The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
1. TCR EDITORIAL – EVEN IN THE CHURCH,
SATISFACTION OR DISSATISFACTION IMPACTS STEWARDSHIP:
Dr.
Calvin H. Sydnor III
The
20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
Most likely, all of us pay bills. We have car payments, mortgages, rent,
groceries, utilities, consumer loans, college tuition, education loans, credit
card payments, computer, and other bills.
Oh, and lest I forget, church offerings, which
should have been listed first in the list of bills, but there is a reason I
will deal with church offerings later.
There are some bills I have no trouble paying. I
understand the notion that “nothing is free.” I also know that bills are a
“fact of life” and the “better handle” we get on managing and paying our bills
makes life easier.
I have no problem paying the mortgage or rent
because we all need shelter and a place to “lay our heads.” We like to eat, so
we have to buy food and grocery shopping is another fact of life.
Utilities make life easier so I have no trouble
paying gas and electric bills.
Sometimes I need to make purchases with my credit
card because I don’t have enough cash in my wallet. The credit card can be
especially convenient when making gasoline purchases because I don’t have to go
into the establishment to pay for my gasoline; I just pay at the pump with my
credit card.
If I don’t get careless and use my credit card
carefully, the use of the credit card can be a convenience and paying my credit
card bill is generally not a problem. It’s only a problem when my credit card
balance is higher than my ability to pay.
I don’t mind paying my internet provider bill
because I use the internet on a daily basis.
I
absolutely hate paying some bills
There are some bills I love or don’t mind paying,
but there are a couple of bills I detest paying.
Some years ago in a moment of weakness, we
purchased a timeshare. I never got a
“handle” on working that timeshare and it became an albatross “around my
neck.” I hated paying that bill every
month. It’s paid off now, but there is a yearly maintenance fee and I detest
paying the yearly maintenance fee. I detest paying anything related to the
timeshare so much so that I wouldn’t recommend anyone buying a timeshare, just
put aside some vacation money each month and go on vacation.
On several occasions, especially when raising our
children, I fell into the home equity loan trap. Instead of using the home equity loan to make
home repairs, I used the money to pay bills and to make frivolous purchases and
before I knew it, had amassed more debt than I could afford. I hated paying
that home equity loan bill. And then to
add insult to injury, the lending institution would send us bank or home equity
loan checks, especially at Christmastime, and of course the kids wanted
Christmas gifts and those bank checks just made Christmas a much happier time
in our home. It took me years to figure
out why my countenance was so low in January and February. The bank and home equity loan check bills
arrived in the mail in January and February. I hated paying those bills.
I have gotten older and wiser and have conquered
the bank and home equity loan trap, so no more of those bills. I still have the timeshare maintenance bill
each January, which I hate paying.
I have a monthly bill that I hate to pay and it
hurts to pay it. I hate paying the company, which will remain nameless, that
provides my television service. They do not provide excellent service, and in
my opinion not even a modicum of average service. When there is an interruption
of the television service, the company is clearly nonresponsive. Everybody in our neighborhood complains about
our television provider. And perhaps
providers of television service have a difficult job because a couple of our
neighbors switched providers and they share that their new provider’s service
is just as poor. I hate paying that bill each month and if there was a way I
could get out of paying that bill, I would do so.
One other bill I hate to pay is a restaurant bill
when I have gotten poor service from the kitchen or from the waitress or
waiter. I do have some recourse in terms
of how much of a tip I give. Great service, great tip; poor service, poor
tip.
I detest paying bills to businesses that provide
little or “no service.” And, as I think about it I also hate paying bills that
are a result of my poor decisions as in the case of the misuse of credit cards
and carelessness as a result of home equity loans and “free money” from bank
checks.
Nothing
is free
Now, let me get to the church offerings. I am sure
most clergy would love for their parishioners to make their church offerings
the highest priority.
Churches have used various strategies to increase
the level of giving in support of the religious program.
Historically, Protestant churches relied and
emphasized freewill offerings with the injunction, “God loves a cheerful
giver.” The late evangelist Oral Roberts in the 1970s implemented the “Seed -
Faith” concept of giving, which encouraged parishioners to give offerings that
exceeded the tithe.
The concept of the Seed-Faith giving encouraged
believers to first “plant a seed of faith” (money) so that God could multiply
“the seed” back to the giver and meet all of their financial needs.
Essentially Evangelist Roberts believed the
"the greater the sacrifice, the greater God’s blessing and if believers
had the heart to sow seeds of faith and in that way, God would multiply their
blessings. I believe it was the
beginning of the prosperity gospel preached by some churches today. Oral
Roberts encouraged believers to give beyond the tithe. He built a first-class
university using the concept of the Seed-Faith principle. Many people embraced it.
Churches use the strategy of tithing as a means of
increasing the levels of giving. Pastors encourage parishioners to tithe with
the passage from Malachi 3: 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But
you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings...you are robbing
me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty…and see if I will not
throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will
not have room enough for it."
Here is
where I am going with all of this
Freewill offerings, seed-faith giving and tithing
are great strategies for increasing the levels of giving and we want
parishioners to generously give and to give with a cheerful heart.
An important lesson is given in Malachi 1:6 – 2:9
and I don’t believe that I have ever heard preachers address the issue with
their message of encouragement for people to tithe.
Malachi chastises not only people of Israel, but
also the priests because they despised God and violated their vocation to
ministry. They offered unacceptable animals for sacrifice, so much so that God
chose to shut the doors of the temple rather than to have service without
gratefulness.
God chastised the priests (clergy) and the people
(laity) for insincere worship. The laity was treating God with contempt and the
priests were also being chastised for their lack of commitment to God.
It seems that the pastoral ministry, in small and
large churches, is consumed with financial challenges.
I know there are no easy answers, but just a
thought from Malachi when he chastised the priests (clergy).
Just
maybe
Might some of the financial challenges in our local
churches be caused by the clergy rather than the laity?
We, clergy, tend to place the blame on the
parishioners (laity). Preachers
constantly tell their “flock” they need to be more supportive of the ministry
programs, including support of the connectional budget.
We quote the Malachi passage and ask, “Will a
person rob?” And go on to promise, if they give generously that “God will open
the windows of heaven pour out abundant blessings.”
If clergy and laity in our churches functioned at
100% would that dissipate the financial stress and challenges facing some of
our churches? Preachers spend a lot of time encouraging and even begging the
laity to be more faithful and generous in their giving.
It might
not be the people, it might be the clergy
It might be time for the clergy to ask some serious
questions about their own ministry. The people of Israel were indifferent and
apathetic in their worship of God, but the priests were also at fault.
The priests are accused of offering unfit animals
for sacrifice and they wearied God with their words because they were not
preaching the truth. The priests were not busy about the tasks of ministry.
When the priests allowed blemished animals to be
sacrificed, it was a way of taking shortcuts and failure to pay attention to
details or maybe just plain laziness.
The words Malachi spoke to the priests speak to
us. Are we offering blemished animals on
God’s altar?
Are we giving God the best of our service? Are we
wearying God with mediocrity? Are we taking shortcuts in ministry? Are we
keeping our pastoral skills sharp? Are
we taking the time to prepare challenging sermons?
Are we taking time to prepare Bible-centered and
challenging sermons? Or, are we using sermons to get back at parishioners? Are
we taking time to visit the sick and shut in members? Are we being competent
administrators? Are we taking the time
to interact with parishioners? Are we
truly leading the flock as shepherds or are we driving the flock like
cattle-drivers? Do we have posted times when parishioners can sit down and talk
with us or are we always in a rush with never enough time to be a pastor of the
flock? Do we offer God our best in worship or do we just go through the motions?
Do we provide pastoral oversight to everyone or to a select few? Do we love the
people? Do we study the Bible? Do we maintain an active prayer life?
I heard a preacher say of a sermon, “The preacher
preaches some version of the same sermon week after week. The preacher doesn’t
prepare sermons and the people each week kind of drift off during the sermon.”
Here
might be the bottomline
There are some bills I don’t like to pay and there are others I love to
pay. I have distinguished the difference
in terms of customer satisfaction. Like most people in the secular realm, I
don’t like to pay bills when the service is poor or when I feel that I haven’t
gotten “my money’s worth.”
I also understand, in the religious realm, people “vote with their feet
and with their pocketbooks.”
I suspect there are parishioners who could give more generously and
encourage their friends to give more generously, but some of the lack of
financial giving might be precipitated by dissatisfaction with the lack of
pastoral leadership, lack of pastoral ministry of visiting the sick and shut in
members, a lack of biblical and dynamic sermons, lack of pastoral organization,
absence of engaging the church leadership and parishioners in the ministry of
the church, and the failure of the pastor to address and resolve conflict
within the congregation.
Hate to say it, but the same feeling about how people spend their money
in their everyday lives spill into the church.
How parishioners relate to and with their churches might be a factor in
determining their levels of stewardship of money, time and commitment to
pastoral programs.
Whether we like it or not or whether you think it is right or wrong,
parishioners’ levels of emotional, mental and physical satisfaction determine
the willingness and levels of support to local churches’ religious
programs.
2. VIEW SENIOR BISHOP JOHN BRYANT SPEECH ON AUGUST
12, 2015 AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB:
Please watch this clip: http://www.c-span.org/video/?327597-1/bishop-john-richard-bryant-charleston-church-shootings
TCR Editor’s note: I viewed all of Bishop Bryant’s presentation
and it was awesome and well-received. Everyone who has not seen it should take
the time the view the entire presentation.
We are proud of our Senior Bishop!
3. AME ITINERANT ELDER WILL BE
PROMOTED IN THE UNITED STATES TO BRIGADIER GENERAL IN SEPTEMBER:
Colonel (Promotable and soon to be Brigadier General) R. Scott Dingle
is an Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a
Medical Service Officer in the United States Army. He is a member of the
Southwest Annual Conference in the Tenth Episcopal District. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie is the
Presiding Prelate of the Tenth Episcopal District.
Colonel (P) R.
Scott Dingle is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Morgan State University.
He was commissioned in 1988 as a Medical Service Corps Officer through the ROTC
Program. His degrees include Master of Science in Administration Degree from
Central Michigan University, Master of Military Arts and Science Degree from
School of Advanced Military Studies and a Master of Science Degree in National
Security Strategy from the National War College.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command
and General Staff College, The School of Advanced Military Studies and the
National War College.
His awards and decorations include the
Legion of Merit (two Oak Leaf Clusters), Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service
Medal (seven Oak Leaf Clusters), Joint Service Commendation Medal, Joint
Meritorious Unit Award, Humanitarian Service Medal, the Order of Military Medical
Merit, Recruiters Medallion, the Order of Kentucky Colonels and the Army
Surgeon Generals prestigious 9A Proficiency Designator.
He and his wife,
Sonja, have four children: Ashleah, Raymond, Dominic, and Morgan.
4.
PERFECT EXAMPLE WHY POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE PHYSICALLY TRAINED COMPASSIONATE
WARRIORS:
Reference news article, Texas Officer Who Killed
Unarmed Man Made Mistakes... by Manny Fernandez and Timothy Williams in the
Aug. 12, 2015 issue of The New York Times in which the police officer,
Brad Miller, in his own words, clearly illustrates why police officers need to
be well-trained warriors.
“Officer Miller reported that he was in fear and
that he believed he was alone inside the building and that he would be
overpowered by Mr. [Christian] Taylor.”
“Officer Miller believed that he was alone. This
fear and feeling of isolation was the result of his poor decision to enter the
building without assistance and without an arrest plan” said Police Chief Will
Johnson.
And, I would add, the now fired Brad Miller's fear
and lack of physical training and a warrior spirit is a problem of many police
officers across the United States.
A police officer, who is not trained and not in
excellent physical condition, is ruled by fear and he or she has no confidence
of physical prowess or ability to confront those he or she thinks can overpower
them and their only response is their firearm.
5. NEWS
AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
-- My sister was killed in the Charleston church
shooting. Removing the Confederate flag isn't nearly enough. - The
Washington Post
6. A BAD
THING HAPPENED AT CHURCH, BUT GOD MADE IT GOOD:
By Jacob Cuthbert III, 10 Years Old
Boy Scout Troop 263 – Lake Mary, FL
My name is Jacob. I am 10 years old. I am a fourth
grader at Goldsboro Elementary Magnet School in Sanford, Florida. I am a
Tenderfoot Scout with Boy Scout Troop 263 – Lake Mary, Florida. I am also a
member of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. I am a seventh
generation AME.
I saw on the news the other day that something
really bad happened at Emmanuel AME Church in a place called Charleston, South
Carolina. People were shot and they died. The pastor died too.
The news said a white man did it because he did not
like black people. All the people who died were black. I do not understand
that. I have friends who are white. I like them and they like me. A white
person doing a very bad thing does not mean that all white people are bad. My
friends are not bad. I talked to my mommy about this because I do not
understand why God did not protect the black people and made the white person
not bad. My mommy works for God, you know. My mommy said we should pray for the
families of the people who died and that we should pray for the white man who
killed them. So I prayed with my mommy. But, I wanted to do more. I asked my mommy what I could do to help the
church besides pray. She said I should find something where I could do
something nice for other people.
So I decided to help mommy and her buddies out at
the Christian Education Youth & Leadership Congress. I asked some of my
scout buddies to help out too. They all are white, except for Bryan. Bryan is
black like me. So we got dressed up and our Class A uniforms and went to the
hotel – ready to work.
AND boy did we work! We unloaded all the supplies
from the trucks. We sorted them out on tables. We stuffed and stacked bags.
Auntie Joy and Uncle James, who helped me make this happen, were really nice to
us. They got us pizza! It was delicious!
We had a lot of fun doing a good turn. We helped a
lot of people and made them happy. Black people and white people worked
together and had fun. Nobody died that day.
A bad thing happened at church, but God made it
good.
7.
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA “DUM SPIRO SPERO” (WHILE I BREATHE, I HOPE):
*Brother William “Bill” Ayers
On Monday, August 3, 2015 I arrived in Charleston,
S.C. to attend the 34th Biennial Session of the Connectional Lay Organization
(CLO) as an observer. I also attended in
the role of co-chair for a breakfast fundraiser for the CLO’s Scholarship and
Disaster Relief Funds to be held at the seat of the 2016 AME Church General
Conference on Sunday July 10th in the city of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia,
PA.
I was greeted warmly at the airport by two
gentlemen who transported me to the hotel where I registered, left my luggage
and immediately headed to the Convention Center to catch up on the CLO business
session where our dynamic president, Dr. Willie Clayton Glover and his cadre of
vice presidents presided. President
Glover asked all former Connectional Lay Organization officers to join him and
the current officers on stage, which is where I remained during the sessions
until leaving Thursday afternoon. It was
a pleasure to see and greet those persons I worked with during my 9-year tenure
as Director of Public Relations and editor of the Connectional publication “WE
SPEAK” and to interact with the bishops, general officers and other dignitaries
who graced the stage to participate at this 34th Connectional Lay Organization
Biennial Session.
During the course of the 4 day convention, we
discussed proposed Lay legislation for the General Conference, approved the Lay
Organization budget, held a Black Tie event where the Organization gave $50,000
to Edward Waters College, honored our outstanding lay persons from across the
connection, listened to exceptional presenters including Dr. Cornell William
Brooks, the Rev. Dr. Jamal H. Bryant, and Bishop Reginald Jackson, heard an
outstanding sermon by our presiding prelate, Bishop William Phillips DeVeaux,
Sr., (Lay Commission Chairman), held a candidates forum for AME bishops (23
aspiring for 6 slots) and general officers, witnessed the presentation of the
Inaugural Living Legend Award to Dr. Jayme C. Williams, attended early morning
worship services including hearing the
Rev. Mila Cooper, a former Lay Connectional officer (Young Adult Representative). On Thursday morning Cheryl Hopewell and I
gave a report on our plans for a successful fundraiser at the 50th Quadrennial
Session of the General Conference. A
goal is to raise $60,000 for Lay Scholarships and to add additional funds to
the CLO Disaster Relief Fund ($50,000 was raised at the 2012 General
Conference). The report was well
received.
Despite all the business and training sessions,
workshops, reading of reports, delegation meetings, awards and scholarship
presentations and the good news that we have 2,400 square feet of archival
space on the site of Daniel Payne Community Plaza in Birmingham, AL, we had
time to get away from the convention center to visit various venues in the city
of Charleston. I was fortunate to team
up with Ms. E. Patricia “Pat” Thomas, President of the local lay organization
at Ebenezer, Ft. Washington, who drove down, and two of her members to meander
around the city’s food establishments and taste the culinary fare for which
Charleston is famous. We didn’t have to
go far. The restaurant food was
outstanding from our dining at Bertha’s, a soul food restaurant, to Justine’s,
a more upscale dining facility. Of
course it was important for me to sample each of the desserts (including peach
cobbler and bread pudding) and they all made my palate resound delightfully
with every tasty morsel.
A highlight of our touring was of course visiting
Mother Emanuel AME Church. Much has been
said and written about the tragic event that took place at the church. As I entered the sanctuary, I was in awe of
the church edifice whose present structure was dedicated in 1891 and
redecorated in 1949. More importantly,
blacks built it from the ground up. The hand
crafted millwork and detailed carpentry were impressive as were the stained
glass windows, the choir loft and organ with its massive pipes in the balcony
in the back of the church, the historical artifacts housed in cabinets in the
vestibule and various landings, while pictures and news clippings of historic
events filled the stairways and stairwells.
The layout reminded me so much of Old St. George’s Church in
Philadelphia. I finally stood in the
basement where the tragic event took place this year. The tables and chairs where they were praying
were still in place, with the tables draped in plastic cloths. Standing still you could almost feel
something ethereal in the air that transported your soul to that tragic
evening.
However, on the outside of the building there was a
Bicentennial Historic Marker that had the name of Dr. J. C. McKinney, AME
Church Treasurer. As many of you know,
Dr. McKinney was a dedicated member of Ward Memorial including serving as a
trustee pro tem and vice chair of the Stewardship and Finance Commission to name
a few positions held at Ward. Because of
his overall commitment to the Connectional Church as a General Officer and
churchman, the AME Church Finance Office is named in his honor. Also listed on the plaque was one of our
former pastors who became a bishop, The Right Reverend James Haskell Mayo. The marker was placed on the building in 1987
and gives homage to prior and current bishops who served the AME church during
that time frame. A tribute on the marker
was also given to Mr. Denmark Vesey (a freed slave) who was a lay reader during
the pastorate of the Rev. Morris Brown who founded the church. In touring the outside, I noted the elevator
that is being installed – progress in the making.
There are many out of town visitors to Mother
Emanuel church and as I was stating my home church in Washington, DC to a small
group of folk who had gathered in the basement, I was asked by one of the
individuals if I knew two former members, C. R. and Florence Sconiers. I replied that I did. The person to whom I was speaking was
Florence’s sister. She remarked that
Florence and C.R. were members of Ward during Rev. Norman Handy’s tenure as
pastor. C.R. Scoiners passed while at
Ward and Florence left their home in Virginia to return to Charleston where she
too passed a couple of years later after a short illness. We ministered to each
other about their church witness.
Ward Memorial AME Church was represented at the
34th Biennial Session by our pastor, the Rev. Dr. Michael O. Thomas, the Rev.
Dr. Debyii S. Thomas, Sister Doris Lowrie, President of the Joseph C. McKinney
Lay Organization and church delegate, Sister Sandra Bonner Hadley, CLO Vendor
Coordinator (she did an outstanding job), Sister Delores Richardson, observer
and yours truly, Brother William “Bill” Ayers.
The 35th CLO Biennial Session will be held in Columbus, Ohio in
2017. One of the highlights of that
convention will be the election of a new president and other officers to
continue the forward thrust of this great Connectional Lay Organization to
train and educate the Laity of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
*Brother William “Bill” Ayers was an observer at
the 34th Connectional Lay Organization Biennial Session Convention
8. ST.
JOHN AME BIRMINGHAM TO HOST FIRST IN SERIES OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES FOR NINTH
EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:
The final series of Annual Conferences presided
over by Servant Bishop James Levert Davis and Mother Arelis B. Davis, will
begin in the Northwest Alabama Annual Conference, September 15-19, 2015. It will be held at the recently purchased
Daniel Payne Community Plaza and hosted by St. John A.M.E Church in Downtown
Birmingham - the Rev. Mashod Alexander Evans is senior pastor; the Rev. Dwight
E. Dillard, Host Presiding Elder; and the Reverend Willis E. Huggins and the Rev. Oliver Allen,
Associate Presiding Elders.
The theme for this series of Annual Conferences is,
“Revival, Reflection, Praise and Thanksgiving,” and we have much to reflect
upon and be thankful for here in the Ninth District. The reports of pastors and laity will reflect
the move and favor of God.
As the host church for the Sixth Northwest Alabama
Annual Conference, we invite you to be a part of this awesome event through the
purchase of an ad in our Souvenir Journal.
The journal will include ads, videos, and a memorial section that we would
love for you to be a part of … a way to capture this historic time in the life
of the Ninth Episcopal District.
Deadline for inclusion in the Souvenir Journal is August 21. Follow this link http://stjohnbirmingham.com/annual-conference-info/ for the
price sheet or anything associated with the upcoming Annual Conference. We invite you to view the Annual Conference
promo video to get an idea of what this year’s Souvenir Journal will be like.
Experience the mighty move of God in the Ninth
Episcopal District as the Word proclaims, “For I know the plans I have for you,
says the lord.” They are plans for good
and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.
9. THE
2015 CHATTANOOGA DISTRICT CHURCH SCHOOL CONVENTION
The 2015 session of the Chattanooga District Church
School Convention was held June 19-20, 2015 at the Giles County High School in
Pulaski, Tennessee hosted by the Pulaski Area Churches. The theme was “The
Harvest of Discipleship” with scriptural reference from Matthew 9:37-38.
The leadership team was Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath,
Presiding Prelate 13th Episcopal District; the Rev. Dr. Terence L.
Mayes Sr., Presiding Elder of the Chattanooga District; the Rev. Beryl Basden,
Director of Christian Education; the Rev. Dr. Charles Holsey, host pastor; and
Sister Fordie Franklin, District Superintendent. Pulaski Area pastors and
churches involved in preparing for the Church School Convention were the Rev. William
H. Smith, St. Paul-Agnew; the Rev. Ben Sanderfur, St. Paul-Aspen Hill, Powell
Chapel and Trotters Chapel; the Rev. Dr. Charles Holsey, Campbell Chapel; the
Rev. Ruby Mason Crum, Friendship; the Rev. Tyler M. Orr, Phoenix Chapel; and
the Rev. Randy Brown, Round Hill.
The Opening Session and Plenary I began at 10:00
a.m. under the direction of the Presiding Elder Terence L. Mayes Sr. and
District Church School Superintendent, Sister Fordie Franklin. The Rev. Tylan
Orr, Worship Leader, led the congregation in singing, “What a Fellowship”
followed by prayer given by the Rev. William H. Smith; the Rev. Orr read the
scripture for the morning from Psalm 23.
The plenary continued with words from the District
Superintendent, Sister Fordie Franklin and words from the Presiding Elder, the
Rev. Dr. Terence L. Mayes Sr.
Pastors and the Church School Staff were recognized
and introduced. The teaching staff included Vorketta Braxton, Betty Conners,
and Shana M. Orr with pre-school to grade 1; Audrey Coleman and Angela Moore
with grades 2 to 3; Lawanda Daniels and Tina Grizzard with grades 4 to 5;
Rhonda Harris, William Mustin and Gina King with grades 6 to 8; Charles Moore
and Noah Young with grades 9 to college; Gene Settles with RAYAC; JoAnn Gaunt
and Hardin Franklin with the adult class; Presiding Elder Mayes with the clergy
class; and Ramona Pratt, Patricia Toney, Pamela Younger, and Cynthia Walker
with arts and crafts. The music and choirs were directed by the Rev. Tylan Orr
and the Rev. Kenneth Love. Administrative team for the convention was the Rev.
Vanessa Holmon, Retha Newson, Mamie Hamler, Fordie Franklin, and Sharon
Grizzard.
Following lunch, the 250+ registered participants
attended classes until 5:00 p.m. In addition to their classes, the adults and clergy
took part in two additional workshops: “Real Talk-How to Grow a Church
Spiritually and Financially” presented by the Rev. Dr. Isaiah Waddy,
Presiding Elder, Columbus, Georgia, 6th Episcopal District and “Legal Shield,”
presented by the Rev. Randy Brown, pastor of Round Hill.
The evening worship service was led by the Rev. Dr.
Charles Holsey. The Call to Worship was led by YPDer, Marlena Tibbs following
by the opening hymn, “Victory is Mine.” The prayer was by YPDer, Marlena Toney
followed by a selection from the Chattanooga District Youth Choir, “Trouble
Don’t Last Always.” The scripture for
the evening was from Matthew 9:35-38. The guest soloist for the service was
Sister Wanda Tate from Fayetteville, Tennessee, brought the congregation to
their feet with stirring renditions of “Praise is What I Do” and “I Just Can’t
Give Up Now.”
Presiding Elder Terence L. Mayes, Sr. introduced
the guest messenger, Elder Brandon Mason, pastor of Locust Ridge Primitive
Baptist Church of Arrington, Tennessee. Elder Mason preached from his heart
from the subject, “I’m Getting through This” with scriptural reference from
Exodus 14:13-16. The five points of his text were (1) God is sovereign, (2)
Reject the negativity of society, (3) Remain still, (4) Realize that you’ve
been stretched and (5) Rejoice because you are a survivor. The elder pointed
out, “If God said it, I believe it and that settles it. God’s not just enough,
he’s more than enough- God specializes in things that seem impossible.”
Day 2 of the Church School Convention began with an
8:00 a.m. Worship Service led by the Rev. Vanessa Holmon, pastor of St.
John-Mulberry. The Call to Worship was given by the Rev. William Smith followed
by the opening hymn led by the Rev. Kenneth Love and prayer by the Rev. Fred Blackwell.
The Old Testament scripture was read by Maya Rodgers, East Tennessee Conference
YPD President and the New Testament scripture was read by Shana Orr. Following
the Decalogue led by the Rev. Archie Griffin, the Chattanooga District Youth
Choir performed a rousing rendition of “I Need Just a Little More Jesus.”
Presiding Elder Terence L. Mayes introduced the
morning messenger, the Rev. Isaiah Waddy, Presiding Elder, Columbus District,
Columbus Georgia of the 6th Episcopal District. The Rev. Waddy’s
message was entitled “Revisiting the Anointing” with scriptural reference from
Acts 2:17. The Rev. Waddy proclaimed
that “the anointing is available to everyone.”
Anointing is the supernatural empowerment for power and ability given us
by the Holy Spirit to glorify God. Presiding Elder Waddy listed many things we
should revisit to refresh the anointing within us. He said, “The AME church has
gotten too cute. We need to revisit the study of God.” It’s all right to open
the doors of the church during Church School. Reading from Isaiah 10:27, he
said, “Anointing destroys the yoke. It’s time to let the anointing fall fresh.”
Following worship, a workshop was presented by the
Rev. Brandon Mason, pastor of Locust Ridge Primitive Baptist Church of
Arrington, Tennessee on the subject, “Black Lives Matter.” The Rev. Mason began
with a quote from Bishop John Bryant, “Racism is not a mental illness but a
spiritual illness.” Furthermore, to understand the problem, we must understand
II Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 6. The Rev. Mason’s key points were (1) Realize
who’s at war, (2) Wear the right wardrobe, and (3) Remember to pray and watch.
Plenary II continued with highlights of the class
sessions by the students. Pre-school to grade 1 students discussed how to get
along with each other and good discipleship. Grades 2-3 worked on vocabulary
for discipleship. Grades 4 to 5 used stickers to represent multiplying
disciples for the harvest. Grades 6 to 8 discussed following Jesus through
excerpts from the movie, “God’s Not Dead.” Grades 9 to college focused on the
statement, to grow you must spread the word of God with the development of a
scripture rap. RAYAC discussed the question “What is your discipleship?”
including the characteristics of good discipleship. The adult class explored
revisiting discipleship through the changing culture of music. Their conclusion
was that in the past, we listened to the music. Millennials listen to the beat.
The arts and crafts focused on the 12 Disciples from ice cream sticks, angels
with the slogan “you reap what you sow” and flower jewelry.
In closing remarks, Fordie Franklin recognized and
praised the musical staff of the convention, the Rev. Smith, the Rev. Love, and
the Rev. Orr. She also recognized the Pulaski area churches and the efforts of
each in making the Church School Convention a success.
Presiding Elder Mayes recognized Sister Franklin
with a gift. He recognized the East Tennessee Conference Lay President, Dr.
Jessie Campbell with a gift and a check to sow a seed with the Lay. The
presiding elder also recognized Mrs. Gloria Beverly, East Tennessee Conference
WMS President, Mrs. Lawanda Daniels, East Tennessee Conference YPD Director,
and Ms. Sharon Grizzard, East Tennessee Conference RAYAC President.
Presiding Elder Mays asked that all pastors and the
congregation keep Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in their
prayers. The Rev. Dr. Charles Holsey, host pastor was recognized.
Reported by Rhonda Harris
St. Paul-Fayetteville
10.
FOLLOW-UP BY SOCIAL ACTION COMMISSION CHAIR BISHOP REGINALD T. JACKSON:
“Liberty and Justice for All"
September 2, 2015
Following the
tragedy at Mother Emanuel AME Church, Charleston, South Carolina where nine of
our congregants were murdered by a white racist, the question was raised of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), “what’s next”? What will the AME Church do 195 years after
Denmark Vesey, a founder of Mother Emmanuel, sought to address the ills of slavery?
What will the African Methodist Episcopal Church do? Out of this tragedy, God
has provided the AME Church an opportunity to impact our nation, to motivate
the United States to confront and destroy the demonic spirit of racism.
Social Action
Commission Chair, Bishop Reginald T. Jackson announces that, “On September 2nd
the AME Church joined by our sister communions; the AME Zion and CME churches
will hold a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC at 10
a.m.. Joining in solidarity will be the
National Council of Churches and other faith communions, who following the
Charleston tragedy reached out to African Methodism to offer their support.
At the press
conference we will call upon the nation’s elected political leadership, citizens,
and people of good will across the nation to confront and take action to end
racism.”
In 2008, following
the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States of America (USA)
, it was said that the USA was now in a
post racial period. This was absolutely false. In fact the election of the
nation’s first Black president infuriated some in this country who viewed the
election of a Black president as unacceptable. Protests were heard echoing
sentiments like, “we want our country back”, or that “Barack Obama could not be
president because he is from Kenya”. In addition evidence surfaced of racial
profiling by law enforcement which targeted Blacks, and resulted in unarmed
Blacks being unjustly killed by law enforcement.
The USA has
documented: 1) the proliferation of guns in the Black community, mass
incarceration where Blacks are jailed disproportionately compared to whites,
systematic economic injustice denying opportunity and hope to many Blacks; 2) a
public school system which fails to provide Blacks a good education
exacerbating Black unemployment, poverty, family breakup while creating a
feeder system for the correction system. In fact, following the national
election in 2012, a deliberate and racist effort to suppress the Black vote has
emerged with renewed energy. Racism is a major problem in the USA and we can no
longer continue to be in denial about it.
The AME Church and
our sister communions must seize this moment to lead our nation in confronting
and destroying racism, unless we allow it to continue to destroy us and our
children.
The Council of
Bishops and the Social Action Commission call upon our clergy and laity to join
us in Washington, DC in September, as we call our nation to action against
racism. On Tuesday, September 1st there will be a worship service at John
Wesley AME Zion Church, 16th St., Washington, DC at 7 p.m. and the press
conference on Wednesday, September 2nd at 10 a.m. The address for the National
Press Club is 529 14th St., NW, Washington, DC.
The press
conference will not be the beginning and end of this effort. There will be
interaction and meetings with the White House, Cabinet members, Congress,
governors and other agencies. Very important to this effort will be the support
and participation of local churches all across the nation. Racism occurs most
often in local communities. An “Action Guide” will be prepared to assist local
churches in this effort.
Historically, the
Black church has been the conscience of the nation; and we shrink not from that
conscience stirring role for the nation once again.
Weekly updates will
be provided as we come closer to September 1, 2015. Be in prayer now that God
will lead and bless our effort. We can do nothing without God.
For further
information please contact Sistah “Jackie” Dupont Walker, Director of Social
Action for the AME Church at 1621 Wellington, Los Angeles, CA 90019; Telephone:
(213) 494-9493; Fax, (213) 747-1975; Email: JDupontW@aol.com, Website: www.ame-church.com
11.
BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON: HIS LIFE, HIS
DEATH, AND HIS LEGACY:
*Dr. R. L. Uzzel is
the pastor of Wayman Chapel AME Church in Ennis, Texas
I have been asked
the question “How did you become interested in Blind Lemon Jefferson?” My interest in this outstanding Texas blues
singer began shortly after the beginning of my residence in Freestone County,
Texas in December 1974. At that time, I
started work as a social worker for the aged, blind, and disabled, employed by
the Texas Department of Public Welfare (which is now called the Texas
Department of Health and Human Services).
My caseload included clients in Teague (the location of my office),
Fairfield (the county seat), Butler, Wortham, Streetman, Kirvin, and various
other rural communities. As a life-long
history buff, I immediately began learning about local history, visiting the
Burlington-Rock Island Railroad Museum at Teague and the Freestone County Museum
at Fairfield. At these facilities, I
obtained respectively copies of a list of the county’s state historical markers
and the program for the dedication of the 1967 historical marker above Lemon’s
grave at the Wortham Black Cemetery.
During my first
trip to Wortham for home visits, I went to the gravesite. This was the first of many visits to what has
developed into a blues shrine. During
the next two years, I made numerous visits to Wortham, not only to interview
clients but also to visit Longbotham Lodge No. 428, A.F.& A.MM. One of the active members at this time was
postmaster Uel L. Davis, Jr., who had collected considerable information on the
singer and was instrumental in obtaining the 1967 marker. Later, he shared with me several articles from
his Blind Lemon file.
When I first moved
to Teague, I had no idea that I would establish permanent ties with Freestone
County or that research into local history would become such an obsession. On 19 February 1977, I married Debra Bass, a
native of Fairfield. We lived in
Fairfield for only a few weeks. We then
moved from Fairfield to Dallas, Dallas to Kaufman, Kaufman to Waco, Waco to
Dallas, and Dallas to Ennis. We now look
forward to returning to the Fairfield area as we approach retirement. My wife’s family tree, which stretches from
Freestone County through Louisiana and South Carolina all the way back to
Africa, was the subject of a later book.
During the late
1970s, I began serious research into the life and music of Blind Lemon
Jefferson. My research continued into
the 1980s, when I not only perused written sources but also began conducting
interviews with people who knew Blind Lemon.
My research was interrupted by many other demands on my time, including
Ph.D. Studies in World Religions at Baylor University between 1986 and 1995.
By the summer of
1988, I was determined to bring the project to completion. Being quite naïve at the time, I prepared a
74-page typewritten manuscript and sent it to Dr. Bill Ferris, author of Blues
from the Delta and, at that time, director of the Center for the Study of
Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi at Oxford. The center houses the Blues Archive. I also submitted a condensed version of the
manuscript to Living Blues magazine, which is also housed at the center. The November-December 1988 issue was devoted
to Texas blues and included my article “Music Rooted in the Texas Soil: Blind Lemon Jefferson.” At the time, I had never tried to publish a book
and had no idea of what is involved in the move from typescript to print. During the spring of 1989, I received a letter
from Dr. Ferris, stating that what I had submitted was well written but was
still far from a book, as 74 pages would be a pamphlet if printed. Later that year, I obtained from the Blues
Archive copies of a series of articles on Blind Lemon written by Bob Groom for
the British publication Blues World. The
archive staff who copied these articles for me questioned whether there was
enough information for a complete biography.
Nevertheless, I was determined to achieve this goal.
During the summer
of 1989, Mr. and Mrs. Mick Knight, two British blues fans, befriended me. They had read my Living Blues article in
London. Coming to America, they visited
Ole Miss, where they obtained copies of the aforementioned articles by Bob
Groom and learned that I lived in Waco, Texas.
After arriving in Waco, they learned that I was chair of the Religion
Department at Paul Quinn College and contacted me at my office. As a result, I made two trips to Freestone
County with the Knights. Mick took the
older pictures included in my book and provided much help with my
interviews. During this enjoyable field
work, Mick entertained both interviewer and interviewees with his performance
of Lemon’s “One Dime Blues” and “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean.” I added the pictures and interviews to my
Blind Lemon files but, again, this project was placed on hold due to the
demands of graduate school and my full-time teaching position.
In early 1992, I
was able to conduct additional interviews with people who had known Blind
Lemon. Such were arranged by Waco blues
guitarist Loydell Burks. The next few
years were devoted to completion of my course work, passing of my preliminary
examinations, and the research and writing of my dissertation on French
Kabbalist Éliphas Lévi. I received my
Ph.D. in 1995 and my dissertation was published in 2006. Amid pastoral ministry, teaching, and other
writing, I did not forget about Blind Lemon.
In 1998, I placed
my Blind Lemon manuscript on diskette.
As a result, the 74 pages shrunk considerably. During the next three years, I gradually
added new material derived from both oral and written sources. Finally, my book-length manuscript became a
reality. In June 2001, Eakin Press,
which specializes in Texas history, agreed to publish my book.
I attended the
first Wortham Blues Festival in 1997. I
missed the next three years. After
signing a contract with Eakin, I distributed promotional brochures regarding my
upcoming book at various events, including the Wortham Blues Festival on 8
September 2001, the Homecoming at Smith Chapel Primitive Baptist Church (the
site of Lemon’s funeral) on 23 September 2001, and the Fairfield
Sesquicentennial on 27 October 2001.
Isaac Cary, Sr.,
with whom I have been closely associated in various houses of Prince Hall
Freemasonry for over thirty years, was very helpful in providing most of the
newer photographs for my book. Some were
taken at the Wrotham Black Cemetery, the Blind Lemon Jefferson Community
Center, and Smith Chapel Primitive Baptist Church. Others were taken in Dallas’ Deep Ellum
District at Blind Lemon Urban Bar and Bistro.
On 13 June 2002,
the first thirty copies of my book were delivered by UPS. This was just in time to be sold during the
2002 Blues History Week. During the past
thirteen years, I have brought this book to the attention of blues fans, Texas
history buffs, and others. In my
“Acknowledgments” at the beginning of the book, I state:
“Above all, I thank
God for daily giving me strength to meet this and all challenges of life. I hope that this book will give the reader a
greater appreciation not only of Blind Lemon Jefferson but also of the richness
and diversity of African American music.”
*Dr. R. L. Uzzel is
the pastor of Wayman Chapel AME Church in Ennis, Texas
12. SPIRITUAL
MANNA: GIVING A LOT EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE VERY LITTLE:
By Angelique
Walker-Smith
“Jesus looked up
and saw some rich people tossing their gifts into the offering box. He also saw
a poor widow putting in two pennies. And he said, ‘I tell you that this poor
woman has put in more than all the others. Everyone else gave what they didn’t
need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had.’”
--Luke 21:1-4
A few months after
the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, whose epicenter was in Cairo, I found myself
in that city. I had been invited to visit Coptic Orthodox and Evangelical
churches, the Bible Society of Egypt, and youth who had been involved in the
revolution. Tensions were still high, but the churches continued to provide
spiritual and material support to people in need as they have been doing since
the earliest days of Christendom. The churches carried out this ministry
despite complications from increased tensions between Christians and Muslims,
who had been living together in the region for hundreds of years.
During my visit, my
host invited me to share a message with a special church he was supporting in a
very poor area of Cairo. The church’s location wasn’t readily apparent. It was
in a hidden upper room in a very modest, small building on a fairly desolate
and isolated street. The congregants met in the evening. They were primarily
older and younger women in modest, traditional Egyptian dress and women from
other parts of northern and sub-Saharan Africa. Their children, youth, and a
few older men were also present. Most of the women wore black or another dark
or neutral color. As is the case in similar cultures, my host confirmed that
the dress indicated most of the women were widows.
Although the Bible
consistently refers to care for widows, the passage from Luke 21 is one
of the few sections that makes an important departure from that to the
empowerment and dignity of widows. In this passage, Jesus describes how the
widow gave and did not receive from the rich, who have given what they did not
need. The rich witness the widow’s empowerment from Jesus, who lifts her
dignity to one who is blessed because she gave and did so in a true sacrificial
way.
The same was true
of the widows I saw in Egypt. The women brought oils, food, coins, embraces,
and tears for their offering. While many of the husbands or other men in their
lives were somehow lost or dead as a consequence of political strife, hunger,
war, and poverty, these women still sacrificially gave what they had. Despite
their weariness from travel, health ailments from childbirth, and other pains
that were prayed over, touched, and anointed, the women made offerings out of
their limited means to the church community and others outside the church.
Today, among even
refugees and internally displaced people in the U.S. and around the world are
many widows and others who give despite their lack of money and other material
goods. Bread is a partner with these communities as it advocates for public
policies to end hunger and address poverty. May we, like the widow in the Bible
and the women in Egypt, always find ways to give of ourselves sacrificially so
that all may be fed.
The Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is Bread for the World’s
national senior associate for African-American and African church engagement.
13.
THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
This week’s column,
based on Biblical Text: John 20:29 is a commentary on the blessings of faith as
it reveals in no uncertain terms that there is a reward in store for those who
believe without seeing. It points out, quite clearly, that there is a
tremendous bonus in store for those who accept Jesus and His promises. There is
a reward for those who step out on His Word with faith.
The concept of
Christianity is quite simple. Christianity is built on faith. As a matter of
fact faith is the most basic tenant of our entire doctrine. What we believe to
be true, what we consider without question is based on faith. None of us have
seen God with our natural eye, nor have heard God with our natural ears. Yet we
come together, week after week to worship Him and to demonstrate that we
believe beyond any doubt He does exist.
When we are asked
for proof that God exists we can quickly point out that we see God in nature,
in science and in humanity. We sing songs that give proof of our faith that God
lives. A song writer penned—“Over my head, I hear music…there must be a God
somewhere!” We believe by faith, and not by sight.
Folk without faith
are just like “Doubting Thomas” who couldn’t grasp the concept of faith. He needed that fleshly experience of touching
and seeing and hearing.
Consider, if you
will, how small our Christian community would be if everyone had that same
attitude? I submit to you that doubting spirit would have crushed the Christian
movement before it ever got off the ground. That would mean that the only
members of the early church would have been those who had seen Jesus, those who
had witnessed His miracles. The only members of the early church would have
been those who had walked with Him and talked with Him.
This doubting
doctrine of skepticism first promoted by Thomas would have caused the Christian
movement to die with the witnesses.
After all, Jesus does not come down every now and then to be inspected
by the masses!
We can find in the
Bible three times where what Thomas said is recorded. In each instance Thomas
appears to be doubting or contradicting something that Jesus has said.
The first recorded
words of Thomas were spoken as Jesus and His disciples prepared to go to
Bethany so that Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead. The second time where
we find Thomas expressing his doubt was in the Upper Room with the disciples.
They were sharing in the Last Supper. Jesus told them at the supper that He was
leaving them. Jesus told them that He was going on to prepare a place for them,
a place where they would be able to join Him. Jesus said, “Whither I go, ye
know; and the way ye know.” Brother Thomas spoke up, showing his doubt and
disbelief when he said, “Lord, we know not wither Thou goest, and how can we
know the way?” Jesus said to him—“I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man
cometh unto the Father but by Me.”
No matter what the
subject was; Thomas always responded with more questions. We find in our text Thomas refuses to believe
that Jesus has risen from the dead. When Jesus arose from the dead, He appeared
to His disciples on that very same evening.
But for some reason unknown to us, Thomas was not there.
A few days later
Thomas ran into the disciples and they said to him, (I’m paraphrasing) “You
should have been there at the meeting. We saw our Lord!” Of course Thomas
immediately replied, (paraphrasing again) “I saw Him die with my own eyes. I
heard Jesus say, ‘It is finished!’.” However, the more Thomas expressed his
disbelief, the more insistent the others were. They continued to try to
convince Thomas that they had seen their Lord, Jesus Christ. This is when
Brother Thomas broke out with his now famous words saying, “Except I shall see
in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the
nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
When it came time
for the disciples to meet at the appointed place, Thomas was with them. After a while Jesus showed up. Jesus said
“Peace be unto you.” You wanted proof,
well, here it is! Thomas immediately
realized what a disappointment he had been to his Lord. Thomas was ashamed of
the demands he had made and of the doubt he had shown. As Thomas stood off in
the distance, he cried out with a mixture of penitence and conviction, “My
Lord, and My God.”
It was then that
Jesus said the words that should prove to be the foundation of our faith.
“Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that
have not seen, and yet have believed.”
Christianity rests
not on seeing, not on touching.
Christianity rest—on faith alone!
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in
Charleston, South Carolina
14.
GETTING TO ZERO: HANDWASHING AS A SIMPLE PREVENTION:
*The Rev. Oveta
Fuller. Ph.D
“An ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure.” “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” “A stitch in
time saves nine.” Most of us have heard these as either a child or adult.
In addition to
October as Breast Cancer Awareness month, October 15 is Global Handwashing Day.
Yes, this is another special day to focus on promoting an aspect of health and
wellness.
Global
Handwashing Day
Diarrheal and acute
respiratory diseases are major killers of young children. UNICEF, a United
Nations General Assembly agency that focuses on health, wellness and rights of
children, estimates that globally a child dies of diarrhea every 30 seconds.
Diarrhea is caused
by invading bacteria, viruses or protozoa. Diarrhea and possible loss of
appetite, vomiting, nausea and sometimes fever are symptoms of gastroenteritis.
Gastroenteritis- gastro (stomach); entero (intestine); it is (inflammation) is
often called “stomach flu.” It is not
related to influenza that is caused by a respiratory virus, but affects organs
of the digestive tract.
Simply washing
hands with soap and water is a highly effective, low cost way to prevent
diarrheal diseases. This should occur every time after using the toilet,
changing a diaper or nappy of a baby, before eating or before preparing food or
nursing a baby.
The Global
Handwashing Day each October 15 is promoted by agencies and schools in over 100
countries around the world. Washing hands with soap and water can be especially
effective when engrained into the receptive minds of young children. They will
remind adults of what we should do.
About
normal flora and pathogenic microbes
Viruses, bacteria
and protozoa can enter and invade the stomach and intestines to compete with
normal flora bacteria found in these digestive tract organs. Normal flora
bacteria are an important part of digestion and maintaining metabolic balance.
Bacteria that colonize the skin, hair, intestines and some mucosal linings of
the body prevent attachment to cells and reproduction of disease causing
microbes. Some normal flora also helps the metabolic processes of food
breakdown. These are the microbes needed for wellness- the “good microbes.”
High levels of some good microbes are found in probiotic foods such as yogurt
and milk.
Interestingly,
normal flora in one geographical location may differ from that in a distant
location. For example, traveler’s diarrhea and/or constipation can occur from
changes in species of colonizing bacteria after one consumes food that contains
microbes common to a different region. Turnover in the normal flora is a
natural process that usually self-regulated over a few days.
Pathogenic (disease
causing) microbes or “germs” are transmitted by hands, food or water that has
been in contact with human excrement or feces. Dirt can contain animal or human
waste. Sanitation to separate human waste and water used for cooking, drinking,
washing combats microbe transmission by the fecal-oral route. Even normal flora
microbes that colonize the skin may be pathogenic if they get inside the body
and gain access body tissues or organs.
Handwashing with
soap and water has been scientifically shown to kill or reduce the numbers of
pathogenic microbes. Thus soap dispensers are found in public or private
bathrooms or toilet facilities. Ample dispensers or bottles of alcohol-based
gel hand cleaners are prominent in health facilities.
Soap and water
should be available to children. They can be taught the importance of routine
use of soap to wash their hands. UNICEF suggests that “handwashing with soap
and water could be more effective at prevention of diarrheal and respiratory
diseases than a ‘vaccine’.”
What
happens and its impacts
Why wash with soap
and water? What does the soap add? Soap in lather can break the physical
attachments of microbes to skin. It has agents to destroy some of the outer
coat of many bacteria. Water alone can dislodge some bacteria, viruses or
protozoa that hitch a ride on hand surfaces. However, soap and water and the
accompanying washing action can remove many microbes on the surface and in the
crevices of skin and nails.
Diarrheal and acute
respiratory diseases kill more children in developing countries than any other
single item. Washing hands with soap and water and making these widely
available is a simple ounce of prevention that everyone can promote and model.
It yields tons of benefits in prevention of disease and death.
More about
commemorating Global Handwashing Day and the simple, low cost and effective
prevention can be found at http://globalhandwashing.org/ghw-day. Founding members are The Academy for
Educational Development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
Colgate-Palmolive, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Proctor and
Gamble, UNICEF, Unilever, World Bank (Water and Sanitation Program and USAID.
So, wash those hands! Do this every time
after using the toilet, after changing a diaper, before eating or preparing
food. Use both the soap and the water. Teach the children and the adults well.
Such home, church or school training is a prevention that saves lives!
*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 and former pastor. She
lived in Zambia for most of 2013 to study HIV/AIDS prevention among networks of
religious leaders.
15. iCHURCH
SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015 - A CALL TO REPENTANCE -
EZEKIEL 18:1-13 & 30-32:
*Brother Bill
Dickens
Introduction
One of the
difficult challenges we face is accepting change. Change is difficult simply
because we are comfortable with the status quo. Change forces us to rethink and
reevaluate our moral compass and as a result our understanding of what is fact
vs. fiction, truth vs. lie, and right vs. wrong. Technological innovation
forces a change in our consumer/producer lifestyle. Advances in health,
aviation and communication have allowed us to change our market behavior
dramatically from that of our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. The
Adult AME lesson for August 16, 2015 examines the importance and implication of
a special form of change – repentance. Let’s see how the great prophet Ezekiel
puts forth the definitive case for repentance.
Lesson
Ezekiel is often
characterized as the “eagle-eyed” prophet. He articulated many visions
throughout his prolific prophetic tenure. He saw a ‘wheel in the middle of a
wheel” (Chapter 1:16), “the plumb line” (Chapter 40:3) and of course the
“Valley of Dry Bones” (Chapter 37). Our lesson focuses on Ezekiel "seeing'
another important issue: need for repentance.
He begins with Jehovah repudiating a silly, unproductive proverb (read:
rumor) in verse 2. God firmly instructs
the prophet to no longer use this proverb in His presence. The key point in this text is the choice to
live or perish. The benefit of life is
captured in a conditional promise. If
the inhabitants of Israel eschew evil thoughts and actions they will find life
awaiting this choice. If they choose to
continue in unchecked sin they will face death and destruction. Verses 30-32 emphasize that God is ready to
forgive provided we repent. This
requires a change in attitude and behavior.
If we repent we live. If not, we
are permanently estranged from Him thus leading to death.
Application
Change is
inevitable if we seek to survive in our complex society. While all change is not beneficial it is
important to understand the need to be flexible in what we say and do. Stubbornness and inflexibility stunts growth
and prevents us from reaching our creative potential. Repentance is a fundamental characteristic of
change. When we engage in a sincere turn
of direction (repentance) the spiritual benefits are abundant. The hymnologist said it best - "Look and
Live". If we look to Jesus we can
live! QED
*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
16.
MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 100:
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby
I’m writing this
Meditation after attending the 105th opening Session of the Palmetto Annual
Conference of the AME Church. The
Conference is being held at Morris Brown AME Church in the heart of uptown
Charleston, SC - where parking can be a major headache.
Urban growth has
severely restricted parking options near the church, forcing many of those
attending the Annual Conference to park far away and either hike more than a
few blocks or be “shuttled” to the church.
I’m glad to say that I didn’t have that problem - I parked in a totally
cost free space on the street less than a block away from the church!
I could do that
because before I became the Presiding Elder of the Beaufort District of the AME
Church, I served as the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church. I know the community around the church - a lot
of members of the church that I visited as a Pastor used to live nearby before
gentrification changed the community - so I know where the most likely parking
options can still be found. I found a
parking space with no trouble whatsoever because I’m familiar with the
community.
Familiarity is a
blessing - not only when it comes to finding a parking space in a congested
urban community, but also when it comes to navigating the pathways of life in
our severely congested world.
Life in this world
is far from trouble free and is often complicated and congested by stresses,
strains, uncertainties and concerns that crowd out our well-being and leave us
anxiously searching for the easiest path to relief and peace of mind, only to
find that the solutions and relief that we need seem to be distant, remote and
hard to reach.
That’s why it’s
good to have an enduring and faithful relationship with the God of our
salvation. When we get to know Jesus and
trust in the Lord, life’s congested and challenging times will fade away. When we walk with the Lord in faithful
familiarity in our easiest times, we can then face life’s congested and
challenging times, assured that the God who brings us new possibilities and new
opportunities for blessed assurance is always only a prayer away.
Take the time, even
in the midst of a challenging and congested world, to trust in the Lord. When you do, then you won’t have to search
for options and relief when trouble comes.
You can look to the Lord you already know, find what you need right on
time, and know why one writer said, “All that you need God will provide, God
will take care of you. Nothing you need
will be denied, God will take care of you.”
This Meditation is
also available as a Blog on the Beaufort District’s Website: www.beaufortdistrict.org
Get Ready for
Sunday, and have a great day in your house of worship!
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby is the Presiding Elder of the Beaufort District of the South
Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church
17.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to
inform you of the passing of Mother Anne Siegelaar, the mother of Pastor Ivan
Siegelaar of Siegalaar Ministries and sibling of Veronica, Edmund and Edward.
“Mother Anne
Siegelaar was a disciplined, committed and faithful WMS member of our Zion
(with Mother Lilian Joubert); one of the last original octogenarians from Payne
Chapel Salt River, whose name and memories has been etched in the History of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church."
Services for Mother
Anne Siegelaar: Memorial Service, Wednesday, 19 August 2015 at Robinson Chapel
AME Church at 19:30 and the Home-going Celebration, Saturday 22 August at
Bethel AME Church, Hazendal; at home at 07:30 a.m.; viewing from 8:30 a.m.
-09:00 a.m. and service starts at 09:00 a.m. at the church. WMS members are to wear
their robes.
“Let us reciprocate
our love to Pastor Ivan Siegelaar by making a special effort to offer support
to him in his time of need.”
Contact details:
Pastor Ivan
Siegelaar: ljsie@hotmail.com
Cell: 084 995 5559
18.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to
announce the passing of the Rev. Menjou C. Miller, Sr., a retired Itinerant
Elder of the Thirteenth Episcopal District, Tennessee Annual Conference. The
Rev. Miller was the husband of Mrs. Wilma P. Miller, a wonderful helpmate with
him in ministry. He gave great service to five churches as pastor, preacher,
and in the revitalization of church buildings, and the people he served. The
Rev. Sidney F. Bryant is the pastor and eulogist.
The funeral
arrangements are as follows:
Sunday, August 9,
2015, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Viewing and Family
Time at:
Lewis and Wright
Funeral Home
2500 Clarksville
Pike
Nashville,
Tennessee 37208
Telephone: (615)
255-2371
Monday, August 10,
2015, 11 a.m. to Noon
Family visitation with
service to follow at:
Payne Chapel AME
Church
212 Neill Avenue
Nashville,
Tennessee 37206
615-262-3675
Condolences may be
sent to Mrs. Wilma P. Miller and family at:
Mrs. Wilma P.
Miller
813 Oneida Avenue
Nashville, TN 37207
(615) 972-0490
19.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to
announce the passing of Anita Hinton Brunson. Anita is the sister of Elder
Larry S. Hinton, Presiding Elder of the Northern District of the North Carolina
Conference. She resided in Baltimore, Maryland and was a member of New Psalmist
Baptist Church where Bishop Walter Thomas is the Pastor.
Anita loved and
embraced life, family and friends. She
was a woman of strong faith, always seeking ways to help and encourage others
even as her own health was failing. Please keep the family in prayer.
Service
arrangements for Anita Hinton Brunson are as follows:
Viewing:
Sunday, August 9th
- 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Family viewing: 3:00
pm - 5:00 p.m.
March Funeral Home
4300 Wabash Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21215
Telephone:
410-542-2400
Funeral Service:
Monday, August 10th
Wake: 10:30 a.m.
Service: 11:00 a.m.
New Psalmist
Baptist Church
6020 Marian Drive
Baltimore, MD 21215
Graveside Service
and Committal
Wednesday, August
12, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
Beechwood Cemetery
Durham, NC
Presiding Elder
Larry S. Hinton, Officiating
Condolences and
expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
Presiding Elder
Larry S. Hinton
17 Nicklaus Way
Clayton, NC 27520 or
P.O. Box 335
Clayton, NC 27528
20.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened by
the passing of Sister Dorothy E. Smith, the mother of the Rev. Charles Smith,
pastor of Brown Memorial AME Church, Washington, DC. Please keep the Smith
family in your prayers.
The Funeral
Arrangements for Mrs. Dorothy E. Smith is as follows:
Viewing will be
held on Tuesday, August 11, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Service will be
held on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 -
Family &
Friends Hour -10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Celebration - 11:00
a.m.
Location:
Mount Gregory
United Methodist Church
2325 Washington
Road, Cooksville MD 21723
Telephone: (410)
489-7526
Cards may be sent
to:
The Rev. Charles
Smith
6033 Mustang Drive
Riverdale, MD 20737
(301) 927-5087
(301) 693-1161
21.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to
announce the passing of Mrs. Dorothy Estes, mother of the Rev. Amy Christine
Hodge Ziglar. The funeral was held on August 4th at Mt. Zion AME Church. Please
keep the family in prayer.
Cards may be sent
to:
The Rev. Amy Ziglar
3802 Troutland
Avenue
Roanoke, VA 24017
(540) 493-4325
22. 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
23.
CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications,
the Right Reverend T. Larry Kirkland; the Publisher, the Reverend Dr. Johnny
Barbour and the Editor of The Christian
Recorder, the Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III offer our condolences and
prayers to those who have lost loved ones. We pray that the peace of Christ
will be with you during this time of your bereavement.
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