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MARCH 2022
The Christian Recorder
LIVING AND MINISTERING THROUGH TWO ENEMIES By Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Columnist
Our lives have been turned upside down by an invisible pandemic. We are also on voter alert regarding efforts to limit our ability to vote and exercise our Godgiven right. We think we have overcome, as we sing during African American celebrations, but we now understand that to be fully recognized as complete citizens is still a fight we must be engaged in. So how do we minister through these two enemies, one we can see and the other attacks without sight or warning? First, to combat the invisible enemy of COVID-19 and its variants, we must all use common sense and look out for each other. The biblical mandate reminds us, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” (Mk. 12:31), which means being educated and vaccinated and wearing a mask and practicing social distancing. In addition, we must live exercising common sense. We should be careful in crowded spaces and be concerned with the physical greetings we share. “The life we save may be our own.” As our lives change, we must continue to be mindful of our mind, body, and spirit. I call this “The Triangle of Life.” We must engage our minds with positive thoughts and energy, our body must exercise, we must eat healthily, and God’s Word must nourish our spirit. Secondly, our ancestors suffered and died for the right to vote and participate in the election process. One of the images I shall never forget is my 90-year-old father voting for what was to be his last time and our 18-year-old daughter voting for the first time. This image encouraged me to continue the fight for voter participation and registration. I encourage my students to register and participate in the voting process. The enemy of voter suppression is a serious threat to liberty and justice as we know it. We minister through this by “Cosmic-Companionship,” as Dr. King once stated. It is knowing the power of God and God’s companionship with us. Lastly, we minister through these two enemies by waiting for God to direct us and to give us strength for the journey, remembering that “but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). The eagle does not fly but instead soars above the circumstances. Like eagles, we soar with the majesty of God. We find the wind currents of justice and righteousness, and we allow the currents to get beneath our wings of change for a better society for our children yet unborn. ❏ ❏ ❏
BETHEL CATHEDRAL – INDIANAPOLIS LIVING OUR RESURRECTION STORY By L. Kay Kirby, 4th Episcopal District
THECHRISTIANRECORDER.COM
PAIN AND AGONY! BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT OF TRUST By Cynthia Gordon-Floyd, MPA, Columnist
It can be agonizing and painful to learn that the church is not using funds for its intended purpose. A breach of trust among God’s people is serious, and leaders must address it appropriately. Why is it so important to build a solid foundation of the church so that breaches of trust do not occur? Simply stated, if we have not built a solid foundation, we dishonor the Lord and his standard of holiness. We must rebuild and confront failure without compromise. We can learn and grow from failure, but we should never try to build on failure. Failure makes a great teacher, but it is a rotten foundation. First, we must face the reality of our situation. Are we being proactive to avoid failure? We do not want to offend, so we often give without ever knowing how much the church raised or if the church used the funds for the given purpose. We remain quiet, and we think it is unloving to question our leaders. Yet, there is a respectful way to ask questions. Transparency should be the standard for God’s people. All should have access to accurate, timely, and consistent financial reporting. We cannot continue the same processes and expect a different outcome. We should not be ignorant about how money is used and reported at the connectional, district, conference, and local church levels. We should not assume that proper stewardship will occur without accountability. If we accept the lack of accountability in many areas of ministry, we will continue on this path. Here are a few steps we can take to build a stronger foundation in our Zion: (1) Ensure that those charged with fiduciary responsibility for monies, governance, and financial reporting have the qualifications necessary to be given the responsibility of their position. Our Doctrine and Discipline should be rewritten for all components to revamp our position qualifications. (2) Develop and implement proper internal control mechanisms in every aspect of our ministry so that an individual does not have control of receipt, custody, and disbursement of funds. (3) Create internal audit and quality control committees at all levels of the Connection consisting of independent, qualified African Methodist Episcopal Church members to monitor compliance with our stated policies and procedures for all levels of responsibility. (4) Use external fiduciaries with the needed expertise to assist with management reporting, oversight, and maintenance and who will be responsible for routinely reporting to all stakeholders. Cynthia Gordon-Floyd is a certified public accountant and founder of Willing Steward Ministries, LLC. Willing Steward Ministries (www. willingsteward.com) is a financial consulting and accounting firm for churches and other faith-based non-profits, specializing in Bible-focused financial practices, pastoral compensation issues, IRS compliance, and other financial needs specific to churches. Cynthia is a graduate of Lake Forest College and holds her MBA in Accounting from DePaul University. She is a steward and the financial secretary at the First AME Church of Manassas in Manassas, Virginia.
Bethel Cathedral African Methodist Episcopal Church, Indianapolis, Indiana, under the pastoral leadership of the Rev. Dr. Carlos Wesley Perkins and first lady, the Rev. Carla S. Perkins, celebrated 185 years of service to God and the Indianapolis community during three days of worship, fellowship, and revival on December 10-12, 2021, and January 15, 2022, at the former historic site at 414 West Vermont Street. This historic celebration helped complete the circle of returning to the former Bethel site, which the church occupied for more than 169 years. Since selling the landmark site to SUN Developments in 2016, Bethel Cathedral has relocated to the northwestern re region of Indianapolis in Pike Township, where a new 13-acre campus includes a new worship center, an early childhood development c center, and a community resource center. The historic site at 414 West Vermont S Street is now the home of Hilton’s n newly constructed Hampton Inn and H Homewood Suites. In purchasing the fo former Bethel property, it was required fo the developers to adhere to Bethel’s for c confirmed listing on the National Historic R Registry and the Indiana State Historic R Registry. By incorporating much of the o original structure, décor, and history of the 1 185-year-old edifice, the joint hotel venture se secured the facility’s future, repurposing th building while cementing its historicity the fo visitors to learn from and enjoy during for th stay. their
Under the theme, “Enduring Faith in Faithless Times,” the 185th Anniversary commenced on Friday, December 10, 2021, with a cultural kickoff at Bethel Church, 6417 Zionsville Road. The evening was a gathering of descendants whose ancestors had migrated from Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, the Carolinas, Virginia, and other eastern states to settle in Indiana. We gathered honoring ancestors from the Motherland and the Caribbean whom slave traders brought shackled to a strange place that our ancestors would later call home. The evening was a remembrance of the founding of their 1836 Dwelling Place. The evening’s celebration: “Tulikotoka: From Whence We Came,” focused on our African Methodism across the diaspora through the spoken word, music, history reviews, drumming, cultural dance, delicious dining, and beautiful table displays. Brother Derrick Slack, an educator from the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township School District, ministered culturally relevant spoken word. The congregation viewed “The Spirit of African Methodism,” a documentary produced ...continued on p19
