The Right Reverend
T. Larry Kirkland - Chair, Commission on Publications
The
Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The
Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
1. TCR
EDITORIAL – THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS FOR CLERGY:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of
The Christian Recorder
It seems that Part 2 of TCR Editorial “I Would Like to See AME Church News Year’s Resolution that
Acknowledges…” will have to wait. New Year’s resolutions are passé. It’s
time to move on.
We have a lot of chatter
across denominations about the state of the ministry and the state of the
church.
Protestant seminaries are
forever tweaking their courses of study in hopes of making seminary education
relevant for today’s societal needs.
Denominations are addressing the problems and issues related to
ministry.
The Roman Catholic Church is
bracing for change. Pope Francis’
comments about the need for the Roman Catholic Church to reinvent itself; rid
itself of “clericalism” and politics and he emphasized the need for the clergy
to return to the prophetic ministry and to re-embrace the teachings of Jesus
Christ. Pope Francis ended a recent
homily with, "A prophet reminds the people of God to move beyond a spirit
of legality." His words are relevant for all of Christendom. The Gospel
and God’s truths are universal, no matter who speaks them.
The feedback I have heard
about Pope Francis is his willingness to forthrightly deal with issues related
to the Roman Catholic Church and the relevance of his words that are applicable
to every other Christian religious group. Every denomination, including the AME
Church, has room for improvement.
Not only, denominations, but
all of us have room for spiritual improvement. Most of us need to strip
ourselves from the spirit of worldliness.
All of us can find greater peace by drawing closer to God and allowing
ourselves to have a closer relationship to God.
I don’t mean to get
distracted, but, particularly in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, one of
the battles we need to fight is to reject the temptation to gossip; and, there
are other battles that need to be addressed.
Change has to start at the top
We normally think of “the
top” as being clergy – any and everyone who has acknowledged the call to preach
– from bishop to licentiate, is included in the title, “clergy.”
The Seven Deadly Sins for Clergy
Proverbs 6:16-19 states that
the Lord specifically regards six things the Lord hates, and seven that are an
abomination to God. The list includes “a
proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that
devises wicked plots, feet that are swift to run into mischief, a deceitful
witness that utters lies, and persons that sow discord among others.”
Galatians 5:19-21 also has a
list of sins, although the list is substantially longer than the seven sins in
Proverbs. The list in Galatians includes
“adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envy, murder,
drunkenness, and excessive partying.”
If we all followed the
guidance in Proverbs and Galatians we would be off to a great start, however, I
suspect that most of us could move forward because we probably are not guilty
by the “letter” of the sins in those two books – at least that would be my
guess. I don’t believe that we have killers in our midst – at least not
murderers of human beings.
The problem is that Jesus
throws in a “hook” with the sins of the “intention of the heart” as found in
Matthew, Chapter 5. Murder begins in the
heart and adultery in the eyes and in the mind.
Let’s take them one by one
Gluttony - Too much of
anything can be harmful. A slice of cake is okay, but eating 10 slices of cake at
one sitting is unhealthy. Gluttony often results in waste because gluttons have
“eyes bigger than their stomachs,” not just in relation to food, but in things.
Some clergy devote all of their energy trying to get to the largest church or
to the episcopacy or to be a general officer. Enough is never enough for a
glutton. Gluttonous behavior leads to unfulfilled ministry because a glutton is
always trying to get more and is never satisfied and is perceived as a “taker”
rather than a “giver.” Clergy who succumb
to gluttony always want more; they are more concerned with “the package” rather
than with ministry and love to receive gifts.
Lust is precipitated by power
and usually is directed at someone or something that does not belong to them.
Lust can go beyond sex. Clergy lust can
be identified as an excessive desire and hunger for the perceived advantages
and benefits of ministry. Clergy can lust for another clergy member’s church,
influence or possessions. The ministry
has a lot of residual perks and some clergy lust after those perks at the
expense of providing ministry. Some pastors are loath to visit their sick and
shut-in members, but lust for recognition of being clergy. Some clergy love to
be recognized as “reverend” or “doctor” and are anxious to sit in the pulpit.
Some pastors lust so much to be called “doctor” that they bestow the title on
themselves.
Greed - Greed is a sin of
excess. Greed is rarely satisfied and enough is not enough. Greed wants more.
Some clergy are never satisfied with their pastoral appointments, never
satisfied with their salary, not satisfied with their parishioners and they are
in a position of always wanting more. Some clergy are not satisfied with a fair
wage; and admittedly most pastors’ salaries are low, but salaries have to be in
line with the income generated by the offerings and other income-generating
programs. Clergy greed will cause them to be more concerned with Christmas,
birthday and anniversary gifts and pastoral appreciation events more than
ministry.
Sloth is synonymous with
laziness. Effective ministry is hard work and those committed to ministry must
be willing to go “above and beyond” the requirements for the pastoral ministry.
Some clergy fail because they are unwilling to extend themselves “above and
beyond” what is required. The bottomline of sloth is laziness, fear of failure,
lack of vision, and a lack of commitment to do the work of ministry.
Slothfulness is also harmful because others have to work harder. Slothful
clergy tend to be Sunday morning-focused and maybe Bible study-focused, but
nothing else. Little or no pastoral visitation, no involvement in the
community, little or no programs for the youth, unless someone else is doing
the work. Clergy sloth will kill any ministry and kill the local church.
Pride — A healthy self-image
is to be desired and clergy should have a healthy self-image. The most
effective preachers are humble and love the work of ministry. Any ministry is
at risk for failure when its leader is perceived as arrogant. Some clergy
believe their call to ministry gives them unchallenged authority and power.
Clergy who function with unhealthy pride are self-centered; fail to acknowledge
the accomplishments of others. When the accomplishments of others are not
acknowledged, ministry becomes a “one man/one woman” show. Pride becomes a sin
of wastefulness because available resources are not utilized. Indeed the Bible
is correct, “Pride cometh before the fall.”
Wrath — Wrath is synonymous
with anger. Sometimes life does not deal a fair hand. And unfortunately,
sometimes clergy members feel they have not been dealt a fair hand and ministry
for some of them becomes difficult and unbearable. I have seen pastors who
became so angry in ministry that their ministry became dysfunctional. Their
anger developed because of something a bishop or a presiding elder may, or may
not have done. Some have become angry because pastoral relationships have
soured and still others have developed anger because of unhealthy pastor-parish
relationships. Some clergy allow themselves to become so angry that their
ministry becomes negative. There is nothing wrong with anger; anger is okay,
but how anger is handled is important. Unfortunately some clergy mishandle
anger to the detriment of their emotional and mental health for them and their
families.
Envy is synonymous with
covetousness, jealousy and greed. Envy
is the root of and the genesis all of the sins. “Thou shalt not covet” is the
10th and most insidious of all of the Ten Commandments. Covetousness
or Envy will cause one to make other gods, bow down to other things, misuse the
name of God, forget parents, leads to murder and adultery, and causes one to
steal and lie. Clergy who succumb to envy put their ministry on a dangerous
precipice. Envy will cause clergy to be jealous of others, live beyond their
means, get into debt, and become distracted in ministry trying to keep up “with
the Jones.” Envy can cause unhealthy
competition with other clergy and laity, and can result in ministerial
dissatisfaction.
Any one of the seven deadly
sins can derail ministry, disrupt local church ministry, create personal and
professional chaos, and upset a clergyperson’s spiritual life. Sin separates us
from God and it also separates us from each other.
Editor’s Note:
The Seven Deadly Sins can be a distraction for the laity too. Next Week, the
Seven Deadly Sins for Laity.
2. READER RESPONSE TO
EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
-- To the Editor:
I am an AME Stewardess. For
the last several years I have purchased a Lutheran church year calendar that
shows the liturgical colors for each week of the year. An example is at https://www.churchpartner.com/product/29602/church-year-calendar-2014-year-a/.
This year I found a free
download at http://www.solapublishing.org/k-2014-liturgical-calendar-year-a-2013-2014/,
also for the Lutheran church. There are other free denominational resources on
the internet.
The calendars have some
differences with AME practices. I make those changes and post the corrected
version at church for use by the Stewardess Ministry. It's unfortunate that we
don't read, remember and abide by the guidelines in our Stewardess manual, or
that you have previously published in The Christian Recorder. Even with this
visual reminder, we occasionally forget to change the paraments at the
appropriate time (but we usually catch our mistakes and correct them between
the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. services).
I think it would help all
Stewardesses if the connectional AME Church provided such a resource. I haven't
distributed my "corrected" versions outside of my local church
because I believe the originals are copyrighted. The latest free download says
it may be photocopied for local congregational use, downloaded as a free, PDF,
or hardcopies purchased at the website. I downloaded it and saved it as a Word
file for easier editing. Since it's for my personal use I don't think I'm
violating the copyright, if it has one. I'm attaching a copy for your review.
Would you publish again an
article on liturgical colors, please? I think we all can use a refresher. And would
you encourage the appropriate persons within the Connection to publish a
calendar, a visual reminder, please?
Thank you for the excellent
work you do.
Sister Yolanda L. Hinton
3. A SPECIAL DAY:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of
The Christian Recorder
On Sunday, January 9, 1972 –
42 years ago, I reported for my first day on active duty in the United States
Army. I reported to Fort Hamilton, New York to attend the U.S. Army Chaplain
School. I arrived at Fort Hamilton on Sunday evening, having stayed with my
grandmother in Ardmore, Pennsylvania on Saturday night. I flew from Kentucky to
Philadelphia and rode the train to New York City on Sunday. On that Sunday
evening, never thought that I would have stayed in the Army for 28 years. I went
from being a civilian to being a soldier and within a year to being a
paratrooper, which I had never even thought about.
I completed Chaplain School
training in March and flew back to Kentucky to gather up my wife, Charlotte,
our children, Gloria, Calvin IV, and Christopher, and my young brother, Walter
for the drive from Danville, Kentucky to Fort Benning, Georgia. Chaplain, then
Major, Floyd Lacey was my military sponsor and he and his wife, Ann, made our
transition from being a civilian to the military seamless; I / we never looked
back and the rest is history!
First duty assignment, Fort
Benning, Georgia where I completed Airborne School and later became the
Chaplain for the U.S. Army Airborne School where I made 53 Parachute jumps in
less than a year; to Fort Richardson, Alaska; back to the Chaplain School for
the Advanced Course (Fort Wadsworth, New York; lived at Fort Hamilton); then to
Fort Bragg, North Carolina where I made 33 parachute jumps; to the Pentagon and
owning our first home in Lake Ridge, Virginia; then to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
for the Command and General Staff College; back to Fort Richardson, Alaska;
then to Fort Hood, Texas to be the 2nd Armored Division Command
Chaplain; then to the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania;
to Headquarters, (US) VII Corp at Kelly Barracks, Germany our first “out of the
states” overseas assignment; to Desert Shield/Desert Storm; back to Germany for
a brief stint; back to the Pentagon for a brief stay; and then to Fort Belvoir to
be the Intelligence and Security Command Chaplain where I got the opportunity
to travel all over the world – all paid for by the Army; and then to Fort
Monroe, Virginia to be the Training and Doctrine Command Chaplain where I got
the opportunity to travel to every Army base in the continental United States.
It all started on Sunday,
January 9, 1972! Retired in 1999; retired soldiers hold the rank until they
die. I am still Chaplain (Colonel)
Calvin H. Sydnor III, United States Army Retired!
Thanks for sharing this
wonderful reflection of my military journey.
January 9, 2014 was a special
day!
4. WORDS OF A PRAYER FROM THE DINKA, AN ETHNIC GROUP
IN SUDAN:
“A Daily Chant”
Lord, you are here,
Lord, you are there.
You are wherever we go.
Lord, you guide us,
Lord, you protect us.
You are wherever we go.
Lord, we need you,
Lord, we trust you,
You are wherever we go.
Lord, we love you,
Lord we praise you,
You are wherever we go.
5. SECOND EPISCOPAL DISTRICT WOMEN IN MINISTRY (SED
WIM) TACKLE SOCIAL AND MINISTERIAL CONCERNS:
*The Reverend Gwendolyn I.
Benjamin
As “Payroll Gains in the U.
S. Probably Cooled amid the Government Shutdown; Obama [Seeks] a Fix for Health
Insurance Cancellations; and U.S. Stocks Rise for the Week as the Economy
Trumps Fed Concerns.”
The meeting will convene at
the BWI-Hilton, 1739 West Nursery Road, Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
SED WIM grapple with issues
of concern for the congregations and communities, they serve in the annual
session of the five conferences that make up the Second Episcopal District.
A panel of five women pastors
from their “SED WIM Talk” platform addressed several hotly debated issues
currently capturing the attention of Church. Among the issues discussed was
Scandal, ABC’s new hit starring Kerry Washington; Preachers of L. A.; dress for
women in ministry; same-sex Relationships; legalism in the 21st
Century in perfecting church policies concerning children of unwed mothers, and
ministers dating in the church.
“Are there any gladiators in
the house,” asked moderator the Rev Rae-Lynn Kingeter as she opened the
discussion “should women in ministry watch shows like Scandal? Let’s talk about it.”
What does the church have to say
about Olivia? Is she a gladiator, a trained combatant for entertainment
purposes? Should she be banned from Christian viewing? Does she represent the
liberated black woman, or the old stereotype of the exploited black woman at
the hands of yet another white man? There are references to the scandals of the
Bible from Eve and the forbidden fruit to Rahab the harlot. Opinions are mixed as the panelist engaged
the topic.
The Preachers of L. A., announced moderator Kingeter, “the Oxygen channel’s
controversial series that follows and portrays the lives and ministries of six
high profile Pastors in Los Angeles.” This has stirred much debate because
“they highlight the glamour and bling-bling more than the ministry; let’s talk
about it.”
Is glamour and bling-bling a
“no, no” in ministry? Should this kind of media be used as teaching
opportunities in the church? How do we as preachers and pastors inform and
engage the people we serve about wealth and serving God? Does this kind of
entertainment erode the message of Christ and the effectiveness of the Church?
Does it further alienate the un-churched?
While many have enjoyed the preaching and supported these six pastors,
there is a consensus among the panel that this show does not glorify God. It
weakens the ability of the community of faith to invite those still seeking God
to trust him.
Reality Check: Keep God real
and we do not have to worry about it moderator Kingeter interjects.
Next topic: Dress in the
pulpit and beyond. Answering the call of God to ministry and the ever-changing
fashion trends has made dress in the pulpit and beyond a hot topic. “Lifted
skirts, stiletto heels, plunging necklines and pants in the pulpit, what do you
think ladies?” asked moderator Kingeter; “Let’s talk about it.”
Are women in ministry held to
a different standard? Should comfort and choice play a role in dress? Does age
make a difference? How does appearance influence the community and other women?
How should women in ministry dress in and out of the pulpit? True to the talk
format, moderator Kingeter takes a call-in question from a listener in North
Carolina, who asks, “Should more concern be placed on spiritual dress than
physical? The discussion ran the gambit
from hot to cold as the panelist engaged in an exchange of ideas from
“grandma’s adages” to biblical passages.
With the women still
reflecting on the discussed topics, the Rev Kimberly L. Detherage, Connectional
President; the Rev Dr. Erika Crawford, Connectional Third Vice President; and
guests from the First Episcopal District were welcomed.
The Rev Detherage,
Connectional President addressed the gathering calling attention to the AME WIM
Quadrennial Conference, August 6-9, 2013 in Charleston, South Carolina;
“Positioned to Lead: Take Thou Authority” she pointed to workshops and
available opportunities to be informed and inspired. Asking, “What do WIM leading with impact
look like in our Zion?”
And we are back! Echoes the
voice of moderator Kingeter,
“As of October 2013, fourteen
states have legalized same sex marriage. Many preachers of the gospel have come
out in support of it; in Detroit, Michigan Pastor Allyson Abrams resigned her
position after announcing to her congregation that she had married a woman.
Let’s talk about it.”
“Is silence golden? Is this
the opportune or defining moment for ministry in the church? Does this push the
boundaries of biblical orthodoxy? Is abomination a sin without redemption?”
“Does Gods love have limits?
How do we hear from God outside the fear of what we cannot understand?” There were no mixed views that Gods love is
limitless and without designation. The panelists agree love and hearing God is
the only guide when soul and community is the goal.
Next topic: “Legalism and the
21st Century Church, October was a hot month” declared moderator
Kingeter, “a celebrity pastor was accused of refusing to bless the two-year-old
of an unwed mother. According to a local
news station a new member said, “I want to raise my son with values and morals
based on the Word of God.” Yet, she was told by a woman in the church office
that Pastor Winans has a strict policy, “He won't bless the babies of unwed
mothers in front of the congregation.”
Let’s talk about it.
“Do the sins of the parents
prevent the child? Whom does God bless? Can this kind of policy glorify God?
Does it make the church more pious? What message does it send to those God
wants to love? How can pastors and
preachers as emissaries of God proclaim, ‘Come all who labor and are burdened
down?’ Emotions ebbed and flowed as the discussion resonated among the
panelist. They agreed mature Christians understand Jesus promised forgiveness,
acceptance, and unconditional love for all.
Emotions leveled off from the
prior discussion, and the moderator asked for a question from the twitter-feed,
“How can we as women become more unified and work together?” Eyes lighted up on the panel and comments and
discussion came as rapid responses, “Celebrate one anther, learn to love self,
look for ways to affirm differences, deal with jealousy and anger immediately,
do not let it fester, and wait on God who has the right plan for everyone.”
“Welcome back!” moderator
Kingeter introduces the final topic: Dating in the Church,
“I have been married over 18 years,
and my husband still asks me on dates and I date him as if we just met. However, that is easy for me; we have been
married over 18 years. Nevertheless, what about those who are single or
suddenly find themselves single due to circumstances over which they had no
control or those who have always been single because God said so, yet they
desire companionship. Let’s talk about it.”
“Are relationships in the
church fodder for the legalist and the Bible-thumpers? Do women in ministry view relationships
differently than men do? Are the lines of authority for pastors and preachers
breached in church relationships? The ‘don’t play where you pray’ idiom; is it
an idea from God? What should the posture of a pastor or preacher be in a
relationship in the church? Should women be mindful of their responsibility as
role models for the women in the church and the community? Should dating in the Church look different
from dating in the world?”
Nothing heats up a discussion
in the church like relationships and money. The panel engaged in a lively
banter as they found common ground around the questions raised about
dating. Disagreeing on different points
yet unified in their conviction that women in ministry are held to a different
standard than men; and their commitment to continue a dialogue in an effort to
challenge and change some legalistic views about dating for women in the
church.
The SED WIM Talk continued as
the panel discussion concluded, having addressed six hot issues that are front
and center in the life of the church at the dawn of the 21st
Century; and SED WIM President, Dr Joan L. Wharton introduced a special guest,
the Rev Kimberly Young from the Washington Conference.
She is an advocate for
raising awareness about the tragedy of human trafficking. She cited stories and
facts about the horrors of exploitation and human trafficking in America. Using
the story of Solomon Northrop the subject of the much talked about new movie
“12 Years a Slave,” as an introduction for her story of meeting Camilla in
April 2013. She highlights the similarities in their stories of kidnap and
slave labor; Northrop’s in pre-Civil War America and Camilla’s in post
civil-rights America.
Camilla, she relates, was an
aspiring seamstress looking for a career opportunity when she accepted what she
thought was a legitimate job for an established designer only to find herself
forced into slave labor for seven years working in a sweatshop in the United
States.
Research shows human
trafficking is worldwide and in the United States.
Human trafficking worldwide:
- 32 billion dollars annually
- 25 plus million people
- 80% are women
Human trafficking in the
United States
1.6 million runaways and
throwaways are at risk of the sex trade
17,500 are trafficked into
the United States annually, one of the ten most trafficked nations in the world
The Rev Young in closing
said, “Camilla’s story is the impetus for her advocacy. “As women in ministry,
we can do the following: (a) raise awareness by talking about trafficking; (b)
use ministry beyond the sanctuary to advocate for awareness, (c) trained
counselors can volunteer their services, and (d) be informed and inform others.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
As SED WIM Talk concluded, the
Rev Oretha Cross author of “Take off Your Church Hat and Put on Your Apron,”
guest chef shared her celebrated recipe for Northern Gumbo as well as the
vision that gave birth to her cookbook that chronicles the rich heritage of
food in the African American religious experience.
SED WIM under the leadership
of the Rev Dr. Joan L. Wharton comes to the close of another annual session,
contemplating the hotly debated discussion topics and the inspiring
presentations that have informed and unified them as they seek to meet the
spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of women called by God to serve.
Participants: the Rev.
Melodie Boone, the Rev. Kim Moss, the Rev. Gaylian Barbour, and the Rev.
Cynthia Harvin.
Panelist: the Rev. Rae-Lynn
Kingeter, Moderator; the Rev. Joan L. Wharton, SED WIM President; the Rev.
Angelique Mason, the Rev. Anna Mosby, and the Rev. Gwendolyn I. Benjamin.
*The Rev. Gwendolyn I.
Benjamin, Coordinator of Women In Ministry for the Western North Carolina
Annual Conference
6. WIM PRESIDENT FIRST WOMAN TO PREACH THE CLOSING
SESSION OF 2ND EPISCOPAL DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING:
*The Reverend Gwendolyn I.
Benjamin
“The Vision of Inclusion”
embraced by the Second Episcopal District leadership team of Bishop William
Phillips DeVeaux, Sr. and Dr. Patricia Morris DeVeaux!
The Reverend Dr. Joan L.
Wharton was tapped to preach the closing session of the Mid-Year Conference,
held at the BWI-Hilton, 1739 West Nursery Road. Linthicum Heights, Maryland.
On the heels of the Second
Episcopal District-Women in Ministry annual session, where she joined other
Women In Ministry to discuss, defend, and defy issues and concerns that
confront and challenge effective and relevant ministry in the 21st
Century Church.
Dr. Wharton stepped to the
podium in the closing session to encourage all hearers to “Fulfill Your
Destiny.” She preached from 1
Corinthians 2:6-10 using the foundational argument of God’s affirmation through
the Prophet Jeremiah, “for a future with hope” for all who find themselves captive.
Her energetic oration highlighted three-points that stirred up the congregation
to glorify God through the following goals.
(1) Penitence before Prayer -
let remorse and regret or shamefulness before God consume the heart from which
repentance and prayer emerge.
(2) Push to Praise - Does not
allow the opposition to drag, deter, or defer your destiny. Do not be
disheartened, depressed or disappointed. What God has planned, for those who
trust him, enables all to stand strong and push, to praise him anyhow.
(3) Press to Proclaim - At
times on the way to destiny, you will ask, “What am I doing here?” The only way to maximize the moment to make
sure you are on the way to your destiny is to press forward. When you press your way, you proclaim that
“He is Lord and He is risen from the dead."
Dr. Wharton drew a parallel
from Paul’s first letter to the believers in Corinth in Chapter 2 verses 6-10
and used wisdom when speaking because he was speaking to believers of mature faith
calling all to remembrance that the wisdom of God is a mystery to those not
privy to the Kingdom. Therefore, mature
believers understand the value of penitence before prayer, the wisdom of
pushing to praise and the eternal presence of God in pressing to proclaim.
In these things, we find and
fulfill our destiny. Her powerful words resonated with the people of God.
*The Reverend Gwendolyn I.
Benjamin, Coordinator of Women In Ministry for the Western North Carolina
Annual Conference
7. INTERFAITH SUNDAY INITIATIVE - HEALTH INSURANCE
ENROLLMENT STRATEGY:
The District of Columbia
Health Link awarded the African Methodist Episcopal Church Second District
(SED) Religious, Educational and Charitable Development Projects, (RED) Inc., a
grant in the amount of $175,000 to enroll uninsured and hard to reach residents
in health coverage.
Specifically, the purpose of
the grant is to train and deploy In Person Assisters (IPAs) to inform, educate
and enroll District of Columbia residents without coverage in obtaining
insurance, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) initiated by President Obama.
The program officially began on October 1, 2013. Eight AME churches located in
the District of Columbia are participating including: Allen Chapel, Campbell,
Christ Our Redeemer, Hemingway Temple, Galilee, Metropolitan, Pilgrim and Ward
Memorial.
The Interfaith Sunday
Initiative is one of the methods that the Second Episcopal District in
partnership with DC Health Link has utilized to successfully:
Promote awareness of the
availability of affordable health insurance
Enhance communication
strategies and encourage participating church congregations and their
surrounding communities to obtain insurance
Assist the uninsured and
underinsured in applying for coverage
Specifically, Interfaith
Sunday consists of conducting informational as well as enrollment activities at
AME churches as well as churches in other denomination, throughout Washington,
DC. The process includes:
Making a brief announcement
from the pulpit during Sunday worship about the importance of having of health
coverage and current availability by the Pastor or a knowledgeable guest
presenter
After worship service
providing more detailed information and enrolling interested persons in
coverage is conducted.
We would be happy provide
further guidance and please feel free to contact the Rev. Dr. Cassandra A.
Sparrow, Executive Director or Roslyn Stewart Christian, District Administrator
for further details at 202-842-3788.
*Submitted by Roslyn Stewart
Christian, District Administrator of the Second Episcopal District of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church.
8. WRIGHT CHAPEL AME CHURCH - SAN FRANCISCO,
YOUTH SINGS AT NELSON MANDELA’S MEMORIAL:
William Theodore Mitchell II,
a member of Wright Chapel A.M.E. Church - San Francisco, CA, sung with the
three-time Grammy Award-Winning Pacific Boy Choir at the Memorial Program
paying tribute to South African President Nelson Mandela, held in Washington
D.C. on Wednesday, December 11, 2013.
William, who is 16 years old,
stated that it was a great honor to sing at such a historic event. William is a
first tenor and was selected to be one of twenty-six voices to travel to
Washington for this extraordinary occasion at the National Cathedral.
The South African Embassy
specifically requested that the Pacific Boy Choir sing at President Mandela’s
Memorial, because the choir sang for Nelson Mandela at his birthday celebration
in South Africa in 2009.
William’s choir sang on the
same stage as dignitaries such as Vice President Joe Biden, US Congressmen and
Senators, Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak, Andrew Young, Johnnetta Cole, and the
following performers: Sweet Honey and the Rock, Jessye Norman, Peter Paul and
Mary, Morgan State University Choir, and the South African Community
Choir.
William has been singing with
the Pacific Boy Choir for six years. The Pacific Boy Choir also performed in
Brazil last year. William is the grandson of the late Rev. D.B. Frierson.
Submitted by
Reverend Ayisha Benham,
Pastor, Wright Chapel A.M.E.
Church, San Francisco
Bishop T. Larry Kirkland,
Presiding Prelate, 5th Episcopal District
9. WILBERFORCE UNIVERSITY SEEKS A PRESIDENT TO BE ITS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
Wilberforce University,
Wilberforce, Ohio is the nation's oldest, private, co- educational,
historically black university, founded in 1856. Wilberforce University can
trace its history to pre-Civil War days when the Ohio Underground Railroad was
established and the institution was a destination point for slaves
transitioning to the north. Today the University has a diverse student
population which earns degrees in 17 undergraduate majors, 1 graduate program
in Rehabilitation counseling, and an Adult Degree Completion and Cooperative
Education Program.
The Wilberforce University
Board of Trustees has launched a national search for the 20th President of the
University and is seeking an experienced higher education leader with vision
and leadership qualities to build upon the solid foundation and take the
institution to an even higher level of academic excellence, student success,
and financial stability.
The new President should
express a passion for the mission of this private institution, which seeks to
produce graduates who are global citizens, academically prepared, and
undergirded by spiritual development. The President must advocate for the
University and lead efforts to raise new capital from a broad base of
resources.
Immediate attention must be placed on short term goals
including:
- Financial viability to meet
accrediting standards
- Re-affirmation of
accreditation
- Leadership Team Building to
include Strategic Planning
- Maintaining and enhancing
relationships with all major stakeholders of Wilberforce University
The applicant shall:
- Have an earned terminal
degree (or equivalent)
- Have demonstrated
experience in management and administration of an institution of higher
education
- Possess effective
interpersonal communication skills
Applications and nominations will be received until
the position is filled. The proposed start date is July 1, 2014.
A complete application package will include:
1) A Letter of interest,
including philosophy of academic administration,
2) Curriculum Vitae.
All materials should be sent
to:
The Rev. Dr. Earl G. Harris,
Chair Presidential Search Committee Wilberforce University
P.O. Box 1001
Wilberforce, Ohio 45384
Or
Email: gtrallenamechr@aol.com
Wilberforce University is an affirmative
action and equal opportunity employer.
10. SAVE YOUR COLON:
Major General (Retired) Abraham J. Turner, a “son” of
Greater Goodwill AME Church in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, which is in the 7th
Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church has taken the
reigns of an important initiative to save lives.
General Turner became the Chairman of the Board of
Directors for Save Your Colon (SYC), Inc., non-profit organization whose goal
is to eradicate the disparities of deaths caused by colorectal cancer among
persons of African descent.
Colorectal Cancer is the number one cancer killer among
non-smokers, yet over 90% of these deaths could have been prevented by an early
the screening procedure of a colonoscopy.
Through a cooperative effort of many organizations, the SYC Initiative,
which encourages this early screening procedure using a faith-based approach, aims to
eliminate unnecessary suffering from this preventable tragedy.
General Turner, a 35-year Army veteran and native South Carolinian
retired from the military in 2011 and immediately accepted a position in the
South Carolina Governor’s Cabinet as Executive Director of the South Carolina
Department of Employment and Workforce. His focus was to help put South
Carolinians back to work. National and State statistics were recently released
showing the jobless rate in South Carolina has dropped to 7% from the 11% it
was in 2011. This new low can certainly be attributed to the dedicated and
selfless leadership during General Turner’s 18-month tenure at the South
Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce.
Turner now brings that same leadership, tenacity and
focus to this new initiative to save lives. The strategic goal of the
initiative is to grow this from the state of South Carolina to the nation and
around the world.
Always the servant, General Turner is well suited to for
the faith-based strategy, being the son of a minister. His pastor at Greater
Goodwill AME, the Reverend Richard
Crummy has already pledged that Greater Goodwill is poised and ready to
participate in this life-saving program.
Though the concept for this undertaking only began a few
months ago, several Churches in the Greater Columbia area have already been
serviced.
Along with General Turner, the Save Your Colon Team
includes Vice Chairman Clarke McGriff, a retired Army Chaplain (Colonel) and
pastor of the Green Hill Baptist Church in Lugoff, South Carolina; Mrs. Beth
Woodham (Administrative Assistant); and Mrs. Luella Redfern (Training and
Education).
For more information, please contact the office at 1725
Taylor Street, Columbia, SC 29201; telephone, 803 779-6200; email, saveyourcolon@att.net.
About Save Your Colon
Save Your Colon is a 501 © (3) organization whose mission
is to pursue a faith-based strategy by working initially through local African
American churches to encourage and service the men of those congregations to
get their colonoscopies. Recognizing the impact and influence of religious
leaders in the community as this critical need is addressed; a highly qualified
ensemble of physicians, public health experts and other leaders from the Faith
Community have assembled to serve Congregations around the State and save
lives.
11. PQC AMONG FIVE HBCUS SAVING THE WORLD THROUGH
SUSTAINABILITY:
Five historically black
colleges and universities are taking bold steps to preserve the environment and
build healthier communities for African-Americans throughout the United States.
From growing organic foods, to improving food safety, to monitoring weather
patterns, these HBCUs are bringing valuable research and support in benefit to
their students, and the world.
1. Spelman College - Widely
known as the premier academic destination for African-American women, Spelman
College is also the most environmentally-conscious HBCU in the nation. Spelman
was the first HBCU with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
Silver-Certified dormitory, has adopted an extensive Climate Action Plan to
reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption, has a tray-less dining program
with no trans-fat and vegan options, and incorporates sustainability into its
academic curriculum and social development program. And, in 2012, the school
made national headlines with its student health conservation plan by abandoning
its intercollegiate sports in favor of a campus-wide wellness program.
2. Paul Quinn College - The
organic farm that grows on a former football field in Dallas, TX is one of the
nation’s great urban sustainability stories. Since its inception in 2010, the
WE Over ME farm has grown more than 20,000 pounds of organic vegetables to
support underserved families in the area’s food desert, and serves as food
vendor for many of Dallas’ elite restaurants and the Dallas Cowboys’
concessions services. But the farm isn’t just about sustainable agriculture.
Staffed by faculty, staff and students, it also serves as a training hub for
the school’s social entrepreneurship program, and hosts the college’s signature
fundraiser, the ‘A Community Cooks’ program featuring Dallas’ top chefs cooking
at portable grills and stations surrounding the farm.
3. Johnson C. Smith
University - JCSU is leading a comprehensive approach to campus-wide
sustainability. An aggressive partner with Charlotte’s environmental
preservation goals, the JCSU campus is home to a community aquaponic farm,
growing fresh tilapia and vegetables for resale and donation to area food
banks. In 2014, the university will complete construction on a new science
center which will house its new Center for Renewable Energy. Additionally, the
university has embarked on a revitalization project for Charlotte’s West End,
bringing arts, dining and retail to the city’s northwest corridor through the
JCSU Mosaic Village.
4. Jackson State University -
JSU is promoting sustainability in many of its campus operations. The school
has shifted to a paperless payroll system for its employees, and as an Apple
Distinguished School, has incorporated iPad technology in the undergraduate
curriculum to cut its paper consumption and textbook orders. Additionally, JSU
students have planted sustainable vegetable gardens throughout the community
surrounding the university, and they distribute energy efficient light bulbs to
households free of charge to save citizens’ energy costs.
5. Virginia State University
- Through its cooperative extension program, Virginia State University promotes
sustainable agricultural practices, and stronger local economies in and around Petersburg,
VA. Assisting independent farmers with risk assessment, federal loan
application processes and entrepreneurial development, VSU helps generations of
current and potential farmers grow produce and business savvy through
instruction on best practices and exposure to new technologies in aquaponic and
alternative crops. Additionally, VSU provides agricultural research to provide
farmers with strategies to avoid crop infestation and food borne illness.
12. HOUSING GRANTS FOR DISABLED VETERANS AND OTHERS
WITH SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITIES:
Housing Grants for Disabled
Veterans Certain Servicemembers and Veterans with service connected
disabilities may be entitled to a housing grant from VA to help build a new
specially adapted house, to adapt a home they already own, or buy a house and
modify it to meet their disability-related requirements. Eligible Veterans or
Servicemembers may now receive up to three grants, with the total dollar amount
of the grants not to exceed the maximum allowable. Previous grant recipients
who had received assistance of less than the current maximum allowable may be
eligible for an additional grant.
Specially Adapted Housing
(SAH) Grant Eligibility for up to $64,960: VA may approve a grant of not more
than 50 percent of the cost of building, buying, or adapting existing homes or
paying to reduce indebtedness on a currently owned home that is being adapted,
up to a maximum of $64,960. In certain instances, the full grant amount may be
applied toward remodeling costs.
Veterans and Servicemembers
must be determined eligible to receive compensation for permanent and total
service-connected disability due to one of the following:
1) Loss or loss of use of
both lower extremities, which so affects the functions of balance or propulsion
to preclude ambulating without the aid of braces, crutches, canes or a
wheelchair.
2) Loss or loss of use of
both upper extremities at or above the elbow.
3) Blindness in both eyes,
having only light perception, plus loss or loss of use of one lower extremity.
4) Loss or loss of use of one
lower extremity together with (a) residuals of organic disease or injury, or
(b) the loss or loss of use of one upper extremity which so affects the
functions of balance or propulsion as to preclude locomotion without the use of
braces, canes, crutches or a wheelchair.
5) Severe burn injuries,
which are defined as full thickness or sub-dermal burns that have resulted in
contractures with limitation of motion of two or more extremities or of at
least one extremity and the trunk.
6) The loss, or loss of use
of one or more lower extremities due to service on or after Sept. 11, 2001,
which so affects the functions of balance or propulsion as to preclude
ambulating without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair.
Special Home Adaption (SHA)
Grant: Eligibility for up to $12,992: VA may approve a benefit amount up to a
maximum of $12,992, for the cost of necessary adaptations to a Servicemember or
Veteran's residence or to help him/her acquire a residence already adapted with
special features for his/her disability, to purchase and adapt a home, or for
adaptations to a family member's home in which they will reside.
To be eligible for this
grant, Servicemembers and Veterans must be entitled to compensation for
permanent and total service-connected disability due to one of the following:
• Blindness in both eyes with
20/200 visual acuity or less.
• Anatomical loss or loss of
use of both hands.
• Severe burn injuries (see
above).
Temporary Residence
Adaptation (TRA): Eligible Veterans and Servicemembers who are temporarily residing
in a home owned by a family member may also receive a TRA grant to help the
Veteran or Servicemember adapt the family member's home to meet his or her
special needs.
Those eligible for a $64,960
grant would be permitted to use up to $28,515 and those eligible for a $12,992
grant would be permitted to use up to $5,092. Grant amounts are adjusted Oct. 1st
every year based on a cost-of-construction index. These adjustments will increase
the grant amounts or leave them unchanged; grant amounts will not decrease.
Under the Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act
of 2012, TRA grant amounts will not count against SAH grant maximum amounts
starting Aug. 6, 2013.
The property may be located
outside the United States, in a country or political subdivision, which allows
individuals to have or acquire a beneficial property interest, and in which the
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in his or her discretion, has determined that it
is reasonably practicable for the Secretary to provide assistance in acquiring
specially adapted housing. For
more information on SAH,
visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/sah.as
13. GETTING TO ZERO: THE INFLUENZA VACCINE
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
The Week of December 8-14,
2013 is- guess what? It is the National Influenza Vaccine Week (NIVW) as
designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NIVW brings
attention to benefits of an influenza vaccine even after the end in November of
many vaccination campaigns. If you have not yet received the flu vaccine for
2013-14, now is the time to get your flu shot.
Why should you get a flu
vaccine?
I was in my mid-thirties the
one time I remember contracting the real influenza. It was the end of the
Christmas holiday break, time to head back to campus for start of winter
semester classes. I found myself home, not able to move except from my bed to
the sofa and back. Everything hurt-- my head, my back, my muscles, my chest,
even seemingly the pores in my skin. My throat hurt. I was miserable. I had
heard about the flu, taught about the flu and thought that maybe I had a “touch
of the flu” before. But this time was different. I knew this was the classic
influenza, the real thing.
What is classic influenza?
Classic influenza is caused
by the influenza virus, a widely circulating respiratory virus that is spread
mostly by breathing in air that contains the virus. Influenza virus enters into
the airway and reproduces in cells that line the nasal passages, throat and
wind-pipe. Then it moves into passages of the lungs. When this virus makes more
of itself, a thin layer of cells is destroyed as the pathogen makes its way into
the lower respiratory tract (LRT). New virus proteins appear on the surface of
infected cells to trigger an immune response that attempts to shut down the
replicating virus. Efforts of the immune response to get rid of the invading
pathogen bring about pathogenesis and symptoms of classical flu.
Chest and sometimes head
congestion, phlegm, coughing and a sore throat result from virus replicating in
respiratory tract cells. Body aches, fever, headache, muscle aches and general
fatigue are generalized effects of immune system “cytokines”. Cytokines are
proteins produced by our immune cells to help combat invading microbes. They
are secreted from specialized cells, enter into the bloodstream and circulate
throughout the body. Presence of cytokines at greater than usual levels leads
to aches and pains in places distant from the infected lungs. Influenza virus
infection triggers release of a flood of cytokines.
Classic influenza brings more
than a few days of discomfort. It can take more than a week to get moving again
and up to a month for the respiratory tract to repair the surface cells and
normal defenses that are destroyed by the virus.
What is the flu vaccine?
CDC states that getting an annual
influenza vaccine is the best way to reduce the risk of influenza virus
infection or to reduce the severity of disease.
The vaccine is needed each
year. Spontaneous mutations in the genetic material of influenza viruses cause
outer virus proteins to change constantly. Thus, strains of viruses that
circulated in 2012-13 will differ slightly in structure of the proteins in
their outer layer from viruses that will circulate in 2013-14 or later. An immune response produced in 2012-13 from
infection or from vaccination may not react well against proteins of the
influenza viruses circulating in 2013-14. A new vaccine is needed for
protection.
The vaccine can be received
as an intramuscular injection or inhaled as a “flu mist”.
While children may need two
doses, for most adults, one injection is enough. It takes about 2-3 weeks from
the time of receiving the vaccine until the immune system is well primed to
recognize and shut down attempts of an invading flu virus to use human cells to
make more viruses. Whether one receives the traditional injected “killed virus”
vaccine or a weakened, but live virus “flu mist” vaccine, the flu vaccine
prepares the body’s immune system to quickly recognize and destroy the real
virus when it enters into the nasal passages or airway.
How effective is the flu
vaccine?
Some people do not want to
get an influenza vaccine. Some say it actually gives them the flu. Some say it
makes the influenza they get later, much worse. Clinical studies show that
people who get the influenza vaccine each year are less likely to be infected
or to have serious illness. In most years the vaccine is 70-80% effective in
protecting against infection. This means that for 7-8 times of 10, exposure to
influenza will not lead to a full blown virus infection. In some years the
virus strains used to make the vaccine for the next year are not a good match
to the actual circulating viruses for the year. In rare cases, the vaccine is
only about 40% protective.
No infection or a shorter,
less severe infection is preferred over what I experienced during that January
years ago.
For most healthy people,
influenza can be very uncomfortable and inconvenient.
For the elderly or people of
any age who have a chronic condition such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease,
HIV/AIDS or chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD), respiratory
infections can become a major health challenge. Destruction by influenza virus
of protective cells that line the throat and lungs can lead to secondary
infections by bacteria, to pneumonia, to hospitalization and even death.
How do I get the vaccine?
You can get a flu vaccine
free or for a small fee (less than $40) from your doctor or nurse provider.
Many community pharmacies and even grocery stores offer the vaccine. Many employers provide influenza vaccines to
their employees. Churches can work with community health agencies to provide a
“flu shot” site.
The flu season in the USA
peaks in January when the highest number of infections usually occurs. For the
2013 flu season, incidence is running ahead of typical timing. More cases have
appeared earlier than in most years. Influenza cases continue to appear until
May. Getting a vaccine anytime in the season can provide important protection
for that current season and help to prepare for next year.
To protect yourself, those
you care about and your community, get the flu shot. Get protected. Ask others
if they have received a flu shot. Fewer infected people means less sickness,
fewer days loss from work and family time, less circulating virus in the
community and lower medical bills for care of people who become seriously ill
or have complications. The message for NIVW is “get your flu shot!”
For more information about
NWIV, the vaccines or influenza, visit:
*The Rev. A Oveta Fuller, PhD
is a 2012 J. William Fulbright Scholar Faculty, African Studies Center
Associate Professor, Dept Microbiology and Immunology at the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
14. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY
12, 2014
LIVING JUSTLY WITH OTHERS - LUKE 6:17–31:
Bill Dickens, Allen AME
Church, Tacoma, Washington
Church School Lesson Brief
John Rawls is perhaps the
most significant intellectual writer in philosophical ethics in the past one
hundred years. It is nearly impossible to address ethics in contemporary
philosophy without saying something about John Rawls. Central to his theory of
justice are the concepts of fairness and equality from behind what he terms a
"veil of ignorance." Rawls'
veil of ignorance is a component of the way people can construct society. His
concept of a “veil of ignorance” is the subject of discussion for today’s
lesson.
Jesus provides a new
manifesto concerning interpersonal human relations. The prior paradigm defined the terms of
co-existence based on favorable review or opinion of the other party.
In the old paradigm the veil
of ignorance was the norm. Friends could
interact with friends and exclude interaction with those outside their sphere
of influence. Likes embraced likes and
rejected counterparties viewed as dissimilar or ones who they simply didn’t
like.
The New Manifesto however
redefines the boundaries of human interaction.
It is no longer permissible to wear the "veil of
ignorance."
Our comfort zone of
acceptable contacts is now challenged because it must be inclusive of those who
we may consider as adversaries or enemies.
The expanded zone of acceptance is necessary if we desire to be unique
and different.
The new manifesto includes
several "woes." "Woe to
you!" is an expression of regret, meaning "How miserable for
you!" It is also a warning that God’s judgment is to come.
Rich people or today’s “1%”
have a comfortable life. Many of the 1%
think only about what they own. They do not think about what follows this life.
They may enjoy their present life, but they have nothing else to come (1
Timothy 6:7).
Under the old paradigm, if
someone hits you, you probably want to retaliate by hitting the person
back. This is a natural way to behave.
The people who follow Jesus should behave in a different way. They must not
reciprocate with like evil to the person who does something evil to them.
Christians must act with
love. They must be generous to other people and not be selfish about their
possessions. Jesus gave this rule for
the whole of life. An "eye for an eye" and a "tooth for a
tooth" are no longer acceptable.
The New Manifesto articulated
by Jesus in Luke Chapter 6 requires followers to be vigilant in all good
works. "Do to other people what you
would want them to do to you."
15. MEDITATION BASED ON MATTHEW 24:1-14:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I began my Monday after New
Year’s Day at my local fitness center, where the crowd of those on the
treadmills and exercise machines was much larger than usual. By March, however, the crowd size will
probably be back to normal. That
predictably happens because many, if not most of us, overindulge at holiday
dinners and parties and are more than ready by New Year’s Day to resolve to eat
healthy, exercise regularly, be more frugal and do other things to improve
ourselves.
We make those January
resolutions with the best of intentions, but when the “healthy” diet becomes
boring and tantalizingly tasty treats “call our names,” when exercise becomes a
repetitive chore instead of a new adventure and when life’s ongoing concerns
demand our time, attention and resources, we often go back to “business as
usual” - at least until the next New Year’s Day rolls around! Successful efforts at diet, exercise and
personal improvement require staying the course - even when it’s easy to go
astray - and the same is true when it comes to our spiritual lives.
Like most clergy, I’ve seen
people join the church with energy and enthusiasm, but lose their momentum when
difficulties arise or other things demand their attention. I’ve seen new praise and ministry initiatives
begin with substantial participation and commitment, but shrink in numbers when
what was “new” becomes established and routine.
Just as is true for diet, exercise and personal improvement, spiritual
change that brings enduring well-being requires standing on our faith when
distractions and challenges come our way and maintaining or commitment in times
of challenge, frustration, distraction and disappointment.
Remember that as you pursue
personal and spiritual improvement in the New Year. What seems new and innovative will seem old
and routine sooner or later and life’s stresses, trials and obstacles may get
in your way, but when you steadfastly trust in the Savior who said, “Those who
endure to the end will be saved,” you can maintain your momentum and say as did
those who handled the crushing and painfully discouraging routine of American
slavery, “Satan’s on my track and he’s trying to turn me back, but Something’s
tell me, ‘go ahead.’”
The Mid-Week Meditation is
now also available at www.facebook.com/BeaufortDistrictAMEC
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:
-- The Retired Reverend Gertrude
Trescott, Palmetto Conference, 7th Episcopal District Celebrates 85th
Birthday January 10, 2014
The
Reverend Gertrude Trescott will celebrate her 85th birthday on January 10,
2014. Reverend Trescott is a retired
Pastor from the Palmetto Conference of the 7th Episcopal District.
She is the former Worship Leader/Chaplain for the Women In Ministry
Organization.
As
of this birthday, Reverend Trescott has a preaching ministry of 60 years. Currently, she continues her preaching
ministry, does workshops and leads Bible Study groups. She is a member of Moncks Corner AME Church,
Moncks Corner, South Carolina, where she works diligently with her pastor. She is a P.K. and the mother of Sister Tanya
Harper.
Cards
can be sent to:
The
Rev. Gertrude Trescott
P.O.
Box 2187
Moncks
Corner, SC 29461
Or
88
Milton Road
Moncks
Corner, SC 29461
Telephone: 843-761-4925
17. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Please
be aware of the passing of the Rev. Fred Wilson earlier this week. He was a longtime member of Bethel AME Church
in Portland, Oregon for many years before beginning his pastoral ministry. He served in pastoral ministry in the Pacific
Northwest Annual Conference; most recently at First AME Church, Fairbanks,
Alaska. He returned to Bethel AME Church
in Portland for a brief time in the summer of 2013, before relocating to the
state of Mississippi to reside with his daughter.
His
Funeral Arrangements are listed below.
Friday,
January 17, 2014
Bethel
AME Church
5828
NE 8th Avenue
Portland,
OR 97211
The
Rev. Arthur B. Carter, Jr., Pastor
Telephone:
503. 288-5429
Email:
bethelamechurch@comcast.net
Condolences
and expressions can be sent to the postal address or email address listed
below.
The
Wilson Family
C/O
Bethel AME Church
5828
NE 8th Avenue
Portland,
OR 97211
Telephone:
503 288 5429
Email:
bethelamechurch@comcast.net
18. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It
is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of Sharon Dickens,
sister of the Rev. Gwendolyn Benjamin, Coordinator of the Western North
Carolina Conference Women In Ministry. Sister Sharon Dickens of Richmond,
Virginia passed on January 6, 2014.
Funeral
arrangements are as follows:
Monday,
January 13, 2013
12:00
Noon
New
Deliverance Evangelistic Church
1701
Turner Road
Richmond,
Virginia 23225
Services
entrusted to:
Mimms
Funeral Service
1827
Hull Street
Richmond,
Virginia 23224
Telephone:
(804) 232-3874
Fax:
(804) 230-7625
Cards
of sympathy can be mailed to:
The
Rev. Gwendolyn Benjamin
10934
Wyndham Point Drive
Charlotte,
North Carolina 28213
Telephone:
(704) 649-6395
Or
she can be contacted at the following email address:
19. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We
regret to inform you of the passing of the Reverend Willie J. Brooks. The
Reverend Willie J. Brooks was the pastor of numerous A.M.E. Churches in the old
West Florida Annual Conference. He served as pastor on the old Pensacola,
Marianna, and Panama City Districts. He retired during the old West Florida
Annual Conference. He was currently an associate minister at Bethel A.M.E.
Church, Pensacola, Florida.
The
Reverend Beverley Brooks, their children, and other family members are doing
well.
Entrusted
with Funeral Arrangements:
Family
Funeral & Cremation
7253
Plantation Road
Pensacola,
Florida 32504
Telephone:
(850) 466-5440
Fax:
(850) 912-8908
Service:
Monday, January 13, 2014 at 11:00 a.m.
Public
Viewing: Monday, January 13, 2014 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 at Bethel AME Church
Church
Contact:
Bethel
AME Church
511
Woodland Drive
Pensacola,
Florida 32503
Telephone:
(850) 434-3881
Email:
admin@bethelpensacola.com
Pastor:
The Reverend Clifford Riley
Telephone:
(850) 510-6113
Email:
revcriley@yahoo.com
Family
Contact:
The
Reverend Beverley Brooks
6003
Fairview Drive
Pensacola,
Florida 32505
Phone:
(850) 292-2103
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We
regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. Thomasena Woodward, an
associate minister at St. James AME Church in Newark, New Jersey and the aunt
of the Rev. C. Carlton Woodward, pastor of St. Stephen AMEC in New York. The
following information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Wake:
Friday, January 10, 2014, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Whigham
Funeral Home
580
Dr. M. L. King Blvd.
Newark,
NJ 07102
Office: 973-622-6872
Fax: 973-733-9885
Funeral:
Saturday, January 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.
Saint
James AME Church
588
Dr. M. L. King Blvd
Newark,
NJ 07192
Phone: 973-622-1344
Fax: 973-622-6912
The
Rev. Ronald Slaughter, Pastor and Officiating
Dr.
Mary White Williams, Eulogist
Interment:
Glendale
Cemetery
28
Hoover Avenue
Bloomfield,
NJ 07003
973-748-1253
Office
Expressions
of Sympathy may be sent to:
The
family of Rev. Thomasena Woodward
c/o
William K. & Gabrielle Woodward
233
Grove Street
Montclair,
NJ 07042
21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We
sadly announce the passing of Mr. Julius Johnson on Friday, January 3, 2014,
Spouse of the Reverend Brenda Johnson, Pastor of Sheridan AME Church, East
Liverpool, Ohio (Youngstown District).
Funeral
Arrangements for Mr. Julius Johnson:
Saturday,
January 11, 2014
Calling
Hours: 10:30 a.m.
Funeral
Service: 11:00 a.m.
Lee
Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church
861
E. 105th Street
Cleveland,
OH 44108
Telephone:
216-761-4447
Fax:
216-761-4668
The
Rev. Wesley I. Reid, Pastor
Funeral
Arrangements entrusted to:
Strowders
Funeral Home
822
E. 105th St.
Cleveland,
OH 44108
Phone:
216-761-3092
Contact
information for sending expressions of sympathy:
The
Rev. Brenda Strickland-Johnson
10106
Columbia Avenue
Cleveland,
OH 44108
Telephone:
(216) 938-6361
Cell:
(216)276-7345
Email:
churchgirl49@gmail.com
22. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Mr.
John H. Pinkston, the father of the Rev. Jeanette Pinkston Jackson,
transitioned from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant on Thursday,
January 2nd, 2014.
The
Rev. Jeanette Pinkston Jackson is a member of the Augusta-Athens District of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church, under the leadership of Presiding Elder
Ella Mae Samuels, situated in the Sixth Episcopal District and the Augusta
Conference where the Rt. Reverend Preston Warren Williams II serves as
Presiding Prelate. The Rev. Jackson
serves as the Pastor of Salem AME Church - Salem Road - Watkinsville, Georgia.
Mr.
John H. Pinkston leaves to cherish his memory Mrs. Annie B. Pinkston, his
loving wife of 61 years; Mr. John Allen Pinkston of Talbotton, GA; Ms. Barbara
A. Pinkston of Jonesboro, GA; Ms. Verna D. Holt of Talbotton, GA and The Rev.
Jeanette Pinkston Jackson of Conyers, GA.
Mr.
Pinkston's funeral will be held Wednesday, January 8, 2014 at Greater
Philadelphia Independent Methodist Church, 3571 Pobiddy Road, Talbotton,
Georgia 31827 at 1:00 p.m. and the Reverend Calton Mahone, Pastor of Bethel CME
Church in Macon, GA will deliver the eulogy.
Funeral
Arrangements have been entrusted to:
Leonard's
Funeral Home
735
Old Wire Road
Talbotton,
GA 31827
706-665-3294
Expressions
of sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs.
Annie B. Pinkston
P.
O. Box 394
Talbotton,
GA 31827
or
The
Reverend Jeanette Pinkston Jackson
3005
Brighton Court
Conyers,
GA 30094
Telephone:
404-402-6867
Email:
jpinkstonjackson@gmail.com
23. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It
is with regrets that we announce the passing of Steward Roosevelt Grant, Sr.,
on January 2, 2014, after a short illness.
Brother. Grant was the husband of Sister Mattie Grant, a Life Member of
the Women's Missionary Society in the African Methodist Episcopal Church of the
Sixth Episcopal District. The Rt. Reverend Preston Warren Williams II is the Presiding
Prelate.
Brother
Grant served faithfully as a Steward in the Greater St. James AME Church in
Thomson, GA where the Rev. David Walker serves as Pastor. He was preceded in death by his son and
leaves to mourn his passing a loving and devoted wife, Sis. Mattie Grant.
Homegoing
Service:
Tuesday,
January 7, 2014
11:00
A.M.
Greater
St. James AME Church
608
O'Neal Street
Thomson,
GA 30824
The
Rev. David Walker will deliver the eulogy
Final
Services Entrusted to:
Thomas
Funeral System
505
Gordon St. NE
Thomson,
GA 30824
Phone
Number: (706) 595-3110
Expressions
may be mailed to:
Mrs.
Mattie Grant
c/o
Greater St. James AME Church
608
O'Neal Street
Thomson,
GA 30824
24. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Email: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Web page: http://www.amecfic.org/
Phone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Phone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMEC_CFIC
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
25. 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.
*You
have received this message because you are subscribed to The Christian Recorder Online
Forward
to Friend
Copyright
© 2012 The Christian Recorder, All rights reserved.
You are
receiving this email because you are a current subscriber to The Christian Recorder.
Our
mailing address is:
The
Christian Recorder
500
Eighth Avenue, South
Nashville,
TN 37203-7508
Add us
to your address book
