Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor, The Christian Recorder
1. SUMMARY OF CONVO XI AND THE GENERAL BOARD MEETING:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
This is the report that was sent from CONVO XI and the General Board Meeting that was held in Dallas, Texas on April 14-16, 2008. The term, "CONVO" is an abbreviation for "Convocation."
Monday / Tuesday April 14/15, 2008
CONVO XI is exciting and the participants are energized to address the issues facing the African Methodist Episcopal Church. CONVO XI is also looking at issues relating to the upcoming General Conference that will be held in St. Louis July 3-12, 2008. The Right Reverend McKinley, President of the General Board is the Chair of CONVO XI.
Bishops, retired bishops, active and former episcopal supervisors, general officers, retired general officers, connectional officers, presiding elders, pastors and laity from across the connection are gathering at this moment in Dallas, Texas.
Issues being addressed by CONVO XI include Ministry and Ministry; Issues surrounding the Board of Examiners; Funding; Strategic Planning Update and Recommendations; Governance and Order Restructure, Reorganization, Redistricting and Reformation, Delegation and Representation at the General Conference; and a Legislative Preview for the 48th Quadrennial Session for the General Conference. Plenary and small group sessions served as venues to address the issues.
The Reverend N. Jordan Mkwanazi, pastor of Metropolitan AME Church in Austin, Texas delivered a superb sermon entitled, "A celebration of Trust."
The Reverend Jerome Harris, Executive Director, Annuity-Investments and Insurance will deliver the "Sending" sermon on Tuesday at the closing CONVO XI event.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
CONVO XI closed on late Tuesday afternoon.
The General Board Meeting of the African Methodist Episcopal Church opened last night (4/15/08) with a worship service led by clergy and laity from the Eleventh Episcopal District.
A memorial service was held this morning (4/16/04) in memory of the late Reverend Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson, retired Secretary-Treasurer of the AME Sunday School Union.
Dr. Richard A. Lewis, Treasurer and CFO of the AME Church made a PowerPoint presentation of the proposed general budget and his proposed budget recommendations to the General Conference. The Rev. C. Garnett is the Chair for Statistics and Finance.
The discussion and the requested points for clarification from the bishops and members of the General Board provoked a spirited discussion, which went well into the night.
A high-energy discussion involved the equitable compensation for the indigenous African bishops and also in response of the report from the AME Reinsurance Taskforce.
The budget report continued until almost 11 p.m.; the chair, Bishop McKinley Young, took a vote for adjournment and the members of the General Board voted unanimously for adjournment.
This morning, following the devotional, the budget discussion resumed.
The General Board agenda also received the report on the Task Force on Restructure and Reorganization, and the report of the Nominating Committee.
The General Board and CONVO XI have been exciting; and meetings like these are a "must attend" meeting for AME clergy and laity who consider themselves leaders. The last two days have been exciting.
The budget discussion, led by Dr. Richard Lewis, continues. He is challenging the AME Church to be fiscally responsible. He also stressed that the Church must always function with integrity. Bishop E. Earl McCloud called for the Church to be transparent about all of its income and expenditures.
It is proposed that The Christian Recorder be the venue for fiscal transparency by publishing submitted reports in the online and printed editions.
The proposed budget has been adopted as amended with modifications recommended by the members of the General Board. One modification involves the equitable salaries of the indigenous African bishops. The changes will be made without increasing the bottom-line budget recommended by Dr. Lewis. The amended budget will be submitted to the General Conference.
Bishop Daniels (14th Episcopal District) presented a $5000 budget check to Bishop Young.
Presiding Elder Larry Hinton also presented checks for a total of $10000 to SADA, the 8th District and to Bishop C. Garnett Henning.
Various accolades were given to various individuals. Bishop Henning said that 41 churches in the 8th Episcopal District have been restored.
The 11th Episcopal District gave accolades to Bishop McKinley Young.
2. THE 48TH QUADRENNIAL SESSION OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH GENERAL CONFERENCE NEWS WILL BE AVAILABLE DAILY:
The Christian Recorder, the official newspaper of the African Methodist Episcopal Church will provide daily coverage of General Conference that meets in St. Louis July 3-11.
The Christian Recorder will post General Conference news daily. The General Conference news coverage will be available in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch.
The ongoing coverage will be available both online and by e-mail.
The Christian Recorder subscribers will automatically receive all of the English-language news stories. Foreign language news stories will have to be requested. The Christian Recorder's coverage of the General Conference will allow subscribers to get the news almost as it happens during the course of the day. People who aren't currently subscribers but would like to receive this free service can sign up at www.the-christian-recorder.org.
All of the news team's content will be accessible at www.the-christian-recorder.org on July 4, 2008.
The Christian Recorder is looking into audio and video streaming.
3. BISHOP CAROLYN TYLER GUIDRY AND THE AME CHURCH RECEIVE GRATITUDE FROM THE GENERAL MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST:
April 17, 2008
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Social Action Committee
African Methodist Episcopal Church
Dear Bishop Guidry:
On behalf of the United Church of Christ let me express our gratitude for your eloquent and timely defense of Trinity United Church of Christ and the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. This has been a challenging time for Trinity and for Dr. Wright. I know that the support they have experienced from within our denomination and from the ecumenical community has been deeply appreciated.
Please express to your colleague Bishops in the African Methodist Episcopal Church my appreciation for this important word of encouragement and hope.
Sincerely,
John H. Thomas
General Minister and President
United Church of Christ
700 Prospect Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44115
4. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY AS AN EVANGELISM TOOL:
Readers can a view news clip of the Reverend Ronald Slaughter’s sermon online at:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22Ronald%20Slaughter%22&uploaded=w
You may go to the YouTube homepage and type in “Ronald Slaughter” (with quotation marks around his name), then choose Videos. Rev. Slaughter announces that St. Paul AME Church, Macon, Georgia media ministry is also in the process of launching a brand new website that will allow persons to view and purchase sermons.
5. 13TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT MID-YEAR CONFERENCE STORY “GETTING RESULTS”:
*Sister Valeria Cummings Swope
An earth shaking event took place in the city of Nashville, Tennessee in March as ministers, laity, missionaries and friends from across the mighty 13th Episcopal District gathered at Greater Bethel AME Church for the mid year conference. Led by the incomparable Rt. Rev. Vashti Murphy McKenzie the multitude was taken to higher heights as one minister after another testified to the goodness of the Lord.
This was supposed to be a business meeting, but somehow Bishop McKenzie found a way to make it much more than that. It began with the Thursday night opening worship service where Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr., Presiding prelate of the 9th Episcopal District of the CME church, stirred up souls as he preached what saith the Lord.
Bright and early Friday morning, Elder Lynette Hawkins, a Presbyterian elder, author and life coach, led the conference’s first session entitled, Getting Results: Attracting, Reaching and Keeping People in the church! This was a much needed question and answer session on what works and what doesn’t work in churches when it comes to various ministries and projects, and why it’s important to be in tune to the needs of your church and the community in which it serves. Elder Hawkins challenged all those in the workshop to go home and take a second look at their congregations to see what they could be doing to bring more members into their church homes.
As many of us sat and ponder those thoughts, the Rev. Troy I Thomas, newly appointed pastor of Historic St. Paul AME Church, Lexington, Kentucky was preparing himself to “Just Preach Jesus.” And that’s exactly what Rev. Thomas did as he took his message from the pulpit right into the aisles of the church, causing members to jump to their feet in shouts of hallelujah and praise the Lord.
But it didn’t stop there, following an afternoon of various organizational meetings, we were ready for another dose of Holy Ghost power, and we got it in the form of the Rev. Floyd Flake, Pastor of Allen Cathedral, Jamaica, New York. Rev. Flake electrified the church as he spoke on “New Life for a Dead Church” and how important it is to let go and let God in to make things happen.
Early Saturday morning the 1000 Prayer Warriors were up praying for Results. On their hills came the Rev. Dr. Dennis Vernon Proctor, pastor of Pennsylvania Avenue AMEZ Church in Baltimore, Maryland. Rev. Proctor wrapped up the mid-year conference with a look at Acts 3:1-10 as he preached on “Look at Us.” Shouts of joy could be heard all across Greater Bethel as Rev. Proctor’s powerful message touched every soul.
Bishop McKenzie then led a very lively discussion on proposed legislation for the upcoming 48th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference. The conference came to a close with reports from the various components, pastoral appointments and the benediction.
This was a meeting about results and those who attended the conference came away with a renewed spirit and a belief that results will happen and are happening right now. The 13th Episcopal District has forever been changed thanks to the leadership of Bishop McKenzie and Supervisor Stan McKenzie.
*Sister Valeria Cummings Swope is the 13th Episcopal District Reporter
6. THE 13TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT MISSIONARY RETREAT ACHIEVES NEW HEIGHTS:
*Sister Valeria Cummings Swope
The year, 2008 is the year of change for missionaries across the 13th Episcopal District as women of all ages work to get their minds, bodies and spirits on a whole new level. It’s a challenge Supervisor Stan McKenzie brought to the district four years ago, and one that the missionaries are achieving.
Supervisor Stan’s vision came to light when nearly 200 missionaries from across the 13th Episcopal District gathered in Nashville, Tennessee for the annual Missionary Retreat. The theme for this year, Managing Well--Mind, Body, Spirit, permeated throughout the weekend as the 13th District Missionary President, Lesa Halfacre, led the campaign from sun up to sundown with spirit filled services, workshops and entertainment.
It all began Friday night with an inspiring message from South Memphis District Presiding Elder Linda Thomas. Rev. Thomas stirred our souls as she talked about rising above it all and learning to let go what we can’t control.
On Saturday morning, the Prayer Warriors were up bright and early calling on Almighty God to rain down on the meeting. God did just that through the Rev. Dr. Cecelia Williams Bryant who electrified the participants by making them examine themselves and the service they give. Rev. Bryant had each of us take a good look at what we give in terms of service to the Lord and what holds us back. She had the entire congregation on its feet praising God, and shouting hallelujah as she reached out to help those in need through prayer.
The workshops were superb as workshop leaders dealt with such subjects as relaxation, stopping the madness when it comes to school violence; and managing well as YPD Directors.
Saturday night the missionaries were taken to a new level through the phenomenal performance of Barry Scott as he paid a special tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Then came Sunday morning when a young, up-and-coming star in the ministry stood before the multitude to declare it was time to “Remix the Resurrection.” Rev. Vashti-Jasmine Murphy McKenzie, daughter of Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and Supervisor Stan McKenzie, took her text from Acts 2:42-47 as she talked about keeping Jesus resurrection alive today.
Our minds, bodies and spirits are better off after attending this retreat thanks to great support and participation from all levels of leadership, including Bishop McKenzie and Supervisor Stan, 13th District Missionary President, Lesa Halfacre, District Missionary Presidents and YPD Directors, Conference Presidents and YPD Directors, as well as Presiding Elders and their wives.
*Sister Valeria Cummings Swope is the 13th Episcopal District Reporter
7. DR. MONICA COLEMAN, AN AME PROFESSOR AT LUTHERAN SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AT CHICAGO RECEIVES WABASH CENTER SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP:
The Rev. Dr. Monica A. Coleman, assistant professor of systematic theology was awarded a $7,000 Summer Research Fellowship by the Wabash Center for her proposal “Faith Responses to Depressive Conditions among Black Women.”
The project will investigate black women’s narratives of their depressive conditions, both unipolar and bipolar forms of the disease, and the theological issues that emerge from their experiences with depression. Dr. Coleman is collaborating on this study with Dr. Lee Butler of Chicago Theological Seminary, Dr. Ann Pederson of Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S.D.), and Dr. Kathleen Greider of Claremont School of Theology.
Dr. Coleman holds degrees from Harvard University, Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Claremont Graduate University. She is an ordained elder in the Michigan Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In addition to many scholarly articles and book chapters, her work with congregations to respond to sexual violence resulted in the book The Dinah Project: A Handbook for Congregational Response to Sexual Violence.
During the 2007-08 academic year, Dr. Coleman participated in the Wabash Center Teaching and Learning Workshop for pre-tenured theological school faculty members. Workshop topics included course design, student learning styles, ethics in the classroom, teaching to prepare ministers, and issues of tenure preparation
Before joining LSTC’s faculty, Dr. Coleman held the position of assistant professor of religion and director of Womanist religious studies at Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, N.C. The African-American Pulpit, a nondenominational preaching and ministry journal recently named Dr. Coleman one of the ‘Top 20 to Watch” in “The New Generation of Leading Clergy: Preachers Under 40.”
Her areas of teaching competency include but are not limited to systematic theology, 19th Century philosophical theology, process theology, feminist and womanist theologies, and African American religions.
The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago prepares women and men to proclaim the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ to all people. Its approximately 350 students come from all parts of the United States and from around the world to study in the masters level and advanced studies programs. Graduates become pastors, other church leaders, and university and seminary professors. LSTC is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a member of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools, allowing students to cross-register among the 12 member seminaries and drawing on a wealth of ecumenical resources. LSTC enjoys a number of cooperative arrangements with the University of Chicago. To learn more about the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, visit www.lstc.edu.
Jan Boden, jboden@lstc.edu
8. FORGIVENESS AND THE ADDICTION OF “ENJOYING PAIN” - REFLECTIONS ON THE REV. JEREMIAH WRIGHT CONTROVERSY - ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE:
By: Brother (Dr.) T. Carlton Richardson, Exhorter
Prayer Leader, 2nd Episcopal District-AMEC
Word: "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly [Creator] will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your [Creator] forgive your trespasses" (Mat. 6:14-15, Jesus).
Prayer: Be with all humanity LORD, as a loving presence; inspire us with new vision; reveal the ‘truth’ to us in ways that each one of us can understand. This is a prayer in Your name, O God Creator, Son and Spirit, in Your name. Amen.
I received an article from a beloved brother friend (Pro. 17:17) whose friendship I have enjoyed since 1964, and who is my oldest daughter’s (b. 1970) Godfather, about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy. Incidentally, my friend is a lay minister in the United Church of Christ (Wright’s denomination or “connection”) and served for several years on its governing board. The writer argues that, while Wright’s sermonic excerpts of a racist and unpatriotic nature were “inexcusable and inappropriate and should be condemned,” one cannot call Wright unpatriotic because of his voluntary military service with distinction and because other political leaders (e.g., Vice President Cheney, President Bush, and former President Bill Clinton) who are Euro-Americans avoided military service because of their connections. Moreover, the writer says, the chorus of “criticisms, condemnations, denouncements and rejections of [Wright’s] comments and [of Wright] him[self]” being heard in the media and over the Internet is excessive, an overkill under the circumstances. My friend asked for my comments. Here’s what I wrote him:
There are consequences to forgiveness. Service or non-service in the military has nothing to do with being patriotic. Subtly, the writer is playing the race and social standing card. The issue, I think, is whether the opinion of one's spiritual leader is indicative of the candidate involved? In President Kennedy’s situation as the first serious presidential contender to be Catholic, because the Pope opposed abortion, should Kenney have had to justify the Pope's theological position? Of course not! Purely and simply, I believe that the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy is a subtle use of race and the outward expression of the subconscious fear that Euro-Americans have of African American males, i.e., that retribution will come to them based upon the prior injustices of their forebears.
Perhaps, Wright may not have forgiven European Americans for their transgressions against people of color, and he should for his own mental, emotional and spiritual health.
As Christians we are commanded to forgive, if we are to be forgiven by God. Unforgiveness is a barrier to being heard in prayer by God. In other words, God does not hear the prayers of unrepentant sinners [John 9:31; Isa. 1:15, 59:1-2; 2 Chr. 7:14; Psa. 66:18; Cf. 1 John 3:22-23; Pro. 15:29], therefore confession [Luke 18:10-14 (Pharisee-tax collector parable); Jam. 5:16] and repentance [cf. 2 Chr. 7:14; John 8:11] as well as forgiveness, asked and received of God and given to the believer’s offender [Mark 11:25-26; Mat. 6:14-15], are indispensable to being heard by God.
Rev. Wright, especially as an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (and we who are African American ‘ministers to one another’) must stop 'enjoying the pain' of the past injustices, for that's an addiction that interferes with our being the best person or people that God created us to be. Rev. Wright must stop 'enjoying the pain' so that he can begin healing and become an even greater preacher and brother with a ‘heart for God’ (cf. Acts 13:22).
I have no problem with forgiveness, as long as one knows that with forgiveness one must accept the consequences of one's acts, intended or not. Are European Americans willing to acknowledge the systematic rape of female slaves (and to a much lesser degree males were sexually abused hetero- and homosexually; and had to remain silent for reasons of safety and shame--witness the homophobia endemic to the Caribbean Islands, which I submit, is because, in part, of the homosexual abuse of males during slavery, for native persons of African descent people had a healthy understanding of sexuality and its various expressions); and [2] the economic benefits that has and continues to accrue to European Americans because of their economic (and social) advantages that resulted solely because of their race, and their inability to want to provide restitution for the ill gotten gains, whether tangible or intangible, whether direct or indirect.
Helping Those Addicted to Stop Enjoying Their Pain] As pastoral (“in God’s name”) counselors – ministers to one another, in the words of Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism, “a priesthood of believers” -- and within our daily lives we must be alert to people who ‘enjoy their pain.’ Constantly repeating ‘negative’ things does not help us heal, for negative destroys and positive builds. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the LORD” (Rom. 12:19 NRS). It is no less idolatrous to make ‘idols’ of things, as to make ‘idols’ of our emotions. And we are to have no ‘gods’ before the God of our creation.
Recounting ‘painful’ experiences can be addictive, just like any other substance or behavior. Listening to another’s injustices and being empathetic might in time make us ‘enablers.’ For the person in need (PIN) does not recognize that they actually are ‘enjoying the pain’ by repeating the injustice, but more than likely believe that they are entitled to have vindication for the wrong perpetrated. Unconditional forgiveness is the key to becoming whole and being healed, i.e. finding that “peace in the valley”; for the condition of life is “suffering,” whether from conflicts internally, externally or eternally.
However, our adverse circumstances must not be allowed to control us. We are to make of those adverse circumstances a “servant.” God allows our suffering in life in order that we make it our “servant” (cf. John 9:2-3), that our imperfections, whether objectively real or imposed by external standards beyond our control (e.g. racial, gender and other prejudices) are to be used by us to ‘glorify God’!
One way we deny our adverse circumstances control over our responses to life’s suffering is by rejecting the natural inclination to ‘enjoy the pain’ and by recognizing that our complaining and recounting of “evil” against us for what it is: an addiction! If we did not ‘enjoy the pain,’ we would not repeat the ‘hurt’ situation since as humans we are hot wired for “joyful” experiences, doing good and receiving good. Therefore, we must, as the biblical Joseph did, let it go and stop ‘enjoying the pain’ for “even though … intended to do harm …, God intended it for good” (Gen. 50:20 NRS)!
Therefore, as for the Rev. Wright matter, let us have the religious community establish a Reconciliation Commission in the South African model and deal with the past pain and injustices in an open and frank manner so that healing can occur. And so that we, both African and non-African people, can stop “enjoying the pain” of actual and perceived injustices. We can forgive one another, God being our Helper.
*Brother(Dr.) T. Carlton Richardson of Washington, DC, a missionary Exhorter of the AME Church and a prayer apostle/teacher since August 1997
9. COMMENTARY: DEVELOPING A NEW UNITED METHODIST CHURCH HYMNAL IN HARMONY:
*A UMNS Commentary by Dean McIntyre
What might a new United Methodist hymnal look like in the United States?
Which hymns will be included? Will we sing or speak the psalms? What worship services will be included? Will we call God mother or father--or both?
Will it be another printed book for the pew racks or will the hymnal be on a CD for projecting onto screens? Will we download the songs needed each Sunday from a Web site? Will we have hymns and songs in many languages?
Will a new hymnal include more contemporary praise and worship songs and choruses? How about some rap, responsories, revival songs or reciting tones? Will it have more newly composed hymns in traditional style? Will we lose or gain Wesley hymns? Will the texts of Wesley be simplified and set to contemporary music? Will it have melody only, four-part harmony, or keyboard accompaniment with guitar chords? Will old favorite hymns be dropped to make room for the new songs and choruses?
The directors of both the United Methodist Board of Discipleship and the United Methodist Publishing House have proposed to the 2008 General Conference that now is the time to begin production of a new United Methodist hymnal for the United States. They also have proposed a four-year study into the need for and possible publication of an official United Methodist hymnal for African-American and Africana congregations.
In 2007, the Board of Discipleship and the Publishing House completed a four-year study of the church's music and worship needs, primarily those associated with congregational song. The complete study report is available online at www.gbod.org/worship/musicstudy. In addition, the Board of Discipleship recently completed a series of research surveys related to music and worship practices and the United Methodist hymnal. Those results are available at www.gbod.org/hymnal.
What people think
These studies and research surveys are valuable in finding out what the people, pastors and musicians think about these and other issues related to worship, congregational singing and our hymnal. They help agencies and editorial committees understand what are the practices, trends, desires and needs in the local congregation. They help agencies and publishers remain responsive to the present, anticipate the future and stay faithful to the past as they plan new worship and music resources.
The studies and research, however, are only part of the complete picture. There are numerous other considerations in planning a new hymnal and other resources. A survey is completed by one individual, but a hymnal is for millions of individuals and thousands of diverse communities with numerous backgrounds. The church includes people of all ages and races, both genders, urban and rural, large and small congregations.
More questions: What are the denomination's membership demographics today and what are they projected to be over the next generation? What is the current state of technology and how does that compare with the technological capacity in the local church? What price will ensure affordability for customers, as well as ensure the publisher's ability to recoup the hymnal's research, editorial and production costs and fund future publishing efforts?
The recent surveys, then, are an important planning tool. However, understanding what worshipers, pastors and musicians are thinking reveals only part of the picture.
With that in mind, here are just a few of the statistics and findings from recent surveys:
-The top three favorites in the current United Methodist Hymnal are "Amazing Grace," "Here I Am, Lord" and "How Great Thou Art."
-The top three favorite hymns from The Faith We Sing songbook are "The Summons," "I'll Fly Away" and "As the Deer."
-The top favorite of United Methodists under 30 is "Be Thou My Vision."
-The No. 1 requested hymn to include in a new hymnal: "Eternal Father, Strong to Save."
-Top three requests to include an updated United Methodist Hymnal or in The Faith We Sing: "Love Lifted Me," "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and "God Bless America."
Others findings indicate that the:
Most frequently sung non-Christmas hymns over the past three years are "Amazing Grace," "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and "Blessed Assurance."
Most frequent songs from The Faith We Sing are "Shine, Jesus, Shine," "Sanctuary" and "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love."
-Ten percent of pastors, worship planners and chief musicians expressed interest in multiple languages in the Psalter.
-Thirty-six percent prefer the Psalter as it is now presented, 27 percent prefer not to include the chanting, 38 percent would like Psalms set as hymns and songs.
-Seventy-five percent would like to have Healing Services in the hymnal.
-The least-used worship service in the hymnal is Word and Table IV, unused by 34 percent.
-Forty-three percent want more praise choruses in the hymnal; 34 percent do not.
-Seventy percent sing the melodies of our hymns; 61 percent will sing harmony when it is provided.
-Seventy percent are comfortable using male-only language for God, 25 percent are comfortable using female language for God, and 42 percent are comfortable using male or female language for God.
-Twenty-eight percent prefer to sing lyrics on a screen; 70 percent prefer to use a hymnal or songbook.
-Sixty-five percent prefer Wesley texts with their traditional tunes; 33 percent prefer contemporary tunes.
*McIntyre is the director of music resources for the United Methodist Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
*Used with permission of the United Methodist News Service
10. CLERGY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY NOTICE:
- The Rev. Dr. Eric Brown, Presiding Elder of the Allegheny/Scranton District - Pittsburgh Conference, Third Episcopal District was married to Margo Allen at a private ceremony on Monday, April 7, 2008.
Congratulatory greetings can be sent to:
The Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Eric L. Brown
641 Penny Drive
PO Box 17063
Pittsburgh, PA 15235-0063
Or email: eebrown2003@aol.com
Rev. Wesley Legolie, Pastor of Victory AME Church, Worcester, South Africa, and Mrs. Jo-Ann Legolie proudly announce the birth of their second child. Their newest addition, a son, Wesley A. D Legolie IV was born on Friday, April 4th at 02h02 a.m., weighing 3.54 kg. Older sister, Juaretha (age 2) is excited to have a little brother!
Best wishes may be sent to:
The Rev. Wesley Legolie & Mrs. J. Legolie
20 Goetham Street
Paarl, South Africa 7646
Telephone: + 27 21 862 2204
Cell: 072 872 7545
Email: legolie@mweb.co.za
- Troy Rhodes Merritt and Ashley Graham Merritt of Nashville, Tennessee proudly announce the birth of their first child. Malia Frances Merritt was born on Monday, March 31, 2008 at 10:54 p.m., weighing 5 lbs, 13ozs.
Troy Rhodes Merritt is the son of the Rev. Troy Merritt, Jr., Presiding Elder, South Nashville District, Tennessee Annual Conference and Mrs. Brenda Rhodes Merritt.
Best wishes may be sent to:
Mr. and Mrs. Troy R. Merritt
414 N 17th Street
Nashville, TN 37206
Email: tmerrit1@bellsouth.net
- Mother Elvia Y. Eve, the First Lady of the Bermuda Annual Conference, and Bethel A.M.E. Church, Shelly Bay, Bermuda; wife of the Presiding Elder, Rev. Malcolm L. Eve of Bermuda was recently awarded the 'Boundless Missionary Award' by the Connectional Women's Missionary Society in Gratitude and Appreciation for Service in God's Vineyard, beyond your Boundaries. The award was presented to Mother Eve for her entireness work as far away as Livingstone, Zambia from the island of Bermuda.
Mother Elvia Y. Eve spearheaded a Fund Raiser to build a Pre-School, and soon a Primary School Building consisting of seven (7) classrooms will be completed. Four Primary Classrooms are already completed and in use. The remaining building a 1 x 3 classroom is scheduled to be completed and opened on the 12th of May.
Congratulatory messages may be emailed to Mother Elvia Y. Eve: eyeve@logic.bm
- The Reverend Mary F. Peterson successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio on March 31, 2008. She will be awarded the D.Min degree at the commencement exercises to be held on May 24, 2008.
Rev. Peterson is the pastor of Clover Garden AME Church in Burlington NC; Western District-Western North Carolina Conference, 2nd Episcopal District; Rev. Dr. Benjamin S. Foust, Presiding Elder and Bishop Adam J. Richardson, Presiding Prelate.
Congratulatory messages may be emailed to Rev. Peterson: peterson2939@bellsouth.net
- The Reverend Leo Chapman, Jr. and his wife Mrs. Mattie D. Chapman will celebrate thirty years of marriage on April 29th. Reverend Chapman is the Pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church in Dillion, South Carolina, in the Northeast Conference, Seventh Episcopal District.
Congratulatory messages for the Rev. and Mrs. Chapman can be e-mailed to: LMNC3@aol.com
11. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are sad to announce the passing of the Rev. Roy McCloud on April 17, 2008. Rev. McCloud was the pastor of Florala-Lockhart Circuit (South Alabama Conference; Florala, AL) and the Son of retired Presiding Elder J.F. McCloud, the cousin of Bishop E. Earl McCloud.
Funeral Information:
Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 1:00p.m.
Parks Chapel AME Church
1053 E. Selma St.
Dothan, AL 363601
The Rev. Oliver Allen, pastor
Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, Eulogist
Funeral Home:
Allen Funeral Home
1039 N. Range St.
Dothan, AL 36303
Condolences may be sent to:
McCloud Family
105 Sandale Dr.
Dothan, AL 36303
334-983-0196
12. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We sadly announce the passing of Mrs. Clara Mae Tibbs on Tuesday, April 8, 2008. Mrs. Tibbs was the sister of the Reverend Everhart Walker, pastor of Allen Chapel AME Church in Moreland, Kentucky and Wilson Chapel AME Church in Parksville, Kentucky. The Reverend Walker is a former Presiding Elder of the Lexington District.
Visitation
Thursday, April 17, 2008
3:00 to 8:00 p.m.
O.H. Pye, III Funeral Home
17600 Plymouth Road
Detroit, Michigan 48227
313-838-9700
Homegoing Services
Friday, April 18, 2008
11:00 a.m.
Ebenezer AME Church
5151 W. Chicago Street
Detroit, Michigan 48204
Contact Information
Reverend Everhart Walker
4620 Alum Springs Road
Danville, Kentucky 40422
859-236-3166
godfather@bellsouth.net
13. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
Announcing with regret the passing of Sister Nettie Northington, wife of Mr. Wilber Northington (former Music Teacher and Choir Director at Paul Quinn College), sister of the late Presiding Elder John DeLeon Walker & Rev. C.J. Walker-Pastor of Walker Temple AME Church-San Antonio, Texas and the aunt of the Rev. Joan V. Walker-Nickerson, pastor of Stephen AME Church-Fort Worth, Texas.
Homegoing Services for Sister Nettie Northington:
1:00 P.M.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Trinity Episcopal Parish
501 S. Cincinnati
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74103
Sister Nettie Northington's final earthly care has been entrusted to:
Butler-Stumpff Funeral Home
2103 E 3rd Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104
Condolences may be sent to:
Mr. Wilber Northington (Husband)
744 N. Denver
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74106
Ms. Billie R. Mathis (Daughter)
Member of Young Chapel AME Church-Austin, Texas
8109 Boggy Ridge Dr
Austin, TX 78748
The Rev. C. J. Walker (Brother)
12427 la Albada Street
San Antonio, TX 78233-5934
Or
The Rev. Joan V. Nickerson (Niece)
6324 Forest Knoll Trail
Dallas, Texas 75232
14. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
We are sad to announce the passing of the Rev. James A. Nendom.
The family of the late Rev. James A. Hendon will receive friends on Friday, April 18, 2008 at Sledge Funeral Home; 210 S. Bellview Avenue, Fayetteville, TN from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
The funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at Shorter Chapel AME Church, Tullahoma, TN. The Rev. David Strong will be the eulogist.
Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery, Tullahoma, TN.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made payable to Berry Chapel AMEC in care of Rev. J. A. Hendon.
Mail donations to:
Berry Chapel AMEC
P.O. Box 118
Lynchburg TN. 37352
15. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
The Clergy Family Information Center
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Commission on Social Action
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
E-mail: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Phone: (615) 837-9736
Voice Mail: (615) 833-6936
Fax: (615) 833-3781
Cell: (615) 403-7751
16. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Gregory G. M. Ingram; 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.
Archive of The Christian Recorder Online from 2004-2016; Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, 20th Editor of The Christian Recorder
4/11/2008
THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE ENGLISH EDITION (4/11/08)
Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram - Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor, The Christian Recorder
1. EDITORIAL - DID THE NUMBER 3200 + MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU IN 2007; DOES THE NUMBER 4000 + MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU NOW?:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
In March 2007 I wrote an editorial “Does the Number 3200+ Mean Anything to You?” I wrote then that “The number 3200+ is an important number, but apparently the number 3200+ means little, or nothing, to President George Bush and to those around him.”
I had hoped that the number 3200+ meant something to our readers because the Department of Defense had identified 3200+ American Service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. I went on to say that not long before we had reached the 3200+milestone, the Department of Defense had posted the number of U.S. deaths at 2000.
The sad thing for me, and which brings tears to my eyes, is that the number, one year later, has reached over 4000 American service persons that have been killed in Iraq. Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines are still dying every day and we are still sending more service members to their deaths.
It’s a shame; and all of us should hang our heads in shame until we bring our young men and women home. Like Viet Nam, when all of this is over, many citizens and the media, and even service members, will all call the deaths of Americans in this war, a waste of precious lives. President Bush and Vice-President Cheney don’t even seem to be concerned about the deaths of our young men and women. The service members’ deaths are not even front-page news anymore. President Bush just continues to say, “We must stay the course.”
I still believe that the troops need to come home now; the soldiers want to come home now. The families of the soldiers want them to come home now. Most people do not want our service members embroiled in the mishaps and missteps of President Maliki.
So, why are we still in Iraq?
Does Iraq represent a survival, vital or strategic risk to our nation? Those are the reasons nations go to war. Could it be oil? Are we keeping our troops in Iraq to protect our rights to their oil? I suspect so. The Basra region is sitting on a lot of oil. I guess that we have stayed so long and lost so many lives that the President and the Vice President want to get something out of this fiasco. I think that hoping that Iraq will become an American-cloned democracy has been abandoned long ago. It has to be oil!
I have not heard the president make that specific claim that we are staying the course because of the oil. I have read that he and his advisers had hoped that the oil would have paid for our involvement in the war. It would have been great if it had worked out that way, the same way it would have been great if we had found weapons of mass destruction or if it could have proven that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9-11.
Though, I have not personally heard the President say that oil is the motivation for staying the course in Iraq, I have repeatedly heard the president and vice-President tell us that our remaining in Iraq makes us safer. Cheney continues to say, “If we pull our soldiers out of Iraq, the terrorists will come here to America.” I would again remind Cheney that all of the 9/11 terrorists were all Saudis.
So, what is the Bush administration’s logic? I am at a loss and most Americans are at a loss. The war’s cost is in the trillions of dollars. There are nine zeros in a trillion, i.e. 1,000,000,000,000; that’s a lot of zeros and a lot of money that could do a lot of good thing in America, if we applied some of those dollars to upgrade our deteriorating educational systems and applied some of it to our ineffective prison reform programs. And, don’t be surprised if by the end of all of this that we might find out the war cost a quadrillion dollars or more; there are fifteen zeroes in a quadrillion.
The money that we are spending on the Iraq war could be better spent right here in America. We could us some of that money to fund anti-poverty programs, medical research, and needed military upgrades, especially housing for family members on military bases.
I wonder why the government could bail our Bear Stearns, yet the government is hesitant to assist the homeowners who are at risk of losing their home to foreclosure. And, oh, by the way, 80,000 jobs were lost during the month of March.
I will say it again, whenever we pull out of Iraq tomorrow or three years from now, there will be a fight over who will be in charge. The Shias, the Sunnis, the Kurds will “fuss and fight” and either the Shias or Iran will most probably emerge as the governing influence of Iraq.
Three retired U.S. Army generals; Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, Jr., Lt. Gen. William Odom and Gen. Barry McCaffrey, predicted chaos in Iraq when U.S. forces are withdrawn. Gen. McCaffrey has predicted that the U.S. will withdraw forces from Iraq over the next three years because the U.S. had “no political will” to continue. He went to say that “our allies have abandoned us.” McCaffrey said, “It is all over.” I certainly hope so.
In the end, when all of this is over, the Iraqis themselves will decide who will run the country and I hope that we would not have lost another 4000 U.S. service members by the time they will decide who will run the country.
We are going to pay for the “sins” of this war for a long time.
2. THE CHURCH PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MINISTRY OF THE REVEREND DR. A. LEE HENDERSON:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The homegoing service for Dr. A. Lee Henderson was held on a bright sunny Southern California day at Grant AME Church in Los Angeles on Monday, April 7, 2008.
The bishops, general officers, mourners and family members had arrived from far and near; mostly from far away to say goodbye to one of the great legends of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson. Grant AME Church and Pastor Leslie White were poised to be the ultimate hosts.
Bishop John Hurst Adams, the eulogist, started out his message with, “I don’t know how the man did all that he did.”
On the way to the church, the Reverend E. L. Wright from Texas said, “A. Lee was some football player. His nickname was ‘Rip’; he was called, ‘Rip’ because in a football game, he would get down in his three-point stance and when the play started, he would rip out of that stance and rip whoever was in front of him. He was a tough football player.”
Dr. Dennis Dickerson, Historiographer said, “When the 1984 General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri elected A. Lee Henderson as Secretary-Treasurer of the A.M.E. Sunday School Union, he brought special skills to the office. Just as Charles Spencer Smith founded the Sunday School Union, acquired its first facility, published major texts for adults and youth, and just as Henry Allen Belin, Jr. built a new physical plant and printed updated Sunday School literature, histories, and theologies for the denomination, A. Lee Henderson brought the latest innovations in printing and technology to change the face of A.M.E. publishing. Not only did ministers and members acknowledge and affirm these contributions, but prizes and awards came from professional and trade organizations.”
Dr. Henderson’s wife, Bobbye, said that one of his favorite books was Jonathan Livingston Seagull, written by Richard Bach and likened his perseverance to Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Mrs. Bobbye Henderson said that her husband was “her sweetheart, her king, hero, provider, soul-mate, best friend, lover, housekeeper, caregiver and everything, and for 30 years of wonderful memories and making me the happiest woman in the world.”
The Reverend Dr. Henderson was the epitome of the itinerant ministry; he provided pastoral oversight in seven states: Texas, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, California, Tennessee, and Nevada. Indeed, Bishop Adams made and excellent point when he said, “I don’t know how the man did all that he did.”
Alfred Lee Henderson, or Rip as he was affectionally known, departed this life at 10:31 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2008 after a lengthy illness. He was the oldest of three children born to Exia Mae Gray and Albert Wyatt, February 17, 1931 in Marlin, Texas. He was adopted and raised by Albert Henderson. His parents and his brother, James, preceded him in death. He was married to Verna L. Henderson and to this union two daughters, Alisha Cheri and Roslyn Letitia were born. In 1978 he was united in marriage to Bobby J. Minter.
Dr. Henderson received his early education in Marlin, Texas and Ardmore, Oklahoma. After graduation from high school the educational path took him to Paul Quinn College in Waco; Wilberforce University; the Urban Training Center in Chicago; Our Lady of the Lake, San Antonio; and the United States International University in San Diego. He received the B.S., B.Th, MS, MA, Ed.D and honorary D.D. and LL.D degrees.
Dr. Henderson’s record of achievement grew along with his sports honors and was featured on the cover of Look Magazine. He broke the bias deadlock against African Americans, accelerating into position as principal of Clearview Schools in Bastrop, Texas. He taught social studies and coached athletics in the public school system for seven years.
He was ordained an itinerant deacon in 1951 by Bishop Joseph Gomez, who was at that time the presiding prelate of the Tenth Episcopal District and ordained an itinerant elder on August 14, 1956 in the Central Texas Annual Conference by the then presiding prelate, Bishop H. Thomas Primm.
Heeding the call to the ministry, Alfred served as an associate minister under Pastor Therion E. Cobbs at Bethel AME Church San Diego in the early '50s.
Dr. Henderson served in leadership positions on the General Board of the AME Church and various other committees. He was given credit for helping many ministers achieving their dreams of being elected bishops in the AME Church.
Dr. Henderson served as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Mechanicsburg, Ohio; Shorter Chapel AME Church, Giddings, Texas, Bethel AME Church, Yakima, Washington; Bethel AME Church, Oxnard, California; Ebenezer AME Church, Stockton, California; Parks Chapel AME Church, Pacoima, California; Price Chapel AME Church, Los Angeles; Bethel AME Church, Portland, Oregon; St paul AME Church, Berkley, California, and Second AME Church in Los Angeles.
He was the pastor of Second AME Church when, in 1984, he was elected as the seventh Secretary-Treasurer/President-Publisher of the Sunday School Union / AMEC Publishing House, fulfilling a lifetime dream. His innovations enriched the scope of all publishing enterprise. The AMEC Publishing House was the recipient of numerous awards of excellence, merit and recognition for outstanding layout, design, and color. He was the author of many books and articles.
As one of the few African American publishers of magazines, he won an international award from the Pew & Rockefeller Foundation for the magazine he founded, "The Communicator." The World book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany elected him vice-president to its International Publishers’ Association.
A recipient of Howard Divinity School’s, Achievement Award; Dr. Henderson was also awarded the Congress of National Black Churches Servant to the Community designation. In 1988, Shorter College conferred upon him its Minister Fellowship. He was recognized in 1983 with the Outstanding Service Award by the City of Los Angeles. In Portland, Oregon, he served on the Board of Directors of the Child Care Coordinating Council, and as its Chairman from 1971-73.
Two years after retiring as the Secretary-Treasurer/President-Publisher of the Sunday School Union / AMEC Publishing House, Dr. Henderson was not satisfied with being fully retired from the active ministry because he felt that God had planted his feet in Las Vegas to continue to work for God. And after much prayer and consultation with the presiding elder and the bishop, he was obedient to God's Will; and as a result, Fountain of Hope AME Church was birthed - "An underground explosion of the waters of eternal life for a thirsty world."
Dr. Henderson personal legacy is one of perseverance and entrepreneurial principles. He leaves to cherish and honor his memory and rich legacy his loving and devoted wife of 30 years, Bobbye; daughters, A. Cheri (John) Parham, College Park, Georgia; Roslyn (Shawn) Turner, Corona, California; step-daughters, Sandra (John) Traylor, Tracy, California; Vickie (Barbatunde) Johnathan; Alisa Taylor; stepson, Theodore Atkinson, Oakland, California; sisters, Dorothy (James) Moore, Ardmore, Oklahoma; Artelia Wilson, Little Rock, Arkansas; OraDee (Willie) Jennings, Duncanville, Texas; brother, Tommy (Cheryl) Wyatt, Duncanville, Texas; Son in the ministry, the Reverend Leslie (Renee) White; extended family, Rose (Bert) Maiden, Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Cheryl Everett, San Diego, California; eleven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson had a full ministry and lived a full life to the glory of God.
* Parts of this article were extracted from the obituary that was printed in the Reverend Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson Celebration of Life bulletin.
3. A GENERAL OFFICER'S TRIBUTE TO A. LEE HENDERSON:
Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson
When a General Officer is elected in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the denomination entrusts to that person a special ministry. He or she serves the entirety of African Methodism in an office that no one else occupies. There are nine (9) General Officers, but among them there is only one Historiographer, Treasurer, General Secretary, Editor of The Christian Recorder, and only one Executive Director of Christian Education, only one Annuities and Investments, Global Ministry and Witness, and Church Growth and Development; and only one President / Publisher of the A.M.E. Sunday School Union. Each has particular abilities and discharges duties as the singular person within the A.M.E. Church, responsible for one of these nine offices.
When the 1984 General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri elected A. Lee Henderson as Secretary-Treasurer of the A.M.E. Sunday School Union, he brought special skills to the office. Just as Charles Spencer Smith founded the Sunday School Union, acquired its first facility, published major texts for adults and youth, and just as Henry Allen Belin, Jr. built a new physical plant and printed updated Sunday School literature, histories, and theologies for the denomination, A. Lee Henderson brought the latest innovations in printing and technology to change the face of A.M.E. publishing. Not only did ministers and members acknowledge and affirm these contributions, but prizes and awards came from professional and trade organizations.
From where did these talents come? Did they come from Marlin, Texas, his place birth; from Paul Quinn, Wilberforce, Payne Theological Seminary or from the other institutions where he matriculated; from the pastorates where he served in Texas, Ohio, Washington, Pacoima and Los Angeles, California, or Portland, Oregon; from his experiences in journalism and publishing especially as the owner of the PORTLAND OBSERVER-perhaps, all of these experiences contributed something to making him the man, the minister, the General Officer that he became. But, ultimately, these talents came from God; God confers talents upon us; God entrusts responsibilities to us; God provides us opportunities to exercise our gifts; and the church, following the lead of the Holy Spirit, elevates persons of special skills to positions of significance to serve African Methodism.
Additionally, A. Lee Henderson thoroughly understood and affirmed the “genius” of the Wesleyan ministry. To be an Elder in God’s Holy Church was the highest calling whatever office one might be appointed or elected to hold. Hence, as he retired from the Office of General Officer, he retained his attachment to the itinerancy, resumed active participation in the Southern California Annual Conference, and became the founding pastor of Fountain of Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He served thousands of congregations he as Publisher at the A.M.E. Sunday School Union. Now, he was back on the front lines of pastoral ministry. Coming full circle showed love for God, for African Methodism, and for the primacy of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, doing ministry among the Lord’s people.
This General Officer, A. Lee Henderson, illustrated how the Lord blesses the church and puts in place significant servants to do ministry.-whether preaching, teaching, healing, evangelizing, publishing the Word of God or establishing a new congregation.
So, here’s to a General Officer and Elder in the Church of God and a partner and spouse, Bobbye J. Henderson, who took publishing and pasturing to a higher level-not as a vocation, but as a calling to serve the people of God. Because of this dedication from both Hendersons, African Methodism is better equipped to do the Lord’s work.
4. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
- To the Editor:
RE: The “Sins” of the Musician
Another “sin” you may want to add is a musician who does not give money in any collections, doesn’t pays tithes, and who does not dress appropriately for church worship service.
Pastor Jimmy D. Howard, Sr.
Daytona Beach District of
The Central Conference of the Eleventh Episcopal District,
Merritt Island, Florida 32953
5. ANOTHER PRESPECTIVE ON LEADERSHIP IN THE AME CHURCH:
I read with, with great interest, your description of the “leadership problem” that exists in our Zion. I think this is a concern we all have lamented over at one point or another. We have been in the “pew” cringing watching mediocrity perpetuated as “tradition” morphs into “traditionalism”. The leader moves to continue programs that have very rarely proven successful seemingly expecting some miraculous new result. The reason most often sighted for this misguided attempt to inspire is “that’s the way it’s always been done”.
We have moved to the pulpit, now in charge, and we are expected to “hit the ground running” with all kinds of innovative ways to do what we do better. The problem is that we soon find (certainly the first appointment) that there is so much more to moving what we believe will work. What seemed like a good idea, at least what looked good on paper is met with a scary level of opposition. What makes it more of a challenge is not the fact that the idea is not good but that it is designed to move against the “norm”.
What we come to find out very quickly is our knowledge of Scripture, our efficient writing; our ability to manage our time effectively and our gift for preaching does not always translate into effective leadership.
Leadership is not magic! It is not a position of command moving people by telling them what to do. It is certainly not belittling or demeaning the “followship” when they don’t readily follow the instructions you give.
The first and, in my opinion, the most critical characteristic in leadership is one’s decision to become a leader. It is critical that at some point one makes a conscious decision to take on the responsibility to provide the vision, direction and inspiration that will move others to success. After making the decision to lead then it is incumbent upon the leader to take the necessary steps to put to work the appropriate combination of traits, skills and ambition.
Certainly, among the traits and skills necessary to lead, the leader must recognize the importance of ethical behavior. It is extremely critical, for obvious reasons, that ethics and values be visible in the actions of the leader. One major problem with leadership on every level seems to be a lack of trust. It is conceivable that if there is never a clear picture of the leader’s values some mistrust may result. Conversely, leaders diligently and forthrightly identifying and sharing their values by living their values daily will create trust.
Leaders who, by example, exhibit a high level of ethical behavior are a powerful influence on the actions of those they are called to lead. We can look to many scriptural references that define inspiration however; a secular definition attributed to the late Coach Vince Lombardi is, in my opinion, quite adequate. Coach Lombardi said, “Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow.”
We expect leaders, in our Zion, to be inspirational. Among the traits and skills required in leadership the ability to inspire is critical. Our leaders must be able to inspire the “followship” to reach great heights of performance and success. To be inspirational we must expect our leaders to possess a high degree of passion and purpose. In order to be effective our leaders must communicate that passion and purpose to those who they are called to lead. It is critical that the leader share passion and purpose in such a manner that the “followship” feels passionate as well. Leaders must help communicate the “big picture,” helping to keep the focus on the mission.
“So often we send newly ordained persons to pastor local churches with their minds filled with materials from outdated books and a lot of preaching techniques, but those persons have not been thoroughly trained in the art of leadership.”
I believe that we can all agree that we can get much from our reading and studying. However, much of what we will accomplish in developing leadership will come from our experiences.
We cannot escape the fact that we need to put a greater emphases on a continuing effort to provide relevant “on going” educational opportunities for leadership at every level. There is a need to motivate leadership at every level to seek opportunities to fine tune their craft as there is always a way to do things we are doing better.
Finally, critical to inspiration is the perception of the integrity of the leader. Clearly, vision, passion and purpose are extremely important to the success of any ministry however; “followship” will never be inspired if they cannot trust “leadership”.
Submitted by: Rev. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., B.S., M.Div., (Doctoral Candidate, The Theological School, Drew University)
6. GROUNDBREAKING AT DUPAGE AME CHURCH:
On a sunny and bright First Sunday of April 2008 DuPage AME Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr. James F. Miller, Senior Pastor and Rev. Lana Parks Miller, Executive Pastor, a Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for their Administration and Education building addition. The Rt. Rev. Philip R. Cousin, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District and Senior Bishop of the AME Church, preached the 11:15 a.m. with power out of the depths of his heart. His subject was “The Best Is Yet to Come” taken from John 12:27. The sanctuary was filled to overflow capacity and Bishop Cousin lifted the congregation to their feet at least a half a dozen times.
Bishop Cousin’s preaching continued the spirit that had been present in the previous two morning worship services. At 7 a.m. Licentiate Connie Dickerson preached from Hebrews 11:1-2. She recounted the history of DuPage from its humble beginnings in a small 70 seat chapel through its hotel sojourn into the current facility which was completed 12 years ago. As she excitedly acknowledged God’s intervention in further expanding His kingdom, her subject was “We’ve Come This Far by Faith.”
At 8:15 a.m. the Rev. Dr. Clement W. Fugh, General Secretary and Chief Information Officer of the AME Church, preached what can only be referred to as a sermon classic relating the struggle of kingdom building with an artistic and imaginative scriptural interpretation of the historic story of Dante’s Inferno. He took the subject of “A Journey through Hell.” Dr. Fugh ended his sermon with shouts of praise from the congregation as he assured us that even in hell, God’s love is present and God’s grace is sufficient.
After the 11:15 a.m. Communion was served the congregation retired outside to the west lawn of the church. The Disciplinary Dedication Service was lead by Bishop Cousin and Rev. Clarence G. Robinson, Jr., Presiding Elder of the North District of the Chicago Conference of which DuPage AMEC is apart, along with Pastors Miller, Kevin Webb, Vice-Chair of the Trustee Board, and Elaine Mass, Co-Pastor Steward. Brother Louis Garland, 3 time Lay Delegate to the General Conference and Vice-Chair of the Steward Board was not present due to out of the country travel.
The new addition will total approximately 10,000 square feet on 3 levels each with approximately 3,300 square feet. It will include a lower level multipurpose Fellowship Hall expansion, a ground level expansion which will house a bookstore, a chapel, a private preschool daycare, and expansions and renovations to the existing restrooms and narthex. The upper level will be an expansive administrative suite including a board room for twenty, offices, reception area, copy equipment room, staff lounge, etc. All facilities will feature state of the art computer/audio/video throughout. In addition to the building itself, a new landscape and lighted parking lot with approximately 70 additional spaces will complete this project estimated to cost $3 million.
The Pastors Miller are in their 19th year of pastoral leadership at DuPage AME Church. The congregation has grown from 150 members to nearly 2500 with an annual budget that has increased from $98,000.00 to $2.5 million. DuPage AMEC has a 16 person ministerial staff, 27 paid employees, and an official board of 203 good and faithful church officers. Located in DuPage County, 20 miles west of Chicago which has only a 3% African American population, DuPage AMEC is now the largest African-American worshipping congregation in the county.
Dr. Miller is the author of a book entitled “Go Build a Church: Spiritual Administration for Growth.” Initially the book was self published by Dr. Miller but has enjoyed such broad acceptance across the ecumenical landscape, and specifically in the AME Church, that the Pilgrim Press Publishing House has contracted for the rights and will republish and redistribute the book with it’s Fall 2008 grouping. “Go Build a Church” is endorsed in writing by many of the most dynamic church leaders both AME and from other denominations. It emphasizes optimizing church resources resulting in measurable increases in church attendance, tithes and offerings, and more harmonious local church culture threw spiritual perspectives on administration. Dr. Miller believes that local church administration is a most neglected but highly important component for a healthy church.
The congregation reluctantly left the bright sunshine and warmth and went back inside the Fellowship Hall to enjoy a full soul food dinner and a wonderful fellowship. We thank God for our Bishop the Rt. Rev. Philip R. Cousin, Rev. Dr. Clement W. Fugh, AME Church General Secretary, Presiding Elder Clarence G. Robinson Jr., and the host of saints that took time to “acknowledge God so that He may continue to direct our path.”
7. BMG AWESOME INSIGHT NEWSLETTER - A CHURCH LEADER'S GUIDE TO COMMUNICATIONS:
Are you inviting the community this Mother's Day? Sunday, May 11th may be the third largest attendance Sunday this year. Studies have shown that this Sunday's attendance comes close to Christmas and Easter for a lot of congregations. Interestingly, unchurched men are often found in the pews on Mother's Day. They come to honor their mothers, grandmothers, aunts wives, sisters and other females who have touched their lives. Again I ask, will your members invite the community this Mother's Day?
Intentionally inviting those who may be unchurched may be one of the best ways to celebrate this Mother's Day. As we continue to seek ways to be even more faithful to the Great Commission, it may be time to remind members to intentionally reach out and invite the community. As I conduct seminars with congregations of various denominations across the country, I am often amazed at how few people can really say they extended an invitation to visit their church. Many people say they simply never think about inviting someone. Let's take a minute to encourage members to invite and welcome others to our congregations.
Welcome to this issue of BMG Awesome Insight Newsletter. Whether you are trying to reach the "unchurched” in the community or you want to hear "awesome" more, this issue shares a few tips to help reach out and invite.
As we embrace this spring season, it is my prayer that congregations continue to seek ways to reach the unchurched, share the Good News and make disciples. I urge you to share this issue of BMG Awesome Newsletter for Church Leaders with a colleague in ministry. Encourage them to sign up for the newsletter at www.awesomeinsight.com.
Lynette Hawkins
*Used with permission of Sister Lynette Hawkins, BMG Awesome Insight Newsletter. Visit the BMG Awesome Website for more great ideas for growing your church membership. Sister Hawkins is also available to lead workshops.
8. REMEMBERING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S LEGACY:
The Rev. Delanda S. Johnson
All cross the nation Americans remembered April 4, 1968.
Some reflected back and asked themselves, “Where was I when Dr. King was assassinated?” “How did this make me feel?” And the more important question, “Where do we go from here?”
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was this man? One would say that he was a man of many dreams and visions; a man of peace/non-violence; a man who was a drum major for justice and equality.
But, I would say that Dr. King was, first and foremost, a man of God. He was a man who only wanted this nation to come together as one and not see each other in black and white.
I recently had the opportunity to visit Atlanta, Georgia, a city that is barely 150 years old, but has enough history for three times its age. Being in Atlanta, one could reflect back to slavery, war, utter destruction, civil disobedience, tragedy, triumph, and more, but today Atlantans continue to enthusiastically embrace the newest technology.
Atlantans were early embracers of the railroad, the telephones, the automobile, and the airplane.
Henry Grady, one of the early civic leaders and the managing editor of The Atlanta Constitution had a vision for Atlanta; one of the first cities to hit on the idea of promoting itself as a destination for ambitious entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship continues to flourish in Atlanta today.
On the 40th Anniversary of Dr. King’s death, thousands ascended to the King Center; the repository of King’s Tomb and to King’s birth home on Auburn Avenue.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site was established in 1980 in order to protect and interpret for the benefit, inspiration, and education of present and future generations the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and where he is buried.
The late Coretta Scott King and other supporters established the King Center in June 1968 and the tomb and Eternal Flame was dedicated in 1977. In the early 1970’s, Dr. King’s body was moved from Southview Cemetery to the nearly site at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The Historic Fire Station No. 6, Atlanta’s oldest standing firehouse that is now a museum, tells the story of desegregation of the city’s fire department, was built in 1894.
The Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church was built in 1914-1922. In February 1948, Dr. King was ordained and appointed associate pastor, where his father, affectionately know as “Daddy King,” was the pastor.
For the last eight years of his life, Dr. King served as Ebenezer’s co-pastor with his father.
King, who served as the SCLC first president used Ebenezer to meet and plan civil rights strategies based on the principles of nonviolent direct action.
Last and the most important is the King Birth Home built in 1895. King was born January 15, 1929, in his grandparents’ home. For his first 12 years, Dr. King lived in a multi-generation household. The birth home has been restored and furnished to reflect the 1930s and 1940s.
Words cannot express the way that I felt when I toured all of these sites. Even though I was too young to recall the events of that era, I felt the presence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.
I as watched the young people tour the King sites I wondered if they really knew the significance or the King Center. I also wondered if, as they grow into adulthood, will they keep Dr. King’s dream of equality for everyone alive?
I wondered, if he were alive today, what would Dr. King think of the world today?
How would he handle the young men wearing their pants down to their knees showing all of their underwear and instead of trying to make money the right way; getting involved with illegal activities for fast money and/or gang involvement?
I believed that Dr. King, a man who thought of himself last, would probably say, “I was a good and faithful servant who loved the Lord and who wanted to make things better for black Americans.”
I believe that he would also ask, “Why are the young and some older African Americans trying to turn the clock back in time? Did my death not mean anything?”
And I believe that he would go on to say, “The Promised Land that I envisioned is not the promise land of today.”
9. BLACK CHURCH 101:
*The Reverend Dr. Joseph Darby
Picture this: You’ve been “church shopping” in a new city and find a church that seems promising. It’s well attended, the people are friendly and welcoming, there are ministries that speak to your needs and those of your family, but one thing bothers you. It seems that at times, the very eloquent and active pastor is often too radical, too confrontational and too “over the top” in his preaching. In one sermon, he calls God’s wrath down upon the nation. In another sermon, he berates seemingly devoted church folks for engaging in empty, meaningless worship and tells them to take aggressive social action that might upset the accepted status quo. In still another sermon, he rejects peace and seems to advocate taking up arms to force change, and even labels the widely respected leaders of the church and the state as snakes and hypocrites who are bound for hell.
You like the church, but some of the pastor’s words seem to be too radical, violent, judgmental and controversial; and far too removed from the words of the Jesus who advocated peace and love. Do you join the church, or do you walk away and find another one where the preacher is more conventional and in tune with what seems to be polite and socially acceptable thinking? If you walk away, then you walk away from Moses, who championed freedom for God’s people from slavery and oppression in Egypt. You walk away from prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos, who gave voice to God’s call for justice and equity and God’s condemnation of empty, ritualistic worship. You walk away from Jesus, who said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword to upset the status quo, and who called the political and religious leaders of his day who preserved the status quo and played it safe a hypocritical brood of vipers who could not escape being condemned to hell.
If you chose to stay and join the church, then congratulations - you just passed “Black Church 101.” America needs that introductory course to understand and appreciate the spirit of the recently and wrongfully vilified words of the Reverend Doctor Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., the retired pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. Political and media pundits, and possibly a few of Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s political opponents, have seized upon short sound bites from Reverend Wright’s sermons to paint him as anti-white and anti-American, and to call for candidate Obama - a member of Trinity - to reject and repudiate the pastor who led him into the church.
Those who are outraged and apoplectic about those short sound bites and who wonder why any preacher would say such things have no insight into or understanding of the historically black church. Scholars like James Cone and Gayraud Wilmore systematized black liberation theology in the early 1970's, but the roots of black liberation theology are interwoven with the roots of the Judeo-Christian faith tradition. The consistent themes that run throughout Jewish and Christian Scripture are liberation from physical and spiritual oppression and the daily practice of religion that attains that liberation. While those goals were blurred and obscured in Western Christianity for centuries, they were rediscovered by the black church in America from its beginnings.
Those who were stolen from Africa to build America as slaves were subjected to a perversion of “Christian religion” as a means of social control. They were taught by those who claimed to own them that they were cursed as descendants of Noah’s dark skinned son Ham and that it was “God’s will” that they be good slaves and obey their masters. They saw the inconsistency in that, and were blessed to learn the truth in brush arbors and praise houses, where they heard the story of the liberation of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery and the delivery of God’s children in the fiery furnace and the lion’s den. They learned those lessons from black preachers, who may not have been well educated, but who learned to rightly interpret Scripture, to preach the promise of freedom, identity and self reliance and to encourage, console and inspire those who faced daily oppression.
Men like Richard Allen and James Varick preached liberation and justice when they established African-American denominations; lay people like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Denmark Vesey and Harriet Tubman found their inspiration to fight for freedom in the words of black preachers. When there was a need to stand against those who destroyed the gains of post-Civil War Reconstruction and imposed American apartheid through Jim Crow Laws, black preachers like Henry McNeal Turner spoke truth to power.
When lynching and brutality forced black Americans to flee the south, black churches and black preachers in the North, Midwest and West were there to welcome them. When the Niagara Movement evolved into the NAACP almost a century ago, black preachers like Reverdy Cassius Ransom were there. When someone needed to file suit to bring an end to separate and unequal schools; preachers who were NAACP members like Joseph A. DeLaine stepped forward. Countless and less noted black preachers have served as NAACP officers, manned picket lines, registered voters and led people of good will to stand against injustice and inequality. When there was a need for political action, preachers like Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. led the way. When the time came for America to be changed for the better, preachers like Martin Luther King, Jr., Joseph Lowery and Benjamin Hooks became the point people in the modern battle for civil rights.
All of those preachers and nameless others spoke, and still speak truth to power. The black church and black preachers have always been courageously prophetic rather than accommodating and pragmatic. Since the days of slavery, the historically black church has been a haven for those who have been dehumanized and demeaned and a vehicle for them to rise both physically and spiritually in an America that relegated them to second class citizenship and cloaked bigotry in religion. Black preachers have always been outspoken and sometimes controversial and reviled heralds of freedom and fairness, walking not in the passive footsteps of a “neutered” Jesus, but in the bold and authentic footsteps of the Jesus who spoke truth to the religious and political powers of his day and who was falsely accused and executed for doing so.
Many of the institutions that were the foundation of black America have crumbled, but the church still has the capacity to be an independent voice of conscience and progress. That’s why one of the mandatory standing committee for the NAACP at all levels is dedicated to Religious Affairs. All good black preachers sometimes say things that their members might hesitate to openly say in an America where race still matters and where those who tell the truth might not be physically lynched, but can still be economically or politically lynched if they run afoul of the powers that be. The current wave of controversy that has been aimed at Barack Obama is a reminder of that, and does have Biblical precedent. When a Jewish exile named Daniel rose to a position of authority in Babylon, those in the Babylonian majority tried and failed to bring him down through questioning his accountability, capability and efficiency and finally said, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with his religion.”
The black church and black preachers have always been criticized by those with limited knowledge and insight and abundant insecurity. The black church and black preachers still speak truth to power in a way that makes those who practice “comfortable cultural Christianity” uncomfortable and that pointedly challenges America to be what it claims to be: “One nation, under God with liberty and justice for all.” Those who can’t set the agenda for the black church from beyond the church and are ignorant of the full work of the church often fear the black church and black clergy.
Regardless of those who cannot and will not understand and who will condemn the words of Jeremiah Wright and other prophets of freedom, the black church will always be an authentic voice of liberation and inspiration that actively confronts the sins of greed and racism and that does so as a partner in progress with the NAACP. In spite of efforts to buy and use the black church, real black preachers will always be on the case, believing that even in unjust and critical times, God is still on the throne.
The Reverend Joseph A. Darby
Senior Pastor, Morris Brown AME Church, Charleston, South Carolina
First Vice President, The Charleston Branch NAACP
10. DR. NORMAN HUTCHINS AND MYRNA SUMMERS TO SERVE AS CONSULTANTS FOR EIGHTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT CHURCH MUSIC WORKSHOP OF AMERICA:
Dr. Jimmie James, Jr.
Jackson, MS - The Annual Church Music Workshop of America is celebrating its 32nd year with nationally acclaimed musical consultants. The workshop, co-sponsored by the Eighth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church and Jackson State University, is scheduled for Monday through Thursday, June 16-19, 2008 in the F.D. Hall Music Center on the JSU campus. Focusing on the theme, Music and Worship: A Celebration of Life; the workshop features a variety of seminars relating to various aspects of worship service music.
Well known for its unique instructional methods, the workshop draws church musicians from throughout the nation. Church Music Workshop director and JSU music department chairman Dr. Jimmie James, Jr. said the program seeks to improve church music locally, nationally and internationally. Bishop C. Garnett Henning, presiding prelate, indicates that this year our outstanding consultants and other workshop personnel insure that the 32nd Annual Workshop will be a unique experience enriching the music quality and life of all participants.
The seminars, designed to provide practical and helpful experiences for the church musician, include: “The Return of Stolen Music,” “Introduction to Spontaneous Praise Music,” “Worship in the Key of David,” “Pro Tools for the Church Musician,” “Creative Power-The Sound of Heaven and Earth,” “Hymns of the African American Church, “ “Church Choir Decorum” and many others.
“Recent workshops have included the latest technology and have given guidance to the technological applications that prepare participants for the new century, explained James, who serves as Connectional Director of Music Emeritus for the A.M.E. Church and Minister of Music at Pearl Street A.M.E. Church in Jackson. In November, 2007, he completed a four year term as Chairman of Region 8 of the National Association of Schools of Music. As Chairman, he represented the states of MS, AL, KY and TN on the NASM Board of Directors.
Lead consultant for the workshop will be Dr. Norman Hutchins. Hutchings of Los Angeles, CA was called into the ministry at the age of eight. He now travels the country ministering to the Body of Christ through Preaching, Teaching and Singing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a multiple Stellar and Dove Award nominee with four hit albums to his credit, Battlefield, God’s Gotta Blessing With My Name On It, Jesus I Love You, Emmanuel, and his newest releases God Is Up To Something and A Move of God Is On The Way. These are just a few of his songs which are still topping the Billboard Gospel Charts.
Writer and arranger, Evangelist Myrna Summers is the minister of Music at Reid Temple A.M.E. Church in Glendale, Maryland. Evangelist Summers is the leader of the church’s five choirs, orchestra and is the Director of Reid Temple’s Mass Choir. Summers has been performing professionally for over four decades in the United States and Europe. She was nominated for Grammy Awards for her original compositions God Gave Me a Song, Give Me Something to Hold on To, and Mountain Get Out of My Way; her latest CD project with the Reid Temple A.M.E. Mass Choir, was released in December of 2006.
Also making an appearance will be Dr. James Abbington, Associate Professor of Music at Emory University Candler School of Religion who will conduct a GIA Publications Reading Session. Well-known musicians Dr. Roland Carter and Dr. Don Lee White will serve as special consultants. Dr. Robert E. James, a Hattiesburg native and President of Carver State Bank of Savannah, GA and an expert on issues related to church finances, will deliver the keynote address on June 16th at 1:30 p.m.
Serving as presenters during the four-day workshop will be Phyllis Lewis-Hale, soprano, as Assistant Professor of Music and Opera Workshop Director at Jackson State University. Florine Herron, Director of Music for the Eighth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church; Lannie Spann McBride, is a noted Elementary Music Specialist and Jackson State University Lecturer who will direct the children’s workshop. James M. Hawkins , director of the award winning Jim Hill High School Choir; Cynthia Palmer, gospel artist; and Fennoyee Thomas, Associate Dean at Texas Southern University, and Andrew Lewis, a JSU graduate assistant and technology expert.
The closing workshop concert will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rose McCoy Auditorium featuring Dr. Norman Hutchins, Myrna Summers and other artists. The early registration fee for the workshop is $100 per person, which includes all music and materials with a reduction for multiple registrations from one church. After June 1, the fee is $125. The children’s registration fee is $25 which includes a workshop tee-shirt. Concert tickets in advance will be $5 in advance and $10 the day of the concert. Academic credit and CEU credit are available for graduate and undergraduate students. Final registration will be held on Monday, June 16, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. in the F.D. Hall Music Center.
The Jackson Marriott Hotel is the official hotel for the workshop. It is located at 200 E. Amite Street in Jackson. The phone number is 800/256-9194. The fax number is 601/355-1704. The Jackson Marriott Hotel is a full service hotel. The rate is $99.00 plus tax. Reservations should be made before May 16, 2008. On-campus housing is available in the beautiful new Campbell College Suites at a rate of $25.00 per person per night if you provide your own linen. The rate is $32.00 per person per night if the University provides the linen. To view the housing web site, please visit www.jsums.edu/housing Contact the Department of Music to reserve accommodations on campus. .For more information, call Dr. Jimmie James Jr., Workshop Director and JSU music department chairman at (601) 979-2141. You may also reach Dr. James by e-mail at: jimmie.james@jsums.edu. Additional information is available by visiting www.jsums.edu/cmu.
11. ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMY ADDS TO RETIREES'MISERY:
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
HARARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS)-Selling little yellow balls of "Cockroach Kill" used to help the Rev. Kenneth Shamu put food on the table.
Now even income from that small business is gone because the soaring inflation rate in Zimbabwe has made it impossible to buy the ingredients - sugar, eggs and Borax.
Creative solutions have helped the Shamus survive since his retirement as a United Methodist pastor in 1995. Shamu stopped receiving any pension funds from the church in 2004. Even before they stopped, he was not receiving enough to live on, he said.
Zimbabwe's political and economic situation only adds to the misery.
"The economy changes every two weeks," said the Rev. Lovemore Nyanungo, who retired from active ministry after serving the church for 39 years.
The government of Zimbabwe sets the current inflation rate around 7,000 percent, but independent estimates put it at 13,000 percent or higher.
A liter of petrol costs Zim$12 million (US$3 on the parallel market), up from Zim$6 million (US$1.60) late last year. It costs bus commuters Zim$3 million (just under a dollar) for an average trip - three times more than they paid just before last Christmas.
It is reported that four out of five of the country's 12 million people live below the poverty line and a quarter have fled, mainly to neighboring countries.
"I really appreciate the help of the local church," Nyanungo said. But even with that help, he still has to carefully consider how much he and his wife spend; and what activities they do. At times, he also must rely on help from his five children or friends.
"I knew when I was an active pastor I would not get much when I retired," he said. "I think retired pastors should continue to get paid the same as active pastors or at least a percentage that would be a livable wage."
The United Methodist Church's General Conference, its largest legislative body, has launched an effort called the Central Conference Pension Initiative to ensure retirees and surviving spouses retire with dignity and hope.
Pension is 'peanuts'
Though The United Methodist Church's greatest growth is in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Philippines, pension funds are minimal or nonexistent for pastors in those areas. Many of them have faithfully served for 20, 30, 40 or more years.
When retired Zimbabwe Bishop Abel T. Muzorewa thinks about the pension funds for retired pastors, he said he is "filled with guilt."
"The pastors have nothing. It is peanuts; it is meaningless. It shouldn't even be called a pension," he said. "Now that I am retired, I can't do much about it but talk, talk, talk so others can change the situation."
A news team from United Methodist Communications and members of the denomination's Board of Pension and Health Benefits visited Zimbabwe in 2005 to gain an understanding of the needs and the context for pensions in that African country.
The Central Conference Pension Initiative is being carried out by five church agencies: the Board of Pension and Health Benefits, the General Council on Finance and Administration, the Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Publishing House and United Methodist Communications. The pension board projects that a $50 million endowment is needed to sustain the central conference pension benefit fund.
"It would be a blessed venture, and I wish all those who have been enabled by God to have some money in their pockets would pour money into the pension fund for all of Africa," Muzorewa said.
In Zimbabwe, retired pastors and surviving spouses don't receive regular pension support from the church. This year, an emergency grant of $68 was provided through the initiative and the Board of Global Ministries. Zimbabwe has 36 retirees and 34 surviving spouses.
Shamu is glad he took Muzorewa's advice years ago, when the bishop told him to plan for the future. "He mentioned buying a house, and now that is what I tell the pastors I meet," the retired pastor said. "If I didn't have a house, I would be suffering more than I am today."
Hard adjustments
The Rev. Willis Makunkie had a hard time adjusting to retirement after being a United Methodist pastor for 34 years.
"I had to come up with some ideas of things to do," he said. During his years as a pastor, he served nine circuits and a six-year term as a district superintendent. He still performs some church duties when asked, such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.
Another hard adjustment for him and two of his neighbors, who are surviving spouses of retired pastors, is the lack of any money from the church in their retirement years.
"Sometimes I live on charity, money from family or friends," he explains. He also tries to raise vegetables to eat, but the lack of water in his area of Zimbabwe makes that difficult.
"If the church had something to help, I would appreciate it," he said. "But if they have nothing, what can I do?"
Rosemary Chidzikwe, widow of a retired pastor, said she is not receiving any pension from the church and hasn't for a long time. Her husband, the Rev. Josiah Chidzikwe died in 1990. He was able to set aside a little money and buy the house she lives in, she said. Some of their income came from a maize-grinding mill they once operated for the community.
"It is difficult to survive," said Chidzikwe, who is not in good health. "But I think the church has done their part." She gets help from a sister who lives with her.
Martha Matongo, also a widow, said her husband died in 1970, but she doesn't remember how many years he served before retirement.
"It is difficult, but I depend on God because he is one who gave us this service," said Matongo who is also in poor health. "I am always ill, and I have to walk with this stick," she said, waving it in the air.
She sometimes gets help from growing and selling yams, and her children help when they can. She lives with her grandchildren who help her find water and other things she needs.
"God is providing," she said.
Other retirees share that quiet faith. Shamu said that even though retired pastors in Zimbabwe seem to be forgotten, he still has a deep love for the church.
"I was born in The United Methodist Church, and I have never joined any other church. It means a lot to me. I am a Methodist until the end of my life."
More information on how to get involved is available by going to www.ccpi-umc.org, writing to ccpi@gbophb.org or calling (847) 866-4230.
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org .
*Used with permission of the United Methodist News Service
12. THE FORMER DIRECTOR AND OFFICERS OF THE SIXTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT AME CHURCH 1966-1980 PRESENT THE YPD’ERS REUNION CELEBRATION:
The YPD’ers Reunion Celebration will be held September 12-13, 2008 with the theme, “Grow, Glow, and Go for Christ”
Celebrate with us on Friday, September 12, 2008, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. with a fellowship, meet and greet session at Paschal’s Castleberry Inn.
On Saturday, September 13, 2008, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. the group will tour of Morris Brown College, followed by a Celebration Luncheon at 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Allen Temple AME Church, 1625 Simpson Road, Atlanta, Georgia.
Hotel Accommodations:
Paschal’s Castleberry Inn
186 North Side Dr., N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
(404) 893-4663
Registration: $ 50.00 Make check or money order payable to “Former Y.P. D. Reunion” and mail to:
Mrs. Jacquelyn T. Atkins
2900 Handy Dr., N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30318
(404) 792-2768
Room Rates:
Singles - $74.99
DBL/Full - $101.99
The registration deadline: August 15, 2008
For more information contact:
Mrs. Helen Booth (Former YPD Director), (229) 838-4441 or (706) 566-6100 or Mr. Albert Abrams (Former YPD President), ajabrams@cox.net
This event is endorsed by Bishop William P. and Dr. Pam DeVeaux, our Episcopal Leaders of the Sixth Episcopal District.
All proceeds will be donated to Morris Brown College
13. MOREHOUSE ANNOUNCES THE 2008 BACCALAUREATE AND COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS:
When more than 500 men from the class of 2008 grace the Martin Luther King International Chapel for the last time as undergraduates before becoming Morehouse Men, they will be inspired by a Baccalaureate message delivered by H. Beecher Hicks, senior pastor of the six-thousand member historic Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
Since his election in June 1977, Hicks has served as the fifth senior minister in the congregation’s 140-year history. The church’s various commercial and social service ventures have placed Metropolitan among the world’s most productive religious and civic institutions.
The Baccalaureate service for Morehouse will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 3 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Baccalaureate is the last spiritual assembly the class will have before they receive their degrees during commencement the next morning. Commencement will take place on Sunday, April 18 at 8 a.m. on the century campus.
The Commencement speaker is Morehouse alumnus Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D.
Carson graduated from Morehouse in 1981. He currently serves as the first CEO and President of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The community foundation is dedicated to advancing civic engagement to address the most challenging problems facing California’s San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Carson serves on several nonprofit boards including the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Northern California Grant Makers and Southern Education Foundation. He is a past chair of the Council on Foundations and has received numerous nonprofit leadership awards including recognition by The Non-profit Times as one of the 50 most influential non-profit leaders in the United States. He received his doctorate and master’s in public administration and public and international affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree in economics, Phi Beta Kappa, from Morehouse College.
14. THE 2008 FIRST EPISCOPAL DISTRICT SCHEDULE OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES:
NEW JERSEY ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: March 3, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: March 4, 2008
Annual Conference Dates: March 5-9, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center
2 Miss America Way
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Richard T. Druid, Tel, (908) 756-8878
Host District: Atlantic City District
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Richard T. Druid
BERMUDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: March 11, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: March 12, 2008
Conference Dates: March 13-16, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
The Fairmont Southampton Princess Resort Midocean Amphitheater
Southampton SB 03 Bermuda
Host Church Telephone: (441) 239-0605
Host - Ministerial Alliance
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Malcolm Eve, Tel, (441) 239-1054
DELAWARE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: April 8, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: April 9, 2008
Conference Dates: April 10-13, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Asbury A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (610) 874-2110
1712-28 Providence Avenue
Chester, PA 19013
Host Pastor: The Rev. Janet J. Sturdivant, Tel, (609) 384-0381
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Charles E. Drummer, Jr.
NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: April 21, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: April 22, 2008
Annual Conference Dates: April 23-27, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Bridge Street A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (718)452-3936
277 Stuyvesant Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Host Pastor: The Rev. David B. Cousin, Sr., Tel, (914) 576-7442
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Alvan N. Johnson
WESTERN NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: April 29, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: April 30, 2008
Conference Dates: May 1-4, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
St. John A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (716) 285-6432
917 Garden Avenue
Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Host Pastor: The Rev. Stanley Smith, Tel., (716) 285-5924
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. James E. F. Lawrence
NEW ENGLAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: May 13, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: May 14, 2008
Annual Conference Dates: May 15-18, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Bethel A.M.E Church
Telephone: (203) 348-3879
150 Fairfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
Host Pastor: The Rev. LeRoy Ladson, Jr., Telephone: (203) 978-1501
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Herbert L. Eddy
THE PHILADELPHIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (215) 925-0616
419 Richard Allen Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Host Pastor: The Rev. Jeffrey N. Leath, Tel., (215) 848-9548
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Winton M. Hill III
FIRST DISTRICT PLANNING MEETING:
June 12-14
THE 48TH QUADRENNIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE:
July 3 – 11, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri
FIRST DISTRICT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS
July 21-24, 2008
Wesley College
Dover, Delaware
FIRST DISTRICT LAY ANNUAL MEETING
July 25-26, 2008
Sheraton Hotel
Dover, Delaware
FIRST DISTRICT YPD MEETING
October 10-12, 2008
Sheraton Hotel
Dover, Delaware
FALL CONVOCATION
November 6-8. 2008
First District Headquarters Building
3801 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
15. CLERGY AND EPISCOPACY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY NOTICE:
- Bishop and Mrs. E. Earl McCloud, Jr., Office of Ecumenical & Urban Affairs, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on March 12, 2008.
Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: emccloudjr@aol.com
Or:
Bishop and Mrs. E. Earl McCloud, Jr.
P.O. Box 310043
Atlanta, GA 31131-0043
Phone: 770) 458-7220
Fax: (404) 691-1092
- The Reverend Helen Marie Bolden-Rogers successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan on March 31, 2008. She will be awarded the D.Min Degree at the commencement exercises to be held on May 31, 2008.
Rev. Bolden-Rogers, formally of the 13th Episcopal District, is the Pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Lansing, Michigan; North District-Michigan Conference, 4th Episcopal District; Rev. Dr. Delano Bowman, Presiding Elder and Bishop Philip R. Cousin, Presiding Prelate.
Dr. Marsha Foster-Boyd, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church serves as President of Ecumenical Theological Seminary.
Congratulatory messages can be sent to: revhelen@sbcglobal.net
- Tamara Gibson, the wife of The Reverend Dr. Kyle C. Gibson, Senior Pastor of Bethel AME Church Deland Florida, completed her nursing program at Keiser University and was pinned on March 28, 2008 at the Boca Raton Community Hospital. She was awarded The Compassionate Heart Award for recognition as the student who is most caring and compassionate.
Notes of Congratulations can be sent to Tamara at
tamaragibson@bellsouth.net
- Kristina Hayward, Dr. Calvin Sydnor's former student and protégé, is currently matriculating as a first year student at Wesley Theological Seminary. Sister Kristina Hayward is the daughter of the Reverends Samuel and Althea Hayward of the Second Episcopal District. The Washington Conference Board of Examiners has advised her that they will be recommending that she be elected and ordained an itinerant deacon at this upcoming session of the Washington Annual Conference.
Congratulatory messages may be sent to the Revs. Samuel and Althea J. Hayward: graceschild@hotmail.com
16. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
With regret we announce the passing on April 5th, 2008 of Sister Willie B. Goodspeed, wife of the late Rev. Daniel S. Goodspeed, who pastored various AME Churches throughout the Tenth Episcopal District. Sister Goodspeed was a member of Historic Allen Chapel AME Church, Fort Worth, Texas where the Rev. George Willis, III serves as the pastor.
Service arrangements for Sister Goodspeed:
A Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 P.M. Friday, April 11, 2008
Greater Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church
4628 Avenue J
Fort Worth, Texas 76105
The Rev. Grady Anderson, pastor
Graveside Service will be held Saturday, April 12, 2008, 12 Noon
Cedar Hill Memorial Park
8199 US Highway 287
Arlington, Texas
Ph: (817) 478-1878
Sister Goodspeed's final earthly care has been entrusted to:
Baker Funeral Home
301 E. Rosedale Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76104
Ph: (817) 332-4468
Condolences may be sent to:
Mr. Danny S. Goodspeed (Son)
4813 Bratcher
Fort Worth, Texas 76119
Ph: (817) 536-5667 or (817) 999-4352
17. FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Homegoing Service for Mr. G. G. (George Grant) Young, Church School Superintendent of the East Mississippi Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at:
Bethel AME Church
214 S. Monroe St.
Yazoo City, Ms 39194
Services in trusted to:
Shaffer and Collins Funeral Home
247 W. Sixth St,
Yazoo City, Ms. 39194
Phone 662-746-3985
The Right Rev. Cornal Garnett Henning, Sr. presiding bishop
The Rev. Jacob W. Hilton, presiding elder
The Rev. Bene L. Bowens, pastor
18. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
The Clergy Family Information Center
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Commission on Social Action
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
E-mail: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Phone: (615) 837-9736
Voice Mail: (615) 833-6936
Fax: (615) 833-3781
Cell: (615) 403-7751
19. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Gregory G. M. Ingram; 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.
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor, The Christian Recorder
1. EDITORIAL - DID THE NUMBER 3200 + MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU IN 2007; DOES THE NUMBER 4000 + MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU NOW?:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
In March 2007 I wrote an editorial “Does the Number 3200+ Mean Anything to You?” I wrote then that “The number 3200+ is an important number, but apparently the number 3200+ means little, or nothing, to President George Bush and to those around him.”
I had hoped that the number 3200+ meant something to our readers because the Department of Defense had identified 3200+ American Service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. I went on to say that not long before we had reached the 3200+milestone, the Department of Defense had posted the number of U.S. deaths at 2000.
The sad thing for me, and which brings tears to my eyes, is that the number, one year later, has reached over 4000 American service persons that have been killed in Iraq. Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines are still dying every day and we are still sending more service members to their deaths.
It’s a shame; and all of us should hang our heads in shame until we bring our young men and women home. Like Viet Nam, when all of this is over, many citizens and the media, and even service members, will all call the deaths of Americans in this war, a waste of precious lives. President Bush and Vice-President Cheney don’t even seem to be concerned about the deaths of our young men and women. The service members’ deaths are not even front-page news anymore. President Bush just continues to say, “We must stay the course.”
I still believe that the troops need to come home now; the soldiers want to come home now. The families of the soldiers want them to come home now. Most people do not want our service members embroiled in the mishaps and missteps of President Maliki.
So, why are we still in Iraq?
Does Iraq represent a survival, vital or strategic risk to our nation? Those are the reasons nations go to war. Could it be oil? Are we keeping our troops in Iraq to protect our rights to their oil? I suspect so. The Basra region is sitting on a lot of oil. I guess that we have stayed so long and lost so many lives that the President and the Vice President want to get something out of this fiasco. I think that hoping that Iraq will become an American-cloned democracy has been abandoned long ago. It has to be oil!
I have not heard the president make that specific claim that we are staying the course because of the oil. I have read that he and his advisers had hoped that the oil would have paid for our involvement in the war. It would have been great if it had worked out that way, the same way it would have been great if we had found weapons of mass destruction or if it could have proven that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9-11.
Though, I have not personally heard the President say that oil is the motivation for staying the course in Iraq, I have repeatedly heard the president and vice-President tell us that our remaining in Iraq makes us safer. Cheney continues to say, “If we pull our soldiers out of Iraq, the terrorists will come here to America.” I would again remind Cheney that all of the 9/11 terrorists were all Saudis.
So, what is the Bush administration’s logic? I am at a loss and most Americans are at a loss. The war’s cost is in the trillions of dollars. There are nine zeros in a trillion, i.e. 1,000,000,000,000; that’s a lot of zeros and a lot of money that could do a lot of good thing in America, if we applied some of those dollars to upgrade our deteriorating educational systems and applied some of it to our ineffective prison reform programs. And, don’t be surprised if by the end of all of this that we might find out the war cost a quadrillion dollars or more; there are fifteen zeroes in a quadrillion.
The money that we are spending on the Iraq war could be better spent right here in America. We could us some of that money to fund anti-poverty programs, medical research, and needed military upgrades, especially housing for family members on military bases.
I wonder why the government could bail our Bear Stearns, yet the government is hesitant to assist the homeowners who are at risk of losing their home to foreclosure. And, oh, by the way, 80,000 jobs were lost during the month of March.
I will say it again, whenever we pull out of Iraq tomorrow or three years from now, there will be a fight over who will be in charge. The Shias, the Sunnis, the Kurds will “fuss and fight” and either the Shias or Iran will most probably emerge as the governing influence of Iraq.
Three retired U.S. Army generals; Maj. Gen. Robert Scales, Jr., Lt. Gen. William Odom and Gen. Barry McCaffrey, predicted chaos in Iraq when U.S. forces are withdrawn. Gen. McCaffrey has predicted that the U.S. will withdraw forces from Iraq over the next three years because the U.S. had “no political will” to continue. He went to say that “our allies have abandoned us.” McCaffrey said, “It is all over.” I certainly hope so.
In the end, when all of this is over, the Iraqis themselves will decide who will run the country and I hope that we would not have lost another 4000 U.S. service members by the time they will decide who will run the country.
We are going to pay for the “sins” of this war for a long time.
2. THE CHURCH PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE MINISTRY OF THE REVEREND DR. A. LEE HENDERSON:
Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III
The homegoing service for Dr. A. Lee Henderson was held on a bright sunny Southern California day at Grant AME Church in Los Angeles on Monday, April 7, 2008.
The bishops, general officers, mourners and family members had arrived from far and near; mostly from far away to say goodbye to one of the great legends of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson. Grant AME Church and Pastor Leslie White were poised to be the ultimate hosts.
Bishop John Hurst Adams, the eulogist, started out his message with, “I don’t know how the man did all that he did.”
On the way to the church, the Reverend E. L. Wright from Texas said, “A. Lee was some football player. His nickname was ‘Rip’; he was called, ‘Rip’ because in a football game, he would get down in his three-point stance and when the play started, he would rip out of that stance and rip whoever was in front of him. He was a tough football player.”
Dr. Dennis Dickerson, Historiographer said, “When the 1984 General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri elected A. Lee Henderson as Secretary-Treasurer of the A.M.E. Sunday School Union, he brought special skills to the office. Just as Charles Spencer Smith founded the Sunday School Union, acquired its first facility, published major texts for adults and youth, and just as Henry Allen Belin, Jr. built a new physical plant and printed updated Sunday School literature, histories, and theologies for the denomination, A. Lee Henderson brought the latest innovations in printing and technology to change the face of A.M.E. publishing. Not only did ministers and members acknowledge and affirm these contributions, but prizes and awards came from professional and trade organizations.”
Dr. Henderson’s wife, Bobbye, said that one of his favorite books was Jonathan Livingston Seagull, written by Richard Bach and likened his perseverance to Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Mrs. Bobbye Henderson said that her husband was “her sweetheart, her king, hero, provider, soul-mate, best friend, lover, housekeeper, caregiver and everything, and for 30 years of wonderful memories and making me the happiest woman in the world.”
The Reverend Dr. Henderson was the epitome of the itinerant ministry; he provided pastoral oversight in seven states: Texas, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, California, Tennessee, and Nevada. Indeed, Bishop Adams made and excellent point when he said, “I don’t know how the man did all that he did.”
Alfred Lee Henderson, or Rip as he was affectionally known, departed this life at 10:31 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2008 after a lengthy illness. He was the oldest of three children born to Exia Mae Gray and Albert Wyatt, February 17, 1931 in Marlin, Texas. He was adopted and raised by Albert Henderson. His parents and his brother, James, preceded him in death. He was married to Verna L. Henderson and to this union two daughters, Alisha Cheri and Roslyn Letitia were born. In 1978 he was united in marriage to Bobby J. Minter.
Dr. Henderson received his early education in Marlin, Texas and Ardmore, Oklahoma. After graduation from high school the educational path took him to Paul Quinn College in Waco; Wilberforce University; the Urban Training Center in Chicago; Our Lady of the Lake, San Antonio; and the United States International University in San Diego. He received the B.S., B.Th, MS, MA, Ed.D and honorary D.D. and LL.D degrees.
Dr. Henderson’s record of achievement grew along with his sports honors and was featured on the cover of Look Magazine. He broke the bias deadlock against African Americans, accelerating into position as principal of Clearview Schools in Bastrop, Texas. He taught social studies and coached athletics in the public school system for seven years.
He was ordained an itinerant deacon in 1951 by Bishop Joseph Gomez, who was at that time the presiding prelate of the Tenth Episcopal District and ordained an itinerant elder on August 14, 1956 in the Central Texas Annual Conference by the then presiding prelate, Bishop H. Thomas Primm.
Heeding the call to the ministry, Alfred served as an associate minister under Pastor Therion E. Cobbs at Bethel AME Church San Diego in the early '50s.
Dr. Henderson served in leadership positions on the General Board of the AME Church and various other committees. He was given credit for helping many ministers achieving their dreams of being elected bishops in the AME Church.
Dr. Henderson served as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Mechanicsburg, Ohio; Shorter Chapel AME Church, Giddings, Texas, Bethel AME Church, Yakima, Washington; Bethel AME Church, Oxnard, California; Ebenezer AME Church, Stockton, California; Parks Chapel AME Church, Pacoima, California; Price Chapel AME Church, Los Angeles; Bethel AME Church, Portland, Oregon; St paul AME Church, Berkley, California, and Second AME Church in Los Angeles.
He was the pastor of Second AME Church when, in 1984, he was elected as the seventh Secretary-Treasurer/President-Publisher of the Sunday School Union / AMEC Publishing House, fulfilling a lifetime dream. His innovations enriched the scope of all publishing enterprise. The AMEC Publishing House was the recipient of numerous awards of excellence, merit and recognition for outstanding layout, design, and color. He was the author of many books and articles.
As one of the few African American publishers of magazines, he won an international award from the Pew & Rockefeller Foundation for the magazine he founded, "The Communicator." The World book Fair in Frankfurt, Germany elected him vice-president to its International Publishers’ Association.
A recipient of Howard Divinity School’s, Achievement Award; Dr. Henderson was also awarded the Congress of National Black Churches Servant to the Community designation. In 1988, Shorter College conferred upon him its Minister Fellowship. He was recognized in 1983 with the Outstanding Service Award by the City of Los Angeles. In Portland, Oregon, he served on the Board of Directors of the Child Care Coordinating Council, and as its Chairman from 1971-73.
Two years after retiring as the Secretary-Treasurer/President-Publisher of the Sunday School Union / AMEC Publishing House, Dr. Henderson was not satisfied with being fully retired from the active ministry because he felt that God had planted his feet in Las Vegas to continue to work for God. And after much prayer and consultation with the presiding elder and the bishop, he was obedient to God's Will; and as a result, Fountain of Hope AME Church was birthed - "An underground explosion of the waters of eternal life for a thirsty world."
Dr. Henderson personal legacy is one of perseverance and entrepreneurial principles. He leaves to cherish and honor his memory and rich legacy his loving and devoted wife of 30 years, Bobbye; daughters, A. Cheri (John) Parham, College Park, Georgia; Roslyn (Shawn) Turner, Corona, California; step-daughters, Sandra (John) Traylor, Tracy, California; Vickie (Barbatunde) Johnathan; Alisa Taylor; stepson, Theodore Atkinson, Oakland, California; sisters, Dorothy (James) Moore, Ardmore, Oklahoma; Artelia Wilson, Little Rock, Arkansas; OraDee (Willie) Jennings, Duncanville, Texas; brother, Tommy (Cheryl) Wyatt, Duncanville, Texas; Son in the ministry, the Reverend Leslie (Renee) White; extended family, Rose (Bert) Maiden, Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Cheryl Everett, San Diego, California; eleven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson had a full ministry and lived a full life to the glory of God.
* Parts of this article were extracted from the obituary that was printed in the Reverend Dr. Alfred Lee Henderson Celebration of Life bulletin.
3. A GENERAL OFFICER'S TRIBUTE TO A. LEE HENDERSON:
Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson
When a General Officer is elected in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the denomination entrusts to that person a special ministry. He or she serves the entirety of African Methodism in an office that no one else occupies. There are nine (9) General Officers, but among them there is only one Historiographer, Treasurer, General Secretary, Editor of The Christian Recorder, and only one Executive Director of Christian Education, only one Annuities and Investments, Global Ministry and Witness, and Church Growth and Development; and only one President / Publisher of the A.M.E. Sunday School Union. Each has particular abilities and discharges duties as the singular person within the A.M.E. Church, responsible for one of these nine offices.
When the 1984 General Conference in Kansas City, Missouri elected A. Lee Henderson as Secretary-Treasurer of the A.M.E. Sunday School Union, he brought special skills to the office. Just as Charles Spencer Smith founded the Sunday School Union, acquired its first facility, published major texts for adults and youth, and just as Henry Allen Belin, Jr. built a new physical plant and printed updated Sunday School literature, histories, and theologies for the denomination, A. Lee Henderson brought the latest innovations in printing and technology to change the face of A.M.E. publishing. Not only did ministers and members acknowledge and affirm these contributions, but prizes and awards came from professional and trade organizations.
From where did these talents come? Did they come from Marlin, Texas, his place birth; from Paul Quinn, Wilberforce, Payne Theological Seminary or from the other institutions where he matriculated; from the pastorates where he served in Texas, Ohio, Washington, Pacoima and Los Angeles, California, or Portland, Oregon; from his experiences in journalism and publishing especially as the owner of the PORTLAND OBSERVER-perhaps, all of these experiences contributed something to making him the man, the minister, the General Officer that he became. But, ultimately, these talents came from God; God confers talents upon us; God entrusts responsibilities to us; God provides us opportunities to exercise our gifts; and the church, following the lead of the Holy Spirit, elevates persons of special skills to positions of significance to serve African Methodism.
Additionally, A. Lee Henderson thoroughly understood and affirmed the “genius” of the Wesleyan ministry. To be an Elder in God’s Holy Church was the highest calling whatever office one might be appointed or elected to hold. Hence, as he retired from the Office of General Officer, he retained his attachment to the itinerancy, resumed active participation in the Southern California Annual Conference, and became the founding pastor of Fountain of Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He served thousands of congregations he as Publisher at the A.M.E. Sunday School Union. Now, he was back on the front lines of pastoral ministry. Coming full circle showed love for God, for African Methodism, and for the primacy of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, doing ministry among the Lord’s people.
This General Officer, A. Lee Henderson, illustrated how the Lord blesses the church and puts in place significant servants to do ministry.-whether preaching, teaching, healing, evangelizing, publishing the Word of God or establishing a new congregation.
So, here’s to a General Officer and Elder in the Church of God and a partner and spouse, Bobbye J. Henderson, who took publishing and pasturing to a higher level-not as a vocation, but as a calling to serve the people of God. Because of this dedication from both Hendersons, African Methodism is better equipped to do the Lord’s work.
4. READER RESPONSE TO EDITORIAL AND OTHER ISSUES:
- To the Editor:
RE: The “Sins” of the Musician
Another “sin” you may want to add is a musician who does not give money in any collections, doesn’t pays tithes, and who does not dress appropriately for church worship service.
Pastor Jimmy D. Howard, Sr.
Daytona Beach District of
The Central Conference of the Eleventh Episcopal District,
Merritt Island, Florida 32953
5. ANOTHER PRESPECTIVE ON LEADERSHIP IN THE AME CHURCH:
I read with, with great interest, your description of the “leadership problem” that exists in our Zion. I think this is a concern we all have lamented over at one point or another. We have been in the “pew” cringing watching mediocrity perpetuated as “tradition” morphs into “traditionalism”. The leader moves to continue programs that have very rarely proven successful seemingly expecting some miraculous new result. The reason most often sighted for this misguided attempt to inspire is “that’s the way it’s always been done”.
We have moved to the pulpit, now in charge, and we are expected to “hit the ground running” with all kinds of innovative ways to do what we do better. The problem is that we soon find (certainly the first appointment) that there is so much more to moving what we believe will work. What seemed like a good idea, at least what looked good on paper is met with a scary level of opposition. What makes it more of a challenge is not the fact that the idea is not good but that it is designed to move against the “norm”.
What we come to find out very quickly is our knowledge of Scripture, our efficient writing; our ability to manage our time effectively and our gift for preaching does not always translate into effective leadership.
Leadership is not magic! It is not a position of command moving people by telling them what to do. It is certainly not belittling or demeaning the “followship” when they don’t readily follow the instructions you give.
The first and, in my opinion, the most critical characteristic in leadership is one’s decision to become a leader. It is critical that at some point one makes a conscious decision to take on the responsibility to provide the vision, direction and inspiration that will move others to success. After making the decision to lead then it is incumbent upon the leader to take the necessary steps to put to work the appropriate combination of traits, skills and ambition.
Certainly, among the traits and skills necessary to lead, the leader must recognize the importance of ethical behavior. It is extremely critical, for obvious reasons, that ethics and values be visible in the actions of the leader. One major problem with leadership on every level seems to be a lack of trust. It is conceivable that if there is never a clear picture of the leader’s values some mistrust may result. Conversely, leaders diligently and forthrightly identifying and sharing their values by living their values daily will create trust.
Leaders who, by example, exhibit a high level of ethical behavior are a powerful influence on the actions of those they are called to lead. We can look to many scriptural references that define inspiration however; a secular definition attributed to the late Coach Vince Lombardi is, in my opinion, quite adequate. Coach Lombardi said, “Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow.”
We expect leaders, in our Zion, to be inspirational. Among the traits and skills required in leadership the ability to inspire is critical. Our leaders must be able to inspire the “followship” to reach great heights of performance and success. To be inspirational we must expect our leaders to possess a high degree of passion and purpose. In order to be effective our leaders must communicate that passion and purpose to those who they are called to lead. It is critical that the leader share passion and purpose in such a manner that the “followship” feels passionate as well. Leaders must help communicate the “big picture,” helping to keep the focus on the mission.
“So often we send newly ordained persons to pastor local churches with their minds filled with materials from outdated books and a lot of preaching techniques, but those persons have not been thoroughly trained in the art of leadership.”
I believe that we can all agree that we can get much from our reading and studying. However, much of what we will accomplish in developing leadership will come from our experiences.
We cannot escape the fact that we need to put a greater emphases on a continuing effort to provide relevant “on going” educational opportunities for leadership at every level. There is a need to motivate leadership at every level to seek opportunities to fine tune their craft as there is always a way to do things we are doing better.
Finally, critical to inspiration is the perception of the integrity of the leader. Clearly, vision, passion and purpose are extremely important to the success of any ministry however; “followship” will never be inspired if they cannot trust “leadership”.
Submitted by: Rev. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., B.S., M.Div., (Doctoral Candidate, The Theological School, Drew University)
6. GROUNDBREAKING AT DUPAGE AME CHURCH:
On a sunny and bright First Sunday of April 2008 DuPage AME Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr. James F. Miller, Senior Pastor and Rev. Lana Parks Miller, Executive Pastor, a Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for their Administration and Education building addition. The Rt. Rev. Philip R. Cousin, Sr., Presiding Prelate of the 4th Episcopal District and Senior Bishop of the AME Church, preached the 11:15 a.m. with power out of the depths of his heart. His subject was “The Best Is Yet to Come” taken from John 12:27. The sanctuary was filled to overflow capacity and Bishop Cousin lifted the congregation to their feet at least a half a dozen times.
Bishop Cousin’s preaching continued the spirit that had been present in the previous two morning worship services. At 7 a.m. Licentiate Connie Dickerson preached from Hebrews 11:1-2. She recounted the history of DuPage from its humble beginnings in a small 70 seat chapel through its hotel sojourn into the current facility which was completed 12 years ago. As she excitedly acknowledged God’s intervention in further expanding His kingdom, her subject was “We’ve Come This Far by Faith.”
At 8:15 a.m. the Rev. Dr. Clement W. Fugh, General Secretary and Chief Information Officer of the AME Church, preached what can only be referred to as a sermon classic relating the struggle of kingdom building with an artistic and imaginative scriptural interpretation of the historic story of Dante’s Inferno. He took the subject of “A Journey through Hell.” Dr. Fugh ended his sermon with shouts of praise from the congregation as he assured us that even in hell, God’s love is present and God’s grace is sufficient.
After the 11:15 a.m. Communion was served the congregation retired outside to the west lawn of the church. The Disciplinary Dedication Service was lead by Bishop Cousin and Rev. Clarence G. Robinson, Jr., Presiding Elder of the North District of the Chicago Conference of which DuPage AMEC is apart, along with Pastors Miller, Kevin Webb, Vice-Chair of the Trustee Board, and Elaine Mass, Co-Pastor Steward. Brother Louis Garland, 3 time Lay Delegate to the General Conference and Vice-Chair of the Steward Board was not present due to out of the country travel.
The new addition will total approximately 10,000 square feet on 3 levels each with approximately 3,300 square feet. It will include a lower level multipurpose Fellowship Hall expansion, a ground level expansion which will house a bookstore, a chapel, a private preschool daycare, and expansions and renovations to the existing restrooms and narthex. The upper level will be an expansive administrative suite including a board room for twenty, offices, reception area, copy equipment room, staff lounge, etc. All facilities will feature state of the art computer/audio/video throughout. In addition to the building itself, a new landscape and lighted parking lot with approximately 70 additional spaces will complete this project estimated to cost $3 million.
The Pastors Miller are in their 19th year of pastoral leadership at DuPage AME Church. The congregation has grown from 150 members to nearly 2500 with an annual budget that has increased from $98,000.00 to $2.5 million. DuPage AMEC has a 16 person ministerial staff, 27 paid employees, and an official board of 203 good and faithful church officers. Located in DuPage County, 20 miles west of Chicago which has only a 3% African American population, DuPage AMEC is now the largest African-American worshipping congregation in the county.
Dr. Miller is the author of a book entitled “Go Build a Church: Spiritual Administration for Growth.” Initially the book was self published by Dr. Miller but has enjoyed such broad acceptance across the ecumenical landscape, and specifically in the AME Church, that the Pilgrim Press Publishing House has contracted for the rights and will republish and redistribute the book with it’s Fall 2008 grouping. “Go Build a Church” is endorsed in writing by many of the most dynamic church leaders both AME and from other denominations. It emphasizes optimizing church resources resulting in measurable increases in church attendance, tithes and offerings, and more harmonious local church culture threw spiritual perspectives on administration. Dr. Miller believes that local church administration is a most neglected but highly important component for a healthy church.
The congregation reluctantly left the bright sunshine and warmth and went back inside the Fellowship Hall to enjoy a full soul food dinner and a wonderful fellowship. We thank God for our Bishop the Rt. Rev. Philip R. Cousin, Rev. Dr. Clement W. Fugh, AME Church General Secretary, Presiding Elder Clarence G. Robinson Jr., and the host of saints that took time to “acknowledge God so that He may continue to direct our path.”
7. BMG AWESOME INSIGHT NEWSLETTER - A CHURCH LEADER'S GUIDE TO COMMUNICATIONS:
Are you inviting the community this Mother's Day? Sunday, May 11th may be the third largest attendance Sunday this year. Studies have shown that this Sunday's attendance comes close to Christmas and Easter for a lot of congregations. Interestingly, unchurched men are often found in the pews on Mother's Day. They come to honor their mothers, grandmothers, aunts wives, sisters and other females who have touched their lives. Again I ask, will your members invite the community this Mother's Day?
Intentionally inviting those who may be unchurched may be one of the best ways to celebrate this Mother's Day. As we continue to seek ways to be even more faithful to the Great Commission, it may be time to remind members to intentionally reach out and invite the community. As I conduct seminars with congregations of various denominations across the country, I am often amazed at how few people can really say they extended an invitation to visit their church. Many people say they simply never think about inviting someone. Let's take a minute to encourage members to invite and welcome others to our congregations.
Welcome to this issue of BMG Awesome Insight Newsletter. Whether you are trying to reach the "unchurched” in the community or you want to hear "awesome" more, this issue shares a few tips to help reach out and invite.
As we embrace this spring season, it is my prayer that congregations continue to seek ways to reach the unchurched, share the Good News and make disciples. I urge you to share this issue of BMG Awesome Newsletter for Church Leaders with a colleague in ministry. Encourage them to sign up for the newsletter at www.awesomeinsight.com.
Lynette Hawkins
*Used with permission of Sister Lynette Hawkins, BMG Awesome Insight Newsletter. Visit the BMG Awesome Website for more great ideas for growing your church membership. Sister Hawkins is also available to lead workshops.
8. REMEMBERING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.’S LEGACY:
The Rev. Delanda S. Johnson
All cross the nation Americans remembered April 4, 1968.
Some reflected back and asked themselves, “Where was I when Dr. King was assassinated?” “How did this make me feel?” And the more important question, “Where do we go from here?”
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was this man? One would say that he was a man of many dreams and visions; a man of peace/non-violence; a man who was a drum major for justice and equality.
But, I would say that Dr. King was, first and foremost, a man of God. He was a man who only wanted this nation to come together as one and not see each other in black and white.
I recently had the opportunity to visit Atlanta, Georgia, a city that is barely 150 years old, but has enough history for three times its age. Being in Atlanta, one could reflect back to slavery, war, utter destruction, civil disobedience, tragedy, triumph, and more, but today Atlantans continue to enthusiastically embrace the newest technology.
Atlantans were early embracers of the railroad, the telephones, the automobile, and the airplane.
Henry Grady, one of the early civic leaders and the managing editor of The Atlanta Constitution had a vision for Atlanta; one of the first cities to hit on the idea of promoting itself as a destination for ambitious entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship continues to flourish in Atlanta today.
On the 40th Anniversary of Dr. King’s death, thousands ascended to the King Center; the repository of King’s Tomb and to King’s birth home on Auburn Avenue.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site was established in 1980 in order to protect and interpret for the benefit, inspiration, and education of present and future generations the places where Dr. King was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and where he is buried.
The late Coretta Scott King and other supporters established the King Center in June 1968 and the tomb and Eternal Flame was dedicated in 1977. In the early 1970’s, Dr. King’s body was moved from Southview Cemetery to the nearly site at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
The Historic Fire Station No. 6, Atlanta’s oldest standing firehouse that is now a museum, tells the story of desegregation of the city’s fire department, was built in 1894.
The Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church was built in 1914-1922. In February 1948, Dr. King was ordained and appointed associate pastor, where his father, affectionately know as “Daddy King,” was the pastor.
For the last eight years of his life, Dr. King served as Ebenezer’s co-pastor with his father.
King, who served as the SCLC first president used Ebenezer to meet and plan civil rights strategies based on the principles of nonviolent direct action.
Last and the most important is the King Birth Home built in 1895. King was born January 15, 1929, in his grandparents’ home. For his first 12 years, Dr. King lived in a multi-generation household. The birth home has been restored and furnished to reflect the 1930s and 1940s.
Words cannot express the way that I felt when I toured all of these sites. Even though I was too young to recall the events of that era, I felt the presence of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King.
I as watched the young people tour the King sites I wondered if they really knew the significance or the King Center. I also wondered if, as they grow into adulthood, will they keep Dr. King’s dream of equality for everyone alive?
I wondered, if he were alive today, what would Dr. King think of the world today?
How would he handle the young men wearing their pants down to their knees showing all of their underwear and instead of trying to make money the right way; getting involved with illegal activities for fast money and/or gang involvement?
I believed that Dr. King, a man who thought of himself last, would probably say, “I was a good and faithful servant who loved the Lord and who wanted to make things better for black Americans.”
I believe that he would also ask, “Why are the young and some older African Americans trying to turn the clock back in time? Did my death not mean anything?”
And I believe that he would go on to say, “The Promised Land that I envisioned is not the promise land of today.”
9. BLACK CHURCH 101:
*The Reverend Dr. Joseph Darby
Picture this: You’ve been “church shopping” in a new city and find a church that seems promising. It’s well attended, the people are friendly and welcoming, there are ministries that speak to your needs and those of your family, but one thing bothers you. It seems that at times, the very eloquent and active pastor is often too radical, too confrontational and too “over the top” in his preaching. In one sermon, he calls God’s wrath down upon the nation. In another sermon, he berates seemingly devoted church folks for engaging in empty, meaningless worship and tells them to take aggressive social action that might upset the accepted status quo. In still another sermon, he rejects peace and seems to advocate taking up arms to force change, and even labels the widely respected leaders of the church and the state as snakes and hypocrites who are bound for hell.
You like the church, but some of the pastor’s words seem to be too radical, violent, judgmental and controversial; and far too removed from the words of the Jesus who advocated peace and love. Do you join the church, or do you walk away and find another one where the preacher is more conventional and in tune with what seems to be polite and socially acceptable thinking? If you walk away, then you walk away from Moses, who championed freedom for God’s people from slavery and oppression in Egypt. You walk away from prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Amos, who gave voice to God’s call for justice and equity and God’s condemnation of empty, ritualistic worship. You walk away from Jesus, who said that he came not to bring peace, but a sword to upset the status quo, and who called the political and religious leaders of his day who preserved the status quo and played it safe a hypocritical brood of vipers who could not escape being condemned to hell.
If you chose to stay and join the church, then congratulations - you just passed “Black Church 101.” America needs that introductory course to understand and appreciate the spirit of the recently and wrongfully vilified words of the Reverend Doctor Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., the retired pastor of Chicago’s Trinity United Church of Christ. Political and media pundits, and possibly a few of Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s political opponents, have seized upon short sound bites from Reverend Wright’s sermons to paint him as anti-white and anti-American, and to call for candidate Obama - a member of Trinity - to reject and repudiate the pastor who led him into the church.
Those who are outraged and apoplectic about those short sound bites and who wonder why any preacher would say such things have no insight into or understanding of the historically black church. Scholars like James Cone and Gayraud Wilmore systematized black liberation theology in the early 1970's, but the roots of black liberation theology are interwoven with the roots of the Judeo-Christian faith tradition. The consistent themes that run throughout Jewish and Christian Scripture are liberation from physical and spiritual oppression and the daily practice of religion that attains that liberation. While those goals were blurred and obscured in Western Christianity for centuries, they were rediscovered by the black church in America from its beginnings.
Those who were stolen from Africa to build America as slaves were subjected to a perversion of “Christian religion” as a means of social control. They were taught by those who claimed to own them that they were cursed as descendants of Noah’s dark skinned son Ham and that it was “God’s will” that they be good slaves and obey their masters. They saw the inconsistency in that, and were blessed to learn the truth in brush arbors and praise houses, where they heard the story of the liberation of the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery and the delivery of God’s children in the fiery furnace and the lion’s den. They learned those lessons from black preachers, who may not have been well educated, but who learned to rightly interpret Scripture, to preach the promise of freedom, identity and self reliance and to encourage, console and inspire those who faced daily oppression.
Men like Richard Allen and James Varick preached liberation and justice when they established African-American denominations; lay people like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Denmark Vesey and Harriet Tubman found their inspiration to fight for freedom in the words of black preachers. When there was a need to stand against those who destroyed the gains of post-Civil War Reconstruction and imposed American apartheid through Jim Crow Laws, black preachers like Henry McNeal Turner spoke truth to power.
When lynching and brutality forced black Americans to flee the south, black churches and black preachers in the North, Midwest and West were there to welcome them. When the Niagara Movement evolved into the NAACP almost a century ago, black preachers like Reverdy Cassius Ransom were there. When someone needed to file suit to bring an end to separate and unequal schools; preachers who were NAACP members like Joseph A. DeLaine stepped forward. Countless and less noted black preachers have served as NAACP officers, manned picket lines, registered voters and led people of good will to stand against injustice and inequality. When there was a need for political action, preachers like Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. led the way. When the time came for America to be changed for the better, preachers like Martin Luther King, Jr., Joseph Lowery and Benjamin Hooks became the point people in the modern battle for civil rights.
All of those preachers and nameless others spoke, and still speak truth to power. The black church and black preachers have always been courageously prophetic rather than accommodating and pragmatic. Since the days of slavery, the historically black church has been a haven for those who have been dehumanized and demeaned and a vehicle for them to rise both physically and spiritually in an America that relegated them to second class citizenship and cloaked bigotry in religion. Black preachers have always been outspoken and sometimes controversial and reviled heralds of freedom and fairness, walking not in the passive footsteps of a “neutered” Jesus, but in the bold and authentic footsteps of the Jesus who spoke truth to the religious and political powers of his day and who was falsely accused and executed for doing so.
Many of the institutions that were the foundation of black America have crumbled, but the church still has the capacity to be an independent voice of conscience and progress. That’s why one of the mandatory standing committee for the NAACP at all levels is dedicated to Religious Affairs. All good black preachers sometimes say things that their members might hesitate to openly say in an America where race still matters and where those who tell the truth might not be physically lynched, but can still be economically or politically lynched if they run afoul of the powers that be. The current wave of controversy that has been aimed at Barack Obama is a reminder of that, and does have Biblical precedent. When a Jewish exile named Daniel rose to a position of authority in Babylon, those in the Babylonian majority tried and failed to bring him down through questioning his accountability, capability and efficiency and finally said, “Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with his religion.”
The black church and black preachers have always been criticized by those with limited knowledge and insight and abundant insecurity. The black church and black preachers still speak truth to power in a way that makes those who practice “comfortable cultural Christianity” uncomfortable and that pointedly challenges America to be what it claims to be: “One nation, under God with liberty and justice for all.” Those who can’t set the agenda for the black church from beyond the church and are ignorant of the full work of the church often fear the black church and black clergy.
Regardless of those who cannot and will not understand and who will condemn the words of Jeremiah Wright and other prophets of freedom, the black church will always be an authentic voice of liberation and inspiration that actively confronts the sins of greed and racism and that does so as a partner in progress with the NAACP. In spite of efforts to buy and use the black church, real black preachers will always be on the case, believing that even in unjust and critical times, God is still on the throne.
The Reverend Joseph A. Darby
Senior Pastor, Morris Brown AME Church, Charleston, South Carolina
First Vice President, The Charleston Branch NAACP
10. DR. NORMAN HUTCHINS AND MYRNA SUMMERS TO SERVE AS CONSULTANTS FOR EIGHTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT CHURCH MUSIC WORKSHOP OF AMERICA:
Dr. Jimmie James, Jr.
Jackson, MS - The Annual Church Music Workshop of America is celebrating its 32nd year with nationally acclaimed musical consultants. The workshop, co-sponsored by the Eighth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church and Jackson State University, is scheduled for Monday through Thursday, June 16-19, 2008 in the F.D. Hall Music Center on the JSU campus. Focusing on the theme, Music and Worship: A Celebration of Life; the workshop features a variety of seminars relating to various aspects of worship service music.
Well known for its unique instructional methods, the workshop draws church musicians from throughout the nation. Church Music Workshop director and JSU music department chairman Dr. Jimmie James, Jr. said the program seeks to improve church music locally, nationally and internationally. Bishop C. Garnett Henning, presiding prelate, indicates that this year our outstanding consultants and other workshop personnel insure that the 32nd Annual Workshop will be a unique experience enriching the music quality and life of all participants.
The seminars, designed to provide practical and helpful experiences for the church musician, include: “The Return of Stolen Music,” “Introduction to Spontaneous Praise Music,” “Worship in the Key of David,” “Pro Tools for the Church Musician,” “Creative Power-The Sound of Heaven and Earth,” “Hymns of the African American Church, “ “Church Choir Decorum” and many others.
“Recent workshops have included the latest technology and have given guidance to the technological applications that prepare participants for the new century, explained James, who serves as Connectional Director of Music Emeritus for the A.M.E. Church and Minister of Music at Pearl Street A.M.E. Church in Jackson. In November, 2007, he completed a four year term as Chairman of Region 8 of the National Association of Schools of Music. As Chairman, he represented the states of MS, AL, KY and TN on the NASM Board of Directors.
Lead consultant for the workshop will be Dr. Norman Hutchins. Hutchings of Los Angeles, CA was called into the ministry at the age of eight. He now travels the country ministering to the Body of Christ through Preaching, Teaching and Singing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a multiple Stellar and Dove Award nominee with four hit albums to his credit, Battlefield, God’s Gotta Blessing With My Name On It, Jesus I Love You, Emmanuel, and his newest releases God Is Up To Something and A Move of God Is On The Way. These are just a few of his songs which are still topping the Billboard Gospel Charts.
Writer and arranger, Evangelist Myrna Summers is the minister of Music at Reid Temple A.M.E. Church in Glendale, Maryland. Evangelist Summers is the leader of the church’s five choirs, orchestra and is the Director of Reid Temple’s Mass Choir. Summers has been performing professionally for over four decades in the United States and Europe. She was nominated for Grammy Awards for her original compositions God Gave Me a Song, Give Me Something to Hold on To, and Mountain Get Out of My Way; her latest CD project with the Reid Temple A.M.E. Mass Choir, was released in December of 2006.
Also making an appearance will be Dr. James Abbington, Associate Professor of Music at Emory University Candler School of Religion who will conduct a GIA Publications Reading Session. Well-known musicians Dr. Roland Carter and Dr. Don Lee White will serve as special consultants. Dr. Robert E. James, a Hattiesburg native and President of Carver State Bank of Savannah, GA and an expert on issues related to church finances, will deliver the keynote address on June 16th at 1:30 p.m.
Serving as presenters during the four-day workshop will be Phyllis Lewis-Hale, soprano, as Assistant Professor of Music and Opera Workshop Director at Jackson State University. Florine Herron, Director of Music for the Eighth Episcopal District of the A.M.E. Church; Lannie Spann McBride, is a noted Elementary Music Specialist and Jackson State University Lecturer who will direct the children’s workshop. James M. Hawkins , director of the award winning Jim Hill High School Choir; Cynthia Palmer, gospel artist; and Fennoyee Thomas, Associate Dean at Texas Southern University, and Andrew Lewis, a JSU graduate assistant and technology expert.
The closing workshop concert will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rose McCoy Auditorium featuring Dr. Norman Hutchins, Myrna Summers and other artists. The early registration fee for the workshop is $100 per person, which includes all music and materials with a reduction for multiple registrations from one church. After June 1, the fee is $125. The children’s registration fee is $25 which includes a workshop tee-shirt. Concert tickets in advance will be $5 in advance and $10 the day of the concert. Academic credit and CEU credit are available for graduate and undergraduate students. Final registration will be held on Monday, June 16, 2007 at 8:00 a.m. in the F.D. Hall Music Center.
The Jackson Marriott Hotel is the official hotel for the workshop. It is located at 200 E. Amite Street in Jackson. The phone number is 800/256-9194. The fax number is 601/355-1704. The Jackson Marriott Hotel is a full service hotel. The rate is $99.00 plus tax. Reservations should be made before May 16, 2008. On-campus housing is available in the beautiful new Campbell College Suites at a rate of $25.00 per person per night if you provide your own linen. The rate is $32.00 per person per night if the University provides the linen. To view the housing web site, please visit www.jsums.edu/housing Contact the Department of Music to reserve accommodations on campus. .For more information, call Dr. Jimmie James Jr., Workshop Director and JSU music department chairman at (601) 979-2141. You may also reach Dr. James by e-mail at: jimmie.james@jsums.edu. Additional information is available by visiting www.jsums.edu/cmu.
11. ZIMBABWE'S ECONOMY ADDS TO RETIREES'MISERY:
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
HARARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS)-Selling little yellow balls of "Cockroach Kill" used to help the Rev. Kenneth Shamu put food on the table.
Now even income from that small business is gone because the soaring inflation rate in Zimbabwe has made it impossible to buy the ingredients - sugar, eggs and Borax.
Creative solutions have helped the Shamus survive since his retirement as a United Methodist pastor in 1995. Shamu stopped receiving any pension funds from the church in 2004. Even before they stopped, he was not receiving enough to live on, he said.
Zimbabwe's political and economic situation only adds to the misery.
"The economy changes every two weeks," said the Rev. Lovemore Nyanungo, who retired from active ministry after serving the church for 39 years.
The government of Zimbabwe sets the current inflation rate around 7,000 percent, but independent estimates put it at 13,000 percent or higher.
A liter of petrol costs Zim$12 million (US$3 on the parallel market), up from Zim$6 million (US$1.60) late last year. It costs bus commuters Zim$3 million (just under a dollar) for an average trip - three times more than they paid just before last Christmas.
It is reported that four out of five of the country's 12 million people live below the poverty line and a quarter have fled, mainly to neighboring countries.
"I really appreciate the help of the local church," Nyanungo said. But even with that help, he still has to carefully consider how much he and his wife spend; and what activities they do. At times, he also must rely on help from his five children or friends.
"I knew when I was an active pastor I would not get much when I retired," he said. "I think retired pastors should continue to get paid the same as active pastors or at least a percentage that would be a livable wage."
The United Methodist Church's General Conference, its largest legislative body, has launched an effort called the Central Conference Pension Initiative to ensure retirees and surviving spouses retire with dignity and hope.
Pension is 'peanuts'
Though The United Methodist Church's greatest growth is in Africa, Eastern Europe and the Philippines, pension funds are minimal or nonexistent for pastors in those areas. Many of them have faithfully served for 20, 30, 40 or more years.
When retired Zimbabwe Bishop Abel T. Muzorewa thinks about the pension funds for retired pastors, he said he is "filled with guilt."
"The pastors have nothing. It is peanuts; it is meaningless. It shouldn't even be called a pension," he said. "Now that I am retired, I can't do much about it but talk, talk, talk so others can change the situation."
A news team from United Methodist Communications and members of the denomination's Board of Pension and Health Benefits visited Zimbabwe in 2005 to gain an understanding of the needs and the context for pensions in that African country.
The Central Conference Pension Initiative is being carried out by five church agencies: the Board of Pension and Health Benefits, the General Council on Finance and Administration, the Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist Publishing House and United Methodist Communications. The pension board projects that a $50 million endowment is needed to sustain the central conference pension benefit fund.
"It would be a blessed venture, and I wish all those who have been enabled by God to have some money in their pockets would pour money into the pension fund for all of Africa," Muzorewa said.
In Zimbabwe, retired pastors and surviving spouses don't receive regular pension support from the church. This year, an emergency grant of $68 was provided through the initiative and the Board of Global Ministries. Zimbabwe has 36 retirees and 34 surviving spouses.
Shamu is glad he took Muzorewa's advice years ago, when the bishop told him to plan for the future. "He mentioned buying a house, and now that is what I tell the pastors I meet," the retired pastor said. "If I didn't have a house, I would be suffering more than I am today."
Hard adjustments
The Rev. Willis Makunkie had a hard time adjusting to retirement after being a United Methodist pastor for 34 years.
"I had to come up with some ideas of things to do," he said. During his years as a pastor, he served nine circuits and a six-year term as a district superintendent. He still performs some church duties when asked, such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.
Another hard adjustment for him and two of his neighbors, who are surviving spouses of retired pastors, is the lack of any money from the church in their retirement years.
"Sometimes I live on charity, money from family or friends," he explains. He also tries to raise vegetables to eat, but the lack of water in his area of Zimbabwe makes that difficult.
"If the church had something to help, I would appreciate it," he said. "But if they have nothing, what can I do?"
Rosemary Chidzikwe, widow of a retired pastor, said she is not receiving any pension from the church and hasn't for a long time. Her husband, the Rev. Josiah Chidzikwe died in 1990. He was able to set aside a little money and buy the house she lives in, she said. Some of their income came from a maize-grinding mill they once operated for the community.
"It is difficult to survive," said Chidzikwe, who is not in good health. "But I think the church has done their part." She gets help from a sister who lives with her.
Martha Matongo, also a widow, said her husband died in 1970, but she doesn't remember how many years he served before retirement.
"It is difficult, but I depend on God because he is one who gave us this service," said Matongo who is also in poor health. "I am always ill, and I have to walk with this stick," she said, waving it in the air.
She sometimes gets help from growing and selling yams, and her children help when they can. She lives with her grandchildren who help her find water and other things she needs.
"God is providing," she said.
Other retirees share that quiet faith. Shamu said that even though retired pastors in Zimbabwe seem to be forgotten, he still has a deep love for the church.
"I was born in The United Methodist Church, and I have never joined any other church. It means a lot to me. I am a Methodist until the end of my life."
More information on how to get involved is available by going to www.ccpi-umc.org, writing to ccpi@gbophb.org or calling (847) 866-4230.
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org .
*Used with permission of the United Methodist News Service
12. THE FORMER DIRECTOR AND OFFICERS OF THE SIXTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT AME CHURCH 1966-1980 PRESENT THE YPD’ERS REUNION CELEBRATION:
The YPD’ers Reunion Celebration will be held September 12-13, 2008 with the theme, “Grow, Glow, and Go for Christ”
Celebrate with us on Friday, September 12, 2008, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. with a fellowship, meet and greet session at Paschal’s Castleberry Inn.
On Saturday, September 13, 2008, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. the group will tour of Morris Brown College, followed by a Celebration Luncheon at 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. at Allen Temple AME Church, 1625 Simpson Road, Atlanta, Georgia.
Hotel Accommodations:
Paschal’s Castleberry Inn
186 North Side Dr., N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30313
(404) 893-4663
Registration: $ 50.00 Make check or money order payable to “Former Y.P. D. Reunion” and mail to:
Mrs. Jacquelyn T. Atkins
2900 Handy Dr., N.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30318
(404) 792-2768
Room Rates:
Singles - $74.99
DBL/Full - $101.99
The registration deadline: August 15, 2008
For more information contact:
Mrs. Helen Booth (Former YPD Director), (229) 838-4441 or (706) 566-6100 or Mr. Albert Abrams (Former YPD President), ajabrams@cox.net
This event is endorsed by Bishop William P. and Dr. Pam DeVeaux, our Episcopal Leaders of the Sixth Episcopal District.
All proceeds will be donated to Morris Brown College
13. MOREHOUSE ANNOUNCES THE 2008 BACCALAUREATE AND COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS:
When more than 500 men from the class of 2008 grace the Martin Luther King International Chapel for the last time as undergraduates before becoming Morehouse Men, they will be inspired by a Baccalaureate message delivered by H. Beecher Hicks, senior pastor of the six-thousand member historic Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
Since his election in June 1977, Hicks has served as the fifth senior minister in the congregation’s 140-year history. The church’s various commercial and social service ventures have placed Metropolitan among the world’s most productive religious and civic institutions.
The Baccalaureate service for Morehouse will take place on Saturday, May 17 at 3 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. Baccalaureate is the last spiritual assembly the class will have before they receive their degrees during commencement the next morning. Commencement will take place on Sunday, April 18 at 8 a.m. on the century campus.
The Commencement speaker is Morehouse alumnus Emmett D. Carson, Ph.D.
Carson graduated from Morehouse in 1981. He currently serves as the first CEO and President of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The community foundation is dedicated to advancing civic engagement to address the most challenging problems facing California’s San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
Carson serves on several nonprofit boards including the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Northern California Grant Makers and Southern Education Foundation. He is a past chair of the Council on Foundations and has received numerous nonprofit leadership awards including recognition by The Non-profit Times as one of the 50 most influential non-profit leaders in the United States. He received his doctorate and master’s in public administration and public and international affairs from Princeton University and a bachelor's degree in economics, Phi Beta Kappa, from Morehouse College.
14. THE 2008 FIRST EPISCOPAL DISTRICT SCHEDULE OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES:
NEW JERSEY ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: March 3, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: March 4, 2008
Annual Conference Dates: March 5-9, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center
2 Miss America Way
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Richard T. Druid, Tel, (908) 756-8878
Host District: Atlantic City District
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Richard T. Druid
BERMUDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: March 11, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: March 12, 2008
Conference Dates: March 13-16, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
The Fairmont Southampton Princess Resort Midocean Amphitheater
Southampton SB 03 Bermuda
Host Church Telephone: (441) 239-0605
Host - Ministerial Alliance
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Malcolm Eve, Tel, (441) 239-1054
DELAWARE ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: April 8, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: April 9, 2008
Conference Dates: April 10-13, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Asbury A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (610) 874-2110
1712-28 Providence Avenue
Chester, PA 19013
Host Pastor: The Rev. Janet J. Sturdivant, Tel, (609) 384-0381
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Charles E. Drummer, Jr.
NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: April 21, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: April 22, 2008
Annual Conference Dates: April 23-27, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Bridge Street A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (718)452-3936
277 Stuyvesant Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Host Pastor: The Rev. David B. Cousin, Sr., Tel, (914) 576-7442
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Alvan N. Johnson
WESTERN NEW YORK ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: April 29, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: April 30, 2008
Conference Dates: May 1-4, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
St. John A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (716) 285-6432
917 Garden Avenue
Niagara Falls, NY 14305
Host Pastor: The Rev. Stanley Smith, Tel., (716) 285-5924
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. James E. F. Lawrence
NEW ENGLAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Evangelist Day: May 13, 2008
WMS Conference Branch Annual Meeting: May 14, 2008
Annual Conference Dates: May 15-18, 2008
Annual Conference Location:
Bethel A.M.E Church
Telephone: (203) 348-3879
150 Fairfield Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
Host Pastor: The Rev. LeRoy Ladson, Jr., Telephone: (203) 978-1501
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Herbert L. Eddy
THE PHILADELPHIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church
Telephone: (215) 925-0616
419 Richard Allen Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Host Pastor: The Rev. Jeffrey N. Leath, Tel., (215) 848-9548
Host Presiding Elder: The Rev. Winton M. Hill III
FIRST DISTRICT PLANNING MEETING:
June 12-14
THE 48TH QUADRENNIAL SESSION OF THE GENERAL CONFERENCE:
July 3 – 11, 2008
St. Louis, Missouri
FIRST DISTRICT CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CONGRESS
July 21-24, 2008
Wesley College
Dover, Delaware
FIRST DISTRICT LAY ANNUAL MEETING
July 25-26, 2008
Sheraton Hotel
Dover, Delaware
FIRST DISTRICT YPD MEETING
October 10-12, 2008
Sheraton Hotel
Dover, Delaware
FALL CONVOCATION
November 6-8. 2008
First District Headquarters Building
3801 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
15. CLERGY AND EPISCOPACY FAMILY CONGRATULATORY NOTICE:
- Bishop and Mrs. E. Earl McCloud, Jr., Office of Ecumenical & Urban Affairs, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on March 12, 2008.
Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: emccloudjr@aol.com
Or:
Bishop and Mrs. E. Earl McCloud, Jr.
P.O. Box 310043
Atlanta, GA 31131-0043
Phone: 770) 458-7220
Fax: (404) 691-1092
- The Reverend Helen Marie Bolden-Rogers successfully defended her doctoral dissertation at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan on March 31, 2008. She will be awarded the D.Min Degree at the commencement exercises to be held on May 31, 2008.
Rev. Bolden-Rogers, formally of the 13th Episcopal District, is the Pastor of St. Matthew AME Church in Lansing, Michigan; North District-Michigan Conference, 4th Episcopal District; Rev. Dr. Delano Bowman, Presiding Elder and Bishop Philip R. Cousin, Presiding Prelate.
Dr. Marsha Foster-Boyd, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church serves as President of Ecumenical Theological Seminary.
Congratulatory messages can be sent to: revhelen@sbcglobal.net
- Tamara Gibson, the wife of The Reverend Dr. Kyle C. Gibson, Senior Pastor of Bethel AME Church Deland Florida, completed her nursing program at Keiser University and was pinned on March 28, 2008 at the Boca Raton Community Hospital. She was awarded The Compassionate Heart Award for recognition as the student who is most caring and compassionate.
Notes of Congratulations can be sent to Tamara at
tamaragibson@bellsouth.net
- Kristina Hayward, Dr. Calvin Sydnor's former student and protégé, is currently matriculating as a first year student at Wesley Theological Seminary. Sister Kristina Hayward is the daughter of the Reverends Samuel and Althea Hayward of the Second Episcopal District. The Washington Conference Board of Examiners has advised her that they will be recommending that she be elected and ordained an itinerant deacon at this upcoming session of the Washington Annual Conference.
Congratulatory messages may be sent to the Revs. Samuel and Althea J. Hayward: graceschild@hotmail.com
16. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
With regret we announce the passing on April 5th, 2008 of Sister Willie B. Goodspeed, wife of the late Rev. Daniel S. Goodspeed, who pastored various AME Churches throughout the Tenth Episcopal District. Sister Goodspeed was a member of Historic Allen Chapel AME Church, Fort Worth, Texas where the Rev. George Willis, III serves as the pastor.
Service arrangements for Sister Goodspeed:
A Memorial Service will be held at 7:00 P.M. Friday, April 11, 2008
Greater Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church
4628 Avenue J
Fort Worth, Texas 76105
The Rev. Grady Anderson, pastor
Graveside Service will be held Saturday, April 12, 2008, 12 Noon
Cedar Hill Memorial Park
8199 US Highway 287
Arlington, Texas
Ph: (817) 478-1878
Sister Goodspeed's final earthly care has been entrusted to:
Baker Funeral Home
301 E. Rosedale Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76104
Ph: (817) 332-4468
Condolences may be sent to:
Mr. Danny S. Goodspeed (Son)
4813 Bratcher
Fort Worth, Texas 76119
Ph: (817) 536-5667 or (817) 999-4352
17. FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:
The Homegoing Service for Mr. G. G. (George Grant) Young, Church School Superintendent of the East Mississippi Annual Conference will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at:
Bethel AME Church
214 S. Monroe St.
Yazoo City, Ms 39194
Services in trusted to:
Shaffer and Collins Funeral Home
247 W. Sixth St,
Yazoo City, Ms. 39194
Phone 662-746-3985
The Right Rev. Cornal Garnett Henning, Sr. presiding bishop
The Rev. Jacob W. Hilton, presiding elder
The Rev. Bene L. Bowens, pastor
18. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICES AND CONGRATULATORY ANNOUNCEMENTS PROVIDED BY:
The Clergy Family Information Center
Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, Chair
Commission on Social Action
Ora L. Easley, Administrator
AMEC Clergy Family Information Center
E-mail: Amespouses1@bellsouth.net
Phone: (615) 837-9736
Voice Mail: (615) 833-6936
Fax: (615) 833-3781
Cell: (615) 403-7751
19. CONDOLENCES TO THE BEREAVED FROM THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:
The Chair of the Commission on Publications, the Right Reverend Gregory G. M. Ingram; 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.
