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
Change clocks
(fall back) to Standard Time on Sunday, November 1, 2015, 2:00 a.m.
Advent begins
Sunday, November 29, 2015, and ends Thursday, December 24, 2015.
1.
TCR EDITORIAL – EVERY ACTIVITY IN THE CHURCH SHOULD BE INDICATIVE OF
THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Dr.
Calvin H. Sydnor III
The
20th Editor of The
Christian Recorder
In
the next couple of weeks I am going to do what the Rev. Antoni Sinkfield,
pastor of Greater Bethel AME Church in Nashville, Tennessee calls “Love
Ministry.”
I
have been working hard and it’s time for me to “practice what I write and
preach.” One criticism of preachers is
that we don’t always “walk the talk,” particularly as it relates to self-care.
I am one of those who plead guilty, especially as it relates to time-off and
leisure time with family. It seems that I am in a posture of “I gotta do this”
and “I gotta do that.” Okay, now I have made my confession.
In
the next couple of weeks, I am going to do some “Love Ministry” with my wife
Charlotte and family. The Christian
Recorder Online will still be published, but I am going to build in some
significant “Love Ministry” time. Enough said.
The Tennessee
Annual Conference
I
was a “happy camper” last night. I
attended the opening session of the Tennessee Annual Conference. The worship
service was awesome; I heard a great sermon by the Rev. Alexander Gaston,
pastor of Ebenezer AME Church that was biblically infused, great exegesis and
hermeneutically relevant. I wasn’t surprised at the sermon because we, AMEs,
are “first among preachers.”
The music and the
choir
The
Tennessee Annual Conference Choir under the direction of Mr. Sam Robinson and
the musical accompaniment was “off the chart.”
The music and the accompaniment were “off the chart” because the
director, Mr. Sam Robinson and his staff are professionals and well trained.
The
music was “off the chart” because it was obvious that the choir had some
serious rehearsals. The special music was “not manufactured” during the
presentation; some serious choir practices had taken place.
Parishioners
can tell when choirs haven’t practiced and are “performing off the cuff” and
they can tell when choirs have practiced and mastered their craft.
But that’s not all
The
choir looked like a choir. They were uniformly attired and looked like they had
come to worship God in a way that their dress would not be a distraction. They didn’t have robes, but they were dressed
in black: black suits, dresses, skirts or black trousers and black shirts and
blouses. Women had aqua colored scarves and the men wore aqua colored ties.
They were dressed to do the Lord’s business. No dangling hooped earrings or
other distractions.
The
choir and its deportment and discipline are indicative of dynamic
leadership. Kudos to the Tennessee
Annual Conference Choir and Greater Bethel AME Church.
One more thing
The
ushers were on task too. Not only was
the preaching and conduct of the worship wonderful, I was greeted by the
friendliest ushers, who know their craft and know how to make parishioners and
guests feel welcome.
Before
I arrived at the conference last night and earlier in the week, I had read an
article in the Business Section of the October 22, 2015 issue The Tennessean, entitled, “10 Customer
Service Basics” by Rory Vaden.
I
immediately thought, “Wow! What a lesson for church organizations, but
especially for ushers. My points below are taken from Mr. Vaden’s article,
which he wrote as a consumer telling businesses how he would like to be
treated.
In
a takeoff of his article, the points below reflect how I feel ushers should
treat parishioners and guests.
The back story
Here
is what precipitated my focus on ushers. Several months ago, I had the pleasure
of visiting a church and along with some others arrive a bit after worship had
begun. The doors to the sanctuary were
closed and several of us were standing in the narthex. I didn’t hear a sound
coming from the sanctuary and was about to open the door, but a young boy “beat
me to punch” and started to open the door.
The usher standing inside the door gave the young boy a look that could
have easily been appropriately accompanied by cuss words. I immediately thought, “Now here is an usher
who has not been trained.” Instead of a
smile, she gave a scowl!
Ushers – Here are
some of my thoughts
Smile when you see
me. Parishioners need to be greeted with a smile
even if they open the door and try to enter the sanctuary when they
shouldn’t. A smile is better than a
scowl. A smile makes people want to come
back to worship. A scowl runs people
away.
Greet me when you
see me.
Don’t just hand me a bulletin, greet me by name. Look at me and make eye
contact, and with a smile. One of the responsibilities of ushers should be to
learn the names of the parishioners. “Good morning Sister Johnson!” And to guests, “Welcome to our church! I hope
you enjoy the worship service.”
Never tell me “no.”
I
might want to sit on the front row because I have a hearing problem, but if the
front rows are reserved for special guests, don’t just tell me that I can’t sit
in the first few rows, instead of a negative response; tell me how you can help
me. “Let me take you to the third row.”
Don’t tell me what you can’t do; show me what you can do.
Don’t point me;
escort me.
Don’t wave me to a seat; take the time to escort parishioners and guests to
their seats. Most of our churches are intimate enough for ushers to take a few
seconds to escort people to the seats and especially for guests and seniors.
Escort with a smile.
Notice me if I look
lost. If
I am a guest, don’t let me have to figure out what going on. Come up to me and see if you can help. You can even
ask me if I need help. I certainly don’t want to take a parishioner’s preferred
seat, so if I am looking from one pew to another, come up and assist me. And,
especially during the offering make sure that I know the church’s procedure for
taking up the offering.
Acknowledge my
presence.
Give me a nod and smile if you see me standing in the vestibule; don’t wait
until I get to the door of the sanctuary.
Insure that I have
everything I need.
If you accompany me to my pew, check to see if a hymnal and Bible are in place,
if those are needed during worship. I should not have to look for a hymnal or a
Bible. If your church uses envelopes
make sure offering envelopes are available. And, please do not forget to give
me a bulletin. If the bulletins are not ready when I arrive, make a mental note
and bring me a bulletin when they ready to be distributed.
Be genuinely
helpful. Don’t
just stand at the door; assist the elderly and those with young children. Be
attentive and helpful. Take initiative.
We have all seen ushers who think it their job to stand at the door and hand
out bulletins. Doorkeepers and gatekeepers are workers – they are on-guard.
Alert ushers should be ready to anticipate and solve problems and provide
assistance.
Give me the same
attention at the end.
Your ushering duties are not over with the pronouncing of the benediction. Give
me the same attention when I am leaving the sanctuary as you did when I entered
the sanctuary. To guests say, “Thank you for worshipping with us and please
come again” and to members say, “It’s so good to see you; see you next Sunday!”
Don’t just warmly hug and make conversation with the people you know, but be
intentional and make conversation with the guests. Make me feel like I would like to come back again.
Give me as big a smile when I am leaving the sanctuary as you gave me when I
entered the sanctuary.
This is the Lord’s
house. The sanctuary is not only a holy place with
pews, the altar, chancel and choir loft, but it is, in a broad definition, a place
where someone or something is protected, given shelter. It is a safe place. It is a sacred place and
it should be a holy place. Ushers are just as significant in worship as the
clergy and the choir. The ushers are the
gatekeepers of worship. They are the “face” of the church’s leadership and the
congregation. Often, ushers’ interaction with worshippers set the tone and
atmosphere for worship. Like the choir,
ushers should dress uniformly. Ushers
dressing uniformly eliminate concerns about individuals wearing attire
unsuitable for their duties as ushers (clothing too tight, too revealing, too
short or too fanciful). The church is the house of God and our dress and
deportment of all of us should be indicative of the presence of the Holy
Spirit.
It’s not over until
it’s over. Ushers
should arrive well before worship and their duties are not complete until the
last person exits the sanctuary. And, when the last person leaves the
sanctuary, the usher should do a walk-thru and “police” the sanctuary of discarded
bulletins and insure that the hymnals and Bibles are in place. And when Bibles
and hymn books are unserviceable, they should be appropriately destroyed. There
is no other way to say this, but junk, trash and unserviceable Bibles and
hymnbooks should not be left in God’s house.
God’s
House should always be ready for worship.
2. NEWS AROUND THE
AME CHURCH:
-- Officials
investigate fires at black St. Louis churches
All
six fires were set in the doorways of the churches, starting with the Bethel
... AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, a historic black church.
-- AME Southern
California Annual Conference Underway
The
Rev. Willie B. Boyd, Jr., the newly appointed pastor of Lewis Metropolitan CME
Church and presiding elder of the Los Angeles – San Diego .
-- Community Joins
Together after Church Fires
Pastor
Renita Lamkin is the pastor at AME Church. "The doors of the church are
still open. The doors of the church are still open for you. No matter ...
-- New mural honors
Charleston church shooting victims
New
mural honors Charleston church shooting victims ... mural in honor of the nine
victims killed during the mass shooting at Emanuel AME Church.
Read more: http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/30320142/new-mural-honors-charleston-church-shooting-victims
3. AME CHURCH CONVO
XVII – ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 3-5, 2015:
The
AME Church CONVO XVII will be held December 3-5, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia at
the Westin Atlanta Airport, 4736 Best Road, Atlanta, GA 30337; telephone: (404) 762-7676
Group
Rate: $154/night (single/double
occupancy)
To
make a reservation click this link: AME
Church CONVO XVII
You
may also make a reservation by calling (888) 627-7211 and ask for the “AME Church CONVO group rate.”
Dr.
Jeffery Cooper
General
Secretary / Chief Information Officer
Telephone:
(615) 254-0911; Fax: (615) 254-0912
4. ANNUAL
CONFERENCE TRIBUTE TO BISHOP JOHN AND SUPERVISOR CECILIA BRYANT:
*The
Rev. Minnie Autry
The
129th Session of the Michigan Annual Conference convened by the
Senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church on August 19, 2015,
Presiding Prelate of the Fourth Episcopal District AME Church, John Richard
Bryant, elected and consecrated the 106th Bishop of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church. The place of the Michigan Annual Conference was held at the
historical St. Paul AME Church under the wonderfully prepared and outstanding
pastorate of the Rev. Honorable Andre' Spivey, his help meet Mrs. Shema Spivey
and the wonderful officers and members of St. Paul who overcame every challenge
they faced in hosting the last Michigan Conference convened by Bishop John.
It
was a bitter sweet conference knowing that this was the last Michigan
Conference convened under the dynamic Episcopal leadership of the Rt. Reverend
John and Rev. Dr. Cecelia W. Bryant. But God being our help we will continue to
show forth the goodness and mercy of a loving God who proved His love for us
though this dynamic team. Through our Episcopal leaders we have done some great
and wonderful ministries, from India to Minneapolis, and other places
throughout America and Europe. But as he said "all goodbyes are not
goodbyes."
On
August the 18th the WMS had their Night in White with the Rev. Dr.
Cecelia W. Bryant as the preacher and “Oh, how she preached!”
She
charged the "Missionaries everywhere to pray at the altar before others
arrive to worship. The intelligence of people has been muted and seduced and
pressed down by the demons of the culture. We were told to take back our voice,
sin is not an accident but intentional. We are to make God known, dance and
serve Him as never before, what do we have to lose?" I think she is
absolutely right!
On
Wednesday morning, August 19th, Bishop John was eagerly awaiting in his chair
before ten am to answer the roll. The secretary of the Conference called the
roll, Bishop Bryant answered with enthusiasm and Scripture ready to recite, he
also answered for Rev. Dr. Cecelia W. Bryant. The Rev. Dr. Joe Funchess who had
a massive stroke almost three years ago was present to answer the roll call.
The conference was delighted at his presence and we thank God for all who were
present declaring that by His grace and mercy, "And We Are Yet
Alive."
We
also thank God that from the Conference only one name was submitted for memorial
service, from the church militant to the church triumphant. The Rev. William
Newborn, minister of St. Paul the host church.
Our
noon worship sermon was preached by the Rev. Douglas Banks, pastor of Mt. Zion
in Battle Creek. The Rev. Banks sermon was, "Church, it's Time to Pick a
Fight." We are looking for signs and wonders instead of performing them.
Too much of the world culture has entered into our churches, but we have to
make some changes, because if we don't who will? Heaven likes unlikely heroes,
will you be one?"
The
business section started at 3:00 pm with the Board of Examiners presenting
candidates for ministry and passing them on to their next year of studies.
Second year Candidates for ministry were nominated for Itinerant and Local
Deacon Ordination and fourth year Candidates for ministry were nominated for
Itinerant and Locals Elders ordination. Bishop John gave each candidate, who
were being ordained as Elders a subject to preach from and they were to give
three points and a theme. They were biblically prepared (the subjects were
tough which reflected societal issues), to God be the glory for the new
preachers. Presiding Elder H. Michael Lemmons of the North District and pastors
of that district began their pastoral reports.
Three
pastors asked to be Superannuated, the Revs. Neal Smith, Archie Crigler, and
Gerry Moore, the Rev. Barbara Anthony asked for supernumerary status. Each
servant had served in the pastorate a little over thirty years. The Rev. Moore
and the Rev. Crigler retired because of health challenges. The act of
retirement was done on Friday afternoon, after all the pastoral reports and
ministries had given their reports.
We
had many guests during our Conference, who are running for various offices in
the AME Church including the Bishopric. Each was given the opportunity to speak
on their particular platform and what they will bring to those offices in which
they are seeking. The AME Church have trained some great leaders, especially
those who share their lives with the Church and want to build on what our
forefathers and mothers were able to do. They were recommended by the
Conference for the offices in which they are seeking.
On
Wednesday evening the Rev. P. David Saunders, whose parents died about four
months apart this year was the preacher for opening night service. Pastor
Saunders, pastors Bethel AME Church in Saginaw. His title was "When the
Wolves Attack, Call on Jesus," from Matthew 10:16. Pastor Saunders said
that "wolves dressed in sheep clothing are ready to destroy the people of
God. It is necessary that the people of God always be ready and see with His
eyes, to teach and preach the Word of
God and use spiritual discernment to know when the wolf is at the door."
It was a powerful spiritual opening night with the choirs, liturgical dancers,
and congregants praising and worshiping God on one accord.
On
Thursday and Friday morning Christian Education presented classes at 8 am,
followed by Evangelism workshops at 9 am. The Conference opened at 10 am with
Presiding Elder H. Michael Lemmons and the North District finishing their
pastoral reports. Following the end of the North District reports Presiding
Elder Lemmons and Lady Lemmons were honored with gifts along with Sister Patty
P. Gray. Presiding Elder Osborne and the South District pastors began with
their reports.
At
noon on Thursday, Women In Ministry
were in charge of the worship service, the Rev. Barbara Anthony was the
preacher. Her topic was, "The Battle is not yours it's the Lord"
taken from II Chronicles 20:17, with other connecting Scriptures to back up her
message of fasting, praying and strong faith. We have to face many battles
including fear of the darkness, but as Christians we are called to pray because
prayers are our direct link to Jesus who fights our battles. We much commit to
prayer, seek the favor of God, acknowledge His sovereignty, and take comfort
that He will deliver us. The Rev. Anthony is a true prayer warrior who started
Mitcham and served as pastor for twenty-nine years with over forty in ministry.
The church was built on a strong foundation of prayer, Bible study, and faith,
so she knew what she was talking about, tried and proven.
After
lunch the South District completed their pastoral reports. The South District
also honored Presiding Elder Osborne and Lady Pamela.
Thursday
night was designated Lay night. Before leading us down memory lane, the Laity
honored the nine members who were slain at Mother Emmanuel. The Lay captured
the past and the present with the historical leadership from its inception in Michigan.
Sister Hendrean Williams, Bethel Detroit did an outstanding job as the worship
leader and Sister Valerie Williams, Mt. Calvary did an excellent narration of
the individuals presenting on the presidents. Some past presidents who were in
attendance personally talked about their tenures. The evening got better with
the awarding of scholarships to a number of students; the Lay Choir was
directed by Sister Debra Williams, St. Paul SW, who also did a great job. The
Rev. P. David Saunders was named pastor of the year in the Michigan Conference
as well as the Fourth District. Sister Hendrean Williams was named the “Lay
Person of the Year,” very deserving awards for both pastor and Lay.
On
Friday after the various Boards made their reports, the Evangelism Committee
was in charge of the noon worship. The Rev. Gerald Caldwell lit our hearts on
fire with the message, "The Battle is for the Mind." He demonstrated
with a beach ball to show how the mind can be manipulated and damaged when we
allow others to mess with our minds. There is always a need to keep our minds
on Jesus for strength and forgiveness. The ball was passed around the
congregation, excellent interaction with the congregants and preaching.
After
lunch the Lay went to a designated place to vote for their delegates and
alternates. The ministers stayed at St. Paul where the voting took place.
Delegates and Alternates were finally elected after a somewhat long and tedious
count.
Friday
night the YPD lead the service with Licentiate Kabrielle Baker, preaching a
major word for youth and adults in attendance. She gave two topics, "Go
Hard or Go Home." The youth needed to be strong, not take things so
personal. The subtopic was, "I've Got the Power." Some things can be
broken; a complete mess but still has power!
On
Friday Bishop John Hurst Adams arrived. We were blessed to have three Senior
Bishops in the same place, Bishop Philip R. Cousin who resides in the Fourth
district; Bishop John Adams who came to do the Ordination sermon on Saturday;
and Bishop John Bryant.
Saturday
as mentioned we only had one memorial, the late Rev. William Newborn, who was
on staff at St. Paul and for many years was the director of the Michigan Annual
Conference Choir. The Clergy Family Organization also had breakfast at Fish
Bone in downtown Detroit at 7:30 am. As mentioned above Bishop Adams was the
preacher for the Ordination service. His sermon was titled, "Keep Getting
Better." We are afflicted with a disease called humanity, but keep getting
better, no matter how many advantages you have, how much help you have, no
matter if you have the illusion of how grand you are, keep getting better! Keep
getting a better relationship with the Lord and get a tight reign on yourself!
Bishop Adams preached an on time word for everyone in attendance. Ordination
took place after the sermon, and the new ordinands were given the opportunity
to serve the congregants Holy Communion.
That
evening for the fourth year the Michigan Conference Church School had its
family style classes presented by all age group on Saturday evening from 4-6
pm. Each age group presented on the lesson for that Sunday. They were very
creative in sharing the lesson and everyone enjoyed the classes. This year the
Church School had the largest number of people in attendance since the Rev.
Amelia D. Graham; MCBCE Superintendent had the idea to do a Church School on
Saturday because of the lack of participation on Sunday morning. Our Michigan
Conference Christian Education Director, Brother Jerry Givan was in attendance
as well.
Many
thanks to St. Paul for being a gracious host
The
closing of the Annual Conference started Sunday morning at 10:00 am with the
Michigan Annual Conference Choir under the anointed direction of the Rev.
DaNita Bell and a host of excellent musicians. We literally danced down the
aisle to the processional singing. Bishop John said when he got up to preach we
processed in ready to worship. And yes, the Lord blessed our service from the
beginning to the end. The choir sang, the dancers danced, and Bishop preached.
He took his text from John 1:35-42, "There's Power in Following
Jesus." People are increasing their participation in following a man who
makes no apologies for what he does. They are following him because he plans on
taking the country back, back from whom? People are also following him because
he's rich and will not owe anyone anything and can help the country get out of
its debt, so he says (why not help now). They are also following him because he
can make them rich. But Bishop recommends Jesus because He has backing from the
Father, a recommendation one can believe. One, who sees our needs, knows our
plight, one who will not show up once a year, but God’s presence is with us at
all the time. He is always available, and looking to see what we want. We have
power in following Jesus, the sermon was delivered with Holy Spirit power. We
had great teaching and preaching all week. (The messages were on target and we
could see how the Spirit worked through each of our preachers to help us
understand the need to rely on God and not man.
Bishop
closed out the preaching with an invitational call to the congregation to make
sure that everyone had a relationship with Jesus so that when we meet Him one
day we will hear the great benediction, "well done thy good and faithful
servant." After the call was complete Bishop called Rev. Cecelia W. Bryant
up to say some closing remarks to the Conference. As usual Rev. C was eloquent
as she addressed the body. She thanked the Michigan Conference for the
wonderful season they had here in their ministry. She said to hold fast to the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and do not let apostasy enter, maintain the standard of
the Gospel. Those who had chosen reprobates minds will remain carnally minded.
Let prayer increase, let prayer be the power that keeps us together. Amen!
Then
the service of appointments began with the reading of Scripture and the singing
of "Go Preach my Gospel." As the appointments were read we all waited
with payer to hear the church and our names called. Hallelujah, I am thankful
and grateful to the Lord, Bishop Bryant, and Presiding Elder Osborne for my
reappointment to Union Memorial. Three new pastors were assigned, one located,
one stepped down, and two were given permission to plant churches. Bishop
Bryant will make a few appointments at the Fourth District Planning Meeting in
October.
Congratulations
to the new pastors and may they go in prayer and allow the Lord to lead them
and we pray the Lord’s blessing upon those who retired.
Let
us remember the retirees in our prayers and pray for their health and invite
the retired pastors to preach in our churches.
We
are truly grateful to the Lord and the General Conference for sending Bishop
John R. Bryant, accompanied by his Queen, the Rev. Dr. Cecelia W. Bryant to the
Fourth District. They have stretched us in a way that will have a lasting
effect if we continue to pray. We thank God for the presence of the Fourth
District Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, Presiding Elders Thomas Hughes and
Walter Bauldrick. We also thank God for all the delegates and members who
traveled to stand with their pastors as the reports were given, to the state
and local governmental persons, as well as the ecumenical bishops, pastors, and
laity who visited our Zion. To God be the glory for an anointed and Holy
Spirit-filled Conference! Pastor Minnie Autry, Union Memorial, Benton Harbor,
MI
*The
Rev. Minnie Autry is the pastor of Union Memorial AME Church in Benton Harbor,
Michigan
5. CORRECTED
VERSION - TURNER CHAPEL AME CHURCH, MARIETTA, GA HOSTS 6TH ANNUAL
COLLEGE FAIR:
The
Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry (Marietta, GA), hosts its 6th
Annual College Fair, on Saturday, October 24, 2015 beginning with a pre-college
fair workshop by author and education ministry leader, Mychal Wynn, based on
his new book, “Show Me the Money: A Comprehensive Guide to Scholarships,
Financial Aid, and Making the Right College Choice,” from 10:30 am - 11:30 a.m.
The college fair runs from Noon to 3:00 p.m. and is free
The
50 participating colleges, including Harvard, MIT, Duke, Purdue, and Syracuse,
represent HBCUs, public and private institutions, military service academies,
and technical colleges. The fair will offer workshops and resources, such as
the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Questbridge Program, Posse Foundation
Program, and Georgia Finance Commission.
The
Turner Chapel AME Church, a 5000-member congregation in Marietta, Georgia, led
by Rev. Dr. Kenneth E. Marcus (Senior Pastor) and Rev. Cassandra Y. Marcus
(Co-Pastor), has received national acclaim for serving as a model of how
faith-based institutions can support academic achievement, close the college
knowledge gap, expand college access, and guide students into earning millions
of dollars in scholarships. The church boasts of having 5 Gates Millennium
Scholars, 3 Posse Foundation Scholars, and students admitted into America’s
most selective colleges and universities.
Youth
pastor, Rev. Don Ezell, notes, “Our annual college fair is part of a
comprehensive approach to inspiring, supporting, informing, and preparing
students for college and careers. In 2014, students participating in our annual
college planning cohort were offered over $4.3 million in scholarships and
financial aid from over 125 colleges and universities—including such highly
selective colleges as Cornell, Spelman, Morehouse, Xavier University (LA),
Pomona College, Williams College, Wake Forest, University of North Carolina -
Chapel Hill, Boston University, and Syracuse University.”
Emmy
award-winning poet, Hank Stewart, whose foundation (The Stewart Foundation) is
a partner, says, “The Turner Chapel AME Church Education Ministry is a national
leader in establishing a clear role for faith-based institutions to encourage
and support academic achievement for students from underrepresented and
marginalized communities. Mychal and Nina Wynn are providing tremendous
leadership through their example of what the clergy and community-based
organizations can do to supplement and support local schools.”
The
annual college fair is coordinated by Dawn Hoskin and a team of volunteers who
are committed to ensuring that all students, from all backgrounds, have the
opportunity to pursue their college/career aspirations. Students in the past
have received on the spot admissions and scholarship offers from college
representatives.
CONTACT:
Dawn and Eric Hoskin/College Fair Co-Chairpersons
Turner
Chapel AME Church
Marietta,
GA 30060
Telephone:
(770) 891-0861
6. NEWS FROM
ZIMBABWE (TWENTIETH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT):
-
The Rev Florence H. McLaren, Harare, Zimbabwe
-
Bishop Reginald T. Jackson is the Presiding Prelate of the 20th
Episcopal District
-- From Pastor
Florence H. McLaren’s Pen
I
would like to thank God and all those who have helped us not only to find a
home for the Kambuzuma AME Church but also to be able to pay for it. For a long
time we yearned for a place of our own where we could worship together freely.
Now the Almighty God has heard our pleas and in return we see that our efforts
to do His work are surely beginning to bear amazing fruit.
Previously,
when we were forced to rent a church from others, the only church activity we
were able to have was the two hour service on Sunday. But now, we can do so
much more. For instance, we now have Intersession on Tuesdays. Our monthly
Friday All Night Service takes place in our church.
On
Saturdays we have the youth [YPD] meet at 12 and the Ruwadzana (Women’s
Missionary Society) after the youth at 2 p.m.
What’s
more, on Sunday we can hold our service at a much more convenient time than
before. Instead of coming to church at 1.30 p.m. We now start at 10.30 a.m.—and
we can also go on much longer when we want to.
Most Sunday sessions extend into the late afternoon as church members
stay behind to consult their pastor on issues that perturb them on a one-on-one
basis.
The
office and the church are open all day, every day. Congregants and new converts drop in from
time to time to pray or to consult the pastor. This is especially convenient
for those who cannot, for one reason or another, consult on Sundays.
Auntie
Reggie [Amai Gugu] is our acting Trustee and she stays on the property. She has
instituted morning prayers from 5—6 every morning.
At
last we have a growing church. Every Tuesday and every Sunday we see new people
coming in. It looks like those who are coming are dedicated and committed and
are there to stay.
I
feel there is need for a lot of church school so that the new members—and even
the older ones—understand more about the God’s word and the AME Church. Each service is preceded by a 30-minute
Church School. I am emphasizing on memory verses—each week everybody has to say
out aloud to the others a new memory verse. This means if they come regularly
they will have come to know and remember 52 verses from the Holy Bible in a
year.
I
am filled with joy and my spirit is at last finding peace. I now look forward
to enjoying a meaningful and effective ministry at last; with all my heart I
thank God for what He has done and the work He is enabling me to do.
--
Youth Page
This
page is dedicated to the children and young people in the church. This is one
of the major emphases for 2015. Though it is a small thing now, we know it will
grow.
-- Bible Stories
for Children and Young People
Every
month the Kambuzuma AME Newsletter brings you a story from or about the Holy
Bible. This month we feature the words of a song about the Flood, Noah, the Ark
and the Unicorn [see the Pastor’s Sermon in this Newsletter, P.2]. The Holy
Bible says: “And, behold, I, even I, do
bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the
breath of life, from under heaven; and thing that is the earth shall die. But
with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou,
and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living
thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep
them with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and
of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his
kind, two of every sorts hall come unto thee, to keep them” - Genesis, 6:
17-20.
For
the meaning of these verses, go to the Sermon. However for young people and
children there is a special message. The fact that you are young and maybe have
not finished your education or you probably don’t have much in the way of
skills, experience, professional qualifications, should not worry you. As with
Noah, when God calls, as he may call you, he does not call only grown-ups, who
are more qualified or professionally advanced than you. He will call you as he
did David and Samuel, as did Jesus when he said: Suffer little children to come
unto me” because of who you are and how much you love and follow Him. So we
need to listen to and obey God’s commandments. If we do He rewards us. If we
don’t we risk His punishment.
If
you want to see the words and hear the tune of the song, you can go to:
-- Why I Believe
All Christians Should Support the Kind of Work Our Pastor Does:
Dr
Robert McLaren
The
Rev. Florence McLaren is a dedicated, lifelong member of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church and the AME pastor in Kambuzuma, a disadvantaged suburb in
Harare—in the colonial era referred to as a ‘township’ and in the
post-Independence period euphemistically as a ’high-density suburb’.
Before
1980, in the days of Ian Smith’s Rhodesia, the white settlers lived in leafy
suburbs, with each house standing on a generous allotment of land.
There
was plenty space for gardens. Roads were all tarred. In each suburb there was a
Civic Centre with all the amenities associated with such a centre—a library,
post office, municipal offices, shops and a service station.
The
original inhabitants of the land however, the indigenous black majority, was
only tolerated in the ‘white towns’ in order to provide labour in the kitchens
and gardens, the factories and offices of the settlers. Their accommodation
reflected this. They were forced to live in segregated ‘townships’ conveniently
situated either near to the light and heavy industries or far enough away from
the white suburbs for the colonials to feel safe and untroubled by them.
Kambuzuma
is one such suburb, planned to provide labour for the industries in Lyton and
Willowvale on the other side of the railway tracks. The social composition of
Kambuzuma and the level of poverty have not essentially changed since
Independence. It is true that those who have now risen in the world can live
where they please and the erstwhile white suburbs are all largely black. But
for those who remained behind, times are hard and prospects grim. Unemployment
and poverty reign.
It
is here where people like the Rev. Florence work to bring solace, support and
hope to those who desperately need them.
Although
the Rev. McLaren’s adherence to her beloved AME is unshakeable, yet she is at
the same time quintessentially ecumenical.
She
plays a leading part in what is called the Kambuzuma Fraternal, which groups
all the churches, irrespective of denomination, in Kambuzuma - with the
exception of the so-called Pentecostals. She is also a leading figure in the
Women's Mubatanidzwa, which groups the women of all these churches. She works
with a number of organisations like the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and
Christian Care.
She
founded in Mbare, a similar poor residential area and the oldest in Harare, a
weekly ecumenical intercession programme and now she is doing the same in
Kambuzuma. An intercession is when Christians - and those have not come to
Christ - come for support and to pray for others as well as be prayed for - in
the spirit I suppose of that lovely oratorio by Handel: “Come unto me all ye
who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”
Her
congregants are all desperately poor and in need of something to give direction
and hope in their lives. By bringing the Bible and the example of Jesus to
them, the pastor and the AME Church is able to do this and tend to their needs
without distinction. I don't think she would, for a second, refuse to assist -
and she never does - say a Catholic or a member of the Apostolic Faith Mission
Church.
The
very nature of her work and the people she works with make it necessary that
she be supported by those who able to do so. She draws no salary and has to
foot all her expenditure herself. This then, in short is why have appealed on
her behalf for assistance. My thanks go out to those few who have responded and
helped to make it possible for her to continue with her work.
-- Church News
The
North East Zimbabwe Annual Conference will be held 28-31 October
This
year’s annual conference will be held at Matema AME Church in Nyanga and all
our churches in the N.E.Z Conference are preparing for the big event.
It
marks the end of the AME Church year and pastors are required to prepare their
reports and present them to the bishop, the Rt. Rev. Reginald T. Jackson. It is
also when pastoral appointments are made with some pastors being reassigned to
other churches and others continuing where they are.
-- A New Christmas
Activity
Kambuzuma
AME Church will be organising for the first time a great celebration of the
birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, on Christmas morning.
All
AME churches will be invited as well as those from other denominations who wish
to celebrate with us. On the programme are the usual carols, choirs and dramas.
Each church will be asked to prepare a Christmas song or hymn and Sunday
Schools will be invited to present small plays.
We
are hoping that the well-known children’s arts education organisation, CHIPAWO,
will come and join us and give us one of their excellent performances. Every
year, CHIPAWO holds a massive Christmas Show onstage and also on television.
Their emphasis is on children celebrating Christmas with a difference—a
Zimbabwean and African difference.
-- The Kambuzuma
Ecumenical Women’s Mubatanidza
On
16th September Kambuzuma AME hosted the Ecumenical Women’s
Mubatanidzwa monthly service. The Reformed Church in Zimbabwe [formerly Dutch
Reformed Church] generously made their church available for what turned out to
be a massive attendance.
The
church was packed and the programme went very well. Kambuzuma A.M.E.C presented
a drama with the theme, “Why are you here?”
It
asked the question: Why do you come to church? Do you have a real reason or are
you just a member and come because you have always come or because your family
or others do? Do you know why you come? In other words, are you conscious about
your faith and your religious activities? The play posed the question in a very
entertaining way and had the audience in stitches as they at the same time took
in the message.
-- Wedding of
Presiding Elder’s Daughter
We
were privileged to be invited to attend the wedding of Evelyn Kataka, first
daughter of the Rev. Francis Kataka, Presiding Elder Harare District. The
wedding was celebrated at the Webster Temple in Tafara. There was a great
attendance and two other presiding elders graced the occasion with their
presence— The Rev. Peter Rugeda and his wife [Zvimba/Kadoma] and The Rev.
Nontokozo Khumalo and her husband [Midlands].
-- End of Month All
Night Services—Kambuzuma, Highfield and Zvishavane
The
Kambuzuma All Night services have been going according to schedule every month.
The August session was held in the hills of Domboshawa, the great bald
mountains to the north of Harare where the first inhabitants of Zimbabwe, the
San people [formerly called Bushmen] used to roam and do their cave paintings.
The
September session was the very first one celebrated in the new premises in
Kambuzuma and there was an exceptionally good turnout.
Please Note: the October All
Night will be held on the 23rd because of the North East Zimbabwe
Annual Conference.
Zvishavane
[the Rev. Nero] and Bright Temple, Highfield will also be holding All Night
prayers on the same night, 23rd October.
Thanks
to Sims Chapel AME Mbare for coming to join us for our service on Sunday 13th
September.
Sincere
Apologies for not being able to attend the Idah Kachepa WMS Area Convention
owing to the pastor writing exams.
-- Pastor’s
Ecumenical Engagements
The
Rev. Florence McLaren has been invited to lead an Intersession at the World
Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women Conference in Zimbabwe in
Harare, November 27-29.
Kambuzuma‘S New
Hymn Book
For
quite some time now those attending services at the Kambuzuma AME Church have
either had to get hold of one of the two or three tattered hymn books that have
survived or do without. This meant that though some know all the words of
almost every hymn, there were others, especially newcomers, who did not. There
was also a problem with the Liturgical Readings [Call and Response]. Another
problem was that in the church service it is not only hymns that are sung but
also the very rich treasure trove of Praise and Worship songs. Then there was
the need too to extend the scope from purely Zimbabwean and mostly Shona songs
to embrace some of the beautiful religious music from other cultures.
What
made the situation desperate was that the original AME Shona Hymn Book was out
of print.
So
we set about trying to do something about it. Now after quite a long
time—things that involve the pastor usually do take time owing to all her
commitments—we have our first draft. It includes Liturgy, selected Hymns,
Praise and Worship songs and Other Songs from other cultures, like “It’s me, O Lord/Standing in the need of
prayer”. We hope to have the completed book out soon
-- Shoko Ramwari,
Director of Ceremonies at the Crusade, Brother Charles Mwari havadani mhare kana
shasha pabasa ravo asi vanogadzira mhare pane vakazvidzika.
Mutsamba
yatinowana muna Genesis 6:9-16 nyaya yaNoah neAreka. Mwari havana kutarisa
ruzivo rwaNoah mubasa rekuvaka, asi vakatarisa zvikonzero zvitatu
zvisingawanzotariswi nesu vanhu. Noah anga akarurama asine mhosva mumarudzi ake
uye aifamba naMwari. Hausi unyanzvi hwakaita kuti Noah avake Areka asi iNyasha
dzaMwari. Zvimwechetezvo zvakaitwa naJobho, patinoverenga munaJobho 1:1.
Mwari
havatarisi ushasha whiny amai kana baba pabasa ravo. Mwari havanei nedegree
renyu kana uchenjeri hwenyu mkoma, Mwari vanotarisa zvimiro zvedenga
zvirimauri. Vazhinji vakadanwa kuve vashumiri sababa Ezekiel Guti kwete nekuti
vanga vakadzidza, asi pane chaive mavari chakaonekwa naMwari.
Varedzi
vehove havana kumboenda kuzvikoro kana kunge vane unyanzvi mukuredza vanhu.
Vaive varedzi vehove , vaibuditsa hove mumvura, kunove kudzibvisa musimba radzo
nemuupenyu hwadzo, asi Mwari kubudikidza naKrisitu Jesu, vakadanirwa kundoredza
vanhu, kuvabvisa murufu kuvaisa muupenyu.
Zvaisava
nyore asi zvinongoratidza nyasha neukuru hwa Mwari. Mbiri yose ngaipiwe kumusiki wazvose. Zvinhu
zvose zvinogoneka naye.
Dhavhiti
wakauraya Goriati, Josepha akatonga munyika yavatorwa, Ijipita. Hakuzi kugona
kugeza, kana kuti make~up yaita kuti muroorwe nekuchata sisi, haruzi rugwaro
rwekuBible College rwaita kuti muparidze mufundisi, kana uchenjeri hwenyu
hwaita kuti mupase mukoma, asi inyasha. Kufamba nedzimota kana ndege, kudanwa
namazita oushe kana kugara mudzimba dzinodhura hakuzi kungwara, iNyasha
dzakatiwandira, mudikani, ngatitende Mwari. Zvose zvatakagona tikabudirira
muupenyu, ngatizivei kuti ndiMwari akagonesai Tisazvikudza kana kuzvitutumadza,
mbiri ngaidzokere kumuridzi, iye anogona nekugonesa pazvinhu zvose.
-- The Word of God
God
does not call specialists and experts to do his work. Instead he makes the
ordinary person special.
We
find this in the book of Genesis 6:9-16, the story of Noah and the Ark. God did
not look at Noah’s knowledge and experience when it came to building the Ark.
Instead he looked at considerations we seldom consider namely, righteousness; a
blameless life; and walking with God. It was not by his own power that Noah
built the Ark but by the grace of God.
God
does not look at your expertise, sir and madam, when it comes to his work. God
does not care about your degree and your cleverness, my brother. He looks at
your heavenly attributes. Many are called to become preachers like Ezekiel Guti
of the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God [ZAOGA] not because they are highly educated
but because they have something in them that God recognises.
The
fishermen never went to college nor did they have any experience as fishers of
men. They were catchers of fish. They
knew how to take fish out of the water, which is their power and their life but
through Christ Jesus, they were called by God to become fishers of men, to take
men away from death and bring them to life.
It
was not easy but it demonstrates the grace and greatness of God. Let the glory
be given to the Creator of everything. Jehovah is all-powerful and with Him all
is possible. David slew the giant, Goliath. Joseph ruled in Egypt, the land
where he was a foreigner.
It
is not your scent and your make-up that will find you a husband, sister. It is
not your certificate from Bible College which will make you a preacher, Mr
Pastor. Nor is it your intelligence that
makes you pass your exams, my brother, but the grace of God. Your fancy cars or
plane trips, your grand titles, your stately mansions are nothing to brag
about. God’s grace is beyond our power, dearly beloved. Thank God. Know that in
everything you do and achieve, it is God who gives you power. Do not praise
yourself. Let the glory go to its rightful owner. God it is who has the power
and all is done through His grace.
Amen
-- A Home in
Kambuzuma
At
last the AME Church in Kambuzuma has a home.
A three-bedroom house has been rented with a combined lounge and dining
room which provides a very comfortable little venue for church service and
meetings. There is also a patch of lawn in front and a bit of a garden at the
back where outside activities such as Sunday School can take place.
Very
important is the fact that at last the pastor is able to open a church office
in her parish where she can spend time in the community and receive visitors,
give consultations and meet her members for one-on-one discussions.
With
the venue at last secured, the Pastor announced a number of weekly meetings and
activities which can now be held in Kambuzuma. These include intercession on
Tuesdays, women’s meetings on Saturdays and youth activities.
The
AME Church in Kambuzuma would like to thank those who answered the appeals the
church sent out for assistance. A number of contributions were made both in
cash and kind.
-- Bulawayo Crusade
The
African Methodist Episcopal Church Matabeleland East District held its first
crusade this year under the theme "Lifting Jesus High" at Nkulumane
in Bulawayo from 5 to 7 August.
The
three day crusade, held in the evenings has been described as a success,
further proving God's mercy upon the church.
An
average of 125 people, young and old, attended the crusade everyday, despite
the chilly nights. God's servants, Presiding Elder Reverend Eustice Bekithemba
Ginya, District Evangelist Reverend Alfred Khumalo were joined on the pulpit by
Harare's Reverend Florence McLaren in dishing out powerful sermons that really
rejuvenated the church.
Not
to be outdone was the District Praise and Worship team, which gave spirited
performances throughout the crusade, showing results of hard work during
rehearsals and fruits of prayer ahead of the event.
"This
was a successful crusade by any standards. We thank God for his wonderful
mercies. I also want to thank Rev McLaren for accepting our invitation and
traveling all the way from Harare to be with us. Her preaching really touched
many hearts. We also had support from Pastor Ndlovu who grew up at AME and is
now at Harvest House. I also want to thank the organizing committee for running
around to put the logistics in order and all those who turned up for the
crusade. May God bless you more. This is just the beginning of bigger things to
come," said Rev Ginya—Limukani Ncube
Standing
in the need of prayer”. We hope to have the completed book out soon with copies
available for those attending the Kambuzuma AME church services and others who
might also need copies. We also hope to make it available online and
purchasable from Amazon. You never know—it might bring in some much needed
income.
TCR Editor’s Comment:
Sincere thanks to the Rev Florence H. McLaren, pastor of Kambuzuma AME Church and her ministry
in Harare,
Zimbabwe and surrounding areas. She
allowed us use the contents of her newsletter. I was just going to pull out a
couple of article, but found the newsletter so interesting that I had to
publish all of it. It is so interesting
to see what is going on in Episcopal District 14 – 20. Thank you Rev. McLaren!
7. HONOR THE MEMORY
OF THE CHARLESTON NINE:
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette
Each
summer the tiny Lincoln-Vista Community that surrounds the Seaton Memorial AME
Church in Lanham, Maryland, excitedly anticipates Vacation Bible School. It was no accident that the theme chosen for
2015 was “World Changers: The Discipleship for Kingdom Advancement.”
Pastor
Ronald A. Boykin solicited the talent of his daughter, the Rev. DeLishia Boykin
David, to craft the lessons for all of the age groups. In addition to the written text, participants
were given an assignment to demonstrate the lesson of sharing God’s love around
the world by making greeting cards to be sent to the family and church members
of the tragic Charleston shooting that occurred in June 17, 2015.
By
their expressions of forgiveness and love witnessed around the world, Seaton
members recognized that the fallen nine were indeed World Changers. Rather than mailing the cards, Sister Cheryl
Petty Garnette (Director of Christian Education), Brother Tyrone Smith (Trustee
Pro Tem), Sister Peggy Nicholas and Sister Lucille Hay, all Seaton members
attending the 34th Biennial Lay Convention in Charleston, toured Mother
Emmanuel and presented Sister Dorothy Jenkins, Mother Emmanuel’s Lay President,
with more than 50 cards that the Vacation Bible School participants had
prepared. In addition, a check for $500
was presented to Sister Jenkins by Seaton Memorial’s Women’s Missionary Society
and Lay Organization President, Sister G. Penny McGruder.
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette, Director of Christian Education, Seaton Memorial AME Church in
Lanham, Maryland
8. CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION SUNDAY… A REALITY EXPERIENCE FOR THE SOUL:
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette
Does
anyone actually read The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist
Episcopal Church 2012? We do! Buried on
page 76 is a charge to the local Commission on Christian Education to hold
Christian Education Week.
At
Seaton Memorial AME Church located in Lanham, Maryland, Christian Education
Week is celebrated during the first or second week in September with Christian
Education Sunday being held on the second Sunday in September.
For
the past two years, the Young Adult Ministry has taken over the worship
experience by leading the Krunk Prayer and praising God through dance and mime
ministries.
In
2014, the Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Braxton, Presiding Elder of the Potomac District,
was the morning speaker and in 2015, Brother Steve Daniel, Seaton’s local
Exhorter, was the guest speaker.
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette, Director of Christian Education, Seaton Memorial AME Church in
Lanham, Maryland
9. A KRUNK PRAYER
DEFINED:
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette
Krunk”
means excited or pumped up and was introduced during the Second Episcopal
District’s Christian Education and Youth Congress held annually in Hampton,
Virginia.
It
builds on the lesson that Jesus taught in “The Lord’s Prayer” by infusing our
prayer to God with youthful excitement.
Following the leader, everyone is invited to share his or her response
to: (1) Praising God because of Who God is; (2) Thanking God because of what
God has done; (3) Confessing to God because of our sins; (4) Asking God for
what we need; (5) Interceding on behalf of others; and (6) Listening to God so
that He can speak to us and through us.
In between each segment of the prayer is a song, video, dance
performance or other art-form that demonstrates that particular segment of the
prayer. For example, a solo dancer
performed to “Because of Who You Are” after the praise segment and a video of
the hearing for the Charleston shooter was shown to demonstrate the power and
need to forgive.
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette, Director of Christian Education, Seaton Memorial AME Church in
Lanham, Maryland
10. THIS YEAR’S
THEME WAS “BREAKING OLD CHAINS …:
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette
Building
New Lives” using the scriptural texts from Isaiah 43:19. Pastor Ronald A. Boykin launched Christian
Education Week on the first Sunday in September with a powerful message focused
on the text using the theme “Don’t Be Held Hostage by Your Past!” We were
challenged by Pastor Boykin to break old and in some cases traditional chains
that may hold back the opportunity for Seaton Memorial to grow. During the
Altar Call, parishioners were invited to write down whatever might be
considered a chain in their lives and as they came up to pray, they tore the
paper in half and put it in an offering basket symbolizing the now broken chain
while Tasha Cobb’s amazing hit song played in the background.
The
worship service bulletin was transformed as well. Each element of the worship service was
explained in red and the words to all of the songs were printed in the
program. The program also posted the
names and titles of all of the auxiliaries so that visitors would know who they
could see if they wanted more information about one of our ministries.
We
are continuing to break chains and build lives ... that’s how we “get real”
with God as a church family!
*Cheryl
Petty Garnette, Director of Christian Education, Seaton Memorial AME Church in
Lanham, Maryland
11. HISTORY OF HYMNS: “WADE IN THE WATER”:
By
C. Michael Hawn
“Wade in the water, wade in the water,
children, wade in the water, God’s a gonna trouble the water.”
1. See that host
all dressed in white,
God’s a gonna
trouble the water.
The leader looks
like the Israelite,
God’s a gonna
trouble the water.
2. See that band
all dressed in red,
God’s a gonna
trouble the water.
Looks like the band
that Moses led,
God’s a gonna
trouble the water.
According
to African American hymnologist Melva Wilson Costen, scholars have catalogued
more than six thousand spirituals. Like the later gospel songs, many spirituals
have similar stanzas, musical phrases, melodic fragments, and harmonies, but
each is a discrete musical entity with its own meaning. Dr. Costen posits,
“African American Spirituals are considered the first distinctive music genre
of African people in the American diaspora. These unique folk songs, born out
of the substance and experience of an oppressive sociological environment
combined with the natural musical gifts of African peoples in the American
diaspora, subsequently became the foundation of ALL African American musical
forms” (Melva Costen, “African American
Spirituals,” Journal of Religious and Theological Information, Volume 4, Issue
3).
Indeed,
spirituals and other forms that grew out of this genre such as blues, jazz, and
hip-hop are considered by many scholars to be the most representative forms of
American music throughout the world.
Water
is an important image in the African American spiritual. “Deep river, my home
is over Jordan” (Songs of Zion, 115) is a song that finds hope on the other
side of the river. “Go Down, Moses” (Songs of Zion, 112) is a spiritual of
deliverance in which Pharaoh’s armies were drowned in the sea. Water was a
primary aspect of slave experience. Africans began their captivity—the “middle
passage”—by traveling across the ocean to a new land in slave ships. The Ohio
River was the dividing line between slavery and freedom on the Underground
Railroad.
Biblical
narratives and allusions are embedded in the spirituals. African American
scholar Yolanda Y. Smith describes the role of the Bible in the African
American slave experience:
“Embodied
in spirituals, the Bible can serve as a source of education that embraces, for
instance, the value of the oral tradition . . . Enslaved Africans, prohibited
from learning to read and write, passed on valuable life lessons from the
Scriptures and other wisdom sources through the spirituals. Slaves learned
these lessons in the fields as they labored from sunup to sundown, in the
privacy of their living quarters, and in clandestine worship services.1
Indeed, for the masses of slaves who could not read, the ‘spirituals were their
channel to the word of God.2 The Bible in song highlighted the basic
tenets of the Christian faith—love, hope, mercy, grace, justice, judgment,
death, eternal life. (Yolanda Y. Smith,
“The Bible in Song: Reclaiming African American Spirituals” in Yale University
Reflections)
With
that background, let us explore the use of Scripture in this spiritual and some
theological themes these passages might represent. The refrain of “Wade in the
Water” is based upon the narrative of John 5:2-9. It is the story of the pool
by the Sheep Gate—Bethzatha in Hebrew. A portion of this passage follows: “Now
there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew
tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of
impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the
water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was
made whole of whatsoever disease he had” (John 5:2-4, KJV) Perhaps, among other
possibilities, this is a reference of healing in body and soul.
Though
that passage defines the context of the refrain, the stanzas refer to other
biblical passages where water plays a significant role. The first two stanzas,
cited above, reference the crossing of the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21-31). This is a
classic passage of deliverance. The third stanza mentions, “The Holy Ghost a
coming on me.” While the biblical basis is less clear in this case, it is
conceivable that the reference is to Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God
is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the
meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound” (KJV). This
passage might signify empowerment and freedom.
The
final stanza refers to another body of water, the Jordan River:
If
you don’t believe I’ve been redeemed,
God’s
a gonna trouble the water.
Just
follow me down to Jordan’s stream,
God’s
a gonna trouble the water.
The
Jordan River is mentioned numerous times in the Old Testament. Choosing one
passage can neither fully underscore the significance of the Jordan in the
biblical narrative nor its importance as a landmark of deliverance and hope in
the African American experience. Numbers 32:29 provides one example: “And Moses
said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass
with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the Lord, and the land
shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a
possession” (KJV).
Returning
to the refrain, we turn to Howard Thurman (1899-1981), who served as Dean of
the Chapel at Howard University, to help us set the stage for understanding
this spiritual in his book The Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death:
“Always,
patient friends placed him in the same spot beside the pool. For years longer
than a fading memory could hold in focus, he had waited—this man with an
incurable disease. His hope rose and fell like the ebb and flow of the ocean
tide. He believed the legend, for he had seen it work its perfect work in the
lives of many who had once been ill, but now were well. If somehow he could
manage to be let down into the waters while they were being troubled, then he
would be healed.”
Thurman
then offered this interpretation of the text:
“For
[the slaves] the ‘troubled waters’ meant the ups and downs, the vicissitudes of
life. Within the context of the ‘troubled’ waters of life there are healing
waters, because God is in the midst of the turmoil.”
Though
African American spirituals were born in the pain, oppression, and struggle of
a particular people, they have become songs for all people. Thurman’s
conclusion is a message for all of us:
“Do
not shrink from moving confidently out into the choppy seas. Wade in the water,
because God is troubling the water.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1Yolanda Y. Smith
quoting Ella Mitchell, “Oral Tradition: Legacy of Faith for the Black Church,”
Religious Education 81, no. 1 (winter 1986): 99–104; Thomas L. Webber, Deep
Like the Rivers: Education in the Slave Quarter Community, 1831–1865 (New York:
W. W. Norton, 1978), 191–205, 207–8.
2Yolanda Y. Smith
quoting Albert Raboteau, Slave Religion: The “Invisible Institution” in the
Antebellum South (New York: Oxford University Press, 1978).
12. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical Text:
Acts 2:38: Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)
I am reminded of a time
when there was a line of ants coming into my study. The ants came in the
window, marched across the floor ending in a large cluster around my trash can.
They seemed to be marching in by the dozens. I attacked them with bug spray and
tried to kill some by stepping on them. However, for every one I got, there
were dozens more parading in to take their place. It seemed like every time I
annihilated one, two more marched in. I never before had ants in my study. A
trustee told me the only time he had ever seen ants coming in like that; they
were heading toward something sweet. So I checked my trashcan, and there it was
a great big piece of sweet candy covered with ants. I remembered that I had
thrown it in there the Sunday before. I emptied the trashcan, and sure enough,
the ants disappeared.
That relentless swarm of
ants headed to the trash can reminds me of our sin nature. Our lawless lives
are nothing, but good for nothing, old stale candy.
And all we attract are
“sin ants.” Sin festers and grows in us until it consumes us. But, thanks be to
God, there is a way to clean up and get rid of the “ants.”
We can go from
uncontrollable to faultless. It's called, “Salvation.” And the way to achieve
it is to empty the trash can of our hearts, because Christ cannot dwell in an
unclean place.
Our text reminds us of
some ways to get rid of the “ants.”
First, it says we must
repent. Then Peter said unto them, Repent. "Repent" is a word that is
a problem for many of us for several reasons.
Initially, we fail to
see the point. Then we feel we really don't have anything for which to be
sorry. Finally, we believe “our business is our business!” That is the rugged,
outer shell of a man or woman that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has to crack.
Another reason we may
find repentance difficult is that it is not a one-time confession. I am aware
that John the Baptist said, Repent and be baptized. I know I am “preaching to the choir” because
most of you have repented. However, I must remind us that the command to repent
is not a one-time thing. It is a continual manifestation, an on-going
experience.
When we reflect on our
own conversion and the newness of our life in Christ, it gives us a sense of
awe that God could take us and transform our sinful flesh into a saintly
fortress.
For many of us that is
the mental picture we want to preserve, like a snapshot in our wallet. We
parade around and say, look at me; I’m all cleaned up and ready to serve the
Lord. We seem to forget about those sins we committed yesterday. The fact is
they smudged that picture up just a bit.
We always need examples;
well here are a few examples. How about
that guy or gal you avoided in Walmart because he or she talks for half an
hour? How about the resentment that flared last night when you saw a commercial
for that certain department store in the mall whose security followed you
around the store ten years ago? What about the piece of candy or the pinch of
grapes you sampled at the supermarket? How about the case of water under your
shopping cart they forgot to charge you for, that you just took home as a gift?
And then there is that person you won't sit next to in church because she claps
too loud and shouts too much. You think it doesn’t take all that! I’m
wondering; is that picture God has of you getting a bit smudged yet?
The fact of the matter
is we commit sins every day without a single thought of how it affects our
spirit. Thus, a repentant spirit has to be a part of our ever-evolving
spiritual makeup. Repentance not only has to be specific, it has to be current
and daily. When we recall our unkind thoughts, our careless words, and our
selfish deeds, our repentant spirit allows those sins to immediately fall away
and be buried with Christ. And that is how our spirit's eternal newness keeps
springing up. God makes us new every minute, not by ignoring our sin, but by
shining the light of God’s forgiveness upon it.
Repentance calls for a
change of mind that leads to a change of life. We turn from our sinful life,
and move toward a perpetual desire for a sin-free life with God.
The Bible says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have
mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah
55:7).
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in
Charleston, South Carolina
13.
GETTING TO ZERO: DEPRESSION - THE SILENT EPIDEMIC- PART 3:
*The Rev. Gwendolyn Hatter and Dr. Oveta Fuller
Depression is more than just a low mood—it’s a serious condition
that has an impact on both physical and mental health. The good news is
depression can be treated and support is available. The sooner a person seeks
help, the sooner they can recover.1
We left Part 2 of this series by asking what individuals and the
church can do to be more informed in recognizing and knowing how to address
depression. A critical first step for
anyone that experiences a physical or mental disease, disorder or dysfunction
is to recognize that something is wrong. The second key step is to be willing
to move into determining what is wrong and what can be done. Unfortunately, we
often function in denial and delay action for both of these.
Family, friends, church members and its leaders can help. We often
are in positions to observe that there is a change in engagement or typical
activity of a family member, loved one or acquaintance that is more than a
temporary low or another mood swing. The
church, as a body of believers, can provide a safe space of care and concern for
one another (without intrusion, nosiness or judgment). It can provide informed
programming and learning opportunities.
Clergy, lay leaders and members can ensure that efforts for
spiritual, physical and mental wellness are made. Individual churches, ministerial
alliances and clergy or lay leaders that organize the many conferences for
members or for the community-at-large can include events that bring in
professionals and organizations to focus also on mental health. Put information in the church print or
electronic bulletins, place a link on the church webpage or leave information
in the restrooms to cover the basic questions:
what is depression, what are its symptoms, where can one turn for
available help to those who may experience the isolation of depression or other
mental illnesses.
Resources cited at the end of this article 1-3 provide useful
guidelines and insights on how to recognize depression, what are its causes and
what to do to get or provide assistance. Other resources are found through your
medical office and at health departments within most local communities. Look
for these resources so you can use them for your wellness or that of your
family members or others.
To close the three part series for a focus on Mental Health in the
month of October, we return to insights and experiences provided by the Rev.
Gwendolyn Hatter. While her journey out of depression was prompted from being
tuned in to the prompting and leadership by the Holy Spirit, others will
address depression also through clinical intervention or in response to the
reaching out of a caring friend, family member, clergyperson or counselor.
We are grateful for Rev. Hatter’s willingness to use her talents
and insights to encourage others to “Get to Zero” with depression.
“If I can help somebody as I travel along, if I can help cheer
somebody with a word or a song—then my living shall not be in vain.”
My
Turning Point: Scripture, Prayer and
Laughter
One night while fitfully sleeping, I heard in my spirit these
words “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you
rest.” I sat straight up in the
bed. Did I just hear that? I knew the words were from the Bible, but
where? I kept my mother’s Bible next to
me at night for comfort and in a groggy state, looked up the passage of
scripture. I discovered Jesus’ call to those who are laboring under the heavy
yoke of bondage. Was Jesus really talking to me? This was the turning point.
I can say unequivocally that during this time God used two books to
literally save my life: the first, “The
Bible” and second “The Essential Calvin & Hobbes”. One spoke words of God’s healing love, mercy,
grace, and peace while the other taught me to laugh again. The first belonged to my mother and the
second to my dear son.
I cannot underscore how important laughter became as a tool for my
healing. Each evening, I couldn’t wait
to retreat to my bedroom where I read the Bible and found solace. I discovered Isaiah 54, a book that held
promises to me as a single mother that God faithfully kept. Through reading and
believing the Bible, I learned that I was not alone. I discovered that King
David and Elijah each had struggles with depression. And, I found a true friend in Jesus, whose
presence and words lifted me and promised to love me unconditionally.
I began to develop a prayer life, praying with sincerity and
intensity, and like David, pouring out my troubles to the Lord. Prayer, I found relieved my aching soul and
brought hope to my life. Many mornings,
I woke up, still on my knees beside my bed.
The “Calvin & Hobbes” book belonged to my son and one evening
I was ‘led’ to open it. With all the
responsibilities I had, I had somehow lost touch with the ability to experience
laughter and joy in life. Reading
through this book of clean humor brought a simple happiness to me that I
desperately needed. To my great delight,
I discovered that my son owned all editions of this book and I read them
voraciously.
Each day, I took my ‘medicine’ – the Word of God, prayer and
laughter. Each day, I began to get a
little better. The darkness that had
permeated my soul began to lift.
Eventually in my prayer life, I began to intercede for others, taking
the emphasis off of me. I later found this was essential to breaking free of
depression’s grip.
Lessons
along the Journey
I wish I could say that this was my only real struggle with
depression, but it was not. A few years
after this, after I had been set on a path of ministry, I faced an even worse
battle. This time, it almost took my life.
I asked the Lord ‘why me?’ What I
learned during this time is that God allowed me to see and experience
first-hand the effects of hurting people. I came face to face with people who
had been rejected by critical, apathetic family members; others who had been
bound by addictions; and still others who seemed to have it all on the outside,
but were empty on the inside, longing for someone to love them for them, not
what they looked like, what position they held or what they had.
In my journey out of darkness, I met other people who never felt
loved and people who were misunderstood. I once knew a beautiful woman who was
suicidal because she was frequently laughed at and picked apart by envious
coworkers for her appearance and personal hygiene. No one offered her a kind
word. Truly ‘sticks and stones can break our bones’. I met a young man who constantly thought of
taking his own life because he was secretly addicted to pornography and, because
of the shame, did not know how to break free.
That was more than 20 years ago.
Praise God, through it all, He brought me out with the help of a caring
family and the love of a Savior who helped me through the darkness. In this
nighttime of my soul, I was guided to a clinician who told me in a counseling
session – in the hospital where I was for 7 days - that there was nothing wrong
with me except that I needed to remove the ‘sociopaths’ from my life. He said to me that ‘you would do good to get
them out of your life’. You see, in my
desperation for ‘friends’ and ‘love’, I made wrong decisions about the people I
allowed in. I could not tell the difference between an unhealthy relationship
and a healthy one. That led to making
poor choices that took my life into a downwards spiral and difficult place.
In sharing about my own struggle with depression even now - some
20 plus years later - I know that I run
the risk still of being pigeon-holed, stigmatized, ostracized and treated as if
I have an incurable, contagious disease.
People may still perceive me as ‘damaged’ because of these experiences.
However, if sharing the private hell I went through will help even one person
pull back from the brink of complete destruction, it is worth all of the
shunning and misunderstanding that might occur.
A
Summary of the Matter
We are the Body of Christ, and when one member hurts, we all ought
to feel it. We are called to be loving,
compassionate and caring people. Just as
God loves us, so ought we to learn to give that same love to others who are
hurting.
The “hallmark”—the brand-- of a Christian walk is when we can
treat others with compassion, kindness and unconditional love and acceptance as
we would want to receive. One of the most loving actions a Christian can take
is to become educated about the symptoms and solutions of the pervasive problem
of depression or other mental illnesses so not to vilify the afflicted. We can all “help and not shoot our
wounded”.
I am reminded of a recent Facebook post that reads “Be Kind: For everyone you meet is fighting a battle
you know nothing about”. Amen.
*The Rev. Gwendolyn Hatter, a TCR
guest contributor serves on the ministerial staff of Brown Chapel AME Church in
Ypsilanti, Michigan.
*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.
14. iCHURCH
SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2015 - THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE - ACTS 11:1–18:
*Brother Bill Dickens
Key Verse: If then God gave them the same gift that he
gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could
hinder God? Acts 11:17.
Introduction
October 25, 2015 is the
twenty second Sunday after Pentecost.
Graduate students accept
the reality that one of the requirements for their doctoral program is to
develop a dissertation project and present it to their Ph.D. committee.
While most committees are hand-picked by the student there is always an element
of uncertainty about how your senior professors will receive your work. I
know this from personal experience. The draft thesis is ready and the
date for the “defense’ is set. A meeting, which you hope will be a
perfunctory Q&A session turns out to be an intellectual interrogation about
methodology, theoretical design and empirical estimation techniques. The
meeting is hardly a welcome occasion. Nonetheless the candidate defends
to the best of his abilities his/her research program with the expectation his
credential will be conferred.
Sunday’s lesson in Acts
11: 1-18 casts Peter in the spotlight to “defend” his decision to accept the
dinner invitation to the home of a prominent Gentile (Cornelius). While
under heavy criticism, Peter remains unequivocal that his decision to accept and
attend was the correct choice. Since God is not in the business of
playing the partiality game we should avoid showing bias. Peter’s
position confirms that the best defense is reflected in a commitment to truth
and transparency.
Bible Lesson
Doubters
News about Peter’s
unusual visit to a Gentile home traveled fast throughout Judea. The Jewish Christians criticized him for his
decision to accept the invitation (11: 2-3).
While these believers accepted Jesus as Messiah they were still
committed to Jewish tradition and custom.
They wanted to know why a prominent Jewish Christian like Peter would
compromise his customs by visiting the home of Cornelius. He was ordered to
appear in Jerusalem to explain his actions.
Defense
Peter explains to his
peers that he visited Cornelius out of an act of obedience. He explained that his dietary vision was a
metaphor to show that God is no respecter of person and that there is no
distinction between pure versus impure food.
Everything that God has made, food or humans, is good. There is no room for discrimination in the
Gospel (v 17).
Deliverance
After hearing Peter’s
passionate defense the Jewish Christians had no further questions. They were convinced that the visit was
appropriate since it was instrumental in being a witness about Jesus to
non-Jews. They praised God for the
report. It was clear that God’s Grace
and Salvation was extended also to the Gentiles for Eternal Life (v 44).
Bible Application
Gregory Peck’s most
memorable acting role was in the 1962 movie, To Kill a Mockingbird. The movie was based on Harper Lee's Pulitzer
Prize winning book of 1961. Atticus Finch (played by Gregory Peck) is a lawyer
in a racially divided Alabama town in the 1930s. He agrees to defend a young
black man who is accused of raping a white woman in the early 1930s. Many of
the townspeople try to get Atticus to pull out of the trial, but he decides to
go ahead. The book and the movie explain
the reasons that make his defense far from easy; and that's mostly because
nobody in this town seems determined to believe in the guiltlessness of an
accused Negro.
Peter, like Atticus
Finch, faced a skeptical welcoming committee determined to get the reasons for
why a Jew would have dinner in the home of a Gentile. Unfortunately, Peter was not represented by
legal counsel and had to offer his own defense.
Peter’s defense would’ve made Atticus Finch or the late Johnnie Cochrane
proud. His eloquence demonstrated to his
superiors that the new faith trumped legalistic Jewish traditions. The takeaway from Peter’s defense is crystal
clear. When we are committed to our
convictions and can speak with clarity on the issues our defense can be
successful even in hostile environments. 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
15. MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 8:
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby
I’m writing this meditation as a brand new “father-in-law,” who’s still
rejoicing for this past Saturday’s wedding of Jason Christopher Darby and
Cherisse Jamala Thomas!
Their “wedding weekend” included the obligatory wedding rehearsal, a
sumptuous and elaborate post-rehearsal dinner, the wedding itself - complete
with bridesmaids, groomsmen, special music and plenty of photos taken before
and after the event - and an excellent reception, with all of the customs,
traditions and trappings that make receptions grand and special.
The wedding also brought friends and family from near and far together
and afforded opportunities to “break bread,” catch up on family news, renew old
relationships and celebrate the blessing of two good people starting a new life
together.
The weekend was busy and wonderful, but the most meaningful and moving
part of the weekend was the simple point in the wedding ceremony when two
people - very much in love with each other - exchanged the vows that declared
their intent to share their lives as husband and wife. The entire weekend
was wonderful, but the exchanged vows were what mattered the most - that short,
simple and blessed act made the weekend special.
I share my “wedding weekend” experience with you in the midst of a
world that presents all of us with both elaborately joyful moments and
elaborately challenging times. It’s easy, in a demanding and fast paced
world, to focus on what’s elaborate and complex and fail to see life’s simple
but special blessings.
When we pause, “exhale,” look past life’s elaborate and complex
situations and see our simple blessings, we can thank God for waking us up and
carrying us through each day, for standing by us and bringing us through
difficult times and for blessing us in simple ways that affirm the words of one
modern Gospel song: “All of my good days outweigh my bad days.”
Take the time, in the midst of all of life’s elaborate and complex
details and challenges, to count and thank God for each day’s simple
blessings. You’ll find new joy, have new peace of mind and understand why
another Gospel song writer said, “The Lord is blessing me right now.”
This Meditation is also available as
a Blog on the Beaufort District’s Website: www.beaufortdistrict.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BeaufortDistrictAMEC
Get Ready for Sunday, and have a
great day in your house of worship!
*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby is the
Presiding Elder of the Beaufort District of the South Carolina Annual
Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church
16.
CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT:
The marriage of Mr. Jason C. Darby
and Mrs. Cherisse Thomas Darby in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday, October
17th
Mr. Jason C. Darby and Mrs. Cherisse
Thomas Darby were married in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday October 17th.
Jason is the son of the Reverend Dr.
Joseph and Mrs. Mary B. Darby. Dr. 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.
Cherisse is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. William (Maggie) Thomas of Garner, North Carolina. She’s a Medical Doctor and is joining the
staff of the Lexington South Carolina Medical Center as a Hospitalist.
Jason Darby is the Director of
Marketing and Communications for the University of South Carolina’s Palmetto
College and is pursuing a doctorate at the University of South Carolina.
The happy couple will reside in
Columbia, SC.
Submitted by a very happy dad and
father-in law
Dr. Joseph Darby: josephdarby@bellsouth.net
17.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of
Mr. Edward Stenhouse, the father of the Rev. Richard A. Stenhouse, pastor of
Bethel AMEC, Buffalo, NY (Western New York Conference, Buffalo-Albany-Rochester
District).
The following information has been
provided regarding the funeral service arrangements.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Viewing: 11:00 a.m.
Celebration of Life: 11:00 a.m.
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church
226 Cedar Street
Buffalo, New York 14240
Telephone: (716) 856-6321
The Rev. Joe L. Fisher, Pastor
Expressions of sympathy may be sent
to:
The Rev. Richard A. Stenhouse
174 Jewett Parkway
Buffalo, NY 14214
18.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to announce the passing of
the Rev Edward Donald Payne, a retired pastor from the Philadelphia Annual
Conference in the First Episcopal District. The Rev. Payne last pastored
Emmanuel AMEC in the West District of the Philadelphia Conference.
The following information has been
provided regarding the funeral service arrangements.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Viewing: 10:00 a.m.
Celebration of Life: 11:00 a.m.
Mother Bethel AME Church
419 Richard Allen Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Telephone: 215-925-0616
Fax: (215) 925-1042
The Rev. Mark K. Tyler, Ph.D, pastor
Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram,
Eulogist
Presiding Prelate of the First
Episcopal District
Expressions of sympathy may be sent
to:
Mrs. Florine Payne
213 Prestwick Lane
New Castle, DE 19720
19. BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley,
Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family
Information Center
Email: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Web page: http://www.amecfic.org/
Telephone: (615) 837-9736
(H)
Telephone: (615)
833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMEC_CFIC
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
20.
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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