The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian
Recorder
--Richard Allen’s Birthday – February 14, 1760
-- Jarena Lee’s Birthday – February 11, 1783
-- February – Black History Month
-- Ash Wednesday- February 18, 2015
-- Easter Sunday: April 5, 2015
1. TCR EDITORIAL – WORDS FOR CLERGY, LAITY
AND WORDS I RECEIVED WHEN I ENTERED THE MINISTRY:
Dr. Calvin H.
Sydnor III
The 20th
Editor of The Christian Recorder
It’s about this
time each year that I reevaluate my ministry and I want to share some of my
“Sydnorisms,” which I share with people going into the ministry. Most often my
sharing is in conversations about ministry.
I have refined them
for this editorial and added some of the one-liner quips of advice I received
when I answered “my call” to the ministry. I received advice from both laity
and clergy and I dare say that the advice I received was helpful and has served
me well over the years.
I am sure others of
you in the ministry received words of advice when you entered the ministry and
I know our readers would love to read them.
If you would like to share your thoughts send them to chsydnor@bellsouth.net.
Here are some of my
thoughts.
-- Sydnorisms
for Clergy
Sydnorism # 1: Love the
people, even those the pastor knows don’t like him or her; nurture
parishioners' spiritual needs; preach the word, administer the Sacraments,
visit the sick and give “an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”
Sydnorism # 2:
Tell the truth, be sincere, go easy on the religious babble,
apologize when you “screw up,” and make correction. “Pray, read the Bible, love
the flock - on good days and bad days; – every day!”
Sydnorism # 3:
“When you are “screwing up” and nobody says anything, you
are in a bad place because that means that people have given up on you.
Ministry is not a personality contest.
Sydnorism # 4:
Critics, and even people who fight your ministry, are
telling you by their criticism that they care for you (or the program) and you
should love and care for them.
Sydnorism # 5:
– Get a feedback and listen to it! Show gratitude for
feedback. Don’t fight feedback. Positive and negative feedback help you to
grow.
Sydnorism # 6:
Ministry is difficult. Worship takes planning and sermon
preparation is an integral part of ministry. Learn to delegate and step back
and let responsible laity help with the work of ministry. Always be prepared
because luck is when “preparation meets opportunity.”
Sydnorism # 7:
Preachers should not use the pulpit as a “billy-club” and
should avoid using the pulpit to share sensitive information shared in
counseling sessions or in private conversations.
Sydnorism # 8:
Visit the sick and shut in members. If you fail to do so,
your ministry will be attacked and you won’t know from which direction the
attacks are coming.
Sydnorism # 9:
Don’t let a dead person kill your ministry. Funerals and
weddings are not times to get into turf battles.
Sydnorism # 10: You cannot keep doing the same things
and expect different results. Technology is the reality of the present age.
Technology touches every facet of life, including the church.
-- Sydnorisms
for Laity
Sydnorism # 1: Treat the
pastor the way you expect to be treated in the workplace. Insist that he or she
take a vacation. Give your pastor some time off and insist he or she take time
off!
Sydnorism # 2:
The pastor is in charge of the worship service, know the
boundaries.
Sydnorism # 3:
Be consistent in attendance, on-time for worship and
generous with your stewardship. Sunday morning is not a time to visit other
churches.
Sydnorism # 4:
When you are asked to read the scripture, give the prayer,
or read announcements just step up and do the task that you were given to do
without, “Good Morning, Saints…” Read the biblical text as it is written,
without comment or additional personal commentary. God’s Word does not need any
assistance from any of us.
Sydnorism # 5:
If a reader is not knowledgeable about the five divisions
of Psalms, he or she should not mention “division”; announce what psalm will be
read. Each “chapter” is “a psalm,” without the “s.” There are collectively 150
Psalms; but each psalm is singular, without an “s.”
Sydnorism # 6:
It’s correct to announce that you will be reading the “23rd
Psalm, rather than the “23rd Chapter of Psalms” and the last book of the
Bible is “Revelation,” without an “s.” There is only one Revelation of Jesus
Christ.
Sydnorism # 7:
Bishops “send” pastors to local churches and they are
assigned as the "pastor-in-charge.” Parishioners should accept the
transition and should not expect or contact the previous pastor for pastoral
services.
Sydnorism # 8:
If you are going to serve in a position, be committed to the
task and do what you promise to do.
Sydnorism # 9:
If you are serving as part of the worship team, i.e.,
choir, musician, usher, and liturgist, arrive early - “To be early is to be
on time; on time is late; and late is unacceptable!”
Sydnorism # 10: You cannot keep doing the same things
and expect different results. Technology is the reality of the present age.
Technology touches every facet of life, including the church. Support and
encourage the use of technology in the local church.
-- Words of Wisdom Given to Me When I
started in Ministry
1. Pray and read the Bible every day. Every sermon should
be steeped in prayer and the Bible should be the foundation of every sermon.
2. Learn to encourage yourself and maintain your focus on
the ministry. Find a way to keep the “fires of ministry” burning.
3. You are going to have some bad days in ministry and
ministry is not a joy ride. Be a priest and prophet and don’t neglect either
one.
4. You are not
immune to temptation, stay alert and don’t put yourself in compromising
positions. Don’t get careless and don’t underestimate the shrewdness of Satan.
5. If you start preaching a sermon and it’s not going
anywhere or you have gotten distracted, “cut it short,” don’t make it worse by
rambling too long. There are few bad
“short sermons.”
6. You are known by the company you keep and the company
you keep says a lot about you. There is
the company of some “Christians,” clergy and laity, you don’t need to keep.
7. Avoid negative people, clergy and laity. Negativity is contagious and if you associate
with negative people, you will become negative too.
8. Heaven is real! Jesus is real Hell is real! Satan is
real! The Holy Spirit is real! Preach and live like you know they are real.
9. There are those who will support your ministry, but
there are those who work to help you fail ministry.
10. Don’t confuse emotionalism and Holy Spirit; they are
different. Be discerning and respectful
of how people worship; every outburst is not of the Holy Spirit.
-- Next week, I will share my updated list of what I would
do if I could start my ministry over again and maybe some “Sydnorisms for
Worship Leaders.”
2. FEBRUARY IS AN IMPORTANT MONTH IN THE LIFE OF THE
AME CHURCH:
Bishop Jeffrey N.
Leath, President of the Council of Bishops and Presiding Prelate of the 13th
Episcopal District has shared information about the importance of February in
the life of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Richard Allen,
Bishop Morris Brown, Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne
and Mrs. Jarena Lee were all born in the month of February (Listed below in the
order of day in February).
-- Henry McNeal
Turner - 1 February 1834
-- Jarena Lee - 11
February 1783
-- Morris Brown -
13 February 1770
-- Richard Allen -
14 February 1760
-- Daniel Alexander
Payne - 24 February 1811
3. FROM THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS – COLLECTS:
– Mrs Jarena Lee and Bishop Henry McNeal Turner:
A Collect in Memory of
Mrs. Jarena Lee - First Woman
Licensed to Preach in the AME Church
-- Born on February
11, 1783
Gracious God, we praise You for the ministry of Jarena
Lee! We thank You that she heard the
call to preach beyond the clamor of sexism.
We celebrate her tenacious obedience in pursuing ministry in spite of
gender barriers. Bless the ministry of
women who still answer the call to preach in our Zion. May the invitation to holiness reflected in
the messages delivered by Jarena Lee continue to challenge our lives and invite
us to faithfulness in our daily walk with God.
Amen.
A Collect in Memory of Bishop Henry McNeil Turner
1 February 1834 - 9 May 1915
Twelfth Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church
Almighty God, we thank You for the ministry of Bishop
Henry McNeil Turner. We better understand You and ourselves because a bold
servant defied racist representations of divinity and asserted that ebony sons
and daughters are also made in Your image.
By Your Spirit, he was an instrument for spreading the gospel among the
once enslaved. With faithful vision, he
built bridges for ministry in Mother Africa.
Strengthen our commitment to a liberating gospel, and empower us in the
pursuit of justice. We glorify You in spirit and truth as we honor this
faithful servant on the anniversary of his birth. Amen.
The Collects may be
read in unison, by one or several individuals. Bishop Leath added, "I
would like to encourage people to pray the Jarena Lee Collect personally on 11
February... Jarena Lee’s actual birthday.
4. NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
-- American Cancer Society, African Methodist Episcopal
Church form partnership …
5. THE “BIG BETHEL 2020” VISION INCREASES AT BIG BETHEL
AME CHURCH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
Foreword - The
implementation of the “Big Bethel 2020 Vision” at Big Bethel AME Church,
Atlanta, GA, has begun.
It’s been one year
since Rev. John Foster, Ph.D. – Senior Pastor of Big Bethel AME
Church—introduced the “Big Bethel 2020” vision to the Big Bethel AME Church
family. The Vision included Church goals and directions in the areas of
Worship, Christian Education, Youth, Young Adult, Adults and Seniors, Community
Outreach, and Economic Development. Over the past year, God has provided the
increase. In addition to blessing the Big Bethel 2020 Vision, the surrounding
downtown Atlanta community has been enhanced in several ways including: 1) the
dedication of the $100M Atlanta Street Car project, with tracks directly in
front of the Church, 2) Auburn/Edgewood Avenue economic development of new
businesses and property enhancements and 3) continued growth of Georgia State
University community adjacent to the Big Bethel campus. While the year 2020 has
been established as the year for the fulfillment of each of the Pillars of the
Vision, we wish to share what accomplishments have been made over this past
year:
Worship
“Our worship
experiences are vibrant as we celebrate the God whom we serve,” said Dr. Stan
Pritchett – Steward Pro Tem and President of Morris Brown College. “We are here
to serve the community and proclaim that ‘Jesus Saves.’” The worship
experiences at Big Bethel are designed to include different worship genres,
ranging from traditional to contemporary. The aim is to reach all ages of
congregants. God has provided the increase in sending 78 new members to the Big
Bethel family under the current administration.
The multimedia
ministry at Big Bethel has enhanced the worship experience in two ways. First,
PowerPoint slides and live video projections are available to attendees.
Second, Big Bethel broadcasts live video streams and archives for each service.
Over 15,000 viewers have accessed the service since its inception. Big Bethel
was blessed with its first member (from Rochester, NY) joining over the
internet in October 2014.
Christian Education
The Christian
Education Department has launched a new initiative to impact all ministries at
Big Bethel. Christian Education “Know Your Church” training sessions are being
held for every ministry component over the current conference year. The
following areas make up Big Bethel’s Christian Education Ministries – Church
School, Bible Study, Vacation Bible School, and Congregational and Lay Ministries.
The Director of Christian Education Ministries is the Rev.
Monica C. Jones, Ph.D. “Christian Ed is alive and well at Big
Bethel,” said Dr. Jones. “Pastor J. has given us what we need to grow and move
forward.”
Youth
Big Bethel’s Youth
Church meets on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays monthly at the 11 a.m. Worship Service.
Invited youth preachers deliver the message for each service. During this
conference year, Big Bethel Youth Church has adopted the community project
called “Urban Garden.” As a part of outreach ministries the youth are invited
to help build and plant an urban garden on adjacent church property. Big Bethel
youth have also been involved with fieldtrips, including attendance at the
Young People’s Division Connectional Leadership Training Institute in
Baltimore, MD, and the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.
Young Adults
The Big Bethel
Young Adults held a night out entitled “Holy Ghost Turn Up Mixer,” during which
Young Adults ages 20-39 held an evening social event for networking, discussing
Big Bethel, sharing how God is moving in their lives, and formulating how to
grow as a group. The Rev. Ali Holiness – Youth Church Pastor and Young Adult
Mixer Organizer—stated, “It was a great event for our first night and we know
that this is just the beginning.” The desire of the “Holy Ghost Turn Up Mixer”
ministry is to build a meaningful number of young adults who can help define
direction for that age group.
Big Bethel’s
College Ministry is steadily growing. Georgia State University (GSU) is next
door to the Big Bethel campus and the Atlanta University schools are only 2
miles away. GSU Commons houses 3,750 students right next to Big Bethel. Big
Bethel has designated 3rd Sundays as College Sunday, when there is a concerted
effort to attract college students. Forty to Fifty college students (on
average) attend Big Bethel’s College Sunday. They receive an after-service meal
and a brief seminar on some aspect of college living.
Adults and Seniors
Big Bethel hosted a
“Living Legacy Luncheon” to honor members 80 years and older. A total of 63
Octogenarians (80’s) and Nonagenarians (90’s) were recognized at a banquet with
250 attendees. “We’ve never held a banquet such as this honoring our Seniors,”
said Rosa Baxter, chairperson of the Living Legacy Luncheon. “This banquet was
the largest of any that I’ve seen of this type.” Not only were the
Octogenarians and Nonagenarians recognized, but also the Big Bethel Youth
Performed MIME dancing and liturgical dance.
The Big Bethel
family has also shown love to our caregivers, hosting a Caregiver’s Day Off.
During this time, the caregiver is relieved by a volunteer who takes care of
the sick and shut-in for the day. The day off was surely appreciated by all
caregivers.
Community Outreach
Big Bethel AMEC and
the Auburn Church Collaborative were asked by the City of Atlanta and Mayor
Kasim Reed to dedicate the Atlanta Street Car project on December 30, 2014.
Over 300 attendees witnessed the event as ministers prayed for the safety and
prosperity of the project. The street cars cover a 2.3 mile route, which passes
directly in front of Big Bethel. It is estimated that 4,500 residents and
tourists will ride past the Church each day.
In support of the
2014 midterm elections, Bishop Preston Williams initiated “Get Out the Vote
2014” workshops across the state of Georgia, including Big Bethel as a host
site. Workshop topics included: Voter Registration Training, Effective
Messaging for Voter Registration, Do’s and Don’ts for Non-Profits, and Faith Community
Action Checklist. Over 100 attendees participated in the workshops.
Big Bethel members
also participated in several voter rallies across the City of Atlanta for Jason
Carter (gubernatorial candidate) and hosted a visit from former 1st Lady Mrs.
Rosalynn Carter to a Sunday Morning Worship service.
Economic Development
Big Bethel AME
Church received a $50,000 grant from the City of Atlanta in January, 2014, to
study potential uses of the Church’s properties outside of the sanctuary. The
Big Bethel Campus includes: 1) a 182
unit, 16-story affordable housing high rise apartment complex, 2) a 4.2 acre
parking lot, and 3) 4 buildings/lots of Auburn Avenue frontage property. “We
need to position ourselves for development that will be generated as a result
of the street car,” said Charles Moore, first vice-chair of Bethel Towers. “The street car is going to put a lot of life
back into this community,” said Big Bethel church administrator Marvin Fleming.
“Over the past 18 months, the Auburn/Edgewood community has generated $684
million worth of projects either in planning or already under construction,”
said City Council member Kwanza Hall. The Big Bethel campus is in the midst of
this activity!
Big Bethel 2020
Economic Development Plan showing Housing and Retail Space
The development
project will take 7 years from conception to reality. Once completed, it will
realize a 700-unit multi-level parking garage, 2,000 residential apartments for
student and/or market rate, retail space for up to 20 businesses, and new-age
affordable-housing for nearly 200 residences.
“The Big Bethel
2020 Vision is becoming a reality! The Big Bethel family has a “Mind to Work”!
and God is providing the increase!” said an excited Pastor Foster on what God
is doing at Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta, GA.
6. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS AND PRAISE GOD FOR THE
INCREASE:
*The Rev. Minnie
Autry
I am just getting
around to reading the November 24th Edition of The Christian Recorder about the challenges facing the clergy.
Again you have
written an amazing article that I am sure should touch the heart and mind of
every Itinerate minister who decides to pursue theological education.
I was called by
that “very small Voice” when I was forty-five years old. I did not have an
undergraduate degree, but my pastor and Bishop Mayo allowed me to enter the
itinerancy. In saying so, Bishop James Haskell Mayo said he knew that I would
complete my education and that he saw my gifts and talents.
It has been an
awesome journey. First of all, I had no idea what gifts and talents Bishop Mayo
saw, but I will be eternally grateful to both he and Bishop Robert Thomas, Jr.
for allowing me the opportunity to serve our Zion.
In 1994, after
being ordained as a deacon, I had the opportunity to get a diploma in Christian
Ministry, which really gave me a thirst to return to school for my
undergraduate degree.
However, it proved
to be too much for me at the time because my youngest child was nine years old.
I was working a full time job and going to school part-time, which kept me away
from home too much. My brothers in the ministry, however, appeared to obtain
their degrees without hindrance. I resolved in my heart that with God being my
help I would return to school.
In the meantime, my
husband got cancer and three and half years later he died. To say the least, it
was a difficult time for me and my family.
It took me three
years to return to college where I majored in Religious Studies. I was never a
smart student when I was young, but in college I was on the Dean's List a
number of times and even took honors classes, but elected not to finish those
classes because it would have taken much longer to get out of school. However,
had I known I was only several classes away from getting a major degree in
History I would have finished with a double major and honors. But my thesis was
almost complete and at my age I did not want to start all over again.
My education did
not stop there. I graduated in 2005, selected to do the commencement address,
and started Ecumenical Theological Seminary (ETS), which is now accredited, but
did not have financial aid, so I was only able to take one class that year.
In 2010, I
graduated with A's & B's and was chosen to do a presentation and the
benediction at graduation. Truly it was only by the grace of God that I was
able to complete my undergraduate and post graduate degrees, and I still desire
to learn.
But, as you
mentioned, the cost of education is getting higher and I have finally reached a
church where I make a descent salary. I am the first woman pastor to serve as
pastor since the church started over 146 years ago, and naturally my salary was
cut because of bills and declining membership.
Plus, I had one
member write me a letter to tell me what she saw was wrong and decided to give
me two months to turn things around, otherwise she and her husband would step
down from their respective boards.
My response to her
was, this has been going on for at least five years and you want me to turn
things around in two months?
Suffice it to say
that since the last several steward, trustee, and official board meetings,
things are turning around, praise God.
I said all that to
say that “yes” the stats you received were probably correct.
Pastors get burned
out because they fail to take time to pray and seek God for direction and
guidance. Most think that because they have an M.Div or other letters behind
their names they know everything.
Paul and the other
Apostles had to learn more about Jesus. We have to learn what Jesus will have
us do, to lead the congregation that He has anointed and appointed our hands
and hearts to do.
We do not know it
all! We need Jesus and support from our presiding elders and trained lay people
who truly love our Zion and understand the need to participate in every way.
The bottom line for
me is my age; I am 69 and so very grateful to be where I am. I could do without
the debt though. Just imagine the cost of a private college followed by
seminary. A tremendous debt!
I believe those
coming into the ministry should pray to God for the field of ministering to be
in. There are many areas of ministries that can be chosen, but the first
question the board continue to ask "Do you want to pastor?"
For some the answer
is yes, for others it is “I do not know, I am just answering a call.”
Praying and seeking
God will eventually give us the answers we need, God provided answers for me,
but that's when real prayer starts. I believe those persons who pray and seek
God are ready for ministry when given the opportunity to pastor.
Pastoring is not
just preaching, it's leading and loving the people. Also, when I started the
ministry I believe my first duty was to pray for the preachers and a friend and
I prayed together for five years then it tethered off. Now I know that it is an
ongoing responsibility.
Thank you for
reminding me that we need to pray for preachers around the world, not just our
Zion, because we have a tendency to be messed up and then we mess others up if
we stop praying!
The church need
leaders who are not afraid to seek help and pray to God frequently and Paul
said we should pray without ceasing.
This does not mean
we have to pray long prayers, but short prayers, which are just as potent as a
long one. An example, “Help me Lord” is a very powerful and effective prayer.
*The Rev. Minnie
Autry is an Itinerant Elder in the Michigan Annual Conference
7. SPECIAL NOTICE: TURNER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY ALUMNI
ASSOCIATION ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2015-17:
Elections will be
held on Wednesday February 4, 2015 from 8:00 am - 10:00 am in the Turner
Conference Room. If you desire to run for office, please submit your name for
Nominations to platt30077@gmail.com or onsite at Turner Theological Seminary
121st Founder’s Day Celebration & the 7th Annual Isaac R. Clark Sr.
Conference on Ministry held February 2-4, 2015.
8. AME PASTOR RIDES HIS MOTORCYCLE IN MLK CELEBRATION
PARADE:
The Rev. Keith R.
Mayes, Sr.
On the second
Sunday of January, I announced from the pulpit that the YPD Department of our
church, Bethel AME Church in Knoxville, Tennessee had asked me to ride my
motorcycle in the MLK Commemorative March and Parade with them on the following
day.
I replied that I
would only do so if one of the deaconesses or stewardesses would ride with me
in their leather outfit.
Much to my shock,
as I pulled up to line-up for the parade an 86 year-old member, Deaconess Rosa Lee Lewis came up my motorcycle dressed
in her leather, and ready for the ride on my motorcycle.
She is the mother
of Metro Davidson County Judge and Greater Bethel AME Church, Nashville member,
Mr. Carlton Lewis.
She expressed to me
that riding on the motorcycle in the MLK event was the most fun that she had
ever had in her life as she rode with me during the two and a half mile parade.
The parade
culminated at the Greater Warner A.M.E. Zion Church for the Memorial Service
where the Rev. Dr. Kelly Miller Smith, Jr., pastor of First Baptist Church,
Capital Hill in Nashville was the keynote speaker.
The pastor &
deaconess motorcycle ride was the true highlight of the freedom march and was
spotlighted on all of the local TV channels.
The Rev. Keith R.
Mayes, Sr. is the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Knoxville, Tennessee
9. ALLEGHENY SCRANTON DISTRICT’S 6TH ANNUAL DR. MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR. CELEBRATION:
-- Duquesne,
Pennsylvania
On the brisk
morning of Monday, January 19, 2015, clergy, laity, family and friends convened
at Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Duquesne, Pennsylvania to
attend the 6th Annual Dr. Martin Luther, Jr. Celebration “Keep The Dream
Alive”!
The Worship Leader
was the Reverend Dr. Judith C. Moore, Dean Board of Examiners Pittsburgh Annual
Conference and pastor of Greater African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Praise and Worship ushered in the Spirit of the Lord
and the procession began with worship participants entering the sanctuary and
everyone singing “We’re Marching to Zion” followed by the Call to Worship.
The Reverend Mark
Alexander, pastor Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, New Castle,
Pennsylvania sang “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
The Welcome was
given by host pastor, the Rev. Melvin D. Wilson, Jr. and the invocation was
given by the Rev. Samson Manoah Cooper, Presiding Elder emeritus of the
Pittsburgh District. The Rev. Rodrecus
Johnson, Jr. read Psalm 9:1-10 and Romans 8:28-32. The choir from Park Place African Methodist
Episcopal Church in Homestead, Pennsylvania rendered musical selections, “They
that wait on the Lord” and “Jesus Will Fix It.”
The Reverend Dr.
Eric L. Brown, Presiding Elder Allegheny District, presented the guest
preacher, the Reverend Dr. James Henderson Harris, pastor Park Place African
Methodist Episcopal Church, Homestead, Pennsylvania.
The Reverend Dr.
James Henderson Harris theme was “God’s Promise to God’s People”. The scripture Joshua 1:1-5. The same God that enabled Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. to protest against injustice, poverty and racial hatred is the same
God today who can fix it! God has promised us three things: God promised to be with us, will not fail
us, never loses a battle and God will not forsake us; God brought us too far.
The Invitation to Discipleship, as well as altar call, was given by the Rev.
Dr. James Henderson Harris and everyone joined in signing “I Shall Not Be
Moved.”
The recipients of
the 6th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Award for their
dedication and commitment to service inside and outside of the church were: Marsha
Washington, President Pittsburgh Women’s Missionary Society, St. James African
Methodist Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Frances Russ, Payne
Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Duquesne, Pennsylvania and the
Reverend Melva Hartzog, pastor Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Tarentum, Pennsylvania. Each recipient
was presented a plaque by their respective pastor and the Presiding Elder,
Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown.
Submitted by: Miss Shelly Brown – Allegheny Scranton
District Administrative Assistant
10. THE MINORITY MALE COMMUNITY COLLEGE COLLABORATIVE
ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CONSORTIUM ON COLLEGE MEN OF COLOR:
National consortium
to support the capacity of community colleges to enhance outcomes for men of
color
San Diego, CA (January
26, 2015) – The Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3) will
launch a national consortium dedicated to advancing outcomes for
underrepresented men of color at community colleges. The M2C3 consortium will
be comprised of community colleges across the nation who will convene
periodically to exchange ideas on how best to serve men of color in community
colleges. Partners will also receive ongoing professional development support
from M2C3.
“The call is to
join our consortium for community colleges if you are interested in
sharing efforts and learning about new strategies for enhancing the success
of men of color” said J. Luke Wood, co-director of M2C3. “This innovative
group of college leaders will be instrumental in implementing cutting edge
practices and policies that are addressing the achievement gap facing
underrepresented men.”
Although many
community colleges have programs designed to enhance outcomes for men of color,
only 17% and 15% of Black and Latino men, respectively, earn a certificate, degree, or transfer from
a community college to a four-year institution in six years. Figures for men
from other ethnic groups (e.g., Native American, Southeast Asian) also indicate
an insurmountable need for improvement.
M2C3 is the first
research and practice center specifically focused on advancing student success
outcomes for men of color in community colleges. Since 2011, M2C3 has partnered
with over 45 community colleges in eight states. These partnerships have led to
enhanced professional development for faculty and staff, informed interventions
for programs serving men of color, and resulted in new funding for initiatives
addressing challenges facing these men.
“The consortium
will launch on February 12th with our newest open access webinar on counseling
and advising men of color in community colleges” said Frank Harris III,
co-director of M2C3. The webinar series has been very successful, averaging
nearly 1,000 participants per webinar. “There has been overwhelming interest in
the consortium; many community colleges have contacted us to join this effort.”
To learn more about
consortium participation, contact Soua Xiong, M2C3 Coordinator at
m2c3@sdsu.edu. For more information about M2C3 visit http://interwork.sdsu.edu/sp/m2c3/m2c3-consortium/.
11. 2015 ANNUAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FOR THE 9TH
EPISCOPAL DISTRICT – AME CHURCH:
James L. Davis,
Servant Bishop
Mrs. Arelis Beevers
Davis, Episcopal Supervisor
The 6th Session of the Northwest Alabama
Annual Conference
Tuesday, September
15, 2015 – WMS Annual Convention
Tuesday – Saturday,
September 15–19, 2015 - Business, Training & Worship
(Opening Annual
Service – Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 7 p.m.)
St. John AME
Church, Birmingham
Daniel Payne
Community Plaza
1500 Daniel Payne
Drive, Birmingham, AL 35214
The Reverend Mashod
A. Evans, Host Pastor
The Reverend Dwight
E. Dillard, Host Presiding Elder
The 6th Session of the Southeast Alabama
Annual Conference
Tuesday, September
22, 2015 – WMS Annual Convention
Tuesday – Saturday,
September 22 – 26, 2015 – Business, Training & Worship
(Opening Annual
Service – Wednesday, Sept 23, 2015 at 7 p.m.)
Parks Chapel AME
Church, Host Church
1053 East Selma
Street, Dothan, AL 36301 * 334.794.4811
The Reverend Rodney
Smith, Host Pastor
The Reverend David
E. Reddick, Host Presiding Elder
The 6th Session of the Alabama River Region
Annual Conference
Wednesday, October
7, 2015 – WMS Annual Convention
Wednesday –
Saturday, October 7-10, 2015 – Business, Training & Worship
(Opening Annual
Service – Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 7 p.m.)
St. John’s AME
Church, Montgomery
807 Madison Avenue,
Montgomery, AL 36104
The Reverend James
E. Arnell, Host Pastor
The Reverend Albert
L. Hyche, Host Presiding Elder
The 6th Session of the Northeast Alabama
Annual Conference
Tuesday, October
13, 2015 – WMS Annual Convention
Tuesday – Saturday,
October 13 - 17, 2015 – Business, Training & Worship
(Opening Annual
Service – Wednesday, October 14, 2015 at 7 p.m.)
Bethel AME Church,
Phenix City
Ft. Mitchell Hwy,
Phenix City, AL 36867
The Reverend Jessie
Grooms, Host Pastor
The Reverend Samuel
Smith, Host Presiding Elder
The 6th Session of the Southwest Alabama
Annual Conference
Tuesday, October
20, 2015 – WMS Annual Convention
Tuesday – Saturday,
October 20 – 24, 2015 – Business, Training & Worship
(Opening Annual
Service – Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at 7 p.m.)
Bethel AME Church,
Mobile
714 Savannah
Street, Mobile, AL 36603
The Reverend Bobby
B. Cox, Jr, Host Pastor
The Reverend
Johnnie M. Bryant, Host Presiding Elder
Pre-Plenary Meeting
Presiding Elders’
meeting with Bishop
Daniel Payne
Community Plaza, Birmingham
Wednesday, November
11, 2015
The Plenary Meeting
November 12 – 14,
2015
12.
THE 14TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT 2015 SCHEDULE OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES:
The Rt. Rev.
Clement W. Fugh, Presiding Bishop
Mrs. Alexis Fugh,
Episcopal supervisor
Sierra
Leone Annual Conference
March
13-15, 2015
Friday
WMS Convention
Opening Conference
– Annual Sermon
Conference
Organization
Roll Call
Conference
Committees
Presiding Elder
Summaries
Election of
Delegates
WMS Candlelight
Service (No Holy Communion)
Saturday
Devotion
Board of Examiners
Pastors’ Reports
Noon Hour of Power
Pastor’s Reports
Committee Reports
Disciplinary
Questions
Sunday
Church School
Resolutions
Commissioning
Service
Nigeria,
Cote d’ Ivoire, Togo-Benin Annual Conferences
March
21-22, 2015 / March 28-29, 2015/ April 25-26, 2015
Saturday
Opening Service
Organization
Roll Call
Conference
Committees
Presiding Elder
Summaries
Board of Examiners
Pastor’s Reports
Election of
Delegates
Lunch
WMS Convention
Close with
Candlelight Service
Sunday
Church School
Resolutions
Disciplinary
Questions
Commissioning
Service
Central
Liberia / Liberia Annual Conferences
April
9-12, 2015 / April 16-19, 2015
Thursday
WMS Convention
Close with
Candlelight Service (No Communion)
Friday
Opening of
Conference- Annual Sermon
Organization
Roll Call
Committees
Presiding Elders
Summaries
Election of
Delegates
Lunch
Board of Examiners
Pastors’ Reports
Saturday
Pastor’s Reports
(continued)
Committee Reports
and Business
Disciplinary
Questions
Sunday
Church School
Resolutions
Commissioning
Service
Ghana
Annual Conference
May 1
- May 3, 2015
Friday
WMS Convention
Noon Opening of
Conference – Annual Sermon
Organization
Roll Call
Presiding Elder
Summaries
Election of
Delegates
Close with WMS
Candlelight (No Communion)
Saturday
Board of Examiners
Pastor’s Reports
Committee Reports
and Conference Business
Disciplinary
Questions
Sunday
Church School
Unfinished Business
Commissioning
Service
13. PROTECT WHAT IS PRECIOUS:
*The Reverend
Jarrett B. Washington, M.Div., MACE
That the trial of
your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be
tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 1:7
There is a common
phrase that says, "don't fumble in your faith." As believers our faith is one of our most
cherished aspects of living. Our faith
can be as small as a mustard seed or as large as a mountain, yet it is our
faith that gives us the ability to define who we are in this chaotic game we
call life.
I don't know where
you are in your personal walk with God. I
won't begin to assume every day is your best day. But what I can be certain of is if you don't
have the level of faith to see yourself from point A to point B; from bad to
good; from overcame to overcomer; or even from interception to touchdown then
you are playing a dangerous game and fumbling in your faith. I believe in this game called life we have a
quarterback named Jesus who is constantly trying to throw us the ball and give
us a chance. Even when we mess up our
quarterback intercedes on our behalf and looks to the Father in Heaven and says
"give them one more chance."
Every time we should have been pulled out of the game....and we stayed
in I imagine God is granting us more playing time.
Granted, your faith
will be shaken. Your faith will
encounter some rough spots. You may even
get to the point where in faith you question faith. But what I most love about faith is when you
begin to protect and guard your faith; your faith protects and guards you. So many would have you to lose your faith, or
at least fumble your faith, but when you remind yourself that all of you have
is faith you realize you are destined to win.
Today, I challenge
you to protect that which is so precious.
If in fact faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence
of things not seen then realize that you are running with a symbolic ball that
no one can intercept, strip, or take away unless you are vulnerable. Yes, be open and ready to take on all of
today's challenges and blessings; but don't be so caught up in the flashing
lights that you lose your destiny. Make
every effort to not talk yourself out of what God has already promised. I decree and I declare victory for you on
this day, in Jesus' name. AMEN
*The Reverend
Jarrett B. Washington, M.Div., MACE is the pastor of St. James AME Church in
Johns Island, South Carolina
www.JARRETTWASHINGTON.com
14. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
By: The Reverend
Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical
Text: Ephesians 2: 14 (KJV) “For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and
hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us”
Most of us will
agree that our democratic societies around the world are pressing toward the
global goal of freedom from wars and strife. However we are a world in chaos.
We long for the quiet of a world where there is no conflict. But we have to
wonder if we will ever achieve such a noble goal.
Turmoil surrounds
us, and peace seems to evade us. Countries seem to be fighting a never-ending
battle to occupy the same space. There is civil unrest, caused by public
disillusionment with governments and internal leadership. We have experienced
random shootings and racially motivated hate crimes. In fact recently those
kinds of things have monopolized the news. Yet, the Bible says we have peace.
The question is, but where?
The fact of the
matter is our human ability to comprehend peace is limited to its application
in our daily lives. We seldom see the prospect of peace beyond our own
backyard. What makes peace seem so elusive?
We say that to be
at peace is to be in a state of quietness and calm. We all look forward to the
times when there are no longer disturbing quarrels that breach our serene
environment. We prefer to be surrounded by silence, even if it is only temporary.
Much work needs to
be done in an attempt to keep the peace.
We need to turn down some of the loud car radios and confine the use of
lawnmowers, etc to the hours of the day when people are usually not trying to
sleep. We must refrain from loud noise outdoors at night. Yet, in spite of our
rules and regulations to govern our actions, we know that peace is difficult to
achieve.
But the God of Love
is peace. We experience the peace of God, the peace that passes all
understanding, even in the midst of turmoil or tragic disappointment, when we
allow Him to shroud our state of being, both internally and externally. Psalm
4: 8 describes this peace best, when it says, “I will both lay down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest
me dwell in safety.”
When the Prince of
Peace came to establish His government of peace, it was not His intention to
overturn the religious hierarchy and the Roman government as Judas had hoped,
but rather to take His followers to a level of existence above the turmoil of
world. He came to teach us how to be in the world, but not of the world.
The peace that God
promises is not a peace that can be made or kept through some external promise
or commitment. It is an indwelling and abiding peace that covers all of our
hurt and disappointment with a healing balm from heaven.
Ephesians 2: 14
says, “For He is our peace, who hath made
both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” When we are one with God, He alone completes
us! No one else can so completely heal our broken spirits or so completely wash
away our sins. Only God can completely lift us from despair or redeem our
eternal soul. There is no one else but God who can completely cleanse us from
corruption or free us from Satan’s bondage. It is God alone who is able to
completely restore our wounded hearts and grant us peace.
The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in
Charleston, S.C.
15. GETTING TO ZERO: BITS AND PIECES:
Dr. Oveta Fuller
HIV/AIDS Special
Events
The National Black
HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) is February 7, 2015. The theme is “I Am My
Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper: Fight HIV/AIDS!”
It is an ideal time
for each church to work with others in the surrounding communities to conduct
increased HIV science-based education and to make HIV testing easily
accessible. Many resources are available on where to order materials, location
of testing sites and on other items such as insights into an initiative for
students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Check out the
official NBAAD website at http://nationalblackaidsday.org/
Commemorating
NBHAAD is a great way to start off a special focused season. This season
includes the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday (February 18, 2015) and the
National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS during March 1-8 in 2015.
Information on registration and obtaining resource materials can be found at http://nationalweekofprayerforthehealingofaids.org/. Prayer, fasting, education and action- all
fit together for success in stopping HIV/AIDS.
If you want to
discuss what to do, or seek help in planning an event, contact me, Dr. Oveta Fuller:
fullerao@gmail.com with your contact
information \ and specific request. If you want to share information with
others, contact TCR as chsydnor@bellsouth.net. We will respond
and if appropriate, connect you with clergy alumni of the Payne Theological
Seminary class “What Effective Clergy Should Know About HIV/AIDS,” with members
of the AMEC Connectional Health Commission or with other available recommended
resources in your local area.
16. HIV/AIDS CAN BE STOPPED!
This requires
visible leadership of leaders in modeling HIV testing as a routine part of
health care. It requires understanding of how infection with the relatively
fragile virus occurs and how transmission can be stopped. It requires spreading
an appreciation of how HIV infection can, but does not have to, lead to the
immune deficiency disease AIDS. Stopping impact of HIV/AIDS requires consistent
use of medical care and social services for access to available anti-retroviral
drugs that prevent progression, opportunistic infections and death from AIDS.
What is your
congregation doing for NBHAAD or for the National Week of Prayer for Healing of
HIV/AIDS? It’s not too late to plan something that will make a difference. It
can be as simple as a message in the worship service or as coordinated as
setting up on-site rapid testing at a designated place and future time in your
community. We are indeed our brother’s and sister’s keeper.
Ebola Update: Some
Good News
The 136th Executive
Board meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) that convenes from January
25-February 3, 2015 held a special session on Ebola, “Learning from the Past to
Build Better for the Future.” It
examined the response to the Ebola epidemic in the West African countries of
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The executive board comprised of 34
representatives reaffirmed the role of the WHO as the body for coordinating
responses to outbreaks and global health emergencies. They looked at what went
wrong in the slow and inadequate response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa
and what eventually seems to be working.
What are the
lessons learned? What should be put in place to address the impacts of Ebola in
these three countries? What must be done to be better prepared to address such
a global health crisis the next time? Insights of the WHO Director Margaret
Chan and other highly relevant reports can be found at the following site. www.who.int/dg/spheeches/2015.executive-board-ebola/en/
Perhaps the best
news about Ebola in West Africa is that the worse-case predictions seem
unlikely to occur. Recent reports from multiple sources to the governments of
the three countries involved and to the WHO indicate that coordinated efforts
in education, prevention, and care, quarantining and tracing contacts are
working.
Down from over 1000
per week of new reported infection cases in September 2014, a total of 99 new
confirmed Ebola cases were reported for the week ending January 25, 2015. Both new cases and the number of deaths from
Ebola virus disease (EVD) have fallen in Liberia and Sierra Leon in the 21 day
reporting period that ended on January 25. One Liberian official reported that
currently there are 5 known active EVD cases under treatment in Liberia.
This is progress
and great news!
Getting to the Endgame
Such progress, if
accurate and sustained, signal that we can enter into a new endgame phase of
disease control. Implementing an endgame plan to get to zero new cases of Ebola
virus infection and zero deaths from EVD is absolutely required for declaring
that the most deadly Ebola virus epidemic ever is under control. One undetected
case can lead to resurgence of the virus. This is similar to how one spark
landing in the right place in a dry forest can ignite a new area and continue
to feed a raging forest fire. Surveillance and diligence in tracking ever
potential infection must occur until there are no reported or actual new
infections in a region for at least 21 days from the last known possible
exposure.
To date, the 2014
Ebola epidemic in West Africa killed 8,810 people and caused 22,092 cases. It
leaves families and communities devastated and separated by emotional trauma,
stigma, fear and economic loss.
The impact and
aftermath on families, children, healthcare infrastructure, food supply,
businesses, education, agriculture and relationships are yet to be fully
realized. There is much to be considered and dealt with after the presence and
immediate illness and death from the deadly Ebola virus are vanquished.
For now, we are
grateful for what appears to be far better than the projected worse-case
scenarios.
God answers
prayer! Prayers and sustained actions,
of individuals and groups, must continue in order to bring about relief from
impacts of HIV/AIDS, Ebola virus and other preventable health and human
conditions.
No person or
country is an island. To paraphrase the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
“We are all in this together. Either we will learn to live and work together as
brothers and sisters, or we will die together as fools.”
The untold story…
Looking back…
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and Faculty of the
African Studies Center at the University of Michigan and Adjunct Faculty at
Payne Theological Seminary. An Itinerant Elder in the 4th Episcopal
District, she conducts HIV/AIDS prevention research in Zambia and the USA. She
lived in Zambia for most of 2013 as a J. William Fulbright Scholar.
17. iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1,
2015 - FEASTING & FASTING - DANIEL 1:5, 8-17 AND ST. MATTHEW 6:16-18:
Bill Dickens, Allen
AME Church, Tacoma, Washington
Obesity in the USA
is a public health epidemic.
Too many of our
citizens are severely overweight due to poor exercise and a diet
disproportionately comprised of fatty foods. Obesity is one of the
epidemiological predictors for hypertension, Type II diabetes and other health
ailments. Health economists estimate
that obesity-related medical treatment costs between $147 and $210 billion a
year, or nearly 10 percent of all annual US medical spending.
I teach a course in
health care economics and my students are surprised to learn about the
magnitude of this cost and corresponding reduction in labor productivity.
While my fellow TCR columnist Dr. Ovetta Fuller is
better equipped to discuss the scientific origins of obesity, the Adult AME
Church school lesson for February 1, 2015 explores the alternatives to fatty
foods and the acceptable protocols when we choose spiritual dieting, e.g.,
fasting.
Our lesson looks at
two related passages from the Old Testament and the New Testament.
The Old Testament
passage describes the familiar story from Daniel about his steadfast resistance
to consuming the food of his oppressor, King Nebuchadnezzar. The first chapter
of this great prophetic book describes the forced deportation of Daniel and
many of his comrades from Jerusalem to Babylon.
The King of Babylon attempts to be hospitable by offering Daniel and his
colleagues’ food and drink. Daniel, a
man of unmistakable integrity, rejects the food request knowing it will defile
or pollute his kosher convictions and upbringing. Puzzled at Daniel’s rejection, the king’s
maître d’ pleads with Daniel to eat or else the king will execute him for
overseeing starving prisoner slaves.
Daniel suggests to the maître d’ that he and his three comrades,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be served only vegetables for ten days and at
the conclusion of the tenth day the servant can compare their physical
appearance with the king’s servants who are feasting on exotic food and drink. The survey test showed that compared to the
control group (king’s servants) Daniel and his colleagues were in far better
physical appearance. The
vegan/vegetarian diet, powered by God, not only met their physical needs of
nourishment but showed no physical deterioration. Let God be true and every man a liar!
The companion
passage from St. Matthew 6: 16-18 addresses the importance of how to fast.
Jesus stresses that
when we fast we should do so in a manner that does not reveal to others what we
are doing. Fasting is a personal,
one-on-one, relationship between the believer and God.
We need not have
the appearance of sadness, pain and suffering.
Jesus states this is the protocol used by Pharisees. Christ commands us to be better than this
form of hypocritical, self-aggrandizement behavior. If we seek God in private God will reward us
for our act of humility.
As Psalm 34:8
states, "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes
refuge in him." If we feast on the Lord He will guide us through our
fasting.
The Daniel Fast is
gaining in popularity among many Christians today as an alternative to fatty
foods. It is time for AME churches to implement new cooking standards that
define our fellowship halls" "Out with fatty foods, in with lean
cuisine." In the name of Jesus, Bon
Appetite!
*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
18. MEDITATION BASED ON PSALM 34:1-8:
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise
will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the
afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt
his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered
me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces
are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear
him,
and he
delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is
the one who takes refuge in him. (NIV)
Although it’s been
over sixteen years, I still remember my first experience with low-country South
Carolina African-American cuisine. I was
the newly assigned pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, and when
the congregation agreed to do a “church cleanup day” and those who handled the
kitchen, graciously offered to make lima beans for lunch.
As a newcomer, I
was mildly amazed by the enthusiasm that came with that menu choice, but I
agreed to it, and I later found out why there was so much congregational
enthusiasm. When we broke for lunch, our
very able chief cook dished up my “lima beans” - a bowl full of smoked pork,
with enough green in it to make it qualify as “beans.”
I’ve come to love
low-country lima beans, but I eat them in moderation. They taste great, but you can almost feel
your blood pressure rising and your arteries hardening as you eat them! Those “lima beans” are the ultimate
expression of something that my late mother used to say: “Everything that seems
good to you isn’t necessarily good for you.”
I offer my late
mother’s advice - that’s served me well down through the years - to those who
read this week’s meditation as we all cope with life’s opportunities, trials
and temptations. All us crave well-being
and joy in life, and all of us sometimes opt for life’s easy, tasty, tempting
and inviting possibilities, only to find out that what seems inviting and good
eventually leaves us feeling disappointed, let down and wounded.
We’d do well to
remember some of the words of the prayer that our Savior encouraged us to pray:
“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
When we look beyond what life offers us and seek God’s will and God’s
way for our lives, we’ll discover new hope, new joy, new peace of mind and new
possibilities for victorious living.
Go beyond what this
world offers and look to the Jesus who can still order our steps and guide our
feet. The way may not always be easy and
may sometimes seem to be distasteful, but we’ll find blessings along life’s way
that this world can’t give and affirmation in the words of the hymn that says,
“I looked to Jesus and I found in Him my star, my sun; and in that light of
life I’ll walk till traveling days are done.”
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
19. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with deep
regret, that the 14th Episcopal District announces the death of the Reverend V.
Bryant Kporyor, Presiding Elder of the Central District of the Central Liberia
Annual Conference. He was faithfully serving his church when he passed away
after a very brief illness in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 14,
2015. His service to the church spanned over 30 years. Presiding Elder Kporyor
will be missed for his exuberant spirit and his love of worship and singing
especially in the Bassa vernacular language.
Homegoing Services
will be held at:
Empowerment Temple
AME Church - Monrovia, Liberia
Dr. Katurah York
Cooper, Pastor
Date: Thursday,
January 29, 2015
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Eulogist: The Rev.
James O. Jallah
Burial: Saturday,
January 31, 2015 at Kporyor’s Town, Bassa County-Liberia
Condolences may be
sent to his son, Mr. Vorgar Bryant Kporyor, Jr.:
The Rev. Dr.
Katurah York Cooper
President, Board of
Directors
Central Liberia
Annual Conference
Monrovia, Liberia
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of the Reverend William Doyle. The Rev. Doyle was a retired pastor in the
Beaufort District, South Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal
District of the AME Church. His first church was Jericho AME. The Reverend Doyle passed on Wednesday,
January 21, 2015.
The Reverend Doyle
was the father of the Beaufort District, Local YPD Director, Sister Ada Brown
of St. Peter's AMEC, Walterboro, SC.
Wake:
Friday, January 30,
2015
6:00 p.m. - 8:00
p.m.
Mt. Olive AME
Church
394 Mt. Olive
Church Road
Green Pond, SC
29446
Celebration of
Life:
Saturday, January
31, 2015
11:00 a.m.
New Covenant Church
Green Pond Hwy.
Green Pond, SC 29403
Condolences, messages,
and cards may be sent to:
Sister Ada Brown
1529 White Hall
Road
Yemassee, South
Carolina 29945
Telephone: (843)
844-2105
21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Fourth
Episcopal District regrets to inform you of the transition of Life of Mrs. Lena
Ponese Jones-Peters the sister of Dr. Bettye Jenkins-Allen, former Connectional
Officer of the WMS and widow of the Rev. Dr. J. Julian Jenkins.
Homegoing Services
for Mrs. Peters will be held in Columbia, SC, Friday, January 30, 2015 - 10:30 a.m.
Second Calvary
Baptist Church
1110 Mason Road
Columbia, SC
Telephone: (803)
714-9668
The Rev. Dr. Carl
R. Wells – Presiding
Professional
Services provided by:
Bostick Tompkins
Funeral Home
2930 Colonial Drive
Columbia, SC 29203
Telephone: (803)
254-2000
In lieu of any form
of gifts, you may, if desired, send a donation to The American Heart
Association within your local community.
Expressions of
Sympathy may be sent to:
Dr. Bettye J. Allen
17129 Bennett Drive
South Holland, IL
60473
22.
BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Web page: http://www.amecfic.org/
Telephone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Telephone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
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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