have the time, I like to drive around the Columbia area to see how things have changed since I lived there.  I recently drove through the neighborhood where I spent my teen years and saw that a major change had taken place.

One of Columbia’s “inner city” Baptist churches moved further out and built a lovely and impressive new sanctuary and family life center around the corner from my old home.  The pleasant irony is that they built on the site of what was a “drive-in” theater that specialized in “X Rated” movies in the days of my youth!  That Baptist church family made what was once a dubious place - viewed with disdain by those in the community - into a sacred space that welcomes people into the presence of God.  They turned what my late mother used to call a “sinful” place into a special place.

God can do with us what those in that church family did with the site of that old “X-rated” drive-in theater.  The best of us are born with a tendency to sin and to engage in dubious and destructive behavior in pursuit of self-satisfaction.  It’s easy for us to let the residue of our life experience hinder our growth, hamper our progress, lead us to focus on our faults and failings and make us wonder if we can really recover and do any better.

When we have the faith, however, to put our old lives in God’s hands, God will never fail to fix us, redeem us and make us over so that we can put our old lives and old mistakes in perspective and do new things in new ways that reflect the grace of the God who created us living and working in and through us.  The God we serve can still change us from “sinful” to “special.”

All of us have more than our fair share of shortcomings and make more than our fair share of mistakes along the roads of life, but that’s not what matters.  What matters is that when we have the faith to place ourselves in God’s hands, God will give us a “makeover” that comes with new and joyful appreciation for the words of those who sang, in the midst of American slavery, “He’s got the whole wide world in His hands.”

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

16. CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS:

-- Shade' A. Hyche Dixon passed the State of Georgia Bar

Shade' A. Hyche Dixon, former Connectional YPD Communications Secretary and Editor, The Gazette, recently passed the Georgia Bar and is now licensed to practice Law in the State of Georgia. Attorney Hyche-Dixon is married to Music Producer and Business Consultant, Jiwann "WANN D" Dixon and they reside in Douglasville, Georgia. Shade' is the daughter of proud parents, Presiding Elder Albert L. Hezekiah Hyche and Attorney Ida Tyree Hyche, of the Ninth Episcopal District. Congratulatory greetings may be sent to shade.a.dixon@gmail.com or 6312 Fairoaks Place, Douglasville, GA 30135

*Submitted by Attorney Ida Tyree Hyche, International Editor, WMS Magazine

-- Roslyn Thibodeaux Goodall selected as a board member for the Alzheimer's Association

Roslyn Thibodeaux Goodall has been selected as a board member for the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Dallas. She is the Public Policy Committee Chair.  Mrs. Thibodeaux Goodall is the daughter of Mrs. Melanie J. Thibodeaux and the late Dr. G. H. J. Thibodeaux; a member of St. Paul AME Church in Dallas, Texas; 1st VP of her local Women's Missionary Society (WMS) and a Life Member of the WMS.  Her passion for Alzheimer's advocacy stems from having six (6) family members affected by the disease.  She co-authored Project ALERT (Alzheimer's Link to Education, Research & Treatment) an initiative devoted to educating African Americans about Alzheimer's and produces an annual Alzheimer's Symposium, at her home church (St. Matthew A.M.E.-Shreveport, LA).  In 2007, she was invited to present on Project ALERT, at the National Alzheimer's Conference in Chicago.  Mrs. Thibodeaux Goodall serves as the Alzheimer's Ambassador for Congressional District 30 (Texas) represented by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and is a member of the Leadership Council of the Alzheimer's Association of North Louisiana.  She now focuses on educating congregants about Alzheimer's and encouraging them to implement Caregivers' Day Out in their churches.  You may contact her at clancy_3@hotmail.com to learn how to get involved with Alzheimer's advocacy, or contact your local Alzheimer's Association.

See the announcement in the North Dallas Gazette, link below.


"We are excited about our new board members and will benefit from the diverse backgrounds represented on our Board," said Matt Johnson, Chairman of the Board. "Placing professionals of this caliber in positions where they can use their expertise has raised the level of service from the Alzheimer's Association."

Johnson also said that the Association has launched a new dashboard allowing the public to track the Association's work through the number of funds raised and people helped. Raising an excess of $450,000 the 2013 Dallas Walk to End Alzheimer's more than doubled compared to last year.

More than 340,000 Texans are living with Alzheimer's disease and there are over a million caregivers in the state. Alzheimer's has no prevention, cure or even treatment to slow the disease. By the year 2050, one in three seniors is expected to have Alzheimer's disease. The Alzheimer's Association Board of Directors is working to get ahead of those numbers and help beat this disease before the numbers reach catastrophic proportions.

*Submitted by Roslyn Thibodeaux Goodall, Email: clancy_3@hotmail.com

17. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. Charles E. Drummer, Jr., a retired Presiding Elder of the First Episcopal District. The Rev. Drummer retired in 2011 after serving many years as Presiding Elder of the Wilmington District in the Delaware Annual Conference. The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.


Wake: Sunday, November 10, 2013, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Viewing: Monday, November 11, 2013. 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Service: Monday, November 11, 2013, 11:00 a.m.

Mt. Zion AME Church
101 North Queen Street
Dover, Delaware 19901

Telephone: 302.678-9478
Fax: 302.678-9192

Pastor: The Rev. Ellis B. Louden
   
Eulogist: Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Presiding Prelate of the Twentieth District and the Ecumenical Officer for the A.M.E. Church

Professional Care entrusted to
Bennie Smith Funeral Home
717 W. Division Street
Dover, DE 19904

Telephone: 302-678-8747
Fax: 302-736-6410

Interment: Sharon Hills Memorial Park
2928 Sharon Hill Road
Dover, DE 19904
Phone: 302-734-3535

Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:

Mrs. Helen H. Drummer       
404 Walker Road
Dover, DE 19904-2850

18. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We are saddened by the passing of Mrs. Williene Marshall, mother of the Reverend Sylvester (Bobbie) Marshall, Presiding Elder of the Natchez-Port Gibson District of the South Mississippi Conference in the Eighth Episcopal District. 

Visitation and Funeral Service:

Visitation: Friday, November 8, 2013

1:00-6:00 p.m.
Smith Funeral Home
907 Winnsboro Road
Monroe, Louisiana 71202


Funeral service: Saturday, November 9, 2013
11:00 a.m.
St. John AME Church
2414 Burg Jones Lane
Monroe, Louisiana 71202

Professional Care entrusted to:

Smith Funeral Home
907 Winnsboro Road
Monroe, Louisiana 71202
Telephone: 1 (318) 361-9295

Cards, expressions of sympathy may be sent to:

The Rev. Sylvester Marshall, Presiding Elder
2503 Rue Simone
Hammond, Louisiana 70403
(985) 687-9217

19. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. Dr. William Lamar Cody, a retired pastor of the First Episcopal District. The Rev. Dr. Cody retired in 2008 after serving 56 years as a pastor throughout the First Episcopal District.

The following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.

Viewing and Service: Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Viewing:    9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Service:    11:00 a.m.

St. Paul AME Church
1203 Harrison Avenue
Pleasantville, NJ 08232

Telephone: 609-641-2109
Fax:    609-645-1522

Pastor: The Rev. Lynda T. Rassmann
   
Eulogist: Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram, Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District


Professional Care entrusted to:
Adams-Perfect Funeral Homes, Inc.
1650 New Road
Northfield, NJ 08225
Phone: 609-641-0065
Fax:    609-641-7919

Interment: Mt. Calvary Cemetery
Black Horse Pike
Pleasantville, NJ 08232

Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:

Mrs. Birdie Cody       
1511 Mediterranean Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401

20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The Reverend Jeremiah "Jerry" Wilson transitioned from this life on Wednesday, October 30, 2013 at Troy Regional Medical Center in Troy, Alabama. He was the pastor of Dunn's Chapel AME Church and St. Luke AME Church, both located in Louisville, Alabama.

The Rev. Jeremiah Wilson was the son of the late Presiding Elder Lawrence W. Wilson and Mrs. Arlean Wilson. Rev. Wilson served the denomination in several districts to include the Third, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth and Thirteenth Districts.

His memory will be preserved by his children: Jeremiah II, Justin, Joshua, Jeremey, John Adams, and Maya.

Services will be held on Monday, November 11, 2013 at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 606 East Academy Street in Troy, Alabama.

The viewing is from 9-11 a.m. the funeral will be held at 11 a.m.

Condolences will be received by the family by email, mail or facsimile.

The family of Pastor Jeremiah Wilson
C/o St. Luke A.M.E. Church
757 Alabama 130
Louisville, Alabama 36048


Services are entrusted to
Grubbs funeral home
208 E Madison St
Troy, Alabama 36081

Telephone: (334) 566-7695

21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Tailo Chama, the granddaughter of the Reverend Fredrick Chilombo Chama of the South East Zambia Conference, Seventeenth Episcopal District; Bishop Wilfred Jacobus Messiah, Presiding Prelate.  Tailo Chama passed on the 15th of October and was put to rest on the 17th of October MHSRIP.

Expressions of sympathy may be emailed to: chilombochama@yahoo.com (The Reverend Fredrick Chilombo Chama)

22. 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




23.  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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