17th Episcopal District Bishop David R. Daniels Visits President of Zambia
Rev. Royd Mwandu, 17th Episcopal District Field Representative
Covid-19 was a threat to the entire globe. Lives were lost due to the devastating effects of the pandemic.
Instead of the General Conference to be held as originally planned in 2020, it was moved to 2021.
The 51 st session of the General Conference was classified hybrid because unlike any other previous conferences, overseas delegates of 14, 15, 17, 18, 19 participated virtually.
At the end of the 51 st session of the General Conference, the Episcopal Committee assigned Bishop David R. Daniels to the 17 th Episcopal District.
CPOC Announces New Executive Director Tonya McClary
During a public Citizens Police Oversight Commissioner (CPOC) meeting on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, CPOC commissioners voted to hire Tonya McClary as the new executive director to lead the commission. All six commissioners unanimously confirmed McClary’s candidacy. She begins her tenure in May 2024.
The official residence and bishop’s office of the 17 th Episcopal District is in ...continued on p3 ...continued on p3
Chakwera Hails African Methodist Episcopal Church for Social and Economic Contribution Made to Malawi
Alfred Chauwa
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has commended the African Methodist Episcopal Church for being a crucial part of the struggle that Malawians underwent.
Chakwera said this at a centenary celebr ation ceremony at Hannock Msokera Primary School Ground in Kasungu. Bishop Richard Allen founded the church in 1816 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, and was brought into the
The Theology of Space and Place
Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Columnist
In the overall worldview and our faith journey, we should be concerned with our space and place in the kingdom. /Kairos/ is Greek for “opportunity” or “perfect timing.” In my faith and questions regarding my journey, I realize God’s placement is a /kairos/ moment. It is a moment that only God can and will control. As I write this piece, I understand that our ministry is in a /kairos/ moment of opportunity and placement by God. Knowing that God has orchestrated your space and place is an awesome feeling. At this moment, I can see the handiwork of God, and
Women’s and Teen Girls’ Ministry Emerging: Rise Strong!
Rev. Dr. Joretha Wright
St. John AME Church, Huntsville, Alabama 35801
So women were created as life givers—not just physically but spiritually—who help, serve, and nurture others in strength, humility, and tender compassion. These are traits not necessarily limited to women, but also modeled for us by Christ (Matthew 23:37) and
his apostles (1 Thessalonians 2:7).
On Saturday, March 16, 2024, the Reverend Dr. Joretha Wright called together a group of women and teen girls to support and encourage each other. Approximately twenty women and ten young teens participated in the gathering. The morning began with a shared meal before moving to the sanctuary for an intense study of the Word.
As is our tradition, a special service project for this ministry was initiated. The participants and the St. John congregation were invited to donate feminine undergarments to several agencies in North Alabama.
Federal, state, and other local agencies work together to provide essential services and personal items to youth and families in need. Often women and girls require more essential items. As a mother of three adopted children who has worked in the foster care and welfare system for over ten years,
it became apparent that there was a shortage of quality, essential supplies for the female population in care. In response to this observation and need, the Reverend Dr. Joretha Wright, Emerging Girl Project partnered with the St. John AME Church, Betty E. Derrick Missionary Society, to collect feminine hygiene products and undergarments. Once collected, these supplies and items made a significant difference in the lives of those in need, being donated to the Madison County Department of Human Resources closet for children in foster care, and The New Futures Inc. homeless family shelter.
Answering this call has blessed just a portion of a greater need for women and girls. The child welfare system is complex but we are grateful for your continued support and participation. We will continue to build new community partnerships designed to help those women and girls who need it the most, knowing that we are not alone in this important work.
His Hands and Feet in the Mississippi Delta
Joseph Parker, Dir., Outreach and Intercession/Radio Host More
God is doing wonderful things in the Mississippi Delta.
Allow me to share an exciting testimony of what the Lord just did in the last few days and how God reached through the Pregnancy Care and Hope Center Ministries in part to do it.
One of our clients, a precious young mom, has such a powerful testimony of how the Lord has demonstrated his eternal love for her and her family. “Patricia” was apparently a desperate young mother. So desperate, that she had driven across a number of states from her home in the Mississippi Delta to get a surgical ...continued on p6
THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER: The Christian Recorder (ISSN 1050-6039, USPS 16880) is the official organ of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a member of the Associated Church Press and the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Founded in 1852, it is printed monthly by the AMEC Sunday School Union, 900 13th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. Periodicals Postage Paid at Nashville, TN.
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Views expressed by the editor and/or other writers do not necessarily reflect the official views of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The Christian Recorder welcomes letters from its readers on matters of general interest. Letters must be exclusive to The Christian Recorder and must be signed, including the writer’s home address and business telephone number. No defamatory, libelous or slanderous letters will be printed; and The Christian Recorder reserves the right to reject or edit any letter or article to conform to good taste, style and space requirements. Although we are unable to acknowledge those letters we cannot publish, we appreciate the interest and value the views of those who take the time to send us their comments. Letters intended for publication should be addressed to The Christian Recorder /Letters to the Editor, 900 13th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. All photograph submissions are the property of The Christian Recorder and will not be returned.
country by the Reverend Hannock Msokera in 1924. Allen formed the church by gathering together five African American congregations of the previously established Methodist Episcopal Church, hoping to escape the commonplace discrimination in society, including churches.
During the function, Chakwera congratulated the African Methodist Episcopal Church on its 100 th anniversary in Malawi and commended its founder, Hannock Msokera, for bringing the church to Malawi. Chakwera also urged Malawians to honour the people who fought hard for Malawi to reach its current state.
The president hailed the AME Church for its role during Tropical Cyclone Freddy, during which the church built 21 houses. The church currently operates 26 primary schools and two secondary schools in Malawi, significantly contributing to the country.
It is also believed that the African Methodist Episcopal Church, through the Reverend Msokera, contributed to the education of Malawi’s first president, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
The AME Church has persistently advocated for African Americans’ civil and human rights through social improvement, religious autonomy, and political engagement while always being open to people of all racial backgrounds. ❏ ❏ ❏
Zambia, a country with about twenty million people.
Since 2021, efforts to secure an appointment for Bishop Daniels, Jr. to meet the president of Zambia, His Excellency Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, failed.
Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr. requested the field representative of the 17 th Episcopal District, the Rev. Royd Mwandu, if he could secure an appointment for him to meet the president.
Finally on Wednesday, May 29, 2024,
McClary is an attorney and an ordained itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church whose distinguished career includes extensive experience in criminal justice and civil rights. In addition to working as a public defender and advocate for human rights, McClary has developed subject matter expertise in the civilian oversight field.
McClary comes to CPOC from Dallas, where she served as the first oversight monitor and director of the Office of Community Police Oversight. She was instrumental in creating change at the Texas agency overseeing the eighth largest police department in the country. McClary was the first civilian to gain access to the Dallas Police Department’s Internal Affairs records, and her agency
Bishop David met the president of Zambia.
It was just another day in the history of the 17 th Episcopal District, as South West Zambia Conference in particular is the place where the bishop met the president.
The steering committee and good friend of the field representative, Bishop Joseph S. Kazhila, facilitated the appointment. He is the presiding bishop of Life Gospel Ministries Church International, whose head office is in Chingola.
The president started by officially
also created a hotline for protestors to report police misconduct. She also co-wrote the video release policy that requires the Dallas Police Department to release video footage related to officer-involved shootings and deaths in custody 72 hours after the incident. Prior to that, McClary was the chief monitor over the use of force in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“We eagerly anticipate CPOC’s next chapter and extend a warm welcome to Tonya McClary as our new executive director,” said Jahlee Hatchet. “In the weeks ahead, as Tonya is introduced to the Philadelphia community and the commission’s commitment to police accountability and transparency, she will be supported by the commissioners and the entire staff. The commissioners would also like to thank Mr. Erace, who has led the
opening the Copperbelt Mining and Agricultural Exposition CAMINEX. Immediately following the official opening, the president went to meet the clergy drawn from all the districts of Copperbelt Province. The gathering was at the Oasis of Love Church in Nkana West area of the city of Kitwe.
Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr. and his three special guests were among the people that welcomed the president to the Oasis of Love Church.
The bishop’s administrative assistant, the Rev. Margaret Nkana Mwanza, presiding elders the Rev. Amigo
organization through several ‘firsts’ and has successfully started the organizational build-out that the legislation intended and the citizens voted for.”
McClary’s hiring signals a new era for CPOC. Through the first three years, CPOC has achieved many reforms: becoming a permanent fixture in both the charging and disciplinary hearing process of officers; increasing community visibility, engagement, and partnership; and conducting policy reviews, collaborations, and recommendations. Additionally, CPOC has worked to build the foundation of a new investigative unit committed to promoting transparency and accountability. The staff and commissioners are grateful for Erace’s tenure and look forward to his continued support in the role of deputy.
Mwansa and the Rev. Yoram Kaoma, respectively, were in the bishop’s entourage.
A good number of pastors from South West Zambia Conference were present at the Oasis of Love Church where the president of Zambia was meeting over two thousand clergy drawn from different churches along the length and width of Copperbelt Province.
The Lay and Son’s of Allen leadership of Copperbelt East kicked off with welcoming the bishop at the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport.
“The naming of a permanent executive director is a big step forward for the commission. And Tonya McClary has the background and experience to help CPOC reach its potential,” said Erace. “The commissioners and the entire staff look forward to working with her as she leads to make Philadelphia a safer place to live.”
“Empowering communities through accountability and transparency in law enforcement is not just a mission; it’s a responsibility we owe to every citizen,” said McClary. “As the new executive director of the Citizens Police Oversight Commission, I am committed to fostering trust, promoting justice, and ensuring that our police serve and protect with integrity and respect for all.”
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I am thankful.
First, the theology of space and place means total surrender to God’s placement. I must admit this is not easy, but it is necessary for one to appreciate God’s movement in one’s life. I witness that if we trust God, God will give us our /kairos/ moment. Our job is to trust God.
abortion
While she was far from home in another state, and though her goal was to get an abortion, something else happened – something wonderful. She “accidentally” ran into the arms of Jesus. God sent a wonderful servant of the Lord from the national ministry, Love Life, along her path. This person persuaded her to keep her baby. Also, this same person shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Patricia, and Patricia received Christ as her Lord and Savior.
Patricia then proceeded to head back home, yet didn’t even have enough gas money to get home.
Well, Love Life contacted an individual in Mississippi, who, in turn, contacted our ministry, the Pregnancy Care and Hope Center Ministries. By God’s grace, we were able to connect with Patricia, and with the assistance of one or more other Love Life ministry people, we were able to help her get gas money
Second, the theology of space and place means we must seize the opportunity to make a difference in the kingdom. Theology of space and place means God puts us in the space for us to be a witness. Did we make a difference in space? Did we cherish the opportunity? I have asked these questions in my journey, and God has convicted
to make it back home.
Soon, my wife Birdie and I had the privilege of meeting Patricia in person. We got to meet with her, pray with her, and minister to her. Patricia right away let us know that she really wanted to get her own place to live. She and her children were all living with her mom in her mother’s home.
Fast-forward a few months, and Patricia gave birth to a beautiful baby boy—a handsome and very special little guy. Praise God! We continued to be in touch with Patricia and prayed for her over the months.
Within the last few weeks, we have been in touch with her and asked how we could pray for her. She shared, “I have found an apartment. I just need a little financial help, and I can get into it!”
Along with assistance from a local church, we were able to help her financially, and Patricia got her apartment! Praise the Lord! She
me to make a difference. When we take advantage of the /kairos/ moment, God can use us to make a difference. Our life is tied up with making the journey a little easier for someone else. I have asked God to use me in my present space and place for a time like this.
Last, we must allow God to take us where we can be faithful in our
was so excited that she texted me a picture of the keys to her new apartment, and she sent a number of additional texts expressing her excitement and gratitude to the Lord!
But you know who I believe was even more excited than Patricia? I believe God was.
I believe that God wanted Patricia to know that God loved her so much that Christ died on the cross to save her and that God wanted her to know, “Patricia, trust me, and I will take care of you, your baby, and your whole family!” And that’s what God did and is doing.
This is one beautiful story that God allowed the Pregnancy Care and Hope Center Ministry to be a part of. Brothers and sisters, this story illustrates the mission of the Pregnancy Care and Hope Center Ministry—helping to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with young moms and their families while also helping to save babies.
Look Where the Lord Has Brought Us From –
New Church Dedicated in Ft. Myers, Florida
Rev. Dr. Missiouri L. McPhee
Organized in 1888, Mount Olive Church is the oldest black and only African Methodist Episcopal (AME) congregation in Ft. Myers, Lee County, Florida. It is a thriving faith community that is spirit-led and mission-minded. An oasis in the desert of the Dunbar community, a predominantly black community in Ft. Myers, Florida, Mount Olive intentionally seeks opportunities to truly be “the church that cares.”
Under the guidance of its 49 th pastor, the Reverend James C. Givens, Mount Olive enlarged its territory through innovative and imaginative ministries, social justice advocacy, land acquisition, and the building of a new edifice …. all to the honor and glory of God. The
new edifice was dedicated during an afternoon worship service on Sunday, May 7, 2023, with the 138 th elected and consecrated bishop of the AME Church and the presiding prelate of the 11 th Episcopal District, Bishop Frank Madison Reid III, as the chief celebrant and preacher, before a joyous gathering of clergy, laity, and politicians from across the Connection and within the local community of Dunbar.
With its Romanesque-like architectural style, high voltage ceilings, spacious foyer accessorized with an opulent chandelier, and intimate chapel with a majestic stained-glass window of Bishop Richard Allen, the new edifice is awe-inspiring! In honor of Veronica Sapp
space and place. In the /kairos/ moment, faith becomes a verb, not a noun. Faith becomes action and movement under the hand of almighty God. When we travel in faith, our assurance on God grows. The mountain looks smaller, and the valley looks like we can walk through it. Let us celebrate our space and place. ❏ ❏ ❏
We would like to encourage you to find your local pregnancy care center. Also, please pray daily for its work and ministry. And consider volunteering in some way, or just calling them up and asking, “What can I do to help?
We would also ask that you please consider becoming a faithful prayer partner with us, praying for the work and ministry of the Pregnancy Care and Hope Center in the Mississippi Delta. You can also become a monthly financial supporter to help with the pregnancy center’s work and mission. Every seed of any size helps the mission to go forward.
For more information about Pregnancy Care and Hope Center Ministries, call 1-662–321–5859 or visit our website at deltapchc.org.
Pastor Joseph Parker is the pastor of Bethlehem AME Church in Winona, Mississippi, and the chairman of the Board of Pregnancy Care and Hope Center Ministries.
Shoemaker, the aunt of Gospel recording artist Mavin Sapp and the first African American elected to the city council of Ft. Myers, FL, the (L-R) The Rev. Randolph Miller (7 th), Bishop Frank M. Reid III, the Rev. Garland F. Pierce, the Rev. James C. Givens (seated).
...From His Hands p2
entrance of the new edifice faces Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard.
Befitting this momentous and historic occasion, the dedication services began with a ribbon cutting ceremony accompanied by a flag ceremony by the American Legion Post #38 (Rabe O. Wilkison Chapter) followed by a processional (for the first time) into the new edifice. Bishop Reid preached from the depths of his soul, “Look Where the Lord Has Brought Us From,” based on the 118 th Psalm, a psalm of an oppressed people who put their faith in God. Bishop reminded the gathering that this new edifice “is the Lord’s doing.” He encouraged the congregation to keep moving forward “because when we move forward, God will continue to bless us.” He further inspired the congregation to “fight the good fight of faith, fight for focus, fight for freedom, and fight for faith.” Councilman Johnny W. Streets, Jr. (Ward 2) and Councilwoman Teresa Watkins Brown (Ward 1), Ft. Myers City Council, were on hand to present Mount Olive with a proclamation marking this momentous occasion. Also in attendance was the Reverend Garland F. Pierce, the executive director of the Christian Education Department of the AME Church.
In his closing remarks, and with a full heart, the Reverend James C. Givens, who has been in pastoral ministry for 36 years and has built three churches (St. Stephen, Carol City/Miami Gardens; Mt. Olive, Tampa; and Mt. Olive, Ft. Myers), gave all honor to God, thanked his loving and supportive family, especially his wife, Mrs. Roberta T. Givens, the members of Mount Olive and the greater Dunbar community, and provided a brief overview of how the church purchased the 8,000-acre property where the new edifice stands for $500,000 (negotiating the purchase price down from $800,000) and paid it off in two years. The Reverend Givens recounted that the church’s stewardship moved the owner so much that he donated two additional acres on the southern end of the property to the church’s building efforts. The Reverend Givens also noted that Mount Olive purchased all the property at the south end of its campus. This expansion addresses the pastoral and psychosocial needs of the growing and vibrant Dunbar community and greatly increases the seating capacity (from 350 to 860) and ministry opportunities from the existing worship space on Orange Boulevard.
This glorious time of celebration and fellowship ended with the singing
of “The Old Ship of Zion” and grace for the awaiting banquet meal by the Reverend Randolph Miller (7 th District), Payne Theological Seminary classmate of Pastor Givens. ❏ ❏ ❏
The collective act of worship through giving.
The Rev. James C. and Mrs. Roberta T. Givens (pastor and first lady of Mount Olive, Ft. Myers).
(L-R) the Rev. James C. Givens, P.E. Henry E. Green II, P.E. Dr. Patricia S. Wallace, and Bishop Frank M. Reid III cutting the ribbon to the new edifice.
The Grand Foyer of Mount Olive Church.
(L-R) Bishop Frank M. Reid III, the Rev. Garland F. Pierce, the Rev. James C. Givens, P.E. Dr. Patricia S. Wallace with members of the American Legion Post #38 (Ft. Myers, FL).
(L-R) P.E. Dr. Patricia S. Wallace, P.E. Willie Cook, P.E. Vincent F. Mitchell, Bishop Frank M. Reid III, P.E. Henry E. Green Jr., P.E. Henry L. Postell II; the Rev. Givens (standing at the podium).
The Grand Foyer of Mount Olive Church.
Transition
REV. DR. JEROME V. HARRIS (1945-2024)
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, the Reverend Harris received his early education in the Montgomery public school system and was the salutatorian of his high school graduating class. His undergraduate matriculation was performed at Alabama State University, where he majored in Business Administration and Economics and later received the honor of being named “Alumni on the Move.” Additional education was received from the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Banking in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
A veteran of the United States Army, Dr. Harris served during the Vietnam War with tours of duty in Thailand, Okinawa, and Vietnam. He was honorably discharged in 1969 with the rank of Sergeant E-5 and the Medal of Commendation.
His career in banking began in 1970 when he became affiliated with the former First National Bank of Montgomery, now known as Regions Financial Corporation. During his thirty-year tenure in banking, he received numerous awards and rapid promotions, including being named “Outstanding Banker of the Year” in 1985. The Reverend Harris ended his career in banking in the year 2000 when he retired as senior vice president, group manager, and regional economic development officer with responsibility for banking offices in Alabama, Georgia, and the panhandle of Florida.
Dr. Harris answered God’s call to the ministry in 1978 and was ordained an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1981. During his twenty-two years of pastoral ministry, the Reverend Harris served as senior pastor of seven churches in Alabama and was appointed presiding elder on two occasions. In 1990, he was assigned as pastor of Saint Paul
AME Church, Montgomery, Alabama, the home church of Mrs. Rosa Parks.
He last served as the senior pastor of historic Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Selma, Alabama. As the pastor of Brown Chapel, the Reverend Harris also sought and obtained the distinctive “National
Historic Place” designation for the church and was invited to Washington, D.C., to formally receive this honor on behalf of the church from the then secretary of the Interior, the Honorable Bruce Babbitt. The church is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At the 46 th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference held in July 2000 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Reverend Harris was elected a general officer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the 7 th executive director of the Department of Retirement Services. This department is responsible for administrating and managing the retirement and insurance programs sponsored by the Connectional Church. He retired from this position at the 2021 General Conference.
Dr. Harris died suddenly on May 8, 2024. He is survived by his wife, the former Sandra Elaine Anderson of Houston, Texas, his son, Christopher, and three grandchildren, Iyana, Aiden, and Harper.
Upon his retirement, multiple accounting discrepancies and questionable investments were discovered. At the time of his death, he was involved in litigation involving the administration of the department during his tenure.
Forty Foods for Longevity That Increase Physical and Spiritual Well-Being:
Part IV
Dr. Betty Holley, Contributing Writer
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. 3 John 2
16. Yogurt: Various cultures claim yogurt as their creation, but the 2,000-year-old food’s health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which keep your digestive tract healthy and your immune system in top form, and protect against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.”
17. Avocado: Chock full of monounsaturated fat, avocados deliver a double-barreled blast to LDL cholesterol (the bad kind). They are also rich in folate, a water-soluble B vitamin that helps lower homocysteine levels, an amino acid that can hinder blood flow. Eat a 1/4 cup twice a week.
18. Walnuts: Richer in heart-healthy omega-
3s than salmon, loaded with more antiinflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken, the walnut sounds like a Frankenfood, but it grows on trees. Other nuts combine only one or two of these features, not all three. A serving of walnuts—about 1 ounce or seven nuts—is good anytime, especially as a postworkout recovery snack.
19. Turmeric : Curcumin, the polyphenol that gives turmeric its tang and yellow hue, has anticancer properties, anti-inflammatory effects, and tumor-fighting activities known in nutrition-speak as anti-angiogenesis. Researchers at UCLA have also found that it helps deter the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, tiny blockages that may cause Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers suggest that Turmeric’s prevalence in India may help explain why so few of the country’s senior citizens have the disease. In contrast, the statistics are close to 13 percent in the United States, according
to the Alzheimer’s Association. One tip: Pair it with pepper in curries. Adding black pepper to turmeric or turmeric-spiced food enhances curcumin’s bioavailability by 1,000 times due to black pepper’s hot property called piperine.
20. Black Beans : According to a study in The Journal of Nutrition , people who eat one 3-ounce serving of black beans a day decrease their risk of heart attack by 38 percent. And while other beans are also good for your heart, none can boost your brainpower like black beans. That’s because they’re full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. They’re also packed with superstar nutrients, including protein, healthy fats, folate, magnesium, B vitamins, potassium, and fiber.
A Mother’s Love Always Shines and Never Fades Away
James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed.D.
This column is dedicated to my mom, Mrs. Mildred Ewers, and my aunt, Mrs. Lois Thacker, who gave me the tools I need to live successfully.
Mother’s Day is a special day for special people. We love and honor our mothers with a day devoted especially to them. Many of us have celebrated many of these days with our moms. We take them out to eat, give them flowers, and treat them like royalty.
A mother’s love is unconditional. Simply put, they’ll always love us. While we will have faults along the way, our mothers will be supportive and will be our refuge in times of challenge.
We all have stories about our moms. I have one, and so do you. They are filled with laughter, tears, happiness, and sadness.
The strength of a mom is undeniable. When we are down and need encouragement, they give us counseling and self-confidence.
My mom passed away many years ago. She left an indelible mark upon my mind and soul.
There is not a day that I don’t think about her. I wonder what she would do in certain situations, and of course, I wonder what she would think of me now.
My mother was a registered nurse (RN) at Kate Bitting Reynolds Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Her kind and gentle spirit led her into the healthcare field, but while that was her profession, it was only a small part of her
identity.
Everyone in our neighborhood knew Mrs. Mildred Ewers. There were always people in our house, either eating or talking, sometimes both.
My dad respected and loved her because of her persona and how she made others feel around her. Other attributes made her stand out. As I reflect now, our family was proud of her accomplishments.
My mom was a BBC (Black Betty Crocker). She was a master in the kitchen, preparing delicious meals. We ate real macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and pinto beans daily. I will say we had leftovers on Monday. On Sunday, she would make some gravy and put it on our fried chicken.
We didn’t go to fast food places.
There weren’t many of them, and truthfully, my mom’s food was the best.
She taught me the importance of keeping clean and dressing appropriately as I wore shirts and ties at a very young age. The habit of dressing well has stayed with me throughout my life, and it is because of her.
She always wanted me to look a certain way so that people would know I came from a home with standards. One of those standards both of my parents instilled in me was how to treat people. They knew that how you treated people would gain you respect. They were right.
For many years, I have known that treating people with dignity and respect is a fundamental principle in life. People don’t want to know how much you know until they know how much you care.
Reframing Our View (You Only Live Once)
Mr. Byron Washington, Columnist
First, let me say I am not against people doing well. I am not against them having material possessions. I am not against anyone buying what they want to buy, wearing what they want to, or driving what they want to. With that said, we should all consider Solomon’s discourse in Ecclesiastes 2. If we are not careful, we may seek answers or try to find our purpose in material items. Unfortunately, direction, purpose, and passion are never found in quantifiable objects. No matter how big it is, our intangible desires cannot be fulfilled with a house. If we do not align with God, we will arrive at the same conclusion as Solomon, that all those things are meaningless. In reality, think about a person who lives alone in a 25-bedroom house. They have 60 cars but can only drive one at a time. There is no problem with having those things. Whether we use such things to define our lives is the question. Are these items the litmus test for who we are? If so, we should take counsel from the wisest man the world has known and consider that acquiring all those things just to have them is meaningless.
Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had spent doing it, and again, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:11
When I was younger and talked about the cars I wanted, my father would say, “You can only drive one car at a time.” He would continue, “No matter how expensive the car is, all it can do is get you from point A to point B.” Solomon,
Education was valued in my home. My mom stressed the importance of having a good education, believing that having one would lead to a successful life.
She would tell me on countless occasions that you must combine a good work ethic with a good education. The drive and determination would shape my ability to get a good job. She was right.
My mom was the greatest. Without her, I would have been a frame without a foundation. As I am in the fourth quarter of my life, I realize how truly blessed I was to have her as a mom.
If your mom is living, don’t take her for granted. Don’t say you’ll do it tomorrow because you don’t have time today. Time can slip up on us because tomorrow is not guaranteed.
in chapter 2, tells us about all his possessions. He said that since he was wise and rich, he examined life from all aspects and concluded that almost everything we chase after is meaningless. You should have them but do not expect them to grant you satisfaction. When you read chapter 2 in almost all translations until you get to the last couple of verses, Solomon starts all the statements with “I.” God never shows up in these statements, which says to me to pursue these things apart from God or with no godly intention will lead us to the same place: emptiness and vanity.
Solomon is the quintessential manifestation of what we have in our current world. People think they only live once, so they attempt to acquire all the accouterments of the world. They eventually find themselves at the end of their life with cars they can no longer drive, empty houses full of dust, and no one around them who truly cares. Solomon concluded that life is fleeting like the wind. However, satisfaction is not found in “stuff” or even people. Yes, we only live once, though I caution us to live that one life with our eyes on God and a desire to live for him. We must first seek the kingdom of God and live in a way that represents the God we serve. If not, we will end up at the end of life, realizing that all we did, apart from God, does not mean anything. We only live once, so let us live life to its fullest, representing Christ and walking in our purpose. ❏
In Tribute to Bishop Adam Jeff erson Richardson, Senior Bishop
Rev. Dr. Roderick D. Belin, Publisher
With profound respect and admiration, I offer this tribute to Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, the senior bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, as we honor his service and leadership. Bishop Richardson, a paragon of dedication and faith, has left an indelible mark on our church and its members.
I had the distinct honor of singing one of his favorite hymns, “How Tedious and Tasteless the Hours,” at his retirement celebration. This moment was a testament to his deep connection to the traditions of our faith and his love for the hymns that have long bee n a source of comfort and inspiration to him and many others.
Bishop Richardson is a staunch supporter of the AME Church School (Bible Discovery), proudly proclaiming that he has “never graduated from Sunday School.” His unwavering commitment to religious education has been a cornerstone of his ministry, and his frequent attendance at our church school sessions exemplifies his dedication to lifelong learning and spiritual growth.
Throughout his illustrious career, Bishop Richardson has graced many significant events with his presence, offering wisdom, guidance, and spiritual insight. Despite the many demands on his time, he has consistently demonstrated the qualities of a consummate pastor—showing care and empathy and speaking
with the sagacity of a man deeply grounded in his faith and enriched by his vast experience.
As the senior bishop of African Methodism, Bishop Richardson has led our church through some of the most challenging times in recent history with unparalleled dignity and humility. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he provided steady leadership and reassured us of God’s unwavering faithfulness. His diplomatic skills have been crucial as we navigate the financial challenges of the annuity program, always guiding us toward solutions with grace and wisdom.
Bishop Richardson has led us to waters of refreshment and safe pastures, his stature and strength
Hold Your Head Up High
Rev. Dr. Maxine Thomas, Columnist
shielding us from the wolves and hirelings that threaten our peace. An anointed and eloquent preacher, he has graced the pu lpit with elegance and skill, crafting liturgies that elevate our worship and bring us closer to God and each other.
His ministry deserved the grand celebration it received, and, true to his character, the focus of the celebration was not on him but on God. The hymns and songs chosen for the event directed our praise and glory to the almighty, reflecting our collective appreciation for Bishop Richardson’s lifelong dedication to serving God and his people.
In recognition of his tremendous contributions, the AME Church School Museum in the Publishing
House has been named in his honor. Additionally, Bishop Richardson holds the distinction of being the first to preach in the pulpit at the Publishing House, a fitting testament to his pioneering spirit and enduring legacy.
Bishop Richardson’s journey has been one of unwavering faith, profound wisdom, and compassionate leadership. As we celebrate his retirement, we do so with deep gratitude for his tireless service and with the assurance that his influence will continue to inspire and guide us for generations to come. May God bless Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson as he transitions to this new chapter, and may his legacy shine brightly within the AME Church and beyond. ❏ ❏ ❏
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Beloved, we often walk in self-condemnation because of sins from our past. Each of us has some things that we have done that have not been pleasing to God and that the old dirty devil will try to bring back to our remembrance to haunt us. But God wants you to know that it does not matter what bar stool you sat on, who you laid down with, what lie you told, or what crime you have committed. The day you asked God for forgiveness and invited Jesus to come into your heart, God washed every one of your sins away. The Bible says, “He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). God has washed you as white as snow.
Still, some will remind us of the “boulevard” that we used to live on. But that is a trick of the enemy, for if Satan can get you to walk around all bound up in guilt and shame, then you will not walk in the sufficiency of God’s grace and morning dew mercies. You will not lay hold to the fullness of your great inheritance purchased by the blood of the sacrificial Lamb of God. When you leave this old, wicked world behind, your salvation is more than pie in the sky. You can have peace in your soul while you are still in the land of the living.
The Bible says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” To be in Christ means that you have been baptized into his burial and resurrection. Just because one has his or her name on the roll at Big Bethel or at St. Mark does not mean that they are in Christ. Everybody in church is not saved. In fact, the devil goes to church on Sunday morning, too. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me (John 17:21), so it is for Christ and every born-again believer. Christ is in you, and you are in him, and you are one (John 17:21-23). There is one body, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). We are all (each born-again believer) in the body, and Christ is the head of the body (Ephesians 4:15).
If you want to experience true freedom from the guilt of your past, then you must receive the cleansing
of your conscience as well as the cleansing of your heart. Instead of being conscious of past sins, you
must be conscious of the redeeming blood of Christ. Allow God to cleanse the remembrance of and
shame of past sins away. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t even think about it. The Word says, “ 4cWe destroy arguments 5and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). You cannot stop a bird from landing on your hair, but you don’t have to let it make a nest there.
When Christ is in you, he is your hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). There is hope even after a life of drug addiction or prostitution. Whatever it was, there is hope. Your glory is not in your shame; ...continued on p21
Wholistic Power Conference in Atlanta: My Take
Monica C. Jones, Ph.D., Columnist
The first thing that made a significant impression on me at the Wholistic Power Conference held in Atlanta this month was the highly charged atmosphere that permeated the plenary sessions.
As a first-time presenter and participant, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, Dr. Teresa Fry Brown (Dr. T) and her team made the entire event informative and surprisingly atypical of the usual conference experience.
Our theme focused on a wholistic church – definitions of the concept varied, but overall, discussions focused on how to minister to the entire individual and how that empowers the church. During our plenaries, the participant experience was facilitated by “conversations.” It was an approach where persons were intentionally placed at tables with colleagues of different backgrounds, many of whom were meeting for the first t ime. Consequently, I had discussions that immediately opened up discoveries and intellectually diverse constructs in some instances. As we listened to presenters and recorded our responses to questions, we integrated some of our thoughts into our discussions and made meaningful observations. What struck me, however, was Dr. T’s insistence (and she wasn’t playing) that we not debate or contradict statements regarding a particular topic. Instead, we were to offer our points of view that expanded and enhanced the overall discussion. We cou ld ask questions for clarity, but we were not to disparage or disrespect a presenter because of a difference of opinion.
In addition, presenters challenged us regarding our preconceived notions, longstanding traditions, and prejudices that keep us from being a wholistic church. Whether it dealt with ignoring the obvious threat of Christian nationalism and white supremacist theology to our church or the need to do ministry that answers intimidating social questions, the conference kept us on our theological toes. We talked about the hard questions that can appear in Bible study. We talked about how preachers can fall into the trap of being more concerned with entertainment rather than salvation. We talked about the need to address racist, misogynistic political agendas that consistently hurt our people.
Youth Unemployment
Marcel Van Der Byl
We are celebrating Youth Day on the 16 th of June. Our youth are the most marginalised sector of South African society; the vast majority of them are Not in Education, Employment, or in Training. They are often referred to as the (NEET) group.
Can a change in curriculum solve the problem of youth unemployment?
Introduction
We often hear about unemployment, the education crisis, the shortage of skills, and the high cost of labour preventing businesses from hiring people. This is so often repeated that a person assumes that it is well understood, that these meanings are clear and that there is agreement more broadly. This could not be further from the truth.
Looking at the above, one should answer these two (2) questions, which should guide any solutions we may eventually propose.
1. What is our vision of the world we strive towards?
2. What approaches to education, training, and skills development are likely to help us in creating that world?
I will not be able to answer the two (2) questions fully in this paper. Still, I hope that relevant groupings will use it as a reference in developing and advocating for policies, discussions, and actions that place the needs and interests of especially young people first.
Certainly, let me not fail to mention that it was obvious that this conference practiced what it preached. In the spirit of wholistic ministry, we were educated, inspired, challenged, well-fed (Amen), and even given an evening of relaxation and fellowship. I can affirm that wholistic theology is now a thing for me. It is a practice that mirrors my own approach to education, and I am happy to embrace it as I continue to do God’s work. And so it is.
The Reverend Monica C. Jones, Ph.D., is director of Christian Education and on staff at Big Bethel in Atlanta and was a presenter on liturgical writing at the conference.
I hope this paper will assist elected officials and other participants in these discussions in a position of deeper understanding.
Defining the Problem
We are treating and discussing the problem of youth employment and the crisis in education as if they were the same thing. It has almost become a given that these questions can only and must be addressed together. Almost every day in South Africa, we hear about the urgent need to create jobs, but in the same breath, we are told how difficult or impossible a task it is due to a desperate shortage of skills among South African workers. We are then told that these difficulties are increased by legislation that is not “business friendly” and a trade union movement that is too strong. These conditions are making lots of people effectively unemployed.
By looking at this, the following questions come to mind.
1. What is the problem of unemployment?
2. What is the crisis in education?
3. Is there a shortage of skills? If so, how should we understand it?
4. What is the relationship among education, skills development, and employment?
Once we have clarified the first three (3) questions, we will be better able to answer the fourth (4 th) question.
The Causes of Unemployment
Although the point is rarely mentioned, we should keep in mind that unemployment is a feature of capitalism. This is especially true under the form of ...continued on
capitalism dominant in the world today, and particularly in South Africa, with our unique histor y of deeply and officially racialized exploitation of workers.
Corporate neoliberal globalisation began in the 1980s with the removal of many restrictions on trade and fi nancial transactions. It was designed based on ideas proposed by some mainstream economists and implemented by governments under pressure from international organisations like the International Monitoring Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This process continues to this day. The consequences of this process on the working class have been profound.
1. It has increased and spread competition, forcing companies to cut production costs.
2. It has encouraged financial speculation as an alternative approach to profit-making.
3. It increased the casualization of work in the name of labour flexibility.
One example is the South African textile industry, where vast numbers of highly skilled workers lost their jobs very rapidly for reasons that had nothing to do with the failure of the education system or with workers’ lack of skills, ability, or eagerness to work.
Understanding Unemployment
Unemployment can be measured in many different ways. Unemployment among youth in South Africa is estimated at about 45% between the ages of 15 to 35 years.
It is estimated that South African companies hold more than R500 billion in cash reserves, which they refuse to invest to create employment. They don’t believe that their investments would be sufficiently profitable. South Africans live under very difficult conditions to be able to live decent lives.
Being employed—having a job—is one way of making a living, but it’s not the only way. In the past, many people made their living working on the land. The very same land that their families and/or communities had used for many generations, they produced food for themselves and additional food that they could sell or trade with.
I call this historical process Coloni al Dispossession. The rationale was to make as many people as possible as poor as possible so that they could become dependent on what was offered to earn some kind of income. When we look at proposed solutions to this problem, we should be cognisant of this historical context.
The challenge we face in addressing youth unemployment is that it must be addressed as part of the larger problem of unemployment in general.
Conclusion
Looking at Skills in an Alternative Way
When we think about skills, livelihoods, and work, we should consider socially useful labour. I draw our focus back to the fact that there are many ways of making a contribution to society. We should not assume that a business’s profitability is the only or best way.
People in the community have many useful skills that add value to the lives of the people around them. These skills include childcare, repairing things, cooking, and cleaning. Some of these services are already provided on the basis of neighbourly exchange. Businesses cannot easily profit from these skills, and they are, therefore, not taken seriously in the discussion of skills, employment, and livelihoods.
Unfortunately, using government resources to strengthen people’s abilities is rarely a point of discussion; these resources will rather be used to encourage employment that will contribute to the profits of private businesses.
What Should Education Do?
It is implied in these discussions that the purpose of education is to prepare people to find a job within this pre-defined system. A system that has to be accepted in its basic features and structure and simply cannot be questioned reflects a pessimistic and disempowering world for the vast majority of people.
The South African government recognised the importance of a wider view of the purpose of education. In 2021, the National Planning Commission published the National Development Plan: Vision for 2030. In this document, they recognise education, training, and skills as an agent for development. The Green Paper for Post-School Education and Training states in its preface:
“The government of South Africa has resolved to make reducing unemployment its priority concern and to ensure that every Ministry and Department takes whatever action is possible to expand job opportunities and build sustainable livelihoods, and enable all South Africans to contribute to, participate in, and benefit from that expansion. This must include interventions to ensure redress of the injustices of the apartheid past and the progressive introduction of free education for poor up to undergraduate level………….”
It is therefore very important to emphasise that the focus on employment should not exclude development and transformational goals, quite to the contrary, unemployment can only be reduced if the transformation agenda is taken forward with renewed vigor.
Discussions on education should not mainly focus on helping people obtain employment within a system that exploits them. Instea d, they should reflect the entire range of human needs, abilities, and capacities and foster hope, dignity, and self-determination.
So, when we look at making changes to the curriculum, we must take all of these factors into consideration to make meaningful c hanges to the lives of young people. If we don’t, we will be the architects of deepening the crisis in education that will worsen the plight of these youngsters to provide for their most basic needs. ❏ ❏ ❏
Mississippi Deputies Give State’s Law Enforcement Officers Disgrace and Shame
James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed.D., Columnist
The events you read about and hear about sometimes make you say, did that really happen? It makes you wonder out loud, that can’t be.
Our America is going through it right now. At every corner, our sensibilities are being tested and tried. Common sense has become obsolete. What have we become? That’s a good question with many answers.
We shake our heads, thinking, what’s next? It’s not if anymore; it’s simply when something evil will happen. Is being hopeful these days a minority view? I hope not.
Recently, I heard a man running to be president of this country say, “It would be a blood bath.” His tone and tenor are getting worse by the day. He has obfuscated and made the landscape dangerous. His actions have empowered men and women to be mean-spirited and hate-filled.
This tour of meanness and hate has spread to many states and organizations. One state that has had its share of racial hate is Mississippi. While good and great people live there, unfortunately, a faction is giving the Magnolia State a bad name.
Six Rankin County deputy sheriffs tortured and tormented two men for no lawful reason. The deputies were White, and the victims were black. The officers were called the Goon Squad by some, as the officers were known to apply excessive force when making arrests.
Two questions immediately come to my mind. First, was the excessive force sanctioned by the Rankin County Law Enforcement Department? Second, was race a factor when they assaulted the two African American men?
The officers in question were never queried about their tactics. They just did whatever they wanted to do, and rules and regulations were not followed.
I do believe race was a factor in the severe beating given to these black men. The white officers had an overdose of hate as they took matters into their own hands. I think officers on the inside knew but said nothing.
This heinous incident started on January 24 th of last year. The allegation was that two black men were staying in a house with a white woman. Assaults of varying degrees happened. Police photos, when taken, did not show the damage
that these officers inflicted upon the two black men, Michael Corey Jenkins and Eddie Terrell Parker.
Drugs were falsely planted on them to bring charges against Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Parker. Unfortunately, some are charged to protect and to serve those who only poison and sour. Their intentions are never good, only bad. They never worry about getting caught because those in power have already been bought.
it is certainly in nothing that you and I did. We glory in Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got to give God the glory!
The Bible goes on to say, “… who walk not after the flesh….” If you’ve been born again, you ought not to go to the same places and do the same things. God is calling for a people who would deny the lusts of the flesh, pick up their cross, and follow him!
Some in power are hamstrung by race. It is like having shackles on your legs you don’t want to take off.
There is the shackle of racism that makes you hate people because of the color of their skin. There is the shackle of sexism that makes you disrespect women, and there is the shackle of intolerance that makes you opposed to other opinions and views.
United States District Judge Tom Lee has sentenced all six members of the Goon Squad. He said, “The officers’ actions were egregious and despicable.”
Will the Goon Squad be disbanded? It would be too noble to believe that racism has suddenly been weeded out of the Rankin County law enforcement center. Sadly, I believe the difference this time is that the officers were caught. Will there be a next time for them to show their disapproval of African Americans?
Citizens who are black in Rankin County should be vigilant when it comes to trusting the police. That is my opinion. This is why district and federal judges are needed in social justice cases, especially regarding race. Sometimes, at the local level, justice will not be served and is often delayed.
Now, Rankin County in Mississippi is in the news for all the wrong reasons. ❏ ❏ ❏
If you have been born again, you must endeavor to walk in the Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). That means we ought to walk in love, for the Bible says, “And this commandment have
we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4:21). We ought to walk in peace, and in joy. We ought to walk in the knowledge that our sins have been forgiven, and the blood of Jesus has washed every stain. My friend, you are really loved.
Exhale
I have wept long enough over sins that have already been forgiven. I exhale the remnants of sin consciousness and venture forth with renewed hope. And yes, I am forgiven. ❏ ❏ ❏ ...From Hold Your p14
Mother Bethel Window Rededication
Church and community members gathered at the Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church recently for a rededication of the windows broken in an incident of vandalism.
Bishop Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr. joined the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, senior pastor of Mother Bethel, in blessing the window s, which were broken in February.
AME Bishop Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr. (First Episcopal District) and the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, senior pastor, are joined by members of the Philadelphia Annual Conference in blessing the newly repaired windows at Mother Bethel AME Church in Society Hill. In February, the windows were broken as part of a vandalism spree. The surrounding community, the Philadelphia Fund for Black Sacred Places, and the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia teamed up to raise money to finance the repairs.
When the vandalism happened, Tyler said the surrounding community, the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia Fund for Black Sacred Places sprang into action to raise about $25,000 to replace the windows and install a new security system in the church.
Germantown-based stained glass master artist Owusu Ansah did the restoration.
The original windows were installed when the church was built in 1889 and were broken back in February as part of a rash of similar vandalizations
in the Society Hill area. In addition to Mother Bethel, rocks were thrown through the windows of the St. Peter the Apostle Church on North 5th Street, the Shrine of St. John Neumann on North 4 th Street, and the InterAct
L-R: Sheila Alexander Reid, executive director for diversity with the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau; Betsy Ivey, director of the Philadelphia Fund for Black Sacred Places, AME Bishop Julius Harrison McAllister, Sr. (First Episcopal District), Germantown-based stained glass master artist, Owusu Ansah, the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, and Paul Steinke, executive director of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia celebrated the rededication of the broken stained glass windows at Mother Bethel AME Church. Ansah restored the windows of the church, which were vandalized in February.
Theater on South Hicks Street.
The man charged with the crime, Haneef Cooper, is awaiting trial. ❏ ❏ ❏
Reprinted from The Philadelphia Sunday Sun.
Overcoming an Immoveable Obstacle
Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt, Columnist
What do you do when you discover you have an Immoveable Obstacle (IO) that impacts your thinking, direction, mood, and quality of life? This IO essentially has you trapped in a spiritual, mental, and emotional place that is not satisfying. You try to move, but the IO moves with you. You find yourself exhausted trying to climb over your IO. You wonder, “What did I do to deserve this?” The presence of your IO could be due to your own doing based on decisions you made or failed to make. Or it could be finding yourself on the wrong side of the vicissitudes of life table (some call this bad luck). Can we look at the following IO scenarios that may help someone reading this missive?
Person Number One is trapped in the past. Over time, her IO has grown and followed her into the present, blocking the prospects of a meaningful future. No matter how hard she tries not to focus on the past, her IO obstructs her future. She knows she should not let this happen, but she no longer has the strength to fight.
Person Number Two is filled with anger because he feels he should not have to bear the weight caused by life decisions he did not make—more like issues he inherited. He gets so angry at times that he becomes a danger to himself. He lashes out at even well-meaning people who stand too close to him and his IO. It is as if he is trying to pummel his IO into submission, but the person he hurts most is himself.
Person Number Three is adept at hiding his IO, so much so he forgets that his path is blocked. In the best of times, it is possible to believe there is seemingly no IO in his way. Every time he moves freely and easily, something is said, recalled, or done that makes his IO reappear, and the “stinkin’ thinkin’ tape" that was on pause in his head automatically replays the sad events of his life.
Person Number Four has given up all hope for change. She has submitted to the weight of her IO. Her vulnerability and a deepening round of IO-inspired ominous thoughts ...continued on p30
(Photos/Denise Clay-Murray)
(Photos/Denise Clay-Murray)
Nucor Steel and Nucor Charitable Foundation Donate a Total of $1M to the Emanuel Nine Memorial
The Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation Board, which manages the fundraising, construction, endowment, and outreach for the Emanuel Nine Memorial, announced that Nucor Steel Berkeley County in Huger, South Carolina, and the Nucor Charitable Foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina, each donated $500,000 to the Emanuel Nine Memorial, for a total donation of $1 million.
This news represents the fifth $1 million donation received since the memorial was first announced in 2019. Now under construction on-site at the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the memorial is expected to open in the spring of 2025.
“The Emanuel Nine Memorial will serve as a place of healing and resilience, and it is because of generous donations like Nucor’s that the memorial can come to life,” says John Darby, co-chair of the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation. “Over the past five years, we have seen an outpouring of financial support from businesses in our own backyard and across the U.S. that share our vision for honoring the victims and fostering unity in our community.”
Plans for the memorial began shortly after the 2015 tragedy as community leaders reached out to the Mother Emanuel AME Church to form a partnership to honor the memory of the Emanuel Nine. Together, a mission statement was shaped, a designer was selected, and meetings with survivors and victims’ families informed the creation of design principles for the Emanuel Nine Memorial. Once fundraising began, the memorial’s design plans commenced. The memorial consists of two phases, designed by Michael Arad, the architect behind the National September 11 Memorial in New York.
Our Marching Orders
Dr. John Wm. Roberts, Ed.D., Contributing Writer
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Phase I is located adjacent to the Mother Emanuel AME Church and will feature a courtyard with two fellowship benches facing each other with high backs that arc up and around like sheltering wings. At the center of the courtyard, the curves of the benches will encircle a marble fountain where the names of the Emanuel Nine will be carved around the fountain’s edge. Water will emanate from a cross-shaped source, filling the basin and gently spilling over the names of the nine lives lost. The opening between the benches toward the back of the courtyard will reveal a cross above a simple altar, providing visitors with a quiet place to linger in thought and prayer.
“Nucor is deeply committed to creating a sense of community and belonging. It is an honor to contribute to the Emanuel Nine Memorial Foundation in support of initiatives that promote unity, healing, and remembrance,” said Mike Lee, vice president and general manager of Nucor Steel Berkeley County.
With a fundraising goal of $25 million to design, build, maintain, and protect the Emanuel Nine Memorial and fund educational outreach and social justice initiatives, the Mother Emanuel Memorial Foundation relies on individual and corporate contributions that can be made online at www.emanuelnine.org/ donate. ❏ ❏ ❏
Phase II of the memorial will include a survivors’ garden, which a pathway from the courtyard will access. Dedicated to life and resiliency, the garden will be surrounded by six stone benches and five trees, symbolizing the five survivors—the sixth signifying that the church is also a survivor.
When we accepted God into our lives, we voluntarily agreed to live by his words, precepts, and examples. We become members of God’s army, and God has given us our marching orders. We often sing “We’re Marching to Zion” [Words & Music by Isaac Watts & Robert Lowry]. Moses first gave the basis for these orders through The Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:6-22) and amplified in Matthew 22:37-40 with the two great commandments. In these two commandments, Jesus commands us to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus, in Matthew 28:1920, issues the Great Commission to go, baptize, and teach. As with any commission, it gives the requirements to fulfill the commission.
As members of God’s army, this commission requires us to follow God’s orders. “We’re Marching to Zion” states in the chorus… “We’re marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion; We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God.” As we march to Zion, we encounter those not yet members of God’s army. A song written by Brown Roland and music by Samuel W. Beazley says, “The world is waiting to hear the Gospel, The world is waiting for the everlasting story; So wake, ye people, put on your armor And speed always today to win eternal glory. Bear ye the tidings of love and gladness, And truly cover all the darkened territory. Go forth with courage, go forth with singing, Obey the
orders from the King. ‘Carry ye the tidings, oh, preach the Gospel of love to every nation. To the living waters the weary thirsty people bring; Show them the pathway that leads to heaven, And tell them of salvation.’ These are now the orders, the blessed orders from the King.”
Are we consistent with following these orders?
For those who have served in the Armed Forces, there is a reckoning when orders are not followed. The service member is considered AWOL [Absent Without Leave] when soldiers desert. How often do we knowingly ignore the orders from the general of the Christian Army–God? Though claiming to wear the ‘armor of God,’ many do not live by the tenets/principles/orders
from the general of the Christian Army and, therefore, are classified as AWOL. In some denominations, when this happens, they are classified as a ‘backslider’ and, in others, ‘out of fellowship.’
This state of inactivity in the Christian Army is not permanent. There are two songs that offer paths of redemption. The first, written by John Newton, is familiar to every Christian soldier… “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind but now I see.” The second, written by Dottie Rambo, includes the lines “…How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul, He looked beyond my fault and saw my need.”
If we march faithfully to God’s orders, no matter how difficult the orders, with God’s help, we will, no matter the temptations, complete the mission, win souls to Christ, and strengthen our lives and souls in the process.
begin to scare her.
It is impossible to avoid an IO regardless of character (or the lack thereof), economic means (or the lack thereof), spirituality (or the lack thereof), marital status (or the lack thereof), education (or the lack thereof), or membership in any generational cohort. Ask yourself if there are any ways to neutralize your IO. You have cried, you have fought depression, and now you are drained. It is important to know that the battle is not overcoming what is in front of you—the real battle is what is going on inside of you. With all of this misery, if you feel you deserve your IO, the illogical logical conclusion is, why bother looking for something different?
Beloved, your mind can find reasons to justify your IO being a permanent
The Truth Is the Light
Rev. Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., Retired, Itinerant Elder
I Have Conquered the World Galatians 5:22-23 - NRSVU
fixture in your life, or your mind can help you make a liberating plan. Now hear this: there is a way around your IO. If you diligently search for it, you may find the path on your own, or you may need professional help locating it. Either way, please say and believe the overcoming power of these words to start you on your journey: IO, I owe it to myself to have contentment and peace of mind. That is why I am taking steps to move you out of my life.
He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20b-21. ❏ ❏ ❏
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
We are reminded that, in the context of our relationship with Christ, self-control is the supernatural ability to submit our will to God’s leading in our lives.
A spirit-controlled person is always in control of their own mind, body, and words.
The aforementioned fruit must be seen in us as evidence of our salvation. God asserts that unrestrained flesh indulges the self, but a person walking in the Spirit has the power to control inner urges.
Life in the Spirit bears powerful and positive fruit in the Christian’s life. In other words, the Spirit represents the attributes that surface and mature in the lives of people who have truly surrendered their lives to God and have been filled with God’s Spirit.
Paul admonishes the people of Galatians then and us today not to think the law will save us. He points out that it is only faith in Christ that gains us salvation. That is why, by the grace of God, any sinner can come to Christ, and their sin will not be counted against them because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross.
The Word of God warns that the flesh lusts against the Spirit. In other words, our sinful nature constantly battles against our spirit, which is our new identity in Christ. There is a constant battle because our flesh wants to sin and disregard the circumstances and repercussions of our actions. On the other hand, our “new man” wants to flush away the old man and live for Christ. It is a constant, daily battle for us.
Paul encourages us to keep walking in the Spirit, and we will carry out no fleshly desires. Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit and warns that those who love God are just as imperfect, sinful people as those who do not live as Christians.
They make many mistakes, and they sin to various degrees.
They have the same desires as any other person. They face the same temptations any other person faces.
They have their weaknesses and strengths.
They struggle in this wicked world just like everyone else.
These things do not depend on whether or not one is religious.
Our text speaks of one problem we all face: desires.
We all desire different things and people.
Some can be satisfied in the right way, and some may not be.
We may find it difficult, if not impossible, to resist some temptations because the world offers us all sorts of possibilities. But, if we are walking in the Spirit, meaning we ask God’s Holy Spirit to operate in us and do our best to protect ourselves from temptations, then with the help of the Spirit, we will not carry out our desires in the wrong way.
Our text lists nine attributes that evidence the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of the believer and describes what those in Christ should expect to see flowing from their lives when they allow the Holy Spirit to lead them.
Note that Paul refers to this as the fruit of the Spirit. Paul implies that it is a single fruit. The
Greek term is singular. The text refers to fruit. Paul reminds us that there are 12 to 15 remarkable works of the Holy Spirit in the internal spirit of the believer in Jesus.
One of the greatest miracles in scripture is regeneration. Regeneration is the act of the Holy Spirit by which he imparts new life and begins to develop the fruit of the Spirit in us. Fruit-bearing has a divine power source. It is not an effort to search the flesh for the energy and desire to obey God.
The natural man is accustomed to finding strength within himself. He pushes himself to do things he would rather not–to face challenges–to move through suffering–to hold his tongue, and perhaps even to live another day.
On the other hand, the spiritual man recognizes that he does not have to find these things within himself. He looks to a promise of God in scripture with faith, knowing that his reliance upon God will make it so in his life. Consideration of the nature of what God’s Spirit produces in the life of the believer begins with love.
Many Christians already know the Greek term /agape/. Nearly an entire chapter in the Bible is devoted to its properties and products.
Let us consider four characteristics listed in First Corinthians
Agape bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
Finally, deeds of the flesh are done by a person’s efforts, whether saved or unsaved. On the other hand, the fruit of the Spirit is produced by God’s Spirit and only in the lives of those who belong to him through faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Reverend Dr. Charles R. Watkins, Jr., is a retired itinerant elder who lives in Summerville, South Carolina.
Defrocked Pastor Reinstated After LGBTQ Bans Lifted
John W. Coleman, United Methodist News Service
The Rev. Beth Stroud (right) hugs Bishop John Schol after she was reinstated as clergy on May 21 during a closed clergy session of the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference in Wildwood, N.J. Stroud was defrocked 20 years ago after admitting to being in a committed relationship with another woman—photo by Shari DeAngelo, courtesy of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.
On its final day, May 3, The United Methodist Church’s momentous General Conference voted to reinstate clergy who had previously been defrocked under the denomination’s LGBTQ bans.
On the first evening of the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference on May 21, a closed session of about 200 ordained clergy voted overwhelmingly to readmit former clergywoman Irene Elizabeth “Beth” Stroud as a full member of its body.
Stroud’s ministerial orders as an elder were removed in 2004 after a church trial in which she admitted to being in a committed relationship with another woman. The now-Rev. Stroud was reinstated and welcomed back with loud applause, hymn singing, and tearful hugs by her fellow clergy after their votes of approval far exceeded the required two-thirds majority.
Following that decision, friends ushered her into the meeting room, where she was speechless and overcome with emotion. She was given a red clergy stole and later joined her robed colleagues in their procession onto the annual conference floor at Wildwoods Convention Center for their opening ordination and commissioning worship service.
“I’m deeply grateful for the discernment of the clergy of Eastern Pennsylvania,” said Bishop John Schol, who leads both the Eas tern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey annual conferences. “And I’m grateful that the church has opened to LGBTQ persons.”
After more than a half-century of debate and defiance over the place of LGBTQ people in the denomination, General Conference delegates voted earlier this month to end decades-old bans on the ordination of “selfavowed practicing” gay clergy and the officiation of same-sex weddings.
Schol, who retires in August, expressed deep admiration for Stroud, who served as his associate pastor at We st Chester United Methodist Church when she completed seminary more than two decades ago. She served briefly at First United Methodist Church of Germantown in Philadelphia before being defrocked. Current and former congregation pastors were among the many who embraced her after the vote.
“I couldn’t be prouder as your bishop, and you couldn’t have given me a better gift as I retire,” Schol told the clergy gathering before inviting Stroud to rejoin her colleagues in the clergy session.
“I was so disoriented when I came in,” Stroud said later. “For a while, I couldn’t tell where the front of the room was, where I was, where I needed to go… The bishop asked me if I wanted to say anything, and I said I couldn’t.”
More hugs greeted her long after the session ended.
During the evening worship service, after clergy members were ordained, commissioned, and presented at the annual conference, Schol drew wide applause when he announced Stroud’s reinstatement and presented her to the full assembly.
Later, after he invited anyone interested in pursuing ministry to come forward, Schol suddenly knelt before Stroud at the stage front. As the moved congregation sang the Mark A. Miller hymn “Child of God,” she laid her hands on his shoulders and quietly prayed for him.
The inspiration of that moment intensified when worshippers, numbering nearly 500, then began to sing “Draw the Circle Wide,” another hymn arranged by Miller, a longtime professor of church music and innovator in United Methodist hymnody. The hymn has become an unofficial anthem of the United Methodist movement to extend full ministerial, membership, and marital rights to LGBTQ members.
Miller and his band led the worship, and most of the singing congregants began moving from their chairs to the edges of the spacious hall. They gradually encircled the room, facing one another, with many holding hands as they sang the chorus several times.
After leaving ordained ministry in 2004 and briefly serving her supportive First United Methodist Church of Germantown congregation as a hired lay ministerial aide, Stroud moved to New Jersey and earned more academic degrees. She earned a doctorate in religion at Princeton University in 2018. She had been a lay member of Turning Point United Methodist Church in Trenton, New Jersey, and has taught and lectured at Princeton and other colleges. She was recently hired to teach History of Religion at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, one of the denomination’s 13 affiliated seminaries. She will join the faculty there this summer.
Coleman is the editorial manager for the Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey conferences.
Report From the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
Aaron E. Butler, Esq.
Marcus Garvey’s unyielding commitment to justice echoed through the halls of the United Nations during the Third Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva. This pivotal session, convening over 1,000 representatives from 85 countries, tackled historical injustices stemming from the legacies of colonialism and slavery, reinforcing a global imperative for substantive racial equality and human rights.
In his opening video address, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres commended the “invaluable achievements” of people of African descent across myriad fields while firmly underscoring the persistent scourge of racial discrimination they continue to face. Convening the PFPAD in Geneva lent symbolic weight, echoing Garvey’s pioneering advocacy at the League of Nations a century ago and highlighting the global urgency to address the concerns and demands of this community.
High commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphatically endorsed a second International Decade for People of African Descent, emphasizing the pressing need for comprehensive reparations and proactive measures concerning the crisis in Haiti. This resolute tone of urgency and commitment permeated the forum’s proceedings.
Special rapporteur Michael McEachrane outlined bold, structural proposals to transform the U.N.’s engagement with black communities worldwide. Among these were eliminating the veto power of the Security Council’s permanent members, adding an African permanent member, and establishing an international tribunal dedicated to adjudicating reparations claims. Moreover, he advocated for sweeping, systemic reforms to confront anti-black racism across sectors like debt, education, banking, transportation, and migration - echoing Garvey’s clarion calls for transformative change and genuine self-determination.
The dynamic forum created an essential space for participants to delve deeper into the complex issues facing the global African diaspora through various side events. One of the significant gatherings, co-organized by UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, brought together diverse stakeholders to establish a shared understanding of restorative justice from slavery and advocate for its comprehensive implementation. This event was a precursor to a dedicated series of discussions scheduled to launch later this year, marking the 30 th anniversary of UNESCO’s landmark Routes of Enslaved Peoples program.
Climate activism was a central theme at the forum, highlighted by the ICSWG Strategy Session: Climate and Environmental Justice. The Edfu Foundation Inc.
and ICSWG-PFPAD convened experts and African diaspora delegates to address the nexus of climate change and environmental injustice, aiming for actionable outcomes to support the PFPAD’s mandate and broader civil society goals. The session emphasized the critical link between racial justice and the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by communities of African descent globally.
The forum also tackled other pressing issues. A critical discussion highlighted the compounded violence and discrimination faced by Afro-descendant women across Latin America and the Caribbean. Participants advocated for expanding the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of People of African Descent to address LGBTQ+ discrimination. Additionally, a roundtable examined the global
crisis of mass incarceration, tracing its roots to slavery and colonialism and spotlighting ongoing activist struggles and the reparations movement.
Influential voices at the session echoed powerful messages of justice grounded in Christian spirituality and morals. Gaynel Curry highlighted the long struggle for liberation and human rights, emphasizing the role of women of African descent. Pastor Elías Murillo Martínez offered insights into negotiations for a U.N. declaration enshrining the human rights of people of African descent. This long-overdue instrument addresses critical issues demanding global attention.
Barbara G. Reynolds, chair of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
(WGPAD), encapsulated the forum’s spirit in her declaration: “Africans and people of African descent will not be bought, silenced, or made invisible.”
The ICSWG-PFPAD Youth Subcommittee presented the first-ever Youth Declaration at the forum. Cameron Clarke, representing the subcommittee, made a powerful statement emphasizing the importance of uplifting people of African descent and creating a more prosperous and ethical world. The declaration highlighted the vital role of youth voices and activism in shaping the discourse and charting a fair way forward.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) highlighted the case of C.J. Jones, a black student from Alabama, to ...continued on p37
illustrate the persistent realities of structural racism within the U.S. education system. Jones’ expulsion for a misattributed marijuana offense underscored the urgent need for policy reform to ensure equal access to quality education. This aligns with the forum’s broader focus on decolonizing curricula worldwide. The SPLC’s discussion revealed how experiences like C.J.’s are commonplace for many black students, who are disproportionately pushed out of classrooms and into punitive environments. This systemic injustice deeply affects Africandescent communities in the U.S. and globally.
Moreover, discussions expanded beyond addressing historical injustices to encompass holistic pathways to sustainable development and economic empowerment for communities of African descent worldwide. Notably, one panel explored comprehensive strategies and policies to bridge persisting digital divides and ensure equitable access to technology and digital literacy— fundamental cornerstones of fostering economic mobility, meaningful social inclusion, and shared prosperity in the 21 stcentury global economy.
In a powerful closing address, Nicholas Marcus Thompson of
the Black Class Action Secretariat issued a clarion call to action.
“We are here to disrupt the status quo,” he declared, “to dismantle the oppressive systems that have held us back for generations. The future cannot mirror the injustices of the past.”
Echoing this sentiment, SecretaryGeneral Guterres emphasized the need for a new era of reparations, framing it as “what justice looks like in the 21 st century.” These pronouncements aim to reshape global approaches to reparations and systemic reform.
Significantly, Liliane Umubyeyi, co-director and founder of African
Future Labs, proposed rotating future PFPAD sessions between Geneva and locations across Africa. This proposal underscores the critical need for worldwide ongoing representation, inclusivity, and equity.
The forum concluded with a resounding commitment to sustained action. Participants vowed to dismantle racial injustices through effective policies and address the ongoing struggles of Afro-descendants globally. They aim to create a future that respects the dignity and rights of all, honoring Marcus Garvey’s legacy.
The Ascension, the Heavenly Places, and the Call to Work
Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith
So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. —Mark 16:19-20
May is known for Mother’s Day, May Day, graduations, and springtime blooms. Sometimes the Christian calendar also brings the annual celebration of the birth of the church in May: Pentecost. All these beautiful occasions invite us to new life, hope, and possibilities, as does Easter. This year both Asension Sunday and Pentecost happen during this month of May for many Christians. But Ascension Sunday often does not get as much attention as the holy days of Easter and Pentecost—but still, this day is important.
The ascension of the risen Lord
Jesus the Christ is an important moment in the life of the church and community because it marks the holy and miraculous event of Jesus the Christ being taken up from the earthly dwelling places to the heavenly places. More specifically, this dramatic event helps us to remember that the heavenly places matter and that we are a part of a divine universality and spiritual connection, not only to earth but all the universes. In sum, Jesus’ rising and ascending is good news for all of creation. The occasion of the ascension of Jesus is an illustration of how our lives are called to continually renew and
proclaim a risen life for all that is always ascending to new heights.
Mark presents the universal glory of Jesus the Christ and the heavens to which Jesus returns, while quickly turning our attention to the good work that must follow this uniquely divine moment of the risen and ascending Lord. Recently, many of us took the opportunity to look up to the eclipse. Many were arrested by the majesty of the moon eclipsing the sun. Some travelled to locations where this phenomenon might be more fully seen. Perhaps this looking up helps us to imagine the awe of the disciples and others gathered for the glory of seeing Jesus ascend to the heavenly places as well.
But very importantly, Mark’s accounts of the ascension of
Jesus the Christ did not stop with the viewing of the glory in heaven; it is also an invitation to be agents of God’s glory by doing good works that demonstrate God’s power of the Holy Spirit.
Advocacy is an important good work of this wonder and power. Bread for the World is committed to doing this in our holy call to ensure all are fed.
Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.
Leave It to the States? Five Takeaways About Abortion Attitudes in All 50 States
Robert P. Jones, White Too Long
The Truth About Religion and Abortion
Before I get to the groundbreaking state-level analysis, here’s an important snapshot of support for the legality of abortion by religion. While it may come as a surprise to many, most religious groups today favor the legality of abortion. In fact, there are only four (out of 16) religious groups in which a majority say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases: white evangelical Protestants, Hispanic Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Latter-Day Saints. Even combined, these four outlier groups only constitute one in five Americans.
If you were going to finish the following sentence accurately, “Most people of faith in America believe abortion should be….”, the final words would be, “mostly legal.”
The large sample size in the PRRI study makes it possible to look underneath the national findings and ...continued on p38
focus on attitudes at the state level. In today’s post, I want to focus on five unique state-level findings:
1. In 45 of the 50 states, a majority of residents believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The five states in which less than a majority of residents support the legality of abortion in all or most cases are: North Dakota (47%), South Dakota (47%), Arkansas (46%), Idaho (45%), and Utah (45%).
2. There is no state in which more than 16% of Americans believe abortion should be completely banned. Stated differently, more than 80% of the residents of every state believe abortion should be legal in at least some cases. The states with the highest percentage of residents who say abortion should be illegal in ALL cases are Kentucky and North Dakota (both 16%), Montana and South Carolina (both 15%), Louisiana and Nebraska (both 14%), Alabama and Arkansas (both 13%), Idaho and Oklahoma (both 12%), and Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas (all three 11%).
3. Majorities of residents in blue states (70%), battleground states (64%), and even red states (57%) support the legality of abortion. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of residents in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. In these states, majorities of most demographic and religious groups say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
4. Even in states where abortion is entirely or effectively banned, a majority of residents (53%) believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Support for the legality of abortion in all or most cases rises to 61% in states that have very restrictive laws and to 69% in states with less restrictive laws.
5. At the state level, there is a strong correlation between support for Christian nationalism and opposition to the legality of abortion. In the scatterplot below, the upward-sloping trend line through the distribution shows that, overall, the higher a state’s white residents score on the Christian nationalism scale, the more likely they are to oppose the legality of abortion. And the tight clustering of these state dots shows the strength and consistency of that correlation. For example, white residents in my home state of Mississippi have both the highest average score on the Christian nationalism scale (>0.5). They are the most likely to oppose the legality of abortion.
Concluding Thoughts: Our Two-Thirds/One-Third Country
Abortion is often talked about as one of the central issues dividing America, but this conventional wisdom is misleading. Here’s a thought experiment. How would you characterize an issue that had the following traits:
1. Two-thirds of Americans—including majorities of residents in 45 of 50 states—generally agree about what the basic contours of public policy related to the issue should be;
2. There is general agreement about the issue among the residents of both red and blue states and among the residents of states who have very different laws addressing the issue on the books;
3. Most major religious groups and most religious and non-religious Americans generally agree about the issue.
Chances are, you wouldn’t put that policy on the list of issues ripping the country apart. And yet, all of these statements accurately describe the issue of abortion.
The truth is that we are not polarized on this issue of abortion—at least not if polarization is construed to mean an evenly divided country. Rather, what we have is a vocal and powerful minority attempting to enshrine their beliefs into law over the objections of nearly twice as many Americans who disagree with them.
Robert P. Jones is president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute and the author, most recently, of The Hidden Roots of White Supremacyand thePath to a Shared American Future. This article first appeared on his “White Too Long” newsletter.
Historic Assembly Sets United Methodists on New Path
Heather Hahn, UM News
Delegates, visitors, and staff of the United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, NC, dance in the aisles following morning worship on the final day of the conference. Delegates to the 10-day legislative assembly supported big changes, including the removal of constraints on ministry with and by LGBTQ people. Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News. For the first time in its 240-year history, the denomination now known as The United Methodist Church has no category of people it officially excludes from some part of its ministry.
Historian Ashley Boggan D. describes the impact of the recently completed General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in this way.
“This is finally our chance to be the PEOPLE called Methodist,” the top executive of the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History said by email. “And that means ALL of us have the same opportunities for mission and ministries at any and all levels of the church.”
After more than a half-century of debate and defiance over the place of LGBTQ people in the denomination, General Conference delegates — by sizable majorities — voted to end decades-old bans on the ordination of “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy and the officiation of same-sex weddings.
The more than 700 delegates from four continents also adopted a whole new slate of Social Principles. The overhaul represents a culmination of an international, 12-year process to make the denomination’s teachings on contemporary social issues more globally relevant, theologically grounded, and succinct. Among other things, the revised Social Principles remove a 52-year-old assertion that “the practice of homosexuality…is incompatible with Christian teaching” and broaden the description of marriage as a sacred, lifelong covenant between an “adult man and adult woman of consenting age or two adult persons of consenting age.”
In what could be the most far-reaching change for United Methodist governance, the delegates also passed amendments to the church’s constitution that would restructure the denomination. To come to fruition, the amendments need to be ratified by at least two-thirds of the total voters at the denomination’s 133 annual conferences around the world.
Under the regionalization amendments, the denomination’s presence in the U.S. and eight central conferences in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines would each become regional conferences with equal authority to set many ministry policies for their missional contexts. That includes setting their own standards for clergy ordination and church marriage rites, so long as those standards are in line with local laws and the denomination’s doctrinal statements.
In short, the General Conference has moved forward all of what many labeled “the three R’s” — regionalization, revised Social Principles, and the removal of exclusionary language against LGBTQ people in the denomination’s Book of Discipline . While regionalization will take effect only if ratified over the next 18 months, the revised Social Principles take effect in January and the lifting of the clergy and wedding bans is already in effect.
Bishop Tracy S. Malone speaks at a press conference on May 3 at the conclusion of the United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, NC. Malone celebrated the elimination of prohibitive language that marginalizes LGBTQ people but also acknowledged that the actions by the denomination’s legislative assembly have received a mixed reaction among United Methodists. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.
“This has been truly a historic conference,” said Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone at a press conference immediately following the assembly’s conclusion. Malone, who also leads the East Ohio Conference, is making history herself as the first black woman elected as the council’s president.
Malone celebrated the elimination of prohibitive language that marginalizes LGBTQ people. Still, she acknowledged that the actions by the denomination’s top legislative assembly have already engendered a mixed reaction among United Methodists.
Many United Methodists delight in the changes as fulfilling Jesus’ call to treat people as they would want to be treated. At the same time, many church members denounce the changes as a rejection of biblical strictures against same-sex relations. Still, others wonder what all these changes ...continued
will mean for the denomination’s future.
United Methodists long have held differing biblical interpretations when it comes to homosexuality and operated in a variety of legal and cultural contexts. Malone sees regionalization — along with protections of conscience that this General Conference adopted — as a way for the denomination to live into its diversity while maintaining unity.
“I think what is important that we all hear is that as The United Methodist Church, we are very diverse. And although we don’t ‘all think alike,’ the promise and the principle that we stand on is that ‘we love alike,’” Malone said, quoting one of Methodism founder John Wesley’s most famous sermons.
“The United Methodist Church is a church for all persons regardless of where one is on the theological spectrum,” she added.
Broadening Ministry
In previous groundbreaking sessions, the Methodist Church’s General Conference voted to ordain women with full clergy rights in 1956 and officially ended the segregation of black clergy and members during the same 1968 Uniting Conference that saw the union of Methodists and Evangelical United Brethren into today’s United Methodist Church.
But the 2024 General Conference — postponed from 2020 by the COVID pandemic — may be the most productive yet for the denomination’s top policymaking assembly, Boggan said.
This year’s session also saw delegates pass amendments to the denomination’s constitution intended to welcome people into church membership regardless of “gender” or “ability” and to strengthen the denomination’s stance against racism and colonialism. These amendments, too, will need to be ratified by annual conference voters to take effect.
Many see this assembly as the dawn of a new day for the denomination after decades of infighting. The upbeat gathering — where many changes passed without debate on the floor — certainly marks a stark contrast from the tumultuous 2019 special General Conference. That session saw the denomination tighten its LGBTQ restrictions and made a way for multiple churches to exit.
Poonam Patodia, chief marketing officer for United Methodist Communications, said the changes will help congregations, whatever their perspective, live more fully into the popular tagline — long used in United Methodist branding — of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”
“Every local church that wishes to be fully inclusive and affirming can do so now,” she said. “Every pastor who wishes to officiate at a same-gender wedding can do so now — there is no longer a line that couldn’t be crossed to live into that mission. It’s a step forward, but in some ways not so, as we have basically adopted where we were pre-1972. We also recognize that our congregants and churches vary vastly on the theological spectrum.”
However, just opening church doors wider doesn’t mean more people will automatically come in.
Discipleship Ministries, the United Methodist agency that provides resources on evangelism and new church development, is expanding its offerings to help congregations reach people where they are. That includes helping United Methodists to start Fresh Expressions — Christian communities developed outside conventional church walls.
“Many of those who have been involved in the Fresh Expressions UM movement feel like General Conference validated the work they’ve been up to,” said the Rev. Michael Adam Beck, who leads Fresh Expressions
UM through Discipleship Ministries.
“In essence, decisions at General Conference helped the denomination catch up to what the Holy Spirit has been doing out in the fields with United Methodists for some time.”
Many see the potential for church members to embrace an additional set of three R’s: Reclaiming, Renewing, and Reviving The United Methodist Church to reach new people with the love of Christ.
“For so long we’ve either ‘othered’ or barred either black persons, women, or LGBTQ+ persons,” Boggan said. “The challenge we have is: Can we take the inclusion that now exists on paper and implement it in the world?”
Delegates work on church business during the final day of the United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, NC. More than 700 delegates from four continents attended the church’s lawmaking assembly, which took place April 23 through May 3 rd. Photo by Larry McCormack, UM News.
‘Bittersweet Moment’
Helen Ryde, a delegate from the Western North Carolina Conference, has been thinking about that question for a long time.
Ryde — who uses they/them pronouns — is a United Methodist home missioner and an organizer with Reconciling Ministries Network, which has long advocated for full inclusion of LGBTQ people in church life.
“It was a huge relief that we were able to achieve all that we set out to achieve at General Conference,” they said. “We weren’t at all sure that would happen when we arrived.”
Yet even amid the celebration, Ryde also mourns that the changes took so long.
“It’s a bittersweet moment because there is the sweetness that all of that language is now finally gone,” they said. “There’s also the sadness for all those who are no longer here, who left for all kinds of reasons.”
Ryde specifically mentioned
openly gay clergy who are now sharing their gifts with other denominations because they could not serve in The United Methodist Church.
However, Ryde also is dealing directly with the aftermath of other departures that happened before this General Conference. Ryde is part of an emerging United Methodist faith community just beginning in Haywood County, North Carolina — started by people who wanted to stay United Methodist after their church disaffiliated.
More than 7,600 U.S. churches — a quarter of the denomination’s U.S. churches — have left The United Methodist Church under a disaffiliation policy passed by the 2019 special General Conference. That provision allowed U.S. congregations to leave with property, “for reasons of conscience” related to ...continued on
homosexuality, if they met certain financial and procedural obligations.
From the beginning, most of the congregations that withdrew were theologically conservative and supported the LGBTQ-related bans. Departures accelerated with the 2022 launch of the Global Methodist Church, a theologically conservative denomination that has recruited mostly from the United Methodist fold.
The disaffiliation policy expired at the end of last year, and General Conference delegates voted to delete it. Annual conferences still have other ways to work with churches that want to leave, but the hope is that the vast majority of congregations will want to remain.
In fact, this General Conference passed legislation requiring annual conferences to develop church reaffiliation policies. Ryde was one of the delegates who spoke in favor of the legislation.
Ryde also wants to help the Haywood County emerging faith community reach new people who long have felt disconnected from church. The faith community, launched in December, already has seen some success in that regard, but Ryde sees more potential.
“One of the things I’m curious about, now that we’ve removed the harmful language, is how can we more comprehensively bear witness to being church in an inclusive way in our communities?”
Concerns About Marriage
Both before and during General Conference, the Reconciling Ministries Network and likeminded delegates advocated for getting the Book of Discipline “to neutral”— so that it neither affirmed nor condemned LGBTQ people.
General Conference delegates also approved a measure that explicitly allows current central conferences to set their own standards for marriage and clergy ordination. If regionalization is ratified, regional conferences would have the same leeway.
However, a number of United Methodists worry that this year’s General Conference went too far in reversing course. That’s especially true for United Methodists who live in countries where laws and/ or culture strictly forbid same-sex relations.
“The danger is the excitement and celebration that took place without considering that it would hurt others, and I am concerned that our actions could have literally donated Africa to other sects and religions,” said Shepherd Mpemba, a delegate from the West Zimbabwe Conference. He is also a newly elected member of the commission that plans General Conference.
“I still believe sin is sin and cannot be wished away,” he added.
For Mpemba and others, a particular sticking point was how General Conference broadened the church’s position on marriage in the Social Principles. Unlike many matters of church administration, the Social Principles themselves are not adaptable by either central conferences or the proposed regional conferences.
After the vote on the Social Principles, about 65 African delegates and Bishop John Wesley Yohanna of Nigeria joined in a protest against the expansive language.
Notably, Molly Hlekani Mwayera — a delegate from the East Zimbabwe Conference — made the proposal from the floor that General Conference adopted to recognize marriage by both a man and a woman and by two adults. As submitted, the legislation originally only mentioned “two people of faith.”
She told delegates the “doublebarreled” description would make the church’s position on marriage in line with nations’ laws both where same-sex marriage is permitted and where it is prohibited.
Zimbabwe Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa and all three bishops in the Philippines have released statements reiterating their commitment to The United
Methodist Church and that their areas would only solemnize marriage between a man and a woman.
“We are not in favor of same-sex marriage, and we do respect the LGBTQ community, but we are not in favor of ordaining practicing, self-avowed homosexuals,” said the statement by Filipino bishops Rodel M. Acdal, RubyNell M. Estrella, and Israel M. Painit. “We will continue to be traditional in spirit and principle and protect the interest and welfare of The United Methodist Church in the Philippines.”
Similarly, Nhiwatiwa’s statement said the church in Zimbabwe would maintain its current stance against homosexuality. He also credited delegate and Zimbabwe Supreme Court Justice Hlekani Mwayera for ensuring the Zimbabwean position is upheld. She is also a newly elected member of the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court.
“The future of The United Methodist Church in Africa and in Zimbabwe in particular is bright,” he said. “We want to develop and continue a United Methodist type of brand in Zimbabwe.”
Staying a Big Tent
The Rev. John Stephens, a delegate from the Texas Conference and senior pastor of the theologically diverse megachurch Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston, is dealing with lots of questions.
“One of the big things I want our church to know is this: The UMC didn’t change the definition of marriage; The UMC changed who is allowed to be married in the church,” he said.
He pointed out that the Social Principles are not doctrine — a distinction reserved for United Methodist belief in such timeless truths as Christ’s resurrection and the Triune God. Instead, the revised Social Principles speak to contemporary concerns, and Stephens said that means recognizing how marriages exist in the world.
Stephens, who describes himself as a “a self-defined conservative,” also sees the protections added by this General Conference as enough to ensure the denomination can remain a big table.
General Conference passed explicit protections to ensure clergy would not be compelled to officiate at any wedding, samesex or otherwise. On General Conference’s final day, the Judicial Council upheld that church boards of trustees could still set policies banning same-sex wedding services within their walls.
“You can be United Methodist and be traditional, believing marriage was instituted by God between a man and a woman,” Stephens said. “You can be a United Methodist and be progressive, believing marriage may include those of the same sex. Unity of the body of Christ does not require uniformity, but it does require love.”
The Rev. Sandra Bonnete-Kim, the pastor of Carter Memorial United Methodist Church in Needham, Massachusetts, said this year’s assembly was unlike any of the other three general conferences she attended before.
“People are more collaborative, respectful, and wanted to create a new United Methodist Church,” said Kim, who is also president of the National Association of Korean Clergy Women. “Many were already living into regionalization, recognizing and acknowledging that we all live in different cultures and with different theologies.”
She said she still feels the church has work to do in addressing racism. As a Korean American, she said she has witnessed how Koreans are often made invisible in denomination-wide discussions.
“To me, this is the next area we must work on to truly create a welcoming United Methodist Church where everyone has a place.”
For her part, Boggan — the historian and head of Archives and History — plans to immediately begin collecting, preserving, and telling stories of LGBTQ United Methodists. ...continued on
She regrets that it took the denomination 36 years to intentionally collect and preserve, the stories of black United Methodists who experienced the segregated Central Jurisdiction.
“We’ve now lived up to the standard of inclusion that both Jesus Christ and John Wesley set (in different but comparable ways) and now we get the opportunity to work together, build relationships, and rebuild connection,” Boggan said.
“We can open our doors and proclaim the good news,” she added. “But unless we actually step out of those doors and take the good news to people, all we’re going to end up with is wellventilated sanctuaries.”
NECROLOGY LISTINGS MAY 2024
* Purple font connotes Episcopal Family; Red font , General Of ficers; and Blue font , Connectional Officers.
Mr. Tony Lee Turner, the brother of Mrs. Saundra Lucas-Field, AME Church General Board member, and secretary of the Commission on Social Action, Twelfth Episcopal District
The Reverend Fredrick D. Parker, retired, served faithfully in the Ninth Episcopal District in the old North Alabama Annual Conference, West Alabama Annual Conference, and Northwest Alabama Annual Conference; he is also the brother of the Reverend T. W. Parker
Mr. Robert Nathanie Brown, Sr., father of the Reverend Robert Brown, Jr., pastor of Bethel AME ChurchChestertown, MD and the uncle of the Reverend Monigue Upshur Davis, pastor of Mt. Olive AME Church, Worton, MD and Holy Trinity AME Church, Rock Hall, MD, Second Episcopal District
Sister Katrina Clarissa Rawls Hernandez, a beloved educator and counselor, sister of the Reverend Ron Rawls, Jr., and sister-in-law of the Honorable Meshon Rawls, senior pastor, and first lady of the Greater Bethel AME Church in Gainesville, Florida, Eleventh Episcopal District
The Reverend Michael Todd Scroggins, loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend, served as pastor of Moody Chapel AME Church, Little Rock, Arkansas of the Twelfth Episcopal District; previous pastoral assignments: Allen Chapel, Atkins, Arkansas; Mt. Pleasant, Monticello, Arkansas; and Bethel, Arkansas
Mr. Steven Williams, the loving husband to the Reverend Lesia Williams, pastor of Quinn Chapel AME Church, Marion, Ohio, Third Episcopal District
Mrs. Lisa Ortiz, Esq., the sister of the Reverend Laverne
McClellan Trent, pastor of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, New Jersey Annual Conference of the First Episcopal District
Sister Rosemary Clarke, the mother of the Reverend Pauline A. Glenn, associate minister at Israel AME Church, Western New York Annual Conference of the First Episcopal District
Dr. Jerome V. Harris, retired general officer, executive director of the AME Church Department of Retirement Services
Brother Charles Ray Bishop, Sr., the husband of Sis. Dawn D. Bishop, father of Mrs. DeShannon O. Richburg, and brother-in-law of the Reverend Dr. Pamela Rivera, presiding elder of the Austin Capital District, Southwest Texas Conference, Tenth Episcopal District
Mrs. Lucile Luckie Gatlin Mushatt, the mother of the Reverend Dr. Sandra Gatlin
Whitley, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, New Bedford, MA, New England Annual Conference of the First Episcopal District
Mrs. Beatrice Jasper, the grandmother of the Reverend Brandon Sims, Sr., pastor of Greater St. John AME Church, Tulsa, OK, Twelfth Episcopal District
Brother Morris (Bud) Womack, brother of the Reverend Floyd Womack, pastor of St. Peter AME Church, New Roads, LA and St. Mary AME Church, Addis, LA, Eighth Episcopal District
Mr. Lee Roy Young, age 79, the brother of the Reverend Thann Young, pastor of Hemingway Temple AME Church in Northwest Washington, D.C. and the brother-in-law of the Reverend Margaret Farr Young, the associate pastor, Second Episcopal District
Condolences to the bereaved are expressed on behalf of Publications Commission chair Bishop David R. Daniels, Jr., president/ publisher of the AMEC Publishing House (Sunday School Union) the Reverend Dr. Roderick D. Belin, and editor of The Christian Recorder, Dr. John Thomas III.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 (NRSV)
To share or receive information about Connectional clergy family bereavements and congratulations, please contact the AME Church Clergy Family Information Center. Mrs. Ora L. Easley, administrator • 5981 Hitching Post Lane • Nashville, TN 37211 • 615.833.6936 (CFIC Office) • amecfic.org • facebook.com/AMECFIC.
Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News
CONNECTIONAL NEWS: CHURCH GROWTH CORNER, MAY 2024
Focus on the Mission
The reason we are leaders is because of the mission. We cannot afford to be sidetracked by problems or personal ambitions, but we must focus on the mission, vision, ideas, and goals. The mission is to “carry the whole Gospel to the whole world by the whole church,” our job as leaders is to apply that mission to our geographical area or sphere of ministry. We can’t focus on personalities or controversies. We can’t operate in a defensive mode or exercise favoritism. We shouldn’t seek personal position or power.
Our ministry is from God, not people. People can appoint, elect, or replace us, but they don’t change our ministry. If God has called us to be leaders, we can be leaders by example, whether we have a position or not. We shouldn’t seek a position but let a position seek us. If we receive a position, it may be God’s way of enabling us to exercise the ministry God has given us, at least for a time. But we shouldn’t confuse our ministry or self-worth with our position. If a position is no longer ours, we may be disappointed and feel
that some people have worked against us unfairly, but we have to be bigger than these feelings. Of course, we should be responsive to our constituents if they express concerns; we should address them, not for the sake of personal power but for the kingdom of God.
Let’s exercise the ministry God has given us, do our best, and leave the results up to God. We don’t need to become involved in personal battles. If we are dragged into conflict, we can step back and apologize, revise our tone, and
Know Your Church History – PART 3 OF A 4 PART SERIES
African Methodist Episcopal Church | Connectional Lay Organization (CLO)
“We remember them and their significant contributions to others.”
1. She is the historiographer for the 8 th Episcopal District, a former AME Church Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) president, and a college professor who recently had an auditorium named in her honor at Hinds Community College, Utica Campus, Raymond, MS. What is this great educator’s name?
2. He served as a Connectional Lay Organization Parliamentarian, was a principal (Gifford County) and assistant superintendent of schools in the Indian River, FL school system, and he has an administration building named in his honor at the Olso Middle School also in Indian River County. Identify this honored scholar and churchman.
3. She has a middle school named after her in Kansas City, KS. Hint: She was also the principal of an elementary school in Kansas City, KS, and an outstanding president of its School Board. This outstanding woman was also a stewardess, a member of the Trustee Board, and an active member of the Lay Organization of Trinity AME Church in Kansas City, KS. Who is she?
4. In May 2022, the office of Child Welfare and Attendance for the Rapides Parish School Board was renamed in her honor in Alexandria, LA. She served on the mayor’s advisory council and is currently the Local Lay president at her church in the 8 th district, as well as Trustee pro-tem and a class leader. She serves as the Conference DOPR and was DOLA for eight years while mentoring others. Identify this outstanding woman.
5. He owns and is the executive director of his funeral home in Pretoria, South Africa. While serving as president of the 19th Episcopal District, he established an awards system and a conference newsletter and implemented a conference-wide strategic planning program. He currently serves as the president of the Connectional Lay Organization (CLO). Identify this outstanding Lay leader.
6. She received the Larry Kushnick Memorial Award for Community Service, the founder of the Huntington Station, NY Community Center, and has a street in Hunting Station named in her honor. She
seek reconciliation. We should treat everyone, even perceived opponents, with kindness, generosity, and respect, providing opportunities for dialogue and cooperation. While a few people will reject the offer, dialogue can often resolve an issue when the root cause is a misunderstanding. Through personal discussion, it is often possible to clarify motives, explain situations, and make corrections if necessary. Through this effort, sometimes opponents can become supporters. ❏
is a member of the Jamaica/Long Island District. What is this activist’s name?
7. She served as a Houston District Lay president. She was a well-known educator in the Houston Independent School District and the first principal of Sunny Side Elementary School. The school was later named in her honor. Who is she?
8. Residing in the 3 rd Episcopal District, he served as one of the outstanding CLO presidents and continues serving as president emeritus. His church annex is named in his honor in Columbus, OH. Who is he?
9. They were both outstanding educators at Alabama A&M University and had a four-story building complex named in their honor. These AMEs have traveled and continue to share their godly knowledge and wisdom. They currently reside in the 9 th Episcopal District, and their home church is in the 7 th Episcopal District. Please identify them and the building complex named in their honor.
10. She has been on a number of TV stations (including Good Morning America (GMA)), to advertise her company; her product is in major stores around the country in the USA. She is also active in an AME Church and Lay Organization in Washington, D.C. Please identify this entrepreneur.
11. He was a faithful member of the T. D. Peters Lay Organization, an active member of St. Paul AME Church, and active in civic and government affairs in the 9 th Episcopal District. The Daniel Payne Legacy Village named the annex in his honor, and Troy University renamed a building after “the boy from Troy” to recognize his talents and compassion for people. Who was this outstanding churchman and activist?
12. He is a graduate of Tennessee State University, where he served on the Board of Regents from 1981-1991. He is the proud owner of a funeral home in Nashville, TN. He is also an active member of the Tennessee Conference Lay Organization and an AME Church ...continued on p48
general officer. Please identify this distinguished gentleman, scholar, and churchman.
13. The fellowship hall at St. John AME Church in Nashville, TN, is named in her honor. She and her husband, the Rev. Harris, raised two distinguished leaders – an AME Church general officer - an educator, and a medical doctor. Please identify this compassionate and loving mother and ardent community worker.
14. She was a well-known member of Bethel Baltimore AME Church and was also a well-known activist. She was called the “Mayor of Upton.” She was known for her activist work in West Baltimore “Pennsylvania Avenue” and led the renewal of the Upton neighborhood. She was also recognized for her ability to get work done (including establishing the Billie Holiday statue in the park and the Boone housing projects) while working with the mayor and city officials. Name this dedicated public servant.
15. This great lady was the former Guyanese-born lawyer, politician, prominent community activist, and lay member of Ebenezer AME Church in Guyana. Because of her commitment, passion, and love for others, a square and nursery school was named in her honor. Name this 16 th Episcopal District activist.
16. She was a civil rights activist honored by the United States Congress twice as “the first lady of civil rights” and “the mother of the freedom movement.” She is known worldwide for her civil rights activities. Who is she?
17. Born in St. John AME Church’s parsonage in Columbus, GA, a marker (with a picture) was erected in her honor, identifying her as a founder of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. The sorority is one of
the largest African American sororities in the world. She is also a graduate of Howard University and one of the first African American social workers in FL. Name her.
18. This distinguished lay member of Bethel AME Church in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) served as the eighth elected governor of the USVI from 2015 to 2019. He was honored at the 50 th AME Church General Conference in Philadelphia and received the prestigious AME Quadrennial Service Award for his being elected governor and outstanding leadership. What is his name?
19. She was born into slavery in Washington, D.C., in 1827. Her aunt bought her freedom for $125. She was an author, famed educator, activist, and missionary, among ot her attributes. Her goal was to make America a land of opportunity for persons of color and others. Because of an AME Church scholarship and other funding, she was able to attend Oberlin College. She married an AME minister who pastored Bethel, Baltimore. He later became an AME Church bishop. Because of her community focus, a club was formed and named in her honor in Alameda County, CA. A university in Baltimore bears her last name. Name this outstanding educator.
20. She is honored as the “Mother of Black Freedom” in South Africa and had an ANC nursery school named after her in Tanzania. She was noted for her activism, being one of the first black women graduates in South Africa and one of the first black South Africans to fight for freedom from the exploitative and social conditions of African women. She sat up an employment agency for Africans in Johannesburg and was the first black woman to become a parole officer for juvenile delinquents. She received her BS degree from Wilberforce University in the USA. Name this distinguished AME Church member in South Africa.
Answers to Know Your Church History –
“Dee” Thompson – (1st Episcopal District). 7. Mrs. Ethel Mosley Young – (10th Episcopal District). 8. Dr. Willie Clayton Glover. 9. The Andrew and Abbiegail Hugine Living and Learning Complex.
Mrs. LaVerne Richardson, owner
We remember these 20 individuals and their significant outstanding work (including faith in God) for society. Please visit Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other social media to learn more about them and their outstanding contributions to humankind—many thanks to the Epi scopal
historiographers for their input.
You are encouraged to use the CLO website to purchase “The CLO Historical Journal” to get correct answers to the puzzles in ser ies 1, 2, 3, and 4 Q & A’s. www.ameclay.org
Submitted by: Mr. Matikane A. Makita, CLO President
Mr. William “Bill” Ayers, CLO Historiographer
10.
and manager of “Mama LaVerne’s Chicken Seasoning, Waffle & Pancake Mix” – (2 nd Episcopal District).
11. Mr. Lamar P. Higgins – Deceased.
12. Dr. Richard Allen Lewis, Sr. – (13 th Episcopal District).
18. Mr. Kenneth E. Mapp – (16 th Episcopal District).
19. Mrs. Fannie Jackson Coppin – Deceased.
20. Mrs. Charlotte Maxeke – Deceased.
District
In His Own Words: Dr. John F. Green’s Visit to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In May 2024, a delegation of African Methodist Episcopal Church clergy and laity visited the 17 th Episcopal District to fellowship and assist AME members in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The delegation included the Rev. Dr. John Green, executive director, Department of Global Witness and Ministry, African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church; the Rev. Dr. Jonathan L. Weaver, presiding elder, Potomac District, Washington Annual Conference of the AME Church; the Rev. Dr. Carolyn Davis, ministerial staff member, Jerusalem AME Church in South Carolina; and Sis. Johnie Cobwell. The delegation met with pastors of the Great Lakes Conference in the 17 th Episcopal District under the leadership of Bishop David R. Daniels. The Reverend Dr. Green preached a sermon titled “You Can Do More Than You Think.” Presiding Elder Mutabazi Kamutera Seraphin of the Great Lakes Conference hosted the delegation. Elder Kamutera is also the pastor of Enaim AME in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bishop Daniels’ assistant for the Great Lakes Conference.
The following is a reflection from Dr. Green on his time in Rwanda and the DRC:
I have been equally blessed by my time and experience in the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was absolutely a joy to provide toys to the children at the Early Childhood Development Center in Rwanda. I must express commendation to Presiding Elder Jonathan Weaver and the Pan African Collective for the marvelous work being done at the Weaver School in Goma. To see the school educating one thousand two hundred and ninety students with limited space and resources speaks volumes to the
level of commitment from Dr. Weaver, the administration, and the teachers at the Weaver School to the academic preparation of the children in Goma.
My heart is truly broken to see our brothers and sisters, in particular, our AME brothers and sisters forced to live in the displacement camps in Goma because of the rebel fighting of M23 against the National Armed Forces. Our brothers and sisters are living under extreme conditions of difficulty, experiencing a shortage of food, clean water, and clothing. Their faith in God and love for the AMEC remain steadfast and hopeful. I am trusting that this time of challenge will soon be over, and they will be able to return to their homes. They are forever grateful to the AMEC for all that the denomination has done and ask that we continue to help because the need is great.
Over 100,000 people and 38,000 families are living in just one camp. As the executive director for Global Witness and Ministry, I urge us not to become weary in well doing. Our brothers and sisters desperately need our continued support.
Witnessing the dire needs of the children, people, and churches in Rwanda and the Congo, the Department of Global Witness and Ministry is resolutely committed to partnering with the Pan African Collective to address these pressing needs. I fervently pray that we can swiftly find mission partners to join us in this crucial effort. Whether you are clergy, lay, missionaries, or congregations, your contribution can truly make a difference in transforming the lives of God’s people in the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. ❏ ❏ ❏
The Problem of High Education: Why President Biden Should Speak at Morehouse College
Quardricos Driskell
In recent days and weeks, there has been a plethora of protests across college campuses. The Israel-Hamas war has popped up on an increasing number of college campuses following the recent arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University. Students across the country are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and, in some cases, from Israel itself.
More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children. More than 77,000 have been injured. Every hospital and university in Gaza has been destroyed. None of this would have been possible without the support and sponsorship of longstanding United State s policy, and this unfortunate reality has caused a stir at my alma mater, Morehouse College. The protest and criticism of alumni, faculty, and students of President Biden’s upcoming speech at Morehouse commencement is a direct result of the genocide. And while the murder of innocent lives should kee p us all awake at night, this war also holds significant promise in addressing the pressing problems plaguing the higher education sector.
Commencement addresses are not often without purpos e. They typically leverage specific platforms to deliver a particular message. As such, do we want to have a substantive foreign policy debate? If so, Morehouse should be able to host the sitting president of the United States and create space for high-quality debate, discussion, and disagreement. The president’s (focus on the office, not the man) invitation does not mean that the Morehouse College community supports or is acquiescent to the genocide of Gaza or any other war in which the U.S. has engaged or supported. There are always significant policy criticisms/disagreements with a sitting president. Presidents are polarizing figures by the very nature of U.S. politics. The invitation is an opportunity for Morehouse, a higher education institution with a long history of protest, to challenge the president on his tactical execution of the long-term policies of U.S. foreign policy and for the college to uplift its moral paragon.
There are online comments that suggest any college or university that gives its commencement stage to President Biden at this moment is endorsing genocide. We are seeing another phase of the longerrange continuity of U.S.-Israel/U.S.-Middle East policy. If Morehouse has done its job, the graduates should represent the best hope for a new America. I do not believe that a commencement address by the sitting president of the United States (other than Trump) somehow diminishes Morehouse’s stalwart and storied legacy. Morehouse College’s sixth president, famed minister, educator, and scholar Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, said during his charge to a graduating class: “It will not be sufficient for Morehouse College, for any college, for that matter, to produce clever graduates,” but rather honest graduates “who are sensitive to the wrongs, the sufferings, and the injustices of society and who are willing to accept responsibility for correcting the ills.” Should students protest peacefully without disrupting their fellow brothers during commencement? Yes. For HBCUs like Morehouse, the imperative to embrace intellectual diversity is paramount, and these institutions have a rich legacy of serving as incubators of American and global thought and leadership, challenging the status quo, and advocating for social justice. The students can carry the honored legacy by inviting the president and reaffirming their commitment to intellectual freedom and inclusivity while protesting peacefully.
However, this speaks to a more significant issue: Higher education struggles with respect for diversity of viewpoints. Colleges should not
be in the business of avoiding controversy. The current political landscape is rough for college and university presidents, but Morehouse’s
President David Thomas has said that he will not rescind the invitation, and good for him. John Stuart Mill argued in “On Liberty” that ignoring alternative viewpoints compromises our capacity to pursue truth, understand other perspectives, realize when we are wrong, and even defend our positions when right adequately. Colleges and universities, including HBCUs, have a moral and intellectual obligation to uphold the principles of free expression and open inquiry. By actively inviting individuals, including the president with whom they disagree on policies and ideologies, colleges and universities can foster critical thinking and intellectual growth, promote community engagement, and uphold their legacy as beacons of knowledge, enlightenment, civility, and student protest.
I wonder how President Biden might have been received in any other year, but this is not another year. It is, in some ways, a repeat of 2020, and Morehouse College, through its invitation of the president, has an opportunity to illustrate, within higher education, that we both can respect the office of the presidency and yet challenge the policies of our government—in doing so, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of academic freedom, diversity, and inclusion that lie at the heart of higher education.
Professor Quardricos Bernard Driskell is a federal lobbyist and an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. He lectures on race, religion, cultural wars, and politics. Follow him on Twitter @q_driskell4.
Reflections on President Biden’s Speeches at Mother Emanuel and Morehouse: From Media Narrative to Reality
Within the last five months, I have had the unique privilege of seeing President Biden in person twice at major speeches. In January, I heard his speech from the pu lpit of Mother Emanuel, beckoning those assembled to join him in his fight for democracy in the United States. Last month, I participated in my 20th reunion at Morehouse College. I heard President Biden, as the commencement speaker, extol the attributes of Morehouse men while reminding the audience of the policy gains that African Americans have achieved during his administration.
It was one thing to be in the space, but quite another to read the spin from the punditry and horse race coverage that occurs during presidential political campaigns. When I watched how commentators discussed Biden’s speech at Mother Emanuel, I wondered if we had watched different events. Attention was placed on the supposed desecration of a pulpit and the memory of the Emanuel Nine as well as support of the genoc idal acts in Gaza by the United States government. Less attention was paid to how the attendees felt or the words that were said. Many commentators missed the AME legacy of political engagement or misconstrued Biden’s presence for AME Church approval of U.S. policy towards the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The AME Church spoke for itself when the Council of Bishops issued a statement in February calling for a cease-fire and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. The statement by the Council of Bishops complicated the simplistic narrative and prompted many to reevaluate what th ey thought they understood about the AME Church.
When I learned that President Biden would be speaking for my alma mater’s commencement ceremony, I was ambivalent. On the one hand, I knew it was an important symbol that a small HBCU could attract the president of the United States. On the other hand, I was concerned that the attention would detract from the graduates’ achievements. The nation was already wracked with protests across multiple college campuses regarding the continued backing of the Netanyahu regime by the United States, and at least two commencement exercises had been completely canceled. As I participated in the alumni line processional during the commencement, I noticed the Palest inian flags and keffiyehs that adorned many students. The valedictorian’s speech ended with a rebuke of the current administration’s policy. When President Biden began to speak, two professors unfurled the flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo behind him with a smaller sign stating, “Divest Now.” None of the graduates stood to receive President Biden, and several students turned their backs. I learned later that the students had been threatened by Morehouse’s president that any outburst would lead to the cancellation of the commencement—so the students protested silently. To me, Biden’s remarks were an appropriate mix of campaign rhetoric and celebration of the unique achievement of a class of black male college graduates. When Biden closed, the applause was muted, but I noticed several students had visibly softened their stance. I asked one of them his thoughts, and he said he was more upset with Morehouse’s reaction than the president’s
words. When I looked at the news media coverage of the day, it was clear that Biden’s reception was not what was expected, and the lack of an outright protest made the day’s events less interesting.
In Biden’s speeches at Mother Emanuel and Morehouse College, I saw a president of the United States trying to convince those assembled that American democracy is in danger. African Americans know well that democracy in the United States has worked unevenly for us, and we are in a period where supposedly settled questions, from reproductive rights to affirmative action, are being attacked and rolled back. Against this backdrop, a narrative is being told of disenchanted black voters beginning to leave Biden and either migrate to his opponent or not vote at all. As a journalist and a political scientist, I personally abhor simple narratives without
nuance. Anyone who has spent time at a cookout, barbershop, beauty salon, or Sunday brunch will hear lively discussions from black people who are politically engaged yet grappling with their thoughts regarding American democracy. I encourage those who read this piece not to believe the hype of the narratives but to diligently seek the truth and decide how to participate in democracy by voting and other ways. We must move past narratives constructed for us and make our own stories. Likewise, we should not wait on spectators to tell our stories for us—because one thing we know is that they will never tell it all as they should. ❏ ❏ ❏
Dr. John Thomas III 21st Editor of The Christian Recorder
