The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the 20th Editor, The Christian Recorder
-- Ascension Day - Thursday, May 5, 2016
-- Pentecost - Sunday, May 15, 2016
The 50th Quadrennial Session of the General
Conference, July 6-13, 2016
-- Massacre of Emanuel 9, June 17
1. TCR EDITORIAL – TOO MANY
DISTRACTIONS – CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG FOR THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL, PART 2:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
A friend commented
to me about my editorial, entitled, “Too
Many Distractions – Can’t We All Just Get Along for the Work of the
Gospel.” His take on the editorial was
that I am blaming parishioners and members for many of the failures in local
churches.
He explained that he had another take on the subject and believed there
was enough blame to go around as it related to the shortcomings in many local
churches. He wanted me to understand that the issue is much deeper than the
absence of millennials and “nones,” those who professed no religious or
denominational preferences. He was also adamant that the problem is bigger than
the parishioners and members.
I was curious and anxious to hear his take on what contributed to local
churches being “less than great” and in some cases failing to fulfill the
Mission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the failure to make a
significant impact upon the spiritual and everyday lives of the members of the
local church and definitely little or no impact upon the local community. He was vocal and I could tell that he had
strong feelings about my “hit” on the failures of local church members.
He reiterated that
there was enough blame to go around. He
“reminded” me that I had been in the military and he said he knew that I was
aware of the responsibility of leaders.
In the military and in corporate America, and probably around the world,
“leaders are responsible for the successes or failures of the
organization.” He went on to say, the
failures of a local church cannot be blamed on the members; the bulk of the
blame falls on the shoulders of the pastor; and maybe on the presiding elder
who fails to provide supervision and resources; and the bishop who may have
made a flawed pastoral appointment.
I shook my head in
agreement and tended to agree with my friend, but I interjected that I have
been told and have observed situations where the church members just won’t
cooperate with the pastor.
My friend had a
“gotcha moment,” I could see it in his eyes. He said, “As in secular
institutions, failure is a leadership issue!
When companies or a military unit fails, they don’t fire the customers
or the clients, and in the military, they don’t fire the soldiers; they fire or
terminate the leader!”
He had me
speechless because I knew he was right. He continued, “I think pastors need to
be held more strictly responsible when the local church is not functioning at a
successful level of competency. It’s the pastor’s responsibility to motivate
parishioners, fulfill the duties of the pastoral ministry and the
administrative ministry, positively impact the spiritual lives of parishioners
and insure the local church makes a positive impact in the community.”
My friend was on a
roll! He went on to say, leadership and
supervision starts at the top with the bishops, presiding elders and pastors.
If, at any level, the responsibility of leadership is abdicated, failure or ineffectiveness
will most certainly be the result.
I couldn’t stop my
friend and he continued, “I have observed some pastors who are not pastoring in
the present, they are anxiously positioning themselves for the next bigger and
better pastoral appointment or an appointment to be a presiding elder; or maybe
to be a bishop or general officer. I have seen pastors make obviously flawed
recommendations and nominations for the local church leadership. Everything
they do is geared to make them look good and competent. Their recommendations and appointments are
not necessarily made for organizational success, but to minimize conflict and
to give the appearance that everything is working well.”
I was getting ready
to interject a point, but he raised a question. “Have you ever noticed that
some of the officers in our churches don’t seem excited about being stewards
and trustees?” Sometimes pastors have to beg them to serve. And, sometimes the
same people serve year after year and the church becomes stagnant because no
new ideas or fresh initiatives are incorporated into the ministry of the local
church. The “same-o, same-o” and the same lukewarm results and the few members
get used to a lukewarm and stale local church religious program and mediocrity
becomes the accepted norm.
I was getting ready
to mention a point that I have made on numerous occasions and it was the
observation that in black Baptist churches, deacons seem to take their
responsibilities seriously and are so proud to be ordained and called, “Deacon
so and so…” My friend quickly agreed and
said, in the Baptist churches I am familiar with, the pastor takes seriously
the ordaining of those to be ordained Baptist deacons.
[A quick thought
crossed my mind. Baptist and COGIC preachers are not ordained unless they have
an assigned pastoral ministry. It seems
that we AMEs are ordaining folks at our annual conferences that we know we
don’t have churches or a pastoral appointment. But, I will hold that for
another editorial.]
He went on say,
“Many AME pastors nominate, recommend, and appoint people who are unwilling and
sometimes incompetent. When was the last time you saw or heard about trustee
training within sixty days after their election and prior to the Quarterly
Conference as required in The Doctrine
and Discipline? Tell me, per The
Doctrine and Discipline, in the church you attend, who has the pastor
appointed as the instructor of the trustees? When was the last time, if ever,
have you known a steward board to conduct a survey of the membership in the
third quarter of the conference year? When have you seen evidence that steward
boards of a local church sent Certified Membership Rolls to the General Church
Secretary?”
I was getting the
sense that he was satisfied that he had made his point that the parishioners
and membership were not fully responsible for local church ineffectiveness, but
that the church officers and especially pastors, in a larger sense, were
ultimately responsible.
I had a point to
make. Pastors are ultimately responsible
because they appoint, nominate, and recommend persons for leadership
responsibilities. In most cases, pastors have the final word. Pastors need to be smart enough to choose,
recommend, and appoint competent people; and to take the time to train them.
Now, I was on a roll. Persons who accept leadership roles in the
local church should have the spiritual, moral and ethical responsibilities to
take their positions seriously. The church is in spiritual warfare, and in that
sense we are all soldiers.
Church work is not
a popularity contest. The church is not without conflict. Wherever you have people, there will be
conflict. Marriages, workplaces, schools, military units and organizations all
have conflict, but healthy organizations and relationships effectively deal
with conflict.
It’s true; pastors
need to have a discerning spirit to recognize spiritual maturity and
competency. But it is also true that
church officers are adults and they should have a yearning, competency and
motivation to be their best when it comes to God’s work.
A pastoral
objective should be to set up a high-performing organization that requires
minimum oversight and minimum supervision.
Leadership positions should be filled with spiritually, highly
competent, well-trained individuals. If those persons are not already in the
church, the pastor and local leaders need to evangelize and recruit leaders to
the local church. That’s a pastoral responsibility.
Some things in life
happen, but leadership doesn’t just happen.
And, sometimes as
it relates to pastoral discernment, in many churches, spiritually competent
leaders are already sitting in the pews, but they are ignored because they
don’t belong to the “in-group” or they are not the “pastor’s pet.”
Bishops and
presiding elders also bear some responsibility for what happens in local
churches. Bishops make pastoral
appointments and presiding elders are tasked with being managers, but pastors,
presiding elders and bishops will be addressed in the next couple of
editorials.
My friend and I
ended in agreement that the inefficiencies, incompetence and failures in the
local church does not just fall on the shoulders of the parishioners, but
failure to move a local church from “good to great” also falls on the shoulders
of local church officers.
When we ended, I had time to think about our
conversation and again, I wonder if too many local church leaders are “playing church.”
Some other distractions came to mind, which I
have labeled, “The Sins of a Local Church Leader.”
Here are a few that pastors and local churches
have to deal with in ministry.
1) A local church leader,
i.e., steward, trustee, president of local church organizations, who thinks
that his or her way is the only alternative for accomplishing the ministry of
the local church and who has little, or no respect for pastoral authority.
2) A local church leader who
does not read the Bible and who does not have a disciplined prayer life and/or
fails to attend Bible Study or Sunday School. A person who serves as a leader
in the local church should, at a minimum, attend Bible Study or Sunday School.
3) A church leader who fails to regularly attend
Sunday worship services and other special church programs.
4) A local church leader
who accepts the position, but not the responsibilities of the office and who
fails to function in his or her appointed or elected position. As an example, The
Doctrine and Discipline states that a steward must be “…of solid piety,
know and love the Word of God, the African Methodist Episcopal Church doctrine
and The Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.”
Of trustees, The Discipline says, “A trustee shall manage
all the temporal concerns of the church…” and take care of and improve the
property, i.e., if a light bulb burns out, a trustee should see that it’s
replaced.
5) A local church leader
who doesn’t own or has not read or studied the current issue of The Doctrine
and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The current issue
is the 2012 edition, which will soon be replaced by the 2016 edition. At
the close of the 2016 General Conference, a new Doctrine and Discipline will be printed and pastors, local
church leaders, and laity will need to purchase The 2016 edition.
6) A local church leader
who fails to read AME Church periodicals and who fails to keep abreast of
current events in the AME Church. A local church leader who doesn’t understand
the AME Church is a “less-effective” or “non-effective” church leader.
7) A local church leader
who does not tithe and/or does not financially support the spiritual and
temporal mission of the church.
8) A fearful local
church leader without backbone, who sees problems, but fails to address the
needed changes to rectify problems in the local church, e.g., a steward who
senses that a pastor is making inappropriate or destructive decisions, but
doesn’t have the courage to speak to the pastor; or trustees who are too lazy
to change a light bulb or see to it that the grass is mowed or that trash is
picked up around the church.
9) A local church leader who
has little or no sense of the spiritual mission of the church and does not
understand or particularly like the AME Church, AME liturgy and tradition.
10) A local church
leader who is a, “yes man” or a “yes woman” and who is afraid to provide
counsel and honest feedback to the pastor. He or she sees the local
church failing; but he or she is too cowardly to appropriately address the
issues. There is an appropriate way to address issues, and there is an
inappropriate way to address issues.
11) A local church leader who fails to encourage
the pastor and who neglects the pastor and his or her family. A great
local church leader encourages the pastoral leadership. For instance, local
church leaders should take responsibility and ownership for the care of the
pastor’s spiritual and physical well-being. Local church leaders should
insist that the pastor take regularly scheduled annual/semi annual physical
examinations and regularly scheduled dental appointments. Church officers
should encourage their pastors to take vacations and insist that their pastors
take time for relaxation, and spend time with their families. A healthy,
well-rested pastor is a more effective pastor.
12) A mean-spirited local
church officer, a preacher-fighter who fights every pastor and every program.
2. TCR OP-ED - A STRATEGY FOR
DEVELOPING EPISCOPAL DISTRICTS 14 - 20:
*The Reverend
Willard Machiwenyika (P.E.)
The African
Methodist Episcopal Church is a global church, with very good and proper
administration systems. What worries me much is what is called or referred
as the developing episcopal districts. I always asked my self the following
questions: How shall we develop and for how long shall we remain
developing?
A more efficient
system of episcopal oversight is needed in Episcopal Districts 14 – 20 and
especially on the continent of Africa.
We need to star somewhere. Here
is a recommended strategy.
The Bishops
appointed to serve the oversees districts (14-20) and in many cases they are
expected to serve more than one country, with provinces and districts in which
the cultures ,values, norms and even languages vary from each other. My own episcopal district is comprised of more
than five (5) countries and the five countries have more than 10 provinces with
some districts, which also differ in languages, values, norms, cultures,
economic backgrounds and even traditions.
The AME Church is a
global organization with many languages, cultures, and customs. If the church
is to grow, we must find ways to accommodate the various cultures and customs.
The AME Church cannot and must not “mirror” colonialism.
Here is one
suggested model
The Presiding
Bishop appointed by the General Conference to the overseas districts (14-20,
would be referred to as “Bishop President.” The Bishop President oversees the
episcopal district. Another layer would
be added to the episcopal district with what I would refer to as “Local
Bishops,” (Whatever they are called, e.g., jurisdictional bishops, assistant
bishops, etc.) who are either elected or appointed by the “Bishop President.”
The “local bishops”
should not be elected for life and that they are not transferred from one
province to the other or from one region to the other, for they
would be called “Local Bishops.” They should be appointed or elected (the
details would need to be worked out). The local bishops must work “hand with
glove” with the assigned Presiding Prelate assigned by the General Conference.
The elected,
consecrated and appointed presiding bishop would be the president of the “local
bishops.” A “local bishops would supervise the presiding elders in accordance
to the cultures, values, norms, languages and even economic developments of a
given region or province so that the church may not contradict the societal
values.
Such a system would
make for a more efficient system and make it easier for the assigned “Bishop
President to manage the episcopal district. The assigned bishop (Bishop
President) would meet only once with the “local bishops” to assess the
development of the episcopal district, rather than the Bishop President
travelling from one country to another and within the same country from
conference to conference meeting people with different languages, cultures,
customs, traditions and difference economic backgrounds.
I think with this
type of a structure in place the church will develop and grow from the
grassroots up to the connectional as compared to what it is now especially
in the developing episcopal districts
"Ebenezer"
- This is where the Lord have taken me.
I love African
Methodist Episcopal Church
*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.
3. READER RESPONSE TO
EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
-- To the Editor:
RE: Response to TCR Op-Ed: "Where Are We Going/What Does That Mean
The
words of the Rev. Willard Machiwenyika so resonated with me and many others, I
am sure.
I
applaud this Presiding Elder of the Muare District of the North East Zimbabwe
Annual Conference of the 20th Episcopal District. It takes a lot of
courage to admit to the failures of the leadership of our beloved Zion, but it
must be done if we are to remain Christian disciples. Jesus called out the
hypocrites of his day (church folk) who washed their outsides, but inside were
full of extortion and self-indulgence--beautiful on the outside, but inside
were full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. The leaders were called
blind guides because they did things like strain their water so they wouldn't
accidentally swallow a gnat, but then swallowed a camel! That reminds me of those
who preach the Word, but never heed that Word. Woe unto them, but woe unto us
who can read the word and understand for ourselves. Woe unto us who have equal
access to the teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit and we stand idly by and
do nothing--we continue with business as usual without so much as the
acknowledgement that we are being led astray.
Thank
you, Rev. Machiwenyika, for your comparison/contrast of the missionary and the
mercenary. Certainly the “Great Commission” calls for missionaries.
Furthermore, all of us would do well to give study to the warnings of the
unacceptable fast of Isaiah 58 and the cursed giving of Malachi, as well as the
foot washing of our Creator in the Gospel of John, Chapter 13. Romans 3:23
records, "We have all sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God."
Let's
repent and get back to work--on the Lord's side, because ultimately pointing
fingers does not help.
Someone
once said that it did no good to straighten up the chairs on the Titanic
because that ship was going down. Forget the chairs of our Zion: let's seize
hold of the Lifeline, Jesus the
Christ!
The
Rev. Janice Casey
-- Letter to the Editor:
RE:
Too Many Distractions – Can’t We All Just Get Along for the Work of the Gospel
The
laity bears some of the blame, not all.
Many
pastors are functioning to get the NEXT, BETTER appointment and every move they
make is calculated to serve their selfish interest for a better appointment and
not to serve the community where they are currently appointed. Pastors also
placate ineffective, insincere, and incompetent church officers and
"leaders" because they have the "deep pockets" and carry
weight with the presiding elder or bishop. Pastors are afraid to challenge
these so-called leaders and allow them to make poor decisions which do not
serve the best interests of the church.
In the best of circumstances, however, I have seen good pastors worn
down by mean-spirited congregations. As
a parishioner, I say failure primarily vests with the leaders in the membership
because they hold the "Sword of
Damocles" over the pastors' heads... "appointments"/ appeals
to the bishop. pastors live to survive
another year for a renewed appointment or a better appointment...
If
pastors could be assured that they would have the support of their presiding
elder and bishop, perhaps they would demonstrate stronger leadership.
Name
Withheld
4.
NEWS AROUND THE AME CHURCH:
--
Baltimore clergy on riots: 'It was our rites of passage'
"It was our rites
of passage," said Bryant, with Empowerment Temple AME Church. "(It
was) a defining moment where we became connected to the ...
Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/baltimore-clergy-on-riots-it-was-our-rites-of-passage/39051922
--
150-year-old Allen Chapel church somehow loses address
Somehow, a new condo
development was assigned the church's address – and the church wants it back.
All the mail that
comes to the Allen Chapel AME Church is addressed to 629 E. 11th
Street. But now that same address is assigned to the Park 10 condominiums being
developed by Milhaus Construction.
Read more: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/150-year-old-allen-chapel-church-somehow-loses-address
--
Oldest African-American church in Indiana capital sold to hotel developer after
failing to collect...
The front and western
side of Bethel A.M.E. Church, located at 414 W. Vermont Street in Indianapolis,
Indiana, U.S.A. Built in 1869, it is listed on the ...
Read
more: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/150-year-old-allen-chapel-church-somehow-loses-address
5.
ST. PAUL AME MEN OF ALLEN EMBRACE 5,000 ROLE MODELS OF EXCELLENCE PROJECT:
*Dr. Cora H. Reed
The Men of Allen of
St. Paul AME Church of Jacksonville, Florida have embraced young men associated
with the nationally recognized 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project. This
initiative assists at- risk minority boys. Members of The Men of Allen serve as
Mentors. On Sunday, April 24, 2016, Joseph Coppock, local president, presented
dress shirts and red ties for Mentees that were donated by St. Paul disciples.
Participants wear long sleeved dress shirts and red ties when making group
appearances. Representative Tony Hill and Larry Roziers, administrator with the
Duval County School System, gave accolades to the Sons of Allen for serving as
Mentees and connecting with our black youth. He further stated that the young
men went to the Capital in Tallahassee and were elevated from, "suspect to
prospect." He further reported that their program is about bringing HOPE.
The oldest Mentor, Dr. Sollie Mitchell is 97 years old.
As Reverend Dr.
Marvin C. Zanders, Il Pastor of St. Paul introduced the preacher of the hour,
Rev. Henry E. Green, Jr., Pastor of Mt. Herman AME Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He
remarked that it was so appropriate to have Reverend Green as speaker because
he served as the First Connectional President of the Sons of Allen of the AME
Church.
Dr. Green's
selected text was recorded in 1 Samuel 30: 1- 8. His sermon topic was “I Want
My Stuff Back."
God's anointed
conduit delivered a powerful message. He stated emphatically, that we can take
back everything that the devil has taken from us: our children, grandchildren,
marriages, joy, wealth, and character.
He assured us there are always reasons to praise God. He further
declared that we should praise God because He awakened us this morning, with
the activity and use of our limbs and clothed in our right minds. When we are
working for God, it is important to stay prayed up. David, a man after God's
own heart stole away and talked to God for himself, when his family and wealth
had been taken by the enemy, while he and the soldiers were away. God assured David that he should, "Go
and take his stuff back."
We too must talk to
God for ourselves and take back all that the devil has taken from us. Dr.
Green's message was so compelling and clear that two visitors accepted Christ
as their Savior. It is important to note that one of the persons who accepted
Christ was a male youth.
*Dr. Cora H. Reed
is the Public Relations Chairperson at St. Paul AME Church in Jacksonville,
Florida
6. AME CONNECTIONAL CHURCH- ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016:
Trinity AME Church,
located in Waukegan, IL, is one of 20 churches in
the Milwaukee District/Chicago Conference/4th Episcopal. The Reverend
Walter Bauldrick is the Presiding Elder and our bishop is the Right Reverend
John R. Bryant, who is the Senior Bishop of the AME Church.
Trinity
AME regularly participates in the AME Connectional Church and this year we
adopted the local theme, "Prayer Is
What We Do! “
There
were many planned activities throughout the day and our nearly 14-hour day of
prayer began with a 6:30 a.m. Morning
Glory prayer conference call facilitated by Trinity AME’s pastor, the Reverend
Janice Brazil Cummings. The meditation and prayer theme was "I Am Thine O Lord." Trinitarians also participated
in a second conference call with the Connectional Prayer and despite the
initial technology challenges, we were very grateful to share the this
wonderful experience with other AMEs.
For
the day’s activities, we specially decorated the sanctuary, using a throne room
motif; it was also utilized as a place to simply come and pray. Chairpersons
Sisters Renee Jones and Ella Williams arranged activities that for all members,
including our youth, young adults and adult male members.
Additional
activities included:
“With Our Hands Lifted Up”- Prayer in the Church Sanctuary led by
Pastor Jan and the Reverend LaWanda Pope; a workshop on Transforming Your Prayer Life (participants were treated to lunch);
a nursing home visit/ministry to church members by Evangelist Sylvarita Bell; “Somebody Prayed for Me” Neighborhood
Walk led by Sister Renee Jones; a Young
Adults Prayer Time on Face book led by Sister Rochelle Shipley; a Men of Trinity Outreach Prayer Time led
by Brothers Ali Cobb and Don Quinn and a S.W.A.G.
Prayer time for the youth led by the Reverend LaWanda Pope.
Sister
Gaylis Shakir also conducted an Intercessory
Prayer and Devotion Session. It began with the singing of "What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” followed
by prayer, Scripture: John 17 (verses where Jesus prayed for the disciples and
for the believers). Then she lifted the names before God of
everyone who had submitted a prayer request. The circumstances surrounding the requests
for prayers were lifted confidentially, while participants first prayed quietly
individually and then aloud in a prayer circle.
The
entire day was spirit-filled, with much prayer and high praise, and it was
obvious that The Day of Prayer event
planners were intentional about structuring activities to pray for the Church
membership, our own families and our community.
Trinity
AME is the oldest African-American church in Lake County, Illinois and is
located on the north shore of Chicago. Nearly 4 years ago, the Rev. Janice Brazil
Cummings was appointed by Bishop Bryant to lead this historical church to
greater heights. Through the power of persistent and fervent prayer by
the saints, we are enjoying new and fresh spiritual winds, and lives are being
transformed. The church is quickly becoming an Intergenerational Church
and one where neighborhood residents are finding shelter, in God’s house, from
life’s storms.
Submitted
by the Reverend Janice Brazil Cummings, Pastor
7.
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION BANQUET:
The Rev. Tarachel
Benjamin Goodman
The Reverend Dr.
Saundra Bullock-Hunter saw a need for local women to be honored for their work
and proceeded to do something about it. On March 12, 2016, Pastor
Bullock-Hunter and the members of Poplar Springs AME Church in North Carolina
honored 7 inspirational women for their efforts in the Sanford community. The
Rev. Dr. Bullock-Hunter and the members of Poplar Springs AME Church hosted an
awards banquet to recognize their service to the community and honored persons
to include the former mayor of Sanford, North Carolina and a Moore County
justice department paralegal.
In the midst of
Women’s History Month, the Women of Distinction banquet, allowed the community
to further celebrate the accomplishments of women in their local community. As Reverend Dr. Saundra Bullock-Hunter said,
“The glue that holds a house together is a woman. The glue that holds a
community together will be women because we work hard. We think beyond the
normalcy.”
This banquet
signified the first of many future banquets that will honor the many women that
help hold the Sanford community together.
8.
5000 TOOTHBRUSHES / 3000 BOTTLES OF WATER:
*The Rev. Darryl R.
Williams
Jesus intended for
the Gospel to go global. That’s exactly what Jesus had in mind when he stated,
“And you shall receive power, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The power wasn’t to
be given to “get your praise on” (and yes, God is worthy of our praise”), it
was given so that we may be his witnesses all over the world.
St. Mark African
Methodist Episcopal Church in Milwaukee, WI clearly understands the missional
nature of the church. Recently, we collected 5000 toothbrushes for some of the
most impoverished places in each of our overseas districts and 3000 bottles of
water for Flint, MI. The Gospel, our pastor, the Rev. Darryl R. Williams states
is “best expressed in our scattering and not our gathering. The nature of the
church is missional, and that is best expressed in deed, and not solely by
Word. I believe one of the major tasks of every pastor is to discern what God
is already doing, and then rally the people of faith to participate in it.”
I think we forget
that Jesus had a mission. That mission was to share the Good News with the
entire world. The calling of the disciples was for the fulfillment of that
mission. At St. Mark, we understand that we are the fulfillment of that
mission. We don’t have programs to make it appear we are missional, but through
daily interaction with the Word of God, we become the living embodiment of that
mission.
Finally, the
“Ekklesia”, the Body of Christ is corporate in nature, though it has various
expressions in the form of local congregations, the entire Body had been called
to the mission of being witnesses to the world. Knowing that, under the
leadership of our pastor we pulled together the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the
Top Ladies of Distinction and various local churches.
We are thankful for
a pastor who challenges us to “go and be”, and not one who wants people to
“come and see”. He is a servant and teacher for us as well as for the entire
city.
A Religion that
Counts
Take
away from me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear them, but let justice
roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream (Amos 5:23-24).
In the formative
years of Israel’s history it was not uncommon for the people of the religious
community to hear readings from the torah such as:
“Hear,
O Israel: The Lord our God is one.
Love the Lord your God with all of your
heart and with your soul and with your strength. These commandments I give unto
you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about
them when you sit at home and when you lie down and when you get up (Deut
6:6-8).
This scripture and
those similar to it were meant to give the nation instruction and by doing so,
give them an identity and a purpose. As long as they stayed faithful as a
people of the covenant, they could always expect to hear readings that affirmed
them as a nation. However, even a casual reader of the scriptures knows that
they did not stay faithful, they did chase after the other gods.
“You have lifted up the shrine of your king,
the pedestal of your idols, the star of your god-which
you made for yourselves (Amos 5:26).
My brothers and
sisters it is very difficult to reconcile the dearth of prophetic preaching in
twenty-first century America considering the many instances that makes it clear
that America needs a moral compass.
It bothered me to
see African American preachers supporting political candidates who disrespect
the people they purportedly serve; it bothers me to see what Michelle Alexander
calls the new Jim Crow - the mass incarceration of African American men for
offenses a white person would get little or no prison time; it bothers me to
see our urban streets turned into war-zones because there are too many guns and
too few jobs; it bothers me to see the miseducation of our children because our
schools are overcrowded and under-resourced. But, what bothers me most is
Christianity’s deafening silence!
I am proud to be an
AME because when there were voices heard across the land amidst the injustices
done against humanity, more than often they were AME voices. All too often, some of our other brothers or
sisters in broader faith communities have been guilty of simply showing up for
worship. Too often in the faith community the focus is on our needs rather than
the needs of the people outside our doors of the sanctuary.
This was the sin of
the nation of Israel that gave rise to Amos pronouncement. They were good at
worship, but their worship was for their needs; they forgot about the larger community
– the poor, the widows and the orphans. So their worship meant nothing to God.
This is not an indictment against worship and praise, but against a religious
culture that allows us to ignore the suffering around us.
Israel became so
preoccupied with the Jewish religious system until they lost their social
consciousness. That is indicative in our text. I believe God is calling us
back. God is calling us to reconnect with our roots as a liberating and
reconciling people; reconnect to the truth that one cannot be authentic in
their relationship with God without helping those that are the least of these:
“Then the righteous will answer him, Lord,
when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to
drink? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you? Then the king
will reply, ‘I tell you to truth, whatever you did for one of the least of
these, you did it for me.’”
*The Rev. Darryl R.
Williams is the pastor of St. Mark A.M.E. Church in Milwaukee, WI
9. THE 35TH
ANNUAL EMBRY DAY:
*Linda Butler
On Sunday March 13, 2016, Embry African Methodist
Episcopal Church in College Park (Lakeland), Maryland celebrated its 35th
Annual Embry Day.
In 1981, then Pastor Dessie Carter presented an
alternative idea to Women’s Day and Men’s Day.
He suggested that the women and men unite to support one annual program
instead of the competition we had for a small church.
The thought was that we could exceed the goals of
the two separate programs by putting all our efforts into one day and giving a
small portion of what the Lord gives us.
The second Sunday in March of each year is designated as Embry Day. The success of Embry Day depends on the
commitment of the Embry Family. We’ve
met our commitments through prayer, faith, and sacrifice.
For our 35th year celebrated, we were
honored to have the Rev. Dr. Marie Philips Braxton, wife of Presiding Elder
Ronald Eugene Braxton of the Potomac District as our preacher.
Dr. Braxton took her text from Hebrews
16:19-20. Three questions were
asked: “What memories do you have from
Embry Day of last Year? What spiritual awakening did you experience from Embry
Day long ago? And, what do you want
Jesus to do for you?”
It’s one thing to hear about Jesus, but it’s
another thing to know Jesus for yourself.
In order for a spiritual awakening to occur in our lives, we must be
intentional in our request and know that everyone’s spiritual awakening is not
the same.
Embry Day has continued under the leadership of
our current pastor, Rev. Dr. Edna C. Jenkins who has been at Embry since 2004.
As we unite in worship on each Embry Day, we
loudly proclaim “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it”
God is our leader and we are prayerful that Embry
African Methodist Episcopal Church will continue to celebrate Embry Days and
rejoice in the Lord for years to come.
*Linda Butler is a member of commission on Public
Relations and Class Leader at Embry AME Church
10. NAACP STATEMENT
ON ANNIVERSARY OF BALTIMORE UNREST:
BALTIMORE, MD – The NAACP today released the
following statement on the one year anniversary of Baltimore unrest:
“One year ago today, the NAACP and the nation
watched in shock as police in riot gear confronted a mob of teenagers on the
streets of Baltimore, sparking a series of fires and acts of violence that
caused more than 200 arrests and resulted in millions in damage to property in
one day. It was hard to witness, as the streets of the city that is home to our
national headquarters became engulfed in chaos.
“The unrest of Baltimore on April 27, 2015
shocked many people, in Baltimore city and across the country, into confronting
the history of segregation, racism, and indifference of the past, and its role
in mass unemployment, crime, poverty and neglect that remain today.
“As has happened in Ferguson, in Chicago, in
Minneapolis, Charleston and in hundreds of other towns and cities across the
United States, the death of Freddie Gray has also sparked a birth of new civic advocacy
in its wake and spurred a new dialogue on the state of racism in our nation.
That day of violence last year has quickly
shifted to meaningful and nonviolent actions that turned the conversation to
the future. Last night, more than 123,000 residents of Baltimore city turned
out to elect new candidates for mayor and city council running on platforms of
change and new opportunity. Thousands of people have joined together in efforts
to rebuild and work to create a safer, healthier and more inclusive city.
“Under new leadership, the city police are
working with the U.S. Department of Justice to implement long-overdue reforms
to police tactics, training and policy, and reestablishing strained relations
and trust within communities across Baltimore.
“The problems of poverty, crime, unemployment and
neglect remain significant in Baltimore city and across this country. As we
pause today to reflect on the life and death of Freddie Gray and the future of
Baltimore and our nation, we hope that more people draw from the lessons of a
year ago, confront the mistakes of past policies and work to resolve the
inequities caused by racial and geographic separation.”
11. THE TRUTH IS THE LIGHT:
*The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins
Based on Biblical Texts: Numbers 21:8: And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a
fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every
one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.
John 3:14: And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
lifted up
I guess the first thing we need to consider is what it is
like to be bitten by a snake. Many of us have not had that unfortunate
experience. However, those that have tell us that it is a painful experience. I
am told that even if the snake is not poisonous, his teeth are so full of
bacteria that we are certain to get sick from the bite.
The truth of the matter is many of us don’t even consider
the dangers of snakebite until it happens. Think about it, we often work in
dangerous territory without a weapon for defense. It is not until the snake
bites that we are concerned about a cure. At that point we are frantic!
The text occurs during a time when Moses dealt with snakes
while trying to find safe passage from the Red Sea to the Promised Land. The
journey was so tough that folk started complaining. Mind you, these were the
same people who a short time ago had witnessed God parting the Red Sea to save
them from Pharaoh’s army. The same people, I might add, who had been in bondage
for over 400 years before being set free.
The people got tired and began complaining. The Lord,
tired of their mumbling and complaining, sent fiery poisonous serpents into
their camp to bite them. They did not have an antidote or cure for snakebite so
many died. Moses petitioned God for mercy and He gave him the cure. “And the
Lord said unto Moses, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and
it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it,
shall live.” It proved to be the perfect cure as those who looked at the fiery
serpent on a stick did not die.
This writing speaks to those who have been so
dissatisfied with their situation that they have become a complainer. Warning,
complaining is, for the most part, futile. The truth of the matter is that
eighty percent of the people we complain to don’t care about our situation
anyway, and the other twenty percent feel that somehow we deserve what is
happening to us!
Complaining can be dangerous, but complaining to God can
be fatal. Do we dare complain to the One who provides the very air that we
breathe, or the water that we drink? Imagine for a moment what would happen if
God withdrew His divine protection from us and left us to the consequences of
our own vices. Yes, we shudder to think of the consequences yet, we bite the
hand that feeds us. We complain that we are not getting enough, and then we
wonder why we suffer so many snake bites.
Please understand that Satan is a snake, and he bites.
When God lifts His divine protection from us, Satan bites. Job is a great
example. When God lifted the hedge of protection from around him Satan bit, but
when God put the hedge back, God blessed. This lesson clearly warns that the
Snake, Satan, is a formidable enemy. His venom is powerful and poisonous. And
if we are not careful, he will bite us when we are not paying attention.
Complaining to God is dangerous, because He has the power
to lift His protection from us. Satan is a formidable enemy, and not to be
played with. We should learn from this text that it is wise to carry our
snakebite cure with us.
The truth of the matter is we fool around with Satan as
if he has no teeth. Some of us seem to be daring Satan to bite us. Warning,
Satan does have teeth! If Satan gets his teeth into us it would behoove us to
have our cure close at hand. Some may be asking, what is that cure? Well, for
Moses and the Israelites, it was the image of a fiery serpent on a stick.
However, for those of us who know the Lord in the pardon of our sins, we have
Jesus and the cross, high and lifted up. We may have been bitten, but thank God
we are still living, because Jesus is our cure for all of Satan’s snakebites.
The Word of God says, “If thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” We do not have to fear because
we have the cure for whatever Satan threatens to bring our way. And that cure
is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! “As
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be
lifted up.”
*The Reverend Dr.
Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is the pastor of Morris Brown AME Church in
Charleston, South Carolina
12. GETTING TO ZERO: VIEWS FROM THE TRENCHES – LOCAL NUMBERS
*Dr. Oveta Fuller
and Payne Theological Seminary student co-authors
*The Rev. Dr. Fuller is currently on Sabbatical leave
from the University of Michigan and will submit her column as her schedule permits.
13. iCHURCH
SCHOOL LESSON BRIEF FOR SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 - INCREASED FAITH -
DR. LUKE 17:1-10:
*Brother Bill
Dickens
Key
Verse: "And the disciples asked Him, increase our
faith!" (17:5)
Introduction
During economic
recessions, business, labor and government officials seek prudent steps to
address a wide-range of shortages.
Business leaders bemoan a shortage of customers to buy their
products. Labor officials cite a chronic
shortage of jobs and government leaders worry over a shortage of tax revenue
necessary to fund key social services. A
shortage suggests hardships are right around the corner. Economic hardships can be corrected if
society can somehow experience an increase in consumer spending, an expansion
in jobs and an augmentation in bank credit and financing critical to support a
growing economy. An increase in these
components restores consumer confidence and promotes stable, productive
lifestyles.
The Adult AME
Church School lesson for May 1, 2016 examines the issue about “increase”
applied to our faith-walk. When we
experience a shortage of faith we essentially become spiritual
underachievers. When the faith gas tank
is approaching “E” we need to get a fill-up.
Where can we go for
a fill up? Glad you asked. The answer is below.
Bible
Lesson - Faith and Honor
Our lesson
communicates two key attributes about faith.
Faith brings honor and faith cultivates duty. In verses 1 – 4, we see the first attribute,
honor.
Jesus opines that
choices carry important consequences. If
anyone knowingly offended innocent little children the alternative of being
choked with a millstone around his/her neck is better than facing a righteous
God ready to dispense judgment. This is
stern warning to child molesters and serial abusers. Such reprehensible behavior will be matched
with proportionate punishment. The
conversation continues about heinous acts that are committed by perpetrators. When should we forgive the offender and how
long is the forgiveness period? Jesus
makes clear there is no strict numerical number for forgiveness. If the offender repents of his misdeed(s) we
are instructed to forgive. Symbolically,
if this occurs seven times we forgive the person seven times seven or as often
as the act merits forgiveness. The dishonorable
response would be to limit forgiveness. The honorable response is to focus on
forgiving independent of some cut-off period.
Faith
and Duty
Given the honor of
forgiving the disciples are in need of an infusion of faith to forgive. They want their faith increased (v 5). Jesus replies by offering two teaching
examples.
In the first
example, Jesus cites the seed of a mustard tree. Though small in appearance the seed can grow
to a large tree. Our faith can grow like
the mustard seed. In the second example
Jesus conveys the compelling idea that faith is linked with duty. When we are called upon to perform certain
tasks, the expectation is that we will complete the task with efficiency and
accuracy. No extra applause or
commendation is needed because this is what we are expected to do (v
9-10). Faith cultivates duty. Our duty is to do the right thing always
without fanfare or special recognition.
Bible
Application
The story of Jabez
(I Chronicles 4:9-10) represents a person seeking specific divine favor.
The author of
Chronicles offers a brief biographical snapshot of Jabez noting that he was
more honorable among his siblings and that his mother endured much pain during
his birth. Jabez asks Jehovah God to
bless him, enlarge (increase) his territory and provide a hand of protection to
avoid hurt and harm. His appeal was
heard by Jehovah God and his request was granted. Jabez’s story is instructive because it
demonstrates why faith is important in seeking Divine favor.
We are quick to
prepare a “wish list” but all too often we lack the essential quality of faith
to translate the wish-list into concrete reality. Our deficiency in faith prevents us from
reaching our spiritual potential. This
deficiency can be overcome if we reset our priorities and redefine our
focus. A request for an increase in
faith is an acknowledgement that we can be better witnesses for Christ. Just
like shortages will slow down market economies a faith shortage will slow down
a believer’s relationship with Jesus. If
you want to experience the fullness of life, it requires rejecting the status quo level of faith and seeks an
increase in faith. The best part of a
faith increase is the economic cost is zero. 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
14.
MEDITATION BASED
ON II CORINTHIANS 5:11-17:
*The Rev. Dr.
Joseph A. Darby
I have almost zero skills when it comes to
actually doing building maintenance and repair, but 35 years of pastoral
ministry taught me some basic lessons. I learned a valuable lesson at one
of my early pastoral assignments, when an enthusiastic member offered to
repaint the church interior. The immediate results were beautiful, but
the job had to be done again within a year when the paint began to crack,
bubble up and peel off.
I learned, when we brought a professional in
to fix things, that you don’t just paint a wall. You first have to do some
cleaning, scraping, patching of holes and sanding of rough spots before
applying a coat of primer so that the new paint will properly adhere to the
wall. That preparatory work takes a little extra time and effort, but
it’s worth it because new paint that’s simply applied over old paint may look
good initially but doesn’t last.
That lesson in good building maintenance also
applies to our daily lives. The simple process of living in this world - and
making inevitable mistakes and bad choices along the way - leaves all of our
lives scarred by imperfections, rough spots and old faults and failings that
accumulate with the passage of time.
It’s easy for the best of us to choose the
easiest and quickest way to fix those things on our own - to cover them up with
our prosperity, our education, our friends, our “creature comforts” and
possessions and even with our piety - without letting the Lord step in, repair
us and change our lives. Our doing so may make us look good on the
outside, but can leave us with unresolved heartaches, headaches and problems on
the inside that often come to the surface sooner or later.
When we take the time, however, to let the
Savior who died for our sins fix, change and make us brand new creations, we
can leave old problems behind and walk in newness of life. We can find
new strength, new hope, new joy and new direction, and let our old
imperfections serve as reminders of what God can do.
Let the God of our salvation give you a
“Spiritual makeover.” When you do, your days will be brighter, your
burdens will be lighter and you’ll understand why one hymn writer said, “I
came to Jesus as I was, weary, worn and sad; I found in Him a resting place and
he has made me glad.”
*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
15.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to inform
you of the passing of Mrs. Ruby J. Alexander, the widow of the late Rev. Robert
H. Alexander, Sr. Mrs. Ruby J. Alexander
transitioned to her heavenly home, Sunday night shortly after 10:00 p.m. She is the mother of the Rev. James Avery
Alexander, Sr., pastor of St. Paul AME Church in Columbus, Georgia;
mother-in-law of Charmaine Alexander, Conn-M-SWAWO Financial Secretary, and
grandmother of James Alexander, Jr., General Board Member. She is also the
mother of Attorney Robert H. Alexander, Jr. of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Dr.
Sheila Alexander Kresch of North Haven, Connecticut.
She was a longtime
member of Avery Chapel AME Church in Oklahoma City, where she served as the
First Lady for 24 years during her husband's distinguished pastorate. She also
served as First Lady of Allen Chapel in Oklahoma City for eleven months
immediately prior to her husband's transition in 1976. Sister Ruby,
affectionately called, "Mother Ruby," lived 99 years & 11 months,
only nine days’ shy of celebrating her 100th birthday. She is greatly loved and
is greatly missed by her children, family members, and many others.
The homegoing
services will be Saturday, April 30, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at:
Avery Chapel AME
Church
1425 Kelham Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK
The Rev. D. Lavel
Crawford, pastor
The Rev. Harvey
Potts, Presiding Elder
Bishop Samuel L.
Green, Sr., Presiding Prelate
Mother Ruby may be
viewed from 10:00 a.m. -10:45 a.m. in the sanctuary prior to the services.
Arrangement has
been entrusted to:
Temple and Sons
Funeral Home
2801 N Kelley Ave
Oklahoma City, OK
73111.
In lieu of flowers,
the family asks for continuous prayer.
Written expressions
of sympathy to her family may be sent to the following:
The Rev. James
(Charmaine) Alexander, Sr.
P. O. Box 1532
Newnan, GA 30264
Attorney Robert H.
(Annita) Alexander, Jr.
2102 Silver Crest
Dr.
Edmond, OK 73025
Dr. Sheila (Mitch)
Alexander Kresch
Five Eleanor Road
North Haven, CT
06473
16.
CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We regret to
announce the passing of the Rev. James E. F. Lawrence, retired presiding elder
of the First Episcopal District. The Rev. Lawrence served as Presiding Elder of
the Western New York Annual Conference and the South District of the
Philadelphia Annual Conference.
The following
information has been provided regarding funeral arrangements.
Friday, April 29,
2016, Wake held 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
First Israel A.M.E.
Church
381 Hamilton Street
Albany, NY 12210
Telephone: (518)
463-8779
Fax: (518) 465-0495
The Rev. Edward B.
Smart, Pastor
Saturday, April 30,
2016
Viewing – 10:00
a.m.
Funeral – 12 noon
Macedonia Baptist
Church
26 Wilson Avenue
Albany, NY 12205
Telephone: (518)
489-4370
The Rev. Leonard D.
Comithier, Jr. pastor
Eulogist: The Rev.
Pedro Castro, Presiding Elder of the Western New York Annual Conference
Monday, May 2,
2016, Memorial Service at 6:00 p.m.
Hickman Temple
A.M.E. Church
5001 Baltimore
Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19143
Telephone: (215)
476-6489
Fax: (215) 472-3617
Pastor: The Rev.
Ronald L. Green
Eulogist: Bishop
Gregory G. M. Ingram, Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District,
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Condolences may be
sent to:
Mrs. Mitzi J.
Lawrence
207 ½ North Pearl
Street
Albany, NY 12207
17.
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
19. 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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