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
May is National Military Appreciation Month
Pentecost Sunday: June 8, 2014
1. TCR EDITORIAL – AME BISHOPS AND GENERAL OFFICERS SHARE THEIR SAGE ADVICE
FOR NEW PREACHERS AND NEWLY APPOINTED PASTORS:
Dr.
Calvin H. Sydnor III
The
20th Editor of The Christian
Recorder
The
most recent editorials of The Christian
Recorder Online dealt with the advice I would give to persons entering the
ministry and things I would do differently if I could start my ministry over
again. I also wrote about what I would do if I were starting my ministry today.
I
invited our bishops and general officers to share the advice they would give a
person starting out in ministry and the advice they would give a young pastor
with his first or second pastoral appointment.
I
know that bishops and general officers are busy and some are in the middle of
annual conferences, mid-year meetings and other pressing church business; and
they might not have had the time to respond to our message. I will publish
their responses whenever we receive them.
I
have received some sage comments from bishops and general officers, both active
and retired, and, I am sure their comments will be an inspiration to aspiring
preachers and to young pastors.
Their
comments are listed in the order received:
-- Bishop Wilfred
J. Messiah, Presiding Prelate of the 17th Episcopal District
“Every
time I speak to the class of admissions and those who come before me for their
first and second ordination, I pose this question to each candidate: Are you
sure that your call to this ministry is from God? Do you need time to rethink
your answer? Because once you cross this threshold, there is no turning back.
My
advice to them is that they should be 100% sure that their “call” is from God,
and not man.”
-- Bishop John R.
Bryant, Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District
“I
would encourage a person starting ministry to engage and practice, each day,
the spiritual disciplines of our faith. I would encourage them to develop a
powerful prayer life, a strong ‘study the Word-life’ and engage in a life of
meditation.”
-- The Rev. Dr.
Teresa Fry Brown, Historiographer/Executive Director, Department of Research
and Scholarship
“I
would remind them that ‘God called you!’
God called you in your own uniqueness, gifts and graces. If God wanted a
clone, God would have made you exactly like everyone else. Be the best ‘you’
God called you to be.
Never
stop learning; a degree, an ordination, a position, a pastoral appointment, and
even a preaching or ministerial opportunity are means for learning more about
God, people, life and you.”
-- Bishop Jeffrey
Nathaniel Leath, Presiding Prelate of the 13th Episcopal District
“Challenge
your spirit as to whether you are ‘called’ or pursuing a career path out of
desperation. Try to divest yourself of as much baggage as possible before
entering the ministerial calling by dealing with your moral, personal,
financial and basic educational deficiencies upfront.
Gain
as much relevant academic knowledge and as many marketable secular skills as
you can in a reasonable time with a minimum of financial encumbrance.
Take
the time to build an understanding of ‘church’ from where you find it among the
people.
Impress
an understanding and practice of discipleship.
Practice and encourage modeling discipleship and building relationships
with persons of every generation.
Ignore
more of the ‘wrong things’ as long as they are not ‘getting in the way of the
correct things’ to avoid wasting energy on fruitless struggles.”
-- Dr. Richard
Allen Lewis, Treasurer/CFO AME Finance Department
“Be
truthful, be encouraging, and be business.”
-- Bishop Clement
W. Fugh, Presiding Prelate of the 14th Episcopal District
“To
the person beginning ministry I would say, ‘Begin early making preparation for
the time that you will no longer participate actively in itinerant ministry.’
To
the new pastor I employ the words of Paul, "Make full proof of your
ministry.’ (II Timothy 4: 5 KJV).”
-– Bishop William
P. DeVeaux, Presiding Prelate of the 2nd Episcopal District
“I
would tell the person entering the ministry to find a mentor and stay in touch
with that person on a regular basis.
I
would tell a person pastoring his or her first pastoral charge to ‘build a
leadership team that compliments your gifts and talents. Take care of your
spiritual, physical and physiological health and develop a resource-community
where you can draw upon a number of ‘partners in ministry’ for advice and
counsel. I would tell him or her to focus his or her devotional life through
spiritual development.
-- The Rev. Dr.
Johnny Barbour, Jr., President/Publisher AMEC Sunday School Union
“I
would tell a person entering the ministry to be sure that you have an
irresistible urge to preach God’s word. And, with that urge you should prepare
yourself spiritually and intellectually for ministry.
I
would tell any young pastor to love the people and be their pastor and the
people will love you.”
-- Bishop Reginald
Jackson, Presiding Prelate of the 20th Episcopal District and AMEC
Ecumenical Officer
I
would share with the person entering ministry that it is not enough to know
that you have been “called,” you need to be sure who called you. If it is
anybody but God, your call is insufficient. If God has called you, there is no
higher or more important calling and vocation in the world. I encourage you to
strive to be and do your best. God deserves your best and is pleased with
nothing less than your best. As Paul encouraged his son in the ministry, I
encourage you to be faithful, and to ‘stir up the gift that is within you,’ and
‘make full proof of your ministry.’
Trust
God and depend on Him. Love people, and don't seek or allow people to lift you
up and put you on a pedestal. When people put you on a pedestal, you can't move
far in any direction because they are telling you to ‘stay in your place.’ If you ‘move and fall,’ those same folks may
not help you to get back up. Love God and always remember; God called you.
I
would share with the person beginning his or her first pastoral assignment to
get to know the people. You may have the appointment, but you are not yet their
pastor. You will not become their pastor until they know you and trust you, and
ready to follow you; this takes time.
Pray
always, stay in the Word and never stop studying, make time for yourself and
your family. Be excited about the work of the Lord and enjoy your ministry.
Depend and trust God, you cannot do the Lord's work, without the Lord and the
leading and empowerment of His Spirit.”
-- Retired Bishop
Carolyn Tyler Guidry
“I
would advise the person entering ministry to find an experienced godly person
to be a mentor. You will need a mentor
to share his or her wisdom to assist your way forward in ministry. You cannot
do ministry alone.
And
to the young pastor, I would advise, ‘Go now – and preach the gospel - tell the world that Jesus is alive - No
matter what is going on in the world, God is constant, so, go now – heal the
sick, cast out devils in his name – go now and preach till heaven opens and
sin is eradicated – go now and preach!
preach! preach!”
-- Paulette
Coleman, Ph.D, Retired General Officer
“My
advice to a person entering the ministry would be to remind him or her that the
ministry is a specialized calling to serve humanity by leading people into a
closer spiritual relationship with God, which translates into God-directed
action that transforms lives and communities. It can be one of the most
fulfilling and demanding professions one might undertake. An active, dynamic,
and consistent disciplined life of prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fasting
are among the rudimentary spiritual requirements for the job. Without practicing these spiritual
disciplines routinely, ministry becomes more difficult. Having a good spiritual support-system or
prayer circle of people that you know, love, and trust is also of utmost
importance.
Just
as God loved the Church and the world so much that God sacrificed Jesus, God's
most precious gift and only Son, similarly, you must love the people
unconditionally. This is not always an
easy undertaking, because even Christians exhibit behavior that makes us
unlovable.
Learn
how to communicate and share information with the congregants routinely. Be a
lifelong-learner and be aware of your areas of strength, as well as your areas
of weakness. Both will exist because you
are human.
Don't
be afraid or defensive towards congregants who are more knowledgeable than you
in certain areas. Try to have them as allies and workers who share their skills
for the advancement of the ministry goals. A good leader knows how to utilize the
skills and talents of his or her members. The great leader knows how to help
members uncover and discover their numerous gifts and talents in order to put
them to use for the good of the Kingdom.
To
the young pastor, your first church is a new church, so take the time to get to
know the people, including officers and the regular congregants and understand
that they have a congregational culture that is important to them. At the
beginning of your pastoral assignment, attending meetings of all boards and
auxiliaries will give you insight into what is going on; it will also surprise
most of the members.
Try
to have as many one-on-one meetings with individual members or groupings of
members. Develop a list of transition questions for the members and others with
responsibility for the church. Have a transition meeting with the former
pastor, if appropriate and possible.
Most definitely have one with the presiding elder and the officers. Understand all of the systems, processes, and
operations that exist at the new church.
If none exist, understand why and seek to put some in place with the
assistance of the officers. Remember, that the Church existed before your
arrival and possibly thrived, but regardless of its status, be mindful and
respectful of what has gone before.
Accurately
determine the financial status of the church.
Get accurate accounts of balances, indebtedness, and other financial
matters.
Understand
that there is no guarantee that the new pastor will receive the same
compensation package as the former one.
This is especially true if the new church is experiencing
income-shortfalls. Be reasonable and do
your work well, because if the church grows numerically, financially, and
spiritually, the members and officers will initiate discussions and actions
about salary increases and improvements to the benefits package.
Do
not upend everything at the new church until you understand why it is like it
is and how it came to be. Just because members do not say anything, does not
mean they agree or like the new things.
Change is often difficult, but there are times when it is welcomed. Change with no apparent or visible positive
differences, especially when it is not communicated may sow the seeds of
discontent. How change is communicated, presented, and rolled out makes all the
difference in the world. Typically, the
honeymoon period with a new pastor lasts for at least six months to eight
months or even up to a year, but the armor will begin to chink at some
point. By that time, the congregants
will have made up their minds that you are either hard-working or lazy; that
you have scruples and operate from a base of biblical integrity or that you
don't; that you are or are not accessible; that you do or do not visit the
sick; that you are or are not committed to changing the community in which in
which the church is located and beyond for the better; that your sermons are or
are not well-prepared and prayed about mightily. The list goes on and on.
Ministry is a profession where one is
conceivably on call 24/7. It is a
demanding profession and sometimes the compensation is not commensurate with
the education, experience, ministerial responsibilities, and the like. Yes, you have a M.Div., but your spouse
doesn't understand why your friends from graduate school and college have very
comfortable six-figure incomes and you are smarter and harder-working than all
of them and you barely make $25,000 with no benefits. Ministry may be
notoriously sacrificial for some and embarrassingly fruitful for others. It is my contention until every one in a city
or community is saved and an active member of a local church, there is enormous
opportunity to grow spiritually, numerically, and financially.
You
and your family members will always be under close scrutiny and that is not
fair, but it is a reality. Protecting
your family while respecting the congregation is a major challenge and figuring
out how to do that seriously and with love is not always intuitive.
The
potential exists for miraculous and fresh things to happen in ministry at one's
new or first pastorate. That potential
always exists, if we unleash the Spirit of God through the Holy Spirit in
everything that we do. Congregants - 'love your pastor!' Treat him or her with respect and the dignity
that accrues to this high calling to ministry.
Pastors love your members and treat them with dignity and respect.
Pastors and congregations together with God form an indomitable force that can
change the world.
-- Bishop Julius H.
McAllister, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the 8th Episcopal District
“In
sharing my comments to young preachers, I fondly recall the words of the late
Bishop Frank Madison Reid, Jr., who, prior to the presentation of pastoral
appointments at the annual would advise pastors in South Carolina who were
going to be sent to new pastoral appointments that they should preach their way
into the hearts of the people. He told me and others to preach before holding
any meetings or discussing pastors’ salaries or pastors’ compensation. He went
as far as to say that we ought not to go to the new appointment until Sunday
morning. As a pastor, I followed those instructions. As chair of the conference
board of examiners, I passed those instructions along to ministerial students.
Now, as a bishop, I encourage newly appointed pastors to have “Prayer meetings”
with their congregations before having board meetings.
The
advice I would give to young preachers entering the ministry is to hold on to
the zeal, the enthusiasm, the spirit, the determination, that they now have.
And they should not allow anything or anyone to cause them to ‘extinguish the
fire’ that is currently ‘burning in their hearts,’ for the Lord, God’s church,
and its families.
The
advice that I would give to young pastors who are early in their pastoral
assignments is that they should love the people. The bishop may give the
preacher a pastoral appointment, but the bishop cannot make the preacher ‘the
pastor;’ only the people can do that. Love the people and they will gladly call
the assigned preacher, ‘My pastor.’”
-- Retired Bishop
Frederick Calhoun James
“My
advice to young AME minister entering the ministry would be, ‘Make sure you are
a Christian and that Jesus Christ is supreme in your life. Be certain that you
are ‘called of God’ to preach. Love God,
love the people, love the Church and love yourself.
In
addition to your seminary degrees, read the Bible everyday, study The Doctrine and Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church, the AMEC
Hymnal, and all other data that can enhance the quality of your
ministry.
Discover,
study, and exemplify the unique characteristics of AME Bishops, general and
connectional officers, presiding elders, pastors, laypersons, WMS, YPDers and
AME members who know the uniqueness of the ‘sons and daughters’ of Richard and
Sarah Allen.
My
advice to young pastors who are early into their pastoral appointments is to
thank God daily for the opportunity to be an AME pastor. Show the people your love for them and they
will show you their love for you.
Do
not center your thinking on the pastorate of some other pastor; make your own
pastorate the that it can be. Always
pray for the guidance of God in your pastorate – even your ‘pay-package.’ God can negotiate a better ‘pay-package’ for
you at your church meeting than you can negotiate for yourself. Be sure to keep
God near.
‘Use
your youth wisely –an old Greek proverb in the inter-generational area – ‘The most talented young warriors in the
contest did not under estimate the wisdom of the senior warriors on the
area. They were still there in spite of
their age.’”
TCR
Editor’s Note:
We will publish the statements of bishops and general officers and will consider
publishing the comment of others who wish to participate in this discussion.
2. READER RESPONSE
TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
-- To the Editor:
RE:
The absence of AME emblem on veterans' grave headstones
Recently
one, of my members who was a veteran, died. When the family ordered the
headstone there was a list of denominational emblems that could be cut into the
stone. The United Methodist symbol was available as were the other
denominational emblems.
My
member was told that our symbol could be added only if our Episcopal leadership
pushed for it; otherwise the standard cross would be used for AME veterans.
Can
you cause some discussion to take place?
Too
many proud AMEs have gladly served this nation and the option of having our
brand on their headstone should be available to them.
The
Rev. Dr. Byron Grayson
Pastor
St. Paul AME, Lenoir, North Carolina
--To the Editor:
RE:
John Thomas III, May 9, 2014 TCR Online
article, “What I Learned at the North Chicago District Conference
I
wish to commend John Thomas III for the excellent article, "What I Learned
at the North District Conference of the Chicago Annual Conference" (May 9,
2014 edition of The Christian Recorder Online). The article was relevant and
instructional. I particularly appreciated the discussion regarding Wesley'
"conventionism," as it is
so important to know the meaning and significance of the conference levels in
the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Yours
truly,
Ethel
H. Russaw
- To the Editor:
RE:
TCR Editorial – If I Could Start
Ministry Right Now
As
a lay person, I agree with most of what you said and would many things over in
my effort to know about "why we do what we do." The sadder part is the pastors and lay
persons who need to read this, probably don't or won't because they already
know everything; and we know that's not true.
I am not ashamed to say I always learn something when I read The
Christian Recorder.
Name
Withheld
3. A PRAYER IN
RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM THE WIM PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA:
The
Rev. Velma E. Grant, MDiv, ThM
This
prayer was written in response to a request from the WIM President of Nigeria
who was soliciting the prayers of her sisters in WIM across the AME Church.
"Dear
God, we ask this time for Your divine guidance and protection for not only the
275+ girls abducted in Nigeria but also for the safety of other abducted girls
whose circumstances are unknown by the world.
God
we ask that you touch the hearts of those who do not appreciate the fact that
Your existence is visible in those who are female. Perhaps God, if they had
accepted the visibility of the divine in those born female then perhaps there
would be no disrespect, discrimination, or abuse to those whom You designated
to be the vessels of creation.
God
please change hearts, minds, and attitudes of those who cannot accept the
humanity of being female.
Move
now God throughout the world; begin with Nigeria, then move on to Cameroon,
Chad and neighboring African countries. Move through Afghanistan, India,
Europe, Asia, Australia, North, South, and Central America and protect Your
daughters who are mothers or will become mothers.
God,
we are female and were created in Your image, You chose one of us to birth the
Savior of the world, and for that, we are eternally grateful.
Come
God, move from the left to the right, from the north, south, east, and west,
bring a revival and a new level of honor and respect for your global daughters.
We
will continue to praise and glorify You as our God and Creator." Selah!
4. DYING OF THIRST:
Jonathan
Allen, 15 Years old
It
seems today that we are dying of thirst.
Sometimes,
I don’t even know if the stereotypes about us, as African American people, are
wrong.
Everyday
you hear stories of young blacks fighting each other and killing each other
over the poison that we call drugs. Sometimes it’s not even drugs, it is money.
Why
do we kill our own kind for material things?
I
have no idea. I do have the impression that the only thing people care for now
is money, sex and drugs.
It
doesn’t make any sense to me.
Trust
me, I like money just as much as the next person, but we need to wake up and realize
that we, as blacks, may be the cause of our own extinction. It’s sad, but true.
I
know I’m not perfect, but I do know right from wrong and what’s wrong is the
fact that we are fighting against the person in mirror.
Sometimes
I wonder when and how this all started.
Maybe,
just maybe, if a person can find the source of this, we can reverse it and
everything will be okay, but in my gut I feel that it won’t be that simple.
There
is a "monster" roaming around America that has grown over the years.
To
be honest, we may not have created the “monster,” but many of us are sustaining
the "monster" by feeding it.
The
"monster" needs to be terminated.
The
only problem is that no one has come up with a way to terminate the
"monster." Instead, we feed it some more and act as if it isn’t
there.
We
are the first to call the white man a racist when he calls us a “nigga,” and the next day we might see a
friend in the street and say, “What’s happening my nigga?” It’s a double standard that shouldn’t exist. Negative
racial terms should not be a part of our lexicon, whether white, black, yellow
or brown.
Young
black men die of "thirst" everyday.
There
is "water," but the only problem is that so many of our young black
men don’t know where to find the "water."
Opportunity,
education and commitment are available - "You just have to go to the
well."
“In an abundance of water, only a fool is
thirsty!” ~Bob Marley
“Education is still the key to real and
lasting freedom. So it is now up to us
to cultivate that hunger for education in our own lives and in those around
us.” -- Michelle Obama speaking at the commencement ceremony of Dillard
University in New Orleans, 5/10/14
*Jonathan
Allen is the 15 year old son of the Rev. Frederick and Mrs. Diane Allen, pastor
and first lady of St. James AME in Gray, Georgia
5. COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, GENERAL BOARD AND CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS
INFORMATION UPDATE:
The Thirteenth Episcopal District is pleased
to welcome you to Nashville, Tennessee for this grand gathering of the Church!
Three significant meetings will be held from
June 23 – 28, 2014 at the Sheraton Music City.
Please note the changes from our usual
pattern:
- The Council of Bishops will meet all day on
Monday (not Sunday evening).
- The General Board Caucus will be on Monday
Evening (not Sunday evening).
- The General Board Session will open on
Tuesday morning (not Monday morning).
- The General Board will close on Wednesday
afternoon (not Tuesday).
- The Investiture will occur at the beginning
of the Council of Bishops Worship Service.
- There will be no banquet.
6. HOTELS:
The Venue for the event (All rooms are
booked):
Sheraton Music City Hotel
777 McGavock Pike
Nashville, TN 37214
Telephone: 615. 885-2200
Overflow Hotel:
Nashville Airport Marriott
600 Marriott Drive
Nashville, TN, 37214
Telephone: 615. 889-9300
To make a reservation, individuals should call
800. 228-9290 and ask for the AME Church block of rooms.
7. THE SOUVENIR BOOKLET
A souvenir booklet is in preparation. In lieu of greetings and advertisements,
those who would like to support the Investiture Celebration are invited to
become a patron.
Silver - $100
Gold - $200
Platinum - over $200
Diamond - $3,750 and above
Checks should be made payable to: Investiture 2014
Mail or Email your name as you would like it
to appear (with reasonable limits) to:
Investiture 2014, 500 Eighth Avenue South,
Nashville, TN 37203
Deadline:
June 3, 2014
For a complete agenda of the General Board, go
to:
8. THE
2014 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS:
Online Registration at:
9. THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS:
Monday, June 23, 2014
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Council of Bishops (Closed Session)
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Council of Bishops (Closed Session)
8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Council of Bishops (Closed Session)
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Council of Bishops Service of Worship & Investiture of the
President
7:30 p.m.
10. GENERAL BOARD AGENDA:
A Full Agenda can be downloaded at:
Monday, June 23, 2014
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. General Board Caucus Meeting
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
9:30 a.m. General
Board Opening Plenary Session
12:00 Noon – 2:00 p.m. General Board Luncheon
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Commission Meetings – Session I
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Commission Meetings – Session II
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. General Board Plenary
12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. General Board Luncheon
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. General Board Closing Plenary
11. CANDIDATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS AND
GENERAL BOARD MEETINGS AND THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS:
June 22-28, 2014
We regret to inform you that due to space
limitations at the Sheraton Music City there will be no booth exhibitions for
candidates.
There will be a Candidates Promenade where one
(1) “pop-up” style banner will be allowed in a dimension of approximately
twenty-eight to thirty-six inches (28” - 36”) wide – the standard, average
sizes. There will be no fee for this courtesy. We will enforce the following:
1) Space will be given on a first come, first
accommodated procedure. You may put your name in the cue by forwarding your
request to 13thDistrict@13thame.com. We should have space for a minimum of 30
banners. Once the area is saturated, we will have to close the display offer.
No independently/randomly placed banners will be permitted around the hotel.
2) Banners will be placed at the discretion of
the 13th Episcopal District, and all candidates will be expected to respect the
protocol.
3) Multiple banners and oversized banners will
not be allowed.
4) In addition, we are planning an area where
brochures may be made available on a limited basis (and replenished as needed.)
5) Candidate (and supporters) will not be
permitted to gather in front of the banners as they will be located in a high
volume traffic area.
6) Banners will not be put on display before 8
a.m. on Monday, June 23. All banners must be removed by 3 p.m. on Saturday,
June 28.
7) Once you have registered your interest in
participating, more details will be sent.
12. CANDIDATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS/GENERAL
BOARD MEETINGS AND THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS:
June 22-28, 2014
We regret to inform you that due to space
limitations at the Sheraton Music City there will be no booth exhibitions for
candidates.
There will be a Candidates Promenade where one
(1) “pop-up” style banner will be allowed in a dimension of approximately
twenty-eight to thirty-six inches (28” - 36”) wide – the standard, average
sizes. There will be no fee for this
courtesy. We will enforce the following:
• Space will be given on a first come, first
accommodated procedure. You may put your
name in the cue by forwarding your request to 13thDistrict@13thame.com. We should
have space for a minimum of 30 banners.
Once the area is saturated, we will have to close the display
offer. No independently/randomly placed
banners will be permitted around the hotel.
• Banners will be placed at the discretion of
the 13th Episcopal District, and all candidates will be expected to respect the
protocol.
• Multiple banners and oversized banners will
not be allowed.
• In addition, we are planning an area where
brochures may be made available on a limited basis (and replenished as needed.)
• Candidate (and supporters) will not be
permitted to gather in front of the banners as they will be located in a high
volume traffic area.
• Banners will not be put on display before 8
a.m. on Monday, June 23. All banners
must be removed by 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 28.
Once you have registered your interest in
participating, more details will be sent.
13. WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN:
*The Reverend Gwendolyn I. Benjamin
It was not until I was required to write an
essay as part of my final exam in New Testament studies that I seriously
considered, “what is a Christian?” I approached the task with myriad thoughts
and experiences that I felt had shaped my journey with Christ, and had given me
an edge a foundation for defining what a Christian is, yet, to my surprise as I
began to process a definition in light of all that I thought I knew my
hypothesis was unclear. Am I qualified
to know what a Christian is?
Then I flipped the switch and ask the
question, what is a Christian not? And the light comes on, suddenly I am aware
of a presence around me that is warm and humbling, is it a hot flash?
Uhmmm! Yet in the context of that
moment, all thought ceased. How can you
know? The thoughts come back like a sudden gush of wind or water both chilling
and refreshing at once.
I realized I don’t really know what a
Christian is or is not since we are all saved by God’s grace, as the writer of
Ephesians argues, through faith we believe that despite, failures and flaws
whether moral or ethical, we are never beyond God’s reach (2:8). Therefore, the
task of defining or distinguishing either is daunting what if I get it wrong.
What if, fear of failure or loss, the nagging
terror of exposure and shame, even the overwhelming realization of
unreciprocated love and fellowship harden my heart to believe I am worthy to
define from actions or inactions the path God has prepared for another.
For the sake of argument, I chose Paul,
however, not as an example of a Christian, but as an example of why
distinguishing is so difficult. Paul
grew up believing in God, part of the religious establishment of Tarsus, the
Son of a Pharisee, educated in the finest institutions, and headstrong in his
belief that pursuing and persecuting those of “The Way” was in fact doing God,
and Judaism a favor. Moreover, he sought
creative ways, and numerous opportunities to demonstrate that his up-bringing,
and belief in what, and perhaps who the Messiah would be was so right, that he
forgot that God was in charge.
It was not until he was standing in a crowd of
enraged zealots at the stoning of Stephen, as the ravenous crowd laid their
coats at his feet, and Stephen prayed that God would receive his spirit and
release his enemies from any penalty for the sin of murder. As Saul witnessed, and approved the stoning,
could he have thought what if I got it wrong?
Our actions are not always consistent with how
God stirs our hearts. I believe God uses a planting, and watering process in
conversion, and that day the planting took place in the heart of one whom God
had chosen to be a servant. There is no
scholarly consensus about dates, however, research suggest Stephen was stoned
in 31, one year after Jesus was crucified in 30, and three years before Saul
was converted in 34.
Scripture confirms, that day Saul set out with
vengeance to persecute the church in Jerusalem.
Nonetheless, Gods plan, even in the midst of Saul’s reprisal could not
be thwarted. On what would be his last campaign to eliminate those of “The Way,” while enroute to Damascus some
sixty miles from Jerusalem the game changed permanently for Saul.
The fascinating thing about the story as
related in the book of Acts, Saul recognized the light, and responded, “Who are
you, Lord?” Did he perhaps remember Stephen’s description some three years
earlier, and his question was more a sigh of relief that God had finally come
to rescue both Saul and God’s people?
Interestingly more than twenty years after his
conversion Paul wrote to the Roman’s, “ I don’t understand what I am doing,
what I want to do, I don’t do, but what I hate, I do, but it is no longer I,
but sin that dwells in me.” Sounds a
little Gnostic to me, yet, there could be a bit of Gnosticism in us all.
Scholars argue Paul died a martyr’s death in a
Roman Prison in 67, after approximately thirty-three years, and three
missionary expeditions to take the gospel to the Gentiles. Being credited with
writing thirteen of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, seven of which
scholars agree are authentic; after numerous encounters with death, and
imprisonment, and being ridiculed, and rejected by the people.
In his disputed Epistle to Timothy, from the
perspective of a prisoner facing imminent death Paul writes, “From every
persecution and all of my suffering, the Lord rescued me. All who want to live
a godly life will be persecuted, now I am ready, and being poured out as a
libation, [a drink offering in celebration of God.] I have fought a good fight,
kept the faith, now I am done. So, minister to the people, and leave the reward
up the God.”
What if, Paul had not realized that as the
Apostle to the Gentiles his greatest mission was to convince those without
religious experience or Jewish roots that the very movement he abhorred was in
fact genuine, and founded by a Messiah who was crucified on a Roman cross, and
in doing so that he would be legitimized as a real Christian.
Paul’s story is one of racial and religious
tension that resulted in groups of persons being persecuted and imprisoned for
their belief. The same tensions create division and persecution within groups
and societies today. The note worthy
thing in the story is that it took a miracle from God to bring change.
History records that societies have evolved in a context of
division that segregates and marginalizes along the lines of race, ethnicity,
religion, sexuality, geography, politics, and the haves and have not’s. Many
hours and philosophies and theories have been put forth to understand, explain
and resolve the issues associated with these divisions. Yet, twenty plus
centuries later the world still grapples with these issues.
Growing up in the sixties I used to think
blacks in America were the only people in the world subjected to persecution
and marginalization, denied access to move into the economic and political
mainstream and considered even in a melting pot second-class citizens. Then, as I begin to study the history of
ancient peoples and to look more closely at world conditions, I realized that
even in the twenty-first century the world is a tender box and civilization is
no more civilized than when tribal warriors vied for territory in ancient
societies.
The stories of unrest and violence in places
like Ukraine, where bloodshed, and death have been constant since Russia
invaded and annexed Crimea in March 2014; or Egypt where pro-democratic
activism can lead to imprisonment for violating laws against peaceful
assembly. And the global threat of
Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapon’s, and other hot spots like the nuclear threat
posed by North Korea’s development of advanced
ballistic missiles, and the civil war that is ravaging Syria with
hundreds dying daily, and the crisis in Nigeria, young girls considered
unworthy of education are kidnapped, held for ransom, and sold into slavery.
When
these divisions that separate groups and societies is considered in relation to the global
society, the examples above suggest they are created by a desire for absolute
power that is not widely shared nor questioned. While not all the examples are
societies that embrace a Christian belief system, neither was the society of
ancient Israel. Yet a miracle from God brought change.
Perchance being a Christian is a matter that
cannot be determined by definition or distinction. All the same, race, ethnicity, and the many
issues confronting societies do determine how persons are viewed and given
access to platforms that demonstrate inclusion.
Is there a settled confidence that the ideals and experiences we embrace
express belief, or do our meaningful emotional, physical, and spiritual
experiences evidence being a Christian?
Because belief is an individual expression, people even in oppressed
environments can embrace religion, however, that does not mean the information
offered particularly by the oppressors, who often determine the information
communicated, presents the message of God as a liberator who comes to liberate
the oppressed and punish the oppressors.
The Church by definition and nature is
interpretive, therefore, empowering its members to interpret through the lens
of social location is a responsibility that can aid in addressing the
particular issues that create divisions, and give expression to those voices
that would otherwise be silenced. Most
if not all us get up everyday, and go about the various tasks of life, and if
we consider ourselves Christians, we gather on Sunday Morning for two and a
half, possibly three hours to pay homage to our belief, and for the most part,
we never examine what or why we believe.
In the final analyses this essay may or may
not bring me closer to defining or distinguishing, what a Christian is or is
not, yet, it has created critical thought that will keep me asking, What if I
get it wrong? Am I qualified to answer the question, since we are all saved by
God’s grace?
*The Reverend Gwendolyn I. Benjamin serves as
the Coordinator Western North Carolina Women In Ministry and is the pastor
Gaston Chapel AME Church in Morganton, North Carolina
14. NOW JET MAGAZINE, WHAT NEXT:
Robert L. Harris, Jr., Ph.D
- The recent announcement that Jet Magazine
will be produced only online has made it feel like the black world is crumbling
around me. First, the Florida Avenue Grill near the Howard University campus
closed. They had the best biscuits and rolls anywhere. Then Paschal's
Restaurant in the main terminal of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport closed. I used to schedule flights into and out of Atlanta to have time
for their fried chicken, cornbread, and their piece de resistance, peach
cobbler. Now, Jet Magazine, the black world’s town crier, griot, will no longer
have a print edition.
When I was in graduate school, my mother used
to send my wife and me what we called “Care packages” once a month. She sent
things that she thought we needed but could not afford to purchase, among them
the Jet Magazines that she carefully saved for us. We looked forward to those
monthly packages, especially the Jet Magazines. They kept us abreast of what
was happening among black people, culturally, economically, politically, and
socially. We received information, locally, nationally, and internationally,
that generally did not appear in the mainstream press.
While putting together the Columbia Guide to
African American History Since 1939, co-edited with Dr. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, I
relied on Jet Magazine as the main source for our chronology section of the
book. Jet Magazine was the black community’s publication of record. It included
the triumphs and tragedies, the black firsts, and gossip that you did not find
elsewhere.
I know that many readers are accessing
publications online through their electronic devices. But, it will not be the
same as pulling a Jet Magazine out of your pocket to share with a friend or
relative. Nor will it be the same as having a stack of Jets on a coffee table
for visitors and especially children to leaf through, to start a conversation,
and to develop a better appreciation and understanding of black history and
culture. We will now have to become ever more vigilant in preserving and
promoting images and values that are important to us.
Robert L. Harris, Jr., Ph.D
Professor Emeritus of African American History
Africana Studies & Research Center,
Cornell University
See more at: http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/2014/05/09/now-jet-magazine-what-next/#sthash.EXMJI46r.dpuf
15. THE REV. BRIDGETTE YOUNG ROSS NAMED DEAN OF THE CHAPEL AND
SPIRITUAL LIFE AT EMORY UNIVERSITY:
The Rev. Bridgette Young Ross will become the
next dean of the chapel and spiritual life at Emory University beginning July 1
officials at Emory and at the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
(GBHEM) of The United Methodist Church (UMC) have announced.
For the past five years she has served as
assistant general secretary of the UMC General Board of Higher Education and
Ministry, in Nashville. Responsible for supporting and equipping more than 500
collegiate ministries in the United States and for helping develop collegiate
ministries in many of the more than 800 institutions of higher education in the
Methodist tradition around the world, she has led the church in providing new
training programs, online support, national networking, and leadership
development.
Ross previously served at Emory from 2000 to
2009 as associate dean of the chapel. In that capacity she was a vital
spiritual leader, committed to the religious and ethical formation of the
entire university community, including faculty and staff as well as students.
At Emory, she will succeed the Rev. Susan
Henry-Crowe, who in February became the General Secretary of the UMC General
Board of Church and Society, in Washington D.C.
Emory President James W. Wagner commented,
“Bridgette Young Ross brings great gifts of faith, intellect, bridge-building,
and mentorship to the work of the Office of Spiritual Life. She will continue
to strengthen the vibrant and formative interfaith dynamics that are a hallmark
of Emory as a research university.
“As she engages students, faculty, and staff
in questions of spiritual meaning through collaborations with our various
schools and divisions, she will both provide leadership on ethical issues
confronting the university and represent the religious dimensions of Emory to
the broader world.”
The Rev. Dr. Kim Cape, General Secretary of
GBHEM, said, “We certainly hate to lose Bridgette from our staff, but we
understand the importance of this venue for exercising her call and
vocation. She has done outstanding work
while she has been with us. She has
completely rejuvenated our collegiate ministry office, reshaping its programs
and extending its outreach. Under her
leadership, that office has begun collegiate ministry work internationally as
we seek to serve a global church.
“Emory has made a wise choice indeed. She will be missed at GBHEM, but she will
bring excitement and dynamic spiritual leadership to Emory, one of the finest
institutions of higher education in the UMC connection.”
Ross is an ordained elder and member in full
connection in the North Georgia Conference of the UMC. Bishop Mike Watson, an
Emory alumnus and trustee who presides over the North Georgia Conference,
commented that he is pleased at the prospect of appointing Ross to this
extension ministry of the church.
A native of Chicago, Ross earned a B.S. degree
in management and marketing from Illinois Institute of Technology and an MBA
degree from the University of North Carolina, as well as a M.Div. degree from
Gammon Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. She
gained extensive experience in management in the corporate world before
entering the ministry in 1990.
Ross began her ministry at Cascade UMC in
Atlanta, where she served as associate pastor of administration from 1992 to
1995. She then served Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, GA, as associate minister for
congregational care for two years before being appointed associate director of
missions, ecumenical and ethnic ministries in the North Georgia Conference.
From 1998 to 2000 she was director of the Wesley Fellowship and United
Methodist campus minister at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
She has been an elected delegate to the UMC
General Conference twice. Known as a dynamic and stirring preacher, she is a
widely sought-after lecturer and workshop presenter.
The appointment comes at the end of a
seven-month search that attracted more than 130 nominations and applications.
It was the first chaplaincy search in the university’s history open to
religious leaders beyond the Christian tradition.
16. HUNGER AMONG SENIORS ON THE RISE: FUNERAL SERVICE:
Washington, DC, May 15, 2014 – A Bread for the
World analysis released today indicates that hunger among senior Americans is
on the rise. However, federal nutrition programs like the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) have helped slow the
increase in hunger among this age group.
“Our grandparents who worked hard all their
lives, now have to choose between eating or purchasing their medication,” said
the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World. “This is a choice no
one, especially the elderly, should have to make in a country as rich as ours.”
Seniors - adults age 65 and older - make up
12.9 percent of the U.S. population. The analysis, “Keeping the Dream Alive:
Hunger by the Numbers Among Older Americans,” indicates that 3.9 million
seniors live below the poverty line.
The amount of seniors experiencing hunger
increased by 88 percent between 2001 and 2011. Programs like SNAP and Meals on
Wheels have helped curb this rise. However, if trends continue, the hungry
elderly will increase by 50 percent.
Unfortunately, cuts to safety net programs
like SNAP as well as the stigma attached to these programs have prevented some
seniors from receiving the support they need.
“We must protect these vital programs and
erase the stigma that prevents many seniors from applying for these programs,”
said Beckmann. “These programs are a ‘hand-up,’ not a handout.” Bread’s
analysis, “Keeping the Dream Alive: Hunger by the Numbers Among Older
Americans” coincides with the observance of Older Americans Month in the United
States.
17. UNITED METHODISTS DECIDE AGAINST ATLANTA DUE TO RACIALLY OFFENSIVE
PRACTICES:
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 8, 2014 - The Love Your
Neighbor (LYN) Coalition, consisting of ten “official” and “unofficial” caucus
organizations of The United Methodist Church, announced today they have changed
plans from holding an event in Atlanta, Georgia due to racially offensive
practices of the Atlanta Braves organization toward Native Americans.
For several months the LYN Coalition has
negotiated with the Georgia Institute of Technology about hosting their event
in the summer of 2015 (with an expected attendance of 700 participants) in
Atlanta. In a letter to Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed, the LYN Coalition states
that “Atlanta was the top location on our list. The costs, easy transportation
to and from the airport, and the convenience to local restaurants, businesses
and tourist attractions seemed to make Atlanta an ideal location.”
However, the Native American International
Caucus of United Methodists, a LYN Coalition partner organization, reminded
them of The United Methodist Church’s past commitment to not hold events in
cities whose sports teams have names, mascots and/or practices that are
demeaning and offensive toward Native American peoples. As a result, the LYN
Coalition is now looking toward another city and has informed not only
Atlanta’s Mayor, but also the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta
Braves organization that they “will not be able to bring (our) business and
tourist dollars to the city and businesses of Atlanta.”
In their letters the LYN Coalition states,
“While we give thanks that the Atlanta Braves organization has changed its
mascot from ‘the screaming Indian, Chief Noc-A-Homa’ to ‘Homer,’ we also note
that they have not done anything to remove the offensive caricature of “Chief
Noc-A-Homa” from screen savers and Facebook pages that still connect it
directly with the Atlanta Braves. If recent news stories about racism within
sporting organizations have shown us anything, it is that organizations can
attempt to outwardly placate the public while systemically continuing to
promote prejudice and racist attitudes through their words, actions and deeds.
The use of the name Braves and the symbols of the tomahawk and ‘tomahawk chop’
do nothing but offer up racist and demeaning images and stereotypes of our
Native American citizens and friends.”
They further state, “It is our hope that the
Atlanta Braves organization will consider a different name and symbols for its
organization and team. We, the LYN Coalition, will ask others to avoid holding
events in cities like Atlanta until they acknowledge that their storied
traditions have been built upon racist portrayals of others and forego the
continued use of images, mascots, symbols and/or actions that perpetuate and
encourage prejudice. It is our further hope that the good and caring people of
these cities will speak out within their communities and local governments to
encourage positive and respectful change. Once these changes occur we will be
more than happy to consider bringing our business back to Atlanta!”
About the Love Your Neighbor Coalition
The Love Your Neighbor Coalition was formed in
the summer of 2011 and has grown to include representatives from ten United
Methodist-related partner organizations. We are United Methodists committed to
the embodiment of God's love and justice within and through the people and
mission of The United Methodist Church. Our goal is to assure The United
Methodist Church is fully open to the presence, love and grace of God offered
to all people.
*Used with permission of the United Methodist
News Service
18. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical Text: I Timothy 1:15: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I
am chief.”
We are commissioned to spread the salvation
story however there are some people, maybe even some close to us, who we find
it most difficult to reach. There are some people who believe that they are too
bad for God to be concerned with them. If you are like me you have family
members, neighbors and maybe a co-worker or two who are convinced that they are
too evil or too far gone and when we try to share with them the good news of
Jesus Christ they believe that their sins are too great to be forgiven.
The difficult question becomes, “What do you
tell a person who feels they’re too bad to be any good?” The answer is that, “Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners.” There are several powerfully profound texts in the
Bible on the subject of salvation. However, simply stated, Christ came to save
the sinner. That sinner is you, me and the most wretched person we know also.
If I were preaching this text, I might say at
this juncture, “I need to park here for a moment.” I need to mention that many
of the folk we know who believe they are too far away from God to be helped
say, “I can’t go to church and sit up there with all those good people. You
don’t know the things I’ve done in my life! They’ll never forgive me, and I’m
ashamed to ask for forgiveness after all the stuff I’ve done.” How do you know
Reverend? I know because I remember a time in my life when I thought like that.
Truth be told, some of you reading remember a time when you thought like that as
well. Thank God Jesus came to save the sinner!
It was a sinner who wrote our text. The writer
is Paul, a native of Tarsus, a city distinguished for the wealth of its
inhabitants, and for its exposure to many languages. For two years,
Christianity was quietly spreading its influence. Paul, then known as Saul,
probably a member of the great Sanhedrin, had become an active leader in the
furious persecution and extermination of Christians. Saul took a prominent part
while watching Stephen, one of the seven deacons of the early Christian church
deliver a public and aggressive testimony that Jesus was the Messiah. When persecution arose against Stephen, the
Bible says “they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to
stone him, (in an attempt to squelch the messenger and his message). Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at
the feet of a young man named Saul.”
What man intends for evil, God works for good.
The persecution of Christians caused the believers to scatter, and with them
their beliefs. “They that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the
word” (Acts 8:4) and the anger of this persecutor was kindled into a fiercer
flame. When Saul heard that the Christians had taken refuge in Damascus, he
obtained letters from the chief priest authorizing him to follow in pursuit of
the fugitives. It was at the last stage of the 130 mile, six day journey that
Saul’s life was changed forever. Saul,
the persecutor of Christ, became Paul the Ambassador for Christ.
The Bible says, Saul, the persecutor, was
blinded by the dazzling light, and led by his companions into Damascus, where
he spent three days absorbed in deep thought, refusing to eat or drink. It is a fact that when God gets our attention,
He really gets our attention. Saul lost his appetite. Saul not only lost his
appetite for food, he lost his appetite for murder.
In a vision, God told Ananias, a disciple
living in Damascus, that Saul, the terrible and feared persecutor of
Christians, was in town. God told Ananias to go to Saul and anoint him and
admit him by baptism into the Christian church.
I wonder just how many of us would have responded to God’s call that
day. Let’s be honest. Some of us have trouble admitting reformed drug addicts,
reformed liars and reformed alcoholics into our church. Can we honestly say
that we would have obeyed God and anointed Saul, the murderer of Christians?
Those who believe they are too bad to be
forgiven should notice that not only did Jesus forgive Paul, Jesus also trusted
Paul. You see, sometimes, in our church,
we may forgive someone who has committed some mistake or who has been guilty of
some sin, but we make it very clear by “thought, word or deed” that what they
have done in the past makes it impossible for us to trust them again with any
responsibility. However, Jesus had not only forgiven Paul, He had entrusted him
to do His work. The man who had been the persecutor of Christ had been made the
ambassador for Christ”
Paul had insulted, reviled and cursed the name
of Jesus. He had been so angry at Jesus that he had set out to wipe His name
off the face of the earth by killing all Christians. But, when he had reached
the last stage of his journey and was within sight of Damascus, he was suddenly
confronted by a blinding light, and a voice that asked, “Why persecutest thou me?” There stood Jesus, clothed in the vesture
of his glorified humanity, demanding an answer. And all Paul could think to say
was, “Who are you?” The answer, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutests.” He had
treated and used others despitefully; he had been brutal and violent and worse
he had enjoyed it! And yet, Jesus forgave Paul of his terrible sins. Despite
all this evil, God had mercy upon Paul.
Jesus favored Paul even when he did not
deserve it. And Jesus favors us even when we don’t deserve it. Jesus blessed Paul even when he did not
deserve it. Jesus blesses us, even when we don’t deserve it! Jesus does not
favor us slightly. He favors us exceedingly and abundantly. Jesus favors us
superabundantly and beyond measure. Micah 7:18 (Living Bible Translation) says
“Where is another God like you, who pardons the sins of the survivors among his
people? You cannot stay angry with your people, for you love to be merciful.”
Paul says, “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord,
who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the
ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I
obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I
am chief. Howbeit for this cause I
obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all
longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to
life everlasting. Now unto the King
eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever
and ever. Amen.”
There is no sin beyond the capacity of Jesus’
forgiveness. There is no person too bad to be any good for God. We can bring our degraded reputation and our
ruined life to Jesus. We can bring our blemished character and our tormented
conscience. We can bring our contaminated, stained, sinful soul to Jesus and He
will wash us white as snow!
*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of
Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina
19. GETTING TO ZERO:
CELEBRATING 60:
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
2014 is the 60th anniversary of the Brown vs Board of Education
Supreme Court decision. It legally ended separate, but equal education for
black and white students in the USA.
Last week I was in Washington, DC for the 5th international
conference of the Consortium of Universities in Global Health (CUGH). Research
reports and discussions were presented by participants from all over the world
on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal-child health and the rise of
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in developed and developing countries. NCDs
include stroke, heart disease, cancer, asthma, COPD and neurological diseases.
These diseases are not communicated by an infectious agent.
One of the last sessions of the CUGH conference was entitled “A
Conversation with NIH Leaders about New Directions in Global Health.” In one
room on one panel there were the Directors of five of the 27 institutes of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). These leaders guide the nation’s policy
and research on allergy and infectious diseases, cancer, neurological
disorders, environment and toxicology and international training.
This week the Department of Microbiology and Immunology seminar
series will host a special talk from the Branch Chief, Viral Special Pathogens
Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogen and Pathology (NCEZID). The title
of the talk is "Ebola and Marburg viruses and other nasty stuff that
comes out of bats: Outbreaks and reservoir hunts in Africa." The room will
be filled with eager listeners.
A postdoctoral university colleague attended the 2014 CUGH
conference for the first time. At the end of the three conference days, she
asked the question “Where are all the black folk?” People were present from
universities in the US and Canada and from universities in “lower and middle
income countries” (LMIC). The LMIC were mostly in Africa, the Caribbean and
Central America. There was not an abundance of African Americans visible in the
large group assembled at the 2014 CUGH meeting.
This week I was at Davenport University as part of celebrating
the 60th Anniversary of the Brown vs Board of Education decision. This landmark
Supreme Court decision legally ended the Plessy vs Ferguson “separate and
equal” law that passed in 1896 in the USA almost 60 years before.
These events are linked and relevant to the mission of Getting
to Zero.
The Brown vs Board of Education case officially opened at the
Supreme Court in 1951. A 9-0 decision of the judges was announced in 1954. The
attorney representing Oliver Brown and other families was Thurgood Marshall.
Eventually Attorney Marshall, the renowned lead attorney for the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), became the first
African American appointed as judge of the Supreme Court.
The new College of Urban Education at Davenport University
hosted the celebration of 60 years. The day involved a teach-off by high school
and elementary teachers in areas of STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering/Environment and Math/Medicine). The audience was mostly high school
juniors and seniors students from areas near Grand Rapids, Michigan. Teach-off
teachers covered concepts such as how sound vibrations make music, matrix
calculation in mathematics and the impact of mass on object movement in applied
physics. As the opening plenary speaker, along with engineer and fellow Ford
scholar Dr. Calving Mackie as the closing speaker, students were to understand
the concept that “you can be what you see.” You can be – a scientist, an
engineer, whatever you want and prepare to be.
How do these come together? What is the connection among the
60th anniversary of Brown vs Board of Education, the international CUGH
conference, the Davenport University teach-off in STEM and the seminar about
deadly virus-carrying bats in some countries of Africa?
Many of the issues discussed and research reports presented at
the CUGH international conference were about disease burden in countries
composed mainly of people of color. Most of these countries are in the
continent of Africa.
So, why were there not more people of color, particularly
African American researchers at the meeting? Are they out there? Are they
working or training to conduct research or implement changes in global health,
environment sustainability and economic issues?
Where are we 60 years since the victory of Brown vs Board of
Education?
Several people interviewed for this article reflected on the
meaning and impact of Brown, then and now.
A 90-year old retired teacher in North Carolina who is still highly
engaged in educating others remembers, “I was amazed at the differences in
resources found when my colleagues and I began teaching at the integrated
schools.” Although the resources (books, boards, structures, etc.) were better,
ironically the African American teachers had the higher education levels. Some
had Masters level graduate degrees. Most brought their years of varied teaching
experience.
Another person interviewed was a middle schooler in 1954. He
commented that the Brown decision “clearly affected opportunities available to
African American families.”
I ask, “In 2014, have we reaped the benefits made available 60
years ago from the outcome of Brown?” My brothers and I (and thus our families)
are direct recipients of the opening up of educational opportunities. The Brown
victory at the Supreme Court made possible elementary and high school education
with provision of the best materials, equipment and experienced teachers. Many
of you also are direct beneficiaries of the Brown decision.
Are we making sure that the next 60 years will bring continued
progress? Are we ensuring that students like those at the Grand Rapids teach-in
can take full advantage of available educational opportunities? Are students of
color, particularly African American and members of other under-represented
groups in STEM areas, getting what is needed to be on track as the next
scientists, engineers, nurses, doctors, physicists and mathematicians?
Who will address the 21st Century issues of infectious diseases
or non-communicable diseases?
Who will give the talks on research about viruses- HIV, Ebola
virus, MERS-coronavirus, hepatitis, influenza or human papilloma virus?
Who will lead or be part of field research teams engaged on the
ground in the USA or other areas of the globe? Who will be part of
multi-disciplinary teams to provide break-through findings like understanding
that Egyptian fruit bats found across a wide range of central Africa are the
carriers of deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses? These hemorrhagic fever causing viruses
spill over into the human population frequently. The diseases they cause are
over 60% fatal.
Why were there so few American black folk at the CUGH
conference? Do African American young people not want to be trained in the
sciences, engineering and math?
Are there other barriers like the soaring costs of higher
education, lack of exposure to effective mentors and reduced nurturing of
curiosity? What depletes the natural tendency of children to be curious about
the natural world and its workings?
It was rewarding to be part of the Celebration of Brown at 60.
It is rewarding to be a scientist. It is rewarding that the chase for the
elusive reservoir of deadly Ebola and Marburg viruses has ended in identifying
fruit bats as the source of infection. Interestingly, the infected fruit bat
carriers do not become sick. They pass the virus directly to humans, or to
animals (maybe only primates) such as chimpanzees that then pass it to humans
when the animals are hunted and dressed for food.
60 years post-Brown, there is ample room at the research and
global health table. We salute the brave parents and children who were part of
the Brown decision. These parents would not accept that their children should
receive less than the best available education. It was a legal right as
citizens of the United States.
In celebrating, we are compelled to ensure that hard won gains
in education are not loss, but are used by students of today. We look to these
students for the next 60 years of solving challenges in health and wellness.
They will push forward understanding in the neurosciences, the place where the
mind and body interface. They will devise ways to address the sustaining the
earth’s environment- water, air, temperature, weather.
Students like those in Grand Rapids, and those much younger,
must develop the love of learning and the discipline and tenacity required to
implement what is learned.
We are held responsible for what we have been given.
Individuals- pastors, clergy, officers, parents, neighbors alone or in groups
within their institutions - congregations, schools, colleges, universities and
community organizations and workplace
are charged with passing on the “can do!” spirit of Brown.
We stand on the shoulders of giants. What we do to value
education, to make use of opportunities, to get healthier and rid our
communities of disproportionate disease burdens will determine the celebrations
of the next 60 years.
Will there be cries of celebration for victory gained or sobs of
lamenting for opportunity lost?
*The Rev. Dr. A. Oveta Fuller is a tenured professor in
Microbiology and Immunology and faculty in the African Studies Center at the
University of Michigan. An Itinerant Elder in the 4th Episcopal
District, she served as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Adrian, Michigan for
seven years before focusing fully on global health research in Zambia and the
USA for HIV/AIDS elimination. At Payne Theological Seminary she teaches a
required course, “What Effective Clergy
Should Know about HIV/AIDS.”
20. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON
BRIEF:
The iChurch School Lesson Brief by Bill Dickens will return next
week.
21. MEDITATION BASED ON
PHILIPPIANS 3:1-14:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I spent my early years of pastoral ministry as a “bi-vocational”
pastor, working as a juvenile probation counselor while serving churches that
couldn’t afford a fulltime pastor. One
of my “war stories” from those days revolves around a 12 year old who had been
in and out of Family Court since he was 10 years old. I was called to his school on a day when he’d
terrorized his classmates, damaged school property and made his teachers
seriously consider whether aggravated assault was justifiable in his case.
I met with the young man, his mother, his principal and his
guidance counselor, and I asked him the obvious question - why did you do all
that, knowing that you’d get in trouble and be on the way back to Court? That 12 year old - who was in “special
education” classes - said in all earnestness, “Mr. Darby, it’s not my fault - I
have an adolescent adjustment disorder!”
He was so accustomed to meeting with and listening to psychologists,
therapists and counselors that he’d learned his diagnosis, used it to justify his
behavior, and accepted the label assigned to him - he “lived-down” to the
expectations that others set for him.
That 12 year old may have been an extreme case, but he really
wasn’t that different from a lot of us.
Plenty of good and capable people never succeed because we let this
world and those in it labels us, limit us and make us settle for just getting
by because of our place of residence, family of birth, economic class,
education or ethnicity.
We’d do well to remember that we’re all God’s children and, that
as Psalm 139 says, we’re all “...wonderfully made.” There’s no limit to what we can do or achieve
if we allow the God who made us to shape, mold and direct our lives. People may define us by our problems and
shortcomings, but God sees and knows our strengths, talents and possibilities.
Walk life’s journey expecting new blessings, believing that you
can reach new heights each day. You may run into tough times and tough and
critical people along the way, but when God orders your steps, directs your
path and gives you inspiration and assurance, you can face life with faith and
reach for the stars, knowing why those who were once labeled as America’s
“inferior” slave class first sang, “Jesus, made me what I am, nothing but a
child of God.”
This Meditation is also available on the Beaufort District’s
Website: www.beaufortdistrict.org
Get Ready for Sunday, and have a great day in your house of
worship!
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby is the Presiding Elder of the
Beaufort District of the South Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh
Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
22. CLERGY FAMILY
CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-- Dr. Deborah A. Alexander
earns a PhD from Carlow College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Congratulations to Dr. Deborah A. Alexander, daughter of The
Reverend Dr. Floyd W. Alexander, Sr., Administrative Assistant to Bishop
McKinley Young, Presiding Prelate of the Third Episcopal District, upon
receiving her PhD. in Nurse Practice from Carlow College, Pittsburgh, PA. The commencement ceremony will take place
Saturday, May 10, 2014.
Congratulatory responses may be emailed to:
-- Ms. Tiffany Marie
Kelly, a 2014-2015 national winner of the Stephen and Chrissy Vasquez
Scholarship Award
Tiffany Marie Kelly, the daughter of the Dr. Herman O. Kelly,
Jr. and Mrs. Linda M. Kelly, Pastor and First Lady of Bethel African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; was a national winner of the
Stephen and Chrissy Vasquez Scholarship. She was one of the forty National
award winners from Universities around the country.
Alpha Kappa Psi is a business fraternity, which prepares persons
for leadership and the business arena. Tiffany is a junior at Nova Southeastern
University in Davie, Florida.
Click on link for the list of National Winners:
Congratulatory responses may be emailed to:
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Herman O. Kelly, Jr.: hokellyj@yahoo.com
-- Abundant blessings for
the Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters and Attorney Yulise Reaves Waters
For a second consecutive year, First Lady, Attorney Yulise
Reaves Waters' name has been added to the Wall of Honor at Dallas City Hall for
excellence in service to the citizens of Dallas. An Assistant City Attorney and
West Dallas Community Court Prosecutor for the City of Dallas, Attorney Waters
was commended for her service in a public ceremony on April 29, 2014 at Dallas
City Hall by A. C. Gonzales, Dallas City Manager.
The Reverend Dr. Michael W. Waters, the author of the
critically-acclaimed book Freestyle: Reflections on Faith, Family, Justice, and
Pop Culture, featured by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and
Patheos.com, is featured this month on the cover of the literary edition of the
national Gospel magazine Epitome Magazine. Dr. Waters has also been named
"Best Author" in The Dallas Weekly's Best of Black Dallas 2014
Readership Poll. Recently added as an adjunct professor in the SMU Perkins
School of Theology's Doctor of Ministry Program and as a mentor pastor in
Perkins' Center for Preaching Excellence, Dr. Waters will preach the
commencement ceremony for Perkins on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at the Highland
Park United Methodist Church in Dallas. Currently on a Freestyle book tour, Dr. Waters has been invited to present before
the World Association for Christian Communication in Toronto, Canada this
summer.
For more on Epitome Magazine, please visit http://epitomemagazine.org/
For more on Freestyle,
please
Visit: http://michaelwwaters.com/
For the press release on Dr. Waters as Perkins commencement
preacher, please visit:
Congratulatory messages may be sent to mywaters0807@gmail.com
-- Ms. Charity Battle and
Dr. Lisa K. Battle earn degrees from Tennessee State University and UNC, Chapel
Hill
Charity Battle earned her degree in Dental Hygiene from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Friday, May 9, 2014.
Dr. Lisa K. Battle earned her degree of Doctor of Psychology
from Tennessee State University on Saturday, May 10, 2014.
Charity and Lisa are the daughters of the Rev. Milton and Mrs.
Doris T. Battle, pastor and first lady of Payne Chapel AME Church in
Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Congratulatory messages can be sent to:
Charity and Lisa Battle
1011 Maple Avenue
Apex, NC 27502
Or emailed to:
23. EPISCOPAL FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT UPDATE:
Service arrangements for Mr. Ralph Williams, the brother of
Bishop Preston Warren Williams II, presiding prelate of the Sixth Episcopal
District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church are as follows:
Visitation:
Tuesday, May 13, 2014, 2-8 PM
Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home
West End Chapel
1003 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, SW
Atlanta, GA 30310
Celebration of Life Service for Mr. Ralph Williams:
Wednesday, May 14, 2014 - 12:00 NOON
Second Mount Vernon Baptist Church
230 Stovall Street, SE
Atlanta, GA 30316
Office: (404) 525-3571
The Rev. Osheear L. Hardman, Officiating
Services are entrusted to:
Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home
West End Chapel
1003 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, SW
Atlanta, GA 30310
404-758-1731
Guest Book:
Expressing of sympathy may be sent to the Family of Mr. Ralph Williams
in care of Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home (address above)
Or to:
Bishop and Mrs. Preston Warren Williams II and family
Sixth Episcopal District AME Church
2900 Chamblee-Tucker Road, Building 3
Atlanta, GA 30341-4156
Telephone: (770) 220-1770
(770) 220-9996 (FAX)
Email: administrator@ame6.org
24. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of Mr. Robert E. Lawson,
a long-time member of Saint Joseph's AME Church, Durham, North Carolina;
brother of Mrs. Mary E. White, wife of the Reverend Donald T. White (retired
pastor), Tennessee Annual Conference and uncle of the Reverend Dennis Lawson I,
pastor of Saint Paul AME Church, Columbia, Tennessee.
Services for Mr. Robert Lawson:
Memorial Service:
Saturday, May 31, 2014, 1:00 PM
Saint Joseph's AME Church
2521 Fayetteville Street
Durham, NC 27707
Telephone: 919. 683-1379
The Rev. Dr. Ronald L. Owens, pastor
Press release: http://homeinhenderson.com/2014/05/12/press-release/nc/butterfield-mourns-loss-of-friend-and-nccu-photographer-robert-lawson/
Lawson Receives NCCU Lifetime Achievement Award:
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs. Clara Lawson and family (wife)
2301 Elmwood Avenue
Durham, NC 27707-1011
(919) 493-5597
Email: Claroblaw@gmail.com
Or to:
Mrs. Mary E. White (Rev. Donald T. White), sister
2960 Franklin Pike
Nashville, TN 37204-3430
Home: 615. 292-1062
Cell: 615. 202-3983
Email: maryewhite615@bellsouth.net
And:
The Reverend Dennis D. Lawson, I (nephew)
1013 Chateau Valley Court
Nashville, TN 37207-4230
Home: 615. 226-3167
Cell: 615.504-8417
Email: ALPHALAWS@aol.com
25. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with great regret that we inform you of the passing of
Mrs. Ann Sanderfur, the mother of the Rev. Barbara Sanderfur (Retired) of
Chattanooga, Tennessee and the Charles 'Benjamin' Sanderfur, supply pastor of
Powell Chapel AME. Church of the Liberty Hill Circuit; comprised of St. Paul
AME Church, Aspen Hill; and Trotter Chapel AME Church. Mrs. Ann Sanderfur was a
faithful member of Joseph Chapel AME Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee where the
Rev. Tarel K. McClurkin, Jr. is the pastor.
Homegoing Arrangements for Mrs. Ann Sanderfur:
Wake:
Sunday, May 11, 2014 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
John P. Franklin Funeral Home
1101 Dodds Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37404
423-622-9995 Office
423-622-9990 Fax
Funeral Service:
Monday, May 12, 2014 12:00 Noon
Bethel A. M. E. Church
2000-2004 Walker Street
Chattanooga, TN 37404
622-1261 Office
The Reverend A. J. Holman, Sr., Pastor/Officiant
The Reverend Ben Sanderfur, Eulogist
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
The Reverend Barbara Sanderfur
1209 N. Hickory Street, Apt. A
Chattanooga, TN 37406-3116
Email: revbsanderfur@gmail.com
The Reverend Ben Sanderfur
3005 Kings Lane
Nashville, TN 37218-1718
Email: charbensan@bellsouth.net
26. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to announce the passing of Deaconess Odessa Sain
Moore, 87, on Thursday, May 8, 2014.
Deaconess Moore was consecrated in 1993 under the leadership of Bishop
Vernon R. Byrd. She is a Member of
Asbury Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Louisville, KY, where the
Reverend Geoffrey S. Ellis is pastor; and Deaconess Moore was one of their oldest
members of Asbury Chapel.
Homegoing Arrangements for Deaconess Odessa Sain Moore:
Wake:
Monday, May 12, 2014 - 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
A. D. Porter Funeral Home
1300 West Chestnut Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Telephone: 502-587-9678
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 - 12:00 Noon
Asbury Chapel AME Church
1801 West Chestnut Street
Louisville, KY 40203
Telephone: 502.584-8975
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to: The Reverend Sandra
Wallace: sandrawallace03@yahoo.com
27. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
With sorrow we announce the passing of the Reverend Annette
Hollins, the spouse of Presiding Elder Benjamin Hollins, Los Angeles/Pasadena
District in the Southern California Conference.
The Reverend Annette, affectionately known as "Reverend
Ann,” passed away on Friday, May 9, 2014.
Viewing: Tuesday, May
20, 2014, 1:00 PM - 8:00 p.m.
Harrison-Ross Mortuary
738 E Highland Ave
San Bernardino, CA 92404
Phone: (909) 882-1288
Viewing: Wednesday,
21, 2014, 1:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Harrison-Ross Mortuary
4601 South Crenshaw Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90043
Phone: (323) 584-1230
Celebration of Life:
Thursday, May 22, 2014, 10:00 a.m.
New Philadelphia AME Church
19100 S. Susana Road
Rancho Dominguez, CA 90221
Phone: (310) 537-8777
Rev. Joseph C. Nixon, Officiant
Rev. Benjamin Thomas, Eulogist
Internment:
Forest Lawn Cemetery
21300 E. Via Verde Street
Covina, CA 91724
Expressions of
sympathy and condolences may be sent to:
Presiding Elder Benjamin Hollins
29538 Southwood Lane
Highland, CA 92346
Phone: (909) 864-2658
Email condolences may be sent to: revbhollins@yahoo.com
28. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of the Reverend John
Wesley McClellan, Jr., retired pastor of the Chicago Conference, 4th Episcopal
District. The Rev. McClellan made his
transition on Tuesday night, May 6, 2014.
The Reverend McClellan served as pastor of Robinson Chapel
African Methodist Episcopal Church (Chicago), spanning the years 1992 through
2003 and was the longest serving pastor in the church's history. During his
tenure, the church experienced its largest membership and active ministries. After his retirement, the Rev. McClellan was
a faithful member and attendee at Robinson Chapel until his illness.
The funeral arrangements are as follows:
VIEWING
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
12:00 Noon - 7:00 PM
Unity Funeral Parlors, Inc.
4114 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60653
Telephone: 773-624-2703
Fax: 773-624-6969
Wake and Funeral
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Wake - 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Funeral - 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
St. James AME Church
9256 South Lafayette Avenue
Chicago, IL 60620
Telephone: 773-785-9732
The Rev. J. Leon Thorn, Pastor and Officiant
Interment:
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
20953 W. Hoff Road
Elwood, IL 60621
815-423-9958
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to his wife:
Mrs. Reola McClellan
10210 S. Parnell Avenue
Chicago, IL 60628
773-239-5371
Prayerfully Submitted,
The Reverend Christine Slaughter, Pastor
Robinson Chapel AME Church
29. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We wish to inform you that one of the trailblazers for Women In
Ministry in the Southern California Conference, the Reverend Louise Moore,
Superannuated Itinerant Elder, is relieved of the cares of this world.
This powerful preacher and servant of God labored in the
vineyard as a Licensed Missionary then later responded to the call to preach
and pastor. She spent her latter years
serving as an associate at Bethel AME Church in Los Angeles as long as her
health permitted. We celebrate her life
and witness.
The Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, May 15, 2014
at 11:00 a.m.
Bethel AME Church, Los Angeles
7900 Western Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90047
The Reverend Dr. Kelvin T. Calloway, Pastor
Services entrusted to:
Simpson Mortuary
3443 Manchester
Inglewood, CA 90305
Expressions of sympathy and love may be sent to:
Cedric Moore (Son)
20530 Anza Avenue #20
Torrance, CA 90503
30. CLERGY FAMILY
BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Telephone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Telephone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
31. 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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