THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/31/05)

1. A LIVING LEGEND IS GONE – BISHOP DECATUR WARD NICHOLS IS WITH THE LORD:

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols, the 59th elected bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, who lived to be 104, was laid to rest on Saturday, January 29, 2005. His funeral was a homegoing celebration of the highest order. Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 37-41 West 119th Street in Harlem was filled to capacity. The Bishops and General Officers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church were there, as well as Connectional Officers, presiding elders, pastors and laity. In one way, the homegoing of “Papa Nick” was a mini-General Conference because a cross-section of the Church’s leadership was in attendance; and he was the presiding bishop.

The worship service, led by Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, was African Methodism at its best, beginning with the Emanuel AME Church Choir, directed by Mrs. Evelita Williams. The musicians, Dr. Arthur E. Clarke and the Reverend Wayne Arthur Johnson accompanied the choir magnificently. The soloists, Ms. Juanita Faulkner, the Reverend Floyd Black and Ms. Christina London added significantly to the spiritual and liturgical movement of the service. The Reverend Fathers and Mothers of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishops Zedekiah Lazett Grady, John Richard Bryant, Carolyn Tyler-Guidry, C. Garnett Henning, Sr., Frank Curtis Cummings, Gregory Gerald McKinley Ingram, Frederick Calhoun James, Vashti Murphy McKenzie, Philip Robert Cousin, Sr., Richard Allen Hildebrand, Henry Allen Belin, Jr. and Richard Allen Chappelle, were model participants.

The Honorable Ernest Davis, Mayor of the City of Mt. Vernon, New York, recalled that Bishop Nichols said, “Titles, money and position in life do not matter, it’s the impression that you leave on others that’s important.” Jesse Burns, President of the Connectional, Lay Organization observed that Bishop Nichols’ election to ‘the bishopric (1940) was the last General Conference held in a church building and went on to say that “Bishop Nichols was passionate about things for which he had a compassion.”

The Reverend John C. Gillison, representing the clergy, observed that “giants were courageous” and that Bishop Nichols was looked upon by the clergy and the laity of the Church as a giant. He went on to say that Bishop Nichols loved to laugh and often remarked, “Laughter gives one good health.” Once when Bishop Nichols was in his late nineties and was told that he was surely going to live to be 100 years old, asked, “And is that all you are going to give me?” Gillison went on to share that Bishop Nichols never disrespected a minister in public, but went on to say, “When Bishop “Nick” asked an errant minister to step into his office, that minister had our deepest sympathies.”

The Reverend Samuel Bouie, the current pastor of Emanuel observed that Bishop Nichols had left his “footprints” on Emanuel which had 14 members when Bishop Nichols was assigned to the pastorate of that congregation and grew it to over 2500 when he was elected to the Episcopacy. He observed, “Bishop Nichols had a sense of humor but he was a man of great dignity.”

Dr. Richard Allen Lewis, representing the General Officers, noted, “Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols spent more that 65 of his 104 years during the “dash” that appears on his tombstone between his birth date and the date of his death, working for the Lord as a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He went on to say, with laughter from the congregation, “I was privileged to be the fifth treasurer of the Church to generate compensation for Bishop Nichols.” He pointed out three things that we should learn from Bishop Nichols, “You should never let adversity get you down – except on your knees”; “The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift and not a right,” and “When God measures a person, God puts the tape around the heart instead of the head.”

Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, representing the retired bishops, gave a Prayer of Thanks for Bishop Nichols’ life and observed that Bishop Nichols was faithful to family, and friendships. He noted that Bishop Nichols was a wise businessman, had candor, and that his ministry was ecumenical and global. He shared that Bishop Nichols was a preacher of the highest order, was ageless in aging and had a deep faith in God.

Bishop Vashti McKenzie, representing the Council of Bishops noted that when Bishop Nichols was born in 1900, milk was delivered to homes and that the cream was on the top. Bishop Nichols’ ministry was the “cream on the top” of the ministry of African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Nichols wrote articles for the Afro-American newspaper and was a close friend of her grandfather, who was the editor. She related that Bishop Nichols shared experiences with her about her grandfather that her grandfather could not, because he died when she was young. She went on to say that Bishop Nichols will be remembered for his intellect, wit, humor, and preaching. She closed with, “He leaves behind global footprints in the sands of time.”

Mr. Stephen Henry, the oldest grandson of Bishop Nichols, remembered his grandfather, "Papa Nick" as a caring and loving grandfather. He and brother learned early to ask their parents for what they wanted in front of Papa Nick and they always got what they wanted.

Mrs. Kay Taylor Hightower, oldest granddaughter fondly remembered that her grandfather loved to give advice. She shared four insights of "Papa Nick." He said, “Cheating is wrong, except if you playing checkers.” He loved to play checkers and was the best checker-player in the family. He believed, “A coat of paint would fix anything.” He was known in the family as “Cheap Charlie.” When told that he should just spend some money and get whatever was broken fixed instead of putting a coat of paint on it, responded, “Look at your checkbook and look at mine...,” and Kay Taylor Hightower remarked, “That usually ended the discussion.” She shared that her grandfather believed that ice cream was best when eaten out of the carton and that he did not want ice cream in a bowl. He insisted that he be given his ice cream that he could eat out of a carton. And fourth, he said, “When speaking publicly and when you want to get a point across, say it three times.”

Bishop Philip Robert Cousin, Sr., the Senior Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church remembered the ministry of Bishop Nichols as a high-point in the history of the African Methodism. He introduced the eulogist, the Right Reverend Richard Allen Hildebrand as the appropriate person to deliver the eulogy for Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols. He noted that Bishop Hildebrand needed no introduction in Harlem.

Indeed, Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand was the appropriate preacher for the occasion. His ministry was launched by Bishop Nichols. It had to have been a difficult task for Bishop Hildebrand to eulogize a person that he known for so many years and who had such a positive impact upon his ministry. He was up to the task. He recalled the text of the “Talents” as found in Matthew 25 and pointed out that we usually get what we can handle and what God gives us, requires that we do our best. He observed that Bishop Nichols had the unique ability to assign ministers to the right pulpits and gave them pastoral assignments that they could handle. He recalled that Bishop Nichols was an extraordinary individual who was spiritually robust with a deep belief in God. Bishop Hildebrand interspersed his eulogy with humor and recalled that Bishop Nichols had his own unique ways. Bishop Nichols thought that he was always right.

Bishop Hildebrand also recalled that a bishop from South Carolina long ago passed his Episcopal ring down to Bishop Nichols with the instructions to the Nichols family that upon Bishop Nichols’ death, the ring would be passed on to a bishop that had been born in South Carolina. Bishop Hildebrand, with a twinkle in his eyes, remarked, “I thought that I would never get that ring!” He was told by Bishop Nichols’ family that he would be given the ring.

Bishop Hildebrand said that Bishop Nichols was a great preacher who preached with power and that his legacy will be a lasting legacy in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The service ended with a rousing rendition of “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols’ funeral was indeed a celebration.

The Internment was at the Pinelawn Memorial Park in Farmingdale, New York.

The hospitality of Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church was “first-class, and second to none.” The folks in Harlem are great cooks and extended a warm welcome to all.

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3. PRAYER REQUEST FROM CHAPLAIN (CAPTAIN) LYLE SHACKELFORD SUBMITTED BY THE REVEREND DENISE ROGERS:

Special Prayer Request:

My name is Lyle Shackelford and I am a Chaplain in Iraq for a transportation battalion. My unit delivered the voting machines and the ballots to villages and cities throughout Iraq during the elections (January 30). Encourage your friends and family members and those within our Churches to pray for us and specifically for the electoral process.

I always pray with the soldiers under my pastoral care before they leave on their convoys to move outside our installation gates here at Tallil. The soldiers in my unit are at the nerve center of the logistic operation to deliver supplies and equipment throughout this region of the theater. They often drive to, and enter the area of enemy operations. This is not a game for them; it is a historical mission that is extremely dangerous.

Your prayer support and God's intervention are needed.

Blessings,
CH (CPT) Lyle Shackelford, Battalion Chaplain
HHD, 57th Transportation Battalion
Providing with Mobility "Keep 'em Moving"

4. FOUNDERS’ DAY OBSERVANCE TO INCLUDE PRESIDENTIAL INSTALLATION:

Columbia, SC-This year, Allen University’s annual Founders’ Day observance will include a symposium that analyzes 135 years of history and achievement at the institution, and an Installation Ceremony for University President Charles E. Young.

The institution traditionally observes Founders’ Day during the second week in February, the same week as its founding organization, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. This year’s theme is “Creating Excellence through Scholarship.” All events are free and the public is invited to attend.

On Thursday, February 10, Dr. Gregory Grooms, religion department chairman, will moderate a panel discussion and dialogue entitled “Allen University: A Legacy of Excellence in Preparing for the Future.” The event will feature three successful Allen University alumni, who will be on hand to discuss Allen’s legacy in a panel discussion and dialogue with current students. The alumni panelists include Dr. John R. Stevenson, ‘51, first black superintendent of Richland School District One; Dr. Focell Jackson-Dozier, ‘85, a Timmonsville-Florence physician; and the Honorable Clementa Pinckney, ‘95, state senator.

“When you talk about an institution’s legacy and what it’s done, there is no better evidence than its graduates,” said Dr. Grooms. The symposium will be held at 10 a.m. in the John Hurst Adams Gymnatorium. For additional information on the symposium, contact Dr. Grooms at (803) 376-5720.

Members of the community will have an opportunity to see, firsthand, some of the recent developments and construction at the institution during one of a series of campus tours that will be conducted by the University’s Admissions Office between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

These improvements to the campus include renovations to historic Arnett and Coppin Halls; the addition of a Counseling and Wellness Center, Allen-Waverly Community Technology Center, and several new computer labs to meet the needs of a growing student population. For additional information on the touring schedule, contact Aaron Bishop, admissions director, at (803) 758-2702.The University culminates its Founders’ Day celebration with an Installation Ceremony for its 23rd President, Dr. Charles E. Young. The ceremony will be held Friday, February 11, at 10 a.m. in Adams Gymnatorium. A reception will follow.

For additional information, contact Alzen Smith at (803) 376-5754 or asmith@allenuniversity.edu

Dr. Charles E. Young is the 23rd President of Allen University, a historically black Christian liberal arts college in Columbia, South Carolina. A native of Georgetown County, S.C., he was educated in Georgetown County schools and graduated from Choppee High School. After serving two years in the United States Army, Dr. Young enrolled at Virginia Union University in Richmond, Va., where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1975. He later earned a Master of Divinity degree from Columbia International University, Columbia, S.C., in 1981. His Doctoral degree was earned in 1989 from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in the area of Urban Anthropology.

Dr. Young’s professional career includes work as a probation and parole agent for the State of South Carolina, youth counselor for delinquent and runaway youth, and prison chaplain for the S.C. Department of Corrections. For 15 years, he taught in the areas of Urban Anthropology, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, and Doctrine of the Church at Columbia International University in Columbia. He also supervised students in practical field education experiences and has taken church planting students to England, Germany, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Dr. Young is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. His pastoral ministry includes several pastorates in the state of South Carolina. Beginning in 1981, he served as pastor of St. Matthew AME Church and Pleasant Grove AME Church in the Newberry area. In 1985, he was assigned to Turner Memorial AME Church in West Columbia. Dr. Young’s most recent pastoral charge was Ebenezer AME Church in Charleston, where he led the congregation in a one million dollar capital fund drive for community revitalization of Charleston’s historic East Side. Three historic buildings were purchased for renovation, and under his direction, the church acquired a $2.2 million housing complex for affordable housing also in the city’s East Side.

In addition to his urban planning efforts, Dr. Young was able to create programs that focus on the elderly and community youth. A nonprofit organization was founded under his leadership that currently operates a Senior Day Care Center. Prior to his departure, Dr. Young laid the foundation for what is now Charleston Development Academy, a federally funded charter school for grades K-6.

In Charleston, Dr. Young served as Chair of the Enterprise Community Board in Charleston, an organization that honored him in 2000 for his many contributions to the City of Charleston. He was one of the founders of PASTORS (Pastors Associated Successfully Together to Obey, Restore and Serve), a nonprofit church-based organization established to provide housing and community revitalization.

He currently serves on the Boards of Columbia International University, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce and the Reid House for Christian Service, and on the advisory board of the South Carolina Community Bank. Dr. Young is Secretary/Treasurer of the S.C. Association of Colleges and Universities and Vice President of the S.C. Association of Developing Colleges. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and was awarded a community service award by the Mu Alpha Chapter in 1999 and named Citizen of the Year by the Omicron Phi Chapter in 2003. The Medical University of South Carolina also recognized him for community service in 1998.

Since Dr. Young’s arrival at Allen University in August 2001, he has initiated numerous projects. In 2003, a college-owned house on Pine Street was renovated to create the Allen-Waverly Community Technology Center for student and community use. Several buildings have been renovated or upgraded, including historic Coppin and Higgins halls in 2002, the present Elementary Education Building in 2003 and a Counseling and Wellness Center in 2004. Gifts from the Wachovia Corporation have been used to add math and reading labs in Gibbs Hall. Dr. Young has worked to raise one million dollars towards the renovation of the historic Chappelle Administration Building. More recently, the college received a grant of two million dollars from the NNSA to implement programs in math and science.

In the area of academics, several new Ph.D.s have been recruited to the faculty in the areas of Business, Chemistry, Biology and English. Dr. Young’s vision for the institution have also led to the creation of the Excel Program, a program that offers working adults an opportunity to complete their undergraduate education. Student enrollment has doubled since his arrival, reaching 647 in the fall 2004 semester.

Dr. Young has worked diligently to build relationships and form partnerships with the business community, among them BellSouth and Michelin. Dr. Young has also created an Advisory Board of corporate and business leaders from the Columbia area who meet monthly to assist in the growth of the institution.Dr. Young and his wife Sandra have two children: a daughter, Charlotte, and a son, Christopher.

Founded in 1870 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Allen University is an academic community whose mission is to provide education with a strong commitment to teaching and community service. Allen – the oldest historically Black university in South Carolina to be established by African Americans – is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Jason Darby Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Allen University
1530 Harden Street
Columbia, SC 29204

Voice: 803.376.5749
FAX: 803.758.2694
http://www.allenuniversity.edu

5. BISHOP CAROLYN TYLER-GUIDRY TO PREACH AT JOHNSON CHAPEL AME CHURCH, SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA:

On Sunday February 6th, Johnson Chapel is proud to welcome the 122nd elected and consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Rt. Reverend Carolyn Tyler Guidry, to our Pulpit as the Preacher of the Hour for our First Sunday Communion Worship Service. Bishop Guidry, our former Presiding Elder, is the second woman elected to the bench of Bishops in the 218 year History of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and is currently assigned to preside over the 16th Episcopal District which covers the Caribbean, London, and South America. Make plans to be present and invite your family and friends to join with you as we celebrate the life and ministry of this dynamic and anointed leader of our Zion.

6. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Submitted by: j.l.wharton@att.net

The Rev. Charles J. Fenwick, Associate Pastor of Bethel AME Church, Church Hill, Maryland - Baltimore Annual Conference passed.

Funeral Arrangements:
Bethel AME Church
Centreville, Maryland

Wednesday, February 2, 2005, 11:00 a.m.
Pastor: Rev. Wedell Gary; Host Church Pastor: Rev. Terry Gaddy

Wake and Memorial Service
Tuesday

Bethel AME Church-
Church Hill, Maryland
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Rev. Wendell Gary Pastor--
Rev. Dr. Joan L. Wharton
Mt. Zion AME Church"

I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength."
Please remember the family in your prayer.

God Bless!Ora L. Easley, President
CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'S
Email: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEBSITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/http://www.connmswawo3.com/

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/28/05)

The Christian Recorder dedicates this edition in memory of the Right Reverend Decatur Ward Nichols, the 59th Elected Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was elected a Bishop in 1940. When Bishop Nichols died, he was the oldest living bishop in Methodism.

Bishop Nichols’ funeral will be held tomorrow at Emanuel AME Church in New York City (See information appended below). His biographer, Mrs. Jeanette Johns, was kind enough to share Bishop Nichol’s Obituary with the readership of The Christian Recorder.

The editorial staff of The Christian Recorder Online made the decision to print Bishop Nichols’ entire Obituary rather than just a portion if it.

The Right Reverend Gregory G. M. Ingram, the Chair, Commission on Publications, the Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour. Jr., Publisher and the Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, the Editor of The Christian Recorder, on behalf of all of the subscribers of The Christian Recorder, wish to convey our heartfelt sympathy to the Nichols family.

Our thanks to Mrs. Jeanette Johns and the Nichols family for sharing the Obituary of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols (October 15, 1900 – January 24, 2005)

O B I T U A R Y

BISHOP DECATUR WARD NICHOLS

October 15, 1900 – January 24, 2005

Well known for his sense of humor and resulting witty remarks, during a sermon at Bethel A.M.E. Church, Huntington, NY in November 1997 Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols quipped: “If I live three more years, I’ll be 100; and if I don’t … well then, I’ll be dead.” He did, indeed, live to be 100 and what a celebration there was in honor of this milestone granted to him by the God he was still serving so faithfully at that time! On October 21, 2000 his relatives and friends came from North, East, South, and West to attend a Service of Thanksgiving held at Emanuel A.M.E. Church, New York City, the very first church he served as pastor, and to praise God for the life of His beloved servant.

As he approached his 104th birthday, plans were considerably simpler. The Bishop dined at his home of over 60 years in Huntington Station, Long Island, New York with those who meant so much to him and supported him in every possible way, taking care of his every need. His daughter, Wardean Nichols Henry, who lives in close proximity to her father’s home and looked forward to seeing him every day, made his favorite chocolate layer cake and provided his favorite Haagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream.

His younger daughter, Sioux Nichols Taylor, described his status at that time: “He’s slowing down and mellowing out”. And then, with her inimitable enthusiasm added, “My daddy is the greatest man since Jesus!”

Bishop Nichols has always loved chocolate and just before his birthday, his biographer, Jeanette T. Johns (“The Upward Journey; A Centenarian’s Chronicle”, A.M.E. Publishing Company, 2002) visited The Bishop at his home. She took him 104 Hershey kisses, hand-counted! They were in a basket lined with a purple napkin, the color associated with our Bishops of the A.M.E. Church. She and his daughter, Sioux, peeled the wrappers off several of the chocolates and fed them to him throughout the afternoon – much to his delight! As the Bishop reached his 100th birthday Mrs. Johns had been asked by the family to write their father’s story. Shortly after publication, a Book-Signing Event was held in February of 2003 at Bethel A.M.E. Church, Huntington. Seated at a table with The Bishop, copies of the book were autographed for over two hours. The Bishop surprised everyone as he greeted more than 100 potential readers and eagerly autographed books for them. He did not use a stamp, as had been suggested to ease the task for him; he did not write his initials only (another suggestion), but wrote his full name in each book. During that birthday visit Mrs. Johns shared an album of photos of that event and The Bishop enjoyed reminiscing about the afternoon that had produced so much excitement and happiness for him.

Responding to a request from Bishop Richard F. Norris, Presiding Prelate of the First Episcopal District, a “Card Shower” assured the Bishop and his family members of the continuing love and respect that permeated his life. Beautiful birthday greetings started to arrive at his home during the week before his birthday, resulting in a unique 104th birthday tribute.

In the Nichols Family Archives there is a photo of nine outstanding pastors and Presiding Elders. This photo was taken in South Carolina in 1908 and in the center of the photo stands an eight-year-old lad whose facial expression could clearly lead you to believe that he had just conducted a very important business meeting involving these elevated leaders of the church. At age 101 Bishop Nichols was shown this picture and he enthusiastically provided left-to-right identifications for all but one of those gentlemen whom he had met at the tender age of eight years old. He remembered not only their full names, but their churches, positions served, and other interesting personal tidbits about each one. One of the men in the picture was his father, Presiding Elder L. Ruffin Nichols. It was a truly rare father/son relationship between these two that set the stage for the life of young Ward Nichols. He adored his father and stuck to him as though linked by the strongest variety of glue. The father took the little son with him everywhere he went. Ward attended all business meetings, conferences, conventions and church services with his father and was a constant companion to him. Later he would say, “I wanted to be just like my father!” It was this remarkable beginning that paved the way for Ward to achieve his goal.

Born October 15, 1900, youngest of thirteen children, he grew up in a privileged family and his father and mother made it possible for him and his siblings to attend the best schools available to Black children at that time. After completing twelfth grade at Avery Normal Institute, a private school for colored children, he attended Howard University in Washington, DC, where he majored in History, receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

While there he was a member of the Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the first one ever formed of that great national fraternity. His beloved Omega cap occupied a position of honor on his bedpost at his Huntington Station home.

After graduation from Howard he received the Maser of Arts in Missions and the Bachelor of Divinity Degrees from Drew University in Madison, NJ. Since then he has received numerous honorary degrees from colleges appreciative of his outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the A.M.E. connection and the world.

Once hailed as the youngest Bishop ever to be elected in the A.M.E. church, Bishop Nichols was described fondly by A.M.E.s as “The Bishop of Bishops” and the “Senior of Seniors”. He was also known internationally as “The Senior Bishop of Methodism,” for he was the oldest Bishop in ALL of Methodism, worldwide. The years that transpired between these designations allowed him to advance to the point where he emerged as one of the most influential A.M.E. Bishops of all time. In 1948 he attended the historic first meeting of the World Council of Churches, an organization which brought together churches of all denominations. Representing the A.M.E. Church, he served on the Executive Committee and later as Vice-President. He also traveled to Oxford, England in 1952 where he attended the first meeting of the World Methodist Organization which brought together all Methodist churches in the world. He served on the Executive Committee and was one of the Vice-Presidents. Asked what contribution he felt he had made to such groups, Bishop Nichols replied, “They learned that Blacks were capable of more than just serving on the Hospitality Committee. They learned that Blacks could plan agendas and workshops and participate in all the other activities of the organization. They learned that Blacks also had an opinion, no matter what the question was.”

Numerous world leaders have benefited from his wisdom, as have the leadership and members of the A.M.E. Church. To his immense credit, he could deal with the royal and the commonplace with equal aplomb. This eminent Bishop was grand and majestic in his bearing. Still he had work to do with the people of his own denomination and he continued to serve God and humanity in humility and with dignity.

Bishop Nichols served Episcopal Districts 9, 1, 11, 12, and 7. He retained a special fondness for District Nine, Alabama, his first Episcopal appointment, where he found the people to be warm, gentle, and cooperative. He remembered their kindness to his family and they were encouraging to him and exhibited understanding as he established himself in the position of Bishop and went about his work. He particularly remembered how the people rallied around Daniel Payne College in Birmingham, AL. They benefited from his expertise as he completed an unfinished building, satisfied the college’s $83,000 mortgage, remodeled the property to the extent of $110,000, built the President’s home, boys’ cottage, teachers’ cottage, college luncheonette, girls’ dormitory, and library. He also remodeled the chapel, installed a new lighting system, built roadways, landscaped grounds, and remodeled the entire area. He succeeded in getting Daniel Payne College accredited by the proper educational organizations.

When he was appointed to the First District he sensed the invisible, but real, barrier that existed between the ministers and laity of the church. His firm belief in the ministers and laity working together for the good of the connectional church led him to plan and structure an organization which would create a sense of togetherness. He started the Laymen’s League in the New York Conference and the First Episcopal District. Later, in deference to the women of the laity, it was re-named the Lay Organization.

This Bishop was full of innovative and interesting ideas for programming. A Chautauqua is known as an assembly for education and entertainment of adults by lectures, concerts, etc. held for several days. The First Episcopal District Institute and Religious Education Chautauqua were held at historic Bethel A.M.E. Church in New York City on September 29-30, 1948. After a series of informative, inspirational, and satisfying events, the closing extravaganza was held at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. That alone made it an uncommon event, as Carnegie Hall is synonymous with music, poetry, and art of the most elegant type. Only the truly great appear on this stage. At the end of the evening, in the presence of 4,000 people, Bishop Nichols presented a check for $30,000 to Wilberforce University and also a check for $5,000 to be used by Payne Theological Seminary. As this historic evening drew to a close and the unique Chautauqua reached its conclusion, it was the feeling of the people that with free admission to this beautiful, renowned structure, the A.M.E. church had come a long way from an abandoned blacksmith shop in Philadelphia to Carnegie Hall in New York City. It was Bishop D. Ward Nichols who had led them to Carnegie Hall and afforded them this rare opportunity.

Such was the caliber and momentum of this Bishop’s work. In similar fashion, Bishop Nichols left his mark of excellence on each district that he served. In some cases he devised methods of rescuing our A.M.E.-supported colleges from financial ruin. And always, when he ended his term in a District, membership had been increased and financial stability had been achieved.

Unfortunately, things do not always run smoothly, even in a highly respected religious organization such as the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Nichols’ life was about to be interrupted and thrown dramatically and unexpectedly into an eleven-year tailspin. He was charged with misuse of church funds and suspended from serving as a Bishop. Court cases trudged on and on and on for 11 years; however, he was finally cleared of all charges and reinstated. Asked how he survived this disgusting situation which dragged on for so many years, The Bishop replied, “Just put my hand in the Lord’s hand and walked on through. That’s all.” And he spoke of being sustained by his favorite scriptures: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1) and “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.” (Psalm 27:1-2)

Bishop Nichols was a Civil Rights advocate and participated in the infamous forty-mile Freedom March from Selma to Montgomery, AL and several other demonstrations. He was even arrested for one of his efforts for the cause of Civil Rights. He was in the company of Rev. Jesse Jackson as they attempted to integrate the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, SC. and recalled a photo taken of them being put in a “paddy wagon.”

He once provided a secret hideaway in his home for Rev. J. A. Delaine, a prime mover in the suit to end racial segregation in the public schools of Clarendon County, SC. This case evolved into the historic case, Brown vs. Board of Education. Rev. Delaine was not safe in SC as he was pursued by officials there; however, it was known that he would not be able to get a fair trial so he found refuge with Bishop Nichols and his family in New York City. Eventually, Bishop Nichols had to intercede with the New York Governor, Nelson A. Rockefeller, to keep him from being extradited to SC. because he would surely have been killed had he returned. He was finally released in Bishop Nichols’ custody and his wife and daughter were also given safety in the Nichols home for several months.

Other than the adversity associated with his church, Bishop Nichols’ worst moment came when he faced deep personal grief as his wife of over 50 years died in 1993. She had come into his life after the death of Susan Bailey Nichols, his wife and mother of their two daughters. Tragically, she died in childbirth in 1931 leaving two baby daughters to be cared for. Two of her sisters came from their home in Maryland to care for the little girls. Sarah Katherine Bailey became known to the little girls as “Mama Kay” and Beatrice Bailey became known as “Mama Bea”. Several years later young Ward Nichols married Katherine. To friends she became “Mama Kay” as well as to her girls, and her husband became “Papa Nick”, the same name that had been applied to his father many years before. Katherine emerged as the “perfect pastor’s wife”, “the perfect mother”, and later the “perfect Bishop’s wife”. Her support of her husband’s ministry was extraordinary. At her death, The Bishop again called upon his favorite verse of scripture: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

God continued to smile upon His faithful servant and provide him with reasonably good health until the very end. His most recent trip took place in July 2004 when Sioux Nichols Taylor, his faithful travel companion for many years, accompanied her father to The General Conference of the A.M.E. Church held in Indianapolis, IN. Observing his past attendance records, it is inconceivable that Bishop Nichols would have missed his beloved General Conference under any circumstances as long as he could travel safely with his daughter.

Eagerly anticipating his 104th birthday, The Bishop had his own thoughts concerning his current condition. He shared his wisdom: “Anything over 100 is wearing out and you can’t always fix it.” Perhaps he referred to his dimming vision, his not-so-perfect hearing, and the weakening of that strong, rich, distinctive voice of his preaching days. Still, he knew that he was blessed to have a caring family, constant attention from those who loved him most, and that God’s loving arms continually enfolded him in tenderness. Under these circumstances he finally allowed himself the privilege of slowing down and eventually simply growing tired.

In carrying out his national and worldwide duties as a religious leader, The Bishop traveled extensively, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean 87 times and circumnavigated the globe three times. After he had completed his major travels, he once asked his travel agent, “Do you think there are any places left for me to visit?” Aware of the extent of his travels over many years, she replied, “Well, there’s heaven.” The time for this travel opportunity has finally presented itself. On Monday, January 24, 2005 Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols, revered clergyman of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, completed his lifetime travel itinerary. In the early evening, he had been tenderly tucked in his bed and in the company of a friend and a family member he quietly, peacefully made the transition from earth to heaven.

Those who remain to enjoy reminiscing about the events of the long and inspiring life of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols are his daughters, Wardean Nichols Henry and Sioux Nichols Taylor, son-in-law, John R. Henry; grandchildren, Stephen W. Henry (Shelley), Ward Nichols Henry (Debra), and Kawardra Taylor Hightower (Stephen); great-grandchildren, Charles Williams, Shawn Williams, Brittany Henry, Taylor Henry, and Bailey Hightower; a host of nieces and nephews, and innumerable friends.

Submitted with love and devotion,
Jeanette T. JohnsBethel A.M.E.
Church, Huntington, NY
The First Episcopal District

1. IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

Do not respond to any request for update of your membership to The Christian Recorder Online. The Christian Recorder Online does not require updates from its subscribers. You are being spammed if you receive any message requiring you to update your subscription. Delete such messages without opening them. Please Contact me chsydnor@bellsouth.net if you have any questions.

On another note, do not attempt to make postings through The Christian Recorder Online Website. I delete, without reading them, all messages posted on TCR Online Website

2. FROM THE FIRST EPISCOPAL DISTRICT BISHOP'S OFFICE:

The following ADDITIONAL information is being provided regarding funeral arrangements for the late Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols.
Viewing - Friday, January 28, 2005

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
M. A. Connell Funeral Home
934 New York Avenue
Huntingdon StationLong Island, NY 11746
631-427-1123

Funeral -

Saturday, January 29, 2005
10:00 a.m.Emanuel AME Church
37-41 West 119th Street
New York, NY 10029
The Rev. Simon P. Bouie, Pastor
Church Phone: 212-722-3969
Fax No:212-722-6887

Reservations can be made at the LaGuardia Marriott
In the name of (Bishop Nichols Funeral)
102-05 Ditmars Blvd.
East Elmhurst, NY 11369
718-565-8900

Condolences may be sent to the family:
The family of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols
68 Ninth Avenue
Huntingdon Station
Long Island, NY 11746

Please remember the Nichols family in your prayers during this time of bereavement

God Bless!Ora L. Easley, President
CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

3. CO-DEPENDENCY, SATAN’S SUBTLE SCHEME, PART 1
By Rev. Versey A. Williams

Initially, co-dependent sounds pretty good. Aren’t we, as Christians, supposed to walk with one another and help one another? Are we not our brother’s keepers? Co-dependency is one of Satan’s most eloquent snares. Co-dependent relationships offer many opportunities to exercise Christ’s mandates to forgive, turn the other cheek, go the extra miles and it will teach you how to pray.

People who are co-dependent form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally and/or physically destructive and abusive. Studies have been conducted on how people and families interact with alcoholics and drug addicts. The studies I read were about addicts. Since I lived with an addict for years, the studies simply confirmed what I have witnessed and experienced. Co-dependency can also occur between friends, parent relationships, caretaker and patient and siblings. Actually any relationship can become co-dependent. The co-dependent person moves his or her energy away from themselves (and God) to prop up, justify and “rescue” the other person.

Co-dependency really affects those persons who interact with addicts. Scripture teaches us to be nurturing and kind. Marital and co-ed relationships with an addict or abuser are particularly problematic. At first it seems like we are simply keeping our vow or commitment to one another person. There is nothing wrong with taking care of the other person. However, the basic foundation or principles that govern the relationship are not the same between the person receiving the attention and the person who becomes co-dependent. Christians stand on the biblical principles of the Word of God. Even when we see distasteful behavior, we tend to pray and be positive that things will change for the best. This is what hope is all about. We call into existence those things that are not by our faith in God (Hebrews 11:1). We are people of faith.
Alcoholics and drug addicts are not able to carry out most of the biblical principles on a consistent and truthful basis. Their addiction stands in the way of their relationship with God. This is not to say that alcoholics and drug addicts have no relationship with God…

(Read the complete article in The Christian Recorder and Stay tuned for Part II)

Rev. Versey Williams is the author of My Journey with Addiction, which will be available in bookstores in March.

She attends Trinity AME in Lansing, Michigan where the Reverend Walter W. Reid, Sr. is the Senior Pastor.

4. THE REVEREND AL PARIS SHARES HIS THOUGHTS ON CONNECTIONAL ASSESSMENTS AND TITHING:

I fully believe and support Connectional Claims. I am of the opinion that all expenses of the Church should be paid by the tithes and offerings of the members of the church. This includes any claims that the Connectional Church makes on its member churches.The Church should be supported by the Ministry of Giving which I believe is contained in tithes and offerings of its people. I believe that his is the preferred “fundraising" effort that God can and will bless. I believe the promises of God and that is the method we should use to "raise" the money required for all of the expenses of the church. The tithe is the great equalizer in the church. The poorest of the poor provide just as much support for the church as the richest of the rich.

I also believe that it is a privilege to give to the Lord (Church). In the Book of Haggai, the Lord says, "The Gold is mine; the silver is mine! He does not need our tithes or offerings…the cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him." But God accepts our tithes and offerings because we NEED to give freely as Jesus gave of himself freely. In that same book, he says that if we deny the house of God while building our own houses, "our wages disappear as though we were putting them in pockets filled with holes!" [Haggai 1:6]

Some will say that the tithe no longer applies or that under grace we are not required to tithe. Perhaps that may be true but systems in place by God still work for His people. We no longer observe the Year of Jubilee but I dare our economist to study the background and effects of the Jubilee. One would have to conclude it is an excellent means of regulating one's economy.

Paul teaches that giving is ministry. I believe that too. I teach my own children and my children in the church to give 10% of everything they earn to the church, invest 10% for retirement, and use the remainder as they see fit. I you do this; you will not have to concern yourself about Social Security or your company's 401K plan. On a modest income and prudent investments our children and grandchildren can retire as millionaires. Someone will say, "If we are all millionaires, then the poor are millionaires?" There are many who will not give 10% to the church and most will not have the foresight to invest one dime out of every dollar they earn. To those who doubt this system do this: Get a copy of your total earnings statement from the Social Security Administration and see how much you would have invested, 10% of the total. Then calculate what you would have if using compound interest over the period of time the funds were accumulating.

(Read more about Reverend Paris' thoughts in The Christian Recorder)

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/26/05)

This issue of The Christian Recorder Online pays tribute to the memory of the Right Reverend Decatur Ward Nichols, the 59th Elected Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.


1. BLACK CHURCH LEADERS FORGE HISTORIC ALLIANCE

By Stephanie and Eric Stradford

The Christian Recorder, Jan. 26, 2005, Nashville, TN – More than 10,000 delegates from the four most prestigious African American Baptist Conventions have united to "Witness as One." The partnership signifies a new beginning for building better bridges for ministry amid 15-million African Americans.

This is the first such meeting for African American Baptists. Internet viewers can witness the historic proceedings at BlackInternetTV.com. The four presidents will present a Unity Statement during a 9:00 am press conference on Friday, January 28 at Gaylord Opryland Convention Center.

The Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. (PNBC), National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. (NBCUSA), The National Baptist Convention of America, Inc. (NBCA), and National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, Inc. (NMBCA) are here to work on a myriad of issues critical to the survival of African Americans.

Central to this historic meeting are "Unity Forums" on education, holistic health, economic development, political empowerment, spirituality, social justice and global issues. Joint participation is an outcome hoped for by former PNBC President Dr. Gardner C. Taylor—a dream incubated for six years. A year ago, the joint leadership, which includes Dr. Major L. Jemison, President of PNBC; Dr. William J. Shaw, President of NBCUSA; Dr. Stephen J. Thurston, President of NBCA; and Dr. Melvin V. Wade, President of NMBCA met to organize a convention that would unite diverse ministries toward a common good.

"We have come to learn more about what we must do together," said Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Secretary Treasurer of the AME Sunday School Union. Officers and members from the African Methodist Episcopal Church honored the late Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols by their participation. Bishop Nichols, a man of great vision, held the distinction of being the oldest living bishop in Methodism. He died January 24, the opening day of the historic conference. He was 104.

Dr. Barbour joined Reverend Dr. Daryl Ingram, Executive Director, AMEC Christian Education Department and Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor, III, Editor of The Christian Recorder. News coverage by the oldest circulated black newspaper in America engages some 3.5 million historically disenfranchised "cousins to black Baptists" in a long awaited demonstration of unity.
Historically, diverse black denominations share in common a bitter uncertainty endured through, what many consider, incompetence in their national political leadership. They are not merely miffed about George W. Bush's reelection. They are gravely concerned about the administration's capacity to lead.

Whether the issue is National Security, Social Security, or Economic Security, the mere capacity of the black church weighs heavily on getting things done in America. Win or lose at the polls, the black church remains the single most effective voice of Africa's stolen people. Some climbed aboard a bandwagon aimed at derailing the Bush conservative agenda and must now redirect their "Move On" mindset to healing the nation.

Editor’s Comment:

Click on the link imbedded in this message and follow the instructions and you will be able to view and listen to the Baptist Mid-Winter Convention. You might want to share this with your Baptist friends.

The Christian Recorder Online provides real-time and live news.

2. SCAM ALERT WARNING RECEIVED FROM THIRTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT EPISCOPAL SUPERVISOR STAN MCKENZIE:

This is an alert for all churches. Individuals are once again attempting to scam AME Churches. As recently as last week there are people calling AME Churches and Episcopal District Offices indicating that a bishop's niece or daughter is stranded and needs money right away. They ask that money be sent or wired to a bank. They are astute and will give details to affect transactions. Please DO NOT SEND MONEY to anyone. If your church is contacted, please do not respond and notify your pastor and your Episcopal District Office.

They are sharp and are not novices. Don't fall for this scam.

Episcopal Supervisor Stan McKenzie

3. SISTER DORIS COFFEY ASKED SOME GREAT QUESTIONS LISTED BELOW AND I AM ATTEMPTING TO ANSWER THEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE COMMENTS FROM OUR SUBSCRIBERS. FORWARD COMMENTS DIRECTLY TO ME. PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR FULL NAME, POSITION, ETC., TO chsydnor@bellsouth.net

1. Why are we asked to stand for the reading of the Gospels and not the rest of the Scriptures?

ANSWER: Some churches stand for the reading of the Gospel because the gospel represents the coming of Christ the King. As an example, whenever a king passed by, the people stood and honored the king. The people would not sit when the king passed; that would have been disrespectful. Liturgically, congregants were not required to stand for the Old Testament, Epistle or Psalter readings. Conversely, when people approached the king, they bowed, thus when we approach Christ the King in prayer, we bow or get on our knees.

Historically, Methodists did not stand for the reading of the gospel because it “smacked’ of Roman Catholicism. In the early days of Methodism, we did not want it thought that we were copying or mimicking Catholicism. Recently, with the ecumenical movement, we have assimilated some of the more liturgical forms in worship. 2. Where can information be found in the Doctrine and Discipline of the African Methodist Episcopal Church pertaining to, or explaining why we pay Conference Claims and what they are based upon?

ANSWER: I am not qualified to answer this question. I will ask that Dr. Richard Lewis or Bishop Adam Richardson answer your question. I know that the General Conference approves the budget for the AME Church and the money raised by the constituency of the AME Church.

3. What is the predominant formula used by AME Churches to raise the Conference Claims?

ANSWER: I will ask one of the bishops to answer this question. I don’t know if there is a predominant formula. I know that money has to be raised and I suspect that in the past we have used women’s and men’s days to raise assessed money. I believe that other churches have found creative ways to raise assessed funds. I also believe that pastors have to have a plan. I once heard General H. Norman Schwarzkopf tell combat leaders, just prior to going on a live-fire exercise, that motivating soldiers was a leadership challenge. He said, “You can face soldiers and say, ‘The commander says we got to dig this foxhole; I don’t know why he wants us to dig it so deep. I guess we just have to go ahead and dig it,’ or a motivating leader would say, in a positive way, ‘Men, let’s get our foxholes dug and the perimeter secured. Let’s dig our foxholes deep enough that we can take incoming fire and remain alive and unharmed. We can do this is short-order!’”

Some of our pastors may need to be upbeat when talking about assessments. Pastors need to be as upbeat when they talk about Connectional assessments as they are when preaching a sermon. It’s the way that it is communicated that might make the difference. If we go into it with the attitude that everybody is stealing money then no one wants to participate in that kind of endeavor. On the other hand if pastors and lay leader share with the people the responsibilities faced by the Church – it’s educational institutions, connectional budgets, to include salaries, housing, operating expenses, overseas work, benevolence, etc., in a positive way, people will give more cheerfully. It’s a leadership challenge.

4. Is it a well-kept secret or is anyone aware that there are Churches (at least in some districts) who are operating in a fantasy of pure pretense, when it comes to the conference claims; that they have to rob Peter to pay Paul, resort to drastic measures or let other pressing matters of the churches go in order to pay conference claims?

ANSWER: Churches, beginning with the local church and all the way up to the Connectional Church, face financial challenges. As a matter of fact, non-religious organizations also face financial challenges. Families have financial challenges, and, sometimes, when paying the bills, sometimes there is not enough money and we have to choose to pay one and delay paying the other and that’s, in a sense, “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” As it relates to your observation, “…resort to drastic measures or let other pressing matters of the (local) church go in order to pay conference claims,” it is a leadership issue. Some pastors know how to motivate and implement relevant programs. Others do not and complain. I reiterate; it’s a leadership issue. Pastoring is a full-time profession. The ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church was not designed to be avocational. The itinerancy was designed for full-time ministry and if the ministry is avocational, then the pastoral and lay leadership will need to be very creative. The money will not just fall from the sky!

5. What do you suppose Richard Allen's take would be on Conference Claims and the burden it causes some of the churches?

ANSWER: Bishop Richard Allen was a businessman. I believe that he would find creative ways for the church to raise money to meet its church’s financial obligations. He was not an avocational leader. He did what he needed to do to make his ministry full-time.

6. What are the Conference Claims based on? Membership, locale, ability to pay or other? I am not opposed to paying conference claims, I just think there needs to be a better way, so that it is not such a burden on the churches whose attendance have dropped, who have mostly elderly members who are struggling to make ends meet. Now don't tell me about how God will provide if we trust Him, because I already know that is true - but where is God in the Conference Claims? I am well aware that God said to bring the tithes (and offerings) but where did God say to bring Conference Claims. (Just asking - if you don't ask, you will never know).

ANSWER: It’s a pastoral leadership issue, but I will defer to someone else, perhaps a bishop to answer this question. When I pastored years ago at St. James AME Church in Danville, Kentucky, I had a Conference Claims Committee and they raised the money to pay the Conference Claims. I never had to worry about it. Mrs. Cornelia Faulkner took the leadership in raising the money for Conference Claims and my pastorate became a joy when I didn’t have to worry anymore about Conference Claims. That’s how I solved it, but as I state, that was years ago. I might do it differently now.

7. How can we revamp our Sunday Schools and get the pastors, members and children to come?

ANSWER: Again, it’s a leadership issue. The pastor and laity of the church need to meet and strategize. The Church needs an action plan. They need to develop strategies for church growth. The congregation needs a mission statement. Church growth is an intentional endeavor. Pastors need to attend meetings like the Evangelism Workshop that was held recently in Myrtle Beach in order to discover the most up-to-date methods of church growth and evangelism. Ministerial training from top to bottom! How can you “get the pastors, members and children” to attend Sunday school? Again, this is a leadership issue. Every pastor should support the Sunday school with his or her attendance. – Period! Attendance starts at the top – with the leader(s) of the church. The leaders of the church need to set the example.

4. THE REVEREND DR. JOE DARBY WANTS TO KNOW IF ANY CLERGY OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH WERE PRESENT AT PRESIDENT GEORGE BUSH’S SPEECH YESTERDAY:

I would like to know if any of our Bishops or clergy were “at the table” yesterday for President George W. Bush's "black folks meeting.”

5. INSPIRING WEBSITE FORWARDED BY BROTHER JAMES H. SMITH:

I received this e-mail information from Brother Steve Armstrong, First Vice President of The Baltimore Conference Lay Organization of the Second Episcopal District of The African Methodist Episcopal Church. It is the best source of Black History I have ever had in such a concise presentation. The Pride and the Journey website which highlights famous Africans and African-Americans http://www.websn.com/Pride/Pride/sounds.htm

Editor’s Comment:

This Website is a keeper!

6. FUNERAL NOTICE FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BISHOP OF THE FIRST EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:

We regret to inform you of the passing of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols.

The following information is being provided regarding funeral arrangements.

FUNERAL - SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.

EMANUEL AME CHURCH
37-41 West 119th Street
New York, NY 10029
The Rev. Simon P. Bouie, Pastor
Church Phone: 212-722-3969

CONDOLENCES MAY BE SENT TO THE FAMILY:

The Family of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols
68 Ninth Avenue
Huntingdon Station, Long Island, NY 11746

or
Emanuel AME Church
37 - 41 West 119th Street
New York, NY 10029
Church Phone: 212-722-3969; Fax: 212-722-6887
Please remember the Nichols family in your prayers during this time of their bereavement.

God Bless!Ora L. Easley, PresidentCONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781
WEB SITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Pagehttp://connmswawo3.com/
AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

7. IN MEMORY OF THE LATE BISHOP DECATUR WARD NICHOLS. OCTOBER 15, 1901 – JANUARY 24, 2005:

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols was the oldest living bishop in Methodism. He was born on October 15, 1900 in Georgetown, South Carolina.

Bishop Nichols was man who "thought outside of the box" from the very beginning of his ministry. He was committed to full-time ministry, even when the "money" wasn't good. His ministry was an excellent example of a preacher "growing where he was planted." He was a man of vision. He wasn't given the biggest appointment, but he made it the biggest appointment. He "watered" and nurtured the ground he had. Retired Bishop Richard Allen Hildebrand remarked that Bishop Nichols was extremely competent and that he knew God's place in his ministry. And, Bishop Nichols had to have had the blessings of the Holy Spirit to have accomplished all that he did in his pastoral ministry, and later in the Episcopacy. Bishop Hildebrand said of Bishop Nichols that he was a master bishop who had the ability to place ministers in the right pulpit.

Bishop Nichols was a Connectional preacher and a global bishop - he traveled throughout the Connection and attended meetings of the Church and Methodism all over the word. He was a nurturing preacher - he knew that he had not gotten to where he was on his own power, but that others had helped him and when he succeeded, he pulled others with him.

Bishop Nichols was a man who was committed to his roots and a man who did not forget "From whence he had come." He was a man who honored his mother and father - he always remembered his parents and was committed to the family he "planted."

Another important attribute of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols was when he was "knocked down, he refused to stay down." And, when he returned, he returned stronger. He didn't remain bitter. He smiled and "kept on loving" the Church. And as a result, the Church loves him. Bishop Nichols, the oldest living bishop in Methodism and a man of God.

8. THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL 2004-2112:

Atty. Patricia M. Mayberry (President)*
Atty. Priscilla J. Green (Vice President)*
Rev. Franklin E. Breckenridge, Esq. (Secretary)*
Rev. Dr. Granville W. Reed, III (Assistant Secretary)*
Dr. J. B. Flowers, Jr. (Treasurer)**
Rev. Dr. Leeomia W. Kelly (Chaplain)**
Atty. Rosemarie Rhodes-Miller (Member)*
Atty. Benjamin Edwards (Member)*
Judge Vonciel Jones Hill (Member)*
AlternatesJudge Tania E. Wright (Lay)**
Rev. Glenda Hodges (Ministerial)**
Rev. Delman Howard (Ministerial)**

* Term expires 2008
** Term expires 2112

9. REPRINT OF REQUESTS FOR ARTICLE ON LITURGICAL COLORS:

Liturgical colors and their meanings

It is by tradition in some denominations and by the decision of assigned some pastors in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, that the ministerial vestments and the drapery used in the decoration of the altar should correspond in color that is appropriate for the liturgical season. The colors, if used appropriate to the liturgical cycle, are called the liturgical colors.

WHITE - This is the color of perfection, glory, holiness, and joy. In the African Methodist Episcopal Church and some other denominations, white is used on Communion Sundays. White is also used on the joyous and great festival days of the Godhead such as Christmas Day and during the Easter season (the Sundays after Easter). Many of our churches use white for weddings.

RED - This is the color of blood. It reminds us of the blood of Christ which was shed for the forgiveness of the sins of all of humankind. Red is used during Holy Week from Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday. Red is also the color of fire and represents fervor, zeal, victory and triumph. Red is used during the Pentecost season to mark the birth of Christ's church on earth. Some churches use red throughout the Pentecost season, which starts fifty days after Easter and goes to beginning of Advent (Four Sundays before Christmas). Some pastors use red for Pentecost Sunday only and not during the entire Pentecost season.

GREEN - This is the color of life and signifies growth. Green may be used for the Sundays after the Pentecost (sometimes called the Trinity season).

PURPLE - This is the color of preparation and of penitence. Purple is used during the seasons of Advent and Lent.

BLACK - This is the color of deep sorrow and darkness. Black also reminds us of death or the end of life. Black is used only on Good Friday to remind us of Jesus' death and humiliation on the cross.

BLUE - This is simply the color of hope. The hope of the coming and long awaited Messiah. Blue is now being used, in some churches, as the color for the Advent season.

THE LITURGICAL YEAR

1. ADVENT. The 4 Sundays before Christmas Day. Color: Purple (or Blue).

2. THE CHRISTMAS SEASON BEGINS ON CHRISTMAS DAY.
There are twelve days of the Christmas Season, which begins on Christmas Eve and goes to Epiphany (January 6). Color: White

3. EPIPHANY
Begins on January 6The Epiphany of Our Lord (January 6). Color: White. The second through the eighth Sundays after the Epiphany (Sundays always referred to as the Sundays AFTER the Epiphany - Color: Green. The last Sunday of the Epiphany (The Transfiguration of Our Lord) Color: White

4. THE LENTEN SEASON BEGINS ON ASH WEDNESDAY
Ash Wednesday and the 5 Sundays OF Lent (Referred to as the Sundays OF Lent) - Color: Purple; Palm Sunday (Sunday of the Passion) and all of Holy Week (Monday - Maundy Thursday) - Red. Good Friday - Black (or wear no stole or coverings in the chancel area)

5. THE EASTER SEASON BEGINS ON EASTER SUNDAY
Beginning with Easter Eve and all of the Sundays of Easter - White (Gold may be used on Easter Day and Easter evening

6. PENTECOST SEASON BEGINS FIFTY DAYS AFTER EASTER DAY
The Day of Pentecost - Color: Red; The Sundays after the Pentecost (excluding the first Sunday AFTER the Pentecost - see # 7 below) Color: Red (or Green). Note: Methodist Churches historically have used red throughout the Pentecost season. Some are now using green throughout the Pentecost Season, which we used to refer to as Whitsuntide.

7. HOLY TRINITY SUNDAY IS CELEBRATED ON THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE PENTECOST - White.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE BREAKING NEWS!!!!! (1/25/05)

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

For widest Dissemination

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols died last night (1/24/05). His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at Emanuel AME Church, 37 W. 119th Street, New York, NY 10026.

Telephone: (212) 722-3969

The Reverend Simon P. Bouie is the pastor of Emanuel AME Church.

Please keep the Nichols family in prayer.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE BREAKING NEWS!!!!! (1/25/05)

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

For widest Dissemination

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols died last night (1/24/05). His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at Emanuel AME Church, 37 W. 119th Street, New York, NY 10026.

Telephone: (212) 722-3969

The Reverend Simon P. Bouie is the pastor of Emanuel AME Church.

Please keep the Nichols family in prayer.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE BREAKING NEWS!!!!! (1/25/05)

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

For widest Dissemination

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols died last night (1/24/05). His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at Emanuel AME Church, 37 W. 119th Street, New York, NY 10026.

Telephone: (212) 722-3969

The Reverend Simon P. Bouie is the pastor of Emanuel AME Church.

Please keep the Nichols family in prayer.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/25/05)

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!

For widest Dissemination

Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols died last night (1/24/05). His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2005 at Emanuel AME Church, 37 W. 119th Street, New York, NY 10026.

Telephone: (212) 722-3969

The Reverend Simon P. Bouie is the pastor of Emanuel AME Church.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/24/05)

1. EDITOR’S CORNER:

The Reverend Dr. Joe Darby provides some excellent points about the Board of Examiners.
Dr. Darby’s comments about the Board of Examiners:

I still feel that the Board and its classes have a role to play in the preparation of our candidates for ministry. Given the fact that theological education is now a requirement and not an option, I think that role has evolved and should include at least two elements.

First, the Boards of Examiners should now act as "endorsing agents," seeing that

- the basic information submitted as to age and education is verified, and, - candidates enroll in seminaries that are accredited by legitimate regional or professional accrediting associations,

- any medical, emotional, financial or legal situations that might prove to be impediments to ministry are explored, and that,

- those who covenant with the AME church to pursue ministry are clear on the requirements, their rights and their responsibilities so that they can move forward with clear expectations.

Secondly, the Board should "fill in the gaps" for those who, for reasons of distance or financial hardship, attend non-Methodist seminaries. Bishop Williams is making a commendable effort to set up a distance learning program for the Seventh District through our denomination's seminaries. For necessarily bi-vocational clergy in South Carolina, however, the present accredited in-state seminary choices are Presbyterian, Lutheran and nondenominational-evangelical. Students at those seminaries get sound theological education, but little exposure to Methodist history, practice, polity, worship traditions and theology, and sometimes have problems applying what they learned in AME Churches. Boards of Examiners should see that those students are prepared for ministry in the AME context to minimize problems.

The Board can then fulfill what I see as its present mission - not to examine one's "call to preach," but to make sure that the "call" is for ministry in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Maybe then I won't hear another preacher explain, as was once said in my presence, that the 19th Article of Religion speaking to the Lord's Supper "in both kinds" means that you can take it at the 8:00 service and the 11:00 service!!!

Editor's Comment

Amen!~ Dr. Darby's thoughtful comments are appreciated. The Editor's comment was in affect, "Throwing out the baby with the dish water."

I hope that others of you will feel free to lend your thoughts to this imporatnt discussion.

The Reverend Michael Barta comments about editorial comment about the use of AME Sunday School literature

I appreciate the information in The Christian Recorder Online. I would like to comment on your editorial remarks about the importance of utilizing AME Sunday School materials. As a pastor who loves the AME Church, I truly WANT to be loyal to our denomination and its various endeavors. I am certain that Dr. Barbour and his staff work hard and care deeply about that what they do and he, and his staff, are to be commended for that. Having said that, my primary focus as a pastor cannot be denominational loyalty at the expense of failing to provide our volunteer teachers with the very best teaching resources needed for the important work of ministry. To follow such a course would, in my mind, make me guilty mal-administration and negligence as the one charged with the responsibility of tending to the spiritual needs of those entrusted to my care.

Instead of focusing on the mandatory subsidizing of that which does not meet our needs, let's be bold enough as African Methodists, to move to the next level. Let the AME Church be willing to give our various departments and ministries on the Connectional level what they need to do the work of ministry with excellence, and then hold our various leaders accountable for meeting that standard. If we are willing to do that, we will never have to worry about support from our membership.

Editor’s response

Pastor Barta - Thank you for your honest feedback. We need to hear your concerns and the concerns of others with recommendations as to how we can improve our Sunday School literature and make our literature more relevant. We need to look at the “hows” of effective teaching and how learning takes place. Whether we like it or not, we live in a hip-hop generation and we need to construct our materials in a relevant manner for youth, young adults and seniors. We need to insure that our Sunday-School lessons are well-documented utilizing cutting edge research. That is how we will get better.

Your comments are appreciated. I will pass on your concerns to Dr. Johnny Barbour, the Publisher of the AME Sunday School Union.

2. THE GLOBAL CORNER – THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH – A GLOBAL CHURCH WITH A GLOBAL MISSION:

Announcement from Namibia

The joy of serving the Lord Jesus is always my strength.

This message is to announce the Women's Celebration at the St. James AME Church, Namibia this coming weekend of 28-30 January 2005. Help us pray that God will give us yet another fresh anointing. Theme: “Behold, I Make All Things New.” Workshops Coordinator, Ms. Christa Biwa.

The St. James Women’s Day celebration begins on Friday evening with a Women-in-Concert program. Saturday will be an event-filled day beginning with a Bible Study / Workshop closing out with a revival on Saturday evening. The preacher for the opening Women’s Day celebration will be the Reverend Angelica B Sauerwein. The Saturday morning devotion speaker will be Evangelist Johanna Swartbooi. The “Hour of Power” preacher will be the Reverend the Rev. Betty Schroder.

Other revival weekend participants include Mother Mietjie Lamberth, President Prediker Sara K Amukuaya, Mother Paulina Simon, Mother Katherine /Goagoseb, Mother Cecilia A V Hanse, Mother Anna Lea Tâseb, the Reverend Betty Schroder, Mother Paulina Simon, Mother Katherine /Goagoseb, Prediker Sara K Amukuaya, Mother Anna Lea Tâseb, Rev. Maria Kapere, Mother Anna /Gariseb, and Mother Cornelia C Witbooi. The Rev. Annetha Apollus will deliver the closing sermon for the Women’s Day celebration.

The closing Women’s Day worship Service preacher will be the Reverend Annetha Apollus

ST. JAMES AME CHURCH
P.O. Box 78,
Mariental, Namibia
The Rev. Willem Simon Hanse, hansews@iway.na
P O Box 50278,
Bachbrecht, Namibia
Tel. 061-24 98 73 / Fax. 061-25 51 56Cell: 081 122 5048

3. NEEDED – MORE NEWS FROM THE OVERSEAS DISTRICTS 14 – 20:

The Global Corner news desk of The Christian Recorder needs your news. The readership of The Christian Recorder is as concerned about what is happening overseas as it is about what is happening in the continental United States.

4. BISHOP VASHTI MURPHY MCKENZIE WILL BE ST. JAMES AME, MEMPHIS 2005 FOUNDER’S DAY SPEAKER:

Bishop McKenzie will preach at St. James Feb. 13 for Founder's Day.

5. MORRIS BROWN AME CHURCH, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE REVEREND JOE DARBY, SENIOR PASTOR IS FEATURED THE CHARLESTON POST AND COURIER:

The Charleston Post and Courier inaugurated a new Faith and Values feature this Sunday called "Where we Worship," and they had the good judgment to kick off the feature with a look at with Morris Brown! Online access, click on: http://www.charleston.net/stories/Default.aspx?newsID=8567&section=faithvalues

You'll probably run into a "member registration" page, but the site is being updated, so follow the instructions on the login page and the article page will open.

Peace!
Joe Darby

6. AME COLLEGE CORNER

The Reverend Gilbert Harper , a member of the Virginia Annual Conference shares a testimony of one of their students in the Class on Admissions

The article below is an essay written by, Sister Lisa Tabor, a Doctoral student (English) at Virginia Tech and a student in the admissions class in the Virginia Annual Conference. . I thought the paper was well written and I was very impressed with the content. At our District Conference we heard a testimony from one of her fellow students who was a declared atheist who Sister Tabor had invited to St. Paul AME Church, Blacksburg Church. The invited student said that he had found so much love and care in the congregation pastored by the Reverend Glenn Orr that he kept going back until God moved in his life. He got saved and is working in the church and served as their delegate to the District Conference.

Sister Lisa was given an assignment to write an essay on the topic "Why I prefer the A.M.E. Church." I did get permission from her to share this with you.

Love, Peace, and Blessings!!
The Rev. Gilbert Harper

'Why I prefer the African Methodist Episcopal Church?"
Lisa Tabor
Jan. 3, 2004

“Prefer: To choose or be in the habit of choosing as more desirable or as having more value: prefers coffee to tea" (American Heritage Dictionary)

The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church is most desirable to me for several reasons. The most obvious reason being that this is where God desires me. He has made His desire known and – as I wish to align myself with His desire – I value the AME Church. My life desires have also been developing into a fit within the AME Church – although I didn’t know that at the time. My past and present habits of choice made the AME Church a resting place in many ways. Personally, relationally, and connectionally, the AME Church is preferable to me.

God has built in me a multifaceted person. My person is something to which I dedicate much time – not in conceit, but in care. Lives disintegrate or prosper for many reasons, but experience tells me that I have to value myself. Christ connects our love of ourselves to our ability to love one another. I choose to value me in all my facets. This is the person I am; this is the person the AME Church accepts. In my person I value organization, responsibility, Christ-centeredness, communication, balance, etc. In my experience with the AME Church I have seen all of these things. Things are not perfect. No man-made institution will ever be perfect. Yet, within the struggles of the AME Church, one can see the Spirit of God working to perfect what concerns the Bride. As He perfects what concerns me, I know that I have a place in God’s perfect plan for the AME Church.

In relationship this Church creates many opportunities to find value. The openness demonstrated by St. Paul AMEC Blacksburg became my first true connection to the AME Church. When I visited the church, as an undergraduate at Virginia Tech, I was treated…

(READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE IN THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER)

7. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

Subscribe to The Christian Recorder and receive your own hard-copy edition of The Christian Recorder mailed directly to your home or office!

Call 1-800-648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card.
Or. You may send $26.00 check or money order to:

The Christian Recorder
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Nashville, TN 37203.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/21/05)

1. EDITOR’S CORNER

A letter from the Reverend Kenneth L. Johnson in response to the article in the Christian Recorder about liturgical colors:

I received a letter in the mail from the Reverend Kenneth L. Johnson, who lives in Detroit, Michigan. He wrote a response to my article in The Christian Recorder about Liturgical Colors. Reverend Johnson suggested that there is a need for “scholarly dialogue” and it appears to me that Reverend Johnson questioned the articles suggested use of liturgical colors as imitating other denominations. He used the phrase, “Too often we struggle to be ‘like mike.’” He went on to say that “Black theology has had no impact upon the church …” and that “We (the African Methodist Episcopal Church) still are not viewed as a part of the mainstream Christianity, but rather as a protest movement having come out of the mainstream.” Reverend Johnson was that, “We ought to be leaders in religious scholarship and praxis not copy cats” and went on to conclude, “Your article suggest (Sic) that we are more likely to engage in the latter rather than the former where our worship would reflect our historic development and meanings.”

My Response:

Reverend Johnson, thank you for taking to time to drop me a note concerning the article in The Christian Recorder concerning the liturgical colors. You asked the question, “Should we adopt this wearing of colors?” And then you go on to raise the issue about the AME Church following the same schedule of colors as the other denominations. It appears to me that you presuppose that we use liturgical colors because we are copying off of the larger denominations and that we are struggling to be, in your words, “like mike” and that is copying the other denominations’ rules and protocols. I was also somewhat puzzled that you feel that the AME Church is not “viewed as a part of mainstream Christianity.”

Let me address, first, your contention that the that African Methodist Episcopal Church as not being viewed as a mainstream denomination, and say that your conclusion about the African Methodist Episcopal Church not being viewed as mainstream denomination is “off target.” On the contrary, the African Methodist Episcopal Church is viewed as a credible and significant denomination, locally and globally. The AME Church is the oldest, and one of the largest historically Black denominations in the United States! The AME Church and our bishops are leaders in both the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Additionally, the African Methodist Episcopal Church has significant real estate holdings and is a leader in the academic community because of our institutions of higher education and our commitment to social justice. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was, and continues to be a leader in the nation’s fight for equal rights. The Civil Rights’ movement was birthed in the African Methodist Episcopal Church with the significant work of Richard, his first wife, Flora, and later Sarah Allen. Brother Johnson, we are a mainstream Church! There has been some circles who have thought that we, as a church, may have been too mainstream and that we needed to “loosen up,” but that’s another discussion. The bottom-line for me on this subject is that we are significant and I would hope that our AME clergy and laity would recognize the AME Church’s significance in, not just the United State, but in the world!

Now, about the liturgical colors, we are not struggling to be “like mike.” AME Churches have used liturgical colors as long as any Protestant denomination in the United States with a similar historical timeline. My observation is that there have been those in the AME Church who have used the colors that they had available. Oftentimes that was red; and white was used on Communion Sunday. We couldn’t afford to purchase all of the liturgical colors. When I pastored in the sixties, my church had only the red altar hangings and the white alter hangings for Communion. We couldn’t afford to purchase the other colors. We struggled to pay the bills. Well, some of our churches are better off and can afford all the colors and the reason for putting the color scheme in The Christian Recorder was to inform those churches who had purchased all of the colors, and who wanted to follow the liturgical year to be able to do so. Denominations routinely publish the liturgical color schedule as a reminder.

The issue of liturgical colors is not a new concept. The colors mentioned in The Christian Recorder refer to the Old Testament with references in Exodus 28 (Read the entire chapter). Verse 5 mentions the colors that should be used for the priestly garments: “Have them use gold and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen.”

The early church used liturgical colors as a means of helping the congregants to use the visual sense. Clement of Alexander recommended white as suitable to all Christians. The 13th Century prelate, Durandus in the Rationale Divinorum Officiorum explained the meaning of all of the liturgical colors. The early church worship excited all of the senses. Incense caused the sense of smell to be used; the proclamation of the Word and prayer excited the sense of hearing; the Sacraments excited the sense of taste; and the passing of the peace utilized the sense of feel. One might say that complete worship should find a way to excite the five senses. And I might add that the Holy Spirit excites the extrasensory sense.

And while I am on Clement of Alexander, he said, “It is possible for one who is unlearned to become a Christian believer, but it is impossible for one without learning to comprehend fully what has been made known in the Christian faith. He went on to say, “The Christian will gladly learn all that he (she) can from all branches of human knowledge, whether music, mathematics, astronomy, dialectics, or Greek philosophy.” (Kenneth Scoot Latourette: A History of Christianity). I mention Clement of Alexander’s comments because I believe that it speaks to need for an educated clergy and for us to be well-rounded as it relates to learning.
Correction

The Christian Recorder previously announced that the Reverend Lawrence O. Twiggs had been retired. Reverend Twiggs has not been retired. He is the assigned senior pastor of Allen Temple AME Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee

2. NEWS FROM JOHNSON CHAPEL AME CHURCH (JCAMEC), ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. THE REVEREND MIKE BARTA IS THE PASTOR:

- Eighth Annual Leadership Retreat in session this weekend

As of this past Tuesday, a total of 45 ministry leaders and Church Officers had registered for Johnson Chapel’s 8th Annual Leadership Retreat which opens this evening (Friday) at the beautiful Doubletree Suites Hotel in Dana Point, The Retreat will open with registration and refreshments at 6:00 PM followed by a brief opening worship service at 7:00 p.m. Associate Pastor Javier Suarez will deliver the Message. Sister Nesha Encalade, Coordinator of our Health, Fitness and Dance Ministries will help ensure that our blood is circulating to our brains beginning at 7:40 PM. The first Workshop Session will begin at 8:00 p.m. A second and final workshop for the evening begins promptly at 9:00 p.m. Following a very brief preview of Saturday’s Agenda; retreat participants will adjourn to their rooms at 10:15 PM.

Saturday’s activities will begin with continental breakfast available from 7:45 – 8:30 a.m. Sister Encalade will once again be “front and center” from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. with the first workshop of the day beginning promptly at 9:00 a.m.. The day’s agenda includes a working lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. and adjournment is scheduled foe 3:00 p.m. The theme for this year’s gathering is, “Turning the Church Inside Out So that the World May Know Jesus.” Pastor Mike Barta and the Rev. Dr. Maurice Wilson will serve as workshop presenters.

- The Rev. Dr. Maurice Wilson latest addition to (JCAMEC) Ministerial Staff

The Reverend Dr. Maurice Wilson, a veteran College educator and Pastor from the 2nd Episcopal District is the latest addition to the Johnson Chapel Ministerial Staff. Rev. Dr. Wilson was formally presented to the Congregation by Pastor Michael Barta on Sunday January 2nd. His first official act as the newest member of our Ministerial Staff was to lead the Church in the Invocation. Rev. Dr. Wilson was received by way of transfer from the 2nd Episcopal District by Bishop John Richard Bryant and his name added to the roll of the Southern California Annual Conference this past October.

Wilson and his then fiancée Becky first began attending Johnson Chapel this past summer and formally joined our Church Family in October of this year. The couple was joined together as Husband and Wife in their former home State of Maryland the day after Christmas. Rev. Wilson holds a Ph.D. in Social Psychology, a Master of Science degree in Psychology as well as a Master of Arts degree in Theology. His latest position in the world of Academia was as Assistant Professor (Tenured) of the Applied Psychology and Rehabilitation Counseling at Coppin State College in Baltimore, MD. He has served the AME Church faithfully as a Pastor for more than 20 years before voluntarily seeking supernumerary (without assignment) status in May of this past year.

Pastoral assignments have included St. John AMEC, Baltimore, MD; Bethel AMEC, Greensboro NC; and St. Stephens AMEC in Wilmington, NC.

Rev. Wilson will assist Pastor Barta with New Members Orientation, Staff Development as well as with Christian Education & Discipleship Ministries. Welcome Rev. Wilson!

- Johnson Chapel is designating this Sunday’s Benevolent Offering for Bishop Tyler-Guidry’s call for tsunami disaster assistance for Africa and Asia

As a part of our effort to assist victims of the tsunami tragedy, Our Benevolent Offering on 1/23 will be designated for SADA.

- The Articles from Johnson Chapel AME Church are extracted from the Johnson Chapel Weekly E-letter. The Reverend Mike Barta is the pastor.


Editor’s Comment: I share the news from Johnson Chapel because it is a great example of a church using technology to get information out to those who are connected to the Internet. E-Bible study and e-Sunday School Lessons are alternative methods of presenting the same materials.

3. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

Subscribe to The Christian Recorder and receive your own hard-copy edition of The Christian Recorder mailed directly to your home!

Call 1-800-648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card.
Or. You may send $26.00 check or money order to:

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Nashville, TN 37203.

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/20/05)

Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram, Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor


1. THE EDITOR’S CORNER:

Honey, Darling, and Sweetheart

The African Methodist Episcopal Church, in my mind, is the greatest denomination in the world. I love my Church. I am proud of the way that the Church has dealt with gender issues in electing not one, but three women bishops. Women are being appointed as presiding elders and given significant pastoral appointments. Women aspirants for the ministry are going to seminary and are taking seriously the Church’s call for trained ministry. All in all, the Church as a denomination is dealing forthrightly with women in ministry. Bishop John Adams stated at the 47th Quadrennial General Conference held in Indianapolis, “The Church has buried gender inequality.” I agree with Bishop Adams and with all of the delegates and visitors who affirmed his words with a rousing “Amen.” The Church has buried gender inequality, but there are pockets of resistance and individuals who are trying to hold on to the old order of things. They hold on by not accepting women as full participants in ministry and by use of condescending and insensitive language.

It is not uncommon to hear clergymen refer to women, and even to those in ministry as "honey, darling, or sweetheart" and other demeaning titles. The sad aspect is that some of our lay leaders follow the example of their clergy leaders and exhibit the same insensitive behavior. I am disturbed when I hear members of the clergy use “honey, darling or sweetheart when addressing women in the Church. It is time to treat our female clergy, and female laity as full professional partners in ministry and stop the nonsense of referring to them "out of their names or professional titles." If they are ordained clergy we should refer to them as, "Reverend, pastor, doctor, chaplain;" by their appropriate professional titles. Female laity should be referred to as, "Sister, Mrs., Ms., doctor, or miss; or by their Christian name.

“Honey, darling, or sweetheart” is not appropriate in professional relationships. “Honey, darling, sweetheart” or other intimate designations are only appropriate for intimate relationships. It is appropriate for men, even clergy, to refer to their wives or girlfriends as, "honey, darling, or sweetheart." That speaks to their intimate relationship.

I would hope that bishops, presiding elders and other denominational leaders would speak to the issue and to the importance of boundaries in professional relationships. I believe that our leaders should model and train our clergy and laity. And above all, clergy should exhibit mature behavior and model professionalism in all aspects of ministry and relationships.

Traveling and Want to Find an AME Church

Check out the official website of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. To find a church, simply go to: http://www.ame-church.com/directory/index.php and click on the map.
Dr. Clement Fugh and his staff have done a wonderful job in setting up the AME website.

AME Sunday School Literature

In case someone didn’t know, Sunday School literature and Bible Study materials are used by denominations, not only to help Sunday School students to understand the Bible, but also as effective tools for denominational evangelism. That’s one of the reasons it is important for AME Churches to use the Sunday School literature published by the AME Sunday School Union. Generally, it is inappropriate to use other denominational resources, e.g., Baptist, Pentecostal, and other non-Methodist materials, no matter how good the material looks or how easily teachable those materials appear to be. All of that is by design. Our AME materials require a little more work on the part of teachers. Our materials are not designed to just walk in on Sunday morning and pick up the book and start teaching. Our Sunday School literature requires teacher preparation.

Perhaps the best and most enjoyable Sunday School class that I have attended was at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC. Brother Eley (not sure that I am spelling his name correctly) was the adult teacher and what a teacher he was! He was prepared and brought the Sunday School literature alive. Sunday School was exciting and I didn’t want to miss it. It was obvious that Brother Eley prepared his Sunday School Lessons.

Give the AME Sunday School literature a chance to bring your Sunday School alive. Remember, it takes preparation. In a seminary class, when a student remarked, that a person had only to “open his or her mouth and God would speak for him or her.” The wise professor answered, “I know when one opens his or her mouth that God speaks, but my experience has been that God favors the prepared person.

Support the AME Sunday School Union! It’s yours! It’s ours! And together we can make it work.

Reminder

March is Women's History Month and The Christian Recorder is attempting to publish an all women's articles edition of The Christian Recorder in March. You are invited to send your articles now.

2. THE REVEREND BRUCE FRANCIS SHARES THE MINISTRY OF GIVING AT ST. PAUL AME CHURCH, VALDOSTA, GEORGIA. THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE IN THE SIXTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:

Saint Paul AME Church in Valdosta collected clothing and food items for Haiti. South Georgia Conference Missionary president, Mrs. Sandra Lewis, and the Missionary's have contributed over 100 blankets and other items.

The major obstacle is securing the means, both economic and otherwise to get them to Haiti. Red Cross does not accept clothes so we are looking at other alternatives. If anyone has any ideas, please advise.

The Reverend Bruce FrancisEmail: Pastorblf@aol.com

3. THE REVEREND WILLEM SIMON HANSE SHARES INFORMATION ABOUT THE YAMAHA CLP 120 CLAVINOVA PROJECT- $600 SHORTFALL - YOUR ASSISTANCE IS INVITED:

The joy of serving the Lord Jesus is always my strength. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward man” is a timeless announcement still valid in our hearts today.

This missive serves to introduce to you the St. James AME Church, Mariental – part of the Namibia Annual Conference in the 15th District under the able leadership of Bishop Samuel L Green, Sr. The congregation was established in 1946, after our pioneers broke away from the colonial German-based Rhynish Missionary Society, and has 373 full members. The growth potential is very limited in the area, because we are based in a rural town and hence employment opportunities are also very limited. Yet our spirits are at all time high and we are thankful to God for many pastors and bishops who have passed this way before.

Our officers and members voted in the Church Conference held on 19th September 2004 to purchase a brand new Yamaha CLP 120 Clavino organ, in order to supplement the music provided on the old model manual piano which was purchased in 1979 and has served as faithfully.

It is no secret that Pentecostal churches lure away our youth and young adults with the contemporary music played on modern instruments. The quotation, to the sum of N$20 695-50 ($3 507-71 US) from TakeNoteMusic company is available by fax upon request.

We are writing this missive, with the hope and prayer, that you, your church officers and members will find a proper cause in our Church to work for and support this project still having a shortfall of US$600-00. By supporting this project (financially and with prayers) I believe we can start a new season of smart partnership between our two congregations. This will open up new understanding amongst our ordinary members on the local church levels, because I am convinced that our ministry and witness must be visible on the local Church if we want the Great Commission manifested in our Zion.

Please help us to help ourselves. Kindly assist us with a voluntary financial donation, any amount of contribution the Lord has laid on your heart, by sending your donation cheque made out to the St. James Special Projects.

We trust that our prayerful request will enjoy your benevolent response.
May God bless the AME Church.
Sincerely,
Rev. Willem Simon HansePastor + General Chairperson

Mailing Address:

St. James AME Church
P O Box 78
MarientalRepublic of Namibia

EDITORIAL COMMENT:

The AME Church is a global Church and several of us should be able to address this problem in "short order" and with a little left over.

4. BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Mrs. Lillie Goodman Wilkes (the mother of the Rev. Victor Wayne Goodman, our pastor at Allen Bethel AME Church, Lewisburg, TN., the South Nashville District of the Tennessee Conference of the 13th Episcopal District) died at Maury Regional Hospital, Columbia, TN on Monday, January 17, 2005.

Additional survivors are: her children Roy, James, Wanda (Kay-Kay) and Constance (Connie), a brother Oliver, and sisters, Gloria, May and Flora Goodman.

The arrangements are as follows: Visitation: Saturday, January 221:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Baxter Brothers Funeral Home
1105 E End StreetColumbia, TN 38401
(931) 381-1353

The Funeral will be held on Sunday, January 23. 2005 at 2:00 p.m.

St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 504 Church Street, Columbia, TN
The Rev. James Walker, Pastor

Condolences may be sent to:

Rev. Victor Goodman
915 Hannaway Road
Columbia, TN 38401
Phone: (931) 381-8309

Services entrusted to:
Baxter Brothers Funeral Home
1105 E End StreetColumbia, TN 38401
(931) 381-1353

Please remember the family in your prayers.

God Bless!


5. BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Mrs. Virginia Maddox, mother of Mrs. Nona Freeman. Mrs. Freeman is wife of Pastor Ronald Freeman of the Virginia Annual Conference, serving the congregation at St. Luke, Daughty, VA.

Homegoing services will be held at Charles Wesley UMC in Centerville, Maryland. Henry Funeral Home is serving the family. 228-8220

6. BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Dedicated Layman transfers!
Brother Lee Warfield, age 97 and a member of the former Henderson Chapel AMEC, at Godwin, that merged into Bethel AMEC, at the corner of E 11th & Glade Street, Columbia, TN, now Bethel-Chapel Church, died on Sunday, Jan 16, 2005.

The visitation will be Friday, January 21 at Baxter Brothers Funeral Home, 1105 East End Street Columbia, Tennessee, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The funeral will be held Saturday, January 22, at 1:00 p.m. at Bethel Chapel AME Church, Columbia, Tennessee at 1:00 p.m., the Rev. Trent Ogilvie, pastor.


All bereavement Notices were received from:

Ora L. Easley, President
CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781
WEB SITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Page: http://connmswawo3.com/index.html
AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

Please remember the families in your prayers.

7. SCHOLARSHIP AND INTERNSHIP ANNOUNCMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE REVEREND DR. LESLIE WHITE:

Iinternship Opportunity

O, The Oprah Magazine is looking to hire fall interns in the Fashion and Style Departments. Candidates must be highly organized, detail-oriented and beable to juggle multiple tasks at once. Prior internship experience preferred, but notrequired. This opportunity is available for college students in need of credit hours andrecent graduates who are available to start immediately, full-time from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., 5 days a week.Send resumes with a cover letter to: Cindy M. del RosarioAssociate Editor OThe Oprah Magazine1700 Broadway, 38th floorNY, NYor call 212-903-5149.

Verizon is looking for students who are 2004 graduates of HistoricallyBlack Colleges and Universities (HBCU).If you know of someone graduating from a HBCU this year with a degree inEngineering, Computer Science and Technology, Information Technology, General Business,Finance or Marketing, please have them forward their resume to: melissa.w.langham@verizon.com to be considered for career opportunities within Verizon.

Women in Technology Program at MIT

The Women's Technology Program at MIT is a 4-week summer residence programto introduce high school girls to electrical engineering and computer science. If youknow a girl who is currently a high school junior with demonstrated math and scienceability and an interest in finding out about EECS, please encourage her to visit ourwebsite for more information and for an application form (applications are due February 3, 2004): http://wtp.mit.edu/ Our classes are taught in a supportive environment by a staff of women MITPhD candidates and undergraduates. The full-time academic program includeshands-on experiments and team-based projects in computer science, electricalengineering, and mathematics. Our goals are to: increase girls' interest and confidence inpursuing computer science and engineering and make them aware of their potential for success in these fields Participants are selected from a nationwide applicant pool ofgirls who attend the program in the summer between their junior and senior year inhigh school. No prior experience in computer programming, physics, or electricalengineering is expected, but applicants typically have strong academic records, especially in math and science. Thank you for your help in communicating information about this opportunity to girls across the country!Cynthia Skier, DirectorWomen's Technology Program (WTP) wtp.mit.edu MIT Department of ElectricalEngineering and Computer Science

Harvard's Tuition Announcement

Harvard is offering free tuition for students that have a family incomebelow $40,000. If you are a mentor or have nieces and nephews who might be interested, please give them this information. If you know anyone/family earning less than $40K with abrilliant child near ready for college, please pass this along. Harvard's Tuition Announcement Highlights Failure of Prestigious Universities to Enroll Low-Income Students March 1, 2004, Harvard University announced over the weekend that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families will pay no tuition. In making the announcement, Harvard's president Lawrence H. Summers said, "When only 10 percent of the students in Elite higher education come from families in lower half the income distribution, we are not doing enough. We are not doing enough in bringing elite higher education to the lower half of the income distribution."If you know of a family earning less than $40,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. Theprestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students fromlow-income families can go to Harvard for free...no tuition and no student loans! To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making less than $40,000 a year visit Harvard's financial aid web site at: http://adm-is.fas.harvard.edu/FAO/index.htm or call the school's financial aid office at (617) 495- 1581. This initiative puts severe pressure on other well-endowed colleges anduniversities to adopt similar measures. Some commentators believe that Harvard'sannouncement was made in response to Princeton University's decision six years ago to eliminate all tuition charges for families earning less than $40,000 (adjusted annually to take inflation into account) and its subsequent decision three years later to substitute all student loans with outright grants. The Harvard announcement indicates that the Princeton plan has had some success in drawing to Princeton some of the high-achieving, low-income students who typically went to Harvard each year. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education gathers figures from the U.S. Department of Education relating to the percentage of students at the nation's leading colleges and universities who receive federal financial assistance under the Pell Grant program for low-income students. These figures provide a good measure of the institution's Relative success in enrolling students from the bottom economic sector of the nation's families

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/19/05)

Bishop Gregory G. M. Ingram, Chair, Commission on Publications
The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour, Jr., Publisher
The Reverend Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor III, Editor

1. EDITOR’S CORNER:

Yesterday, I was speaking with Dr. Dennis Dickerson, the Historiographer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, about the lack of subscribers for The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. Dr. Dickerson felt that every pastor should subscribe to The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. I had a slight disagreement with him. My position is that every minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church should subscribe to The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. I would even go further and say that every candidate for ministry should be required to subscribe to The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. As a matter of fact, they shouldn’t have to be required to subscribe, they should want to subscribe to the Church periodicals. Our clergy and those who aspire to the ministry should want to be knowledgeable about the Church in which they aspire to do ministry. And from my observations, we ministers especially, and laity, need to learn more about and keep updated about our Church. The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder are outstanding denominational resources. The A.M.E. Church Review is a superb source for learning about the history, polity, and doctrine of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It’s the premier source for learning about the Church. It’s an outstanding tool for theological, historical, and doctrinal update. Every profession, i.e., medical, legal, dental, academia, etc., has its professional periodical that everyone in the profession is expected to read. Even mechanics have a professional journal. Beauticians and florists have professional journals. My point is that we, in the profession of ministry need to keep ourselves updated. The A.M.E. Church Review is an excellent way to keep updated. And the cost for a subscription is more than reasonable. Try subscribing to the medical or legal professional journals for what we are charged for our AME periodicals! We need to take advantage of what is available to us.
I know that we need theological and doctrinal update. I recently heard a minister who was teaching pastors about baptism say, “The AME Church baptizes, but we also sprinkle and pour.” He repeated himself and received more than one “amen.” And if you have to think about what is wrong about that sentence, then you would benefit from theological and doctrinal update that can be gleaned from The A.M.E. Church Review and The Christian Recorder. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing; we all need to keep ourselves updated. Now, what I hope that teacher meant to say was, “The African Methodist Episcopal Church has three modes of baptism: sprinkling, pouring and immersion.”

I heard a minister at an annual conference state that his church was planning on putting in a baptismal pool. He seemed excited about that and I got the impression that he was going to push immersion as the preferred mode of baptism. Now there is nothing wrong with a baptismal pool, but there is nothing wrong with a baptismal font. What we, as African Methodists, need to do is to be able to explain the biblical, theological, and doctrinal position of our Church concerning baptism.

I would advocate that ministers appearing before Boards of Examiners be required to have their Bible, Hymnal, required books and an issue of The A.M.E. Church Review with proof of subscription to that and the other periodicals of the Church.

And, speaking about the Board of Examiners, and what I call the Saturday morning madness, with all of the alternatives to acquiring an education today, Boards of Examiners should be the “exception rather than the rule.” Applicants for the ministry should be required to fulfill the academic requirement for ministry. Period! In extreme hardship cases, perhaps applicants could be allowed to go through the Course of Study, but that should be the exception. We still have ministers on Boards of Examiners who are not Seminary graduates. They are probably competent people, but they are not credentialed. Trainers should be credentialed. As a matter of fact, trainers should have the highest professional credentials.

Well, I’ll stop, because I did not mean to write this much. Just meant to share a little “food for thought” about the importance of subscribing to our AME periodicals.

2. SHAME, THE SILENT DEMON BY THE REVEREND VERSY A. WILLIAMS

There’s nothing more opposing to God’s love for us than thinking and feeling that we are worthless or inferior. There is no greater love than when a man would lay down his life for a sheep (John 10:11). The Good Shepherd is Jesus. We are his sheep. Jesus is speaking of his love for us. God absolutely loves us.

Shame makes us feel that we not acceptable. Shame doesn’t just pop up in our emotions and thoughts, it has to have help penetrating our esteem. I know; I suffered quietly. Abuse told me that I was no longer acceptable. I was never good enough. Of course I made excuses for the violence against me. Excuses for my abuser’s behavior towards me made my hell more palatable.

Drug addiction no only affects the user but unfortunately becomes the plight of their co-dependent victim(s). When I reflect on those years, I am amazed I kept my sanity. Actually for a short while, I lost my sanity. Rebuilding my life was the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. I tried to forget how bad things really were. I lied, I covered, and I swept the humiliation and degradation neatly away, deep in my heart never to surface again. I simply was not going to ever discuss it again.

Crack-cocaine is one of the most powerful mind altering drugs available to African Americans. It is cheap and deadly. Except the death lingers and destroys the blessings and promises that God intends for us. Crack-cocaine is Satan’s scheme to destroy our minds. Since it controls our mind, the user can’t renew their mind with God’s word. The co-dependent victim is in a continuous battle. You either fight back or become like one of them. I know the battle took place in my home.

I lived with crack-cocaine many years. It was mysterious but never distant. It ruled my house. When I finally discovered it, it was a relief. My abuser became even more cruel after I learned he was a drug addict. I couldn’t help him. So I began working with people in alcohol and drug recovery. It was the silent part of my work in God’s vineyard. My shame wouldn’t let me get too close to those recovering. It wasn’t their fault. They were very appreciative of my love and helping them. I was proud of each of them. How I wished it could have been a choice of my abuser. You see, if I let them get too close to me I would become vulnerable again. While I was loving and cherishing my husband he loved and cherished his lover. It wasn’t me. I wasn’t going to become vulnerable again. For years I cried, begged and hurt. Of course, it didn’t do any good. Crack had carefully disguised itself; each time I begged and cried, I actually worshipped the god of addiction. I remember our introduction. I stumbled upon its hiding place. I threw up. It took my breath away. Wow.

Of course I was too ashamed to tell how it had thrown me to my knees all those years. I was thankful that my God heard my cries. You know those silent cries that no one hears but God? Yes, those cries. God heard every one of them. Finally, crack left my house. Wow. I had my life back. I was too ashamed to tell. I decided to live with the battle scars. At least I could hold my head up again.

Did I tell you that I took my seat each Sunday…

(READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE IN THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER)

3. TSUNAMI: SOMALIA, KENYA, TANZANIA

Black Church expands U.S./Caribbean relief efforts to African families hit by tsunami

TCR Staff Report

The Christian Recorder, Los Angeles, CA – Faith-based development agencies are rallying church members to a higher level of concern for victims of the devastating Tsunami. The Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church has stretched limited resources to meet emergency needs in the Caribbean and southern US communities in Alabama and Florida. The leadership will expand its relief efforts to African nations recovering from the December 26 tsunami and years of economic despair.

Family members in Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya experienced massive tsunamis on December 26, 2004, triggered by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the west coast of Northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Aftershocks continue to occur in the region, affecting several countries throughout South and Southeast Asia.

The Service and Development Agency of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMESADA), a 501c3 public charity, coordinates relief efforts on behalf of some 3.5 million sons and daughters of Africa. AMESADA works hand in hand with the AME Church Social Action Commission and with other international relief agencies around the world.

Contributions via church offerings or directly to AMESADA will ensure that no nation is left behind in receiving much needed aid. AMESADA will coordinate mission support for cooperative strategies with its international partners.

The agency is uniquely structure to address the special needs of the historically underserved. According to January 14 U.N. reports, an estimated 4,000 people displaced by the tsunami in northeastern Somalia will need to rebuild their houses in a new location. Waves from the tsunami altered the geographical coastline and destroyed the sand dunes that protected communities from high tide and flooding.

Homes on the Hafun peninsula were the hardest hit and residents will need to rebuild at least one kilometer inland to avoid future flooding. In Somalia more than 200 persons lost their lives and another 50,000 had their homes destroyed (flattened). In Kenya, the loss of public roads, destruction of homes, and the difficulties of traveling have resulted in a major strain to an economy that could not support the basic needs of its people. Reconstruction needs will be far reaching, and costly.

Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, chairperson of the Social Action Commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) continues to connect needs to means. “Our church’s commitment to make a difference will include the collection of funds and other resources to be distributed via SADA, the international relief and development arm of the AME Church. Please remember the local residents and visitors in your prayers,” said Bishop Tyler Guidry.

Direct Contributions may be made toSADA (Service and Development Agency)
Dr. Robert Nicolas, Director
202/ 371-8722 – voice202/ 371-0981 – fax
1134 11th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/18/05)

1. EDITOR’S NOTES:

The Church is in the season of Epiphany. The liturgical color is green and should be the altar color displayed until Ash Wednesday, except on the first Sunday because African Methodist Episcopal Churches display white altar hangings on Communion Sundays.

Easter will be celebrated this year on March 27, 2005; Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season is February 9, 2005.

See: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/easter.html as a reminder as to how the dates for Easter are computed.

I attended the Annual Seminar on Church Growth and Development that was held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last week. My report is forthcoming. It was a great meeting and there was great preaching and great teaching. The Reverend Dr. James Wade, Executive Director and the Right Reverend Preston Warren Williams, II, Commission Chairman and their staff are to be commended for a superb seminar. If you were not there, you should have been there!

A comment by Bishop Norris cannot wait for my report and that was that the people of the world, the United States of America and the African Methodist Episcopal Church need to be aware that the tsunami disaster did not only strike South Asia, but also struck East Africa. I would add – that the destruction of AIDS/ HIV has killed and destroyed more lives in Africa than the tsunami disaster and our nation is not mounting the relief efforts in Africa that is being carried out in South Asia. I wonder why not?

The Editor’s office number for now is 615-665-4462; email: chsydnor@bellsouth.net

2. A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE GLOBAL WITNESS AND MINISTRY OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - DISASTER RELIEF IN SOUTH EAST ASIA: TSUNAMI RECOVERY:

Humanitarian access to the affected province of Aceh, Indonesia, remains extremely limited, a Church World Service assessment team working in the area reported just a few days ago.
In an initial report detailing the team’s findings, team members described a tense and dispiriting situation in which most of those displaced by the tsunami “have no shelter, experience shortage of food and water, no doctors, no hygiene materials, no blankets and the list goes on and on.” Those displaced by the disaster are likely “to be living in camps longer than expected” because of the scope of the disaster. The team was coordinated by CWS Indonesia Emergencies Program Manager Henry Pirade.

Among the problems hampering relief assistance are limited transportation and access; relief items clogged at major airports; a limited supply of fresh and clean water; and poor communication access. Nearly half of the province’s residents are reported to have lost at least one relative, and trauma from the disaster has taken a serious toll on residents as they cope with the disaster.

It is unnecessary for me to recount in detail what you saw on television less than twenty-four hours after we celebrated the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s supreme gift to the world. The fifth most powerful earthquake in a century has claimed, at the time of writing, perhaps as many as 130,000 lives in a dozen countries and has victimized millions. Community by community, village by village, families and friends, church buildings, mosques and temples, hospitals and clinics, were swept into disappearance and instant annihilation. Others were buried alive by landslides moments later. The suffering and trauma are almost impossible for us from the outside to imagine or comprehend.

I have joined with the Executive Director of Church World Service, Dr. John L. McCullough in sending letters of condolences to our ecumenical partners to the region. We assured them that God has heard their cry and that they should look to the hills. We said further, “…that neither death, nor principalities, nor heights, nor depths, shall separate them from God’s love.” We offered to work with them closely in the coming days and months to meet the enormous challenges that we face.

According to the Executive Director, CWS immediately dispatched emergency assessment teams from the offices in Indonesia and Pakistan/Afghanistan. There is an urgent call for all African Methodists to not only pray, but respond in a tangible ways to dozen countries spanning the vast Indian Ocean from Southeast Asia to East Africa.

As Executive Director of the Department of Global Witness and Ministry, I am asking that contributions to support this work be sent to this office:

Department of Global Witness & Ministry
Charleston Executive Park
1587 Savannah Hwy, Suite A
Charleston, SC 29407

Or to

Church World Service
P.O. Box 968
Elkhart, IN 46515

I also urge you to open your hearts. Through the relief activities of CWS and GWM, you will help to spread Christian compassion and give to millions of desperate people a chance to rebuild their lives so that they may treasure the year 2005 as one that has given them hope and new life. Let us offer new life and hope for our brothers and sisters.

Submitted by the Reverend Dr. George F. Flowers,
Executive DirectorDepartment of Global Witness and Ministry

3. THE CALENDARS OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH ARE READY:

The calendars with the pictures of the Bishops and the General Officers are ready for distribution.

On a side note, my name is spelled incorrectly and that happens so often with the spelling of my name that I want to be sure that everyone knows how to spell my name: S-Y-D-N-O-R

4. WATTS CHURCH “KEEPS IT REAL” — JAN. 30 WORSHIP SERVICE FEATURES HIP-HOP AND JAZZ, TARGETS YOUTH:

LOS ANGELES — (January 17, 2005) — “Hip-Hop and Jazz Performances Featuring Prominent Artists. Free Admission.” It’s not the message on the marquee at the Staples Center — it’s the advertisement for the 11 a.m. worship service on Sunday, Jan. 30 at Grant A.M.E. Church in Watts.

The congregation will exchange their traditional suits and dress shoes for more contemporary sweat suits and tennis shoes for Gospel Jazz Hip-Hop Sunday. The event promises to be an inspirational worship experience, themed “Joyful, Joyful.”

“We’re trying to reach a new generation of worshipers,” explained the Rev. Leslie R. White, pastor of Watts’ largest congregation for more than 10 years. “We’re keeping it real.”

“It’s a generation that’s listening to the latest from Kanye West, Snoop Dogg and Alicia Keys. We must be sensitive to their needs in order to interest them in the Church, so we’re introducing them to the latest from Kirk Franklin, Cross Movement and Yolanda Adams to show them that Christians can ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot’ for the Lord.”

The worship service will feature the musical styling of jazz artists Dell Adkins Band, as well as the Grant Men’s Chorus and New Spirit Nation youth choir, both under the direction of Theresa Jones. Holy hip-hop rapper, TripLL-H, will also rap with the New Sprit Nation and separately present a track from his latest CD, “Real Music – Vol. 1,” in stores this summer.

The musicians first performed together last month at the Church’s “Holy Hook-up Holiday Luncheon” at the Home Depot Center in Carson. That event, which was both well-attended and well-received, was just a “taste” of what’s in store on Jan. 30, said TripLL-H, a member of Grant who’s real name is Matthew Bolden.

White, who has two sons in college, considers himself on the pulse of popular culture. He is often seen donning Sean John clothing and heard using slang phrases when communicating with younger parishioners. And a recent sermon which encouraged congregants to spend time in prayer and dialogue with the Lord was entitled “Holla at Your God!”

“When talking with everyone from the spiritual leaders of Jerusalem to the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus communicated in a manner that they could understand,” White said.

TripLL-H, who’s moniker is a reference to the three h’s in “holy hip-hop,” agreed calling hip-hop and jazz “our modern-day Aramaic” and a “tool that God has given us” to reach the masses.

“Aramaic was the language Jesus spoke to that generation. In order to speak to the hip-hop generation we have to speak hip-hop,” added TripLL-H, who worked with secular artists at Warner Music for many years before accepting Christ in 2001.

Six months later, he accepted and has passionately pursued his “calling to carry a holy hip hop music ministry to today’s youth.”

“I believe that hip-hop can be done in a holy way,” TripLL-H continued. “The only thing that the lyrics in my music glorify is God and nothing else.”

The need to balance tradition with 21st century challenges spans pulpits across African Methodism as the 218-year-old denomination seeks to shed its “conservative” image. The Rev. Joseph Rembert, pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Montgomery, Ala., for example, is known to occasionally rap his sermons.

“Sometimes they would be drinking, cussing and doing drugs,” Rembert told a church publication about the youth he was targeting. “But they always had those boom boxes. So rap was a way of getting my foot in their door so that I could get their feet in my door.”

Grant’s members have greeted the hip-hop and jazz initiative warmly, said Kathy Drayton, one of the event organizers.

“Looking back at the history of our Church, there was a time when the organ and drums were frowned upon for being ‘too secular,’” Drayton continued.

“Now, the organ, drums, piano, keyboard, lead guitar and bass guitar — and in many congregations, the violin, trumpet and saxophone — have become staples of the music ministry each Sunday. As we remember and celebrate our rich traditions in African Methodism, I think people realize that we must keep up with the times to be effective in ministry.”

Similar services are planned in May, July and October 2005, in addition to spirit-filled praise and worship each Sunday at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. For more information, contact the Church Office at (323) 564-1151 or visit www.grantamechurch.org.

For Immediate Release Contact: Rev. Kevin T. TaylorJanuary 10, 2005 (323) 564-1151

5. TENTH ANNUAL SISTERS’ CONFERENCE SEEKS TO HEAL AND EMPOWER; THREE DYNAMIC WOMEN OF FAITH HEADLINE JAN. 22-26 EVENT AT GRANT A.M.E. CHURCH IN WATTS:

LOS ANGELES — (January 10, 2005) — The Revs. Stacy Evans, Jacquelyn Donald-Mims and Damali “Najuma” Smith are the featured speakers for the 10th Annual Women in the Faith Sisters’ Conference, themed “Healing for the Soul.”

The trio of spiritual triage specialists will offer healing for an array of ailments Saturday through Wednesday, Jan. 22 through 26. The event is hosted by Grant A.M.E. Church at 10435 South Central Avenue in the heart of Watts.

“In 2005, people are looking for healing from abuse, debt, depression, divorce, illness or even the grief associated with the death of a loved one or friend,” noted the Rev. Carolyn Baskin-Bell, conference coordinator and associate minister at Grant.

“As we prayed through the direction of this year’s Conference — especially in light of the ongoing war in Iraq and most recently, the catastrophe in Asia — we knew through the anointed teaching and preaching of God’s Word that participants can and will be healed through this event.”

Grant’s renowned pastor, the Rev. Leslie R. White agreed, lauding the effort and encouraging the participation of men, too.

“It is imperative that we realize that God is not a respecter of persons,” explained White, “neither is the tragedy, sorrow, sickness or loss that sometimes befalls us.”
“If as men and women we accept that each of us has been wounded,” he continu
ed, “we can take comfort in the message of the theme Scripture, Isaiah 53:5, that we are healed by His stripes.”

Evans, Donald-Mims and Smith join a distinguished list of dynamic women of Christendom who have headlined past Sisters’ Conferences at Grant, including the Rev. Dr. Cecilia W. Bryant, Fifth Episcopal District Supervisor; the Rt. Rev. Vashti McKenzie, the president of the A.M.E. Council of Bishops; the Rev. Dr. Renita Weems, professor of humanities at Spelman College; and the Rev. Dr. Ann Lightner Fuller, pastor of Mt. Calvary A.M.E. Church in Townsend, Md.

Smith is pastor of St. James A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles and is founder of both ESHEY Ministries — a para-church ministry for youth and young adults — and Word of Encouragement, a ministry purposed to inspire humanity through spoken word, poetry and prose.

She will keynote the Prayer Breakfast and Sisters’ Achievement Award Ceremony at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22 at the LAX Crowne Plaza Hotel, 5985 West Century Boulevard, honoring four civic-minded women who epitomize “Women in the Faith.”

An accomplished author, academician, highly sought-after speaker and corporate business executive, Dr. Donald-Mims has served as founder and pastor of Imani Community Church of Austin, Texas, since 1995. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and periodicals, including both Essence and Executive Female magazines, the Minority Business News and the Austin American Statesman. Her latest book, the critically acclaimed Obsessive Sex: Resolving the Conflict of Loving Sex and Loving God, is entering its third printing.

Donald-Mims will lead an hour-long lecture and discussion Monday though Wednesday, Jan. 24 through 26 at 6:30 p.m. each night, which will be followed by revivalist Evans.

Evans, who will also deliver the sermon at both the 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. worship services on Sunday, Jan. 23, is pastor of Gregg Tabernacle A.M.E. Church in Kansas City, Mo.

Other Sisters’ Conference 2005 activities, accented by conference colors gold and ivory, include community walks on Saturday, Jan. 8 and 22, and spirited praise and worship, led by the dance ministry and the Melodious Sisters’ Choir directed by Theresa Jones.

To purchase Prayer Breakfast tickets or for more information about the 10th Annual Women in the Faith Sisters’ Conference, contact the Church Office at (323) 564-1151 or visit www.grantamechurch.org.

For Immediate Release Contact: Rev. Kevin T. TaylorJanuary 17, 2005 (323) 564-1151

6. FOUR “WOMEN OF FAITH” TO BE HONORED WITH ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS JAN. 22; CEREMONY ONE OF TENTH ANNUAL SISTERS’ CONFERENCE EVENTS:

LOS ANGELES — (January 17, 2005) — A cancer survivor, a role model to youth, a community activist and a campaign manager for numerous politicians will be honored with Sisters’ Achievement Awards on Jan. 22.

Hundreds of people are expected to be on hand when Janice Stephens, Ebony Malbry, Beatrice Clemons and Myran Cotton are recognized during a Prayer Breakfast at the LAX Crowne Plaza Hotel, 5985 West Century Boulevard.

The 9 a.m. gathering is one of several events associated with the 10th Annual Women in the Faith Sisters’ Conference of Grant A.M.E. Church in Watts.

“This year promises to be one of the best ever,” explained an exuberant Maxine Harrison who has helped plan the Prayer Breakfast since 1998. “We praise God that the event which was once held on the lower level of the Church has expanded to the ballroom of one of the city’s most beautiful hotels.”

The quad of quintessential “women of faith” met the strict criteria of the selection committee and uniquely epitomize the Conference theme, “Healing for the Soul,” noted the Rev. Carolyn Baskin-Bell, conference coordinator and associate minister at Grant. Those standards included active participation in and positive contribution to their church and community; demonstration of courage, compassion and commitment; and being an ambassador of freedom, love, unity and great faith.

• Janice Stephens, a Church trustee, survived the physical, mental, emotional and financial anguish of breast cancer, before becoming a victim of corporate-downsizing. The eternal optimist, Stephens recently completed her master’s degree in business administration and awaits a lucrative offer from a potential employer.

• A life-long member of Grant, Ebony Malbry is a member of the Voices of Christ choir and the Bishop Vashti McKenzie unit of the Women’s Missionary Society. Faced with the death of her mother three years ago, Malbry strengthened her resolve to succeed, drawing from her faith in God and the support of her loving family.

• Affectionately known as “Mother Love,” Beatrice Clemons works to improve the lives of the residents of the Nickerson-Gardens community housing in South Los Angeles. This community activist has previously been recognized by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation for her outstanding leadership and service to her native Watts.

• Myran Cotton has held leadership positions and affiliations with various political organizations, including service as campaign coordinator for local, state and federal candidates. She celebrated 20 years of service to the City of Los Angeles last February, rising to the rank of Field Deputy for the late-Councilperson John Ferraro (CD-4) and most recently, Councilperson Janice Hahn (CD-15).

While the ladies will share their testimonies at a separate, more intimate setting at a future date, Harrison noted, they will be honored Saturday by family, friends and well-wishers at the Breakfast and through advertisements in the souvenir booklet.

The Rev. Damali “Najuma” Smith, pastor of St. James A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles, is the keynote speaker for the affair. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for youth age 12 and younger. Grant’s renowned pastor, the Rev. Leslie R. White, and a host of other dignitaries will be on hand as well.

The Sisters’ Conference continues at Grant Sunday through Wednesday, Jan. 23 through 26, with preaching from the Rev. Tracy Evans, pastor of Gregg Tabernacle A.M.E. Church in Kansas City, Mo., and teaching from the Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims, founding pastor of Imani Community A.M.E. Church of Austin, Texas. Sunday worship is at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.; the week’s activities begin at 6:30 p.m. nightly.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Church Office at (323) 564-1151. Also visit www.grantamechurch.org.

7. EIGHTIETH SESSION OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE MAKES HISTORY WITH FIRST-EVER CYBER-BROADCAST, RETIREMENT CEREMONIES FOR THREE “GIANTS OF AFRICAN METHODISM”

LOS ANGELES — (January 10, 2005) — The 80th session of the Southern California Annual Conference is etched in the pages of history for its unique use of technology and its tribute to three “giants of African Methodism.”

Convened under the dynamic leadership of the Fifth Episcopal District team, the Rt. Rev. John R. Bryant and the Rev. Dr. Cecilia W. Bryant, and under the banner “That the World Might Know Jesus,” the convention was cyber-broadcast via the Internet for the first time in the history of African Methodism.

“As Bishop Bryant delivered his powerful closing message,” explained the Rev. Leslie R. White, host pastor of Grant A.M.E. Church in the heart of Watts, “we later learned that he was receiving calls on his cellular phone from parishioners on the East Coast letting him know that they were enchanted as they watched on their computer screens.”

Indeed for less than $5 per day, a Web surfer in West Africa or on the west side of Chicago, or an audio listener in Australia or in Atlantic City, could visit www.grantamechurch.org and download the Annual Conference experience from the start of the pre-Conference Musical to the benediction at the Cathedral of the West Angeles Church of God in Christ.

In his comments at the Commissioning and Closing Services, Bryant commended White and the Grant family for an “excellent” job in hosting the 60+ churches of the SCC and for setting the “benchmark” in use of technology, efficiency and kindness. The host congregation was also complimented for transforming the host site, the Carson Community Center, from a “pubic place for gathering to a sacred place of worship.”

Resounding applause also marked the retirement of three “giants of African Methodism” — the Rev. Dr. Cecil L. “Chip” Murray, the Rev. Dr. Warren Campbell, and the Rev. Thurman James “TJ” Baker. On more than one occasion, Bryant lauded them for their “ecclesiastical excellence” and reminded them that retirement from active ministry in the A.M.E. Church does not mean retirement from serving God nor from boldly proclaiming His Gospel.

Other highlights of the October 3-10, 2004 Conference:

• Anointed preaching from annual sermon presenter, the Rev. Dr. C. Dennis Williams, pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church, San Diego; Sons of Thunder speaker, the Rev. H.B. Charles, pastor of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles; Retirement Ceremony keynoter, the Rev. Dr. Johnie Carlisle Jr., pastor of First A.M.E. Church, Pasadena; and Ordination Service orator, the Rt. Rev. Carolyn Tyler-Guidry, presiding prelate of the 16th Episcopal District and former presiding elder of the Los Angeles-Pasadena District.

• Spirit-filled meetings, symposiums, luncheons, afternoon and evening worship services for the Women in Ministry, Women’s Missionary Society, Sons of Thunder, Lay Organization and Young People’s Department.

• Groundbreaking on Grant A.M.E. Church’s $30 million mixed-use development. The $12 million initial phase will create 65 multi-family, four-bedroom homes and is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2005. The remaining $18 million is proposed for senior living accommodations and enough commercial space for a family-style restaurant, a financial institution and offices for several small businesses.

• In excess of 1,300 conversions, 850 baptisms, 2,500 accessions, and nearly 50,000 members reported on the rolls of SCC Churches. A group photo was also taken of the SCC membership.

• Nineteen churches reporting in excess of $250,000 raised for all purposes, with six above the $1 million mark.

The 81st Session of the SCC will be hosted by the Rev. Dr. Kevin Calloway and Second A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles.

A complete list of the pastoral appointment is listed below and reflects changes made at the Fifth Episcopal District Planning Meeting, November 8, 2004.

For Immediate Release Contact: Rev. Kevin T. TaylorJanuary 10, 2005 (323) 564-1151

8. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MINISTERS AND SPOUSES ELECT THE REV. LESLIE R. WHITE AND JACQUELYN CALLOWAY TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS:

LOS ANGELES — (January 10, 2005) — The Rev. Leslie R. White and Jacquelyn Calloway have been elected to leadership positions in the Southern California Conference of the A.M.E. Church.
White, the pastor of Grant A.M.E. Church — the largest congregation in Watts — is the new president of the SCC Ministerial Alliance and Calloway, the first lady of Second A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles, is the new president of SCC Clergy Family Alliance.

Nearly 200 persons braved the wintry rain to witness the pair, along with the members of their respective cabinets, be installed in grand fashion on Jan. 9 at Grant. The Rt. Rev. John R. Bryant, presiding prelate of the 5th Episcopal District, and the Rt. Rev. Carolyn Tyler-Guidry, who was elected from the SCC and now serves as bishop of the 16th Episcopal District, led the ceremonies.

The pastor of Brown Memorial A.M.E. Church in Pasadena, the Rev. Carlton V. Rickman, continually brought the crowd to its feet with his sermonic explanation, explication and exclamation of Ezekiel 33:1-9.

Ministers, their families and Christians in general are called to be “sentinels against injustice” and “soldiers for justice,” Rickman said. “We must proclaim to the suppressed, oppressed and depressed that God is able to meet their needs and will deliver us.”

The officers pledged to do just that, “cheerfully” giving of their time, energy, talent.” By “example and precept” they will “nurture genuine Christian fellowship” among the SCC clergy and their families.

Officers of the Ministerial Alliance:

• The Rev. Leslie R. White — President
• The Rev. Sylvester Laudermill Jr. — First Vice President
• The Rev. Noella Austin Buchanan — Second Vice President
• The Rev. Caroline A. Taylor – Recording Secretary
• The Rev. Donna Davis — Assistant Secretary
• The Rev. Kelvin T. Calloway — Treasurer
• The Rev. Marian Wright Young — Financial Secretary
• The Rev. Reuben Ford — Chaplain and Worship Director
• The Rev. Joseph Oliver — Sergeant-at-Arms
• The Rev. Delman Howard — Parliamentarian
• The Rev. Lewis Logan II — Public Relations Coordinator
• The Rev. Ron Woods — Visitation and Special Concerns Coordinator
• The Rev. Mark Whitlock — Economic Development Officer

Officers of the SCC Clergy Family Alliance:

• Jacquelyn Calloway — President
• Y. Renee White — First Vice President
Michael Patchet — Second Vice President
• Kinette Cager — Recording Secretary
• Janet D. Gloyd — Corresponding Secretary
• Jackie Anthony-Oliver — Treasurer• Rita Howard — Parliamentarian
• Ruthie L. Carter — Worship Leader
• Quentine Brenson — Widows/Widowers Chair

The list of past leaders of the SCC Ministerial Alliance and Clergy Family Alliance is a who’s who of ecclesiastical excellence in African Methodism. It’s a list that includes retired Bishop H. Wendell Murph and active Bishop T. Larry Kirkland, presiding prelate of the 9th Episcopal District.

White becomes the fourth pastor of Grant to serve in this capacity; Murph, the late-Rev. George Reid and the late-Rev. James H. Oxley, faithfully executed the duties of president as well.

“I stand on the shoulders of giants,” White said of his predecessors. “They are leaders of African Methodism in Southern California whose feet were firmly planted on Christ, the Solid Rock. And with Christ as our cornerstone, the 2004-05 conference year is certain to be blessed.”

The congregants were blessed and left spellbound by the melodic voices of the Grant Mass Choir, directed by Byron J. Smith. The audience also gave generously of their finances to aid the tsunami disaster relief and to support an upcoming missionary expedition to Jamaica for seven members of the SCC YPD.

Calloway used the occasion to announce an afternoon of “love and renewal” for the ministers and their spouses during the 5th District’s Mid-Year Convocation in March. A workshop entitled “What’s Love Got To Do With It? Strengthening The Ties That Bind” is being planned, along with a session from the Episcopal team on ways to keep the proverbial “fire” burning.

For more information about the SCC Ministerial Alliance and the Clergy Family Alliance, contact the Rev. Caroline A. Taylor at ReverendCat@aol.com. Also visit www.grantamechurch.org

9. THE REVEREND DR. LESLIE WHITE, PASTOR OF GRANT AME CHURCH, LOS ANGELES SHARES THE FOLLOING WEBSITE:

Click here: AOL BlackVoices: America's Next Generation of Civil Rights Leaders features America’s next generation of leaders. The Reverend Jamal Bryant is listed as one of the next generation of Civil Rights leaders.

Dr. White also shares this website: Click here: AOL Black Voices

10. BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

The former Pastor and Presiding Elder of the South Ohio Annual Conference, Third Episcopal District of the AME Church, the Rev. Dr. James M. Reed, Sr., passed on Wednesday, January 12, 2005. His funeral was held on Monday, January 17, 2005 at Allen Temple A.M.E. Church 7030 Reading Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45237 where the Rev. Donald Jordan is the Pastor.

The Rt. Rev. Robert Vaughn Webster, Presiding Prelate of the Third Episcopal District

Condolences may still be sent to the Rev. Reed’s wife and family:

Mrs. Constance Reed
6501 Pace Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45213
513-731-4927

Please keep the family in prayer.

The Rev. Dr. Taylor T. Thompson, Secretary
Third District Brotherhood
216-214-6886

God Bless!Ora L. Easley, President

CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.comPhone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEB SITEShttp://www.amemswwpk.org/http://www.connmswawo3.com/

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/17/05)

1. AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE AME FOUNDER’S DAY WAS THE MODEL FOR CARTER G. WOODSON TO ESTABLISH BLACK HISTORY WEEK IN FEBRUARY:

I read your email regarding our Founder's Day and the first Black History observance. What I have read is that Carter G. Woodson chose the February date because of Lincoln's birthday and Frederick Douglas' birthday (both on 12 Feb). Don't know if that is "accurate" but that's what I have read in my Black History studies. The AME Church and the NAACP have February birthdays (NAACP is 12 Feb). Isn't that interesting???

Ora Washington
AME Church, El Paso, Texas
10th Episcopal District

2. THE RIGHT REVEREND CAROLYN TYLER GUIDRY, PRESIDING BISHOP, SIXTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH ANNOUNCES AME CHURCH SENDS AID TO TSUNAMI DAMAGED SOMOLIA, KENYA AND TANZANIA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(Los Angeles) Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, chairperson of the Social Action Commission of theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) announces the church’s campaign to provide relief to two of the tsunami-damaged countries on the Indian Ocean.

The low death toll in Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia is a poor indicator of the devastation brought by the tidal waves, which destroyed the infrastructures of local coastal communities, and the livelihoods of many who barely earned subsistence wages. Mandatory evacuation of beaches and coastal areas was possible because of the emergency plan of the US Embassy and the government of these countries.

The reporting outcome follows - In Somalia more than 200 persons lost their lives and another 50,000 had their homes destroyed (flattened). In Kenya, the loss of public roads, destruction of homes, and the difficulties of traveling have resulted in a major strain to an economy that could not support the basic needs of its people. Reconstruction needs will be far reaching, and costly.

Our church’s commitment to “make a difference” will include the collection of funds and other resources to be distributed via SADA, the international relief and development arm of the AME Church. Please remember the local residents and visitors in your prayers.

The public is invited to send its contributions and to:

Dr. Robert Nicolas, Director 202/ 371-8722 – voice SADA (Service and Development Agency) 202/ 371-0981 - fax 1134 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

Checks may be made payable to: AME-SADA, or call Ms. Tina Newell (Director of Operations) 202 371-8722 to make a donation by credit card.

Bishop Carolyn Tyler-GuidryChair – Social Action CommissionPresiding Bishop,
Sixteenth Episcopal District – African Methodist Episcopal Church
1968 W. Adams Blvd. Suite 314
Los Angeles, CA 90018
323/ 293-6555 – voice FAX: 323/ 293-6572; Email: Girlbishop122@aol.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker 213/ 494-9493 OR 202/ 371-8722
or log onto www.ame-church.com

3. THE AME COLLEGE CORNER: A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM BROTHER CRAIG ROBONSION, A TEENAGER AND A FRESHMAN AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE. THE FULL ARTICE ENTITLED, “A LESSON ABOUT GRACE” IS TAKEN FROM II CORINTHIANS 12:7-10 WILL BE PRINTED IN THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

When I look back over my life I am amazed by the way the Lord has decided to use me. I have been preaching now for almost two years now, and have seen God work through me in many wonderful ways. It is such a blessing to serve God and serve others and helping people understand the joy and delight of being in Christ Jesus. However, in the midst of all this spreading the good news and telling people about the joy that I have that the world didn’t give I was given a metaphorical thorn in my flesh. Unlike Paul I am fortunate enough to have been able to identify my thorn. My thorn is being a teenager.

This thorn was so annoying and it torments me at least once or twice in a day. The thorn is aggravated whenever my fleshly desires come into play. All teenagers go through this phase of life. We want to experiment. We want to discover ourselves. We want to do things our way and face the consequences when they come. As we advance in our teenage years we are compelled to withdraw further and further from our parents and make our own decisions. This new sense of independence leads us to sometimes do things that we ought not to do.

This is especially hard for me being a minister (AME) of the gospel. I often find myself in the most intriguing situations (some of which must remain secret or face the wrath of my mother). There are so many temptations that are always showing up in the worst time…

(Read the rest of the article in The Christian Recorder)

4. AME COLLEGE CORNER: THE ARTICLE APPENDED BELOW WAS WRITTEN BY MOREHOUSE COLLEGE STUDENT, BROTHER CRAIG ROBINSON. IT’S ENTITLED, BIBLE WALK: LOOK UP.” THE KEY CONCEPT: TRUST, THERE IS A BRIGHT SIDE; GOD IS IN CONTROL.”

Psalm 121: 1-8 (NIV): I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

College brings a lot of struggle in any student’s life. Deadlines for tests, term papers, and presentations make life very stressful. This is especially true for those who prepare for large assignments at the last minute. The rigors of college can bring down the most energetic person to a state of utter lethargy. A college student’s entire appearance can be distorted. His or her head droops down. His or her facial expression changes and his or her outlook become negative. Suddenly you hear words like: “Can’t do it,” “Impossible!” “I give up!”

(Read the rest of the article in The Christian Recorder)

5. THE REVEREND DR. GEORGE R. LA SURE SHARES HIS STUDY OF THE, RURAL AND SMALL MEMBERSHIP CHURCHES: “THE NEW MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE”:

The rural and small membership church represents at least 85% of all A.M.E. Churches throughout our connection. As such, the rural and small membership church has a tremendous input into the total spiritual and financial resource of the A.M.E. Denomination. But, even though these two entities comprise the majority of the A.M.E. denominational presence, there is very little focused programming and resource directed toward improving its’ overall condition. The rural and small membership church is essentially where it was fifty years ago, without a voice to impact denominational change to make its’ overall condition better.

If we were forced to offer a working definition as to what a rural church might be, we might say that it is a body of A.M.E. Christian believers knit together in a common faith and worship activity thriving in settings removed from large urban centers. Many times they are located in sparsely populated areas, much of which is agricultural in scope, with limited employment, industrial, and commercial resource. There are also a limited number of institutions of higher learning in many of our rural areas.

The membership of our typical rural church might range from less than 10 to 250 members. The rural church is a family church with 2-3 families often comprising 75% of the rural church membership. The rural church is also known for its’ rigid adherence to tradition (those elements of worship and church administration that have kept it strong down through the years). The rural church is, often times, very resistant to change. Most of the A.M.E. rural churches are either on the “other side of the tracks”, or in communities located far away from Main Street.

Small membership churches, embracing the same profile and membership numbers as the rural church, are located throughout the AMEC connection. Many of these small membership churches are located in large urban areas. Unlike the rural church, the small membership church is not confined to any geographical setting. It can be found anywhere. Like the rural church, it is a family-dominated church. It, too, is strong on tradition (doing things the same way they have done them for years) and, is resistant to change. “Outsiders” must be adopted by the membership before they are allowed to peaceably and productively co-exist.

Many small membership churches are located in communities that have experienced a significant decline in population over the past 25-50 years. Other small membership churches are hidden from view in dying and decaying neighborhoods and, are nowhere near Main Street.

(Read the complete article in The Christian Recorder)

6. SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

Get your very own subscription in to The Christian Recorder (Paper copy) mailed directly to your home mailbox! The Christian Recorder is the OFFICIAL organ of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

You may: Call 800. 648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card. Or, send $26.00 check or money order for a one-year subscription to:

The Christian Recorder
500 8th Avenue South,
Nashville, TN 37203.

7. AME CHAPLAINS CORNER: CHAPLAIN DAVID BROWN:

Retired WW II Chaplain Kenneth White celebrated his 99th birthday on New Year's Day. I spoke to him last night and his mind and speech are as clear as ever. I am making plans to pay him a visit next month to interview him in order to record his story. Please pray for an open door to do so.

I have been invited to preach a revival in Las Vegas, NV. The Reverend Emmanuel Wasson, III, the pastor of Holy Trinity AMEC, is a good brother of mine that I met while stationed in 29 Palms, California. This will be my very first revival that I have preached since going into the ministry 18 years ago. Needless to say I am excited about the opportunity to proclaim, "Thus sayeth the Lord..."

Finally, I am slated for a new set of orders that will put me back on ship but keep my family in the area. I am scheduled to rotate to the USS BATAAN in July of this year to serve as the head chaplain in charge of the Protestant Religious Program. The orders are two years long but, due to current events, the deployment schedule is uncertain.

Again, Happy New Year!

Blessings,Chaplain David Brown

8. THE REVEREND DR. JOE DARBY, SENIOR PASTOR OF MORRIS BROWN AME CHURCH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA GAVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECENTLY AT THE INTERFAITH SERVICE HELD IN CHARLESTON, IN MEMORY AND HONOR OF THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS OF SOUTH ASIA AND EAST AFRICA:

We gather tonight in Charleston, but in doing so we stand together with people of faith across the globe to offer best wishes and support to those in south Asia and eastern Africa whose lives have been devastated by the force of nature.

Every world religion has two things in common - respect for the creator and respect and care for our neighbors in need. Our world really is a global village, so it’s fitting and proper that we do all that we can to restore our neighbors in need, even if they live far from our doorsteps.I hope that this night results in an outpouring of material assistance and moral support by those of who have gathered here tonight. Charleston has experienced the devastating power of nature in the past, it’s now our turn to help others to recover, and I thank and commend everyone who has come here tonight to do so.

I hope as well that this night is a beginning and not simply an end in itself. I firmly believe that adversity sometimes breeds opportunity, that the creator whose work includes tsunamis and hurricanes also affords us the opportunity to find new common ground in the midst of the rubble.

When natural disasters occur, we regularly assemble in events like tonight’s event and mobilize across cross lines of color and culture and religion and class and politics to care about and support each other and to reach out to our neighbors. Too often, however, when the crisis is past, we just go home. I do hope that when the current crisis is past, we’ll remember this night, remember the faces and the spirits of those we meet tonight, and continue to work to build bridges and to find common ground to meet the challenges that we all face from day do day.

When we do, then we can celebrate the unity of our diversity and the diversity of our unity, and we won’t have come together to help our neighbors in times of crisis, because we’ll already be together.

9. THE FOLLOWING IS AN OP-ED ARTICLE WRITTERN BY THE REVEREND DR. JOE DARBY THAT APPEARED IN THE CHARLESTON, SC NEWPAPER:

On Monday, January 17, our nation, state and community will remember the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through worship services, parades, breakfasts, memorials and "days of service." I celebrate any good activity to remember Dr. King, but I will remember Dr. King by joining the State NAACP in Columbia, South Carolina for the fifth annual "King Day at the Dome" march and rally. I’ll do so because direct action that presses for positive change in public policy is the most authentic witness to Dr. King’s life and work.

Dr. King was felled by an assassin’s bullet over thirty-six years ago. In those thirty-six years, he has come to be acknowledged as a man of peace who stood for equal justice and equal rights. The light of history has reflected that accurate picture of Dr. King, but the light of history sometimes has a way of shining on some things and leaving others obscured by shadow. What’s often lost in many of the innocuous, polite and pleasant activities now pursued to remember Dr. King is what he said and how he was viewed by many in his day.

Days of community service to help the needy are worthy pursuits at any time of the year. As a pastor, Dr. King led his congregations in the same kind of direct service to the needy - service that should be the work of all clergy, houses of faith, and people of good will. Dr. King is best remembered, however, as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the acknowledged leader of the modern civil rights movement. In those capacities, he aggressively and articulately challenged the divisive public policies that created many of the needy that he served as a pastor. Dr. King did so in a nonviolent manner, but the response of his opponents of the day was anything but non-violent.

In his day, Dr. King was labeled as a subversive, as a communist and as an agitator; was jailed and physically abused; was ridiculed as a radical and was soundly vilified as a dangerous man who was a threat to the public safety. He received that treatment because he challenged America to change unjust laws. Those who love to quote Dr. King’s saying that we should be judged by not by the color of skin but by the content of character often conveniently forget that one sentence is not the sum total of his words. Dr. King also said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Dr. King also said, "When you’re right, you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative." Dr. King also said, "Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." Dr. King also said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."When viewed in the clear and comprehensive light of history, Dr. King was not a man who bowed his head in subservience and asked, "Can’t we all just get along?" Dr. King spoke out against the injustices of his day, putting his life on the line to do so. Because he did, then we need to do more than remember Dr. King through benign and universally acceptable means that allow participants to do "feel good" things, while blithely ignoring the still pervasive prejudice, inequity and division that make it harder for the needy to compete.

If we are to remember Dr. King by demanding equity as he did, then we need to ask why our state is still fighting against equitable funding of public schools while veiling support for private schools as "putting parents in charge. We need to ask why those who are indigent pay more at many hospitals than those who have health insurance. We need to ask why our legislature cannot respect the wishes of those who seek to honor the Confederate Battle flag in an unquestionably historical context. We need to ask why those admitted to institutions of higher education because of family connections have done a good thing, while those who are admitted through efforts to see that the racial playing field is level for those of equal ability is a bad thing. We need to ask why our state can grant huge economic incentives to businesses but can only make limited funds available for affordable housing loans.

Those questions and other questions of equity will be lifted up in Columbia at the King Day 2005 event. They may be uncomfortable and may rankle the spirits of those who create ideological litmus tests of patriotism and faith, but addressing them will do honor to Dr. King’s legacy. Dr. King, after all, described himself not as someone who would "go along to get along," but as a "drum major for justice." When we get in step with his authentic memory, then we can keep working to fulfill his dream for all Americans.

The Reverend Joseph A. Darby, Senior Pastor, Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church, 13 Morris Street, Charleston, South Carolina

10. THE 13th EPISCOPAL 2005 DISTRICT-WIDE FOUNDER’S DAY WILL BE HELD AT ST. ANDREWS AME CHURCH, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ON FEBRUARY 10-12 2005, THEME: CHANGING CHURCH CULTURE:

AGENDA:

Thursday, February 10, 2005
8:00 AM – 12 Noon - Presiding Elder’s Institute
12:30 – 3:00 PM – Believe Board Working Luncheon
3:30 – 6 PM – 13th District Agenda Organizational Meeting
• Nehemiah Nation
• School of the Prophets (Clergy Institutes, Cross to Pentecost)
• AME Pages• AME Works Day
• Believe, Inc.

7:30 PM Opening Worship
Dr. Floyd Flake, Allen Cathedral AME Church, Jamaica, New York
Friday, February 11, 2005

6:00 – 7:00 AM - Morning Glory Prayer Ministry
7:00 – 8:00 AM – Living Well and Walking
7:30 – 9: 45AM – Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12: 30 - Morning Plenary
12:45- 1: 45 – Hour of Power
2:00 – 3:30 PM – Lunch
3:30 – 5:30 PM – Afternoon Plenary
7:30 PM - Evening Worship
Rev. Jonathan Weaver, Mt. Nebo AME Church, Bowie Maryland

Saturday, February 12, 2005
6:00 – 7:00 AM- Morning Glory Prayer Ministry
7:00 – 8:00 AM – Living Well and Walking
7:30 – 9:45 AM – Breakfast
8:30 – 12 Noon – Nehemiah Nation (departs for church visitation/render service)
9:00 – 12Noon – YPD (meeting and elections)
13th District Agenda Components Meet (If necessary, except Nehemiah Nation)
12 Noon – Reporting of Components; Closing Worship, Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor, III, Editor, The Christian Recorder

Passing the P.E.A.C.E. – Positive Energy Always Creates Elevation!

*** Plenary Sessions ****Rev. Ronald L. Owens, Augusta, Georgia U.S. Army Chaplain, Major (Retired)Conflict ResolutionLeadership Problem SolvingSeparating Issues from EventsOvercoming Barriers

11. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Regretfully we share news of the passing of Mr. Arthur Robertson, Jr., the brother of Mrs. Carrie Robertson Grady (Episcopal Supervisor, Retired).

The Funeral was held on Wednesday, January 12, 2005
St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church
500 Noble Street
Winston Salem, North Carolina

Condolences may still be sent to :

Bishop and Mrs. Zedekiah L. Grady
1 Wespanee Drive
Charleston, SC 29407
Phone: (843) 766-9569 - FAx: (843) 556-8659
Email: W1MG2CL@aol.com

12. FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MRS. PRISCILLA BOONES, THE MOTHER OF EPISCOPAL SUPERVISOR MARY KIRKLAND, 9TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, JAUARY 15, 2005:

The Funeral was held on Saturday, January 15, 2005 at 12:00 noon at the Waterloo Baptist Church, 807 Madison Avenue, Lorman, Mississippi.

Condolences may still be sent to the family:

Mrs. Mary Kirkland, 2120 Park Brook Lane, Birmingham, AL 35215 205-601-1748 (Mrs. Kirkland's cell phone)

13. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

It's Chaplain David R. Brown from Naval Station, Norfolk, VA. I would like to inform you that my mother-in-law, Mrs. Joan G. Turner, died suddenly on the morning of 11 January. She was a life-long member of Third Street Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. The specifics pertaining to her homegoing service are as follows:

Homegoing Celebration for Mrs. Joan G. Turner was held Saturday, January 15, 2005 12:00 p.m.

Eulogy: The Reverend Daryl K. Kearny, pastor of Third Street Bethel AME Church.

Expressions may be sent to the following addresses:

Mr. Raymond Turner
525 Montvale Avenue
Richmond, VA. 23222

OR

Chaplain and Mrs. David R. Brown
2316 Skipjack Lane
Chesapeake, VA 23323

Telephone: 757-558-4177

In lieu of flowers, our family requests that donations be made to the following:

ALS Association
615 South Frederick Avenue, Ste. 308
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

www.alsinfo.org

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support!
Blessings, Chaplain David R. Brown

14. ALL CONDOLENCE MESSAGES ABOVE WERE FORWARDED BY:

Sister Ora L. Easley, President

CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEB SITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Pagehttp://connmswawo3.com/index.html
AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

15. THE REVEREND WILLIAM HOWARD SMITH REPORTED THE DEATH OF BROTHER WILLIAM SAVANNAH FREY:

William Savannah (Daddy Frey) Frey, age 93, (The Father of the Rev. Nathan Frey, our pastor at Woodfork Chapel AME Church, Shelbyville, TN, Tennessee Conference, 13th Epics. District) died at his Nashville, TN residence on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 12:45 a.m.

Survived by 6 daughters; 3 sons; 28 grandchildren; 64 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends. Family visitation was held on Sunday, January 16, 2005 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church, 212 Neil Ave., Nashville, Tennessee, with Rev. Sidney Bryant officiating, and Rev. Nathan Frey, Eulogist.

The burial was conducted on Monday, January. 17, 2005 at 10 a.m. in Clarksville, Tennessee at Rest-Lawn Memorial Garden.

Rev. Nathan Frey 735 N 9th St Nashville, TN 37206-3956 (615) 227-4548

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/17/05)

1. AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE AME FOUNDER’S DAY WAS THE MODEL FOR CARTER G. WOODSON TO ESTABLISH BLACK HISTORY WEEK IN FEBRUARY:

I read your email regarding our Founder's Day and the first Black History observance. What I have read is that Carter G. Woodson chose the February date because of Lincoln's birthday and Frederick Douglas' birthday (both on 12 Feb). Don't know if that is "accurate" but that's what I have read in my Black History studies. The AME Church and the NAACP have February birthdays (NAACP is 12 Feb). Isn't that interesting???

Ora Washington
AME Church, El Paso, Texas
10th Episcopal District

2. THE RIGHT REVEREND CAROLYN TYLER GUIDRY, PRESIDING BISHOP, SIXTEENTH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH ANNOUNCES AME CHURCH SENDS AID TO TSUNAMI DAMAGED SOMOLIA, KENYA AND TANZANIA:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

(Los Angeles) Bishop Carolyn Tyler Guidry, chairperson of the Social Action Commission of theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) announces the church’s campaign to provide relief to two of the tsunami-damaged countries on the Indian Ocean.

The low death toll in Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia is a poor indicator of the devastation brought by the tidal waves, which destroyed the infrastructures of local coastal communities, and the livelihoods of many who barely earned subsistence wages. Mandatory evacuation of beaches and coastal areas was possible because of the emergency plan of the US Embassy and the government of these countries.

The reporting outcome follows - In Somalia more than 200 persons lost their lives and another 50,000 had their homes destroyed (flattened). In Kenya, the loss of public roads, destruction of homes, and the difficulties of traveling have resulted in a major strain to an economy that could not support the basic needs of its people. Reconstruction needs will be far reaching, and costly.

Our church’s commitment to “make a difference” will include the collection of funds and other resources to be distributed via SADA, the international relief and development arm of the AME Church. Please remember the local residents and visitors in your prayers.

The public is invited to send its contributions and to:

Dr. Robert Nicolas, Director 202/ 371-8722 – voice SADA (Service and Development Agency) 202/ 371-0981 - fax 1134 11th Street, NW Washington, DC 20001

Checks may be made payable to: AME-SADA, or call Ms. Tina Newell (Director of Operations) 202 371-8722 to make a donation by credit card.

Bishop Carolyn Tyler-GuidryChair – Social Action CommissionPresiding Bishop,
Sixteenth Episcopal District – African Methodist Episcopal Church
1968 W. Adams Blvd. Suite 314
Los Angeles, CA 90018
323/ 293-6555 – voice FAX: 323/ 293-6572; Email: Girlbishop122@aol.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker 213/ 494-9493 OR 202/ 371-8722
or log onto www.ame-church.com

3. THE AME COLLEGE CORNER: A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM BROTHER CRAIG ROBONSION, A TEENAGER AND A FRESHMAN AT MOREHOUSE COLLEGE. THE FULL ARTICE ENTITLED, “A LESSON ABOUT GRACE” IS TAKEN FROM II CORINTHIANS 12:7-10 WILL BE PRINTED IN THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER:

When I look back over my life I am amazed by the way the Lord has decided to use me. I have been preaching now for almost two years now, and have seen God work through me in many wonderful ways. It is such a blessing to serve God and serve others and helping people understand the joy and delight of being in Christ Jesus. However, in the midst of all this spreading the good news and telling people about the joy that I have that the world didn’t give I was given a metaphorical thorn in my flesh. Unlike Paul I am fortunate enough to have been able to identify my thorn. My thorn is being a teenager.

This thorn was so annoying and it torments me at least once or twice in a day. The thorn is aggravated whenever my fleshly desires come into play. All teenagers go through this phase of life. We want to experiment. We want to discover ourselves. We want to do things our way and face the consequences when they come. As we advance in our teenage years we are compelled to withdraw further and further from our parents and make our own decisions. This new sense of independence leads us to sometimes do things that we ought not to do.

This is especially hard for me being a minister (AME) of the gospel. I often find myself in the most intriguing situations (some of which must remain secret or face the wrath of my mother). There are so many temptations that are always showing up in the worst time…

(Read the rest of the article in The Christian Recorder)

4. AME COLLEGE CORNER: THE ARTICLE APPENDED BELOW WAS WRITTEN BY MOREHOUSE COLLEGE STUDENT, BROTHER CRAIG ROBINSON. IT’S ENTITLED, BIBLE WALK: LOOK UP.” THE KEY CONCEPT: TRUST, THERE IS A BRIGHT SIDE; GOD IS IN CONTROL.”

Psalm 121: 1-8 (NIV): I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

College brings a lot of struggle in any student’s life. Deadlines for tests, term papers, and presentations make life very stressful. This is especially true for those who prepare for large assignments at the last minute. The rigors of college can bring down the most energetic person to a state of utter lethargy. A college student’s entire appearance can be distorted. His or her head droops down. His or her facial expression changes and his or her outlook become negative. Suddenly you hear words like: “Can’t do it,” “Impossible!” “I give up!”

(Read the rest of the article in The Christian Recorder)

5. THE REVEREND DR. GEORGE R. LA SURE SHARES HIS STUDY OF THE, RURAL AND SMALL MEMBERSHIP CHURCHES: “THE NEW MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE”:

The rural and small membership church represents at least 85% of all A.M.E. Churches throughout our connection. As such, the rural and small membership church has a tremendous input into the total spiritual and financial resource of the A.M.E. Denomination. But, even though these two entities comprise the majority of the A.M.E. denominational presence, there is very little focused programming and resource directed toward improving its’ overall condition. The rural and small membership church is essentially where it was fifty years ago, without a voice to impact denominational change to make its’ overall condition better.

If we were forced to offer a working definition as to what a rural church might be, we might say that it is a body of A.M.E. Christian believers knit together in a common faith and worship activity thriving in settings removed from large urban centers. Many times they are located in sparsely populated areas, much of which is agricultural in scope, with limited employment, industrial, and commercial resource. There are also a limited number of institutions of higher learning in many of our rural areas.

The membership of our typical rural church might range from less than 10 to 250 members. The rural church is a family church with 2-3 families often comprising 75% of the rural church membership. The rural church is also known for its’ rigid adherence to tradition (those elements of worship and church administration that have kept it strong down through the years). The rural church is, often times, very resistant to change. Most of the A.M.E. rural churches are either on the “other side of the tracks”, or in communities located far away from Main Street.

Small membership churches, embracing the same profile and membership numbers as the rural church, are located throughout the AMEC connection. Many of these small membership churches are located in large urban areas. Unlike the rural church, the small membership church is not confined to any geographical setting. It can be found anywhere. Like the rural church, it is a family-dominated church. It, too, is strong on tradition (doing things the same way they have done them for years) and, is resistant to change. “Outsiders” must be adopted by the membership before they are allowed to peaceably and productively co-exist.

Many small membership churches are located in communities that have experienced a significant decline in population over the past 25-50 years. Other small membership churches are hidden from view in dying and decaying neighborhoods and, are nowhere near Main Street.

(Read the complete article in The Christian Recorder)

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You may: Call 800. 648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card. Or, send $26.00 check or money order for a one-year subscription to:

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7. AME CHAPLAINS CORNER: CHAPLAIN DAVID BROWN:

Retired WW II Chaplain Kenneth White celebrated his 99th birthday on New Year's Day. I spoke to him last night and his mind and speech are as clear as ever. I am making plans to pay him a visit next month to interview him in order to record his story. Please pray for an open door to do so.

I have been invited to preach a revival in Las Vegas, NV. The Reverend Emmanuel Wasson, III, the pastor of Holy Trinity AMEC, is a good brother of mine that I met while stationed in 29 Palms, California. This will be my very first revival that I have preached since going into the ministry 18 years ago. Needless to say I am excited about the opportunity to proclaim, "Thus sayeth the Lord..."

Finally, I am slated for a new set of orders that will put me back on ship but keep my family in the area. I am scheduled to rotate to the USS BATAAN in July of this year to serve as the head chaplain in charge of the Protestant Religious Program. The orders are two years long but, due to current events, the deployment schedule is uncertain.

Again, Happy New Year!

Blessings,Chaplain David Brown

8. THE REVEREND DR. JOE DARBY, SENIOR PASTOR OF MORRIS BROWN AME CHURCH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA GAVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECENTLY AT THE INTERFAITH SERVICE HELD IN CHARLESTON, IN MEMORY AND HONOR OF THE TSUNAMI VICTIMS OF SOUTH ASIA AND EAST AFRICA:

We gather tonight in Charleston, but in doing so we stand together with people of faith across the globe to offer best wishes and support to those in south Asia and eastern Africa whose lives have been devastated by the force of nature.

Every world religion has two things in common - respect for the creator and respect and care for our neighbors in need. Our world really is a global village, so it’s fitting and proper that we do all that we can to restore our neighbors in need, even if they live far from our doorsteps.I hope that this night results in an outpouring of material assistance and moral support by those of who have gathered here tonight. Charleston has experienced the devastating power of nature in the past, it’s now our turn to help others to recover, and I thank and commend everyone who has come here tonight to do so.

I hope as well that this night is a beginning and not simply an end in itself. I firmly believe that adversity sometimes breeds opportunity, that the creator whose work includes tsunamis and hurricanes also affords us the opportunity to find new common ground in the midst of the rubble.

When natural disasters occur, we regularly assemble in events like tonight’s event and mobilize across cross lines of color and culture and religion and class and politics to care about and support each other and to reach out to our neighbors. Too often, however, when the crisis is past, we just go home. I do hope that when the current crisis is past, we’ll remember this night, remember the faces and the spirits of those we meet tonight, and continue to work to build bridges and to find common ground to meet the challenges that we all face from day do day.

When we do, then we can celebrate the unity of our diversity and the diversity of our unity, and we won’t have come together to help our neighbors in times of crisis, because we’ll already be together.

9. THE FOLLOWING IS AN OP-ED ARTICLE WRITTERN BY THE REVEREND DR. JOE DARBY THAT APPEARED IN THE CHARLESTON, SC NEWPAPER:

On Monday, January 17, our nation, state and community will remember the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through worship services, parades, breakfasts, memorials and "days of service." I celebrate any good activity to remember Dr. King, but I will remember Dr. King by joining the State NAACP in Columbia, South Carolina for the fifth annual "King Day at the Dome" march and rally. I’ll do so because direct action that presses for positive change in public policy is the most authentic witness to Dr. King’s life and work.

Dr. King was felled by an assassin’s bullet over thirty-six years ago. In those thirty-six years, he has come to be acknowledged as a man of peace who stood for equal justice and equal rights. The light of history has reflected that accurate picture of Dr. King, but the light of history sometimes has a way of shining on some things and leaving others obscured by shadow. What’s often lost in many of the innocuous, polite and pleasant activities now pursued to remember Dr. King is what he said and how he was viewed by many in his day.

Days of community service to help the needy are worthy pursuits at any time of the year. As a pastor, Dr. King led his congregations in the same kind of direct service to the needy - service that should be the work of all clergy, houses of faith, and people of good will. Dr. King is best remembered, however, as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the acknowledged leader of the modern civil rights movement. In those capacities, he aggressively and articulately challenged the divisive public policies that created many of the needy that he served as a pastor. Dr. King did so in a nonviolent manner, but the response of his opponents of the day was anything but non-violent.

In his day, Dr. King was labeled as a subversive, as a communist and as an agitator; was jailed and physically abused; was ridiculed as a radical and was soundly vilified as a dangerous man who was a threat to the public safety. He received that treatment because he challenged America to change unjust laws. Those who love to quote Dr. King’s saying that we should be judged by not by the color of skin but by the content of character often conveniently forget that one sentence is not the sum total of his words. Dr. King also said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Dr. King also said, "When you’re right, you cannot be too radical; when you are wrong, you cannot be too conservative." Dr. King also said, "Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." Dr. King also said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."When viewed in the clear and comprehensive light of history, Dr. King was not a man who bowed his head in subservience and asked, "Can’t we all just get along?" Dr. King spoke out against the injustices of his day, putting his life on the line to do so. Because he did, then we need to do more than remember Dr. King through benign and universally acceptable means that allow participants to do "feel good" things, while blithely ignoring the still pervasive prejudice, inequity and division that make it harder for the needy to compete.

If we are to remember Dr. King by demanding equity as he did, then we need to ask why our state is still fighting against equitable funding of public schools while veiling support for private schools as "putting parents in charge. We need to ask why those who are indigent pay more at many hospitals than those who have health insurance. We need to ask why our legislature cannot respect the wishes of those who seek to honor the Confederate Battle flag in an unquestionably historical context. We need to ask why those admitted to institutions of higher education because of family connections have done a good thing, while those who are admitted through efforts to see that the racial playing field is level for those of equal ability is a bad thing. We need to ask why our state can grant huge economic incentives to businesses but can only make limited funds available for affordable housing loans.

Those questions and other questions of equity will be lifted up in Columbia at the King Day 2005 event. They may be uncomfortable and may rankle the spirits of those who create ideological litmus tests of patriotism and faith, but addressing them will do honor to Dr. King’s legacy. Dr. King, after all, described himself not as someone who would "go along to get along," but as a "drum major for justice." When we get in step with his authentic memory, then we can keep working to fulfill his dream for all Americans.

The Reverend Joseph A. Darby, Senior Pastor, Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church, 13 Morris Street, Charleston, South Carolina

10. THE 13th EPISCOPAL 2005 DISTRICT-WIDE FOUNDER’S DAY WILL BE HELD AT ST. ANDREWS AME CHURCH, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ON FEBRUARY 10-12 2005, THEME: CHANGING CHURCH CULTURE:

AGENDA:

Thursday, February 10, 2005
8:00 AM – 12 Noon - Presiding Elder’s Institute
12:30 – 3:00 PM – Believe Board Working Luncheon
3:30 – 6 PM – 13th District Agenda Organizational Meeting
• Nehemiah Nation
• School of the Prophets (Clergy Institutes, Cross to Pentecost)
• AME Pages• AME Works Day
• Believe, Inc.

7:30 PM Opening Worship
Dr. Floyd Flake, Allen Cathedral AME Church, Jamaica, New York
Friday, February 11, 2005

6:00 – 7:00 AM - Morning Glory Prayer Ministry
7:00 – 8:00 AM – Living Well and Walking
7:30 – 9: 45AM – Breakfast
10:00 AM – 12: 30 - Morning Plenary
12:45- 1: 45 – Hour of Power
2:00 – 3:30 PM – Lunch
3:30 – 5:30 PM – Afternoon Plenary
7:30 PM - Evening Worship
Rev. Jonathan Weaver, Mt. Nebo AME Church, Bowie Maryland

Saturday, February 12, 2005
6:00 – 7:00 AM- Morning Glory Prayer Ministry
7:00 – 8:00 AM – Living Well and Walking
7:30 – 9:45 AM – Breakfast
8:30 – 12 Noon – Nehemiah Nation (departs for church visitation/render service)
9:00 – 12Noon – YPD (meeting and elections)
13th District Agenda Components Meet (If necessary, except Nehemiah Nation)
12 Noon – Reporting of Components; Closing Worship, Dr. Calvin H. Sydnor, III, Editor, The Christian Recorder

Passing the P.E.A.C.E. – Positive Energy Always Creates Elevation!

*** Plenary Sessions ****Rev. Ronald L. Owens, Augusta, Georgia U.S. Army Chaplain, Major (Retired)Conflict ResolutionLeadership Problem SolvingSeparating Issues from EventsOvercoming Barriers

11. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

Regretfully we share news of the passing of Mr. Arthur Robertson, Jr., the brother of Mrs. Carrie Robertson Grady (Episcopal Supervisor, Retired).

The Funeral was held on Wednesday, January 12, 2005
St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church
500 Noble Street
Winston Salem, North Carolina

Condolences may still be sent to :

Bishop and Mrs. Zedekiah L. Grady
1 Wespanee Drive
Charleston, SC 29407
Phone: (843) 766-9569 - FAx: (843) 556-8659
Email: W1MG2CL@aol.com

12. FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MRS. PRISCILLA BOONES, THE MOTHER OF EPISCOPAL SUPERVISOR MARY KIRKLAND, 9TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT WAS HELD ON SATURDAY, JAUARY 15, 2005:

The Funeral was held on Saturday, January 15, 2005 at 12:00 noon at the Waterloo Baptist Church, 807 Madison Avenue, Lorman, Mississippi.

Condolences may still be sent to the family:

Mrs. Mary Kirkland, 2120 Park Brook Lane, Birmingham, AL 35215 205-601-1748 (Mrs. Kirkland's cell phone)

13. CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT NOTICE:

It's Chaplain David R. Brown from Naval Station, Norfolk, VA. I would like to inform you that my mother-in-law, Mrs. Joan G. Turner, died suddenly on the morning of 11 January. She was a life-long member of Third Street Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. The specifics pertaining to her homegoing service are as follows:

Homegoing Celebration for Mrs. Joan G. Turner was held Saturday, January 15, 2005 12:00 p.m.

Eulogy: The Reverend Daryl K. Kearny, pastor of Third Street Bethel AME Church.

Expressions may be sent to the following addresses:

Mr. Raymond Turner
525 Montvale Avenue
Richmond, VA. 23222

OR

Chaplain and Mrs. David R. Brown
2316 Skipjack Lane
Chesapeake, VA 23323

Telephone: 757-558-4177

In lieu of flowers, our family requests that donations be made to the following:

ALS Association
615 South Frederick Avenue, Ste. 308
Gaithersburg, MD 20877

www.alsinfo.org

Thank you in advance for your prayers and support!
Blessings, Chaplain David R. Brown

14. ALL CONDOLENCE MESSAGES ABOVE WERE FORWARDED BY:

Sister Ora L. Easley, President

CONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEB SITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Pagehttp://connmswawo3.com/index.html
AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

15. THE REVEREND WILLIAM HOWARD SMITH REPORTED THE DEATH OF BROTHER WILLIAM SAVANNAH FREY:

William Savannah (Daddy Frey) Frey, age 93, (The Father of the Rev. Nathan Frey, our pastor at Woodfork Chapel AME Church, Shelbyville, TN, Tennessee Conference, 13th Epics. District) died at his Nashville, TN residence on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at 12:45 a.m.

Survived by 6 daughters; 3 sons; 28 grandchildren; 64 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends. Family visitation was held on Sunday, January 16, 2005 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church, 212 Neil Ave., Nashville, Tennessee, with Rev. Sidney Bryant officiating, and Rev. Nathan Frey, Eulogist.

The burial was conducted on Monday, January. 17, 2005 at 10 a.m. in Clarksville, Tennessee at Rest-Lawn Memorial Garden.

Rev. Nathan Frey 735 N 9th St Nashville, TN 37206-3956 (615) 227-4548

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER (1/10/04)

A MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR:

I had to purchase a new computer last week and after transferring information from one computer to the new one, I had to completely erase everything off of the new computer and as a result, lost several important email messages and articles that were sent to me. Among them, was the speech that the Reverend Dr. Joe Darby gave last week at the Interfaith Service in memory and in honor of the tsunami victims in South Asia. It was dynamite speech and I will share it if Dr. Darby still has a copy of it and would be willing to resend it.

I also lost a piece that I was going to put in about St. John AME Church in Nashville. The Laity of St. John have a Founder's Day T-shirt initiative and the phrase on the T-shirt honors the AME Founder's Day as the "Original Black History Month Celebration." Think about it! Research (and someone at St. John may have already done the research) might show that our Founder's Day was the original Black History Week (now month) celebration. I wonder why Carter G. Woodson chose February? Was he building upon what was already established by the African Methodist Episcopal Church's Founder’s Day?

I also lost an article that I was writing about the Reverend Dr. Hardy who teaches at Tennessee State University and who heads the Religion Department at TSU. While speaking with him, I thought, "We have a lot of talent in the AME Church."

And, finally, I lost the Funeral Notification that was sent and that I was going to forward.

So, last week was unusual, but God is good and God is still on the throne.

I heard a great contemporary Spirit-filled sermon yesterday by the Reverend Donald Garner who is the Youth Director for Christian Education for the Thirteenth Episcopal District. He is also on the ministerial staff at Shorter Chapel AME Church, Franklin, Tennessee where the Reverend Charlotte Sydnor is the pastor. Reverend Garner's sermon was "on target." He is a gifted young man who made the sermon relevant for young and old.

This morning I had the opportunity to speak with the Reverend Denise Rogers who Pastors in Montana, in the Fifth Episcopal District. She is a rural preacher and is a contemporary circuit rider. She travels 500 miles, yes that's FIVE HUNDRED miles to get to one of her churches. She does not drive; she rides the bus to carry the word of God. She told me that it's a warm day in Montana this morning; it's only 15 degrees below zero. It's usually about 30 degrees below zero this time of the year. I am sure that there are other stories out there.

I am on my way to the Annual Seminar on Church Growth and Development that will be held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina beginning tomorrow and will run through Friday. That event is sponsored by the Department of Church Growth and Development. Bishop Preston Warren Williams II is the Commission Chairman and the Reverend Dr. James C. Wade is the Executive Director. Bishop Vashti McKenzie will deliver the Inaugural Worship Service sermon. Other preachers include, Bishop Williams, Reverend Melvin Capers, Bishop Richard Norris, The Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and Bishop A.J. Richardson. The Seminar includes sessions on Clinical Pastoral Leadership, Expository Bible Study, worship, effective outreach and a seaside prayer vigil for those in the Armed Forces.

I hope to be sending updates during the week from Myrtle Beach.

My email address: chsydnor@bellsouth.net

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/5/05)

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR;

Yesterday was a full day and well into the night of setting up my new computer. The computer I originally purchased had hardware problems and after tearing it apart and strating all over again, I had to eventually take it back and return it and purchase another computer. I had to go through the whole installation process a second time. I am just now getting finished installing all of the "bells and whistles"; I hope!

Feel free to send me articles and comments. We just ask that you sign your full name.


NOTICE OF BEREAVEMENT:

Date: 1/4/2005 12:30:29 PM Central Standard Time
From: PrTate@zoominternet.net
To: Amespouses1@aol.com


Mrs. Wanda Elaine Mason Brown, passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sunday, January 2, 2005. She is the wife of Rev. John B. Brown, Sr. (retired pastor) 3rd Episcopal District.

Arrangements:

Family Visitation: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m; Wednesday, January 5, 2005 Antioch AME Church, 765 S. Hairston Road Stone Mountain, Georgia

404-299-3388 (Phone)
The Rev. Stafford Wicker, Pastor
Arrangements by: Haugabrooks Funeral Home
404-522-8217 (Phone)

A full service will be held in Akron, Ohio
1:00 p.m.Saturday, January 8, 2005
Stewart Calhoun Funeral Home
529 W. Thornton StreetAkron,
OH 44307
330-535-1543 (Phone)
Send Condolences to the Funeral Homes or to:

The Rev. John B. Brown, Sr.
2626 Weigelia Road
Atlanta, GA 30345
404-633-8890 (Phone)

Death notice can be viewed at ajc.com/obits
Please keep the entire family in your prayers.
Humbly submitted,Geraldine M. Tate, PresidentM-SWAWO plus PK's 3rd Episcopal District

God Bless!

Ora L. Easley, PresidentCONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.com
Phone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEBSITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Page: http://connmswawo3.com/index.html
AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html
CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE (1/4/05

COMMENTS FROM THE EDITOR:

I have observed that the Holy Communion liturgy is not done according to the rubric in The AMEC Hymnal. I have often observed that the pastor prays (reads) The Prayer of Thanksgiving and The Gloria in Excelsis. The Elder and the people should recite The Prayer of Thanksgiving and The Gloria in Excelsis.

The protocol in the printed liturgy in The Book of Worship and The AMEC Hymnal of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is that bolded type should be read / prayed by the people. If one looks at the printed liturgy as printed in The Hymnal, it is clear that the bolded print requires a response by the people because it clearly states, "The minister and all the people…" The Prayer of Thanksgiving, preceded by The Lord's Prayer, instructs, "After which shall be said," is a continuation of the rubric that precedes The Lord's Prayer which says, "Then the Elder and people pray in union…"

The confusion might be a result of the Communion liturgy in the 2000 Book of Discipline, which instructs "Then shall the Elder say, The Lord's Prayer" (Page 515). Thus The Communion liturgy in The 2000 Book of Discipline and The Hymnal are in rubricated differently.

Liturgically and historically, I believe The Hymnal is correct. The Christian Recorder invites comments from the Liturgists in our Zion.

IS THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH ORGANIZING A CONCERTED EFFORT TO ASSIST THE NATIONS IN SOUTH ASIA WHO ARE IN NEED AS A RESULT OF THE TSUNAMI DISASTER LAST WEEK? I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD:

Nationwide efforts are being organized to collect funds to assist nations affected by the tsunami disaster. The local news in Nashville in Nashville last night cautioned viewers to be cognizant of unscrupulous organizations attempting to benefit from funds being collected for the tsunami disaster.

It would be helpful if we, as African Methodists, could channel our funds in a collective way, or at least be directed to a legitimate agency. In my mind, the AME Church is a legitimate agency.

SUBSCRIPTION TO THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER ONLINE IS FREE, BUT THE COST TO RECEIVE THE PRINTED COPY OF THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER IS $26 PER YEAR AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IS ENCOURAGED TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR NEWSPAPER:

I had an opportunity to speak with my friend and ordination classmate, the Reverend Dr. Joseph D. Patterson one of the Presiding Elders in the First Episcopal District (The Philadelphia Annual Conference) who asked me about the procedure of subscribing to The Christian Recorder in hardcopy. I told him that I would put a reminder in the next mail out of The Christian Recorder Online. So here it is:

Get The Christian Recorder in hardcopy mailed directly to your home!
Call 1-800-648-8724 and make your payment using your credit card.

or, send $26.00 check or money order payable to:

"The Christian Recorder" for a one-year subscription.

Mail it to:The Christian Recorder,

500 8th Avenue South,

Nashville, TN 37203

If you are not receiving The Christian Recorder, please contact me via email: chsydnor@bellsouth.net or call the 800 number listed above.

I have received information that some of our subscribers are not receiving their Christian Recorders and we are checking out those complaints. We will get it straightened out. The Publisher, the Reverend Dr. Johnny Barbour and I, the Editor, are committed to insuring that you receive The Christian Recorder.

The Christian Recorder Online is free and one may subscribe to it by going to:

www.the-christian-recorder.org just put in your email address, and name, if you wish. You do not have to worry about putting in a password. You will receive a message from The Christian Recorder Online asking you to reply to the message if indeed you wish to subscribe. This is done in order that only those who want to subscribe will receive the online edition.

FROM PASTOR NORMAN D. VICK FROM THE VIRGINIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE SECOND EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:

The relief efforts are underway for those nations in South Asia who were affected by last week's tsunami. Such a loss in that part of the world also affects us.

Each broadcast brings with it, insights into the power of nature and the finiteness of humankind. The tragedy took me back to a required reading in seminary to the book by Leonard Sweet, entitled, Soultsunami: Sink or Swim in New Millennium Culture. I revisited the book after last week's tsunami disaster and I have a new sense of what the author was referring to when he wrote about the new paradigms needed by the church for an ever-changing contemporary society.

While some people prefer to avoid viewing the tragic scenes on the news and seeing the helplessness surrounding the tsunami disaster, my thoughts also went to the choices facing the church today: We can run from the tides and waves or we can go to higher ground.

AUTHOR JEANETTE T. JOHNS RESPONDS TO INQUIRY ABOUT THE PURCHASE OF HER BOOK, ABOUT BISHOP NICHOLS ENTITLED, THE UPWARD JOURNEY:

The only source of "The Upward Journey" is the A.M.E. Publishing Company. 5,000 copies were published and, to my knowledge, most of them have been sold. The A.M.E. Publishing Co. may have a few more copies available. I have just a few left, but I'd be willing to sell copies to others if you get more inquiries. I can be contacted by email: jjohns@suffolk.lib.ny.us

Like Bishop Nichols' daughters, I am anxious to get his story to as many people as possible. It's so exciting to me to see that this book has taken on "new life", thanks to your mention of it. Thank you again for taking the time with this.

Jeanette T. Johns

CLERGY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE 20TH EPISCOPAL DISTRICT:

It is with regret that I inform you of the untimely passing of Mrs. Nonthando Mpala, wife of the Reverend Ndodana Mpala of Thomas Temple, (named after the late Bishop Cornelius Thomas) Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, 20th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
She was laid to rest on December 23, 2004. May God give her eternal rest.

Condolences may still be sent through Mrs. P. Musa, Episcopal President, 20th District: macamusa@ecoweb.co.zw

Contact: The family of Mrs. Nonthando Mpala c/o Mrs. P.Musa, Episcopal President20th Episcopal District African Methodist Episcopal Church

Email: macamusa@ecoweb.co.zw
Please remember the family in your prayers.

God Bless!Ora L. Easley, PresidentCONN-M-SWAWO +PK'SEmail: Amespouses1@aol.comPhone: (615) 837-9736Fax: (615) 833-3781

WEBSITES: http://www.amemswwpk.org/

CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Home Page: http://connmswawo3.com/index.html

AME Church Clergy Family Forum: http://connmswawo3.com/membership.html

CONN-M-SWAWO + P.K.'S Membership Listing

A REPRINT - THE A.M.E. CHURCH REVIEW SHOULD BE READ BY EVERY CLERGY PERSON IN THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND BY EVERY LAYPERSON WHO IS SERIOUS ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH:

Yesterday, I stopped by the office of the Reverend Dr. Dennis Dickerson, the Editor-Publisher, Historiographer and Executive Director, Department of Research and Scholarship. He handed me the current issue of The A.M.E. Church Review and I perused through it while we chatted. Every now and then I would interrupt him to share some tidbit of new information that I was picking up while perusing through "The Review." Each time I interrupted, I felt slightly ashamed of my bad manners because I thought that Dr. Dickerson must have felt that I was not paying full attention to our conversation because I know that interjecting unrelated issues in a conversation is bad manners.

Well, I kept on doing it because I was amazed at all of the great information that was in our A.M.E. periodical! I finally said to Dr. Dickerson, "All of our preachers should be reading The Review; this is great stuff!" And then he told me that The Review had less than 4000 subscriptions and that a lot of our pastors have not subscribed to The A.M.E. Church Review; and very few laypersons are subscribed to it. That should not be the case. In my opinion, The A.M.E. Church Review is the best denominational periodical that I have ever read.

I want to share with you some of the things that I perused as I scanned and am now reading The A.M.E. Church Review. Dr. Dickerson has put in a biographical profile of all of the newly elected bishops. All of them were successful pastors and all of them are seminary graduates; six of them have earned doctorates.

Some AME Church trivia picked up perusing The Review: We have had 5 bishops born in Africa; 4 bishops born in Mississippi; 8 bishops born in Alabama; 11 bishops born in Florida; and 2 bishops born in Texas. I wonder how many bishops were born in South Carolina? I learned from reading this edition of The Review that at least one bishop, John Mifflin Brown, was born in Delaware.

There are a number of great articles in theology, history, and from the contemporary perspective that could give foundation and relevance to our preaching and teaching. Of particular note to me is the article written by the late Eugene C. Hatcher. When I thought of Bishop Hatcher, I thought about a great preacher and the hymn, "The Storm is Passing Over." I did not realize that he was a scholar. If you read his article entitled, "Peter," you will be blessed. He was a scholar and theologian in addition to being a great preacher.

In the area of Biblical Studies, the late Bishop R.R. Wright, scholar - theologian, authored an exhaustive work entitled, "Jesus." He breaks down the titles, Son of David, the Christ, Son of Man, Son of God; and writes about Jesus' mission, death and the Second Coming. You want some "meat" for a sermon, Hatcher and Wright has it packed in their articles. They were "prime-time" bishops.

There are three great sermons by Bishops Belin, Kirkland and Adams. As I read those sermons, I began to experience some ambivalence for I thought, "If every AME preacher subscribed to The Review and read these sermons, then it would make it more difficult for those of us who read The Review to rework, tweak and preach some of the thoughts in these sermons.

Ever hear of Bishop John Mifflin Brown? I am sure that I have seen his name on the Quadrennial calendars with the pictures and names of our bishops, but I never paid attention to the name, John Mifflin Brown. I thought that every Brown Chapel AME Church in America was named after Bishop Morris Brown. And surely I thought that Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama was named after Morris Brown, but it wasn't. It was named after Bishop John Mifflin Brown, who was born in Delaware. Dr. Eldridge R. Ryan has penned and informative and an enlightening article about Bishop John Mifflin Brown. With February and Founder's Day approaching, the material in The A.M.E. Church Review would be a great resource of information. If you have not subscribed, I would suggest you do so.

Articles written by Bishops William DeVeaux, Preston W. Williams II and the other authors in the current issue of The A.M.E. Church Review offer a "banquet" of relevant articles that should be of interest to AMEs all over the world.

The Bookshelf gives us options of books that we might, and should, want to read. I got a sense that the Holy Spirit's was working in all of this as a read the book review of Reginald F. Hildebrand of Jeanette T. Johns' book, The Upward Journey: A Centenarian's Chronicle - Personal Stories of Bishop Decatur Ward Nichols, Revered Clergyman of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. A couple of days ago I wrote about what that book and the life of Bishop Nichols meant to me and I did not know that the current issue of The A.M.E. Church Review was going to be dealing with Jeanette Johns' book on Bishop Nichols.

I am closing with the thought that every pastor and serious laypersons should subscribe to and should read The A.M.E. Church Review. Come to think about it, every applicant for ministry should be required to subscribe to, The A.M.E. Church Review! To do so just drop Dr. Dennis Dickerson a note: Whhbutler@cs.com or call his office: 615.248-0905.

And, to carry it further, we, AMEs should be subscribed to all of our periodicals. Our periodicals are ours and no one will tell our story better than we, ourselves, can tell it!

Please do not let it be said of us as A.M.E. pastors, "Put it in The A.M.E. Church Review (or our other A.M.E. periodical) and they will never see it."

I certainly hope, in addition to the Bible, pastors are reading other books. For preaching and counseling to be relevant, pastors must be well-rounded and well-read!