The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
-- Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016
-- Good Friday – March 25, 2016
-- Easter - Sunday, March 27, 2016
-- Pentecost - Sunday, May 15, 2016
-- Massacre of Emanuel 9, June 17
--
Daylight Saving Time (USA) 2016 begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, 2016
1. TCR EDITORIAL – LET’S “CUT TO THE
CHASE” – IT’S TIME – LET’S DO IT:
Dr. Calvin H.
Sydnor III
The 20th
Editor of The Christian Recorder
Let’s cut to the
chase, it’s time to right a wrong and it is long overdue!
On August 13, 1985,
Pope John Paul II apologized to black Africa for the involvement of white
Christians in the slave trade.
The United
Methodist Church and the Southern Baptist Convention and other religious
denominations in the United States have all issued statements apologizing for
the part they played in slavery, which lasted for almost 250 years. The first slaves arrived in what is now the
United States in the year 1619
and the legal institution of slavery lasted until the 13th Amendment
was ratified on December 6, 1865.
The Southern
Baptist Convention apologized in 1995 for the part they played in the slave
trade and did so by a resolution in which they stated, "... we lament and
repudiate historic acts of evil such as slavery from which we continue to reap
a bitter harvest, and we recognize that the racism which yet plagues our
culture today is inextricably tied to the past…” and went on to apologize to
all African-Americans for condoning and/or perpetuating individual and systemic
racism that still exists. The resolution asked for forgiveness from
African-Americans.
The United
Methodist Church (UMC) at its 2000 General Conference apologized to the black
churches (AME, AMEZ, CME, AUMP, UAME et.al) that left the Methodist Episcopal
Church because of pervasive racial discrimination. In addition, UMC apologized
to black United Methodists who still faced racial prejudice.
The churchwide mea
culpa is the latest apology in an unprecedented season of repentance that saw
Pope John Paul II apologize to Jews for the Holocaust and Christians apologize
to Muslims and others for its involvement in the Crusades and Pope John Paul II
begged God's forgiveness.
The Episcopal
Church at its 75th General Convention
in 2006 apologized for supporting the institution of slavery. The denomination
issued a resolution declaring that the institution of slavery was a sin and a
betrayal of humanity and apologized for the benefits it derived from the slave
trade in the Caribbean.
I felt great each
time a religious group apologized
for their past injudiciousness and inhumane misdeeds. Those denominations that apologized for not
having done the right thing gained my respect for they were willing to right
the wrongs they had done and the injustices they had ignored.
An apology and
taking corrective actions earns the
respect and praise of individuals and groups.
On an individual
level, we admire and respect a person who steps forward and says, “I am sorry”
or “I was wrong, please forgive me.” There is just something noble about
confession and acknowledgement intentional or unintentional wrongdoing and
taking responsibility for one’s actions.
The quickest way to
lose respect is for a person to do wrong and fail to acknowledge and apologize.
I think most of us
who were aware of the apologies of the United Methodists, Southern Baptists,
Episcopalians, Roman Catholics and other groups who apologized for slavery felt good and
gained respect for the courage of those religious groups.
Well,
it’s our time
The African
Methodist Episcopal Church needs to right a wrong that is long overdue.
The AME Church
needs to make a posthumous ordination of Jarena Lee.
And the Church
needs to go further and issue an apology to women in ministry for inequitable
pastoral appointments, failure to prepare congregations for women clergy,
failure, across the board to promote women in ministry, but that’s another
editorial!
The posthumous
ordination of Jarena Lee is a no-brainer and does not take an “Act of Congress”
or a vote from the General Conference. Unless I have missed something, there is
nothing in The AMEC Doctrine and
Discipline – 2012 that would prohibit the posthumous ordination of Jarena
Lee.
I suspect a
decision of the Council of Bishops, the President of the Council of Bishops or
a “suggestion” of the Senior Bishop could make it happen. It could be done by
something as simple as a resolution or a full-fledged ceremony could be held
for the posthumous ordination of Jarena Lee.
The process does not have to be complicated.
There is no need
for an annual conference or laying on of hands, no need for an ordination
sermon, unless someone would want to give one. There would be no need for an
ordination certificate, but it would be nice to have something that could be
placed with the other historical documents at Mother Bethel AME Church. A
posthumous certificate of ordination from the General Conference would be nice
and a generous gesture. The GC
Ordination of the Rev. Jarena Lee could be displayed at Mother Bethel and doing
so at the 200th anniversary of the denomination might be the
appropriate place to do it.
A posthumous action
is a ceremony of recognition (Simply, it’s the fair thing to do, makes people
feel good because it’s the right thing to do).
“Posthumous” does
not require a body / corpse or anyone to stand in for her.
Posthumous
promotions and awards happen regularly in the military, academia and in other
entities.
During combat or
after combat, a soldier is promoted posthumously because, if he or she had
lived, they would have been promoted or awarded a special medal(s).
Women were not
ordained during Jarena Lee’s lifetime; had they, no doubt, she would have been
ordained. Women are ordained today and Jarena Lee was a pioneer for women in
ministry. We can’t bring her back in this life, but we can “right the wrong”
that she experienced. She lived and preached in a time when women were
second-class citizens and could not vote. That was then, this is now!
In a posthumous
ceremony, no laying on of hands is necessary.
A posthumous ordination of Jarena Lee could be done anywhere and
actually, the General Conference would be an appropriate place to conduct the
ceremony. The Women In Ministry would
be an appropriate group to participate.
Does
a posthumous ordination set precedent?
Yes and no, but I
don’t think so, because Jarena Lee is so unusual and she stands in a class by
herself. There were other women who desired to preach, but in her situation,
Richard Allen who at first denied permission for her to preach, allowed her to
preach and she was a member of Mother Bethel AME Church. Her position at Mother Bethel and her
relationship with Richard Allen put her in a unique position.
As it relates to
precedent, posthumous awards should not be given out frivolously! For example,
we wouldn’t want to posthumously consecrate bishops or give posthumous
recognition to general officers and other clergy.
The issue is the
posthumous ordination of Jarena Lee – Let’s “cut to the chase” – it’s time and
let’s do it!
Let’s not worry
about why we can’t do it or who gets the credit, let’s put our energy into
doing it!
2. 13TH
EPISCOPAL DISTRICT TO HONOR RETIRING GENERAL OFFICERS:
The 13th
Episcopal Midyear Meeting will be held Marc 3-5, 2016 at Greater Bethel AME
Church, 1300 South Street in Nashville, Tennessee. Bishop Jeffrey N. Leath is
the Presiding Prelate of the 13th Episcopal District.
In addition to the
business of the District, Bishop Leath and the 13th Episcopal
District will host an evening of Appreciation for retiring General Officers,
the Rev. Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr. and the Rev. Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III on Friday
March 4, 2016 at 7 p.m.
A Tribute Book with
letters of appreciation will be given. Submission of letters may be emailed to office@ame13.org.
The Rev. Dr. Johnny
Barbour is the President/Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union and the Rev.
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III is the 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
3.
NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
--
Meet the incredible woman chosen to lead Mother Emanuel Church after last
year’s shooting by Collier Meyerson
Read
more: http://fusion.net/story/272005/meet-betty-deas-clark-mother-emanuel-pastor/
--
Bullets break windows at Newport News church...
A Newport News
church reported broken windows twice in the past few days due to damage from
gunshots, police said.
4.
SIXTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT’S YOUNG HERO DELIVERS HIS BABY BROTHER AT HOME:
Eleven year old
James Dukes is a member of Mt. Zion AME Church in College Park, Georgia of the
Sixth Episcopal District. He sings in
the Youth Choir and is a member of the Youth Mime and Praise team. He is also a
"Hero." He is being called his mother's "guardian angel"
after he leaped into action to help deliver his baby brother with help from a
911 dispatcher. Ms. Kenyarda Dukes, his mother, says she and her son, James,
were at home Tuesday morning when she knew it was time. "I was screaming
and my son ran in the room. ‘Mom, are you OK?' I'm like, ‘Nooo!’" Dukes
recalled.
Her baby was coming
fast and the only "doctor" in the house turned out to be her young
son, James."It didn't really scare me," James said, with poise and
confidence beyond his eleven years. "It was more just like, let me clean
the baby off, make sure he's OK, make sure my mom's OK.” “I called 911. They
told me what to do. To get towels and wrap the baby up,” he said. James did
just that, welcoming his new brother, Royal Dukes, into the world.
Mother and baby are
fine. Baby Royal visited Mt. Zion with his Brother James and was greeted with a
standing ovation by the Church members. "My son was brave. He didn't
shake. He didn't budge. I was like, ‘Oh my God! Somebody help me.’ He did
a wonderful job and I’m proud of him," Kenyarda Dukes said.
Dr. Eric Brown was
supposed to deliver the baby, but it was James who ended up performing the
emergency medicine. “I've never heard of anything like this. I think James is
very special," Dr. Brown said. “The baby is doing fantastic. As you can
see, his young doctor is taking very good care of him. I'm anticipating James to spend some time
with me at the office, and we'll help James make his dream come true to be a
physician,” Dr. Brown said. For James, helping with the delivery was something
he no doubt will never forget, and it's given him a whole new goal in life.
Instead of his dream of playing football, he says he plans to become a doctor.
James also appeared
on the nationally syndicated, Meredith Vieiro Talk show (former co-host of the
Today Show) on NBC where he received a check for $5,000. His church, Mt. Zion
AME church in Georgia’s Sixth Episcopal District under the leadership of Pastor
Cornelius B. Scott gave James gifts and proclaimed a Special Day in his honor.
The Sixth Episcopal
District under the leadership of Bishop Preston Warren Williams II and
Presiding Elder Charles Bennett of the West Atlanta District can be very proud
that they are raising such fine young boys to be men.
*Submitted by the
Reverend Cornelius B. Scott
5.
ONLY A FEW DAYS REMAINING TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR PIECE OF AME CHURCH HISTORY:
-- The African
Methodist Episcopal Church Bicentennial Commemorative Journal
Contact:
Telephone: (215)
662-0506
6. MIRACULOUS MORTGAGE BURNING AT RAHWAY
On
Saturday December 13, 2014 at 12:00 noon, believers from near and far gathered
to celebrate the mortgage burning of 253 Central Avenue in Rahway, New Jersey;
the house of worship for African Methodist Episcopal Ebenezer Church of
Rahway.
Accompanied
by shouts of praise, the cheering of children, thunderous applause, words of
commendation, tears of joy and the watchful eye of the Rahway Fire Department,
the Believers at Ebenezer, Rahway watched the mortgage go up in
flames—literally. According to church records, this edifice is the
first in the church’s 189 year history not be damaged by fire.
In June
of 2014, under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Erika D. Crawford, Pastor, the
Believers at Ebenezer embarked upon a “Journey towards
Jubilee.” Saddled with a monthly mortgage payment of almost $6,000
per month, the congregation followed Pastor Crawford on a faith journey towards
the pre-mature liquidation of the quarter of a million dollar balance of its
$1.3 million mortgage.
Since
her appointment in June of 2011, Pastor Crawford ceased all fundraising and
moved the mid-size congregation towards being a totally tithing congregation as
an act of faith and obedience. This resulted in the retirement of
almost a half-a-million dollars of debt, the settlement of multiple lawsuits,
and the acquisition of two additional pieces of property in a little over four
years.
In
1997, after years of praying and sacrifice, the white-stone church building was
erected under the leadership of Rev. Rudolph P. Gibbs, Sr., who faithfully
served the congregation for 32 years before retiring in 2007. When
asked why she pushed to liquidate the mortgage early, Pastor Crawford replied,
“I was led to do this for several reasons. First, I wanted the
congregation to see how God honors our tithes and offerings by doing the
impossible. Second, because I wanted Pastor Gibbs to see the
mortgage burned. I even took him with me
to make the final payment. Lastly, there are other things God has in
store for Ebenezer and it was time for us to move in that direction.”
In
anticipation of this celebration, Pastor Crawford spent two years doing
in-depth research on the congregation’s history which revealed years of
financial hardship and difficulty dating back to the mid 1800’s. Ebenezer
had its beginnings on December 25, 1826, and in 1829, thirty or more families
of "free persons of color" procured a site on the banks of the
Robinson Branch of the Rahway River, on Central Avenue, the site of the current
edifice.
On
April 10, 1841, the Minutes of the New York Annual Conference of the AME Church
say, “it seems that the Rahway Church was still in pecuniary embarrassment, and
in order that it might be extricated, a committee was appointed for the
purpose, which was to act in conjunction with a Philadelphia
committee.” It was again recorded in the May 21, 1842 minutes that
“The Rahway church appears again to have been in an embarrassing condition and
a collection was recommended to be taken up for its relief.” “Reading about
Ebenezer’s rich yet trying history, made me more committed to setting them on a
path of financial freedom and good stewardship” said Pastor Crawford.
In
addition to burning the mortgage, the congregation dedicated its most recent
property acquisition - a little red-brick building formerly known as “The
Rahway School for Colored Children.” In 1844, the construction
of the one-room school house for colored children commenced on the property
belonging to Jacob R. Shotwell (former Vice President of RSI
Bank). In 1848, with hopes of giving the school some stability,
several Rahway citizens met in the home of Jacob R. Shotwell to
incorporate Trustees for the Rahway School for Colored Children.
The
school averaged an enrollment of approximately 35 pupils. By 1882, the Rahway
Schools integrated, and by the mid 1880s, the Rahway School for Colored Children
was closed. After the closing of the school in the late 1800’s, the building
was turned into a one-bedroom home. However, in spite of its change in
use, much of the structural and architectural integrity of the building has
remained intact, making this 185 year old building the oldest standing
schoolhouse in the City of Rahway and perhaps the oldest standing “Colored
School in the State of New Jersey.”
In
attendance at the mortgage burning were: Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram, Presiding
Prelate of the First Episcopal District; Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Presiding
Prelate of the Twentieth Episcopal District; Rev. Dr. Jessica Kendall Ingram,
Episcopal Supervisor of The First Episcopal District; Rev. Vernard R. Leak,
Presiding Elder of the New Brunswick District of the New Jersey Annual
Conference; Rev. Melvin E. Wilson, Presiding Elder of the Brooklyn-Westchester
District of the New York Annual Conference; Rev. Rudolph P. Gibbs, former
Pastor of Ebenezer (1975-2007); Pastors and preachers of the New Jersey Annual
Conference; and a host of members and friends from the community.
Together
with the officers and members of Ebenezer, Pastor Crawford is prayerfully
discerning the best way forward for this historic site, which will become
The African American History and Heritage Learning Center of Rahway,
NJ, as well as the future of Ebenezer Church as it continues to do great work
for God.
Submitted
by Ms. Paula Braxton (Trustee for Ebenezer)
7. RETIRED BISHOP FREDERICK H. TALBOT AND
RETIRED EPISCOPAL SUPERVISOR SYLVIA TALBOT VISITED WITH EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT OF
GUYANA:
Bishop
Frederick H. Talbot
On
December 2, 2015 during our visit to Guyana, retired Episcopal Supervisor, Dr.
Sylvia Talbot and I paid a courtesy call on His Excellency, the Honorable David
Arthur Granger, Executive President of Guyana.
We were accompanied by my niece, Lucinda Harding.
President
Granger was sworn in as Guyana's eighth Executive President on May 16th, 2015
and extended the "olive branch" to the outgoing party and administration
by pledging to work for the unity of our country and the "good life for
all."
The
new President on the 50th Anniversary of Independence of Guyana from
colonial rule produced a document, which traces the movement from colonialism
to the independent nation on May 26, 1966.
President
Granger is a retired military officer who served as Commander of the Defence
Force and retired with the rank of Brigadier.
He is a graduate of the University of Guyana and pursued post-graduate
Studies in International Relations at the University of the West Indies. He is
a communicant of the Anglican Church.
During
our visit and only after six months in office, the President had already begun
the restoration of Georgetown to become again the "Garden City of the
Caribbean." There is a great sense of hope for the nation as the President
leads it into the future.
8. BISHOP TERESA
E. SNORTON NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF CHURCHES UNITING IN CHRIST (CUIC):
Congratulations to Bishop Teresa E. Snorton, the 59th bishop
of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and Presiding Prelate of the Fifth
Episcopal District, on being the newly elected president of Churches Uniting in
Christ (CUIC).
CUIC member churches are the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ), the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Episcopal
Church, the International Council of Community Churches, the Moravian Church
(Northern Province), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of
Christ, and the United Methodist Church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America is a partner in mission and dialogue.
CUIC kicked off its January 28–30 plenary with opening
worship and a celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Symbolic of their common work
toward unity and reconciliation, representatives from the six Christian
denominations jointly served Holy Communion to a congregation filled with
worshippers from a diverse body of Christian communities in St. Louis, MO. Held
at St. Peter African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the host church, the
worship service accentuated the group’s historic and ongoing commitment to work
together to be change agents in the world.
“Regardless of how we name ourselves denominationally, we
all claim a common brotherhood and sisterhood through Jesus Christ,” said
Bishop Teresa Snorton.
“It’s very important that an organization like CUIC be ready
to lead the way in helping the faith community express a message that offers
hope, a message that continues to do as scripture says: be an advocate for
justice and be ones that work until righteousness rolls down.”
In the Lord’s Service,
Senior Bishop Lawrence L. Reddick III
Read more about
CUIC: http://www.pcusa.org/news/2016/2/4/churches-uniting-christ-recommits-working-together/
*Submitted by Dr. Jeanette L. Bouknight, Executive
Secretary, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
9. PRESIDING ELDER CELEBRATES 30 YEARS IN MINISTRY AND
MISSION IN THE AME CHURCH:
*Ms. Shelly Brown
At the conclusion
of the 149th Session
of the Allegheny-Scranton District Conference,
Third Episcopal District, at Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, clergy, laity, friends and family, gathered for a reception to celebrate the Reverend Dr. Eric L.
Brown and Lady Margo Allen Brown’s 30 years of Ministry and Mission in
the African Methodist Episcopal Church! The Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown preached
his trial sermon on February 9, 1986 at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal
Church, Johnstown, Pennsylvania with the sermon title “I Know My Redeemer
Lives” Job 19:25.
The Reverend Darian
Banks, pastor Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Scranton, Pennsylvania
was the Master of Ceremony. “We’ve
Come This Far by Faith” was the processional of the program participants and
the honorees. Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow. Musical selection was
rendered by Ms. Twyla Glasgow, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church,
Tarentum, Pennsylvania and a mime selection was rendered by the Blessed and
Chosen Mime Group of Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Duquesne,
Pennsylvania. The Invocation was rendered by the Reverend Cynthia Kirk,
pastor St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Milton, Pennsylvania and
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The
scripture reading Psalm 27:13-14 was read by the Reverend Jeannette Hubbard,
pastor New Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church, Aliquippa,
Pennsylvania. The Reverend Melvin D. Wilson, Jr., pastor Payne Chapel African
Methodist Episcopal Church, Duquesne, Pennsylvania gave the Occasion and the
Blessing of the Food was rendered by the Reverend C. Bill Mangrum, pastor
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Lewistown, Pennsylvania and Bethel
African Methodist Episcopal Church, Mt. Union, Pennsylvania.
Reflections of the
Wilberforce and Payne Years were rendered by Mrs. Juanita H. Arterberry, St.
James African Methodist Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Reverend
Dr. James H. Harris, pastor Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church;
and the Reverend Dr. Floyd W. Alexander, Administrative Assistant Third
Episcopal District.
Reflection of the Pastor and Presiding Elder Years was
rendered by Mr. Michael Aldrich, owner Aldrich Funeral Home, Munhall,
Pennsylvania; the Reverend Cheryl Lynn Reed Ruffin, pastor St. Paul African
Methodist Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh; Presiding Elder (Retired) Reverend Dr.
Samson M. Cooper; and Presiding Elder Reverend Dr. James H. McLemore,
Pittsburgh District.
Reflection of the Ministry Today was rendered by Mrs. Marsha
Washington, President Pittsburgh Women’s Missionary Society; Mr. Andrew Coleman
III, President Pittsburgh Y.P.D.; Mr. Vernon R. Kelly, President Pittsburgh
Conference Lay Organization; and the Reverend Rodrecus Johnson, Jr., pastor St.
James African Methodist Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Reverend Linda
Moore, pastor First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Clairton, Pennsylvania
introduced and presented roses to Lady Margo Allen Brown who gave a heartfelt
thank you to everyone for their love and support.
The Reverend Melva
Hartzog, pastor Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Tarentum,
Pennsylvania introduced the Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown and presented him with a
commemorative plaque for this momentous occasion.
The Reverend Dr.
Eric L. Brown was overjoyed at the outpouring of love shown to him throughout
his ministry and at this celebration another heartfelt thank you was
given. Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown was especially proud to have his son,
Justin Bailey, who is a sophomore studying Sports Medicine to share this
celebration with him and Lady Margo.
Continue to serve
well Reverend Dr. Eric L. Brown!
Submitted by Ms.
Shelly Brown, Administrative Assistant Allegheny-Scranton District Third
Episcopal District
10. AFRICAN
AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS TEND TO CONCENTRATE IN MAJORS THAT LEAD TO LOW PAY:
Filed
in Research & Studies on February 12, 2016
A
new study by researchers at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., finds
that although more African Americans are going to college in recent years, they
tend to concentrate in majors that lead to lower-paying jobs.
The
study found that only 6 percent of African Americans majored in pharmacy
sciences, the bachelor’s degree which had the highest median earnings. But 12
percent of all African Americans with bachelor’s degrees majored in psychology
or social work, one of the lowest paying majors.
African
Americans make up about 13 percent of all undergraduate students but they are
21 percent of the graduates in health and medical administration, 20 percent of
the majors in human services, 19 percent in social work, and 17 percent in
public administration. All of the majors are among the lowest paying among the
137 bachelor’s degree programs analyzed in the study.
Anthony
P. Carnevale, director of the Center on Education and the Workforce at
Georgetown University and a co-author of the report, stated that “the
low-paying majors that African Americans are concentrated in are of high social
value but low economic value. Meaningful career planning before college can
provide transparency about major choice and potentially prevent onerous debt
and unemployment down the road.”
The
full report, African Americans: College Majors and Earnings, may be downloaded
by clicking here: https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/AfricanAmericanMajors_2016_web.pdf
11.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERS URGE CONGRESS TO REFORM CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM:
Houston,
Texas, February 24, 2016 – Participants in the Samuel DeWitt Proctor
Conference, which concluded its annual meeting recently, urged members of
Congress to reform the country’s criminal justice system. Today,
African-Americans are seven times more likely to be incarcerated as whites,
contributing to high rates of hunger and poverty.
“When
men and women are not home working for their families and when they can’t work
after leaving prison, more children are at risk of suffering from hunger,” said
Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, who addressed the
conference. “We need swift, bipartisan action to ensure that prison reform
allows families to live free from poverty and hunger.”
Conference
participants urged Congress to support and pass sentencing reform laws without
further delay. The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act (SRCA), S. 2123,
represent a major first step in serious criminal justice reform. If passed, it
would place limits on mandatory minimum sentences, allowing more parents to
support their families.
“Congress
needs to pass comprehensive prison reform soon, because too many children are
going hungry,” said Beckmann. “The letters to Congress from the Proctor
Conference are an encouraging sign and are critical to keep the momentum to
reform the criminal justice system.”
The
United States is home to five percent of the world’s population but 20 percent
of its prison population. The sharp rise in levels of incarceration in the United
States since 1980 has contributed to the rise of hunger and food insecurity in
the country.
Mandatory
minimum sentences for drug-related offenses have left many parents behind bars,
unable to provide food for their children. Those leaving prison also face
difficulties in securing employment, further reducing their ability to keep
their families from poverty and food insecurity.
The
Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (http://sdpconference.info/)
is a leading social justice network for the African-American faith community.
It was named after Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor, former pastor of the Abyssinian
Baptist Church of New York City and president of Virginia Union University and
North Carolina A&T State University.
Bread
for the World (www.bread.org)
is a collective Christian voice urging our nation’s decisionmakers to end
hunger at home and abroad.
Esteban
GarcÃa
Media
Relations Specialist
12. MORGAN STATE
UNIVERSITY GETS $5 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP DONATION:
-- MSU alumnus and
wife expand their endowed fund for students from Baltimore City
Retired
UPS senior executive Calvin E. Tyler Jr. and his wife, Tina, nationally known
philanthropists, announced a $5 million gift to Morgan State University for an
endowed scholarship fund established in their name at MSU. The fund provides
need-based scholarships that cover full tuition for select Morgan students who
reside in Baltimore City, the Tyler's’ hometown.
The
couple’s contribution is the largest individual donation in the school’s
history, and is believed to be the fifth largest from an individual to any
historically black college.
“This
incredibly generous donation from the Tylers will provide many talented,
hardworking students with a higher education they may not otherwise have
achieved,” said Morgan President David Wilson. “But more than that, it will
help ensure the success of Morgan’s mission and benefit the youth of Baltimore
City, at this particularly challenging time and far into the future.”
Calvin
Tyler was the first person in his family to attend college when he entered
Morgan to study business administration in 1961. But he had to interrupt his
higher education in 1963 because he lacked the funds to continue. He took a job
as one of the first 10 drivers at UPS in Baltimore in 1964, during the
company’s early days. Two years later, he became a UPS manager and, with much
hard work and sacrifice—his own and his family’s—he climbed the corporate
ladder, joining the company’s board of directors and becoming senior vice
president of operations, the position from which he retired in 1998.
“I
think anyone who has had any success in life and has the ability to reach back
and help others, this is the time for them to do it,” Tyler said. “There are
two major things I want to achieve [with the endowed scholarship fund]: Number
one, to see as many of our young people graduate with a degree as possible….
The second thing that my wife and I are concerned about, and that’s why we’re
providing 10 full-tuition scholarships each year, is that we want more students
to get a college degree and graduate debt-free.”
The
"Calvin and Tina Tyler Endowed Scholarship Fund" was established in
2002 with a $500,000 donation. Another $500,000 followed in 2005, and a gift of
$1 million was announced in 2008. The recent gift of $3 million is “…a vote of
confidence in Morgan State University and Dr. Wilson and his staff,” Calvin
Tyler said. “[Dr. Wilson] comes from a very humble background, and he can
relate to young people who are academically qualified but just don’t have the
resources to get a college education. I think he has a real understanding of
the plight of those young people.”
Cheryl
Y. Hitchcock, Morgan’s vice president for Institutional Advancement, pointed
out that 90% of the university’s students receive financial aid.
“The
Tyler’s’ gifts have been exceedingly helpful in our mission to bring in all
students who qualify academically,” Hitchcock said. “Morgan’s alumni, as a
whole, have been increasingly supportive of the university over the past six
years, boosting our institution’s alumni giving rate to a percentage far above
the national average. We hope the Tyler's latest donation will inspire even
greater giving.”
Morgan
State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified Doctoral Research
Institution offering more than 70 academic programs leading to bachelor’s
degrees as well as programs at the master’s and doctoral levels. Its student
body is multiracial and multi-ethnic.
Read more: http://www.blackenterprise.com/education/morgan-state-university-get-5-million-scholarship-donation/
13. FAITH FOR
YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW:
The
Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
Already
in this young year, the presidential and congressional races are well underway.
This year also begins a long sprint in another race—the race to end hunger by
2030. This race has been energized by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
adopted by world leaders last year. The SDGs have a partner in the recent
launch of the Decade in Solidarity with People of African Descent, also adopted
by world leaders. What does all of this have to do with people of African
descent and their faith as we celebrate Black History Month?
For
hundreds of years, people of African descent have found the strength to
confront hurt, harm, and danger through their faith. They have relied on their
faith to advance their vision of justice and to engage their imagination on
what justice looks like when it seems impossible. Ending hunger and poverty has
consistently been a part of this vision that has advanced hope for generations
today and the future. African kings and queens and African leaders in the Bible
as far back as Genesis to the earliest days of Christianity as well as during
and after the trans-Atlantic slave trade are examples of this. In the last
century and in this century, this vision has also been held up by pan-African
churches and their witness in public life. Often these churches have not
separated faith and public life. People like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
and Rosa Parks come to mind. This year we also celebrate the bicentennial of
the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), which has also been committed to
bridging the inherent tensions of living the transcendent life and the public
life on earth.
Whoever
is elected to the presidency and Congress later this year will be in an
important position to insure that our country has a deepened commitment to
policies that support ending hunger. This includes the embrace of the SDGs in
the U.S. and globally as well as the implementation of the climate change
agreement made by world leaders last year, including President Obama, to reduce
greenhouse emissions. Electing the right national, state, and local leaders directly
impacts the way these dangers are addressed.
Hebrews
11:1 says faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of
things not seen. The race toward ending hunger as we enter this election season
of competing ideologies and visions of what the U.S. and the world should look
like is timely and important. Bread for the World believes whoever is elected
has the responsibility to not only serve all the people but to advance the
vision of ending hunger, poverty, and mass incarceration. Visit www.bread.org/elections
for resources to help you engage in this election and the effort to end hunger
as a person of faith.
The
Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith is the national senior associate for
Pan-African church engagement at Bread for the World.
14. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr.
Based on Biblical
Text: 2 Corinthians 8:9 KJV: For ye know
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your
sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Paul reminds us that
we do well in so many things. We trust God; we are articulate, insightful, and
passionate. He admonishes us to do our best in giving too. He says, "I’m not
trying to order you around against your will."
However, using the
example of the Macedonians’ enthusiasm as a stimulus to our love, he is hoping
to bring the best out of us. We are reminded of the generosity of Jesus Christ.
As rich as He was, He gave it all away for us in one stroke; he became poor and
we became rich.
We have made many
promises as it relates to our giving and our commitment to support the mission
and ministries of our church. Our vow begins as we are read into full
membership.
Question 4: Do you
believe in the Doctrine of Holy Scriptures as set forth in the articles of
religion of the African Methodist Episcopal Church?
Question 5: Will you
be governed by the Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, hold
sacred the ordinances of God and try as much as possible to promote the welfare
of fellow members and the advancement of the Kingdom of God? Question
6: Will you give of
your time, talents, and money for the support of the Gospel, Church, poor, and
various ministries of the Church? The
Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church that we
vow to be governed by reminds us that tithing shall be the official doctrinal
stewardship position of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and every church
shall work toward a full tithing commitment.
Finally, …the minister
shall give the name(s) of the candidate(s), and say: We cordially welcome you
into the fellowship of the Church of God, and in light of our Christian love, I
extend to you the right hand of fellowship, and may God grant that you may be a
faithful and useful member of the Church militant till you are called to the
fellowship of the Church triumphant, which is faultless before the presence of
God.
Paul admonishes us
that the best thing we can do right now is to finish what we started and not
let those good intentions grow stale. Our heart has been in the right place all
along. We have what it takes to finish it up, so go to it.
Once the commitment is
clear, we do what we can, not what we can’t. The heart regulates the hands.
This is not so others can take it easy while we sweat it out. We are challenged
to work shoulder to shoulder with each other all the way. In that way our
surplus will match our fellow member’s deficit, their surplus will match our
deficit. In the end we come out even. As it is written, “Nothing left over to
the one with the most, nothing lacking to the one with the least.”
Beloved, we have not
always followed through with what we promised. We have been excited at the beginning
of our journey however we lose our zest for mission and ministry somewhere
along the way. Paul makes it clear that God’s Word is plain and to the point.
The cure for what ails us can be found in a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to
the Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15.
I think the
translation from The Living Bible is
a help at this juncture as it reads, “You
people there are leaders in so many ways. You have so much faith, so many good
preachers, so much learning, so much enthusiasm, so much love for us. Now I
want you to be leaders also in the spirit of cheerful giving. I am not giving
you an order; I am not saying you must do it, but others are eager for it. This
is one way to prove that your love is real, that it goes beyond mere words. You
know how full of love and kindness our Lord Jesus was: though he was so very
rich, yet to help you he became so very poor, so that by being poor he could
make you rich. I want to suggest that you finish what you started to do a year
ago, for you were not only the first to propose this idea, but the first to
begin doing something about it. Having started the ball rolling so
enthusiastically, you should carry this project through to completion just as
gladly, giving whatever you can out of whatever you have. Let your enthusiastic
idea at the start be equaled by your realistic action now. If you are really
eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you
to give what you have, not what you haven’t. Of course, I don’t mean that those
who receive your gifts should have an easy time of it at your expense, but you
should divide with them. Right now you have plenty and can help them; then at
some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way, each
will have as much as he needs. Do you remember what the Scriptures say about
this? "He that gathered much had nothing left over, and he that gathered
little had enough." So you also should share with those in need.
I realize that it is
extremely difficult to convince a selfish people that there are actually great
benefits to sharing. However, we at the top must be convinced that we have a
responsibility to set the example for those folk at the bottom of the chain who
are struggling to understand what their responsibility to mission and ministry
is.
We at the top must
first come to understand that God’s plan for sharing is really quite simple.
There should be, among us who have been appointed or elected to provide
leadership for the flock, a general understanding that God wants 10% for the
work of kingdom building, and then an offering according to our ability. In
other words, after allowing God to claim His ten percent, give whatever else we
can spare. Warning, God’s Word also says to us if we give little because our
analysis of our expendable income is unrighteous we need to be careful! It is a
fact that God is watching us. God knows what our needs are. God knows what
excess we have.
When Paul says, “Give
from what you have,” he’s not talking about the tithe. The tithe belongs to God.
When Paul is saying give from what you have he is talking about an offering.
Many times, maybe even most times the offering comes as a sacrifice. We are
challenged to give according to our ability, recognizing of course that God
loves a cheerful giver.
The truth of the
matter is, God’s plan for sharing is sure to meet every need and solve every
problem, if we trust Him. God’s plan for sharing is a cure for the financial
woes of the church but it requires sacrifice and obedience. We who are
Christian are challenged to be obedient to the cause of Christianity. When we
sacrifice giving from what we have we help meet the physical needs of the
church and enable the church to spread the gospel, clothe the naked, feed the
hungry, comfort the afflicted and to help the helpless.
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in
Charleston, South Carolina
15. GETTING TO ZERO –
EXAMPLE OF THE DISPARITY EXPERIENCED BY BLACK WOMEN:
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
- Serena Williams
vs. Maria Sharapova
BY: Paul Kawata • NMAC
In 2015, Russian tennis player Maria
Sharapova earned nearly twice as much in endorsements as American Serena
Williams (John Eligon, 2016). Serena is higher ranked and has won more Grand
Slam championships, yet Maria made $10 million more in endorsements.
The world isn’t fair, but wasn’t talent
supposed to be the great equalizer? I
was taught that if I worked hard enough, I could overcome my situation. While that may be true for a select few, it's
not the reality for the vast majority.
That’s what makes this such a difficult conversation. If the vast majority gets left behind, then
is Horatio Alger’s story an inspiration or a lie? Can it be both?
If Serena Williams can’t catch a break,
what does it mean to the average black woman living in America. It means she is twenty times more likely than
a white woman to catch HIV. Her poverty
rate (25.1%) is more than double that of white women (10.3%). She is three times more likely to be
murdered.
These statistics are all too
familiar. Society is numb and sometimes
too accepting of this reality. It's
overwhelming to think of the structural changes that are needed for change. How do we not become the disillusioned silent
majority?
I work with beautiful black women. It
breaks my heart when they don’t see themselves that way. After reading this piece’s introduction, a
staff member asked “what do I tell my daughter?” I was at a loss for words. The pain in her question is one that too many
women of color must address with their children. If the world isn’t fair and talent is not the
great equalizer, how do you protect your children?
In many ways, HIV is a mirror of the
challenges facing people of color in America.
The disease sits at the intersection of healthcare, race, treatment,
prevention, and the uncomfortable balance between the haves and the have
nots. There are some very difficult
conversations that need to happen in order to end the HIV epidemic. We can’t end AIDS until we get people living
with HIV (PLWH) on treatment. We can’t
get PLWH on treatment until we get them into healthcare. We can’t get them into healthcare if their
community has no health infrastructure, no safe housing, no jobs, no pathway to
a better life.
We may have the science for treatment
as prevention (TasP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), but without real
implementation plans that focus on the reality of what it means to live with
HIV in America; our work is a pipe dream.
My biggest fear is that we will end the epidemic in certain communities
while the virus continues to ravage the have nots.
Paul Kawata, Executive Director
*The
Rev. Dr. Fuller is currently on Sabbatical leave from the University of
Michigan and will submit her column as her schedule permits.
16. iCHURCH
SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 - FESTIVAL
OF BOOTHS (TABERNACLES) - LEVITICUS 23:33-43:
*Brother
Bill Dickens
Key Verse: So your
descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when
I brought them out of Egypt. I am the
Lord your God. Leviticus 23:43
(NRSV)
Introduction
Sunday,
February 28, 2016 is the third Sunday of Lent - Color: Purple
When
freshmen students enroll in my introductory macroeconomics courses I emphasize
that a civil and responsible economic system attempts to ameliorate the
following socio-economic ills: unemployment, inflation, poverty, healthcare disparities,
hunger and homelessness. Despite
impressive progress concerning the first five problems, American public policy
has still lagged behind other industrial nations in reducing the incidence of
homelessness. According to the National
Alliance to end Homelessness, in January 2015, 564,708 people were
homeless on a given night in the United States. Fifteen percent of the homeless population is
classified as chronically homeless and of that number eight percent are
veterans. The Adult AME Church School
Lesson looks at how God responds to the Israelites housing needs. A special festival is created to remind
Israelites that God is indeed a shelter in the time of storm.
Bible Lesson
We find
God’s instructions for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus 23
33-43. This command is given at a point
in history shortly after God had delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt. The
feast is the seventh and last of the great feasts described in Leviticus and
was to be celebrated each year on “the fifteenth day of this seventh
month.” The feast was to run for seven
days (Leviticus 23:34). Like all feasts,
it begins with a “holy convocation” or Sabbath day when the Israelites were to
stop working to set aside the day for worshiping God. On each day of the feast they were to offer
an “offering made by fire to the Lord” and then after seven days of feasting,
again the eighth day was to be “a holy convocation” when they were to cease
from work and offer another sacrifice to God (Leviticus 23:38). Lasting eight days, the Feast of Tabernacles
begins and ends with a Sabbath day of rest.
During the eight days of the feast, the Israelites would dwell in booths
or tabernacles that were made from the branches of trees (Leviticus
23:40–42). This was a symbolic reminder
for how God provided shelter for his people during the sojourn from their
Egyptian exodus to the Promised Land in Canaan.
Bible Application
In
2002, I participated in a Habitat for Humanity housing project in Tallahassee,
Florida. This experience allowed me to
share with others in the building of a home for a needy family in the
community. I was humbled seeing the
tears of joy when the homeowner saw the completed product and the assurance of
knowing she was a first-time homeowner.
I thought about my Habitat for Humanity experience as I began preparing
for the homegoing services of my late father this week.
My Dad
was a master brick mason for 45 years.
He built homes and office buildings in three states: North Carolina,
Virginia and Maryland. He built
additions to the home I grew up in as a child in Washington, DC. I decided to write this column to honor my
father since his work is directly related to how God provides shelter to all
who seek Him. If my father could help
reduce homelessness in his 45 year career the least I can do is pen a few words
showing how God meets our needs. Jesus
said it best, “In my Father’s House are many mansions...”
Thanks
Dad for teaching me the skills at an early age under your tutelage about mixing
mortar, laying bricks and using a level device.
Most of all, thanks for helping reduce homelessness and providing a roof
over your family’s head and leading by example that God is our Shelter! QED
*Brother
Bill Dickens is currently the Church School Teacher at Allen AME Church in
Tacoma, Washington. He is currently a member of the Fellowship of
Church Educators for the African Methodist Episcopal Church
17.
MEDITATION BASED
ON LUKE 9:18-24:
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby
I’m writing this week’s Meditation during
Black History Month - when America recognizes the achievements of people of
color and during the Season of Lent - the Forty days (46 days minus Sundays) of
sacrificial contemplation leading up to the celebration of the Resurrected
Christ. Those two very different events have something in common.
Many of those who celebrate Black History
Month pull their African clothing out of the closet and wear it throughout
February, attend concerts, lectures, special worship events and become very
socially conscious during the “season of blackness” - only to pack away their
clothing, interest in black history and social consciousness until the next
February comes around.
Some Christians nobly sacrifice things and
habits near and dear to them and become very focused on their faith during the
Lenten season, only to reclaim what they sacrificed and go back to “business as
usual” on Easter Sunday.
We’d do well to celebrate black history by our
continual social awareness and pursuit of equity and justice and to
sacrificially serve the Lord not just during the Lenten season, but every day
of our lives. The need for continuity also applies to our prayer lives.
Too many good people hinder their spiritual
growth and well-being because human nature leads us to push our relationship
with God down on our priority list; go to church when we have the time and
interest, and only go to God in prayer when we run into situations that we can’t
handle by our own means.
When we take the time to continually practice
our faith, serve the Lord and go to God in prayer, we’ll find new strength, new
possibilities and new power to face each day. We can “take our burdens to
the Lord and leave them there” - not as casual “visitors,” but as devoted
children of the God who never fails to “make a way for us out of no way.”
Stay close to the Lord every day of your
life. When you do, God will stay close to you every day, bless you every
day and give you daily reasons to appreciate the hymn that says, “Ask the
Savior to help you, comfort strengthen and keep you; He is willing to aid you,
He will carry you through.”
*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
18.
GENERAL OFFICER FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are saddened to
announce the passing of Mr. Frank Brown, the husband of the Rev. Dr. Teresa Fry
Brown, AMEC Historiographer. Please be in prayer for Dr. Teresa Fry Brown and
family.
Arrangements
for Mr. Frank Brown are as follows:
Visitation
Sunday, February 28th 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes, Inc.
Gwinnet Chapel
914 Scenic Highway
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30045
Visitation
Sunday, February 28th 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes, Inc.
Gwinnet Chapel
914 Scenic Highway
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30045
Telephone: (707) 338-5558
Homegoing Celebration
Homegoing Celebration
Monday, February 29th 10:00 a.m.
New Bethel AME Church
8350 Rockbridge Road
Lithonia, Georgia 30058
New Bethel AME Church
8350 Rockbridge Road
Lithonia, Georgia 30058
Telephone: (770) 484-3350
Interment
Interment
Monday, February 29th 2:00 p.m.
Georgia National Cemetery
1080 Scott Hudgens Drive
Canton, GA 30114
Repast
Monday, February 29th
Following the Interment
New Bethel AME Church
Georgia National Cemetery
1080 Scott Hudgens Drive
Canton, GA 30114
Repast
Monday, February 29th
Following the Interment
New Bethel AME Church
Condolences
may be sent:
The Rev. Dr. Teresa L. Fry Brown
1080 Palmer Road
Lithonia, Georgia 30058
Notes:
* Friends and Family are asked to wear “shades of blue” to the Celebration Service.
- In lieu of flowers, financial contributions may be made to the Kids in Need Foundation: www.kinf.org./donate, in honor of Frank Brown.
- In lieu of remarks, family and friends are asked to write letters or notes of fond memories to encourage the family. Letters and notes may be emailed by Sunday, February 28th to fdbmemorybook@gmail.com
19. TCR COLUMNIST FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is
with deep sorrow we share news of the passing of Mr. James Randolph Dickens,
the father of Dr. William (Bill) Dickens who serves as a Church School Teacher
at Allen AME Church in Tacoma, Washington (Pacific Northwest Conference).
He is currently a member of the Fellowship of Church Educators for the
African Methodist Episcopal Church and Columnist for the iChurch School column in The Christians Recorder and a Lay
Delegate to the 2016 General Conference.
Mr. James Randolph Dickens is also the husband of Bessie L. Dickens for 62 years and father to two other sons, James Covington Dickens, Ph.D. (Mathematics), and George Wayne Dickens. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict and a master brick mason for 40 years in Washington, DC.
Services for Mr. James Randolph Dickens:
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Wake: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.
Corinth Baptist Church
814 Cypresstree Drive
Capitol Heights, MD 20743
Telephone: (301) 636-9443
The Rev. Roosevelt Dickens, pastor
Professional services are entrusted to
Johnson & Jenkins Funeral Home
716 Kennedy St NW
Washington, DC 20011
Telephone :( 202) 882-8800
Contact information for Dr. Bill Dickens:
6408 86th Ave West
University Place, WA 98467
Mobile: (850) 459-6890
Email: dickensb@comcast.net
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Mr. James Randolph Dickens is also the husband of Bessie L. Dickens for 62 years and father to two other sons, James Covington Dickens, Ph.D. (Mathematics), and George Wayne Dickens. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict and a master brick mason for 40 years in Washington, DC.
Services for Mr. James Randolph Dickens:
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Wake: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.
Corinth Baptist Church
814 Cypresstree Drive
Capitol Heights, MD 20743
Telephone: (301) 636-9443
The Rev. Roosevelt Dickens, pastor
Professional services are entrusted to
Johnson & Jenkins Funeral Home
716 Kennedy St NW
Washington, DC 20011
Telephone :( 202) 882-8800
Contact information for Dr. Bill Dickens:
6408 86th Ave West
University Place, WA 98467
Mobile: (850) 459-6890
Email: dickensb@comcast.net
20. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Bother Mason Rice Sr., the father of the Reverend Mason
Rice Jr., pastor at Saint James AME Church in Denton, Texas and the Reverend
Iona Smith, associate minister at Saint James AME Church in Fort Worth,
Texas. Brother Rice passed away at home
on Thursday, February 18, 2016 surrounded by his loved ones. He was a long-time
member of the AME Church and a well-known officer and member of the Lay
Organization on the Local and Conference levels in the 10th Episcopal
District. Brother Rice is also survived
by his loving wife of 69 years, Mrs. Effie Rice and other relatives and
friends.
Service
Arrangements for Bother Mason Rice Sr.:
Friday, February
26, 2016
Wake Services: 6:00
p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Saint James African
Methodist Episcopal Church
5020 Ramev Avenue
Fort Worth, Texas
76105
Telephone: (817)
536-7814
Saturday, February
27, 2016
Funeral Services –
11:00 a.m.
Baker Chapel
African Methodist Episcopal Church
1050 E. Humbolt
Street
Fort Worth, Texas
76104
Telephone: (817)
336-5326
Services are
provided by:
Bakers Funeral Home
301 East Rosedale
Fort Worth, Texas
76104
Telephone:
817-332-4468
Expressions of
sympathy may be sent to:
The Reverend Mason
Rice, Jr.
2224 S. Cravens
Road
Fort Worth, Texas
76112
Telephone: (817)
429-8925
The Reverend Iona
Smith
2213 Lucas Drive
Fort Worth, Texas
76112
Telephone: (817)
457-3504
Mrs. Effie Rice
5516 Patton Drive
Fort Worth, Texas 76112
Telephone: (817)
451-7377
21.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
“Sunset and evening
star And one clear call for me! And may
there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as
moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out
the boundless deep Turns again home.” Alfred Lord Tennyson
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Sister Mary L. Klugh, the spouse of retired Presiding
Elder Oscar Klugh of the Seventh Episcopal District of the AME Church. Sister
Klugh was a Life Member of the Women’s Missionary Society. Bless the Lord O My
Soul: Sister Klugh slept away very peacefully.
Please note the
following:
Celebration of Life
Services:
11:00 a.m.,
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Long Cane A.M.E.
Church
8 Long Cane Road
Abbeville, SC 29620
Telephone: (864)
360-9043
The Rev. Dr. Julius
M. Johnson, pastor
Condolences May be
Sent:
The Rev. Oscar
Klugh, retired presiding elder
545 Klugh Road
Abbeville, SC 29620
22.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with
heartfelt sympathy that we announce the passing of and the funeral services for
the Reverend Anthony Young, a Local Elder at Words of Faith AME Church in
Mableton, Georgia.
The following
information has been provided regarding visitation and funeral service.
Visitation and
Family sharing:
Friday, February
19, 2016, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Words of Faith AME
Church
5719 Garner Road,
Mableton, GA 30126
The Rev. Walter D.
Moon, pastor
Celebration of Life
Service: 11:00 a.m.
Turner Chapel
A.M.E. Church, Rev. Dr. Kenneth Marcus, Pastor
492 N. Marietta
Parkway
Marietta, GA 30060
Eulogist: The Rev.
Walter D. Moon
Condolences and
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:
Mrs. Reba Young
4944 Niagara Drive
Acworth, GA 30102
Telephone:
770-529-1007
23.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Third Episcopal
District sadly announces the passing of the Reverend Keith Jones, Local Elder
and Associate Minister at Spelman Chapel in Kent, Ohio who transitioned on
Tuesday, February 16, 2016. We unite in
prayer with his family members in the loss of their loved one.
Services will be
held Saturday, February 20, 2016;
.
Calling hours: 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.
The Homegoing
Celebration will begin at 12:00 Noon.
Spelman Chapel AME
Church
910 Walnut Street
Kent, OH 44240
Telephone: (330)
673-9194
The Reverend Sid
Harris, Eulogist
The Reverend Dr. L.
Anthony Gatewood, pastor
Arrangements entrusted
to:
Bissler and Sons
Funeral Home and Crematory
628 West Main
Street
Kent, OH 44240
Telephone: (330) 673-5857
Interment:
Standing Rock
Cemetery, Kent, OH
Condolences may be
sent to:
Marlon Jones
C/o Spelman Chapel
910 Walnut Street
Kent, OH 44240
24.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Mrs. Elizabeth Rose Hightower Beasley on Saturday,
February 13, 2016. She was the mother of
the Reverend Vincent Hightower, pastor of Zion Temple AME Church in Brazoria,
Texas.
Expressions of
Sympathy may be sent to:
The Rev. Vincent
Hightower (son)
506 Sims Court
Dickinson, Texas
77539
Telephone: (409)
256-1354
Service
Arrangements:
Saturday, February
20, 2016,
Wake/Visitation:
10:00-11:00 a.m.
Funeral: 11:00 a.m.
Wesley AME Church
2209 Dowling Street
Houston, TX 77033
Telephone: (713)
659-1945
Professional
Services are provided by:
McCoy and Harrison
Funeral
4918 Martin Luther
King Blvd.
Houston, TX 77021
Telephone:
713-659-7618
Fax: 713-748-7122
Internment:
Saturday, February
20, 2016
Houston Memorial
Cemetery (Cullen)
Houston, TX
25.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
It is with
heartfelt sympathy that we announce the passing of and the funeral services for
Mr. L. J. Sapp, the husband of the Reverend Equilla Sapp, a Local Deacon at
Greater Hayes AME Church in Oakdale, Louisiana.
The following
information has been provided regarding visitation and funeral service.
Visitation and
Celebration of Life Service: Saturday, February 20, 2016
Greater Hayes AME
Church
602 Mill Street
Oakdale, LA 71463
The Reverend
Michael Martin, pastor
Visitation: 9:00
a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
Celebration of Life
Service: 11:00 a.m.
Arrangements have
been entrusted to:
Braxton Funeral
Home
301 East 6th Avenue
Oberlin, LA 70655
Telephone: (337)
639-2561
Condolences and
Expressions of Sympathy may be sent to:
The Reverend
Equilla Sapp
P. O. Box 455
Oakdale, LA 71463
Telephone: (318)
491-1896
26.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Sister Lela Briscoe, mother of the Rev. Tara Briscoe who
is the pastor of Mt. Zion AME Italy, passed on Tuesday, February 9th
at 7:45 a.m.
The wake will be
held February 19, 2016 at:
St. Luke AMEC
117 E. Church
Waco, Texas 76704
Time: 6:30-8:30
p.m.
The services will
be held February 20, 2016 at:
Toliver Chapel MBC
1402 Elm Street
Waco, Texas 76704
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Condolences may be
sent to:
The Rev. Tara
Briscoe
301 Sherman
Waco, Texas 76704
Telephone:
254-644-7859
27.
BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
Telephone: (615) 837-9736 (H)
Telephone: (615) 833-6936 (O)
Cell: (615) 403-7751
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-AME-Church-Clergy-Family-Information-Center/167202414220
28. 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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