JANUARY-FEBRUARY ISSUE
CATHEDRALTIMES
A Bi-Monthly News Journal of the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral, 3504 Great Neck Road, Amityville, NY 11701 (631) 842-7091
The Year in Review! ! Understanding God Better!
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Media and Ministry Church News
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CATHEDRALTIMES January-February Issue
From the Shepherd’s Heart Looking Forward to a New Year
Table of Contents Editorial! ! ! In Times Like These! Theological Gathering! Maturing America! ! Year in Review! ! Where Now! ! Media & Miinistry! ! Church News! ! Marketing the Ministry!
By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min. Last year, we here at the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral launched this publication in an effort to provide a literary outlet for our ministry and provide a means where we could inform our members and friends of the various activities that are taking place in the life of this church.
! This is our first issue for the year 2008 and we are excited over the possibilities that exist for us as we move forward. Throughout this issue, we will be looking back at the various events and activities that we have engaged in and that have defined us as a ministry. In addition to our review, we are reflecting upon those things that define us as a congregation. One of the themes that we are embracing in this New Year is our slogan “Changing the Way We Do Church” which is indicative of our efforts to not only shift our paradigm, but literally change it to conform to the new realities of this post modern world that we currently live in. We invite you to read the articles that we have prepared in the next
Cathedral Times Staff Bishop Andy C. Lewter! Nadine Johnson!! Eddie Ward! ! Karen Lanham! ! Betty Hickson! ! Calvin Watt! ! Julius Williams! ! Kathy Smith! ! William Jones! !
several pages. The aim and the goal of this publication is to be a publication not limited to the members of our congregation, but we pray that what you will read will have an appeal to all who come in contact with this publication. Finally, let me share with you my appreciation and debt to our church family. It was exactly two years ago that I came to Hollywood as the full time pastor of the congregation. I am now moving into the third year of
Publisher Secretary Photos Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff Staff
my pastorate and I am overwhelmed with how God has blessed the ministry in such a short period of time. I have resolved to use this year to further my quest to truly make a difference in the lives of the people in our church and a difference in the neighborhood in which we live. I trust that you will join us as we seek to seize the day and bring about a revival in our time that will bring people closer to God.
Hollywood Baptist Cathedral after nearly fifty years of ministry. The book details his early life and By Staff Writer On Sunday, December 30th, a life collegiate years and spends a great deal of time describing his 50+ years with and legacy was celebrated in the the love of his life, Mother Ruth Fuller person of Dr. Andy C. “Daddy” Lewter. Lewter. Not only did Daddy Lewter Over the next several months, peach the final sermon of the 2007 Daddy Lewter will be criss-crossing year, but he also officially released his Long Island on a book signing tour book to the public The book, entitled, “In Times Like with local congregations that he has had a relationship with during the These”, captures the life of Daddy tenure of his pastorate. Books are Lewter from his birth and boyhood in available in the church office for those Sebring, Florida right up to and that are interested. through his retirement from the
The End of the Year The Release of a Book
Dr. Andy C. “Daddy” Lewter delivers the final Sunday morning sermon at the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral while also debuting his new book “In Times Like These”, a memoir.
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CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2008 Issue
Theological Intensives
Giving People a Greater Understanding of God By Staff Writer
Over the last year, the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral has lent support to two major theological events. The events were sponsored by the New Life School of Theology and the Graduate School of Theological Studies. One of the three lecturers supported by the church this past year was Dr. Robert Franklin, who at the time, was serving as professor of Ethics at Chandler School of Theology. Since then, Dr. Franklin has been appointed President of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. The final presenter at the Winter 2007 Intensive was Dr. Henry H. Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell presented a unique lecture on the preaching of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He presented the material as one who was a contemporary of Dr. King during the modern Civi Rights Movement. The second of these two events took place in September of 2007 on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary. At that event, Dr. Leslie Callahan, a Church Historian who teaches at the University of Pennsylvania, provided the attendees with a brilliant overview
Fall Theological Intensive of 2007 pictured to the right are those students who enrolled in the Fall Theological Intensive sponsored by the Graduate School of Theological Studies and was held on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey
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Dr. Henry Mitchell presented his material as one who was a contemporary of Dr. King during the Modern Civil Rights Movement... ...Dr Williams lecture was the type of which great oratory is made Staff Writer
of the function of the African American preacher over the course of the last three hundred years. Dr. Callahan used the works of Dubois and others to illustrate the pivotal role the preacher has played in the life of the African American community. In addition to Dr. Callahan, Dr. Michael P. Williams of the Houston Community College delivered an illuminating lecture on the role of the Black Preacher in the Post Modern era. Dr. Williams’ lecture was the type that of which great oratory is made. Bishop Lewter also delivered lectures at all of the intensives.
a Martin Luther King, Jr. and the tired feet of a strong willed seamstress by the name of Rosa Parks. It is for these reasons, and By Staff Writer more, that the current participants At the time of this writing, both of the presidential election signals of the national political parties a real change in American politics. were preparing for the January The leading candidates of the 8th New Hampshire Primary. race happens to be an African Therefore, the outcome of the American, a woman with a race was not known to us. pronounced feminist perspective However, this article is not and a former governor who left about who wins the party the active pastorate of a Southern nomination or the presidential election. Baptist congregation to take on ! What is of greater interest the position of Lieutenant and purpose, in this article, is what Governor of Arkansas. the current presidential race means in The observation here is that terms of the maturing of America. never before has the field of One hundred years ago, America candidates represented such a had just moved into the 20th century. diverse array of individuals who As a nation, the country was less than 50 years from having finished fighting the Civil War. In those fifty One of the greatest years, America had been given a Christian quotes of all time glimpse of justice with reconstruction, only to have the I have a dream that one hands of time turned backwards day my four little children with the arrival Jim Crow and will not be judged by the officially legislated segregation with color of their skin but by the Plessy vs Ferguson Supreme the content of their character Court Decision. Even fifty years ago, America Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was having its conscious pricked by
just a few years ago were locked out of the political process altogether. The fact that these three candidates are involved means that America has grown to the point that it can be totally inclusive of its entire population. Perhaps we are seeing that after three hundred years, America is learning the lessons of Christianity at its best, my, would Jesus be proud.
maintains the church’s network and computer system. Under his direction, the former computer lab is being transformed to a state of the By Stafff Writer One of the newer projects underway art classroom and boardroom that at the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral is will feature a conference table, three computer workstations and a the creation of a “Smart Classroom projector system. There will also be on the second floor of the church two marker boards for teaching annex building. purposes. The project is under the The room will be used by CDM, direction of the church’s Ministry Meetings and Bishop Informational Technology Lewter’s Bible College classroom Department (IT) and is headed by Brother William Jones. Brother Jones instructions.
Smart Classroom Creating a Space for Better Learning
Brother William Jones is heading up our efforts to install a “Smart Classroom”.
CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2008 Issue
Maturing America What the 2008 Presidential Race Means for Christianity
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CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2000 Issue
Two of the major themes for the last year has been strong family connections as represented by the picture to the left which features the Chairman of the Deacon Board, Fred Miley and his wife Hazel. The other feature of the year was the strong sense of praise and worship as pictured below. The year of 2007 was the year that many new members joined, but just as importantly, it was also the year that many of the members grew closer to the Lord. Hollywood Baptist Cathedral Administration
The Year in Review God is Good, All Of The Time By Staff Writer
The year of 2007 came in with a whirlwind and it is difficult to believe that the year has already come to an end. But with the end of the year having already have arrived, we are delighted with all that has taken place this year. The year began with us sponsoring our first Martin Luther King Breakfast held at the Long Island Hilton Hotel in Melville, New York. The event sponsored several notable names from our community and featured the speaking of Rev.
Joel King, first cousin of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our next major event was Community Day which was an all day outdoor event that included, rides, games and entertainment of the first order. Each ministry in the church had a share in the event and the event drew the participation of several local officials and guests. Rounding out the year was our first cotillion since 1974. Twelve debutants along with escorts, ladies in waiting, junior debs and escorts and
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parents combined to make the event the social event of the year. The Music Ministry treated the church to a special event during the holiday season with a totally renovated Christmas Cantata that included dance, step and choral music of every kind. The year closed with a Watch Night Service that featured that the journey of African Americans in this country.
By Staff Writer
enlargement of the church’s physical plant. ! The focus of the church and its emphasis for 2008 is on the building of people. Most of what is planned for the new year is centered around maturing and growing members into becoming more productive as Christians and Children of God. Teaching and instructions are the goal for next year. Fellowship is more than fellowship, it involves a strong sense of community as well. In 2008, we will be striving to create community in With the year 2007 firmly under our belt, the the new sense of the word. next natural question is where do we go from While there are all kinds of things that here. How do we take the wealth of separate us from each other, the reality is that experiences that have been gathered in the we have more in common with each other than previous year and apply it to making we are different from each other. The year meaningful advancements in the future. 2008 marks a new year, and with it, comes a During the year of 2007, we placed a great brand new opportunity to wed ourselves to each deal of emphasis on the building and improving other emotionally and spiritually. the physical facility of the church. Toward this Jesus was once asked how will the world end, there was the re-pavement of the church’s know that you are disciples that belong to the parking lot that stood as the highest priority of fellowship of Jesus. The response was that by the church’s capital improvement program. the way that we love each other, the world will By the Fall, the parking lot had been know that we belong to Jesus. completed, and much to the credit of the This may not be the year that we build new congregation, it was done without acquiring structures but we are striving to make it the year any additional debt to the church. An that we prove to our community and the world assortment of other improvements were also that nobody can do a better job of loving each included in the accomplishments of the year. other than we can. Perhaps the most meaningful shift in the church’s accomplishments was the adoption of a new paradigm that eliminated the traditional programmatic focus of the church. The various ministries now celebrate their annual days jointly, thereby bringing great relief to an already congested church calendar. The question now becomes where do we go from here. The new focus of the church is not in brick and mortar. It is not in the expansion of programs or the creation of new ones. It is not attached to capital improvements or the
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CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2008 Issue
Where Do We Go From Here? The Lord is Great in 2008
CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2000 Issue
Most futurist predict that the line between television and the computer will continue to be blurred over the next several years. As such, ministries must face the fact that the primary means of reaching people will move beyond traditional practices of radio and the newspaper. Hollywood is one of the emerging churches that is thinking with intentionality, how to develop an internet strategy. No congregation can be content to only have a website that announces their worship times.
Media and Ministry a Powerful Combination Using New Tools to Reach New Audiences By Staff Writer
While Most churches spend time and energy trying to stay away from the tools of the secular, we here at the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral, with great intentionality, are turning to some of the same tools that are used by the secular to expand its reach and increase its productivity. Tools like “youtube.com” and video-streaming have become integrated into the mainstream of the ministry at the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral. In terms of “youtube.com”, Bishop Lewter now produces a video blog that is placed on the churches youtube page each month. This has become a place where the bishop can offer a pastoral perspective on many of the major topics of the day.
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Hollywood Baptist Cathedral is one of the few churches on Long Island that streams its worship service to the internet each Sunday, live from the sanctuary. Electronic worshipers can view the service by visiting the web page “http://www.bishoplewter.com/hbcc/ live.html” for the live video of the worship service and http://www.bishopewter.com/hbcc/archive.html for a video on demand of the worship service each week. Each week the church sends out a little more than 5,000 emails to people around the globe inviting them to experience Hollywood either live or on demand at their own convenience. New tools to reach new people is the direction of the ministry.
By Staff Writer
One of the ministries of Hollywood Baptist Cathedral that has truly come of age during the year 2007 is that of the Christian Development Ministry that is the brainchild of Elder Diedrea Jones. Elder Jones had been ordained in 2006 and the CDM Ministry was the particular ministry being promoted by Elder Jones. The ministry was designed to be a resource to new members of the church and provide them with a link where they could acquaint themselves with the culture of the congregation. The format of the ministry includes each new member being assigned an advisor that remains available with the new member throughout their duration at the church. The CDM Ministry is an extension of the pastoral care Ministry of the church where the advisors and Pastoral Cares Elders work as a team to meet the needs of the congregation. In an effort to educate new members on the culture of the congregation, CDM offers set classes each Sunday with a specific teacher is assigned. Each Fifth Sunday there is an “Alumni Class� for all person who have matriculated through the program. This past year, the CDM Ministry has processed approximately 120 new members into the church. Each month, CDM conducts a graduation service and ceremony that celebrates and affirms the new members of the congregation.
Remaining Relevant Hosting the NAACP By Staff Writer
In the month of December, the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral performed one of its many community services by officially hosting the annual church service of the area NAACP. The Central Long Island NAACP is the oldest chapter of the national organization on Long Island. The other chapters on Long Island include Hempstead, Islip and Riverhead. Each year the Central Long Island chapter holds an event that is hosted by one of the local churches in the area of the chapter. this is done in part, to keep alive the vibrant relationship between the NAACP and the faith community. The local chapter invited as their special guest Hazel Dukes. Mrs. Dukes is the president of the New York Conference of NAACP Chapters. As such, she presides over all of the local chapters in the state of New York. Mrs. Dukes challenged all in attendance to work harder as parents and adults to produce a new generation of responsible young people. The service was presided over by Bishop Lewter and included the singing of the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral Choir.
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Bridge Ministry Helping New Members to Adjust By Staff Writer
One of the products of the CDM Ministry has been the establishment of the Bridge Ministry which is a follow up ministry to the efforts to orientate new members to the church. Minister Kevin Franklin, who entered the ministry last year says that while at Hollywood he noticed that a number of new members were having problems making the transition to church life. Minister Franklin was used by God to create a ministry where the main objective would be for the members of the church to concentrate on learning the fundamental teachings and doctrines of the church. To better appeal to the intended audience of the ministry, activities are scheduled for Saturday afternoon as opposed to Sunday morning. The activity begins at 2 PM and lasts for about 2 hours. The ministry has been going on for about eight months and the ministry is seeing steady growth and support from the congregation. Minister Franklin has recruited several of the preaching elders of the church to participate. Many of the new members of the church are attending church for the first time in their lives, so the Bridge Ministry has become a vital tool for many of the new members of the congregation.
CATHEDRALCTIMES
Christian Development Ministry
CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2008 Issue
Marketing the Ministry Changing the Way We Do Church By Staff Writer
While word of mouth is still the best means to promote any ministry, the Hollywood Baptist Cathedral resorted to some unconventional ways to let people know that the church is interested in them knowing where the church is. Starting in the Fall of last year, the church purchased a number of yard signs, the type of which are used by stores advertising that they are going out of business. With fifty signs in hand, the “Boys to Men Ministry” took to the streets each Saturday after 3:00 PM and place the signs along the main corridor that runs in front of the church, Great Neck Road. In addition, signs were placed along the auxiliary access road of the church as well, Brefni Avenue. In recent weeks, the signs were placed on the property to the immediate north and south of the church. This would be the Booker Avenue (Dr. Andy C. Lewter Blvd) lot and the Monroe Street lot. At the close of the fall season last year, the Amityville Varsity Football Team made the
Marketing the Ministry The pictures to the right show two areas that Hollywood Baptist Cathedral is attempting to make a difference and use out of the box methods to improve the image of the church. The first sign shows the church’s community spirit and congratulates the local varsity football team on their recent championship. The second sign promotes the church’s worship times and are placed just north and south of the church.
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At a time when violence and dysfunctional behavior are the primary images associated with our youth, it is important that we as adults and parents let our young people know how proud we are of them when they do well Bishop Andy C. Lewter
entire community proud by winning the Division IV Long Island Championship. The team beat Mt. Sinai, Babylon and Seaford on their way to the title. As a demonstration of community support and pride, the church placed two large signs on the corner of Great Neck Road and Albany Avenue. In a letter addressed to the North Amityville Community Economic Council Board of Directors, Bishop Lewter stated that it was good to see a place formerly known for drugs and other negative behavior become a place where young people could be acknowledged and affirmed.
CATHEDRALTIMES January-February 2008 Issue CATHEDRALTIMES 2 Monroe Street Amityville, New York 11701