The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr.,
Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor
III, the 20th Editor, The Christian
Recorder
Ebola Update Message from the Rev. A Oveta Fuller, PhD:
“The World Health Organization
(WHO) has declared an Ebola public health crisis alert
Level 1, which means countries
involved and others should use intensive means to get the Ebola outbreak under
control.”
1. TCR EDITORIAL – AN
OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOME THINGS:
Dr. Calvin H.
Sydnor III
The 20th
Editor of The Christian Recorder
I have been in the
ministry for a long time and there have been many occasions when I wished that
could have said what was on my mind. I have had to “bite my tongue” and
suppress the words that I wanted to utter many times.
I have known a few
persons who had a reputation for speaking their minds and I saw the
consequences they had to bear because of their actions. Their words and actions
not only hurt others but they were hurt themselves, too.
When I was growing
up, I heard the advice of the old folks, “Don’t say everything that comes to
your mind.”
Early in my
ministry, when young preachers shared some of the contentious situations in
their churches, the older preachers advised, “Think about it and sleep on it.
Don’t be too quick to respond; just think about it.” And, sometimes they would add, “Pray about
it.”
The bottomline of
“think about it” or “sleep on it” was sage advice to young preachers for them
to avoid the temptation of “saying everything on his or her mind” or saying
something inappropriate. It was a
reminder that there was a consequence for speaking everything that comes to
one’s mind.
Many years before I
started in ministry, the writer of Proverbs 29:11 (KJV) said, “A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man
keepeth it in until afterwards.” The
Message Bible says, “A fool lets it all
hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over.”
I have had to
“think about it” and “sleep on it” a lot of times in my ministry. And,
sometimes, after “sleeping on it,” the situation was not nearly as complicated
as I first thought.
Where
am I going with this?
I have had some
words I wanted to say in my ministry, but I held my peace. And, I figure that many of you have had a lot
of things in your mind that you wanted to say, but in the spirit of Proverbs
29:11 and the possible negative consequences, you held your peace. There were
probably words you wanted to say and thoughts you wanted to express, but the
words and thoughts stayed in your mind.
So, I have decided
to share our; yours and my thoughts about the laity, preachers, presiding
elders, bishops and the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
And, if I hit on
some areas that might be germane to your present situation, you can say,
“Sydnor said it” and you are off the hook.
My comments are not
all of my thoughts, just a few. If I missed some, email what you think I missed
to me.
Laity
I wish parishioners
would be more spiritual and show more love for the church. I wish they showed
their love for the Lord by increased stewardship and what I mean by that is to
give more money in the offering plate.
A twenty-dollar
bill looks small at the mall, but looks huge in church. I wish parishioners
would stop asking for change for a ten dollar bill; a ten dollar bill is
change. And Lord, the folks who want to get change for a five dollar bill. I
guess they want change for a five dollar bill so they can put a dollar in the
offering plate. The folks who want change for a dollar bill so they can put a
quarter in the missionary offering ought to be ashamed of themselves.
I wish parishioners
would be consistent in their giving, attendance and participation.
I wish parishioners
would arrive a few minutes before or on-time for worship. I am tired of seeing late-arriving
parishioners Sunday after Sunday. I also wish parishioners would be less
disruptive when they arrive. And some parishioners arrive late and can never
stay until the end of the worship.
I wish we had more
parishioners who would be more regular in their attendance. I wish we could get
everyone to be faithful and attend worship every Sunday unless they are sick,
have to work or have had some last minute emergency.
Sunday morning is
not a time to visit other churches. Support your own church and encourage your
friends who are members of another church to do the same. Don’t go after folks
who already belong to a church because we don’t want to “steal other folks’
“sheep.” Evangelize the unchurched. There are enough unchurched folks to fill
up a hundred churches in your city.
I wish church
members would take some initiative to volunteer to help the church. Preachers
appreciate parishioners attending worship, but “service” is a part of worship.
The church needs people to help with the children, work with the older members,
and in other areas of the church; help with ushering, greeting parishioners,
the choir and various boards.
Stop “bad-mouthing”
your church’s programs; stop complaining and do something to help the church.
Your unchurched friends will be reluctant to join your church if all of your
comments about the church are negative.
And, church
officers, if your pastor lives in his or her own home, compensate fairly. Try
to give the preacher a raise without the preacher having to ask for a raise.
When you have a
guest preacher, please don’t say, “We are not trying to pay you…yada, yada,
yada!” Try to pay the guest preacher and
when you do, the preacher will know that you tried to compensate fairly.
Treat the preacher
as a professional.
You may get a woman
pastor; treat her and her family with respect. She is a professional and should
be treated as a professional. Women bring additional skill-sets to the
profession of ministry and most of them are well-trained. When you get a woman
clergy, you are not getting a “jack-leg” preacher.
Young
Preachers
If you feel a call
to the ministry, please plan to be trained for ministry because the ministry is
a hard profession.
Please understand
that ministry is more than preaching and more then getting folks to “get their
praises on.”
When you are asked
to pray, read the scripture or lead in other acts of worship, do as you are
told and there is no need for you to welcome the people, make extraneous
comments, ask the people to say, “Amen” and “Praise the Lord”; get up and do
the assigned task of praying, reading the scripture or leading in other acts of
worship and sit down.
Please take the
time to learn how to pronounce the various names in the Bible. There are
pronunciation websites.
Be up-to-date on
current events and incorporate appropriate examples and illustration on
contemporary issues in your sermons.
Understand that the
pastoral ministry is difficult and demanding and you will have some good days,
but you will have some bad days; some very bad days.
You don’t have all
of the answers about life and living.
You don’t have most of the answers.
If you understand that, you will study more aggressively. There are some
very smart people sitting in the pews. You don’t have to be intimidated, but
you have to be prepared.
Set your pastoral
goal to be the best clergyperson you can be and do not gauge your ministry on
the size of the pastoral appointment.
Pastors
If you would just
“love the people, pray, read the Bible,” you would be off to a great start.
Love all of the people:
even the ones you know may not like you, including women much older than you
and men much younger. My mother and the old folks used to say “Beat them with
kindness!”My mother and the old folks used to say “Beat them with kindness!”
Arrive at the church
early when you have a meeting, counseling session, and especially on Sunday
mornings. Don’t arrive huffing, puffing and breathing hard. Arrive early; get
settled-down so you can be in command of your emotional and spiritual space.
Take time to pray and petition God for guidance each time you enter the
facility.
Preacher, please
prepare your sermon. It’s obvious if you haven’t prepared your sermon. The
parishioners and especially the older parishioners will know immediately when
you haven’t adequately prepared your sermon.
And there is
another challenge today - technology.
Don’t use canned sermons from the internet. Your parishioners, and
especially the young adults, will know when you are preaching a canned sermon
copied off the internet. When you announce the text and subject and you see
folks in the congregation working with their smartphones, all of them are not
checking the scripture, some of them might be trying to find the sermon you
copied. Experienced preachers and educators can spot plagiarism “a mile away.”
Never forget that
the pastor’s office is appropriately called a “Study”; and for good reason,
because pastors are supposed to study. The pastor’s office should be called,
the “Pastor’s Study.”
Be cognizant that
you have some older folks in your congregation who have various health issues,
be sensitive to them and their medical situations. A 20-minute sermon is about
the average person’s attention-span. A
lot of people cannot hold their bladder for two and a half or three hours. Cut
out the religious babble, extraneous announcements and other worship
distractions. There is probably no need to announce the Baptist church’s
afternoon program that’s being held the same time as your afternoon program.
Be cautious in
saying, “The Lord told me thus and so” or “The Holy Spirit spoke to me. I heard
a preacher say that the Lord told him not to preach that Sunday. Now, I can’t
say what the Lord or the Holy Spirit said, but I doubt the Lord told that
preacher not to preach. And, please don’t use that in a meeting. Do your
homework and lay your plans “on the table” trusting God to bless the
program.
A lot of your
parishioners have a lot of sense and many of them have a lot of formal
education, the day is far past when the preacher was the most educated person
in the sanctuary. Respect your parishioners’ intelligence and be prepared to
feed them a spiritual feast in the form of a well-prepared sermon.
Lord have
mercy! Pastors please visit the sick and
shut-in members! Don’t “farm” out that
responsibility to your licentiates. If
you have a very large or mega-church that might be a different story, but
pastors of small, medium or medium-large churches, visit your sick and shut-in
members. The folks will love you for taking your pastoral duties seriously.
And, please at a
funeral don’t engage in religious babble and please, when people are faced with
the death of a loved on, don’t tell folks something about God needed another
“flower” his heavenly garden; there is nothing biblical about that. If you
don’t know what to say, remain silent and let your presence comfort those who
are grieving.
Try to show your
humanness. Take the time to meet people where they are and smile and be
down-to-earth with people. Don’t be afraid to share your feelings.
Learn to encourage
yourself and stay connected to your family because when the ministry is over
you will only have God and your family.
Parishioners will move on and direct their allegiance to their new
pastor.
Be yourself and
“grow where you are planted.” Everyone cannot be a mega-church pastor. Small
churches need outstanding pastors too. And another thing; understand that some
parishioners prefer smaller churches and they are members of the church you
serve because that’s where they want to be; bigger is not always better.
Everybody does not
want to “high praise” and everyone does not want to be Pentecostal, Baptist or
nondenominational. They are AMEs and they love the AME Church and its worship
traditions, but they love worship creativity also! “One size does not fit all” – learn how to
minister to the various groups within your congregation. Getting feedback is an
excellent “vehicle” for finding out the preferences of your congregation.
Provide specific
times when parishioners can visit you in your study. If you are bi-vocational,
perhaps on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon or an hour or so before prayer
meeting, Bible study or choir rehearsal; specific times when you think you
might be in your office. Be accessible
to your congregation.
Be more Christlike.
Demonstrate holiness and stop coming across so worldly.
Show agape LOVE for
all members of the flock in the way you look at them, treat them and talk to or
about them. Don't throw people away when
you feel they are no longer useful for your personal agenda.
STOP operating on
the three "isms"... Favoritism, Cronyism and Nepotism.
Learn to address
female parishioners by name and appropriate title, and avoid the use of the
proverbial "sister", especially when you use it with that
"putdown" or "dress-down" tone that you use! You know how you do!
Show some gratitude
toward individual members. A simple
"Thank you" will do.
Study the Bible.
Get into the AME
annuity program. Pay into the Social
Security Program. Make an appointment to
see a financial planner. Plan to
purchase a home. You can’t continue to live in a parsonage when you retire. You
need a place for you and your family to call “home.”
Women preachers are
here to stay. They are colleagues; they are not your “sister, honey, darling or
sweetheart.” They are professional
clergy and you need to treat them as such.
Presiding
Elders
Please visit your
pastors other than when you hold a quarterly conference. You can’t make an
intelligent recommendation on whether a pastor should be transferred based upon
what you observe at a quarterly conference. If you have an office or a study,
provide times that your pastors can visit you. When I was a pastor a long time
ago, my presiding elder did not have an office, but he let us know certain
times we could visit with him.
And when you hold
quarterly conferences, you are not conducting an annual conference. You don’t
need to give a sermon on every topic that comes forth. Do the business of the
quarterly conference, give the benediction and let the people go home. A
quarterly conference need not be longer than an hour.
Please do not
engage in frivolous telephone or email conversations with the parishioners of
your pastors because that’s called “pastoral interference.”
Learn to use the
computer. Learn to use technology, you just might get to the point that you can
hold quarterly conference telephonically – would be easier for you and for your
pastors and the local congregation; and you just might have more participation
and free up some of your time to make presiding elder visits to the churches on
your district.
Have some prayer
times with your pastors. Plan some
social events with your pastors and their families. Plan a luncheon or dinner
social with just your pastors. Make it a social event, not a business
meeting. And, guess what? A lot of
business will be unofficially accomplished.
Teach and train
your pastors, but in an appropriate venue, not necessarily at the quarterly
conference.
Bishops
Your election and
consecration didn’t …
-- To
be continued in Part 2
TCR Editor’s Comment: We will provide coverage of the funeral of the late
General Officer, the Rev. Dr. Anderson Todd in next week’s issue of TCR Online
2.
READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
-- To
the Editor:
RE: TCR Editorial –
No Ceasing to be Amazed Yet:
Your continuing
editorials make me regret the coming impact on you of the AME Church's
mandatory retirement law. You have truly been a blessing to our Zion.
TED NEWMAN
Senior Judge
DC Court of Appeals
-- To
the Editor:
RE: TCR Editorial – No Ceasing to be Amazed
Yet:
The best issue of
TCR Online I've read.
Your amazing is
amazing, get real. Remember, I once told you some churches still need to get
into the 20th Century and you want them to be 21st Century. Wait for it......
In my Obi Wan Kanobe voice, we have a
member who says all technology is eville.
The sadder part is that member has a following, but owns a cellphone too.
Name Withheld
3.
DR. RICHARD LEWIS' REFLECTIONS ON THE GENERAL BOARD MEETING COMMENTS BY
PRESIDENT GLOVER:
*Dr. Richard A.
Lewis, Sr.
I am in receipt of
the comments of Dr. Glover. Our Zion can afford a General Conference, but we
need to institute a number of adjustments, which I am sharing in upper case
text:
a. Reduce the
number of Delegates. WE DID THIS ONCE.
b. Reduce the time
to BUSINESS ONLY.
c. Set an AMOUNT
that we can afford. Charge each Annual conference that amount. It will be more
than they are paying now (the TRUE COST).
d. Offerings are
reported on the AUDITED STATEMENT following the General Conference FISCAL YEAR.
e. General Board
Members NEED TO BE Enlightened.
f. The REAL TRUTH
is that, there would have been a NEVER ENDING LEGAL BATTLE had Morris Brown not
received a loan to cover our AME support in that Educational Institution. LONG
STORY, LONG, LONG!
g. PLEASE remember
that, we are "Episcopal LED but LAITY FED." When will we, understand
the RESPONSIBILITY of LAY PEOPLE!!!
THIS IS SHORT BUT
TO THE POINT.
*Richard Allen
Lewis, Sr., Treasurer/CFO
4.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE OUTBREAK IN W. AFRICA:
*Dr. George Francis
Flowers
Three West Africa
nations are struggling to control an outbreak of Ebola. The virus was first
discovered nearly four decades ago in Congo in a village near the Ebola River.
Since then there have been sporadic outbreaks. Five things to know about Ebola
and how it is spread:
(1)West Africa
outbreak now largest in history
The current
outbreak in neighboring countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone has
sickened more than 1,300 people and killed at least 892 since March. The
outbreak is unusual for West Africa as the disease is typically found in the
center and east of the continent.
(2) Some people
have survived Ebola
While the fatality
rate for Ebola can be as high as 90 percent, health officials in the three
countries say people have recovered from the virus and the current death rate
is about 60 percent. Those who fared best sought immediate medical attention
and got supportive care to prevent dehydration even though there is no specific
treatment for Ebola itself.
(3) Ebola can look
like other diseases
Early symptoms of
an Ebola infection include fever, headache, muscle aches and sore throat. It
can be difficult to distinguish between Ebola and malaria, typhoid fever or
cholera. Only in later stages do people with Ebola begin bleeding both
internally and externally, often through the nose and ears.
(4) Ebola is only
spread through close contact
Ebola is not
airborne, so people would have to come into direct contact with the bodily
fluids of an infected person. These include blood, sweat, vomit, feces, urine,
saliva or semen – making transmission through casual contact in a public
setting unlikely.
(5) Fear,
misinformation
Health workers and
clinics have come under attack from residents who mistakenly blame foreign
doctors and nurses for bringing the virus to remote communities. Family members
also have removed sick Ebola patients from hospitals. Official have stepped up
efforts to isolate patients, educate the public, check travelers and tighten
borders to prevent the disease’s spread.
The CDC is cautioning
international travelers traveling into the regions of West Africa and offering
a stern warning not to travel if you are sick. Therefore, The Department of
Global Witness and Ministry is urging all to:
Stay Alert* Live
Well* Be Well* Stay Healthy!
Dr.
George Francis Flowers note: We commend Bishop
Clement W. Fugh for taking seriously his commitment to serve his Episcopal
District, West Africa, by going to the district checking on the health and
wellbeing of his pastors and constituents. We further comment him for having
the “good sense” to come out of West Africa before it was too late. Let’s lift
the people of the Fourteenth Episcopal District and the bishop in our daily
devotional moments and prayers.
*Dr. George Francis
Flowers, Executive Director, Department of Global Witness and Ministry
5. AN
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A ROBE GIFTING INITIATIVE BY BECOMING A ROBE
GIFTER:
Brother Michael A.
McMullen Sr.
Ask yourself the
following questions. Are you normally tuned in to what others need? Do you feel
compelled to share your wealth of abilities, time, or resources with others? Do
you see giving as a privilege rather than an obligation? Do you seek out ways
to share what you have? Does giving warm your heart? Do others see you as a
generous person working on behalf of God?
If you answered
"Yes" to any of them, you may have the spiritual gift of giving that
can help “Robe Gifting International” help others.
Many clergy have
over time accumulated robes and other vestments that they will never use again.
Churches choir robes stored in closets, basements and attics that have not been
worn in year. If this sounds familiar you can help. The collection of unused robes
represents economic resources that can make a difference in the lives of
others. Robe gifting provides a unique
and uplifting way to be of service, become a “Robe Gifter” today.
If you would like
to donate robes or become a financial donor please visit our website at www.robegift.org for more
information.
Romans 12:13 tells
us, "Share with the Lord’s people
who are in need." NIV – and that’s what we love to do.
Our Mission in Robe
Gifting International is "To Assist Clergy, Choirs, and Religious
Organizations and in maintaining an outward holiness.”
The clients we
serve are primarily licensed and/or ordained persons who are spiritual in
practice and service. Our clientele will
range from denominationally affiliated and independent clergy, both female and
male. Individuals and groups receive our
robes through redistribution are generally economically-challenged and need
assistance, domestic and internationally.
There have been no
preset qualifications for those requesting or receiving robes, we are prayerful
that we can assist all those who indicate a need for help. We have established that there would be no
direct cost to the donor and no direct cost to the recipients of refurbished
robes. The indicator of “no direct cost”
relates to the possible cost of postage for those who may ship their donated
robes to our facility, and while we are underwriting the cost of shipping to
the recipient’s there could be circumstances where we ask if shipping postage is
possible. (Such as rush shipping or specific shipping methods)
Our financial
underpinning of this effort is incumbent upon our separate marketing arm which
solicits individual, businesses and foundations to partner with us in making
tax deductible donations. We are
developing a nationwide team of “Ambassadors” to work with local communities,
businesses, corporate and genuine concerns. We highlight their participation on
several formats including our website, newsletters and during our National
Annual Campaign which is held during National Clergy month.
Help
Us to Help Others – Robe Gifting Mission
Robe Gifting
International is a charitable organization birthed in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
focused on meeting the liturgical apparel needs of financially challenged
Clergy and Choirs. Our mission is to
provide FREE refurbished robes to Clergy and Choirs on the basis of need.
Who will we help?
Clergy and Church Choirs of all denominations can benefit from this ministry of
giving.
The Vision: Robe
Gifting International will receive donations at no direct cost to the donor and
supply the need at no direct cost to the benefactor.
How can you help?
If you would like to donate robes or become a financial donor please visit our
website at www.robegift.org for more
information.
About
Michael A. McMullen Sr.
While this is not
an AME-focused program, I am an AME. I have been an AME member for fifty
years. I joined Bethel AME Church in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania under the Rev. Winsmore Mason, was nurtured by my
God-father, the Rev. Dr. Theodore S. Clements and since have served as aid and
confidant for five pastors of Bethel, the first church of the Harrisburg
District. I am very active on the
conference and district levels; I proudly serve as Chief Marshall of the
Philadelphia conference and have worked closely with several past and present
Bishops of the 1st Episcopal District.
And, last, but far from least I have been married for the past 37 years
to the Reverend Lillie B. McMullen, who has pastored for the last ten years on
the Harrisburg District and is currently the pastor of Bethel AME Church in
Greencastle, Pennsylvania. So while this
is not an AME program AME sure has favor.
My working
background has for the most part been very entrepreneurial. I have owned several Christian bookstores and
have attended many conferences as a vendor of new Clergy and Choir robes. I sold robes for the last twenty years to
many all over the connection including several Bishops and it was through this
experience that I came up with the robe gifting concept. So many preachers I talked with over the
years spoke on the many robes they had accumulated, as well many widowed
spouses sought outlets for disposing of their loved ones robes with dignity in
mind. Almost every church I visited for
new choir robes always had old ones, and then somewhere in the church, had
really old ones. So as time and
economics downturned the new robe market I began to consider a way to recycle
the used robe stockpile.
God has blessed me
with a skill set to be outgoing, personable and a giving heart. If I have a legacy to finish then I believe
it is to be an innovator in helping the household of faith.
I am often mistaken
for clergy and most times asked why I did not answer the call. Well, I believe that I have answered “the
call,” the call to be a support to clergy and a true friend of the clergy. I greatly appreciate and thank God for all
that He has allowed and given and if through this platform I can establish
something longstanding that does a good work.
My educational
background is varied, I have attended several schools including; Harrisburg
Area Community College, Northampton Area Community College, Southern New
Hampshire University and Ashford University.
I maintain a Bachelor's degree in Business and a Master's degree in
Marketing and I’m still working on my Doctorates in everyday living.
150th Session of
the California Annual Conference September 22 - 28, 2014
Bishop T. Larry
Kirkland is the Presiding Prelate for the 5th Episcopal District and Mrs. Mary
Kirkland is the Episcopal Supervisor
6.
UPDATED INFORMATION FROM THE 150TH SESSION, THE CALIFORNIA ANNUAL
CONFERENCE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 4:
Greetings: We bring
you updated information from the 150th Session of the California Annual
Conference which will be held September 22 - 28, hosted by Parks Chapel AME,
(Rev. Teresa Nelson, Host Pastor) and supported by St. Paul AME, Berkeley (Rev.
Anthony L. Hughes, Pastor) and St. James AME, San Jose (the Rev. Andrew Rollins
Pastor). Our host Presiding Elder is the
Rev. Booker T. Guyton.
Deadlines are
extended for Hotel Reservations and Souvenir Journal Ads
The deadline for
hotel reservations at the special group rate of $135 has been extended until
August 17. Please note, once the group
rate ends the nightly hotel rate increases to $249. If anyone has problems
securing a room at our group rate, please contact Frances Goodson, who will
intervene. Frances can be reached at fgoo352@aol.com
The deadline for
placing ads in the souvenir journal has also been extended. The new deadline is August 17. Please see the link below for details on
submitting ad information for the souvenir journal.
We are excited to
announce the Pre-Conference Reception and Musical, which will be held on
Sunday, September 21. A Welcome Reception
will be held beginning at 3:30 pm and the Concert will begin at 5:00 pm, at
Parks Chapel AME Church, Oakland.
The Concert will
feature the California Conference Choir, Host Churches Mass Choir consisting of
Parks Chapel, St. Paul and St. James AME; Joyful Praise, the St. Paul AME
Praise Dance and Flag Team, Parks Chapel Praise Dancers, Dance-a-vision, and
special guest Bishop Yvette Flunder.
August 17 is the
deadline for special $135
• Souvenir book
deadline is August 17, 2014.
• Hotel
reservations deadline is August 17th. The conference rate for hotel rooms is $135,
plus applicable taxes.
For reservations
please call: (800) 454-1719. Persons may
also contact the Oakland Marriott Hotel directly. After the deadline, hotel
rates will increase to $249 per night!
Please
Support Our Vendors:
Carolyn Jackson -
Carolyn's Boutique, Hats and Accessories
Shirley Lyons -
Ceramics
Sara's Nail Salon -
Purses, Jewelry, Accessories
Sondra Ladner -
Designer Knit Clothing
Connie Taylor - Park
Lane Jewelry
Ella's Boutique
Mary Guyton -
Cookie Lee Jewelry
There's still time
to sign up for as a Vendor. Please see
the link below for additional information. Please contact us at ccac150pr@gmail.com if you have
information you'd like to include in our regular email blasts.
7. AME, TAYLOR
DEION JACKSON, ATTENDING THE UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY:
Taylor is a member
of Hamilton Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church 3401 Alexander Ave. in
Texarkana, Texas where the Rev. James Anthony Morris serves as pastor. He is
the son of Warren and Jackie Jackson and a 2014 graduate of Texas Senior High
School in Texarkana, Texas.
Taylor graduated
Cum Laude and is in the top 15% of his 492 member class. He is in the B.B.
Lawson Chapter of the National Honor Society. He was in Leadership, and a
member of the Student Council. He was elected vice-president of his freshman,
sophomore, and junior Classes. Taylor was Parliamentarian of his senior class.
He was also voted Class Favorite as Most Popular Male all four years. He was a
mentor for Special Olympics, and an Outstanding Young Man 2013-2014 of Delta
Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
In athletics,
Taylor was All District outstanding wide receiver 2nd Team in football, All
District forward 1st Team in basketball, and All District left fielder 1st Team
in baseball.
Taylor is now
attending the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD where his major is
engineering and his minor is Business Administration. He is also a member of the U.S. Navy football
team. After graduation he will be a Commissioned Officer in the United States
Navy.
His family and the
Hamilton Memorial church family are so very proud of Taylor.
8.
THE JUBILEE PRAYER TEAM 2016:
Evangelist, Dr. Val
Eloby-Slade
For some time now,
this Ad Hoc Committee has been doing
great things for our God and Kingdom-building.
The mission of the
committee is to encourage participation throughout the African Methodist
Episcopal Church for fervent and deliberate prayer and fasting. The prayers are
for God’s church leaders, local, national and international leaders and for our
children.
The objective is to
have the members of the prayer team to adhere to II Chronicles 7:14 that
states, "If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land." (KJV).
The Prayer Team
conducted a Memorial Service of Thanksgiving and Praise for the leadership,
service and ministry of the late Bishop Sarah Frances Taylor Davis.
The memorial
service was held telephonically by the Jubilee Prayer Team on Sunday, February
23, 2014 at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
The teleconference
was led by the team director, the Rev. Dorisalene Hughes; the opening hymn,
“Swing Low Sweet Chariot” was sung by Sister Althea Williams; the invocation
given by the Rev. James Hailey; and the scripture was read by the Rev. Edna
Parker.
Two-minute tributes
were given by the Rev. Izora Adamson; Evangelist Iclima Bowen; the Rev.
Dorisalene Hughes; Evangelist, Dr. Val
Eloby-Slade; the Rev. Sandra G. Whitley and the Rev. Anthony L. Hughes.
The memorial litany
was taken from the AMEC Hymnal, No. 730.
The Words of
Comfort were given by Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath, President of the Council of
Bishops and the Presiding Prelate of the 13th Episcopal District.
Bishop Leath
reminded us to move forward with the great work in memory of Bishop Sarah
Davis, who lived with so much love and encouragement.
The closing remarks
were given by Bishop E. Earl McCloud Jr. He reminded us to continue the work of
Bishop Davis. Bishop Sarah Davis was an advocate for prayer and wanted to see
our Zion become a greater by being kinder and gentler to all people, regardless
of color, gender or national origin.
The services ended
with all the participants singing, “Let
the Church Say Amen.”
In April 2014, our
new prayer leader, Bishop McKinley Young led the 2014 Connectional Day of
Prayer into even higher heights by including April 11- 13, 2014 as “The 2014
Connectional Days of Prayer.”
Prayer Services and
Programs were conducted in all of the Episcopal Districts. Various prayers
services; prayer walks, concerts and programs were held in various Episcopal
Districts.
The teleconference
Connectional Day of Prayer Service led by Bishop McKinley Young was anointed
and breathtaking. Several bishops and general officers participated in the
service and each led a prayer that focused on particular issues, prayer for
President Obama; our nation’s social and economic issues, and concerns around
the world.
It was announced at
the end of the service that the A.M.E. Anvil of 2014 would include the prayers
from each bishop, connectional and general officers.
The Jubilee Prayer
Team created beautiful prayer-buttons, which were distributed throughout the
connection. The buttons were sky-blue in color with praying hands in the center
of the button and the words “Connectional Day of Prayer, April 13,” covering
around the praying hands. If wish to obtain a button, contact your designated
Episcopal District Jubilee Prayer Team 2016 Chairperson.
The first half of
the 2014 year has been filled with working on our mission.
You are invited to
pray and/or fast with us on the first Monday of each month by dialing into the
teleconference number (605) 477-3000, Access code: 833863#.
This midnight time
of prayer is held at 12 Midnight Eastern Time.
The midnight prayer
leader is the Rev. James Hailey of Quincy, Illinois.
The goals and
vision of our Jubilee Prayer Team 2016 are to engage the entire body at every
level and all over our connection so that the power of God will reign over all
the Episcopal Districts of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the 2016
General Conference.
We hope to witness
a massive move and change in the lives of people, healing, miracles, signs and
wonders and people converting to Christ.
We are hoping
prayer and fasting will become first and foremost, and everyone will be praying
without ceasing. What a mighty God we serve!
Bishop McKinley
Young is the Commission Chair for Prayer; the Rev. Dorisalene Hughes, Director
of The Jubilee Prayer Team 2016 Ad
Hoc Committee; and Evangelist, Dr. Val Eloby-Slade is the writer of this
article.
9.
GREATER BETHEL STRIVES FOR THE EDGE:
Greater Bethel
A.M.E. Church, located in South Nashville, Tennessee held its inaugural EDGE
Program as an enrichment and tutorial service for the youth in the community
and members of the church. EDGE, (Education and Development toward Growth
and Excellence), is the brain child of Rev. Edward L. Thompson, Pastor of
Greater Bethel. “Our goal is to give children the extra edge for academic
success in school,” he said.
The overall goal of
the program was to help children improve their performance in Grammar, Reading,
Writing and Mathematics, and to provide extra-curricular activities for
students in first through sixth grades.
“We strive to help
the students develop skills to problem solve, think independently, improve
their grades and test scores, build self-confidence and self-esteem and to
always acknowledge the Creator, God, said Rev. Thompson.
Field trips and
other fun-focused activities were developed to round-off their studies.
Marcia Fugh Joseph, coordinator of the program, said “The message to the
students and the community was one of helping children be successful in their
academic activities and to guide them in a path for a successful school
experience”.
“The church and
community rallied around this program in an effort to send a message to the
children that success in school is paramount,” said Novella Page, program
supervisor.
One student who
participated in the program, Eli Brown, who will be entering the sixth grade
this fall, wrote a letter to the church thanking them for the program and said,
“I am glad I was in it.”
With school
starting, the EDGE program at Greater Bethel is expected to show positive
results in those children who attended, with plans for more programs in the
future.
In addition to the
EDGE program, Greater Bethel hosted its annual Vacation Bible School, Youth
Retreat and had children in other district-wide and connectional
programs. “The reality is that we must invest our time and resources in
our children to help them be successful in every possible way. We can do
this and we must,” said Rev. Thompson.
For more
information about this program and other activities at Greater Bethel, contact
the Church office at 615.256.1509.
10.
HISTORY OF HYMNS: “PRECIOUS LORD, TAKE MY HAND”:
By C. Michael Hawn
The United
Methodist Hymnal, No. 474/ AMEC Hymnal, No. 393
Precious
Lord, take my hand
Precious
Lord, take my hand,
Lead
me on, let me stand,
I am
tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through
the storm, through the night,
Lead
me on to the light:
Take
my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.*
-- Thomas Andrew
Dorsey
Many hymns are
conceived in the throes of tragedy. "Precious Lord" was written in
Chicago in 1932 following the death of Thomas Dorsey's wife Nettie and infant
son during childbirth.
Dorsey (1899-1993)
was born in Georgia. His father was a Baptist preacher, and his mother a piano
teacher. Known as the "Father of Black Gospel Music," Dorsey combined
African American church hymns such as those by Methodist minister, Charles A.
Tindley (1851-1933), with blues and jazz. This "worldly" combination
was not without controversy at first, but set the tone for gospel music for
decades to come.
Born in Villa Rica,
Georgia, Dorsey was reared in Atlanta from the age of five, where he came in
contact with the musical sounds of the blues. He moved to Chicago in 1915 and
studied at the Chicago College of Composition and Arranging and began playing
in nightclubs under a variety of names as a young man, including, "Georgia
Tom," "Texas Tommy" and "Barrelhouse Tom." Dorsey
started to play rent parties — house parties in which tenants would hire a
musician or band to play for a party and pass the hat to raise money to pay
their rent. The rent party played a major role in the development of jazz and
blues music.
Dorsey put together
the "Wild Cats Jazz Band" to play for Ma Rainey in 1925. His wife,
Nettie, was Rainey's wardrobe mistress. After suffering a severe illness in
1926, Dorsey was converted in 1928 and became active in Pilgrim Baptist Church
in Chicago. Beginning in 1932, he served as the church’s choir director for
forty years. Of his 1,000 musical works, at least 200 were gospel songs. He
promoted the gospel song through the formation of the National Association of
Gospel Choirs and Choruses, serving as the organization’s president. Black
musicians during the pre-Civil Rights era often formed their own publishing
companies in order to make their music available. He began the Thomas A. Dorsey
Gospel Song Music Publishing Company, a publisher of inexpensive gospel blues
music.
Even though he had
hundreds of jazz and blues songs to his credit, he turned to gospel music, one
of the first to use that term, following the tragic death of Nettie and their
infant son in 1932. Dorsey provides an account of the circumstances surrounding
the composition of this famous song:
"Back in 1932
I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living
in a little apartment on Chicago’s Southside. One hot August afternoon I had to
go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival
meeting. I didn’t want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with
our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. . . .
". . . In the
steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I
finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I
ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE
JUST DIED. . . .
"When I got
back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and
joy. Yet that night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy
together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I
felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn’t want to serve Him any more or
write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so
well. . .
"But still I
was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor
Frye, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he
took me up to Malone’s Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet;
the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the
piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys."
Dorsey remembered
an old pentatonic (five-note) melody from his Sunday School days, MAITLAND (The
United Methodist Hymnal, No. 424) by George Allen (1812-1877), paired with the
text "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone." Arranging this tune and
adding his own words, "Precious Lord" became the most famous of his
many gospel songs. He gave the song to Frye who introduced it to the choir at
Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church the next Sunday, an event that, Dorsey later
remarked, "tore up the church." Martin Luther King, Sr. was the
pastor of Ebenezer at this time, beginning his ministry there in 1931.
The three stanzas
capture the grief not only of Dorsey, but also of any who have suffered
significant loss. The incipit or opening line of stanza one, "Precious
Lord, take my hand…," indicates a suffering soul that is reaching out. The
singer acknowledges that they are at the end of their rope: "I’m tired, I’m
weak, I’m worn." Perhaps Dorsey was referring to Matthew 28:23-27, the
narrative where Christ stills the storm, when he penned, "Through the
storm, through the night, lead me on to the light."
Stanza two draws
upon the imagery of a journey, one in which the "way grows drear."
The traveler cries out, and once again reaches for the hand of Christ. The
third stanza begins, "When the darkness appears," reminiscent of
Psalm 23:4: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death…”
By the time we
reach the third stanza, the terrain has changed from a stormy sea (stanza one),
a long road (stanza two), to a river of hope (stanza three). Upon singing,
"at the river I stand," the singer reaches at last the final
destination, the symbolic Jordan River. Each stanza concludes effectively with
the refrain, "Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home," perhaps an
image of the Good Shepherd in the Gospel of John.
"Precious
Lord" has been recorded by many famous singers including Elvis Presley, Mahalia
Jackson, Roy Rogers, and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Martin Luther King Jr. drew
inspiration from this, his favorite song. It was sung at the rally in Memphis
the night before the civil-rights leader's assassination. President Lyndon B.
Johnson requested that "Precious Lord" be sung at his funeral.
Dorsey was the
first African American elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and
the Gospel Music Association's Living Hall of Fame. Fisk University houses his
archives as well as those of noted musicians W.C. Handy and George Gershwin.
* © 1938 Hill &
Range Songs, renewed Unichappell Music, Inc
C. Michael Hawn is
University Distinguished Professor of Church Music, Perkins School of Theology,
SMU.
11.
THE REV. LARRY HOLLON: TECHNOLOGY AND THEOLOGY:
In a short question
and answer session, the Rev. Larry Hollon, the chief executive of United
Methodist Communications, speaks about the need for church involvement in
providing technology to developing nations.
How do you define
information and communications technological development?
The
Rev. Larry Hollon: “I think any form
of technology that assists people to have information that they don’t have
access to otherwise, such as digital technology, mobile phones, laptops,
tablets and the solar arrays that power them, are a part of the whole component
of information communication technology. When you have that information you’re
able to develop your community; you’re able to experience personal growth and
development; and you’re able to reach out to the wider world in a way that is
not possible otherwise. So I think that it includes mobile phones. It includes
laptops. It includes tablets and learning centers and other forms of digital
technology.”
From your travels
and personal experiences, how have you observed the need for this technology in
different parts of the world?
The
Rev. Larry Hollon: “The example of
the need for communication technology that is most emblazoned in my memory is a
woman who was a health worker in Uganda in a small village whose only means of
communication was word of mouth and the posting of a note on the wall of her
hut, so that when people walked by, if they noticed this...this posting on her
wall, they could see that the doctor would be in the clinic, where the clinic
would be, what time, and the day. And in addition to having that very casual
and very unlikely way of learning about this information, they also had to be
able to read and they had to be able to read in the language in which she had
printed the note. The need for information and communication technology in that
setting is very clear and very manifest.”
Can you expand on
that in terms of why it’s so important to the people of The United Methodist
Church to be engaged with communications technology for development?
The
Rev. Larry Hollon: “My theology is
that God intends for every person to flourish, and that when we allow and
empower people to have access to technology that allows them to get information
that they can use to improve their lives, then we are fulfilling the call of
God to be in the world and be a transformative presence in the world. And if
the church is to be a part of increasingly intense and diverse conversation,
then it must be involved in the communications systems that people are using
and in the communications environments where they are comfortable, so that we
are communicating to them God’s intended purpose for them and providing them
with the means to see their lives transformed as a result of that technology
and as a result of the theology that we hold, that wants for all of us to grow
and flourish and to experience the fullness of life.
"One of the
realities that we have is that we as a church often have access to people that
are beyond the end of the road. They’re in rural villages where major
corporations don’t see such a market for profit that they would actually serve
these people. We can bring that technology to people at the end of the road and
in the bush and equip them so that they can have access to information, and we
can put the practitioners in touch with villages for community development that
bring the technology and the people together in new ways that are beneficial to
the community."
Hollon is a
presenter at the upcoming Game Changers Summit, a conference on Information and
Communications Technology for Development in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 3-5.
*Used with
permission the United Methodist News Service
12.
NAACP STATEMENT ON JULY UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS:
WASHINGTON, D.C. --
Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the monthly report on the overall
employment situation. This regular report is a product of two surveys, the
Establishment and Household surveys gather information on unemployment levels
and job creation across a variety of occupational sectors and demographic
classifications.
From Dedrick
Asante-Muhammad, Sr. Director of NAACP Economic Department:
“For the first time
since 1997, the economy has added 200,000 or more jobs for six straight months.
The labor market is slowly recovering from the depths of the "Great
Recession." The unemployment rate within the African American community is
11.4 percent, down from the 13.5 percent in June of 2013. The 2 to 1 employment
disparity between African Americans and whites is not closing and appears to be
a permanent part of the economy. This disparity, as well as the disparity found
in Latino unemployment, must be addressed. Stronger and better quality job
creation, particularly in communities that are suffering persistently high
unemployment levels, is essential before we can be on a sustainable path to
economic recovery.”
Highlights:
• Overall, black
unemployment was up again this month to 11.4% after a sharp drop in last
month’s report; however it is still far lower than the 13.5% of June of last
year.
• Black adult
unemployment remains more than double white unemployment (5.3%).
• Black teen
unemployment rose to 33.9%, this is less than twice as high as white teen
unemployment at 18.3. White teens are far more likely to be working or looking
for work, with an employment to population ratio of 29.9%. On the other hand, black teen employment to
population ratio continues to decline.
This month just 16.5% of black teens were working or looking for
work. New data has cast doubt on the
assertion that these teens are seeking refuge in school, with both the Wall
Street Journal and the Economic Policy Institute noting that many black youths
are neither in the workforce nor in school.
• With 209,000 jobs
added this month the gains were in line with average over the past year. However, revisions to the already good
numbers for last month added about 15,000 more jobs to that report.
• The biggest
gainers were again the highly diverse professional and business services sector
(47.000), manufacturing (28,000), retail (27,000), and construction (22,000)
sectors. The black workers in these
sectors are typically concentrated in non-union, low paying positions. Despite the name, the Professional and
Business Services sector is comprised largely of low wage positions. These include waste removal, security, and
office support.
• Health care,
another highly diverse sector which often pays minority workers much more than
others, added just 8,000 net jobs. This
continues a trend of a slowdown in the rapid expansion of the health care
sector over the last two years.
• The gains in
employment are uneven across educational achievement groups, with college
graduates approaching the unemployment levels they experienced pre-2008, while
those with a high school diploma or less have far higher unemployment than they
did pre-recession.
• Wages have not
increased noticeably this month, adding just a penny to reach $24.45. We can
expect wages to continue to remain stagnant as long as high unemployment
remains among workers with lower levels of education. Job gains in unskilled
and semi-skilled work such as retail and professional and business services
will be offset by the large number of job seekers, keeping wages in check
13.
WCC CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION IN IRAQ:
The World Council
of Churches (WCC) has issued an urgent call to the United Nations for an
immediate response to the killing of Christians and others by the Islamic State
in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant fighters.
The call, which was
sent to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, follows on the heels of an urgent
appeal made by the Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon, Louis Raphael Sako, calling
for assistance to Christians from the plain of Nineveh, Iraq, who are fleeing
their homes and communities because of ISIS militants conducting a two-day
mortar attack.
The WCC also sent a
letter to its 345 member churches around the world making them aware of the
situation in Nineveh and asking them not only to pray and provide emergency
support for the people of Iraq and Nineveh, but to apply pressure on their
governments to call for an end to the brutal aggression of ISIS.
“We are deeply
disturbed by threats encountered by the ancient Christian churches and other
religious and ethnic communities of northern Iraq, and by indications that
hundreds of thousands of them have already fled their homes,” said Dr Isabel
Apawo Phiri, associate and acting general secretary of the WCC, on Thursday 7
August.
“According to the
Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon, Louis Raphael Sako, there is an urgent need for
immediate action to protect these people and deploy all efforts to bring them
back to their homes,” she said.
“While we are
grateful for what is being done already, we appeal urgently to the United
Nations to establish and maintain the necessary diplomatic contacts to ensure
the rights, dignity and physical survival of the diverse peoples of Iraq and
its neighbours,” Phiri said.
“We want to assure
you that the people of Iraq, and the leaders of the United Nations, remain in
our thoughts and prayers,” she added.
According to the
letter from Patriarch Sako, which is dated 7 August, during the night of 6-7
August ISIS militants conducted a mortar assault in the region that has driven
as many as one hundred thousand Christians from their homes and villages, most
fleeing on foot towards the Kurdish cities of Erbil, Duhok and Sulaymaniyah.
Those fleeing
include the sick, elderly, infants and pregnant women. There is an urgent need
for water, food and shelter, the letter from Sako said.
The letter reports
that churches and church properties in the villages were being destroyed by the
ISIS militants along with the burning of old manuscripts and desecration of the
buildings.
According to Joseph
Thomas, the Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk and Sulaimaniyah, who spoke with
Agence France Presse (AFP), whole towns have been emptied of their populations.
The WCC encourages
its member churches to support emergency appeal efforts being coordinated by
the ACT Alliance, responding to the need of people affected by the conflict.
14.
PRAYERS AND SOLIDARITY FOR CHURCHES IN NORTHERN IRAQ:
In an open letter
of solidarity to the member churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in
Northern Iraq, Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, the WCC associate and acting general
secretary, solicited prayers for the Christians, the church communities and the
people on the Plain of Nineveh in northern Iraq, as well as the surrounding
region.
In a letter, issued
on Thursday 7 August, Phiri acknowledged reports confirming the forced
displacement and indiscriminate killing of Christians, Yazidis and members of
other religious and ethnic communities in Iraq by the self-proclaimed Islamic
State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Phiri communicated
about the WCC’s appeal to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki
Moon, when she has asked him “to ensure the physical protection of all people
there and support for their human rights including the right to religious
liberty”. She asked the churches to continue supporting the people of Iraq in
prayer and advocacy.
“Churches and
property belonging to religious communities are being desecrated and destroyed
by ISIS, and ancient manuscripts have been burned as an assault on the people’s
religious beliefs.
According to the
Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah, Joseph Thomas, whole towns in
Northern Iraq have been emptied of their populations,” said Phiri.
She invited the
churches to “join in prayer and unite in action to restore these shattered
communities, and to aid their people.”
15.
FIVE BASIC TAX TIPS ABOUT HOBBIES:
Millions of people
enjoy hobbies that are also a source of income. Some examples include stamp and
coin collecting, craft making, and horsemanship.
You must report on
your tax return the income you earn from a hobby. The rules for how you report
the income and expenses depend on whether the activity is a hobby or a
business. There are special rules and limits for deductions you can claim for a
hobby. Here are five tax tips you should know about hobbies:
1) Is it a Business
or a Hobby? A key feature of a business
is that you do it to make a profit. You often engage in a hobby for sport or
recreation, not to make a profit. You should consider nine factors when you
determine whether your activity is a hobby. Make sure to base your
determination on all the facts and circumstances of your situation. For more
about ‘not-for-profit’ rules see Publication 535, Business Expenses.
2) Allowable Hobby
Deductions. Within certain limits, you
can usually deduct ordinary and necessary hobby expenses. An ordinary expense
is one that is common and accepted for the activity. A necessary expense is one
that is appropriate for the activity.
3) Limits on Hobby
Expenses. Generally, you can only deduct
your hobby expenses up to the amount of hobby income. If your hobby expenses
are more than your hobby income, you have a loss from the activity. You can’t
deduct the loss from your other income.
4) How to Deduct
Hobby Expenses. You must itemize
deductions on your tax return in order to deduct hobby expenses. Your expenses
may fall into three types of deductions, and special rules apply to each type.
See of Publication 535 for the rules about how you claim them on Schedule A,
Itemized Deductions.
5) Use IRS Free
File. Hobby rules can be complex and IRS
Free File can make filing your tax return easier. IRS Free File is available
until Oct. 15. If you make $58,000 or less, you can use brand-name tax
software. If you earn more, you can use Free File Fillable Forms, an electronic
version of IRS paper forms. Free File is available only through the IRS.gov
website.
For more on these
rules see Publication 535. You can get it on IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM
(800-829-3676).
16. THE 2014 13TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT SCHEDULE OF ANNUAL
CONFERENCES (UPDATED):
Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath
Susan J. Leath, MD,
Episcopal Supervisor
September 17-21. 2014
The 147th Session of The Kentucky Annual Conference
The 134th Session The West Kentucky Annual Conference
Young’s Chapel AME
Church
1039 South 16th Street
Louisville, KY 40210
Telephone: 502.587-0087
The Rev. Kenneth A.
Golphin, Host Pastor
The Reverend Kenneth
Hill, Ph.D., Host Presiding Elder
The Reverend Robert
Strode, D.Min, Co-Host Presiding Elder
September 24-28, 2014
The 114th Session
The East Tennessee Annual Conference
Shorter Chapel AME
Church
402 Southwest Atlantic Street
Tullahoma, TN 37388
Telephone: 931.393-3028
The Reverend Fred
Blackwell, Host Pastor
The Reverend Ralph E.
Johnson, Host Presiding Elder
October 9-12
140th Session
The West Tennessee Annual Conference
St. James AME Church
600 North 4th
Street
Memphis, TN 38107
The Reverend Michael D.
Broadnax, Host Pastor
The Reverend C. Robert
Finch, Host Presiding Elder
The Reverend Linda F.
Thomas Martin, Associate Presiding Elder
October 16-19
147th Session
The Tennessee Annual Conference
Greater Ebenezer AME Church
131 Edmondson Ferry Road
Clarksville, TN 37040
Telephone: 931.648-0881
The Reverend Alexander
Gatson, Host Pastor
The Reverend W. Antoni
Sinkfield, Host Presiding Elder
The Reverend Walter W.
Reid, Jr., Associate Presiding Elder
17.
GETTING TO ZERO: EBOLA UPDATE – AUGUST 7, 2014:
Some items which
you may or may not know. I appreciate insights you may have especially from
people who are on the ground in West Africa who are part of what is happening.
- Liberia declared
a state of emergency
- Initial cases in
Nigeria are people who first took care of man who died of Ebola after traveling
from Liberia by plane. They thought malaria initially. Early symptoms are
similar.
- CDC activated
level 1 alert for its employees. Two CDC people, an immunologists and a
physician, that were invited with me to do a Twitter chat. It had to be changed
because they are deployed to West Africa to help track down contacts of
infected people for possible exposure.
- An article about
the six Tuskegee students in Liberia is on NBC News online
- We need correct
info of what it is, what to do if ill and what to do to remain unexposed to go
through trained clergy and community health workers who know language, customs
and are trusted by people in their urban or peri- urban or village location.
AMEC networks can do.
- Major message:
Touch no body fluids (those ill and alive and those who died); Monitor
temperature daily for fever and headaches as the first symptoms along with
feeling weak; Take anyone with early flu- like symptoms to medical care site;
Disinfect linens, worn clothes, areas of contact with Ebola patients and of
bodies of the deceased - especially high in virus as tissue is destroyed from
virus replication.
- Treatment given
to 2 Americans is humanized antibody against Ebola attachment protein (has
human Ebola reactive sites put on a mouse protein background). It is mass
produced using a recombinant virus propagated in tobacco plants. A three
antibody combination is then put in serum and given IV to patients. It's highly
experimental in humans but is done now b/c high risk of death otherwise.
*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.”
18.
PENTECOST - YOU SHOW UP, AND GOD WILL SHOW OUT:
*The Reverend Daryl
K. Kearney
We are in the midst
of the most powerful season in the life of the church: Pentecost. It is recorded in Acts, Chapter 2 and the
Message Bible states:
“When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were
all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong
wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole
building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks,
and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit
prompted them.”
I am expecting
another outpouring, another refill. When we look at the beginning of that
story, it lets us know that the spirit came “without warning.” Nevertheless,
the followers of Christ were “together in one place.” They did not know and
they were not aware when the spirit was going to fall; all they had to go on
was the word from Jesus himself.
Beloved, sometimes
in life, all you have is a “word.” All
you have to stand on, depend upon is a “word.” As long as that word is from
Jesus, you can be blessedly assured that it will come to pass, and when it
happens, it will be “SUDDENLY;” without warning. I tell you the truth; I have experienced the
suddenness of God. God will suddenly bless you. God will suddenly deliver you.
God will suddenly heal you. Beloved, one thing about our Jesus is that he doesn’t
pass out cheap blessings. He is not a “one hit wonder.” God desires something from you, if you want
to experience the overflow, there is something that you must do. I think we can
find that something in the B clause of verse one. The saints were “together.”
They showed up! They did not stay at home, they did not have another
appointment, they did not say, “I will go to church next Sunday.” The bible
says, “they were together in one place.” They were on one accord. Beloved,
isn’t it time for us to come together and be on one accord for the advancement
of the Kingdom of God. Isn’t it time for us to come together and encourage one
another in this walk with Christ, instead of talking and gossiping about each
other? On Sundays, can we lay aside our
differences and focus on the One who makes a difference in every person’s life?
Let’s do it! Because when God pours out The Spirit, mind-blowing events take
place.
Get your buckets
ready; prepare to drink from your saucers, clean out your barns, but most of all
“show up, and god will show out!”
*The Reverend Daryl
K. Kearney is the pastor of Campbell African Methodist Episcopal Church in
Washington, DC
19.
GET UP OFFA THAT THING:
*The Rev. Jarrett
Washington
Jesus said to him,
"Get up, take up your bed, and walk." John 5:8, ESV
This past Friday,
my wife and I, decided to head to the local movie theater and catch the latest
movie showing. It just so happened the
highly anticipated biopic called "Get Up: The Story of James Brown"
opened that very day. The lines for the
movie were long and the shows were playing in multiple theaters. As we entered the movie theater everyone
seemed ready to see the life of one James Brown displayed on the big
screen. As the opening song began to be
sung, it felt as if we were literally at a James Brown Concert. Throughout the movie people were humming,
clapping, and dancing as if the real James Brown had come to the movie theater
and was giving his last and final performance.
The audience was
able to watch Mr. Brown dance across the stage singing songs like,
"Please, Please, Please;" he wowed the audience when he sang, "I
Got the Feelin';" people started swooning when he sang, "Papas Got a
Brand New Bag;" some people looked like they wanted to cut the mash potato
when he sang "Get on the Good Foot;" I even saw tears when he sang
the song, "Try Me." The iconic
figure, James Brown, had many songs that seemed to touch the lives of people in
and through the movie, but nothing seemed to make the audience move more, than
when James Brown sang, "Get up offa that thing." Get up offa that thing was first released in
1976 as a two part single. It reached
the top 4 on the R and B Billboard Charts.
Brown says the song was inspired by a time in his life where he was
performing in a club in Florida and the audience was looking at him strange,
and so he began to tell them to get up offa of that thing. And here is where I felt the Spirit; for I
was reminded many times God is calling you to get up offa that thing that has
you bound. Get up from all the people
that have hurt you. Get up from all the situations that were purposed to
destroy you. Get up from everything that
is trying to hold you back from being all God has called you to be.
John, chapter 5 is
the very story of one of the greatest Get Up stories in the Bible. Chapter 5 teaches us by our very nature we
are spiritually impotent. Many of our
spirits have come to a place where they are tired and fed up with what is going
on around us, yet our spirits tell us there is nothing that we can do. Spiritually impotent people get so tired of
the status quo. They get tired of doing
church as usual. Yet, they see no other
way out. So time after time, Sunday
after Sunday, they go to church and leave the same way they came. Yes, in fact, their spirits are tired, and
they know there is something more for them, but they just can't convict
themselves enough to move. And so they
are paralyzed, have no use of their spiritual limbs, just as those gathered in
the text.
In the text we
learn an Angel would come down and trouble the waters almost on a daily
basis. When the angel had troubled the
waters those who were sick, blind, lame, and in need of healing would wait to
be the first one in the pool. Tradition
has it that the person who was first in the pool would be healed. It was almost
a lottery of sorts because everyone at the pool was taking a chance with how
they were going to get up! Well one day
Jesus was passing through this area called Bethesda, interpreted as “The House
of Mercy.” The biblical text says, Jesus
looks at the pool, in the Greek, kolumbethia,
and sees the weak, the helpless, the sick and the people who need to get up
offa that thing. And for some reason,
not given by the author of the text, Jesus singles out the helpless man who had
been suffering for 38 years without use of his limbs.
Jesus turns to the
man, and says, 'get up, take up your bed and walk.' I want to speak to your spirit right now and
tell you that it's time out for you seeking what you need on the outside, and
begin to look within yourself. Your bed
then is no longer your place of failure; it is your place of departure. The
very place you were demoted can still be the place of your promotion. You ought to believe everything you went
through, year after year, month after month, or even day after day, was for
God's glory. Jesus never responds to the
man's complaints, but rather, Jesus says to the man, Get Up! This man was not to go in the pool, but all
he had to do, was get up take his bed and walk.
Undoubtedly, Jesus was not trying to make a spectacle for He knew his
enemies were plotting against him and anything He did on the Sabbath was
subject to questions of protocol.
Decide today you
are going to simply "get up."
Take the first step towards the place God has for you. The story of this man in John 5 teaches the
reader there is no rhyme or reason to your healing. What others have prescribed as the "only
way" means nothing to God. God can
do what God wants to do when God wants to do it. Get up and have a good day!
Have an amazing
week,
*The Rev. Jarrett
Washington is the pastor of the New Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
in the suburb of Red Top of greater Johns Island, South Carolina
20.
THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT
By: Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical
Text: Revelation 21:1-6: And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I
John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell
with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them,
and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any
more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the
throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for
these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
the fountain of the water of life freely.
This text is about
a glorious Revelation! We are encouraged that the wonderful God we serve is
going to destroy Satan and all the ungodliness and evil of this world.
Hallelujah, all things will become new as God is going create a new heaven and
a new earth. When God does that we are promised there will be no more tears,
sorrow, crying, pain and no more death.
Our text describes
for us what this new world will be like. It actually, like a movie trailer,
previews for us what is to come. We are
let in on the news that things will be different as the heaven and earth that
we know are going to pass away. The heavens above, the sun, moon, stars, and
planets are going to be destroyed and remade. Can you imagine the implications?
God is going to make a new heaven and there will be no more ferocious
thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, or other devastating weather patterns.
What a new and glorious picture the heavens will present as we look up to a
star filled night when God recreates with all the glory and magnificence a
perfect universe. Everything will reflect the glory and splendor of God
Himself. This will be a new and perfect place where nothing wears down, wastes
away, burns out or dies off.
Excuse me if I seem
to be over the top imagining this spectacular perfectness as for many it may
seem incomprehensible. However that does not change the fact that this defective
earth is going to pass away. The day is coming when God is going to create a
new earth where there are no more disasters or destruction. The new earth
perfected by God in every conceivable way will flourish and be fruitful;
bearing all the good that can be imagined.
In this perfect
order there will no longer be a chasm between God and man or division between
Glory and earth. The text reveals that “there was no more sea.”
This may seem
beyond comprehension, however it is exactly what the Scripture declares is
going to happen. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of
persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation [behavior] and godliness? (2
Peter 3:10-11).
Revelation promises
that there will be a new city of God, the holy city, the place where the very
presence of God is symbolized. God’s presence, of course, will be manifested in
all of His glory and majesty everywhere in the new heavens and earth, but the
holy city gives believers a place with which to identify as they serve God
throughout the universe. In the heavenly city will be the tabernacle, where the
very presence of God comes down to dwell with man, the place where Jesus Christ
will rule the universe and require us, His believers to occasionally visit and
report on our work.
Those who are
saved, long for the presence of God and long for the glory and fullness of a
life with God.
Unfortunately,
there are some among us who have yet to discover that their hearts long for
God. Some still blindly try to fill their longing with all sorts of worldly
pleasures and possessions, but they continue to discover that nothing satisfies
them for long.
The truth is that
nothing will satisfy except God’s presence and glory.
When we give our
lives to God, we begin to fellowship with God and to experience all the
fullness of life.
I know I am over
the top again. I just can’t help it as I think of how wonderful it will be that
we will never be without the presence and glory of God!
We will be able to
talk and share with God face to face. We will be in perfect position to
fellowship and commune with God.
I must point out at
this juncture that God is specific about who the people of His new heavens and
earth will be and who they will not be. Unfortunately everyone will not live in
the new heaven and earth as lamentably, not all of humankind will be acceptable
to God. However through His Grace and Mercy, God shows us how to insure that we
are acceptable. He says that He will give the water of life to all those who
thirst. The person God will give the Water of Life to will be the one who seeks
the fullness of life that is in God.
It is my prayer
that I have encouraged someone to be counted among the faithful; to be counted
as a conqueror and an overcomer, forgiven through God’s mercy, redeemed by His
blood, quickened by His Spirit, and transformed by His power!
Will you be counted
as one of those who has confessed, repented and accepted the gift of God’s Only
Begotten Son, as one of those who believes and thirsts, a resident of the new
heavens and earth?
The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown A.M.E. Church in
Charleston, S.C.
THE
REV. KATURAH COOPER DISCUSSES EBOLA SCARE AT THE WIM 2014 QUADRENNIAL
CONFERENCE:
Liberian pastor,
the Rev. Katurah Cooper discusses Ebola scare and was interviewed while
attending the 2014 Quadrennial Conference in Charleston, South Carolina:
21.
GETTING TO ZERO: DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 2014 WEST AFRICA EBOLA VIRUS EPIDEMIC:
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
Major
developments this week
- Both Sierra Leone
and Liberia have declared a state of emergency. The military is deployed to
enforce limited entry and exit into areas that are most highly affected.
- Ebola virus
infection has been confirmed in Nigeria.
. The initial five
Ebola cases in this country are among health care personnel who first cared for
a man who died of Ebola after travel by plane to Lagos, Nigeria from Liberia.
Health personnel initially thought he had malaria which is transmitted only by
mosquitoes and not from person to person. Early symptoms of Ebola virus disease
and malaria are similar.
- For its
employees, CDC has activated the highest Alert - Level 1.
- This differs from
the CDC Travel Alert Level 3 of “No Non-essential Travel” in affected areas.
The travel industry decides how to apply such a travel alert to their flight
and transport services.
- The CDC
activation Level 1 affects federal employees.
- As an example,
two CDC personnel- an immunologist and a physician, and I were invited this
week by a media source to do a Twitter “chat” about the West African epidemic.
This had to be rescheduled due to deployment of the two colleagues to West
Africa to help with tracing contacts of infected people. Tracking such contacts
for possible Ebola virus exposure is a central part of reducing spread for
infection containment.
- An NBC News
online article reports the challenge faced by six Tuskegee students who are at
AME University in Liberia for the summer. Despite limited service by airlines
to the affected countries, with assistance from Bishop Clement Fugh, a travel
route home to the USA for these students has been worked out. www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ebola-virus-outbreak/stranded-u-s-students-set-leave-ebola-stricken-liberia-n174056
The
worse ever Ebola virus outbreak
- According to
official reports as of August 6, 2014, the number of Ebola virus disease
suspected and confirmed cases total 1711 with suspected case deaths at 983.
These numbers will rise even as control efforts are at the highest levels. www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/guinea/index.html
- Strategic
containment measures as those from the World Health Organization (WHO), the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the West Africa
governments HAVE been successful in stopping ALL previous Ebola outbreaks.
- In an isolation,
support and containment strategy there is high loss of life. Those infected in
the isolated area either die or recover from disease while others in the area
are able to avoid infection. To reduce loss of life, as possible isolation,
support and containment methods are critical.
What
each person should understand
- Get an
understanding of what Ebola hemorrhagic disease looks like; what to do if someone
feels ill; what to do to avoid exposure to the virus. Understand that this is a
contagious frequently fatal disease.
- In the affected
countries, medical science-based training is critical for clergy and community
health workers who know the language, customs and the local terrain. This
empowers people to serve as trusted messengers in the urban, peri- urban or
village locations.
- Correct
understanding is needed both in areas where Ebola virus is present and in areas
not yet affected.
- The global AMEC
networks can be effective locally on the ground in communities of West African
countries, and helpful from afar through financial and prayer supports.
Major
prevention and care messages for those in affected countries
- Do NOT touch or contact body fluids (of
those who are ill and of those who died).
- If you are, or have been, in the affected
area, daily monitor body temperature for fever. Note sustained headaches or feelings of weakness as these
are the first symptoms of Ebola infection and disease.
- Get any person with sustained early flu-like
symptoms (continuing and escalating for more than 24-36 hrs) to a medical care
site, or notify others and the closest health personnel of illness.
- Disinfect linens,
clothes worn and areas that come in contact with Ebola patients.
- Do not touch
bodies of dead persons or animals. Tissue and secretions of those who die of
Ebola hemorrhagic disease are especially high in virus from tissue that is
destroyed in virus replication.
Experimental
treatment for two Americans who contracted Ebola virus disease
- Two American
volunteers working in West African have been moved to the USA for supportive
medical care.
- They are being
treated experimentally using intravenous (IV) doses of serum that contains
humanized antibody against Ebola attachment protein. Supplemented antibody in
the experimental serum contains human antibodies that recognize reactive sites
on a key attachment protein of Ebola virus. Scientists engineered these sites
onto a mouse protein background.
- The engineered
antibodies are mass produced by infecting laboratory cultivated tobacco plants
(as factories) with a recombinant plant virus. The goal is to propagate the
virus to amplify production of humanized antibody.
- A combination of
three different humanized antibodies that specifically target Ebola virus
attachment protein (binds the virus to cells to start infection) is placed in
serum (the clear part of blood) and given intravenously to the infected
patients.
- This serum
treatment for Ebola has only been explored previously in animal models. As a
highly experimental treatment not yet tested in humans, it is allowable because
of the high risk of death otherwise from Ebola virus disease.
The 2014 West
African Ebola epidemic as unchartered territory
- While WHO/CDC
isolation and containment have proven effective for ALL previous outbreaks, all
previous outbreaks occurred in rural communities of one country.
- The current
uncontained epidemic in West Africa includes rural AND highly populated urban
areas.
- Unlike in the US
or other developed countries, the West African countries affected have
relatively poor or undeveloped medical care infrastructure.
- Norms in many
West African cultures (particularly in more rural areas) can complicate control
of Ebola virus. Addressing illness and death first through demonstrated
presence and support by family or community is traditional and expected. Such
is not unlike prevalent practices in the USA before there were modern medical
care facilities, funeral homes and mortician services.
- These factors
combined can be thought of as a “perfect storm” that fuels spread of the
largest ever Ebola virus outbreak.
Some
common social norms unite people all over the world
- We hurt and
grieve when loved ones die or are sick. We want to support an individual,
family or community when there is a difficult situation. We want to show
respect and compassion during an illness or death.
- These universal
human characteristics are found in widely different cultures and geographical
locations. They are counter to what is critical to stop Ebola virus infections.
- Activating the
extensive global AME Church networks and working with our Methodist and other
ministerial alliances can make a key difference in getting control of Ebola
virus spread in the 2014 epidemic.
- We pray for
wisdom of leaders and official and for peace, protection and provision for
people in affected communities.
- We can work
actively to increase understanding of correct information and help to increase
peace of mind during this health crisis.
Take-home
messages
- Given the
biological challenges, the people of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are
working amazingly well to handle this Ebola virus crisis using the available
resources and information that they can easily access.
- Continue in
prayer as we seek to follow known guidelines for Ebola containment, establish
new guidelines from lesson learned and, as possible, minimize rumors,
misconceptions and undue fear.
- For those who are
ill or who already have lost loved ones to the 2014 Ebola epidemic, in the
midst of grief we pray for sufficient
resources, support and comfort.
- We remember and
stand on the promise that “Nothing is impossible for God.” Expect miracles!
*The Rev. Dr. A.
Oveta Fuller is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and
Faculty of the African Studies Center at the University of Michigan and Adjunct
Faculty at Payne Theological Seminary. An Itinerant Elder in the 4th
Episcopal District, she conducts HIV/AIDS prevention research in Zambia and the
USA. She lived in Zambia for most of 2013 as a J. William Fulbright
Scholar.
22. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 10, 2014 -
FORGIVENESS & RESTORATION II CORINTHIANS 1:23 – 2:17:
Bill Dickens, Allen AME
Church, Tacoma, Washington
A popular expression in
contemporary culture is: "Forgive, but do not forget."
Should a formal apology
about the inhumane treatment of African descendants during the trans-Atlantic
slave trade warrant forgetting about that crime to humanity?
Should an ex-supporter
of Hitler’s SS Legion of doom, who offers a mea
culpa about participating in the Holocaust, imply we no longer remember the
atrocities against the Jews prior to and during WW II?
Forgiveness is a
difficult topic and there are no easy “cookie-cutter” answers.
The essential question
for Christians is why should we forgive?
Upon initial
investigation, the act of forgiving seems counter-intuitive, if not illogical.
Does the person who has intentionally caused harm and grief merit our comfort
and support? Sure, right! The average
person would dismiss this action and reciprocate in kind by granting him/her a
“dose of his or her own medicine.”
The Adult AME Church
School lesson for August 10, 2014 looks at how we tackle the difficult issue of
forgiveness. Paul’s Godly-inspired
instruction may come as a surprise to many.
Let’s see how.
Paul’s second letter to
the church at Corinth was penned due to his delayed re-visit to the city. In the first epistle to Corinth Paul
confronted many issues that caused the young congregation much pain in their
early church-growth phase. Paul addressed the problems of glossolalia, the
protocol for celebrating Holy Communion and the moral scandal caused by a
church member who was involved in an illicit affair with his step-mother (I
Corinthians, Chapter 5).
Paul’s second epistle
seeks to teach the importance of forgiveness and most importantly, why we
should forgive. The philandering young
man in question was unanimously voted out of the young Corinthian church
(sounds familiar today?) in order to preserve the integrity and personal
accountability of the new believers. Now
Paul, who supported temporary expulsion of the member, reasons in Chapter 2
that the individual should be brought back into the congregation. Many of Paul’s readers were already upset
with his delayed visit and this appeal, given the salacious scandal, was a bit
much for some to bear. Paul uses their
attitude for a teaching moment.
We forgive, not to make
ourselves feel good, but we forgive because this action can benefit the
perpetrator. Forgiveness is important because it can bring about healing and
reconciliation or restoration. Failure to forgive sends a signal that holding
grudges take precedence over holding the Cross of Christ. Since Christ forgave us, ipso facto, we
should be ready to forgive equally to those who have caused us grief and harm.
The capacity to forgive
requires spiritual maturity. This is why looking for an easy forgiveness
template is pointless. We should instead
look to the Holy Spirit for strength, comfort and direction.
Over our life cycle we
will be victims of cruelty, hurt and disappointment. No one is immune from these outcomes. What separates Christians from others is how
we respond to the events that cause us pain and discomfort. We can choose revenge or we can forgive and
move on thereby helping ourselves and the person guilty of inflicting
pain.
Deuteronomy 32:35
teaches us God's assurance, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” In other words, God alone judges and makes
right all wrongful acts.
Do we believe or reject
this Biblical truth? The ball is now
"in your court!"
*Brother Bill Dickens is
currently the Church School Teacher at Allen AME Church in Tacoma,
Washington. He is currently a member of
the Fellowship of Church Educators for the AME Church
23. MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 150:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A.
Darby
I’m writing this
Meditation on the week before the six Annual Conferences in the Seventh
Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church begin. Annual Conferences are week-long events, with
a week between each one in most of our Episcopal Districts - thankfully! Those present will worship and hear pastors’
reports, Conference organizations will play official roles, there’ll be
business sessions and learning opportunities, new clergy will be admitted and ordained,
and clergy will receive their pastoral appointments for the year to come.
All of those things
happen at most Annual Conferences in the Methodist tradition, but every
Conference begins with worship, and the first hymn sung will be one written in
1749 by Charles Wesley that begins with the words, “And are we yet alive and
see each other’s face? Glory and praise to Jesus give for His Redeeming
Grace!” We’ll do a lot of things in
Annual Conference, but we’ll first reflect on the way that God has blessed us
through another year of ups and downs and initiate the week’s activities by
praising the Lord.
Regardless of your faith
tradition or of how you relate to the Creator, learn from that Methodist
tradition and begin each day of your life by giving glory and praise to the
Lord. It’s easy for all of us, in a
fast-paced and demanding world, to push praising God far down on our priority
lists and to give our primary attention to the concerns that press on us and
hold the potential to be problems if we don’t immediately tackle them.
When we begin each day,
however, by going to God in prayer - not only with a list of our pressing
needs, but also with an initial word of thanks for what God has already done,
our days will have a new rhythm and a new pace.
Giving thanks to God before seeking God’s assistance with what lies
ahead allows us to consider the blessings that God has already given us and to
be reminded that regardless of what we have to face, God has new blessings in
store for us.
Give attention to all
that lies before you - we have to do that - but our work will be easier and our
way will be clearer when we begin each day in the spirit of the song by the
Reverend Clay Evans that says, “You ought to take the time out to praise the
Lord.”
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
24. EPISCOPAL FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to
announce the passing of Phyllis Snow Talbot, first cousin of Bishop Frederick
Hilborn Talbot
Phyllis Snow Talbot, 91,
died on August 3rd at her home in Commerce, Texas. She was a native of
Powhatan, Virginia and the widow of the late Dr. David Arlington Talbot, eldest
son of the late Reverend and Mrs. D. Patterson Talbot of British Guiana, now
Guyana and the first cousin of Frederick Hilborn Talbot. She and David (Arlie), an honor graduate of
Morris Brown College, were married in 1946 soon after his stint in the U.S.
Army, retiring as a sergeant. They moved
from New York to North Little Rock, Arkansas where Arlie served as Head of the
English Department at Shorter College.
Phyllis, an honor graduate of St. Paul's College, Lawrenceville,
Virginia also served as Librarian. They served at Arkansas AM&N in Pine
Bluff and later at East Texas State University in Commerce where Arlie served
as the first Black Vice President. He was also an ordained elder in the A.M.E.
Church. She is survived by her sons:
David A. Jr, Esq. (Sandra) of Austin, Texas, James P. (Cassandra) of Trophy
Club, Texas and Eric, her caregiver at Commerce, Texas, three grandchildren,
four great grandchildren, two sisters in Virginia and a Sister in-law in Waco
and other relatives. She was an active
member of the First United Methodist Church. Her funeral service will take
place on Saturday, August 9th at 3:30 p.m. at the church located at 1709
Highway 50 in Commerce.
Expressions of sympathy
may be emailed to:
Bishop Frederick Hilborn
Talbot
92-B Smithfield
Frederiksted, VI 00840
25. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce
the passing of Mrs. Clarissa Miriam Jacqueline Woolridge (Davis), on July 27,
2014. She was mother of Brother Edward Woolridge, First Gentleman of the
Bermuda Conference, former M-SWAWO and Conn-M-SWAWO + PK’s First Gentleman, and
mother-in-law of the Rev. Betty L. Furbert-Woolridge, Presiding Elder and
pastor of St. Philip AME Church, Smith's Parish Bermuda.
The following
information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Viewing - 7:30 p.m. - 9:00
p.m.
D.H. Augustus & Sons
Funeral Home
Corner of Brunswick and
Elliott Streets
Hamilton, Bermuda
Telephone:
1-441-292-5251
Fax: 1-441-295-5285
Wednesday, August 6,
2014
Viewing - 1:00 p.m. -
1:50 p.m. and
Funeral - 2:00 p.m.
Location:
Christ Anglican Church
Devonshire
Middle Road, Devonshire,
Bermuda
Telephone: 1-441-236
3671
Fax: 1-441-232-0232
The Rev. Canon James
Frances
Eulogist: Presiding
Elder Rev. Betty L. Furbert-Woolridge
Expressions of Sympathy
can be sent to:
The Family of Mrs.
Clarissa Miriam Jacqueline Woolridge (Davis)
Mr. Edward Woolridge
100 Harrington Sound
Road
Smith's HS01, Bermuda
Telephone: 1-441
294-0194
26. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Third Episcopal
District sadly announces the passing of The Reverend Kay Frazier, Local
Elder. Rev. Kay Frazier served for a
short while as supply pastor at Bethel, Monongahela, PA. Rev. Kay Frazier was the wife of the late
Rev. John Frazier, Itinerant Elder in the Third Episcopal District who served
several churches in the Pittsburgh Conference, including First AME Church in
Clairton, PA, Wayman AME, New Brighton, PA and St. Paul AME, Pittsburgh,
PA. Rev. Kay Frazier is the mother of
Rev. Rhonda Frazier Higgins, pastor of Wayman AME in Monessen, PA and
mother-in-law of Rev. John Higgins, supply pastor at St. Paul, West Newton,
PA.
Home-going arrangements
are as follows:
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Viewing at 11:00 a.m.
until time of service
Service at 12:00 noon
St. Paul A.M.E. Church
1800 East Tuscarawas
Street
Canton, OH 44707
Final Services entrusted
to:
Reed Funeral Home Canton
Chapel
705 Raff Rd., S.W.
Canton, OH 44710
330-477-6721
Expressions of sympathy
may be sent to:
Rev. Rhonda Higgins
337 Kennedy Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15214
Or to the Funeral Home
(address above).
Interment:
Sandy Valley Cemetery
Waynesburg, OH
27. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley,
Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family
Information Center
Web page:
http://www.amecfic.org/
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
28. 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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