3/27/2015

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (03/27/2015)


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

-- March – Woman’s History Month
-- The Lenten Season
-- Easter Sunday: April 5, 2015

Thought for the Week: “A joy shared is twice the joy, and a burden shared is half the burden.” – Abigail Van Buren


1. TCR EDITORIAL – CONVENIENCE AND SHORTCUTS LEAD TO INEFFICIENCIES AND INEFFECTIVE MINISTRY:

Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder

The African Methodist Episcopal Church is a global denomination, which presupposes that there are things that should be standard. 

For instance, we should all follow The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2012 because The Discipline is the law, not a guide; it’s the rule of order for our Zion.  AMEs all over the world should follow the rules of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2012 because it contains the agreed upon laws of the Church. Local churches do not have to have congregational meetings to make decisions about the governance of the Church. Local churches do not need to “reinvent the wheel.”

Some churches get into difficulty because some pastors and even some laypersons attempt to take shortcuts in order to circumvent the disciplinary requirements and guidelines. 

Sometimes shortcuts are often taken because of convenience, a failure to follow the process and inefficiency.

For instance, the requirement to make an announcement 10 days and two Sundays prior to an upcoming Church Conference is violated because “someone” forgot to make an announcement to the congregation - that’s most likely inefficiency, but it’s also a lack of commitment to diligently follow the disciplinary process.

Conflict is often the result of shortcuts, inefficiency and a lack of commitment because there are people who want to follow the rules, while there are others who don’t mind bending or breaking the rules.

Convenience is another reason for shortcuts.

Let’s take the example of the election of trustees. Pastors are required to nominate twice the number of persons needed and the members of the church vote to elect half of the number of persons nominated by the pastor.

The election is supposed to be held every year, but some pastors for convenience get a consensus without the nominating process and the same trustees are named year after year without an election.

The “mothers and fathers” of the Church with their infinite wisdom were concerned about “checks and balances” and allowed the pastor to exercise power, but the congregation also had a hand in the process of who would serve as trustees. The wisdom of The Doctrine and Discipline exceeds the wisdom of pastors and laity who want to short-cut the process.

And, speaking about “checks and balances,” the “mothers and fathers” of the church in their infinite wisdom also set the selection of stewards in place, but, some pastors and laity, because of convenience, shortcut the process. 

The way it is supposed to work is that the pastor nominates the number of stewards needed and submits the names to the Quarterly Conference. The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2012 says, “The pastor in charge shall nominate the number of stewards needed for the mission, circuit, or station and shall submit them to the Quarterly Conference, which shall confirm them or, if it sees fit, reject them.”

The “checks and balances” process gives the pastor power to nominate persons to the steward board; and “nominate” is the operative word. 

The pastor does not “appoint” persons to the steward board; he or she “nominates” persons to the steward board – that is the “check” in the “checks and balances.”  The “balance” portion of the “checks and balances” process is supposed to happen at the quarterly conference when the members of the quarterly conference “confirm them [the pastor’s nomination of stewards] or, if it sees fit, rejects them.” 

The pastor’s nomination is not a “rubber stamp.”  If a person(s) nominated to the steward board is clearly not qualified to be a steward, the nomination should be rejected by the members of the quarterly conference.

And, sometimes unfortunately, presiding elders short-cut the process and the persons nominated are quickly confirmed without comment, which probably is not a problem in most situations, but in some circumstances, local churches might benefit by not accepting persons unsuitable to serve as stewards. The “mothers and fathers” of the church put the “checks and balances” in place.

If churches, pastors and members, followed the rules of The Doctrine and Discipline of our Zion, some of churches might find “smoother sailing.” 

If churches followed the rules of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2012, perhaps it might eliminate some conflict and tension because churches would be functioning in accordance with The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church 2012 and pastors could not be accused of dictatorial styles of ministry.

A shortcut is not a model for successful businesses and it’s not a good model for the church.

Rules are made to be followed and rules contribute to discipline and good order.

The AME Church is a connectional organization and rules have been put in place, tried over time and pastors and leaders of the laity should follow the rules of The Discipline.   


2. TCR OP-ED - A MORATORIUM UPON THE ADMISSION AND TRAINING OF LOCAL PREACHERS AND NO ONE SAID WHY:

*The Rev. Anita L. Moorer

This year, when I arrived at the New Jersey Annual Conference, I learned that a moratorium had been placed upon the admission and training of Local Preachers – no one could tell me why.
 
Yes, for the past few years, there had been vague inferences about “problems caused by local preachers,” but the inferences were woefully short on reliable details.  Now, things seemed to be escalating.  Not only was a moratorium placed upon the admission and training of local preachers as it has been outlined in The Book of Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, but in the First District we were no longer being ordained at Annual Conferences.  Quite honestly, I began to feel somewhat like a member of a swarm of locusts in need of extermination. 

Has the work of the local preacher become extinct?  Is there no role in building God’s kingdom for local preachers?  As a body, have we given others cause to doubt our calling?  In a sin sick world in which the harvest is so plentiful, have we, as a church, reached the point in which laborers are in excess?

These are questions I pondered until I remembered who called me to preach.  I am not worried anymore. The sadness and concern I had about the role of the local preacher in the African Methodist Episcopal Church soon turned to feelings of peace and joy thanks, in no small part, to the training I received at the Institute and to the example set before me by every steadfast and unmovable local preacher who preceded me.  I humbly follow in the steps of a group of outstanding men and women whom God called to local service to provide support, love, followship, and servanthood to their pastors and to their pastor’s flock.
 
As a Local Deacon and candidate for ordination to Local Elder, I thank God I successfully completed the rigors of the New Jersey Ministerial Institute – the finest ministerial training program anywhere.  My cup is filled to overflowing when I think of the instruction, knowledge, guidance and love poured into me and into my classmates by the Board of Examiners these past five years.  We have been instructed by a committed group of Spirit-filled, gospel proclaiming, scholarly instructors, and I give God the glory. 

When I entered the Institute in 2009, two years after telling my pastor, that I had been called to preach, I was nervous, unsure, and insecure.  Yet, there was that burning inside to proclaim the gospel.  I emerge sure of the calling that God has placed upon my life and prepared to follow where He leads.

At Conference Lay Night, the Rev. Vernon Byrd (member of the Judicial Council) preached an extraordinary, thought-provoking sermon, entitled, “The Other Simon.”  Believers are aware of Simon Peter the disciple – the member of Christ’s inner circle, the one who received so much of Jesus’ time, attention and spiritual nurturing; however, what of the other Simon – the Simon written about in Luke 23:26.  The Simon who was seized to carry the cross of Jesus.  Some would say; Simon the Cyrene was second class when compared to Simon Peter.  But, as the Rev. Byrd preached, he carried the Cross of Christ, as we must do.  Receiving recognition doesn’t matter.  Being granted the esteem of those in high places doesn’t matter.  Alas, being treated with basic civility really doesn’t matter.  What matters is that proclaimers have been called by God to share the good news of Jesus Christ and we must work in earnest to answer that call. 

The self-pity that threatened to steal my joy because I am “just a local,” no longer worthy of ordination at the Annual Conference.

I give thanks to almighty God for the African Methodist Episcopal Church and its leadership, for my pastor, the Rev. Jeffrey M. Johnson who has trained me with love and energy, for the members of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Woodbury, New Jersey who supported me wholeheartedly in my ministerial training, for the Board of Examiners, for the New Jersey Ministerial Institute, for Dean Deborah Blanks, who took the time to oversee a curriculum, to coordinate, to teach, to encourage, and to scold (when necessary), for every Professor who traveled to Princeton in the sleet, the hail, the snow and any other type of precipitation to teach us, for my classmates – itinerant and local – who stood together to complete this journey, and especially, for the local preachers everywhere who were ordained before me and who have set such an awesome example of “other Simonhood.” I pray that we continue, as local preachers in our connected Zion, to demonstrate the love, support, and followship to which we have been called.

*The Rev. Anita L. Moorer will receive the M.Ed. Degree on May 9, 2015 and is a Local Deacon Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Woodbury, New Jersey

3. NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:

-- Focus on Faith: Big Bethel AME is a Downtown landmark

-- American minute - Vibrant church founded by former slave

Bill Federer remembers black missionary Richard Allen


Big Bethel was a Methodist church until after the Civil War when it became an AME – the first independent denomination in the country. Formed into a


-- Churches bolster unity through faith


4. A MESSAGE TO THE CONNECTIONAL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH FROM BISHOP PRESTON W. WILLIAMS II:

-- My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., it is with great joy and thankfulness to Almighty God that I announce to you that Morris Brown College is officially emerging from bankruptcy.  Morris Brown College’s Chapter 11 Plan of Reorganization has been approved by the Bankruptcy Court.  This action, approved at a confirmation hearing yesterday, and confirmed by a signed order of Judge Barbara Ellis-Monro today, will allow the college to exit bankruptcy and move forward to regain its accreditation.

This is a bittersweet ending to a long and complex process.  It was bitter, because we had to sell property that had historical significance to many people; sweet, because we emerge from bankruptcy fully functional and current with all of our debt obligations. Thus, as is the case with much of life, we must accept the bitter with the sweet and keep pressing forward.

The college has been represented in the bankruptcy court by Anne Aaronson with the law firm of Dilworth Paxson, LLP and has utilized the services of Renardo L. Hicks, from the law firm of R. L. Hicks & Associates, as its General Counsel.  The filing of the Chapter 11 Reorganization was initiated in August of 2012 and has enabled the college to settle more than 30 million dollars of indebtedness with secured and unsecured creditors.

As a part of the bankruptcy proceedings, the college sold assets through the 363 sale process, in a transaction with InVest Atlanta and Friendship Baptist Church, selling approximately 26 acres of properties and buildings to receive $14,700,000.  The college retains ownership of the Administration Building, the Griffin Hightower Classroom building and the historic Fountain Hall, on six acres of land.

Morris Brown College has remained in operation throughout the Chapter 11 Reorganization process and continues to receive significant financial support from alumni, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Sixth Episcopal District of the AME Church, trustees, faculty, staff and administration.  Twenty-One (21) students are scheduled for graduation on May 16, 2015 in the annual commencement program.

I would like to thank each and every person who supported Morris Brown College by providing their professional expertise, financial support, and prayers as we have tirelessly worked our way through this challenging process. 

Now our focus is to grow Morris Brown College into the proud and productive institution of higher learning that God would have her to be.  Therefore, please continue to support Morris Brown College both spiritually and financially so that together we may continue educating our youth, who are tomorrow’s leaders, to the glory of God.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Preston W. Williams II

5. THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH HAS AME APP AVAILABLE:
  
The Office of the General Secretary of the AME Church makes AME App available to AMEs and others who would like to download the App on Apple and Android devices.  There is a one-time cost of $1.99. In your App Store, simply type in your search: "AME Church"

Editor’s note:  It’s a wonderful app and you can navigate all over the AME Church with the one-time cost of $1.99

6. AMEC SOCIAL ACTION COMMISSION “BLACK FRIDAY CAMPAIGN”:

-- Black Friday Campaign - Wear black, Buy Black, Shop Black

The AME Church gave birth to “Black Lives Matter” and now to the “Good Friday Campaign.” Other denominations joined in the effort and people joined in this proclamation; it was interracial and international, with supporters in France, China and other countries joining us. “Black Lives Matter” made a major statement and got the attention of the nation. The “Black Friday Campaign” can do likewise. Just as AME’s gave leadership to “Black Lives Matter”, we are giving leadership to the “Black Friday Campaign.” This week at the Pan Methodist Commission meeting in Atlanta, all of the Methodist communions gave their support to this effort. Likewise, we urge those who supported “Black Lives Matter” will join the “Black Friday Campaign.”

As a follow up to our “Black Lives Matter” effort, we call upon all of our churches and communities to join us on “Good Friday” in our “Black Friday Campaign.” Beginning “Good Friday”, April 3rd to Memorial Day, Friday, May 25th each of us is called to wear black and buy black on Fridays. What will be the outcome of this campaign? 

1) We can demonstrate the economic power of Blacks in this country. If Blacks in the United States were a nation we would rank twelfth in the world in gross national product, with revenues over one trillion dollars. We would acquire financial discipline to be savers and not just consumers.

2) We would help to recirculate our dollars, supporting black businesses and causing money to stay in our community. Currently black dollars stay in our community two hours and is gone. In other communities money stays days before it leaves, creating jobs and strengthening those communities.

This Black Friday Campaign will also demonstrate that “Black Dollars” matter.

“Good Friday” will kick off this eight week campaign. On Fridays, from 6 A.M. to 6 P.M. from Good Friday until Memorial Day, everyone is asked to “Fast.” This will help us spiritually to be stronger as we begin this initiative. On Fridays, everyone is also asked to wear black and also to buy from Black owned businesses.

For information regarding Black businesses in your communities, tell your congregants to go to the USBC (United States Black Chamber) App and they can see the black businesses in their communities. The local Black Chambers of Commerce and Merchant Association also provide directories and access information. Inform shoppers to tell the business owners that they are supporting the “Black Friday Campaign.”

This Sunday, Palm Sunday, as we begin “Holy Week”, every pastor is asked to announce the “Black Friday Campaign.” As reminders weekly, ask shoppers to spread the word and set calendar alarms.  THEME: For next 8 weeks, Wear black, buy Black, and shop Black!

We will make history and get the attention of the nation. More importantly, we will be empowered, spiritually and economically. 

For assistance and information contact:

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson: reginaldtjackson@verizon.net. 

For additional information contact: jdupontw@aol.com

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Chair, AMEC Social Action Commission

7. THE COLLEGE CORNER: WHAT TEACHING SUNDAY SCHOOL IS TEACHING ME:

*Ms. Kandace Taylor

I was ecstatic when I officially became a Sunday School teacher at the beginning of this year.  I had wanted more of a leadership role within a Christian Education context and I was finally getting it. 

I was excited to come in every week and discuss biblical concepts with my students.  The youth at my church weren’t always the most talkative when it came to group discussions, but I was sure I would change all of that.

Do you see anything wrong with this picture?  I was viewing myself as some sort of Christian Education crusader; one young woman out to (figuratively) conquer the world and ignite young people’s fire for Christ. 

Well, that didn’t exactly happen. And it still hasn’t happened, even three months later.  But now, I know that that is okay. 

The high school kids that I “teach” every Sunday are an amazing group of young people.  They’re funny and silly and easily distracted, but they also have good minds.  They’re thinking - all the time!  I can’t always follow their line of reasoning, but they are in their own way grappling with the big questions of faith and what it means to be a Christian.  I have to admit that at first I wasn’t always so understanding of their ways of approaching the Bible; mostly because at first it didn’t seem to me that they were approaching the Bible at all.  I would ask questions and get no response.  I would ask if anyone had any thoughts or comments and they would shake their heads. 

In the beginning, I would leave our Sunday School class frustrated and sometimes downright angry.  “How could they not be more excited,” I thought.  “This is the Word of God!”  Then I would get insecure: I would go to God asking Him if I were truly cut out for this.  Maybe I wasn’t the right person to teach high school kids. 

I went around and around like this for a while until two things happened. 

First, I read a blog post by one of my favorite authors, Emily Freeman that literally talked about things to remember when working with high school students and second, I talked to my younger sister, who also happened to be in my class. 

From those two experiences I learned one very important thing: to trust the presence of God that is already in my students just by virtue of the fact that they are made in His image*.  They are His children already.  Whether I “teach” them or not, even before they make an official profession of faith, God is in them, simply because they exist.  This idea has kept me humble and serves as a constant reminder that I am merely a helper to the Almighty.  God is ultimately the one who does the teaching, the changing and the transforming.  I’m just the one privileged to watch some of it happen.   

*The blog post referenced here is entitled “12 Things Your Daughter Needs You to Say,” originally published on Emily P. Freeman’s blog, Chatting at the Sky (www.chattingatthesky.com)

*Ms. Kandace Taylor is a member of St. Stephen A.M.E. Church in Jacksonville, Florida

8. REFLECTIONS ON THE BLACK METHODIST YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULT CONSULTATION:

Lynn Hargrow (CME Church)

-- Write-up from the Black Methodist Youth Meeting in Atlanta in February

There is great potential in ecumenism today. In an international context, the prominence of individual Christian denominations has fallen substantially from the shibboleths of unquestioned power they had this time a century ago. Thus, the need for working together to accomplish tasks is even more pressing now than it was then. Billy Graham might have said, “This is a big world; we need all the help we can get.” The sentiment holds significance still today, yet from a different vantage point.
               
A small ecumenical body gathered in Atlanta, Georgia at Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church February 20, 2015 to assess the value of Black Methodist cooperation among youth and young adults. Convener John Thomas of the World Methodist Council noted, “Our bishops talk to each other all the time, our missionaries talk to each other, here’s a space for us to do the same.” Initially, I wondered, “Does anything relevant come out of those talks?” My question about the efficacy of those talks is certainly one of relativity; the answer is likely yes – for those persons involved, the interdenominational conversation is relevant. The burden for THIS encounter, however, was being relevant beyond just those involved.
               
The meeting began with introductions from the various youth and young adult auxiliaries of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME), African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ), and Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) churches. As we warmed up to each other, we saw commonalities and differences. We were frustrated with bureaucracies, the political economies of our respective groups, and the ambiguous relationships each of our churches had to social justice issues.
               
Social justice immediately emerged as the thematic thrust of the meeting. There seemed to be a need for this kind of generational cohesion across black Methodism because communities of color within the U.S. in particular (though our discussions were hardly limited to the U.S.) have been calling us to redirect our churches’ attention and resources in meaningful ways. A month prior to this meeting, a group of black Methodists met with community leaders in Ferguson, MO to discuss what black churches could do to assist in struggles against systemic racism in Missouri. Out of that meeting, emerged a commitment to education with scholarships to various HBCUs associated with the denominations. In the Atlanta meeting, young adult leaders discussed the need to verify that all scholarships were legitimate after many raised concerns that we were giving scholarships to some institutions struggling with accreditation and financial stability. Though, beyond that, we devised no other plans to address the choir stand of concerns. Of course, there were calls to be more involved in the community. There were suggestions to partner with other organizations that were already doing the work. This suggestion, for me, was most significant given the difficulty we all shared with trying to reorient our various denominations towards a genuine comprehensive ethic of social justice. There were even debates about the nature of our outreach: whether we reach out to communities because we want them in the church or if we do so because we believe black lives matter (or somewhere in between those two). One certainly hopes, however, that in future meetings, we can mobilize a concrete plan of action to do something beyond what our denominations are doing and not doing.
               
Significant, and mildly related, was a discussion on representation. Many youth and young adult groups across the three denominations struggle with being represented in the leadership of their respective churches, both locally and connectionally. Though representation is important, there was an uneasy question lurking in our discussions about the ability of young adults to actively direct their denomination’s agenda, moving beyond mere representation. Again, the bureaucratic and hierarchical structures have been a historic hurdle for these groups, but I left the meeting with the understanding that there may be hope outside those structures to indirectly lead the church.
               
The tangibles, as it were, from the meeting are as follows: we have committed to support each other’s’ youth and young adult meetings and to make space for ecumenical and cooperative ministry. We are exploring solidifying this group as an ecumenical body. We committed to support the event “Truth to Power” an event sponsored by Churches Uniting in Christ. Mr. John Thomas the third will be reaching back out with more details about the proposed structure of a potential black Methodist young persons’ organization.

9. REPORT OF THE WINDWARD ISLANDS ANNUAL CONFERENCE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO/GRENADA AND BARBADOS DISTRICTS:

*The Rev. Gail Meridin

-- 11th to 15th March 2015.

The conference was held at the Barbados Beach Club Hotel where folks were able to enjoy the ambience of the sandy beach and tropical sunshine. Bishop and Supervisor White received a warm welcome to Barbados on Tuesday evening with a dinner. This took place at Sealy Memorial in Christ Church under the patronage of Presiding Elder Anthony Parris and Host pastor Rev. Carlene Sobers.

It was their first visit to Barbados since accepting the mantle to lead the 16th District after the unexpected departure of Bishop Sarah Davis in November 2013.

A Spirit-filled WMS Convention was held at the hotel on the 11th March at which Rev. Ruth Phillips preached. The Annual Conference began on Thursday 12th March with a worship service at 10 a.m. The Rev Roy Francis preached a soul-searching sermon entitled “Don’t Nail Me Down.”

The Business sessions began with a word from Bishop White who added to the adjectives to describe the 16th District; “The Sizzling, Sensational, Startling and Exciting 16th Episcopal District. He reminded the conference of the connectional theme for this year ‘Fulfilling the Great Commission” He said that it is a new season for growth, expansion and witnessing to others of the great things God has done for us.

The Annual Conference also celebrated Ecumenical Night in which the participants came from various Christian persuasions including Anglican, Methodist and Baptist with the sermon preached by a Methodist Youth leader. 

The Windward Island Conference is happy pleased to receive Rev. Osbourne who was transferred from the 8th Episcopal District, eager to work in this part of the vineyard.

The Conference is also thrilled to endorse and support its candidate for episcopacy; Rev. Dr Wayne Johnathan Anthony, Presiding Elder of the Trinidad and Tobago/Grenada District. He heads the delegation to the General Conference in Philadelphia from July 5th to July 13th 2016.

As God continues to bless the AME Church in the 16th District, Rev. Kurt Luckie of Barbados was successful in starting a new congregation as assigned by Bishop White at the last annual conference. In addition, the conference created a Health Commission, with a Health Awareness Month which starts in February 2016 and set aside the month of May as FRAN month, an evangelical drive.

Our 16th District Planning &Education Meeting shall be held in Guyana from May 26-29 2015.

The conference concluded on Sunday with Bishop White preaching a sermon taken from Philippians 3:12-14 and told the congregation that they must press on because the best is yet to come. He also said that too many people spend more time majoring in the minor and "minoring" in the major.

The 86th Session of the Windward Island Conference concluded with the issuing of certificates and pastoral appointments.

*The Rev. Gail Meridin is the Reporter for Windward Island Conference

10. CELEBRATING THE AME DIFFERENCE: CONNECTING CHRIST, CHURCH, AND COMMUNITY THE THREE DAY CELEBRATION - APRIL 16-18, 2015:

-- The Formal dedication and laying of the cornerstone of the Daniel Payne Community Plaza on April 16, 2015

Birmingham, AL - -The time-honored tradition of the laying of a cornerstone will take center stage in all of the grandeur and high ceremony for which the tradition is noted when the Ninth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) officially dedicates its new complex, the Daniel Payne Community Plaza in Birmingham, Alabama.


The formal Dedication and Laying of the Cornerstone will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. The public is invited to witness this rare auspicious ceremony, one of the few public ceremonies conducted by the free masons. In the age of technology and instant messaging, the laying of the cornerstone is a reminder that some awe inspiring experiences still exist outside of a smart phone or tablet. A spiritual ceremony unlike any other, it is sight worth witnessing as it will officially mark the historic acquisition of the Plaza by the AME Church.

The laying of the cornerstone is a part of a three-day observance, celebrating the AME Difference: Connecting Christ, Church, and Community, which will take place April 16-18, 2015. The Daniel Payne Community Plaza (the former Daniel Payne Middle School) is a 60,000 sq. ft. building located on nineteen acres of land. The property was purchased by the Daniel Payne Foundation of the Ninth Episcopal District in August 2014 as a $2.5 million cash-sale. This property plus the 140 acres owned by the foundation just across the street from the Plaza, makes the AME Church one of the largest land-owners as an African American institution in the state of Alabama. The Plaza is named for the sixth Bishop of the AME Church. Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne was one of the founders and former presidents of Wilberforce University in Ohio as well. It is a complex serving the greater Birmingham community and members of the AME denomination throughout the state.

The African Methodist Episcopal Church has always been a trailblazer in ministry, education, publishing, civil and human rights, and social justice. The Daniel Payne Community Plaza is a part of its storied 200-year history. The Plaza is a shining example of how the AME Church makes a difference by using its human and financial resources and by following the gospel of Jesus Christ. To that end, the three-day celebration invites the community at-large to see the facility first-hand and to make plans to take advantage of the space. Conferences, corporate retreats, weddings, banquets, sports tournaments, educational programs, college satellite classes, arts programs, and activities for senior citizens are just some of the ways the Plaza will be used.

-- Schedule of Events and Worship Services:

The Daniel Payne Community Plaza
1500 Daniel Payne Drive
Birmingham, Alabama 35214

Thursday, April 16, 2015:

9:45 a.m. Workshop  - “Let’s Talk,” featuring Ethicist and Scholar, Dr. Monica Coleman, Associate Professor of Constructive Theology and African American Religions, Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California.

3:00 p.m. Formal Dedication and Laying of the Cornerstone

4:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Public tours of the Plaza Complex

6:30 p.m. – Evening Worship Service

Guest Preacher: Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Presiding Prelate of the 10th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal. Bishop McKenzie made history in the year of 2000 as the first woman elected as a Bishop in the AME Church. She is internationally renowned as a leader, preacher, and author.

Friday, April 17, 2015:

11:30 a.m. Hour of Power Worship Service
Guest Preacher: Bishop Philip R. Cousin, Sr., retired Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Cousin was elected to the Episcopacy in 1976.

6:00 p.m. An Elegant Soiree Event

Donation: $25.00

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams retired General Officer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1984, Dr. Williams became the first woman elected as a general officer in the AME Church, as the editor of “The A.M.E. Church Review,” the oldest African American literary journal.

Enjoy an evening of beautiful, soul-stirring music and delicious food in an elegant setting.

Saturday, April 18, 2015:

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Basketball Tournament – Youth 10+ years of age and adults may participate.
Daniel Payne Community Plaza Gymnasium

The Daniel Payne Community Plaza is operated by the Daniel Payne Legacy Village Foundation, a 501(c) 3 organization. For more information about the Daniel Payne Community Plaza, call (205) 326-4499 or visit www.ninthamec.org.  

The mission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is to minister to the spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and environmental needs of all people by spreading Christ’s liberating gospel through word and deed. At every level of the Connection and in every local church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church shall engage in carrying out the spirit of the original Free African Society, out of which the AME Church evolved: that is to seek out and save the lost, and serve the needy. 

**Submitted by Ms. Alvelyn Sanders

11. MILITARY CHAPLAINCY, THE REAL ITINERANT MINISTRY: A UNIQUE PLACE TO EXPERIENCE ABSOLUTE DIVERSITY:

I am Chaplain (Captain) Samuel Doty Siebo, Squadron Chaplain, 3rd Squadron, 6th Calvary Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, First Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas.

The purpose of this article is to provide a highlight on the position and functions of chaplains serving in the United States Military.

Military chaplaincy is a diverse religious body that reflects the diversity of the military and our nation. Each chaplain ministers according to the tenets of his or her faith community. Unlike most officers in the military, a chaplain begins immediately, as do medical doctors and lawyers, serving as a special staff officer upon assuming the position as chaplain.

The military chaplain is a position constituted by the United States Congress, to protect and provide for the Free Exercise of Religion for Soldiers and their families, Department of Defense (DOD) Civilians and their families, including U S contractors, working with the military in an area of operation. Chaplains also provide ministry for retired military personnel and their families.

The educational requirement for becoming a chaplain in the United States Army is very high, for that reason, many persons come into the chaplaincy older than his or her battalion commander and many of his or her fellow military officers.

A person seeking to be accessioned and commissioned as a chaplain in the United States Army must have an earned Master of Divinity (M.Div), Master of Theology (Th.M) or an equivalent theological degree from an accredited theological seminary, along with at least two years of Professional Ministry Experience (PME), following graduation from seminary. The candidate must meet the ministerial requirement of his or her faith group and be endorsed by his or her denomination or an endorsing agent for service in the United States Military as a chaplain. For persons endorsed by the AME Church, the candidate must be a seminary graduate and an ordained Itinerant Elder in good and regular standing within his or her annual conference.

After being accessioned and commissioned by the President of the United States of America, the new chaplain must enroll in and successfully complete the Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course (CHBOLC), at the United States Army Chaplain Center and School or one of the other two chaplain schools (Air Force and Navy) at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

In the military, chaplains serve many functions, but I want to focus on two very important functions that the chaplain serves: (1) the chaplain is a special advisor to the battalion or unit commander and the unit’s senior religious leader. The chaplain advises the battalion/unit commander on issues of religion, moral, ethics and morale, affecting the battalion/unit.

The chaplain is the prophetic voice of the unit; the chaplain is fearless as it relates to defending the soldiers’ constitutional rights to the Free Exercise of religion.

As the unit’s senior pastor, the chaplain provides pastoral care and oversight, such as, worship services, religious activities, religious sacraments and rites for the unit. The chaplain provides pastoral care and counseling and many other spiritual fitness and resiliency activities, so as to enhance the unit’s spiritual readiness for mission accomplishment. Religious ministrations are also provided by the chaplain during deployments, in combat, as well as in the field and in garrison. The chaplain advices the commander on counseling trends in the unit and the overall command climate of the unit.

The chaplain devises plans, coordinates and executes the commander’s Master Religious Program (CMRP). The chaplain is the military unit’s director of religious programs and the leader of the Unit Ministry Team (UMT).

A chaplain is a much respected individual in the unit. The chaplain has direct access to the Unit’s commander without interference from anyone in the unit’s chain of command.  

A chaplain is a special staff officer in the unit and an integral part of the Unit’s Military Decision Making Process (MDMP).

The chaplain formulates the religious plans for his or her unit’s tactical operations.

Chaplains conduct critical care for Soldiers and staff and prepares for memorial service to honor a fallen warriors if necessary. The chaplain also highlights any foreseen or unforeseen issues that could potentially affect mission accomplishments, as it relates to religious support.

The military chaplaincy models the real itinerant ministry, in that chaplains are constantly on the move for God and country.

A chaplain is assigned to a unit generally for two to three years, but for special operations and schools, a chaplain could be assigned for one year, six month or whatever length of time the Army deems necessary.

The Army, through the Chief of Chaplains, Regional Personnel Manager, and the Division and Brigade chaplains can change a chaplain’s assignment to meet the needs of the Army. A chaplain could be removed from a unit to join another unit for a special operation, as the Army deems appropriate.

I experienced an example of the “reassign as needed” model is in my own ministry. Following my accessioning and commissioning as an active duty chaplain in the United States Army, I received a call from my Accessioning Officer congratulating me as a new chaplain and informing me of my orders being prepared for me to do a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move, from South Carolina (my home) to Fort Steward, Georgia. I got packed and ready to PCS. When I received my orders, I was rerouted from Fort Stewart, Georgia to Fort Bliss, Texas, the home of America’s First Armored Division. I was sent to the Third Infantry Brigade Combat Team (3IBCT), and subsequently moved to the First Battalion, Forty-First Infantry Regiment to train, prepare and subsequently deploy to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom XIV.

In Afghanistan, my battalion of almost 600 Soldiers was spread across the country. From January to July 2014, my soldiers were in twenty locations. It was my duty to coordinate, perform and provide religious support, pastoral care and counseling to all of my soldiers in country. I had to fly for long hours and travel in ground convoys for long hours, through some of the world’s most dangerous places to perform religious services for my soldiers and coordinate with chaplains from other faith groups to provide religious services outside my faith tradition. This is one of the key pastoral care functions of a chaplain; to perform and provide religious services, sacraments and rites for the unit. The chaplain is constantly moving from one place to another. The military chaplaincy is a model for the Itinerant Ministry.

As an Itinerant Elder in the AME church and an active duty chaplain in the United States Army, I have had the honor to serve the AME Church and the U.S. Army on four continents.

I have served in Africa and North America as a church pastor and chaplain. I also served in Europe and Asia as a United States Army chaplain. I have gone across the world to provide pastoral care and counseling to soldiers, DOD civilians and their families.

The military chaplaincy is real Itinerant Ministry. Providing ministry from this global perspective afforded me a unique perspective on humanity and on divinity. Doing ministry from this universal context enhances wealth of knowledge that can be compared to or even supersedes the experiences of any pastor anywhere in the world.

Being a chaplain in the U.S. Army gives me the opportunities to provide ministry to a diverse population. This position offers me a unique place to experience inter-denominational, multiracial, multi-ethnicity influence and multi-cultural understanding of humanity.

A military chaplain is a well-rounded and world class minister. Chaplains endorsed by our beloved Zion, the African Methodist Episcopal Church are automatic delegates to the General Conference of our Church.

*Chaplain (Captain) Samuel Doty Siebo is originally from Liberia in the 14th Episcopal District. He serves in the 7th Episcopal District (South Carolina) and represents the AME Church in the United States Army as a Chaplain.

12. INSPIRED BY THE WOMAN AT THE WELL:

Come meet a man
Who took me by the hand
He said, "No  matter what you've done
For your restoration, I am the one.
With grace, mercy and love
God showers you with Glory from above
The blind, the deaf, broken and lame
His message remains the same
I come to make the wounded whole
And heal your body, mind and soul.

Dr. Pam DeVeaux. 2015

13. RICE UNIVERSITY OFFER FREE ONLINE COURSE 'RELIGION AND HIP-HOP CULTURE' LAUNCHES TODAY:

HOUSTON – (March 24, 2015) – Religion and Hip-Hop Culture, a new free edX online course being offered by Rice University’s Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship, launched today. The class features Religious Studies Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL) Anthony Pinn and the center's Distinguished Visiting Lecturer and Grammy nominee Bernard “Bun B” Freeman. Students still have time to sign up for the course by visiting the edX course page here.

"The number of enrolled students climbs every day," Pinn said. "With over 100 countries represented, we are looking forward to the rich and global conversation. We believe this six-week course will mark an important development in the study of religion and hip-hop."

The Religion and Hip-Hop Culture course, or RELI157x, is the first massive open online course (MOOC) for Pinn and Bun B. The online course is built upon and expands the popular class they have taught together at Rice University.

"Our classroom course at Rice went so well that people off campus were contacting us and asking us about the course and how they could take it," Pinn said. "Working with Bun in the classroom, it became clear that there were ways of learning and teaching that we hadn’t tapped. The MOOC gave us a way to be even more creative and innovative in terms of how we link the rest of world with the cultural richness and diversity of Houston to get information across."

The Religion and Hip-Hop Culture course will explore questions such as, What is religion? What is hip-hop? Are they the same thing? Do they overlap? Over the six-week course, Pinn and Bun B will provide the tools necessary to let students critically engage the world in which they live and answer these questions for themselves.  

"This course takes two important cultural developments in human history and looks at their points of commonality and their differences," Pinn said. "The idea is to do that in a way that gives students a vocabulary, grammar, ideas and concepts that will allow them to think about and work on related issues within their own context."

The course will start with some basic assumptions, the most important being a willingness to think about hip-hop and religion as cultures that wrestle with the huge questions of human existence. Pinn and Bun B said that students will also need to be open to the possibility of hip-hop as a language through which complex questions, including some about religion, are presented, explored and interpreted.

"This course gives me the opportunity to let people see a side of hip-hop that isn’t always discussed," Bun B said. "We’ve started a conversation that cannot end until people have a better understanding of who we are and what we do."

The Religion and Hip-Hop Culture course will use a mix of videos, readings, music, images, stories and behind-the-scenes insider perspectives. Pinn and Bun B are leading collaborations between Rice University and local institutions to engage the Houston community in conversations inspired by topics in the course.

This is the 23rd MOOC offered by Rice’s Center for Digital Learning and Scholarship.

"This course reflects the university's commitment to experimental teaching and research that engages dynamically with Houston arts partners," said Caroline Levander, Rice’s vice president for strategic initiatives and digital education. "The result is a course that showcases the cultural innovation for which Rice and Houston are known."

"We have been honored to work with Rice University on MOOCs ranging from high school- to college-level courses," said Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX. "With Religion and Hip-Hop Culture, together we are enabling the global learning community to examine the intersection of two vital areas — religion and music — that are so deeply rooted in cultures around the world."

Media who want to interview Pinn or Bun B should contact David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

Rice University has a VideoLink ReadyCam TV interview studio. ReadyCam is capable of transmitting broadcast-quality standard-definition and high-definition video directly to all news media organizations around the world 24/7.

Anthony Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and professor of religion at Rice University, where he is also the founding director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning. Pinn is also the director of research for the Institute for Humanist Studies, a Washington, D.C., think-tank. His interests include the intersections of popular culture and religious identity and nontheistic trends in American public life. He is the author and editor of over 30 books, including “Noise and Spirit: The Religious and Spiritual Sensibilities of Rap Music” (2003) and “The Hip-Hop and Religion Reader” (2014).

Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, who rose to fame in the influential rap duo UGK, has won numerous awards and has been nominated for a Grammy. Bun B has also been featured on albums with several other well-known artists. His most notable guest appearances were on the Jay-Z hit single “Big Pimpin” and Beyonce’s chart-topper “Check on it.” Bun B’s solo projects include “Trill” (which opened at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 200 and also peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-hop Album chart) and “Trill O.G.,” which was released in 2010.

14. FAITH AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS LAUNCH NATIONAL #BEBRAVE CAMPAIGN TO MEMORIALIZE TRAILBLAZING CIVIL RIGHTS HEROINE:

-- “Home of the Brave” reveals the inspiring life of Viola Liuzzo, the Detroit housewife and mother of 5 killed in the civil rights movement

Detroit, MI - The family of civil rights heroine Viola Liuzzo and the filmmakers of the documentary Home of the Brave announced today that they will launch a national campaign, joined by faith and civil rights leaders, to tell the story of the unsung heroes of the civil rights movement. The campaign, #BeBrave, will feature 50 screenings in 50 states, kicked off today with a screening of the film in Detroit, Michigan, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Detroit. Today marks the 50th anniversary of Viola Liuzzo’s assassination.  She lived in Detroit with her husband and five children, and was a congregant in the church.

Directed by Oscar-Nominee Paola di Florio, Home of the Brave tells the story of Viola Liuzzo’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. The only white woman killed in the movement, Viola was murdered on March 25, 1965, just hours after her participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches.  She was shot by members of the Ku Klux Klan while shuttling civil rights protestors to the airport following the historic marches.

Today’s screening will be followed by another Detroit screening at Wayne State University on April 9th. Wayne State is honoring Viola Liuzzo with a posthumous honorary doctorate on April 10th, the day before what would have been her 90th birthday. She was enrolled in classes at Wayne State at the time of her assassination.

In homage to this 50th anniversary year of Bloody Sunday and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the campaign will host 50 screenings in 50 states and the District of Columbia, where there will be a premiere screening on Capitol Hill hosted by Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), who represents communities in the Detroit area.

“As a native Detroiter who recently commemorated the 50th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Alabama, I believe Mrs. Liuzzo is rightfully honored by this film, and I look forward to sharing the documentary of her extraordinary sacrifice with my colleagues in Congress,” said Representative Conyers. “Viola Liuzzo’s story is the embodiment of the civil rights movement, which joined together people from all colors and walks of life, and whose courage and sacrifice propelled Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and countless civil rights legislation.”

Representative John Lewis, who is featured in the film, said this about Viola: “Every so often, we are called upon to ‘get in the way.’ Viola Liuzzo got in the way.”

Even many years after her murder, civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson began all of his speeches by paying tribute to the everyday heroes of the movement, naming Viola and Jimmy Lee Jackson, another young martyr, by name.

Viola’s story was recently highlighted in the Oscar-nominated film Selma. A mother of five from a Teamster family and a member of the Detroit NAACP, Viola’s belief in equality for all motivated her to travel to Alabama at a critical moment in the civil rights movement.

“She was a beautiful, silent force to be reckoned with,” said Viola’s daughter Mary Liuzzo Lilleboe. “She wasn’t a leader, a speaker, an organizer, or a motivator, although she could have done all of those things. She took her place among the 25,000 on March 25, 1965, and then took her place in history forever.” Viola’s martyrdom directly helped pave the way for Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Fifty years after the Selma to Montgomery marches, our nation is once again in a critical moment of reexamining race, power, and protest.  In honor of the continued leadership of everyday heroes, Viola’s family and the Home of the Brave filmmakers have come together under the #BeBrave banner.  Working with traditional civil rights and faith groups, the campaign will engage a new generation of concerned citizens and activists to contribute their unique voices to the national discourse about Voting Rights and the Black Lives Matter movement.

To learn more about the #BeBrave campaign please visit - www.homeofthebravemovie.com/

15. IRS IMPOSTER TAX SCAM: ARE YOU NEXT:

Last year during tax season, unsuspecting taxpayers lost more than $1 million to a massive scam which swept the country, with fraudsters posing as IRS agents.

The scheme goes like this: The IRS imposter calls claiming you owe taxes, and demands immediate payment using a prepaid debit card or a wire transfer. Refuse and you're threatened with arrest or the loss of your business or driver's license. What you need to know:

The IRS does NOT:

• Call to demand immediate payment about taxes owed;
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone;
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement to arrest you for nonpayment.

If you think you've spotted a tax scam or if you or a loved one has been victimized, contact the Fraud Watch Network for advice and guidance at (877) 908-3360.

16. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:

The Rev. Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr.

Based on Biblical Text: Ecclesiastes 1:9 and 12:13: “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.”

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”

In order to understand our text we must first understand the intent of the writer, and his own state of mind at the time of this writing. The text is believed to have been written by King Solomon in his later years. We witness the bitter melancholy the moment he expresses his first thought, “Vanity, vanity, all is vanity!”

That is this King turned preacher’s starting point. It is, of course, a point not necessarily true except that he seems to have been made cynical by his own excess. His excess has brought him to a point where, for him, all of life appears to be out of line. Solomon, now the preacher continues arguing his points of observation for twelve chapters, until he finally ends the matter and says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter; fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”

I think that once we have a better understanding of Solomon’s motivations for writing the book of Ecclesiastes, and we come to the conclusion that his cynicism does not represent his ultimate convictions, but rather they are notions that he addressed as he journeys from folly to truth, we are prepared to take a closer look at the key verses of the text.

First, the thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun. This I think begs the question, “Are we to believe that a drained and disobedient monarch, who is discontent with his own performance as a leader, can speak for all the saints who live righteous lives?”

I submit that there are two possibilities. One, if we are to believe Solomon’s statement from the perspective of a materialistic, unprofitable philosophy, then there is no hope that our efforts to evangelize will have any significant impact on the unsaved. Why, because according to Solomon, if it hasn’t happened yet, it is not going to happen, because there is nothing new under the sun.

On the other hand, if we believe that salvation causes a great transformation to come in the life of the repentant sinner and that truly their soul is changed from corruptible to incorruptible, we become aware that while outward tasks remain the same, there can be a profound and radical difference in the matter in which they are performed. Hallelujah, then “that which has been done is not that which shall be.”  It is possible, for that person there just may well be something new under the sun!

Solomon says that what has been is the same as what will be. Perhaps from a physical perspective that remains true. However, there is another perspective that would clearly argue against Solomon’s position. I submit that none of our tomorrows could ever be like our yesterdays because no matter how well traveled and beaten our paths of daily life, none of us can ever relive yesterday. It is impossible for us to bring back that which is already spent, whether for good or for evil. It is as irretrievable as the four seasons, and as used up as the fragrance of last season’s flowers. Some may argue but I contend that it is utterly impossible for us to ever be as we were yesterday.

Yesterday we were young, and now we are older. Yesterday we were physically strong, and now we are weaker. Yesterday we were truly brown headed and now underneath the coloring we are grayed. Yesterday we were a little thinner and now we are, well not so much.  Yesterday many of us had a head full of hair, and now we are balding. Though we have found ways to fool folk, what we had yesterday can never really be regained.

Let me point out that not all of what changes - is negative. We witness many positive changes in our ever evolving lives. For example, yesterday we were a lot more naïve, and now we are wiser. Yesterday we were unschooled, and now we are educated. For many of us yesterday we were unsaved, and now we are saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost! Quite frankly, we may not be able to relive our yesterdays, but after careful consideration, a lot of us wouldn’t really want to anyway.

Let us consider it is true that the physiological powers that shaped our yesterdays are the same that shape our tomorrows and the spiritual structure of our world does not change, God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. However, it is also true that when our soul coincides with God’s wisdom, a wonderful change comes over us. In that case that which has been is no more!

We must be careful to consider that this remarkable change does not guarantee a brighter, better, fuller, and freer tomorrow at least not in the carnal sense. God’s changes cannot be contained within some announcement or proclamation claiming some tangible improvement to be looming on our every horizon. We are challenged to understand that the only change that really makes a difference is the change in our soul. Therein lays our contentment. We are content, but it is not life that makes us content! We are content as our soul is released from the chains of life and we find sweet peace even in the midst of our storms.

In our text, we see that the battle between this preacher’s carnal and spiritual man is the same for every one of us. We can look at our own lives and we can draw the same initial conclusion that Solomon did, “there is nothing new under the sun.” However we have a choice! We can chose to remain in that dreary and cynical place until we depart this earth or we can chose to make the transformation from the physical to the spiritual, from complete folly to complete truth.

The truth, we will discover is that folk who settle too wholeheartedly on social or political advancement for contentment run the risk of missing the greater opportunity to feed their souls. The truth, we will discover is when we allow our soul to serve the Most High God true contentment and peace are found.

This begs the question; will we allow our spirit to “hear the conclusion of the whole matter” as Solomon finally did? Will we “fear God, and keep His commandments”?  Our reconciliation to God through Christ “is the whole duty of man.”

*The Rev. Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, S.C.

17. GETTING TO ZERO: HIV EPIDEMIC REVEALED IN INDIANA:

Dr. Oveta Fuller

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Health Department of Indiana report that Scott County, Indiana is in the midst of “the worst HIV outbreak in the state’s history.”

Since December, health officials report 80 new HIV positive diagnoses among residents of Scott County in southern central Indiana. The majority of the newly detected HIV positive persons live in the small town of Austin, population of 4,200. Austin appears to be the epicenter of the revealed HIV infections. 

In 2014 a total reported of 420 persons were newly diagnosed with HIV infection for the entire state of Indiana. Compare this to 80 new HIV infection diagnoses in only three months. Seven cases were first detected in January in Austin, 57 by Friday mid-March and up to 80 with 7 possible more as of Wednesday March 25. 

The numbers in Scott Country alone may reach the 420 new detections for the entire state in 2014. Note that a total of 420 new HIV infection diagnoses were made in 2014.  Chances are high that many HIV infections existed in Indiana in 2014 that remained undiagnosed. We will return to this point.

What is happening?

The epidemic in Scott Country is associated with sharing needles in injecting a prescription drug, opana. Opana is an opioid painkiller that contains oxymorphone. It can be ingested in pill form or, for a higher quicker high, made liquid and injected intravenously.

The town of Austin sits on the I-65 route from Florida (where high volumes of pills are made or imported) to Chicago (one street market site). This transport corridor location combined with depressed economics of southern Indiana counties, drug availability and lack of health care or HIV awareness have provided fertile ground for HIV/AIDS to thrive, likely for years. Note that this newly revealed epidemic is not in Indianapolis which for years has had a known high prevalence of HIV infection.

Once the virus is in a population, sexual engagement (under drug influence or not) amplifies its spread. In Austin, contact through blood or sexual fluids likely occurs from shared, used or “dirty” needles as the major vector (agent of transfer e.g. like mosquito with malaria).

Reuse or sharing of an intravenous needle (for some a sign of camaraderie and trust) allows small droplets of blood of a person with HIV in their blood to be deposited from the needle directly into the blood stream or tissues of another person. Reports from various media sources indicate that discarded used syringes are easily spotted in trash or on the ground in Austin.

As typically accompanies towns on major transportation routes, sex work (prostitution, as referred to more often in the U.S.) must be included in the mixture of factors fueling the southern Indiana epidemic.

The CDC has deployed a specialist team to Scott County. Their investigative strategy is similar to what would occur in any infectious disease outbreak. It includes tracing known or possible contacts of people who have tested HIV positive. In this epidemic, contacts are not those who have had casual contact in touching, who breathe in the same room or car, or who eat or drank from the same utensils. A contact at risk for HIV is anyone who has sexual engagement or shares a needle for direct exposure to the blood, semen or vaginal fluid of an HIV positive person.

A rapid test HIV screening test is given to each known contact to determine their status. Results of rapid screening tests in contact tracing provide newly diagnosed HIV case numbers. The numbers will increase from southern Indiana.

 Back to the numbers

This explains why detected new HIV infection cases increased in 2015 from 7 in January to over 80 on March 25.

Newly diagnosed HIV infections may not represent new infections. They represent only new detection of infection. Exposure may have occurred in the last 3-6 weeks, or may have occurred 3-6 six years ago, maybe more or less. 

How does this epidemic happen? HIV is not like Ebola or measles viruses that cause acute illness where a person has symptoms within a short time of <1-3 3-6="" a="" acute="" after="" antibodies="" appear.="" are="" be="" before="" cause="" detects="" does="" exposure.="" first="" for="" forever.="" gone="" hiv="" if="" illness="" infection.="" infection="" infections="" is="" it="" know="" made="" may="" not.="" not="" o:p="" of="" only="" or="" present="" rapid="" signs="" survive="" test="" that="" the="" to="" virus="" way="" weeks="" within="" years="" you="">

The detected 80+ HIV new infection diagnoses is likely the tip of the iceberg. Much of the glacier of infected, but undiagnosed cases in southern Indiana is underwater still. The media reports that two pregnant women are among the newly diagnosed. This means that mother to child transmission is operative also in an area of poor access to pre-natal care and other routine health care.

Dr. William Cooke who runs the Foundations Medical Clinic in Austin states that, “many of the people seen in the clinic can barely afford the $10 co-pay for government supported healthcare.” 

About Scott County

Scott Count’s population is just under 24,000 with 19% of its residents living below the poverty line. $20,481 is the per capital income recorded in 2013.  Dr. Cooke explains that there is no nearby place to get free HIV testing. Of the 93 counties in Indiana, 23 counties have centers where people who are on Medicaid or who have no health insurance can get no-cost HIV testing. Scott Country is not one of the 23. Thus HIV testing is not one of the services offered by the Scott County Department of Health.

As thought of frequently for developing countries, when people must focus daily on how to survive, they are not considering HIV infection. When an opiate like drug is available to allow escape from reality, they are not concerned about HIV or other sexually transmitted or blood-bourn infection. Dr. Cooke states that many of the patients the clinic treats have a drug habit and also are positive for hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is another blood and sexually transmitted virus like HIV.  Sexually transmitted infections usually increase in high drug use clusters or populations.
Where are we?

Governor Mike Pence is scheduled to announce a health disaster declaration for the five-county southern Indiana area. This will activate eligibility for certain kinds of emergency funding to help address the HIV epidemic.
This epidemic is in Indiana. Demographics from 2013 show that of the ~24,000 person population of Scott County, there are 97.8% white, 0.4% black, 0.3% Native American, 1.7% Hispanic and 0.8% as a mixture of 2 or more races. The detected cases seem to be centered in five counties, Scott, Clark, Perry, Jackson and Washington counties, in southern Indiana.

An HIV epidemic looks like this if it is revealed while it is occurring. More often with HIV/AIDS, the outcomes appear as HIV or AIDS prevalence years after the clusters of infections have occurred. By then no patterns of transmission are easily discerned. The increasing numbers during the early transmission process typically are not seen for HIV/AIDS.

Virus spread and the resulting HIV positive numbers within a cluster of interacting persons will be similar no matter the location, race, or predominant socio-economical level. HIV testing, and intentional prevention or treatment are the only entities that can change progression of virus spread.

Once a pathogenic microbe is present within a cluster of people who interact in ways to allow transmission of a given microbe, there must be purposeful intervention to prevent spread. Without such, the numbers infected will increase- exponentially.

Location of initial infection and a cluster of interacting persons could be anywhere. It could be on a small college campus as with students on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It could be in a small rural town in Arkansas, South Carolina or Indiana. The location could be in communities of a major urban center like Chicago, Atlanta, Newark or Washington, D.C.

Race does not matter. Age does not matter. HIV is an equal opportunity pathogen that simply wants to reproduce itself. Given the opportunity, it will reproduce to high virus numbers to spread to new people exposed to any one of the four transmitting protective body fluids.

In the HIV/AIDS mix

This breaking news is about an outbreak detected in a small town in Indiana. However, the same type of news with differing specific circumstances (e.g. not drug use, but tourism as a business) could easily be revealed for other areas in the U.S.  As over half of HIV/AIDS in this country is among people of color (African American, Hispanic, Native American, mixed), demographics of most epidemics would substantially differ from the 0.4% black of the Scott County population. While our prevalence is low for HIV in southern Indiana, people of color are in the HIV/AIDS mix for most locations in the U.S.

What to do to prevent or stop an HIV/AIDS epidemic

The CDC recommends that everyone gets an HIV baseline test to know their infection status. This should be followed by routine tests annually thereafter. Along with pre-natal screening that includes HIV testing, to prevent HIV exposure or infection, follow the tips listed below.

Diligence especially is required for those living in or near an affected area that has known high HIV prevalence (see www.AIDSvu.org/map to explore your location). This applies especially in higher prevalence counties in any one of the states reporting HIV/AIDS data for the AIDSvu project.

Assistance with HIV test locations or HIV care can be found by calling 866-588-4948 or calling the national HIV Services Hotline at 800 662-HELP (4357).

To reduce risk of contracting HIV infection use the ABCs of prevention that also is stated as:

- Avoid injection drug use (except under medically approved conditions)
-Avoid sharing or re-using needles or syringes
-Avoid engaging in unprotected sex
-Avoid engaging in sex with commercial sex workers, or with a partner whose current HIV status you do not know

Further reading about the HIV infection epidemic that is being revealed in southern Indiana can be found at: http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/articale/p2p-83143733.

*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. 

18.  iCHURCH SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2015 - PEACE, POWER & PRESENCE - ST. JOHN 20:19-23:

Bill Dickens. Allen AME Church, Tacoma, WA

Bill Dickens’ column will return next week.

*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

19. MEDITATION BASED ON ROMANS 7:14-25:

*The Rev. Dr. Joseph A. Darby

Being a Presiding Elder rather than a Pastor means maintaining my family’s residence instead of leaving the maintenance of a parsonage to the Trustees of the churches I served.  I can handle most of that maintenance on my own - no matter what my wife and sons say about my “handyman” skills - but I did bring someone else in for one recent “spring cleaning” chore.

Our home is in a shaded area, where the natural growth of mold and mildew tints three of our home’s exterior walls an interesting shade of green during the fall and winter.  That mold and mildew is easily removed by pressure washing, but my better sense and my fear of heights led me to have someone who knew what he or she was doing to come over and wash that stuff away.  The person who took care of the mold did an excellent job, and our home’s exterior is now as clean as can be.


I offer that bit of “homeowner maintenance experience” to you in this Lenten Season, as we reflect on what the Lord Jesus Christ did for all humanity by giving His life for our sins and then rising from the dead to assure all who believe in Him of everlasting life.

We live in a world where our sin, stress, missteps and mistakes can easily tarnish our lives, in spite of our best efforts to do the right thing.  We’re all imperfect beings, and while there’s good in the worst of us, there’s also bad in the best of us.  Living in this world makes all of our lives tarnished, moldy and unattractive sooner or later, and that’s why it’s good to know the Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to direct our lives.

We all end up in situations that we can’t clean up on our own, but when we have the faith and humility to realize and confess our sins and limitations and invite Christ into our lives, He’s show up, step in, wash away our sins and make us brand new.

Take the time - in this season of Lent and every day of your existence - to invite Jesus into your life.  He’ll clean you up, enable you to find healing, renewal and recovery, and empower you to reflect on God’s grace and mercy and say with one hymn writer, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin has left a crimson stain, but He washed it white as snow.”

This Meditation is also available as a Blog on the Beaufort District’s Website:


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

20. CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENT:

-- Brother Carl Jackson and the Reverend Karen Jackson Celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary

Brother Carl and the Reverend Karen Jackson, pastor of Bethel AME Church, Eudora, Arkansas, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on March 26, 2015.

The Jackson's give all praise to God for the years He has blessed them with and they look forward to many more anniversaries.
 
Congratulatory well wishes can be emailed to: revkarenjackson@yahoo.com, Reverend Karen & Bro. Carl Jackson.

21. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to inform you of the passing of the Rev. James Edward Rose, a retired Itinerant Elder, in the Tennessee Annual Conference. He is survived by his wife of more than fifty years, Mrs. Martha Ann Rose and their six children and their families. The Rev. Rose passed away on March 19, 2015.

Arrangements have been entrusted to:

Terrell Broady Funeral Home
3855 Clarksville Pike
Nashville, TN 37218
615-244-4755

Public viewing: Thursday, March 26, 2015 at the Funeral Home.

Family Visitation: Friday, 10 a.m.

The Homegoing Service will be held on Friday, March 27, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.

Temple Baptist Church
3810 Kings Lane
Nashville, TN 37218

Condolences may be sent to:

Mrs. Martha Ann Rose
105 Haynes Park Drive
Nashville, TN 37218

Home Telephone: (615) 876-3028
Mobile: (615) 554-3510

22. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to announce the passing of Sister Marian Wright, the mother of the Rev. Ella Brandon, pastor of Greater Bethel AME Church in Harlem, NY (Manhattan District).  The following information has been provided regarding the funeral arrangements.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Viewing: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Homegoing Service:  1:00 p.m.

Bethel AME Church
1605 Highway 261S
Wedgefield, SC 29168

Professional care entrusted to

Job’s Mortuary, Inc.
312 South Main Street
Sumpter, South Carolina 29150

Telephone: (803) 773-3323
Fax: (803) 775-4297

Condolences may be sent to:

The Rev. Ella Brandon
3320 Hone Avenue
Bronx, NY 10469

23. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We extend deepest sympathy to Mrs. Verna Goodam, daughter, and grandchildren in the death of the Reverend Jerome an Associate Minister at Mt. Zion AME Church in Crestview, Florida.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Zion AME Church.

Mt. Zion AME Church
502 McDonald Street
Crestview, Florida 32539

Telephone: (850) 398-6985

The Reverend D. Sinclair Forbes, II, Officiant

The Reverend Cecil B. Williams, Eulogist

Professional Services are entrusted to:

Parks Funeral Home
76 S. Park Street
DeFuniak Springs, Florida 32433

Telephone: (850) 892-5324

24. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We regret to announce the passing of Mr. Robert Wayne Hearst, the brother of the Rev. Dr. Stanley Hearst, Sr. pastor of Bethel AME Church in Moorestown, New Jersey (Camden/Trenton District), which occurred on March 21, 2015.

The following information has been provided regarding the funeral arrangements.

Homegoing Service:  Tuesday, March 31, 2015

East Star Baptist Church
1000 Cherokee Avenue
McAlester, Oklahoma 74501

Telephone: (918) 426-0505

Condolences may be sent to:

The Rev. Dr. Stanley Hearst, Sr.
188 Rockland Ave.
Moorestown, NJ 08057
       
25. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

We are sorry to announce the passing of Mr. James Robert Black, Jr., father of the Reverend Brigitte Black, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

 The arrangements for Mr. Black are as follows:

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Viewing: 10-11 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.

First African Methodist Episcopal Church
2045 Massachusetts St.
Gary, IN 46407

Telephone (219) 886-7561
Email: famegary@gmail.com  

Condolences may be sent to:

The Rev. Brigitte Black, Pastor
Bethel AME Church
1528 E. University Ave.
Des Moines, IA  50316

26. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

It is with sadness in our hearts that we announce the earthly transition of Mother Florence Ross on March 18, 2015. Mrs. Ross was the mother of Mrs. Helen Boykin, the mother-in-law of Rev. Ronald Boykin and the grandmother of the Rev. DeLishia Boykin and Rokisha Reynolds. The Rev. Ronald Boykin serves as the pastor of Seaton Memorial AME Church in Lanham, Maryland.

The homegoing service will take place on Friday, March 27, 2015 at 11 a.m.

Seaton Memorial AME Church
5507 Lincoln Ave
Lanham, Md

The Rev. Ronald A. Boykin is the pastor of Seaton Memorial AME Church.

Messages of condolences can be sent to:

The Rev. and Mrs. Ronald Boykin
14521 Penderlea Court
Gainesville, VA 20155


27. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

This communication comes to inform you of the passing of the Rev. W. T. Erby, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  The Reverend Erby died on Saturday, March 21, 2015.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Dyers Funeral Home, 1610 East Apache, Tulsa, OK  74106; 918-425-5549.

Public Viewing: Friday, March 27, 2015 at the Funeral Home.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2015, 2:00 p.m. at St. John A.M.E. Church, 1845 North Peoria, Tulsa, OK.

Condolences should be sent to his wife:

Mrs. Cleva Williams
1313 East 51St Place, North
Tulsa, OK  74126

Telephone: (918) 425.5477


28. 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




29. 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.

Did someone you know pass this copy of The Christian Recorder to you? Get your own copy HERE: http://www.the-christian-recorder.org/


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