The Right Reverend T. Larry Kirkland - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
The AMEC Sunday School Union will reopen on January 4,
2016
Merry Christmas and a Happy and Blessed New Year!
1. TCR EDITORIAL – SOME THINGS I WANT TO
SAY AGAIN BEFORE GETTING TOO FAR INTO 2016:
Dr. Calvin H.
Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
Am I the only
person overwhelmed by the swiftness of time?
The older I get, the quicker time flies; weeks, months and years seem to
run into each other. And, as I get older, there are things I feel need
repeating.
So here are some
things I want to say again.
“Amen”
is always appropriate
“Amen” is always
appropriate when we sing the Doxology – “Amen” for the Doxology at the
beginning of worship and “Amen” with the Doxology at the closing of worship.
-- After any Doxological
statement or affirmation, “Amen” – (So be it) is appropriate. An “Amen,” sung or spoken is always
appropriate after the singing of “Praise
God from Whom all Blessings Flow…” at the beginning of worship and at the
end of worship.
I am pleased to say that
I have heard several congregations sing the “three-fold Amen” to the Doxology
at the beginning of worship and what a powerful statement of affirmation of the
Trinitarian doxological hymn.
I will say it again,
“Amen” is always appropriate with the Doxology. If someone says or sings, “In
the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” the appropriate response
is always, “Amen!” because “Amen” is an expression of concurrence or
assent.
Please
say, “Pray,” not “Say…”
-- It is
inappropriate for pastors and liturgists to ask the congregation to “say”
the Lord’s Prayer. Instead, pastors and worship leaders should enjoin the
congregation to “pray” the Lord’s Prayer.
Gatherers
for worship are a “congregation,” not an “audience”
-- Assembled
parishioners are not “audiences” because they are not “spectators.” Assembled
parishioners are “congregations.” We refer to those assembled for worship as a
“congregation.” And, yes, there is a
difference between an “audience” and a “congregation!”
An audience listens
and is entertained; worshipers are expected to participate in the acts of
worship.
Stand,
sit and kneel
-- The general rule
in many churches; and it’s a very simple formula - “We stand to praise God, we
sit to learn, and we kneel to pray.”
Spoken or unspoken,
the same rule has been followed in many AME Churches. For instance, we stand to
affirm our faith, the Apostles Creed
or the Nicene Creed. We stand for the
Doxology, the Call to Worship, the
preface to The Decalogue, The Decalogue, the Gloria Patri, the Offertory
hymn and the Benediction.
We stand to sing
hymns, but in some areas, AMEs tend to sit and reflect during the sermonic
hymn/hymn of preparation.
The
holy catholic church
-- The term “holy
catholic church” has nothing to do with the “Roman Catholic Church.” I wish
pastors and denominations would have taken the time and take the time to
explain this to parishioners instead of changing the language in the Apostles’
Creed. The “holy catholic church” and “church universal” are synonymous.
Stay
in place until the prayer response is finished
Preachers and those
who pray should remain in place until the “prayer response” is finished because
the prayer response is a part of the prayer.
I have recently
noticed several occasions at the end of the prayer when the “Amen” was stated;
the person who prayed got up and moved to his or her seat. The prayer is not
finished until the conclusion of the prayer response.
People in the congregation should not be moving about during the prayer
response and ushers should not allow people to come into the sanctuary during
the prayer response. Why? Because the prayer response is a part of the prayer.
The prayer response
closes out the prayer. The prayer response petitions God to hear our prayer and
it is a time for parishioners to commit themselves to be obedient to the
petitions of prayer.
Preachers and
parishioners should be in a prayer posture during the prayer response and
remain so until the prayer response is finished.
Don’t cut out part of the message
It is obvious that some
pastors and some musicians have not understood the appropriate use of hymns or
gospel songs in worship. I suspect that
there are some pastors who have never sung all of the stanzas of any hymn. I have heard pastors, and have done so
myself, instruct the congregation to sing the 1st, 2nd
and 4th stanzas.
For some hymns that
might be appropriate, but not for all hymns and it is important for pastors and
music directors to know the difference when it is appropriate to skip a stanza.
When one reads a novel,
he or she does not skip chapters because if he or she did so, it might make the
storyline unintelligible. The same principle can be applied to certain hymns
that tell a complete story.
When I read a news
article and if I want to fully understand it, I have to read the entire
article; I don’t skip over paragraphs because if I did, I would not fully
understand the article.
Some hymn stanzas tell a complete story
It might be appropriate
to skip a stanza when each stanza tells a complete story. “Amazing
Grace” is such a hymn, each stanza tells a complete story. The hymn, “I Know the Lord’s laid His Hands on me”
is another hymn in which each stanza tells a story.
Other hymns are written to tell one story
Other hymns tell one
story and worshippers have to sing the entire hymn to get the complete
message.
It is not appropriate to
skip stanzas in the hymn, “The Church’s
One Foundation” because each stanza is a chapter and together the chapters
tell a story. Skipping a stanza would be like skipping a chapter in a book. “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” is
another hymn that all the stanzas should be sung.
“Amen”
“Amen” is a term used in
response to a religious statement and is always an appropriate ending of
prayers. To say, "Amen" is to express strong approval of, or support
for religious statements or expressions. “Amen” simply means, “So be it” and “I
agree.”
Historically, the “Amen”
at the end of hymns was decided by each denomination. Some denominations have
had hymnbooks without “Amens.” and other hymnals included “Amens.”
The AME Church Hymnal
has some hymns with “Amen” and other hymns without “Amen.”
The hymn, “Farther Along” does not end with an
“Amen” because the hymn provides information and raises questions. The hymn, “Get right with God” does not have an “Amen” because it’s telling us
to “get right with God” and it’s conveying a warning.
“Amen” is always
appropriate for doxological hymns, and hymns expressing praise, assurance, and
hope.
No
business after the sermon or after Holy Communion
-- The sermon and
Holy Communion are sacred acts of worship that should not be preempted by
frivolity, announcements or business.
After a sermon,
parishioners should be reflective in accepting Christ in their lives,
recommitting to Christ-like behavior, or motivated to serve and be a disciple
of Christ.
After every
challenging sermon there should be commitment or recommitment. A sermon is not
an ordinary conversation or just another speech.
Holy Communion,
too, is a sacred act and after Holy Communion, parishioners should be in a
posture of commitment or recommitment in living lives of harmony with the “Body
of Christ.”
And to “push the
envelope” a little further, I would go so far as to say, ideally, we should not
have ANYTHING after the worship service on the First Sunday, not even an
afternoon program and no business meetings after church, especially on First
Sunday.
I am
begging
-- I would hope
that every AME Church would celebrate the second Sunday in February as
Founder’s Day in observance and a celebration of the birth of Richard Allen.
-- I would also
hope that all of our churches would celebrate and designate the third Sunday in
February or any Sunday in February each year as “Jarena Lee Sunday.” She was
born on February 11, 1783.
Jarena Lee was the
first woman licensed preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is
recognized as the first woman preacher in the AME Church. She preached in the
face of hostility and though she was not ordained, she was an itinerant
preacher in the fullest sense.
She was a pioneer
for women in ministry and her birth-date should be etched in our hearts and
minds.
What a wonderful
gesture if the AME Church posthumously ordained the Rev. Jarena Lee as an
Itinerant Elder. Just a thought!
Not a
“one-size-fits-all”
-- The AME Church
is not a “one-size-fits-all” church.
It takes different
skills to pastor different churches. Specific skills are needed to pastor large
and mega-churches and specific skill sets are needed to pastor small
congregations.
A small church
cannot be pastored as one would pastor a large or mega-church. Parishioners have reasons for joining large
or mega-churches and parishioners have reasons for joining smaller churches.
Worship styles are
different in different locations. A
worship service in an inner-city church might be significantly different than
in a church located in suburban or rural areas.
In other words, “one size does not fit all”; not in worship or in
pastoral styles of providing ministry.
It is
understandable if a large or mega-church pastor did not regularly visit every
sick and shut-in member and it would be acceptable if clergy or staff members made pastoral
visits. Pastors of large churches can sometimes get away with being inaccessible because they are doing so
many things. In large settings, strong administrative and interpersonal skills
are admirable traits.
In a small church
of less than 200, pastors are expected to make pastoral visits. People associate with small churches because
of the closeness of knowing and interacting with fellow parishioners.
Pastors in small
churches need to have strong interpersonal skills and must know how to navigate
familial “landmines” that can quickly derail ministry in small church settings.
Pastors of small churches need to understand the importance of a strong
pastoral ministry of visiting the sick and shut-in members, and providing a
“ministry of presence” at significant events involving the lives of
parishioners. In smaller churches, a
“ministry of presence” and getting along with parishioners are significant
attributes.
A
computer is not needed to connect to the Internet
You do not need a computer to
connect to the Internet or to use email! If you have a smartphone, you can
access the internet and you can send and receive emails. If you don’t have a
computer, you use Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet; you can do everything else
without the Wi-Fi. No more excuses! And guess what? You can also download apps
on your smartphone, which means that you can download the AMEC App and the electronic
version of The Doctrine and Discipline.
A couple of pesky things
There are probably
some pastors like me who are asked about a couple of pesky items of a christogram, a combination of letters that
form an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ just when I am experiencing a mental block or
a senior moment. Here are a few that we most often see in our churches.
-- The acronym INRI is an inscription that we see on
altar hangings. Most pastors know that
it is a Latin acronym for "Iēsus
Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum," which in English represents the Latin
inscription, "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews." The Latin and Greek alphabets do not have
"j" and thus the altar hangings use the Latin acronym, INRI. Please do not pronounce the
acronym as "Inri," instead
memorize the Latin, "Iēsus
Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum."
-- On some altar
hangings we see “IHS” or “IHC.” IHS
represent the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, IHΣΟΥΣ, "Iesous" - iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ, which in English would be “IHS.”
The capital form of "eta" looks like a "H." The Greek letter, “sigma” at the end of a
word looks more like a “C,” which is why some christograms list “IHC”
or “IHS.” And, let me say here, being associated with a
fraternity was helpful in seminary because I already knew the Greek Alphabet
when I took Greek (Thank you Lampados Club of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity).
I don't want to get
too "deep in the woods," but "IHS" is sometimes interpreted as meaning Iesus Hominum Salvator ("Jesus, Saviour of men" in
Latin).
-- And sometimes we
see what looks like "X"
superimposed on a "P,"
which represent the Greek letters, "Chi
Rho," the first two letters of the name of Christ. The Greek letter
"Chi" looks like an
"X" and pronounced “ch” and the Greek letter, "Rho" (pronounced “R” looks like a
"P" and thus what looks like an “X”
superimposed on what looks like a "P"
together is “Chi Rho,” the
first two letters in the name of Christ,
As I said, sometimes
parishioners ask questions about christograms
when our brains are not functioning.
I hope this is a reminder.
And, by the way,
it’s not an “X” in “Merry Xmas.” Some years ago, there was a movement to take
the “X” out of Christmas and people were encouraged to not use the term, “Xmas,” but apparently those who
supported that notion did not realize what looked like an “X” was not an “X,” but the Greek letter “Chi.”
One
more thing especially for clergy, but for laity too
It takes years to
get to the top and milliseconds to fall to the bottom
Moral and ethical
behavior is a prerequisite of ministry. Forces of evil, which we call satanic
influences, abound and preachers and laity must be ever diligent.
“The ministry is an
unforgiving profession.” Sermons are preached about forgiveness and we talk
about forgiveness, but a pastoral misstep can derail ministry.
As Dr. Johnny
Barbour, AMEC Publisher opined, “A pastor labors years working to get to the
pinnacle of ministry, but it only takes minutes, seconds or a bad decision to
derail ministry.”
In a large part, we
have married clergy and the unfortunate aspect of a derailed ministry is the
negative impact that it has upon spouses and children.
Preachers and lay
leaders must be diligent!
2. TCR EDITOR’S NOTE:
Disregard the
December 22 posting of The Christian
Recorder News Break entitled, “Richard Allen FDOI Teleconference Recap / Agenda.”
3. PROGRAM BULLETIN FOR UNVEILING CEREMONY OF THE BISHOP RICHARD
ALLEN POSTAGE STAMP:
The
Unveiling Ceremony of the Bishop Richard Allen Postage Stamp will be held at
Mother Bethel AME Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on February 2, 2016 at
12 Noon.
- Program Starts, Musical Tribute
- Introduction of Master of Ceremonies
by the Rev. Mark K. Tyler
- Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Vernon E.
Jordan, Esq (Sr Managing Director – Lazard)
- Presentation of Colors
- National Anthem
- Lift Every Voice and Sing, Ms .Regina
Jackson
- Invocation, Bishop Carolyn Tyler
Guidry
- Welcome, Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram
- Acknowledgements, Mrs. Jacquelyn
Dupont-Walker
- Official Stamp Dedication, Dr. Joshua
Colin (USPS Eastern Area Vice President)
- Remarks, Dr. Theresa Frye Brown
- Greetings, Jim Kenny (Mayor of
Philadelphia)
- Greetings, Other Government
Official(s)
- Remarks, Descendent Family Member of
Bishop Richard Allen
- Remarks, Bishop John R. Bryant
- Closing Remarks, Bishop Reginald T.
Jackson
- Benediction, Bishop Jeffery N. Leath
- Program Ends, Musical Tribute
4. NEWS AROUND THE
AME CHURCH:
-- A Texas grand
jury did not indict anyone in the death of Sandra Bland, who was found hanged
in jail
Grand jurors in Texas have decided not to indict
anyone in connection with the death in July of Sandra Bland, an
African-American woman who was found dead in a cell at the Waller County jail
after a traffic stop, a special prosecutor said.
5. INFORMATION
ABOUT THE GDC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING:
GDC Executive Board
Meeting
February 22-24,
2016
Hilton Hotel
Trinidad
Port of Spain
Trinidad
TEL:
+1-868-624-3211 FAX: +1-868-624-4485
Accommodations:
Standard king room
single/double occupancy - USD129/139 plus taxes daily
Standard double
rooms, double occupancy - USD149 plus taxes daily - Includes complimentary
breakfast and guest room internet.
Bishop David R.
Daniels, Chair
Bishop John F.
White, Host
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to
contact me, Bishop John F. White: bishopwhite130@aol.com or the Rev. Wayne
Anthony: elder.anthony@yahoo.com
6. THE AMEC
CONNECTIONAL DAY OF PRAYER WILL BE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016:
Evangelist, Dr. Val Eloby-Slade
-- Extra! Extra! Extra! Read All About It!
The time is quickly approaching when all of God’s
children will be gathering for the 2016 AMEC Connectional Day of Prayer.
The glorious day of prayer and praise will be
taking place on Wednesday, April 13, 2016. There are "Save the Date"
flyers and note-cards being distributed to all Episcopal Districts. Hopefully
you have seen them.
This year’s Connectional Day of Prayer will be a
date that you will not want to miss, so mark your calendars, update your note
book, and send out invites on FaceBook,
Twitter and feel free to text the
event and date now!
The
Jubilee Prayer Team 2016 under the leadership of Bishop McKinley Young, Bishop
E. Earl McCloud and the Rev. Dorisalene Hughes have been fasting and praying
since last year for the special anointing of the Holy Spirit to infuse the 2016
Connectional Day of Prayer events with a magnification of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ throughout Episcopal Districts 1 - 20.
In March, the Jubilee Prayer Team will distribute
the “dial-in conference numbers” to all the episcopal districts.
Get ready!
Get ready, and get ready! You will surely be blessed by reserving the
date - Wednesday, April 13, 2016, the African
Methodist Episcopal Church Connectional Day of Prayer, which has been
endorsed by the Council of Bishops.
If you would like to be a part of the prayer
warriors and intercessors team, email your contact information to Jubileeprayerteam2016@gmail.com.
Bishop McKinley Young, Chair
Bishop E. Earl McCloud, Co-Chair
The Rev. Dorisalene Hughes, Director
*Submitted by Evg. Dr. Val Eloby-Slader
7. THE COLLEGE CORNER - IT KEPT ME
GOING: THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS:
*Ms. Kandace Taylor
Some people might not realize this, but the church is
probably the last institution where young people ages 21 to 26 can still
receive care and nurturing as they transition into the responsibilities of
full-blown adulthood.
After graduating college last May, I knew what awaited me
outside of the university walls was the hard grind of the real world. However, in July of that same year, I also
knew that I could return to a familiar place, a place where I could receive
some additional education – the additional education would come from within the
church walls.
The Christian Education Congress (CEC), now called the
Christian Education Youth Leadership Congress (CEYLC), has always been a place
where I could expect to go and return home re-energized. It was a reminder of how big my district was,
with 2,300 plus persons in attendance, and of the innovative minds that existed
right in my state (or near it in the Bahamas).
It was a chance to be exposed to different styles of preaching,
something I especially looked forward to.
When I was in high school, the final sermon delivered at the Thursday
morning commitment service, usually by the bishop was the message I looked
forward to the most. I looked forward to it because it was usually a sort-of
send-off address, a reminder that we the young people must hold on to the
things we had been exposed to so that we could return to our local churches and
make them better.
That has always been the central tenet of the youth
gathering – go back and make your church better, using the knowledge you
acquired at the Christian Education Congress (CEC), now called the Christian
Education Youth Leadership Congress.
As I have grown older and become more interested in
Christian Education, the CEC/CEYLC is now an invaluable resource for finding
out where the pulse of today’s church is, or at least where the larger Church
thinks it is. As racial tensions in the U.S. escalate and protection of human
rights seems to deteriorate, it is also a place where real strategizing can
occur in regard to how we as the AME Church, it’s youth in particular, can
combat the issues of our day.
This past summer, the shooting in Charleston, South Carolina
and police brutality were at the top of the discussion list at CEYLC. In the young adult workshops, we discussed
what it meant to be black in America in light of the recent riots, shootings
and killings. The result of that
discussion was not what I had expected, but it left me with a renewed focus
that I had expected to get from a CEYLC workshop. The focused idea is this: Education
matters. What I heard from my peers that
day was an internalization of the lies of mainstream society that say black
Americans are somehow supposed to be at the “bottom of the heap.” We are supposed to be poor, uneducated and
powerless. We are unable to change our
situation because of “powers that be.”
This is not so. It is critical
that young AMEs continue to have forums like the CEYLC so that they can not
only become more educated about Jesus Christ and the AME Church, but also about
themselves.
*Ms. Kandace Taylor is a member St. Stephen AME Church in Jacksonville,
Florida
8. REMEMBERING
ABSALOM JONES:
John Thomas III
On November 1 (All Saints’ Day) of this year, the
Most Reverend Michael B. Curry was installed as the 27th Presiding Bishop and
Primate of The Episcopal Church in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and
Saint Paul (also known as the Washington National Cathedral). On that day, Bishop Curry became the first
African-American Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and one of the few
African-Americans to assume leadership of a denomination outside of the
traditionally Black Church. To African
Methodists, Curry’s selection is especially significant because of our strong
historical ties to the Episcopal Church through the Reverend Absalom Jones.
The Reverend Jones was born into slavery in
Sussex County, Delaware on November 6, 1746.
He eventually was purchased by a Benjamin Wynkoop who brought him to
Philadelphia in 1762. Jones was allowed
to work for himself in the evenings and earned enough money purchase freedom
for his wife Mary in 1770 and himself in 1784.
He also learned to read and went to a Quaker school for
mathematics. He and Richard Allen
became friends, bonding together over their similar life experiences and their
desire to uplift the Black community. They were acknowledged as the leaders
behind the Free African Society that was founded in 1787 as a mutual benefit
society to provide for the care for widows, orphans, indigent persons as well
as to assist in burial expenses. They both
served as lay preachers at St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church and together
led the walkout on that fateful day after being accosted by church officers
during prayer. “The African Church” was
formed by them as an independent house of worship.
It was here where their paths diverged into
parallel courses. While Allen and Jones
both wanted to affiliate with the Methodist Church, a majority of their
followers wanted to go with the Episcopal Church. Those who wanted to maintain the Methodist
doctrine left The African Church with Allen in 1793 to form what would become
Mother Bethel. The African Church would
eventually become “The African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas” with Absalom
Jones as its deacon and Lay Reader.
Jones would finally be ordained a priest in 1802 becoming the first African-American
to be ordained an Episcopal priest.
Despite these differences in church affiliation
(and a legal proceeding due to a failed business), Allen and Jones remained
lifelong friends until Jones death in 1818.
In “Freedom’s Prophet”, Richard Newman extensively records the
relationship between the pair. For
example, Jones was one of Allen’s consecrators at the first General Conference
and in his will left Allen his favorite walking cane. Even though Jones was Allen’s senior by
almost fifteen years, they appeared to have a mutual respect and genuinely
worked well together for the Black people of Philadelphia.
The Episcopal Church celebrates the Feast Day of
Absalom Jones on the day of his death, February 13th. The AME Church observes Founder’s Day on the
birthday of Richard Allen, February 14th. In some places, AME Churches have
joint celebrations with Episcopal Churches in honor of Jones and Allen to
celebrate the friendship of these men and their joint contributions to
religious liberty and social uplift for African-Americans during the early
history of the United States. The
following collect (brief prayer) is said during services on Absalom Jones’
Feast Day:
“Set us free, heavenly Father, from every bond of
prejudice and fear; that, honoring the steadfast courage of your servant
Absalom Jones, we may show forth in our lives the reconciling love and true
freedom of the children of God, which you have given us in your Son our Savior
Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen!”
As we reflect upon the 200 years since our first
General Conference, may we also never forget Absalom Jones and his partnership
with our founder. Bishop Michael Curry’s
election may open a new chapter in the relationship between our denominations
and a chance to build upon our shared heritage.
*John Thomas III is a member of the General Board
and PhD Student at the University of Chicago in the Political Science
department.
9. THE AME CHURCH,
CHICAGO ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 THEME: “THE POWER OF DISCIPLESHIP:
The Chicago Annual Conference was held from
Wednesday, October 14 to Sunday October 18, 2015 at the Pheasant Run Resort in
St Charles, Illinois under the leadership of Bishop John R. Bryant Presiding
Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District and Senior Bishop of the AME Church and
the Reverend Dr. Cecilia Bryant, WMS Supervisor.
The conference theme was “The Power of
Discipleship”, Luke 9:1-2. The theme is a reminder of three aspects of the
Lord’s power: The Lord is empowered to Call the disciples together, empowered
to give the disciples power and to send the disciples out to preach. The three aspects of the Lord's were on
display under the Leadership of Bishop Bryant.
The Power to Call
the Disciples Together
Just as the Lord was empowered to call the
Disciples Together (Luke 9:1), Bishop Bryant called the Chicago Annual
Conference together to do the Conference work of worship, assigning pastors, reporting on
ministry work, committees, etc.
As the conference came together Wednesday October
14th, I was mindful of the fact that we stand in solidarity with the families
of the Mother Emanuel Nine shooting
victims. The sinful act of killing nine
members of our sister Church will not stop the success and advancement of the
Church. If anything it has strengthened
and made many more determined to follow Jesus Christ. The tragedy has united us more and caused us
to be more faithful.
The Reverend Thomas Hughes was the Host Presiding
Elder in this, the last year as an active bishop of the Right Reverend John R.
Bryant.
The Conference organization started with the
pastors and delegates answering the roll with a Bible verse.
Pastor Sylvester Beaman from Bethel AMEC in
Wilmington Delaware greeted the conference as candidate for episcopal service
comparing himself with Richard Allen who at age 56 addressed the Yellow Fever
epidemic. Pastor Beaman stated that, he, at age 56 addressed the HIV issue of
his time.
Bishop Bryant called for General Officer James
Wade to greet the conference, as well as acknowledging the Rev. Anthony Vinson
– MCAM.
The Bishop called on Dr Jimmie Miller to
highlight the 4th Episcopal District “Generosity Generation Summit”
on Stewardship, which was held on Dec 7-9 2015.
The Reverend J.C. Brown was the Hour-of-Power
preacher. His sermon Text was Romans 12:2, his subject: “A Square Peg in a
Round World” and his sermon set the conference on fire. The Rev. Brown also sang “Thank You Lord.”
Presiding Elders reported on the South, St
Paul-Minneapolis, Milwaukee and North Districts. The Bishop called for Dr. James Arthur Rumph
from Grant AMEC-Los Angeles, a candidate for episcopal service to address the
conference.
Pastoral reports were then given for the St
Paul-Minneapolis District under the leadership of Presiding Elder Alphonse
Reff.
The Wednesday Evening Worship Service preacher
was the Reverend Sharon Staples. Her sermon Text was Acts 9:10-15, her subject:
“Go When the Lord Sends You.” The sermon
highlighted Ananias’ call to go and put his hand on Saul, even though Ananias
was reluctant.
The Power to Give
As the Lord Jesus gave the disciples power over
Satan and to heal the sick. Bishop
Bryant empowered the Thursday October 15 session to start with 8 a.m. Christian
Education Classes and Conference Institute followed by the morning business
session that included pastoral reports.
The Hour-of-Power was conducted by the
Women-In-Ministry; the preacher was the Reverend Margaret Elaine M. Flake. Her
sermon text was Daniel 3:1-9? Her subject: “I’m fireproof.” Her dynamic sermon led the worshippers to
fill the altar in response to her sermon.
After lunch, the pastoral reports continued
during the afternoon business session with North District reporting under the
leadership of Presiding Elder Albert D. Tyson III.
The evening worship service was conducted by the
Lay Organization. Highlights included the Brother Bryan Gray the Lay speaker
and a member of Woodlawn-Chicago. Brother Bryan Gray spoke a spirited and fiery
word
Pastoral and committee reports continued Friday
October 16 during the morning and afternoon sessions.
The Hour-of-Power speaker was the Rev. Dr. James
C Wade. His sermon Text was Phil 4:6; his subject: “More Souls are won in Our
Prayer Closet than in Any Other Way.”
The sermon highlighted the Power the Lord has given us through prayer
and the congregation was encouraged to think about those for whom we should
pray.
The afternoon session ended with agreement that
next year the 134th session of the annual conference will be hosted
by the “Mighty Milwaukee District” on Oct 5-9, 2016.
The scheduled preacher for the ordination service
held Saturday morning October 17 was Bishop David R Daniels, Sr.
The Lord had given us the power not only to
“give,” but also to “forgive.”
The families of the Mother Emanuel Nine Shooting victims were able to say to Dylan
Storm Roof “You hurt me but I forgive you.”
The Lord gave Bishop Bryant, clergy and laity
from northern Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Dakota the power to
assemble again and put aside, forgive and be healed of whatever hurts may have
occurred during the Conference year.
The Power to Send out To Preach
Finally, the Lord was empowered to “Send the
Disciples” out to preach.
The Bishop concluded the conference on Sunday
October 18 with the closing service that was held at 10 a.m. in which he sent
the preachers to their various pastoral appointments.
The ministers were dressed in black robes. Bishop John R. Bryant preached a dynamic,
spirit-filled sermon as he prepared to send the Preachers out to do spiritual
battle reminding the conference of the importance of prayer in their “war
rooms.”
Most pastors returned to their churches and
clergy and laity left the conference inspired.
A few pastoral appointments will be given at the
Fourth District Planning Meeting.
The Ministry of Discipleship was on display
during the conference.
*The Reverend Robert Andrews, Conference Reporter
*The Reverend Karla Garcia, Conference Reporter
and Reviewer
10. THE 5TH ANNUAL
GATHERING OF WOMEN CONFERENCE 4-DAY CARIBBEAN CRUISE:
The Rev. Dr. Alice Hubbard Crenshaw did it again
extending the 5th Annual Gathering of Women Conference into a
“Christian Workshop and Praise,” pleasing God on a 4-day Caribbean cruise.
The group boarded the Carnival Elation Cruise Ship at the Port of New Orleans seeking to
add a little spiritual edification to their conference vacation. It was an
all-inclusive Christian cruise conference combined with comfortable ocean view
staterooms and onboard amenities with Christian worship services, guest
speakers and fellowship. The Rev. Dr. Crenshaw’s mission is to educate and empower
women and youth at risk by spreading awareness through workshops outreach and
by providing presentations to groups within local communities. She enlist
professionals in the areas of interest to provide prevented awareness which
empowers women to use their skills to become knowledgeable of professionals and
social services available to make a
difference in their communities.
Friday morning after breakfast, prayer and
devotion, the Rev. Nettie Swafford-Ranel presented a workshop on
Relationships.” She explained several concepts of how people or objects are
connected defining the state of being connected in accordance to John 15:4. She
taught that humanity is suffering today due to problems in their relationships.
We as a people were created by God to be in communion with him through Jesus.
We can truly love one another when we are one with the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. To have effective relationships and productive families as well as
communities, each of us must re-visit or re-establish our relationship with
God. We must never doubt that God takes care of the vine. Relationship
encompasses friends, family, co-workers, supervisors, husbands, wives,
neighbors and community leaders. The way we interact with others is an
indicator of our relationship with God. We even have tolerance and
longsuffering towards those, who may not appear loving; and we will not wavier
in our faith or commitments to one another.
The Rev. Ranel made a few comments from Dr. Gary
Chapman’s book, “The Five Languages,” in which he cites many marriages don’t
succeed because couples do not know each other’s love language. For instance,
the husband who does everything around the house, works two jobs and buys his
wife and children “any and everything” they desire, thinks he’s doing a great
job. His wife, on the other hand, is feeling unloved and that she does not
matter or is unimportant to her husband.
Of course the husband does not understand what her problem is!
Consequently, this leads to tension and sadness in the marriage relationship.
Often, it leads to infidelity and in many cases, divorce.
Chapman proposes that a husband’s love language
is help, service, and gifts. The wife’s love language is quality time and/or
attention. Can you see the problem? In each of their minds they can’t
comprehend, why the other doesn’t know what they need. But, if we go back and
communicate with God in the name of Jesus, ask for discernment as to what our
friends and family need. God’s spirit will guide us into the appropriate
action, we should pursue, as we interact one with the other.
In her closing remarks she stated, “Every great
relationship begins with God” we must have a well-established communion through
prayer and devotion with God. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus told the disciples “Seek
ye first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall
be added unto you.”
After lunch group met in the conference room set
aside for them. Mrs. Bridget Gibson presented the Domestic Violence workshop.
She began by defining Domestic Violence as a pattern of behavior used to
established power and control over another person through fear and intimidation
often including the threat or use of violence.
Domestic Violence includes intimate partner violence, battering,
relationship abuse, spousal abuse of family violence.
Mrs. Gibson explained how she became involved in
this field. In her hometown of Crowley,
Louisiana, three people were murdered due to domestic violence in 2013. Her
mother’s beautician of sixteen years was one of those deaths. She said God laid
on her heart to help bring public awareness to domestic violence. In her
experience 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during their
lifetime. Women ages 18 to 34 years are the greatest risk of becoming victims
of domestic violence. As women of God we must show love to our sisters and
brothers living in domestic situation.
She said, “God’s Love wins.”
This presenter also covered human trafficking,
which is the fastest growing crime in the world, with more than 30 million
slaves worldwide. People are trafficked for labor or sex through force, fraud
or coercion.
The Department of Justice estimates that as many
as 100,000 – 300,000 American children are at risk of being trafficked for
commercial sex each year, with the average age of entry being 13 years
old. Louisiana is in the top ten states
for human trafficking because of the sexually charged area such as strip clubs
and pornography. Victims are people who are in vulnerable situations such as
youth running away from home, kidnapped, foster care and/or domestic
violence. Within 24 hours after leaving
the shelter of their home a child is approached by a pimp. This is not
prostitution it is children from 8 to 18 yrs., of age. These girls usually go
through a 30-day period where they are beaten into submission.
She reported that perpetrators can make
$600,000-$700,000 annually. It has been documented that the girls are forced to
have sex with men on an average of 14 times a day. Human trafficking is a $32-billion-dollar
industry and it is a global problem. Victims are often deceived by traffickers
by the promise of love, a better life, a job or whatever their immediate need
or desire.
Often victims don’t even recognize what’s
happening to them. Only one to two percent of victims are ever rescued. We
should be on the lookout for our girls being with older boys as boyfriends who
don’t work, but have money. Our youth who show up even in church or YPD
meetings with new expensive items, other signs of ownership such as tattoos,
bruises, cuts, or burns.
Mrs. Gibson has created relationships with
faith-based communities such as St. Stephen AME Church in Kenner, Louisiana
under the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Crenshaw and Allen Chapel AME Church where
the Rev. Bland Washington is the pastor in Baton Rouge. She is the director of
“Tell the Truth Non-Profit Organization, Domestic Violence Awareness and United
Against Domestic Violence, Faith Based Organization.
Saturday was a Fun-Free day everyone. Everyone
spent the day shopping in Cozumel, Mexico and fellowshipping on land getting to
know one another looking out for each other. We were exercising effective
relationships as taught by the Rev. Nettie Ranel.
But Sunday morning, the Rev. Dr. Crenshaw
gathered the group for noonday church worship service; it was something new for
all in attendance because few had ever had anyone dream of praising and
worshipping “Almighty God” on the Atlantic Ocean.
The Rev. Nettie Ranel’s subject was, “Damaged but
not Destroyed.” The text was taken from Ruth 1:20-22 and the preacher lifted V.
21 that reads: “I went out full, and the
Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord
has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
The essence of the sermon was we need to stay
committed to God whatever betides because God will take care of us. God takes
our weakness, most desperate moments and turn them into a miracle. Boaz became
the answer to Naomi’s and Ruth’s prayer. They had been damaged by the hardships
of life, but not destroyed. Both ladies were still able to be used for God’s
divine purpose. We must remember that “all things do work together for the good
of them who love God and who are called according to God’s purpose,” no matter
how rough and tough life gets, we must not give up on God’s promise to be a
present help in time of trouble.
We thank God for God’s Word. God is the same
yesterday, today and forevermore.
11. YOU ARE
CORDIALLY INVITED... RETIREMENT OF THE 2ND EPISCOPAL DISTRICT
EPISCOPAL TEAM:
“The
Seeking, Serving, Spirit-Filled” Second Episcopal District will host their
annual Founder’s Day Celebration
February 18th - 20th, 2016
at Reid Temple AME Church, 11400 Glenn Dale Blvd., Glenn Dale, MD 20769
We are celebrating the RETIREMENT of our dynamic
leadership, Bishop William Phillips DeVeaux, Sr., Presiding Prelate Second
Episcopal District and Dr. Patricia Ann Morris DeVeaux, Episcopal Supervisor
WMS, 2nd Episcopal District
Guest Book and
Tributes:
You are invited to join us in these festivities
and to offer your words of commendation, congratulations and tributes on our
online guestbook. Visit www.wac-guestbook.org; (link soon to be
active).
For more information, contact the Office of the
Second Episcopal District.
Second Episcopal District AME Church
1134 11th Street, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20001
Telephone: (202) 842-3788
Fax: (202) 289-1942
You may also mail congratulatory messages to 1134
11th Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC 20001.
For information about the retirement celebration,
please go to:
www.ame2.com or call the Rev.
Valdes Snipes-Bennett (202) 842-3788.
For vendor information, visit: www.wacvendorregistration.com.
For information about VIP transportation please
contact:
The Reverend Daryl Kearny via email at:
WACTransportation@gmail.com.
Hotel Information: Marriott Greenbelt: 6400 Ivy Lane – 301-441-3700 or 800-228-9290
(Cut Off Date -01-27-2016)
Courtyard by Marriott: 6301 Golden Triangle Drive – (800) 321-2211
(Cut-off Date – 01-27-2016)
Holiday Inn Greenbelt: 7200 Hanover Drive – (301) 982-7000 (Cut-off
Date – 01-31-2016)
Important Times and
Dates:
Opening Service – Thursday, February 18th at 7:30
pm
Plenary Session – Friday, February 19th at 10:30
am
SED Luncheon – Friday, February 19th at 12 noon
Retirement Celebration – Friday, February 19th at
7:30 pm
Closing Business Session – Saturday, February
20th at 9:00 am
Retirement Celebration Coordinators:
Presiding Elders: The Rev. Evelyn G. Dunn,
Southern District, North Carolina Conference and the Rev, Dr. Ronald E.
Braxton, Potomac District, Washington Conference
12. ALBANY STATE
UNIVERSITY MARCHING BAND HEADED TO PASADENA DEC. 28:
ALBANY, Ga. -- Albany State University has
exceeded its goal to raise $270,000 for the “Rams in the Roses and Beyond”
campaign. The campaign raised $332,775; thanks to supporters, the Albany State
University Marching Band will head to the 2016 Tournament of Roses Parade in
Pasadena, Calif. The remaining funds will be used to support need-based
scholarships.
“This is an outstanding accomplishment for the
university and the hundreds of supporters who donated, not only funds, but time
and effort to help us send this talented group of scholar musicians to
Pasadena,” said Chanta Haywood, vice president of Institutional Advancement and
Executive Director of the ASU Foundation.
The ASU Marching Band is the only Georgia band,
the only university band from the southeastern United States, and the only
historically black university band in the nation to participate in the event
that serves as a prelude to the nation’s oldest bowl game.
“We really can’t thank everyone enough who
donated to help us get to Pasadena”, said Band Director Michael Decuir. “All of
the alumni, students, and supporters in Albany and around the nation, on behalf
of the band, I want to let you know that we couldn’t have done this without
you. We’re ready to show the world what it means to be a Golden Ram.”
Funds raised are being used for travel and
expenses associated with sending the band to California.
Band members will leave for the Golden State on
Dec. 28 for a weeklong stay that includes band performances, television interviews,
community service projects, and visits to top California tourist attractions
such as the Grammy Museum and Museum of Tolerance.
“These students will have cultural and
educational experiences and memories that will last them a lifetime,” said ASU
President Arthur Dunning, who contributed to the fundraising campaign with his
wife Karen Baynes-Dunning. The Dunnings also matched donated gifts in the month
of October, dollar for dollar, for up to $25,000. “For many of our students,
this will be their first time in California and we want to provide them with
enriching experiences that will benefit them, academically and culturally.”
Student buses will depart from Reese Hall at
Albany State University promptly at 6 a.m. and the Walmart Supercenter at 6020
Harrison Road in Macon, Ga., at 7 a.m. Community members and supporters are
invited to attend the send-off. Event participants will depart from
Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport and arrive in Los Angeles
International Airport.
Soon after the band returns from Pasadena,
Calif., Albany State will officially launch the second phase of its fundraising
campaign, which includes the Tom Joyner Foundation School of the Month. As the
School of the Month, the TJF will promote raising funds for the university and
highlight its programs for the entire year, although ASU will be featured daily
during its designated month of November.
“The TJF designation allows us to expand our
fundraising to the millions of listeners and website visitors of Mr. Joyner’s
show. We can’t put a price tag on this
level of exposure. The fact that very single dollar given to ASU via Mr.
Joyner’s Foundation flows directly back to the university shows his commitment
to the success of HBCUs,” Haywood said. “The Rams in the Roses campaign was a
testament to what we as a community are capable of doing for our students and
the university. I anticipate an even
higher level of enthusiasm and support for this institution through the ‘Tom Joyner
Foundation School of the Month designation’. ”
The university also received $47,000 in pledges,
which are not included in the fundraising total. Those funds, when received,
will support student scholarships.
Donors can start donating to ASU through the Tom
Joyner Foundation today by going to http://igfn.us/vf/Albanyrams.
The Albany State University Marching Band will
appear as number 25 of 93 participants in the New Year’s Day, two-hour live
special that will air at 8 a.m. PST (11 a.m., EST). Broadcast outlets include:
• ABC
• Hallmark Channel
• HGTV
• KTLA5
• NBC
• Univision
• RFDTV
• FamilyNet
• Rural Radio Channel 147 SiriusXM Satellite
Radio
About ASU … Albany State University, in Southwest
Georgia, has been a catalyst for change in the region from its inception as the
Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute to its designation as a university.
Founded in 1903 to educate African-American youth, the university continues to
fulfill its historic mission while also serving the educational needs of an
increasingly diverse student population. For more information see http://www.asurams.edu.
13. INTERNET HYMNAL
RESOURCE:
14. FIRST EPISCOPAL DISTRICT CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
January 6, 2016
Bishop Gregory G.M. Ingram’s Birthday
January 15-17, 2016
Ruth Henderson Hughes Learning Experience
Hershey, Pennsylvania
February 11-13, 2016
Founder’s Day
First District Plaza
February 26-27, 2016
First Episcopal District Lay Organization
Mid-Year Meeting
New York, New York
First District Bicentennial Celebration
April 8, 2016
Social Justice Forum
Reenactment of the
First General Conference
Mother Bethel AME
Church
April 9, 2016
Sarah Bass Allen Awards
and Dinner Theater
First District Plaza
April 10, 2016
A Tribute to Sarah
Allen for Youth and Young Adults
First District Plaza
Ecumenical Worship Service
Mother Bethel AME
Church
June 16-18, 2016
Planning Meeting
July 3-13, 2016
Bicentennial Celebration of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church
July 6-13, 2016
50th Quadrennial Session of the
General Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 25-28, 2016
Christian Education Congress
Dover, Delaware
July 29-30, 2016
First Episcopal District Lay Organization Annual
Meeting
Wilmington, Delaware
15. THE 1ST
EPISCOPAL DISTRICT 2016 SCHEDULE OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES:
Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram, Presiding Prelate
The Rev. Dr. Jessica Ingram, Episcopal Supervisor
Delaware Annual Conference
March 1-6, 2016
March 1: The Ministry of Evangelism Day
March 2: Women’s Missionary Society Day
March 3: Opening Worship Service
March 5: Ordination/YPD
March 6: Closing Worship Service - 3:01 PM
Delaware Ministerial
Alliance - Host
Bermuda Annual Conference
March 8-13, 2016
March 8: The Ministry of Evangelism Day
March 9: Women’s Missionary Society Day
March 10: Opening Worship and Communion Service
March 12: Ordination/YPD
March 13: Closing Worship Service - 3:31 PM
Bermuda Ministerial
Alliance - Host
New England Annual Conference
March 29-April 3, 2016
April 12: The Ministry of Evangelism and WIM Day
April 13: Women’s Missionary Society Day
April 14: Opening Worship Service
April 16: Ordination/YPD
April 17: Closing Worship Service - 3:31 PM
Bethel, Bloomfield—Host
New Jersey Annual Conference
April 11-17, 2016
March 28: The Ministry of Evangelism Day
March 29: Women’s Missionary Society Day
March 30: Opening Worship Service
April 2: Ordination/YPD
April 3: Closing Worship Service - 3:31 PM
Atlantic City District—Host
New York Annual Conference
April 25-May 1, 2016
April 25: The Ministry of Evangelism Day
April 26: Women’s Missionary Society Day
April 27: Opening Worship Service
April 30: Ordination/YPD
May 1: Closing Worship Service - 3:31 PM
Bridge Street—Host
Western New York Annual Conference
May 10-14, 2016
May 10: The Ministry of Evangelism Day
May 11: Women’s Missionary Society Day
May 12: Opening Worship Service
May 13: Ordination
May 14: YPD - 8:45 AM-12:00 Noon
Closing Worship Service (Time TBA)
St. John, Niagara Falls—Host
Philadelphia Annual Conference
May 16-22, 2016
May 16: The Ministry of Evangelism and WIM Day
May 17: Women’s Missionary Society Day
May 18: Opening Worship Service
May 21: Ordination/YPD
May 22: Closing Worship Service - 3:31 PM
Mother Bethel—Host
16. DON'T MISS
MISSED OUT ON THE "THRILL OF HOPE" BROUGHT BY THE BIRTH OF THE
MESSIAH:
*The Rev. David Beckmann
One of the verses in the classic Christmas song
"O Holy Night," which is based on Luke's Gospel account of the birth
of Jesus, reads: "A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder
breaks a new and glorious morn."
How many people missed out on the "thrill of
hope" brought by the birth of the Messiah? Despite the prophecies that
clearly described how and where this event would take place, the innkeepers in
Bethlehem and the religious establishment all missed it.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we should not
allow the Christmas rush to distract us. Don't miss the opportunity to reflect
on the greatest gift of God's love to humanity. Ask yourself, how can we
replicate Jesus' incarnational ministry through acts of love, compassion, and
service? Providing help and opportunity to hungry and poor people is an extension
of God’s caring love for humanity.
At Bread for the World, the love of God moves us
to advocate for changes in policies and conditions that would put an end to
hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world.
As we reflect on God's love this Christmas
season, I invite you to fulfill Christ's love-imperative to advance the kingdom
of God by seeking justice for those who are struggling with hunger and poverty.
*The Rev. David Beckmann is President, Bread for
the World
P.S. Join us as we pray for relief for those who
suffer, and that justice may prevail. Pray for wisdom for our elected
officials. Pray also for those who seek political office, that they too would
prioritize ending hunger and poverty in God's world.
17. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
*The Rev. Dr. Charles
R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical
Text: Daniel 3:17 KJV: If it be so, our
God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he
will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
The account in the 3rd
Chapter of Daniel is a familiar story to most of us. It is a story many of us
have probably heard in Sunday School or Vacation Bible School when we were
growing up as a child. However, the truth of the matter is even though many
know this story of faith and courage, some may still not practice this kind of
faith in our lives each day.
What is faith? The
Bible says that, “Faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In other words even
when it is not clear by faith we just know. When our way seems dark by faith we
know that as long as we have Jesus everything is going to be alright. When we
can’t seem to make ends meet, more bills than we have money, by faith we know
that God will make away some how. When no body else can give us what we need by
faith we know that God is able. By faith we know that when nobody else can God
can. By faith we know that when nobody else will God will.
There are examples of
this kind of faith in our everyday life. Think about it, we go to a doctor
whose name we can’t spell or pronounce. The doctor gives us a prescription we
can’t read. We take the prescription to a pharmacist we have never met. The
pharmacist gives us some medication we don’t understand and we take it without
thinking twice about it.
What I am attempting
to demonstrate is proof that faith involves believing that somebody else will
do something that is not yet visible. Faith involves believing that somebody
else will do something that has not yet happened. In other words, to have faith
is to relinquish trust in ourselves and put that trust in something or somebody
else.
That’s the way it is
with Jesus. We have to decide that Jesus is what we need. We have to make our
way to Jesus. We have to embrace Jesus and know by faith that Jesus can hold
us. We must know by faith that Jesus will take care of us.
Faith is the medium by
which the power of God is made visible. Just like an artist may use paint as
his medium and a sculptor might work through clay, God works through faith. The
Bible tells us that faith moves mountains, heals the sick, raises people from
the dead, makes the lame walk, makes the blind see and feeds multitudes. It is
also by faith that we can have entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
In our text we find that the three Hebrews
boys believed by faith that “God is able!” I submit that too many of us have
never learned to trust God. Too many of us have never learned to have faith in
God.
There are a whole lot
of us, church folk, who profess to be Christian having a relationship with and
knowing Jesus, when things start to get a little rough we call on everybody
else but Jesus. The truth of the matter is when things get a little tight some
of us look and act as worried as folk who don’t know Jesus. We are praising the
Lord during the good times but oh as soon as things go bad we act like we don’t
know who to turn to or where our help is coming from.
You see, the Lord
didn’t say that Christians wouldn’t have any more problems but He did say by
faith we should know, He’ll never leave us nor forsake us. The Lord didn’t say
that Christians wouldn’t run into obstacles but He did say our faith will move
mountains. The Lord didn’t say that for Christians everything would be easy but
He did say by faith we should know that with Him everything is possible. In
other words, we should have the kind of faith like the three Hebrew boys. We
have to say by faith, “I know My God is able!”
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston,
South Carolina
18.
GETTING TO ZERO:
The Rev. Oveta Fuller Caldwell, Ph.D is an Associate Professor of
Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Michigan (U-M) Medical School,
Associate Director of the U-M African Studies Center and an AMEC itinerant
elder.
The Rev. Dr. Fuller is currently on Sabbatical leave from the
University of Michigan and will submit her column as her schedule permits.
We trust that the Rev. Dr. Fuller is getting a much-needed rest.
19. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY,
DECEMBER 27, 2015 - A GENEROUS GIFT - MATTHEW 23:1-12;
MARK 12:38-44:
*Brother Bill Dickens
Introduction
The commercial side of the Christmas season is often linked with
the practice of gift exchange. Kids, as well as many adults, have eager
expectations of receiving tangible gifts from their loved ones as an expression
about how they are valued, respected and loved. The tradition of gift exchange
is reflected in the gift donor investing time in picking out the “right”
wrapping paper and ribbons and making sure the gift is wrapped to perfection.
When the recipient looks at the gift he/she consciously or sub-consciously
imputes some type of generosity value measured by size and appearance. The
Adult AME Church School Lesson takes a critical look at how we define
“generosity”. Is generosity a function of the size of the gift? The answer is
not immediately self-evident as we discover in our lesson below.
Bible Lesson
An important adage in golf is you “drive for show but putt for
dough”. Long drives from the tee to the greens cause the crowds in the galley
to make loud “oohs and ahhhs”. You are showing off your driving pedigree much
to the pleasure of the crowds. However, long drives are useless if you can’t
match that with a “short game” consisting of flawless putting. After all, the
object in golf is to get the little white dimpled ball in the cup and for that
you need to make short shots. Without talking about golf, Jesus uses an
important metaphor to teach about show-offs and superficial versus sincere
generosity.
Shallow Service
Jesus begins his lesson on generosity by first teaching about
service. In a warning to all readers and hearers, we are admonished to not look
to the early Jewish religious leaders of the 1st century as role
models. Like golfers who enjoy hearing the approving sounds of the crowds for
their long drives, these leaders enjoyed their own self-aggrandizement,
pomposity and pride. These leaders misuse important terns like ‘Rabbi” and
“Father” and stunt spiritual growth. Their service to God and humankind is
shallow because their priorities are twisted and carnal. Shallow service is all
about taking the short cut, taking the road frequently traveled and putting
hubris over humility. These are not the building blocks for effective
discipleship.
Superficial Generosity
The preference for shallow service impacts our attitude about
generosity. If we embrace shallow service this does not negate the act of
giving, but our attitude about giving becomes distorted. In another teaching
moment Jesus illustrates the important distinction between giving versus
sacrifice. The adherents to the philosophy of shallow service are concerned
only about appearance and a favorable reception by the crowd. As Jesus points
out, this influences their propensity to give. The propensity to give however
is clearly superficial. They give large amounts thinking this confers and
confirms their status as someone who is important and should be praised. Their
ostentatious display of wealth signals that they are better than their peers
and warrants special and preferential treatment. Such morally corrupt thinking
is reprehensible and offensive to a Holy God! Your generosity is not measured
in quantitative terms. How much you give is not an indicator about your
self-esteem or self-worth. In short, your net worth is an unreliable indicator
about your relationship with God and your fellow human beings.
Sincere Sacrifice
The teaching lesson by Jesus continues with the introduction of an
economically poor widow. During a normal temple offering the attention-seeking
superficial worshipers give extremely large amounts. They feel good about their
“sacrifice”. The widow gives an amount equivalent of one-half of a penny. In a
remarkable display of economic acumen Jesus points out that the widow actually
gave more than her rich counterparts because her offering reflected a life
savings. The rich counterparts, driven by shallow service and superficial
generosity, gave more in absolute terms but less in sacrificial terms relative
to the widow. The widow’s offering was sincere. The widow’s offering did not
reflect short cuts to giving. The widow’s offering is the role model that Jesus
lifts up as the true generous gift!
Bible Application
In recent years, US billionaires have indicated they will become
more philanthropically engaged. Warren Buffett and Williams Gates are matching
their rhetoric about giving with their actions. Billionaire millennials like
Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook) recently expressed he too will leave over
a billion dollars to US charities. While it is reassuring to read how the
wealthy are being “re-programmed” about philanthropy and charity, we can’t
conclude this is “enough”. Jesus once opined that the poor will always be a
part of our society. Despite noble social policy programs like the “War on
Poverty” our collective work is never done. Effective (in comparison to
shallow) service requires that we “give till it hurts”. Some will say – “I
tithe so isn't this enough”? My response is simple - the religious leaders of
Jesus’ time also tithed. They didn't gain special favor from God by upholding
the tradition of tithing and neither should we. It didn't hurt the widow to
give everything. Looking around at our AME congregations many of us are not
“hurting”. QED
Homework Assignment
What is your favorite charity?
"Knowledge is an Asset, Ignorance is a Liability"
*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 African
Methodist Episcopal Church
20. MEDITATION BASED ON JOHN 1:1-14:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I’m writing this mediation four days before Christmas 2016 -
when many people are focused on getting into the “Christmas spirit” - but no
one has done better at that than a group of students at North Charleston High
School. The Title I school wears an “at
risk” label, and the majority of the students are eligible for “free lunch” -
which means mostly black and poor in South Carolina.
Those students learned of the horrors faced by Syrian
refugees in their History class and chose to sacrificially share their meager
resources to help others. Young people
of modest means - most of them probably from families that embrace Christianity
- raised $1,900 in two months for a Jewish agency that provides housing and
assistance for mostly Muslim Syrian refugees.
I found their initiative to be refreshing and inspiring -
especially in a time when struggling children are rhetorically labeled as
“irresponsible thugs,” when some Presidential candidates are garnering support
from the fearful and insecure by demonizing Islam and when some “Christians”
are certain there’s a “war on Christmas” because store clerks say “Happy
Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” when completing transactions.
Those North Charleston High School students embodied the
spirit of Christianity and of all major world religions by doing what Christ
directed us to do - provide for the needy, encourage those who are struggling
and share God’s love in tangible ways.
Remember those students as you prepare for Christmas. Christmas can be a time of added stress and
tension instead of celebration when our focus is on gift hunting, decorating
and entertaining and when it seems that no matter how hard we try, we’re never
fully ready for Christmas.
Take the time, in the midst of preparation, to reflect on
the real meaning of Christmas - God’s gift of God’s Son to bless us, teach us,
model Godly behavior for us and give His life as the price of our sins When you do, God’s love will comfort you,
encourage you and inspire you to reach out to others by the Christ-like love
embodied the hymn that says, “He rules the world with truth and grace and makes
the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.”
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
21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. Robert
Connors, a local elder at Bethel AME Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan where the
Rev. Dr. Joseph N. Cousin,. Sr. serves as pastor.
Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Bethel AME
Church, 900 John A. Woods Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
The funeral arrangements have been entrusted to:
Crystal Fountain Chapel Funeral Home
967 Michigan Ave.
Ypsilanti, MI. 48197
Telephone: (734) 544.2007
Services will be:
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.
Family Hour: 10:00 a.m.
22. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened by the passing of Sister Roberta
Justice-Miles, wife of the Rev. Shelton T. Miles, pastor of Mt. Zion AME Church
in Hillsborough, NC (Western North Carolina Conference).
The Funeral Arrangements are as follows:
Monday, December 28, 2015
Mt. Zion AME Church,
5124 NC Highway 86 North
Hillsborough, NC
Visitation: 12 noon - 1:00 p.m.
Homegoing Service: 1:00 p.m.
The family will receive friends at the Parsonage:
5134 NC Highway 86 North, Hillsborough, NC.
Professional Services by:
Steven L. Lyons Funeral Home
1515 New Bern Avenue
Raleigh, NC 27610
Office (919) 831-2596
Fax (919) 831-2598
Card and expressions of sympathy can be sent to:
The Rev. Shelton T. Miles
Residence - 103 Bradley Circle
Durham, NC 27713
Cellphone: (919) 949-1048
Home Telephone: (919) 361-5717
Parsonage:
5134 NC Highway 86 North
Hillsborough, NC 27278
Telephone: (919) 732-3472
And to:
The Rev. Milton O. Battle (Doris)
1011 Maple Avenue
Apex, NC 27502
Telephone: (919) 387-0331
23. BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley,
Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family
Information Center
Telephone: (615) 837-9736
(H)
Telephone: (615) 833-6936
(O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
24. 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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