The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
-- Pentecost - Sunday, May 15, 2016
The 50th Quadrennial Session of the General
Conference, July 6-13, 2016
-- Massacre of Emanuel 9, June 17
-- April 22nd is Earth Day!
1. TCR EDITORIAL – TOO MANY
DISTRACTIONS – CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG FOR THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
This past week I was engaged in a conversation
about pastors who are "verbally" attacked by parishioners before and
after worship.
Several pastors asked if I could address the
issue of parishioners who pick the worst times to complain to them about some
petty matter right before Sunday morning service or right afterwards.
I have known pastors who, from the pulpit,
explained to their parishioners that they did not want to engage in frivolous
or distracting conversation before worship, but to little or no avail.
I recall when I was a young pastor, a
parishioner approached me before worship and complained about a previous pastor
who did something related to some gravestones at a cemetery that was located in
a neighboring town. I didn’t even know
where the cemetery was located or my predecessor. The more I tried to dismiss
her, the more agitated she got. By the time we were getting ready to process in
for worship, as a young pastor, I was discombobulated and confused. And, to add
insult to injury, she approached me after worship to continue the conversation.
And, to this day, I have never seen the cemetery and still have no idea what
she was talking about.
It was an early lesson for me to guard the
sanctity of worship and the sermon.
After that experience, I learned to say firmly, “I am preparing my mind
and spirit for worship; we can talk about this later.” I learned to discern the
spirit of parishioners who wanted to engage in non-spiritual conversation
before worship. My technique was to avoid them or gently say, “Let’s have a
word of prayer.”
Sometimes pastors “open the door” for
parishioner’s frivolous conversation by the pastor’s non-spiritual demeanor and
behavior prior to worship. Some pastors
like to joke and engage in light conversation and it might appear to some
parishioners that any conversation is appropriate.
I believe a pastor’s primary duty in worship is
the delivery of the sermon. He or she should not allow any distraction to the
delivery of the sermon.
I heard a Baptist preacher years ago say that a pastor should not get
distracted by Sunday School. It was his opinion that a pastor would be better
served to recluse himself behind closed doors in his study and focus on the
sermon and worship. It sounded strange
at the time, a pastor not attending Sunday School, but over the years it made
sense.
It seems a “no-brainer” to me that some
conversations are not appropriately engaged in before a pastor is to lead
worship and deliver a sermon.
Sermon delivery is serious business and
parishioners have to be trained to respect the sanctity of worship and the
pastor’s responsibility to proclaim God’s Word without any distraction.
Sad to say, but
sometimes it is not just the parishioners, but oftentimes stewards and
trustees, auxiliary presidents...in other words longstanding church members who
should really know better than to engage the pastor in frivolous conversation
before worship.
And, parishioners and church officers alike need
to understand when preachers stand in that pulpit to preach the gospel, they
can be battle-exhausted following the sermon and frivolous post-sermon
conversation can also be distracting.
Unfortunately, distraction of preachers before
and after worship is not the only problem faced by preachers and not the only
problem that hinders local church growth.
Sometimes, I wonder if too many parishioners and church leaders are “playing church.” I began to think of other distractions, which
I have labeled, “The Sins of a Church Member.”
Here are a few that pastors and local church officers have to deal with in
ministry.
1) A church member who does not attend
worship services and who does not participate in the life of the church; he or
she is an absent, non-participating member; his or her name is on the roll and
that’s his or her only presence.
2) A church member who does not
financially support the church and is financially absent.
3) A church member who is inconsistent
with his or her presence and inconsistent with his or her financial support;
the operative word is, “inconsistent.”
4) The cell phone church member who
fails to turn off his or her cell phone, not to mention the church member who
wears the Bluetooth earpiece throughout the entire service and cell phone
member who answers the cell phone in worship or runs out to answer the cell
phone during the worship service.
5) The complaining church member who
complains about the pastor’s salary and the house the pastor lives in and who
always thinks the pastor receives too much.
6) The church member who does not like
pastors. Some parishioners do not like any pastor; others have a model of a
pastor in their minds and they dislike any pastor that does not fit their image
of what they think a minister should be.
7) The church member who balls up his
or her offering; when a member balls up his or her money, you can be sure that
it’s not much, usually a dollar or some change.
8) A church member who only attends
worship when he or she needs something, i.e., problems on the job, marital
problems, financial difficulties, personal problems. When their problems are
solved, they absent themselves from worship.
9) A telephonic church member; their
only participation is on the telephone. They call people about what’s going on
at the church and members call them to complain about what’s going on at the
church.
10) A "telephone-caller"
church member won’t say anything in a local church meeting, but will call every
member to complain about everything that happened at a church meeting or in
worship services.
11) The late-comer church member who never
comes to church on time; they are always late for worship service; and they
come in boldly and sometimes disruptively.
12) A church member who looks at the
clock or his or her watch throughout the service, sometimes after having arrived late. He or she comes to
church ready to leave.
13) The sleeper church member who
apparently comes to church to take a nap. Worship puts them to sleep and
the sermon puts them in a deep sleep!
14) The chewing-gum church member. They
chew and chew and it looks as if he or she is trying to squeeze more sweetness
out of, what has to be stale, chewing gum.
15) The candy-popping or cough-drop popping
church member. Candy-popping or cough-drop popping church members pop candy or
cough drops one piece after the other in what seems to be their desire to mask
whatever is on their breath, whether it be halitosis or something they ate
before coming to church or something they drank the night before.
16) The disengaged church member. Disengaged
church members have no interest in the sermon and even if they are engaged with
the singing and some of the other parts of the worship service, they animatedly
disengage when the pastor gets ready to preach his or her sermon.
17) The church member who brings snacks to
church and serves all of the kids and adults around them.
18) The church member who leaves church
before the benediction. Some of them arrived late and they leave before the end
of the service.
19) The boasting church member who consistently
feels the need to stand up and announce from the pews an announcement about
some personal family accomplishment or to correct the pastor for omitting an
item of little importance or interest to the church body.
20) The church member who talks
to others throughout the worship service.
2. TCR OP-ED - QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
TO RUN FOR OFFICE OF THE BISHOP:
*The Rev. Dimpho Alpheus Gaobepe, 19th
Episcopal District (South Africa)
I have deemed it appropriate and orderly for me to
write this article in order to attempt to share with members of the AME Church
around the globe my own understanding of the requirements for pastors of Episcopal
Districts 14 - 20 to run for office of a Bishop as enshrined in The Doctrine and Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church 2012.
This article is motivated by recent developments that
have arisen due to non-certification of candidates who were educated in
seminaries and universities outside of the Continental United States and
particular candidates coming from South Africa and Namibia.
I would wish to first place on record issues that I
believe are common cause attendant to the foregoing subject:
In terms of page 116, Paragraph 4 of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012, which provides that the candidates for
the office of the bishop must register their credentials with the AMEC General
Secretary/CIO at least 180 days prior to the opening day of the General
Conference? It further provides that, they must possess an earned seminary
degree from an Association of Theological Schools (ATS) accredited seminary or,
if outside the United States, an accredited seminary as determined by the
country in which he or she is educated.
Consistent with this part of the cited provision in The Doctrine and Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012, candidates who acquired their seminary
degree in the USA are required by law to have obtained a seminary degree from
ATS accredited seminary. What does this mean? It means that the seminaries from
which they obtained their theological degree would have complied with ATS
requirements for accreditation.
It is my considered submission that, reference to
“seminary degree” in the provision under view, cannot reasonably and rationally
have a common definition in all the jurisdictions that affiliate to the church.
This provision does not even require candidates from outside the United States
to have an equivalent seminary degree. The provision simply states, “If outside
the United States, an accredited seminary as determined by the country in which
he or she is educated.”
Acknowledging and appreciating the fact that in terms
of the internal arrangements in the USA reference of the seminary in the
provision in question would be interpreted as making reference to a Master’s
degree, commonly called Master of Divinity or any seminary master’s degree
offered by an ATS accredited seminary, which would not, as a matter of fact, be
consistent with the internal arrangements in other jurisdictions; South Africa
is a classic example.
I feel inclined to indicate that, in the case of South
African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)’s determination of what would
constitute the seminary degree, SAQA employ NQF credits as a barometer; which
in this instance, 360 NQF credits would constitute NQF level 6 (degree), and on
the other hand, 480 NQF credits would constitute NQF level 7 (degree). When
obtained, these are considered seminary degrees in our context.
Accreditation does not begin at a Master’s degree,
unlike in the USA, as it is determined by Association of Theological Schools in
the U.S.A. and Canada.
In South Africa the following seminary degrees are
approved and accredited in terms of a particular NQF Credits threshold:
Diploma in Theology (360 credits) NQF Level 6 (Degree)
Systematic Diploma in Theology (480 Credits) NQF Level
7 (BA or B.Th)
BA or B.Th with (honors) (120 Credits) NQF LEVEL 8
Masters Degree (120 Credits) NQF level 9
Doctoral Degree NQF Level 10
My point is that The
Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 states
that candidates should have a seminary degree and in so far as I am concerned,
all of the above are considered seminary degrees as determined by the country
in which clergy members are educated.
Let me also bring to the attention of the readers in
the U.S.A., the majority of certified candidates have Masters of Divinity,
which is a three year program. The seminary degree (M.Div) in South Africa is
only offered by three Universities: Stellenbosch University in Cape Town,
University Of North West and University of Pretoria.
Note that though the degree is called a Master of
Divinity in South Africa it is not at the Level of a professional Master’s
degree which is (NQF Level 9); it is at NQF Level 8, which is BA with Honors
I invite the readers to visit all these prestigious
universities online and confirm my facts. Furthermore note that the reason for
the non-certification is based on the idea that such candidates do not possess
a professional Master’s degree in terms of (ATS) USA Standards and requirements.
Using (ATS) USA approved requirements and (SAQA) South
African standards on equal grounds, given the fact that The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church-
2012 recognizes other agencies outside of the United States, then one is
left without any choice except to conclude that the application of the law
favours the United States standards and all others are mandated to follow the
U.S.A. dictates.
This is the truth some of our leaders in the AME Church
do not want to know or accept. The kairos
moment requires church leaders to speak truth to power. Black life matters.
Seminary degree obtained in AME institutions outside the U.S.A. matters.
The point I am trying to make is that when I employ the
standards as set forth in my country against the ATS requirements I can only
arrive at the conclusion that M Div is not a professional Master Degree as
opposed to the popular understanding and application in the AME Church in the
U.S.A.
It is for this reason that I continue argue that, given
the fact that in the same text that is cited herein, the drafters acknowledged
the reality that it would not have been rational to universalize the standing
and standards of the ATS, hence a qualification in the provision appreciating
the sovereignty and autonomy of domestic arrangements in the jurisdiction
outside the USA.
Most importantly, in my considered view, the operative
word that constitutes an overbearing prerequisite to the latter part of the
provision, being reference to as “a degree,” which in my view, had the drafters intended to qualify
the level of such a degree; such a clarity would have been expressly provided
in The Doctrine and Discipline of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 like they have done on Page 113
-114 on requirements when running for
Office of Connectional WMS and including
Page 84 and 85 of The Doctrine and
Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 on appointment
of members to the Board of Examiners. The
Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 is
clear!
For example, page 125 Section III, The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church-
2012 as it relates to General Officers
States,” Persons elected General Officers by the
General Conference shall be blameless in character and possess the necessary
qualifications.”
Dealing only with this first part of the provision as
enshrined in The Doctrine and Discipline
of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012, one wonders what is meant
by “Necessary qualifications.” Are we going to be told the definition of this
requirement at the time some of the potential candidates outside the USA
declare interest to run for office?
To me, this requirement of “Necessary requirements” is
the same as “Seminary Degree” because it is not specific as to what degree
threshold is required.
Reverting to my subject, acknowledging and appreciating
the role that ATS plays in the context of USA and Canada, it is equally of
paramount importance to proffer that, various accrediting agencies in
respective jurisdictions outside the purview of ATS, based on the autonomous
determination of their educational programmes may not accredit the degrees at
the same levels as ATS. This competence is unambiguously given life and acknowledged
in the scheme of the above cited provision, which affords those members outside
the U.S.A. such a competency.
I want to reiterate that my understanding without
giving interpretation of the language in The
Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012,
candidates that went to seminaries in the U.S.A. and Canada would need a
Seminary degree at a Masters Level
because of the ATS requirement, while candidates from the country in which I
was educated would need to have a seminary degree at any threshold to be certified as candidates so long as they
possess a seminary degree not a Master’s
degree, but a seminary degree earned from an accredited seminary.
Why? Because it is common cause that the domestic arrangements
in a particular member country, which are being acknowledged and given effect
by the enabling provision in The Doctrine
and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, would not be
bound by the autonomous arrangements in the ATS regulated jurisdictions in the
form of U.S.A. and Canada on determination of a level of a degree concerned. It
is thus compellingly evident that the interpretation and application of this
provision by the AME Church is currently favorably lopsided towards the ATS
standards, which paradoxically are not explicitly enshrined in any official
document of the AME Church as such; let alone in The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church-
2012, as assuming such principal point of reference by other
jurisdictions.
Let us remember that while a Master of Divinity is a
professional degree in the USA, in South Africa, a Master of Divinity Degree,
in terms of our NQF level is at level 8, not NQF level 9, which is considered a
professional Master’s degree.
Finally, The
Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 does
not mention the requirement as a professional Master’s degree but it says a
seminary degree. Had it been the intention of the drafters of The Doctrine and Discipline of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church to set the level of the seminary degree at the professional
master’s degree level as per the
argument tendered by some individuals in the USA, either a definition would
have been included in The Doctrine and
Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church- 2012 to provide
certainty on this, or the body of this provision would have explicitly made
reference to “a Professional Master’s
Degree.”
Like all other AMEs around the world - I love my Church
and I am proud to be an AME.
*The Rev. Dimpho Alpheus Gaobepe, M.A., International
Relations, BSC Math and Political Science; Diploma Systematic Theology (NQF
Level 7 Seminary Degree), Current M.Th degree; Senior Pastor at HJ Bryant
Temple, West Conference, 19th Episcopal District- South Africa
3. TCR OP-ED - WHERE ARE WE GOING /WHAT
DOES THAT MEAN:
*The Reverend Willard Machiwenyika
I am writing with tears running down my face because
each time after every General Conference, we are always “blessed” by having a
new bishop. After each bishop’s four year tenure, he or she goes back to the
U.S.A.
A newly elected bishop comes in and the first year he
is studying the character of the natives or Africans, and nothing developmental
is done.
In the second year he or she is introducing his or her
method of leadership and administration systems and nothing developmental is
done in Africa and especially in my own conference and my own country.
In the third year, we are starting to catch up with the
new teachings and new planning and the bishop is preparing to go back to the
states.
In the fourth year the bishop focuses on elections and
changing leaders to create a good platform for his or her successor; and if the
bishop doesn't change leaders, he or she leaves chaos for the next bishop.
To tell the truth, we are always in grade one, after
every four years. I am an A.M.E. Church member since I was born, but we are
never promoted to the “fifth grade,” we seem to stay in the “first grade.” I
have been in the “first grade” since 1964!
Where are we going and what does that mean?
If my memory tells me correctly, in my own country I
last witnessed an African American bishop in 1972 who we can proudly say was a
missionary.
During the liberation struggle of my country, the
church was labeled a terrorist group for it advocated for African freedom and
independence so from that time, no American bishop was allowed to operate in my
then colonized country. The A.M.E. Church preachers, even the local ones, where
barred from preaching and some were even imprisoned.
What pains me much is that, yes my country is free from
the colonial bondages, but we are still living in Egyptian bondage, and moreso
enslaved by our own “brothers” (exploitation of men and women by other men and
women) for personal gains and interests and not for the benefit of the church.
Where are we going and what does that mean?
Moses was kept as the Pharaoh's son, but when he grew
up he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh. When he went back to Egypt he
was on a mission to free his people.
Being underdeveloped is not a crime or a sin before
God. People should not take advantages of the economic situation in the developing
countries and exploit others.
Yes, during the colonial and slavery eras, it was
exploitation of man by man, but this time around it is of “brother by
brother.” It seems the Bishops assigned
to Africa make their personal gains at the expense of the Church.
Houses are built, companies are bought in the name of
the church, but it seems that the property ends up not being the property of
the church.
Where are we going and what does that mean?
So I say who ever is to be assigned by the General
Conference to come to Africa needs to have a missionary heart and mind, not a
mercenary and not to make his or her own wealth at the expense of the church.
Missionaries build schools, hospitals, clinics and even
teach people how to be business-minded and develop themselves after the missionary leaves - that is sustainable
development.
A mercenary kills people, destroys the infrastructure
and makes sure the people are frightened even to correctly spell their names in
their own native language. A mercenary destroys history and leaves no mark on
the ground. His good report is, “I have managed to divide them, confuse them
and now they have no trust in each other.”
The General Conference is always fed with nice and well
spelled documents, called reports from oversees where as there is nothing on
the ground.
Where are we going and what does that mean?
For four years a Bishop is setting up his team to
support his “program” in Africa and to take them to the General Conference as
delegates representing the people “back home.”
Many of those who go to the General Conference, serve
the bishop’s interest and come back home to Africa after the General
Conference. And instead of telling us about the great things about the AME
Church oversees in the U.S.A. and how much love our fellow AME brothers have
for us, they return home and talk about the hotels, money and food, but little
or nothing about the business of the General Conference.
They seem to be there in order to please the outgoing
bishop and being introduced to the newly elected and consecrated bishop so that
the new bishop will join the program of the outgoing bishop and nothing
changes.
Promises! Promises! Promises! A person in need is
always comforted by promises, but once he or she realized that these are empty
promises they lose respect. In my own country we have the proverb that says,
“Baboons are the same’’ When asking for the implementation of the planned
projects, we are always told, “I am not the one who planned it.”
A very good example is that in my Conference a bishop
was asked to pay school fees for the pastors of which was a commitment by the
previous bishop and his answer was that “I cannot pay for a step-father’s
son.”
The previous bishop’s idea of sending pastors to school
was a noble one and an excellent strategy for developing church leadership, but
the idea was turned down by the incoming bishop.
Where are we going? And what does that mean?
Do the bishops have a handover or takeover strategy for
developmental projects in the overseas episcopal district or they just take
over the district without reporting or briefing each other?
My plea, “Bishops coming and leaving Africa don’t be
like politicians. When they are voted out of office, they go away with their
plans. You are never voted out of office, because once you are a bishop in the
African Methodist Episcopal Church. Please hand over your developmental plans
and projects to the one being assigned to replace you. Try to leave a school, a
farm, a clinic or a hospital that will help people to remember you, long after
you have left the district.”
Please, please Ladies and Gentleman don’t report things
to the General Conference that do not exist. Tell what we have and what we
don’t have. Don’t report hospitals, clinics, schools or farms we don’t have.
Let me be honest and open, some of us in Episcopal
Districts 14 -20 are sick and tired of false reports and lies to the General
Conference that “this or that” has been done in the episcopal district and we
are tired of people who are only supporting their self interests. Let’s tell
the truth.
Some who support non-existent programs in the district
are sometimes given scholarships to study abroad with the aim being that they
will not come back and talk about the wrongs done. We face serious problems
that need to be addressed by the AME Church and truth must be our foundation.
Untruths should not be rewarded.
Yes for four hundred years, the Israelites where under
slavery, but when Moses came they were all told to leave Egypt. It was not a
matter of leaving Egypt, but also to be free and leave the slavery way of life.
We need a Moses to come to Africa, not those Hebrews
who asked Moses the question, “Who asked you to be the judge and that you want
to repeat that what you did to the Egyptian yesterday!''
The General Conference of this coming year 2016 must
produce for us missionaries not mercenaries. Please, don't send African
American politicians or American spies. We need missionaries, not mercenaries.
We want schools, clinics and hospitals. We are tired of
people who say, “The General conference does not support primary schools, only
colleges.” It is from a primary school
that a person goes to college.
Or those who say, “The General Conference does not
support clinics, but hospital.” It is
from a clinic that a person is transferred to a hospital.
Is it true that the General Conference does not support
oversees primary health care centers? Is it true that the General Conference
does not support mission primary schools in Africa?
The episcopal leaders who are not missionaries will
leave no schools, clinics, and not even a farm, which are being given free of
charge by my Government to churches.
The A.M.E Church was once given a farm to develop a
mission hospital and the government repossessed it due to lack of development,
simply because the bishop said I will not take over what someone else has
started. The farm was there for church's benefit.
To the General Conference, please send us missionary
servant leaders!
The bishops sent to oversee districts 14 – 20 should
have followed-up, if possible, by the Council of Bishops and a committee should
be set up and monitored dedicated to African developmental projects in Africa,
such as schools, clinics, hospitals and farms, and even mines.
I foresee a very big A.M.E Church if we have
missionaries rather than mercenaries. We should see A.M.E Church making use of
investment opportunities in Africa, making use of its Africanist nature.
All other denominations have schools, clinics,
hospitals, farms and even companies for manufacturing; but for AME Church –
Zero, Nothing! - Especially in my own country and my own conference.
We see, read and hear about the oversees development
budget from the General Conference, but nothing is developed, not even a single squatter Blair Toilet constructed,
especially in my own conference and my own country .
In conclusion, the bishop who is leaving my district
has nothing, but a smile on his face. All the four years he was struggling to
make ends meet. It appeared that he never enjoyed being in the district. It
seems his only smile came when it is the YPD Night.
It’s not the bishop’s fault, the cultures are so vastly
different and the economic constraints have to be discouraging. Perhaps a new
leadership paradigm is needed for Districts 14 – 20.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church is my church and
I belong to it and I am happy to see it progress and expand.
*The Rev. Machiwenhyika is the Presiding Elder of the
Muare Presiding Elder District of the North East Zimbabwe Annual Conference of
the 20th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church.
4. READER RESPONSE TO
EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
-- To the Editor:
Allow
me to great you in the name of the triune God.
I
have looked at the certified list of candidates for episcopacy. I have noted
that none of the individuals from the 19th Episcopal District who
had announced to the various annual conference for running for episcopacy are
not in the list. I wanted to know why is it, they are not there.
In
one of the editorials (can't remember the title) I remember you highlighted the
importance of the AME Church being a global church. In the 19th
Episcopal District and various districts within the continent of Africa,
ministry is a bit different from what is in the USA and other western countries
and to elaborate further, evangelism is suppose to navigate the indigenous
traditions and cultures. The manner in which a “simple” thing like a wedding we
would have to plan carefully the wedding to accommodate the AME Church
traditions and indigenous practices (non-religious). This is an example of the
many differences that Africa has in comparison to the western world.
Even
in the position of being a prelate a person who understands the African mindset
will be very helpful. Some conundrums which the prelate is handling would be
solved by getting a person who is familiar with South Africans and how they do
things.
The
last time the 19th Episcopal District appointed a native of the
land, it was the late Rt. Rev. Harold Ben Senatle and in that position he
managed to do a lot of things.
Since
the General Conference in June won't have a person from the 19th
Episcopal District running for the episcopacy I wish the best for the person
who will be appointed to it. I am not doubting the powers and authority of the
GC I know and trust they will appoint a proper person for the job.
Yours
in Christ.
KA
Moloi
-- To the Editor:
I want to commend you on your commitment to expanding the ministry of The Christian Recorder.
Your vision has provided information that allowed me to watch meetings
online and read information as events unfolded at AME conferences and on local,
national, and international platforms.
Truly God blessed you to ensure that our newspaper is cutting edge.
Again thank you for a job well done.
The Rev. Dr. Linda Mouzon
5. TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH:
From: Bishop
McKinley Young
--
Subject: Follow-up Notes to the Connectional Day of Prayer
Thank you for
sharing and participating in the Connectional Day of Prayer on Wednesday, April
13th.
We apologize and
deeply regret the technical difficulties we experienced, which were beyond our
control. A corrected and edited transcript of the prayers, scriptures and
readings will be shard in an official document which will be published
later.
Bishop McKinley
Young, Presiding Prelate
6.
JOBLESS CLAIMS HIT A 43-YEAR LOW
The number of
Americans filing for first-time state unemployment benefits last week dropped
to the lowest point on record since the Nixon administration. Labor Department
data released Tuesday show claims for the week of April 16 fell 6,000 to an
unexpectedly small 247,000—a level not matched since late November 1973.
Analysts say the drop reflects an increasingly strong job market and a relative
lack of layoffs, despite broader worries about the strength of the U.S.
economy.
TCR Editor’s Comment: I would
like to know why the Republican Party and other segments or our country are not
praising President Obama for the fine job he is doing for the economy. Other presidents have gotten credit for good
things that happened related to the economy.
It’s just a rhetorical question, I know the answer!
7.
NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
--Brookins-Kirkland
Community AME Church
Brookins-Kirkland
Community AME Church holds a Cell Phone Fundraiser every Sunday from April 21 through
May 28, at 1900 W. 48th St., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Mary S. Minor. The Men’s Ministry sponsors the
campaign. Items accepted are old
smartphones, cellphones X-box, Playstations, iPads, and iPods.
--
Dr. Michael C. Carson to speak at revival at Turner Chapel
FORT WAYNE—Turner
Chapel AME Church, 836 E. Jefferson Blvd., is scheduled to host a revival at
6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 21 and Friday, April 22…
Read
more: http://www.frostillustrated.com/2016/dr-michael-c-carson-to-speak-at-revival-at-turner-chapel/
--
Virginia's governor will restore voting rights to more than 200,000 convicted
felons.
Friday, April 22, 2016
11:08 AM EDT
Gov. Terry McAuliffe
of Virginia will use his executive power to restore voting rights to more than
200,000 convicted felons, circumventing his Republican-run legislature. The
action will overturn a Civil War-era provision in the state’s Constitution
aimed, he said, at disenfranchising African-Americans.
NAACP
Statement on Restoring Voting Rights for Ex-Offenders in Virginia:
BALTIMORE, MD – NAACP
President and CEO Cornell William Brooks today issued the following statement
regarding Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s executive order restoring voting
rights to ex-felons:
“Most former offenders
want to be respected as present citizens. The price of citizenship is voting.
Governor Terry McAuliffe’s executive order enables ex-offenders to pay the
price of citizenship – and in so doing, both contribute to our democracy and
redeem their dignity. The majority of people with criminal records would much
rather be known for their record of voting.
"I applaud Governor
McAuliffe’s courage in using his executive authority to give hundreds of
thousands of Virginians an equal voice in the democratic process. Throughout the country, an estimated 5.8
million American citizens are prevented from participating in the voting
process. We firmly believe in second chances and that citizens who have
completed their sentences be allowed to exercise the constitutional right to
vote.
“History shows when
people are denied the right to vote; the loss of representation weakens our
neighborhoods and communities, and furthers systemic inequality. As some states continue to erect barriers to
voter registration, we hope more states follow Governor McAuliffe’s lead. Restoring voting rights to incarcerated
individuals who have served their time is imperative to a fair and just
democracy, while punitive measures only serve to further disenfranchise and
isolate ex-offenders.”
8.
AME CLERGY ARRESTED:
AME Clergy arrested
during the NAACP led Democracy Awakening sit in at the US Capitol to fight for
the restoration of the Voting Rights Act.
The Rev. William
Lamar, pastor of Metropolitan AME Washington, D.C.; the Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryan,
pastor of Empowerment Temple AME Church Baltimore Maryland; the Rev. Stephen A.
Green, National Director, NAACP Youth and College Division, and the Rev.
Cornell William Brooks, NAACP President and CEO were arrested at the US
Capitol. They were there to support the
restoration of the Voting Rights Act. They were later released.
9.
HARRIET TUBMAN WILL BE ON THE FRONT OF THE $20:
The $10 bill will
feature five women — on the back. Harriet Tubman will be on the front of the
$20.
The Treasury
Department will announce on Wednesday afternoon that Harriet Tubman, an African-American
who ferried thousands of slaves to freedom, will replace the slaveholding
Andrew Jackson on the center of a new $20 note, according to a Treasury
official, while newly popular Alexander Hamilton will remain on the face of the
$10 bill.
Other depictions of
women and civil rights leaders will also be part of new currency designs.
10.
AME MINISTERS CARRY WATER AND HOPE TO FLINT MICHIGAN:
On Saturday morning,
April 2, the Reverend Bruce Butcher and Licentiate Ray Greene, representing
various religious and cultural organizations, loaded a van with bottled water
and began a journey to Flint Michigan in order to help brothers and sisters in
need. AVIMA (formerly the
Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance), the Concerned Clergy and Community
Leaders of Akron and Vicinity, the Akron Organizing Collaborative, the W.O.M.B.
(Way of Mind and Body), Faith Temple Church and St. Paul AME Church all
contributed monies and water towards this venture.
The plight of the
people of Flint is well known but still bears repeating. Since April 2014, when Flint began drawing
it’s water from the local river instead of buying Lake Huron water from
Detroit, in order to save money.
Residents in this ailing industrial city began complaining of burning
skin, hand tremors, hair loss, even seizures.
Children were being diagnosed with anemia. Parents were finding strange red splotches on
their hands and faces.
Yet for almost 19
months, as Flint River water corroded the city’s decades-old pipes and leached
into the sinks and showers of a city of 100,000 people, officials repeatedly told
residents the water was fine. Flint’s
mayor appeared in front of TV cameras and gulped some of it down. When the city council voted to return to
Detroit’s supply they were overruled by an unelected emergency manager
appointed by Michigan Governor, Rick Snyder.
It wasn’t until late September 2015, when researchers at Hurley Medical
Center in Flint reported that the incidence of lead contamination in the blood
of children under 5 years of age had doubled since the switch that officials
began to acknowledge the scope of the crisis.
The news was met with
outrage by many in this nation while efforts to help the beleaguered people of
Flint began almost immediately.
The ministers took the
water to Vernon Chapel AME Church, a designated water distribution site, where
they were met by the Rev. Robert Blake and the members of the church. It was like family meeting family. You could feel the love of the people of the
church as they greeted us. We quickly
unloaded the vehicle. Rev. Blake then
gave the group a tour of the neighborhood and of the church. They had prepared a sumptuous dinner for us;
chicken wings and homemade mashed potatoes, cabbage and corn, homemade
cornbread, desserts and southern sweet tea or lemon aid.
Pastor Blake and the
members thanked us profusely; not only for the water but also for hope. Ms. Tammy Kellum, water coordinator for the
church stated, “You just don’t know how it feels to be in this crisis and the
people of God show up to help us.” “It
let us know that God has not forgotten about us” she said. Pastor Blake shared this perspective,
“imagine living out of a water bottle; bathing, brushing your teeth, washing
your hair, cooking your meals, washing your clothes, everything people take for
granted, even giving your pets a bath.”
“We are living out of
plastic bottles,” Pastor Blake said. He
also added the water needs of Flint would be long-term, and they will need
long-term help.
We asked what people
could do if they wanted to help. The
Rev. Blake and Ms. Kellum said the best way to help is to send gift cards
because water is expensive to ship.
Arrangements have been
made with the local Walmart for churches to buy water at cost.
The gift cards
requested included Walmart, Sams Club, Kroger and Target.
Water, baby-wipes and
hand sanitizers were the specific items requested.
Vernon Chapel, 5802
Dupont, Flint Michigan, 48505 is one of the water distribution sites designated
by the State of Michigan and the City of Flint and, are authorized to receive
water and gift cards. Ms. Tammy Kellum
is the water coordinator for the site.
She can be reached at (810) 785-5721 or vernonwaterdonations@gmail.com
11.
TRUSTING GOD’S TIMING:
In Chapter 8 of his
book, Don’t Faint: Help for Hurting Pastors and Their Families, the Rev. Dr.
Harry L. Seawright discloses that he has “learned that God’s delay is The Rev.
Seawright further states, “I am eternally grateful that I followed God’s plan
for me. I accepted His challenge for me, and in accepting that, I was able to
meet so many wonderful and kind people around the world.”
Reading this passage
caused me to stop and think seriously about the times that I have failed to
wait on God or seek the plan he has for my life. It is human nature to want
things on our own terms and in our own time. Whether we are Baby-Boomers, or
part of the Millennials or "X" or "Y" generations, we are
accustomed to being online and connected to one another twenty-four hours a
day, 365 days a year. We are conditioned
by technology and our own impatience to expect immediate solutions to our
situations. We are unaccustomed to
waiting for anything – especially God – to work in our lives. It is difficult for us to trust in God’s
timing.
However, sometimes
waiting allows us to see that the solution we were seeking was not in God’s
plan for us at that time. Throughout his book, Don’t Faint: Help for Hurting
Pastors and Their Churches, Rev. Dr. Seawright reflects on how difficult his
Christian journey has been, and the fact that no matter what the challenge,
with prayer and faith he continued to follow God’s plan for his life. He
clearly states the benefits of waiting on God.
The Rev. Dr. Seawright
is a pastor who truly believes in Isaiah’s assurances that “those who hope in
the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be
faint” (Isaiah. 40:31-NIV). Rev. Dr.
Seawright simplifies these verses by explaining that “when we remain hopeful,
despite our waiting, God rewards us with renewed strength.” The Rev. Dr.
Seawright talks about "putting his pride on the sideline” in some
occasions and asking God what was next for him.
He shows us through his journey that delayed success can be a part of a
greater plan for us, which sometimes allows us to grow, strengthen ourselves,
become more caring and cultivates humility.
As we wait on God, we
may become impatient. In chapter 8, The
Rev. Dr. Seawright refers to the poetry of Langston Hughes in “A Dream
Deferred” to address the need for patience as we learn to trust God’s timing.
In scripture, Habakkuk declares, “still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will
surely come; it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3 –NIV).
The Rev. Dr. Seawright
teaches us that we must learn to trust that God knows what is best for each of
us. Trusting in God is not accepting idly that whatever will be will be, but
having faith that God is sufficient to meet all our needs. Trusting in God
takes strength, perseverance, and faith. We should anchor ourselves to God and
wait because trusting in God makes us confident, releases our anxieties, and
allows us to rely solely on God’s love, grace and mercy, which are more than
sufficient.
Rosemarie Jackson
18 April 2016
12.
UNITY RALLY FOR PEACE IN THE CITY RALLY IN ORANGE, NEW JERSEY:
-- #PeaceInTheCity! #StopTheViolenceRally
#NoToGunViolence
Due to the recent
violence in the city of Orange, New Jersey that has left two families and an
entire city reeling from the effects of losing 17-year-old Davon Jones, and
23-year-old Jordan Bryan; the Rev. Dr. Lanel D. Guyton, pastor of St. Matthew
AME Church has made a clarion call to hold a Peace Rally in the city of Orange.
St. Matthew Church, as
a show of unity and support to this community will disrupt their normal worship
service on this Sunday April 24, 2016, and march from the church to the
intersection of Oakwood Avenue and Central Avenue where a Unity Rally for Peace
will be held for the victim’s families and the city of Orange.
Those who wish to
participate are invited to join the St. Matthew Church family for worship, 336
Oakwood Avenue at 11 a.m.
The service will last
approximately one hour, before marching together to Central Avenue. We are
asking the participating churches to follow suit and join us around 1 pm at the
intersection. There will be designated persons who will speak followed by a
prayer for unity and peace in the community!
Said the Rev. Guyton,
“This tragic news of the death of these two young men have disrupted the lives,
not only their families, but everyone in the city and elsewhere, who can
identify with senseless gun violence taking place in their own communities. I
have reached out to the Mayor of Orange, Council persons, fellow Clergy in
Orange, East Orange and Newark, to join us in a Unity Rally for Peace in the
city of Orange. Let us disrupt our normal Sunday services and take the ‘church
to the street,’ in support of this rally for peace.”
If possible, wear
black and white attire to show unity.
For more information,
please call St. Matthew AME Church at (973) 678-1217.
13. KUDOS TO JOHN
THOMAS III FOR ENLIGHTENING ARTICLE ABOUT ABSALOM JONES:
In
the issue of February 29, 2016 of the Christian Recorder the front page carried
an article “Remembering Absalom Jones.” It was written by John Thomas III. It was timely, appropriate and relevant for
this moment in the history of our beloved “Bethel.” And what is more, John
Thomas III keenly linked the installation only one year ago of the Most
Reverend Michael B. Curry, as the first African American Primate of the
Episcopal Church. Thomas indicated a linkage between Absalom Jones, the first
Black priest of the Episcopal Church and Bishop Curry. And it is also known that Jones and Richard
Allen, the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, were close
associates.
In
fact, students of our sacred history never cease but to be inspired and
energized as one reflects on the kinship between Absalom Jones and Richard
Allen. Both were victims of
slavery. Both were credibly emancipated. Both were proverbially in the right place at
the right time. And what together they did for the spiritual, physical and
mental emancipation of their people in the 18th century is literally
mind-boggling and heightens one belief in the redemptive providence of our
Sovereign God.
On
a personal note, I recall that during my years in Nashville, Tennessee, I was
invited to share in the Absalom Jones Feast Day on two occasions observed by
the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. As
the herald, my preparation for these memorable occasions heightened my interest
in the ministries of Absalom Jones and Richard Allen.
John
Thomas III ends his enervating but brief article with a prophet’s eye, thusly:
“As we reflect upon the two hundred years since our first General Conference,
may we also never forget Absalom Jones and his partnership with our founder.
Bishop Michael Curry’s election may open a new chapter in the relationship
between our denominations and a chance to build upon our shared heritage.”
Let
me again thank John Thomas III for his historic article and may God’s blessing
surround him.
14. TEN FASCINATING
FACTS ABOUT JOHN WESLEY AND UNITED METHODISM:
By
Jeremy Steele
1)
John Wesley wrote one of the all-time bestselling medical texts.
2)
John Wesley coined the term “agree to disagree.”
3)
John Wesley rode far enough on horseback to circle the earth 10 times.
4)
Wesley had serious doubts about his faith.
5)
“Methodist” was originally a derogatory term.
6)
Wesley counseled people to “eat a little less than you desire.”
7)
Wesley never intended to split from the Church of England.
8)
Wesley never said this famous quote attributed to him. “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you
can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, as long as ever you can.”
9)
Wesley believed you could not be a Christian on your own.
10)
Methodism grew from four to 132,000 members in Wesley’s lifetime.
*From
United Methodist News Service; used with permission
15. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins
Based on Biblical Text: 1 John 3:18: My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in
deed and in truth.
God speaking through the “love” disciple John says to us,
“My little children, let us not love in
word, neither in tongue: but in deed and in truth.” Because John is so
loving, his recorded words ring so sweet.
What John is trying to teach us is really quite simple.
He admonishes us that if we say we have truly been transformed by the blood of
Christ, the evidence of our transformation should manifest itself in the way we
treat our brothers and sisters. In other words, our transformed life ought to
be a clear demonstration of love and compassion.
God has challenged us from the very beginning to, “love
one another”. However, the truth of the matter is many times we find the
untransformed attitude still prevalent. We are quick to judge, quick to condemn
and even quicker, it seems, sometimes not to forgive. It appears that in too
many instances we exhibit, “I am not my brother’s keeper!” What should be a
continuous and spontaneous love for each other sometimes appears not continuous
and not so spontaneous. The love that identifies us as Christian needs to be
pulled out of us as we have to be reminded constantly that we should be putting
the feelings of others ahead of our own.
God loves us in spite of our faults. Knowing we are loved
ought to make us more loving. What John is trying to get us to understand is
the concept of agape love. In other words, the unconditional love that God has
for us is the same love we ought to express toward each other. Yes, it is a
love that goes against our carnal nature, which compels us to love only those
who love us. In fact, it is the kind of love that says, “Love your enemies” and
“pray for those who despitefully use you”.
We are called to express agape love in our most
challenging and even most disagreeing moments. In these instances, we are
encouraged to show an extra ounce of patience sometimes speaking less and
listening and loving more. Agape love calls us to a point when we, in our
sacrificial moments, might share more. Or in our vengeful moments, when we have
the power to retaliate, agape love challenges us not to use it.
We will not know agape love unless we also know how to
forgive. Agape love and forgiveness have to go together. The older saints
remind us that it is near impossible to live in this world without getting
bitten by one of Satan’s snakes. They warn us that “Hellhounds” are everywhere,
riding the backs of the saved and the unsaved. The truth is if we are unable to
return hate with love, we will soon find ourselves little more than a bitter
wretch of a man or woman. I think we would rather be known for displaying the
fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, and
faith. We would rather be like Christ!
In our text we find John masterfully unraveling the truth
of our salvation. John reminds us that the magnificent God we serve expressed
His love for us through the gift of Jesus Christ. He admonishes us that we are
to respond to that love by loving others. Later on we find John expressing it
in another way saying to us, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of
God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth
not knoweth not God; for God is love.”
We must come to understand that God is not happy when a
person claims to be a Christian, but is un-loving. The text puts us on notice
that salvation and hatred do not mix. We cannot love Christ and hate our brother.
In other words, if we make a claim we should back it up.
God lets us know that it does no good just to tell Him we love Him; we should
show Him. Truly, actions speak louder than words. Don’t try to tell God we are
a Christian. Show Him! A Christian is validated by the quality of their
character.
The questions for us to ponder are simple. How do we
handle life’s abuses? Are we forgiving? Are we patient? Are we considerate of
other’s feelings? Can the Lord depend on us to hold our tongue and express His
love in deed and truth? Are we a true Christian?
If we say we have truly been transformed by the blood of
Christ, the evidence of our transformation should manifest itself. Christ has
forgiven us; we should surely forgive others. Christ has shown us mercy; we
should in turn show it to others. God has been patient with us the evidence of
our transformation is that we are patient with others. God has blessed us to be
a blessing to others.
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in
Charleston, South Carolina
16. GETTING TO ZERO: VIEWS FROM THE TRENCHES – LOCAL NUMBERS
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
and Payne Theological Seminary student co-authors
Below are excerpts
from essays of participants in CM-243 “What Effective Clergy Should Know about
HIV/AIDS” at Payne Theological Seminary (PTS). This homework assignment asked
each class member to explore impacts of HIV/AIDS in the county where they live
or work in ministry using www.aidsvu as an interactive
resource (1). These excerpts are used anonymously with permission.
Why
anonymously? —
--- Glad that you
asked. The essay contents are insightful and rich. Authors should be, and are,
proud of their research and thinking. Understandably however, some who
wholeheartedly support increased engagement of religious leaders in eliminating
HIV/AIDS are concerned with possible consequences of a known advocacy role in
increasing AMEC engagement with HIV/AIDS. Some are still in their Board of
Examiners training. Others are newly or seasoned pastors who are aware that
appointments are for one-year at a time.
Thus, to minimize
risk and to remain in compliance with conditions under which the class is run,
they have graciously agreed to share thoughts as anonymous co-author contributors. I am grateful. We hope these
views will provide a fresh realistic perspective about locations across the
USA— like where you live.
View
from the Trenches of Union County, New Jersey
My exact county
could not be located on the aidsvu.org map, so I accessed the state information
to get a more accurate read (2). Union County currently has a total case of
5,872 persons living with HIV/AIDS. Of these 4,412 (75%) have AIDS, while the
remaining 25% are positive for HIV infection.
The heaviest concentration of HIV/AIDS is between the ages of 25-44.
Unusual in Union County is that the majority of those infected with HIV are
males compared to females (at a 2.5 to 1 ratio).
When looking at the
statistics by race, 3,488 (59%) African Americans are living with HIV or AIDS.
This is larger than the national average of 48% of people living with HIV/AIDS
(PLWHA) as African Americans. The disproportion is evidenced also in the
prevalence among Hispanics. PLWHA who are Hispanic are equal in numbers to
those who are white. I am surprised at the equal numbers since there is such a
huge gap between the Hispanic and white population density.
We have a community
development center in my city that literally offers nothing to the residents in
the way of hosting health workshops or information sessions to include a
biomedical understanding of HIV. I found that neighboring churches which are
not AMEC more so tend to take on this responsibility.
For starters to
address the impact, I would consider hosting each month an HIV/AIDS workshop to
occur in different cities of the county. I would use the host city statistics
as a highly relevant resource and starting point to generate a sense of
ownership and urgency. I would use expertise in communications and the arts and
include information and activities from many sources. I would count on able and willing physicians,
nurses, biologists and also non-tradition ministry approaches to get community
members to a deeper understanding of the biology of HIV/AIDS. The goal would be
to eliminate the stigma, shame, fear, and condemnation of HIV and see it as a
virus infection. I would include access to HIV testing at these monthly events.
I would hold
specific interactive workshops, similar to the ones that we participated in
during this PTS class. To see HIV/AIDS, read about HIV/AIDS and hear about
HIV/AIDS this week has removed my lack of knowing and truly impacted me
emotionally as well as intellectually.
Understanding and
helping to stop impacts of this fragile virus on communities of people that the
AMEC serves can occur through a powerful combination of multiple approaches.
People need to learn of the facts and factors involved rather than being left
to their own devices or thoughts (or lack of thoughts) about HIV/AIDS and how
to protect themselves from its spread.
HIV/AIDS is a very
present community disease, just like breast cancer or any other of the many
diseases that move people to walk for the cause. We can do something, many
things, to be effective. We have a responsibility, as community leaders, to do
something to stop HIV/AIDS.
View
from the Trenches of Cuyahoga County, Ohio
The incidence of
HIV/AIDS in Ohio is shocking. The levels underscore the importance of and need
for a concerted sustained effort to both inform the population and advocate
routine testing for HIV infection.
Even more shocking
is how it has spread within Cuyahoga County, and more specifically the spread
in the African American communities of Cuyahoga County. At the end of 2012
across the state of Ohio 196 persons out of every 100,000 are living with
HIV. But in Cuyahoga County, twice as
many-- 368 out of every 100,000 people lived with HIV.
Further, 736 out of
every 100,000 African Americans in Cuyahoga County were living with HIV
(1). The AIDSVu map shows that Cuyahoga
County is not unique among urban Ohio counties, especially Franklin and
Hamilton Counties.
HIV/AIDS with
African Americans in Cuyahoga County is comparable to the state-wide rate among
African Americans (726 per 100,000). The prevalence within the African American
community in Cuyahoga County is twice that of the general population of
Cuyahoga. It is nearly four times that of the state-wide rate (3).
The
disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS within the African American community in
Cuyahoga County, when compared to the overall rate of incidence in the state of
Ohio and of Cuyahoga County, is unacceptable!
These HIV infection
numbers might suggest that the African American community is more susceptible
to HIV/AIDS than the general population.
Apparently, there is something going on to stop HIV/AIDS in the general
population that is not happening in the African American community.
Now is not the time
necessarily to focus on why the infection levels are so disproportionate. Now is the time to actually effectively deal
with the issue. As an African American
community we must sound the alarm. And,
as an African American Christian community we must act with a sense of urgency.
The time is past
due for our communities to put away old myths, ignorance, prejudices and
stigmas associated with HIV. It is necessary to deal with HIV/AIDS for what it
is: a preventable chronic infectious
disease. We must treat this disease no
differently than we treat cancer, diabetes or hypertension, which also are disproportionate in our communities. We must
advocate for access to health care.
Cancer, diabetes
and hypertension screening in our communities has become routine. Why not
HIV/AIDS?
2. Union County
Residents at Diagnosis: HIV/AIDS Cases Reported as of December 31, 2014
3
- The highest rate of incidence in the State of Ohio for 2012 is Pickaway
County with a rate of 841 per 100,000.
It is noteworthy that there is a penal institution located in Pickaway
County.
*The Rev. Dr. Fuller is currently on Sabbatical leave
from the University of Michigan and will submit her column as her schedule
permits.
17. iCHURCH
SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016 - TESTED FAITH - DR.
LUKE 15:11-24:
*Brother Bill
Dickens
Introduction
Life's journey is
often compared to a roller coaster ride.
We have our ups and we have our share of downs. The experience brings great joy and
excitement. The thrill of positive
feelings confirms the benefits of living.
As a legendary jazz singer once said -"Let the good times
roll." But life is a package
deal. The joy of the upside of living
must be balanced with the downfalls.
Many times it feels like a target is on our back. We experience one downfall after
another. Those outside of Jesus' safety
net emphasize their "luck" has turned south as a cause of the
downfall.
The Adult AME
Church Lesson for April 24, 2016 examines the application of tested faith. The key takeaway: “We fall down, but we don't
have to stay down.”
Bible
Lesson (Lost and Found)
Our Bible lesson
comes from one of Jesus' great parables - The Prodigal Son. Jesus describes a not too uncommon situation
where a young son, desiring to see the world, seeks to cash out his father's
inheritance now and leave the estate.
His father obliges and the naïve son departs for life in the "big
city." Naivety brings about unwise
choices. The young man chooses not to
properly invest for a "rainy day," but instead indulges in
conspicuous consumption and ostentatious living of immoral vices. Once his spending frenzy ended the young man
realized he had no friends. He was now
broke, without friends and living the life of squalor. He reached the lowest point of his life when
he had to share food items with pigs. At
that moment he had his epiphany. He
realized the errors and bad choices and decided he would get up go back to his
father, ask for forgiveness and seek life in his estate as a hired
servant. When his father saw him walking
back to his home he was overcome with paternal love and joy. No doubt the father is a theological
representation of God the Father. We are
like the once-wayward son. We pursue a
life of sin thinking this will maximize our joy or being on the upside of the
roller coaster. When we hit rock bottom
we suddenly realize "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". We once were lost and now we are found!
Bible
Application
A boxer was once
considered all but defeated in his heavyweight fight with his opponent. He had been knocked down several times. The trainer tried to stop the flow of blood coming
from several cuts on his face. His arms
felt like they weighed a ton and couldn't be raised due to the pounding from
his opponent. His manager was about to
throw in the towel to signal to the referee that his boxer was finished; a
defeated man. At that point the fighter
got a "second wind." He
informed his manager he not only wanted to finish the match, but he felt he
could win. The manager, skeptical about
these claims, reluctantly let him continue the fight. To the manager's surprise and chagrin the
young boxer was a changed fighter. He
won the next four rounds and in remarkable fashion knocked his opponent out in
the last round to win the bout. When
asked by a sports commentator about his turnaround from a defeated fighter to a
champion the boxer replied, "I was down, but not out."
Like the boxer, as
Christians, we fall down but we get up.
Jesus is like that fan in the audience saying you can win if you stick
with Me. Satan and sin want to keep us
down and deprive us the joy of eternal victory in Christ. God gives us a second chance (second
wind). We can and we will get the
victory! QED
"Knowledge is
an Asset, Ignorance is a Liability"
*Brother Bill
Dickens is currently the Church School Teacher at Allen AME Church in Tacoma,
Washington. He is currently a member of the Fellowship of Church
Educators for the African Methodist Episcopal Church
18.
MEDITATION BASED
ON PSALM 27:
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby
My assignment as a Presiding Elder requires me
to visit each of the 32 churches in the Beaufort District at least four times a
year. I just returned from a visit to one of those churches - Greater
Mount Olive AME Church in Smoaks, South Carolina. It took me more than an
hour and a half to get there, but only an hour to return to Charleston.
The time discrepancy resulted from
Charleston’s “rush hour” traffic. The region’s population has grown
faster than the highway infrastructure, so peak traffic times mean massive
traffic delays. I’ve grown accustomed to that, but I always marvel at the
“fender bender” accidents that are common in that heavy traffic - I saw three
of them today.
Those minor accidents were caused by those who
were either in a hurry to reach their destinations and weave in and out of
traffic or those who were so frustrated by the heavy traffic that they
“tailgate” and roll into the vehicles in front of them. Those accidents
wouldn’t happen if the drivers involved would accept the reality of the
traffic, plan as best as they can to cope with it and appreciate the virtue of
waiting and taking their time.
Waiting, planning and coping are virtues in
today’s world that go beyond the aggravation of heavy traffic. We live in
a fast-paced world, where all of us face demanding situations that often
require immediate action.
It’s easy, in this fast-paced world, to get
frustrated and aggravated and to press for immediate solutions to demanding
dilemmas. Our doing so, however, can often lead us to new roadblocks and
new challenges that confound us and often lead to emotional injury when we
can’t “fix” things on our timetable.
We’d do well - in this fast-paced world - to
slow down and let God order our steps and guide our feet. When we do so, God
will guide us to where we need to be when we need to be there and give us
patience, well-being and peace of mind along the way.
Take the time, as one Psalmist said, to “Wait
on the Lord and be of good courage.” When you do, God will bless you,
provide for you, comfort you, keep you, bring you victory and help you to
appreciate a song of my ancestors in the faith that says, “God may not come
when you want Him, but He’s right on time.”
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby is the Presiding Elder of the Beaufort District of the South
Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church
19.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Third Episcopal
District regretfully announces the passing of the Reverend Christopher M.
Ferguson, on Sunday, April 17, 2016. The Reverend Ferguson most recently served
as the pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Middletown, Ohio.
Please keep his wife, Mrs. Jill Ferguson; son, Mr. Christopher Ferguson, Jr.;
daughter Ms. Ashley Ferguson and other family members and friends in prayer.
Celebration of Life
arrangements are as follows:
Saturday, April,
23, 2016
Bethel African
Methodist Episcopal Church
1507 Yankee Road
Middletown, Ohio
45044
Telephone: (513)
423-8532
Fax: (513) 424-1848
The Reverend
William C. Roberts II, pastor
Bishop McKinley
Young, Eulogist
Visitation/Calling
hour: 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Funeral: 11:30 a.m.
Interment: Woodside
Cemetery
Care is entrusted
to:
Hall Jordan &
Pretty Memorial Chapel
918 South Main
Street
Middletown, Ohio
45044
Telephone: (513)
422-4641
Fax: (513) 422-5550
Expressions of
Sympathy may be forwarded to:
Mrs. Jill Ferguson
1422 Young Street
Middletown, Ohio
45044
Or at the following
online site:
20.
CONNECTIONAL LAY ORGANIZATION BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Sister Annie Mae McBride, mother of Sister LuCretia
McBride, Financial Secretary of the East Conference of the of the Eleventh
Episcopal District
Funeral Services
will be held:
Saturday, April 23,
2016 - 11:00 a.m.
Saint Stephen AME
Church
913 W. 5th Street
Jacksonville,
Florida
Telephone: (904)
358-0099
Professional
Services Entrusted to:
McKinney Family
Funeral Home
6507 Beaver Street,
Jacksonville,
Florida
Telephone: (904)
389-7790.
Cards &
Condolences may be sent to:
LuCretia McBride
1509 West 28th
Street
Jacksonville,
Florida 32209
Telephone: (904)
768-3345
21.
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
22. 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
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