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Historic AME Church Anchors Oldest American Town Founded by African Americans
...From Rev. Dr. p1 “These prominent faith and law enforcement leaders will help us build and strengthen the community partnerships that are so vital to our mission success,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “We will work together to increase access to our services, ensure equity, maintain openness and transparency, and fully restore the trust of the communities we serve.”
“This Council is an important way for the department to engage formally with critical partners on issues impacting faith communities,”
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said Brenda Abdelall, assistant secretary for
Partnership and Engagement. “Members of the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council will provide valuable insight that will benefit our stakeholders nationwide on important issues within the scope of the department’s mission.” The council will provide organizationally independent, strategic, timely, specific, and actionable advice to the secretary on diverse homeland security matters. Specifically, the council’s contributions will enhance the department’s work to protect houses of worship; improve coordination and information sharing of threat information with the faith community, and through the faith community, within the broader communities in which they serve; increase access to DHS resources by building trust and addressing potential barriers; and prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from acts of targeted violence, terrorism, and other threats.
Secretary Mayorkas has appointed the following individuals to the council:
❖ Chandru Acharya, Member, Plymouth Canton
Interfaith Community Outreach ❖ Imam Mohamed Hagmagid Ali, Executive
Director, All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center / Co-Founder, Multi-Faith
Neighbors Network ❖ Salam Al-Marayati, Co-Founder and President,
Muslim Public Affairs Council ❖ Deputy Chief Tracie Baker, Arlington Police
Department, Texas ❖ Kimberly Burgo, Vice President, Disaster
Operations, Catholic Charities USA ❖ Rev. Jeffery Cooper, General Secretary and
Chief Information Officer, African Methodist
Episcopal Church ❖ Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, Chief Operating
Officer, National Council of Churches ❖ Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director, Sikh
American Legal Defense, and Education Fund ❖ Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Executive Vice President, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America ❖ Commissioner Kenneth Hodder, National
Commander, The Salvation Army ❖ Hyepin Im, President and Founder, Faith and
Community Empowerment (FACE) ❖ Curtis Jones, National Deputy Sector Chief -
Manager, Religious Facilities Protection Program (RFPP), InfraGard National Members Alliance ❖ Alberto Martinez, Director, Orange County
Intelligence Assessment Center, Orange County
Sheriff’s Department ❖ Michael Masters, National Director & CEO,
Secure Community Network ❖ Sheriff Garry McFadden, 45th Sheriff of
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina ❖ Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director, Religious
Action Center for Reform Judaism, Union for
Reform Judaism ❖ Todd Richins, Church Security Department,
Field Operations Division Director, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ❖ Mayya Saab, Executive Director, Faith-Based
Information Sharing and Analysis Organization ❖ Rev. Gabriel Salguero, President, National
Latino Evangelical Coalition ❖ Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, CEO Emerita, Rabbinical
Assembly ❖ Chief Issa Shahin, Dearborn, Michigan Police
Department ❖ Imam Talib Shareef, Nation’s Mosque / Masjid
Muhammad ❖ Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder & President,
National Action Network ❖ Rev. Naomi Washington-Leapheart, Director for
Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs, Mayor’s Office of Public Engagement, City of Philadelphia ❖ April Wood, President/CEO, National Voluntary
Organizations Active in Disasters The council’s membership reflects President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas’ priorities on diversity, equity, and inclusion and will ensure a wide range of diverse voices across various faith traditions. The members represent various faith communities and a diversity of denominations, including the Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, and Sikh communities, as well as law enforcement.
The first meeting of this council will be convened by Secretary Mayorkas and held virtually on October 6, 2022.
To learn more about the council, please visit: https://www.dhs.gov/faith-based-security-advisorycouncil. ❏ ❏ ❏
Joseph D. Bryant , Illinois News Center, Illinoisnewscenter.com
Brooklyn, Illinois, may not dominate the history books or film. Yet, this small St. Clair County village across the Mississippi River from St. Louis has played a seminal role in the path to freedom and independence for countless African Americans decades before the Civil War. Founded in 1829 and incorporated in 1873, Brooklyn is a rare surviving community that African Americans created before the Civil War.
As the country’s oldest town incorporated by African Americans, Brooklyn’s motto sums up its long and complex history: People throughout the nation have recently begun to discover, observe, and celebrate Juneteenth as a newly created federal holiday; residents of Brooklyn and members of its longtime church rightfully lay claim as an early landmark for liberty. Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church was a verified stop along the Underground Railroad. The history of Brooklyn and Quinn Chapel are inseparable. The town’s founder, Mother Priscilla Baltimore, was also a founder of Quinn Chapel, along with AME Bishop Paul Quinn. Not just satisfied with their freedom, those early residents worked with abolitionists to create a haven for others seeking to escape the inhumanity and indignity of slavery. “The Underground Railroad network was the method that was used to move people from different places, and the church played an important part in it,” explained George McShan, a native of Brooklyn and life-long member of Quinn Chapel. “Many slaves came down that river and hid in the church and under the church. Brooklyn was able to help because it was an all-black town, and when they came through there, they stopped and stayed until they were able to move on up through the route.”
Brooklyn’s location across the Mississippi River proved pivotal in the quest for freedom for African Americans moving through neighboring Missouri, a slave state, to Illinois, a free state, and on to new lives. Quinn Chapel has been on the same property since 1839 when it served as a station on the Underground Railroad. The church building was erected in 1879 after a fire destroyed the original structure.
Preserving the Legacy
McShan is transported back decades as images of
Dr. Brenda Kaye Miller Thompson Observes National Gun Violence Awareness and Prevention Wear Orange Weekend (June 3-5, 2022) in Honor of Her Beloved Son, Cortlandt Gerard Thompson
Dr. Brenda Kaye Miller Thompson, 8th Episcopal District
My beloved son, Cortlandt Gerard Thompson, was a fifth generation AME. He traveled to all of the AME meetings from infancy as I did with my mother, the late Mrs. Lena Simmons Miller, a third-generation AME, and WMS life member. As a highlight, Cortlandt was the youngest observer (4 months old) at the 1981 World Methodist Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, where his parents, the Rev. Dr. Taylor Tyrone Thompson and Dr. Brenda Kaye Miller Thompson, were members of the AME delegation. As a baby, he was stricken with neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer, and was given only four months to live. At the age of 11 months old, he had major surgery that took a large portion of his stomach. As he grew older, he went into remission. Growing up, Cortlandt was very active in Pearl Street AME Church. He served as secretary of the Sunday School; as a member of the Young People’s Division (YPD), junior ushers; children/youth choirs, and as an acolyte under the Rev. Johnny Barbour, Jr. He was active in the Pearl Street AME Church Boy Scouts Troop 51, as well as community activities. He received many trophies in karate and basketball. He was a black belt in karate and won many awards as a percussionist. Cortlandt was an honor student in high school and college. As a Computer Science major at Wilberforce University, he was fortunate to intern with a computer company. Because he started cutting hair at a very young age, he became a licensed barber. Before his death, I was talking with realtors to purchase a building that would house his shop and my boutique. I thought this would be enjoyable for me since I had retired. But the dream ended with my beloved son’s robbery and murder on October 21, 2014. I am a member of MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA. On June 3, 2022, I wore orange to commemorate National Gun Violence Awareness Day and continued wearing orange throughout the weekend from June 3-5. We are so grateful to Mrs. Shannon Watts, an American gun violence prevention activist, who founded MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA. The murders of the children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut had a significant impact on her. Her organization is very active in ways to reduce gun violence. MOMS DEMAND ACTION is part of EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY, which is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the United States. Wear Orange was started several years ago to honor the life of Hadiya Pendleton. This 15-year-old girl was shot and killed in a Chicago park less than a week after performing at President Obama’s second inauguration. Since then, it has become a national movement of people organizing through various means to demand an end to gun violence. We know that gun violence is a major crisis. The year 2022 has been extremely fearful! According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 233 mass shootings in 2022. Unfortunately, by the time you read this article, this number will have increased. Gun violence, which usually ends in murder, has occurred in various places (churches, schools, homes, grocery stores, medical facilities, parties/concerts, businesses, drive-by shootings, etc.) across the United States. No one is immune to gun violence! These murders have been devastating and beyond belief to our family members. More recently, our hearts have been broken into so many pieces that we must seriously end this insanity. I have a tremendous amount of sympathy and empathy for those who have lost loved ones to gun violence. I have had many sleepless nights over these tragedies. In Uvalde, Texas, an 18-year-old male with an AR-15 murdered 19 precious innocent elementary students at Robb Elementary School, as well as their two teachers. Dr. Roy Guerrero, a local pediatrician in Uvalde, testified to the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill regarding gun violence. I heard his testimony. It was heart-wrenching. He informed us that two of the children’s bodies were so damaged by the bullets that they were decapitated and their flesh ripped apart. They were only recognizable by their clothes. Hearing this brought me to tears. I was so devastated.
In Buffalo, NY, at the Tops Friendly Markets, 10 African Americans were murdered, and three others were injured by an 18-year-old male. He carried a Bushmaster XM-15 rifle. He had a manifesto and is believed to have been influenced by white supremacy and the far-right “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. With his Bushmaster XM-15 rifle, he took the lives of wonderful and hardworking people who were pillars of their community. I also watched the family members of loved ones who were murdered or injured in Buffalo, NY, testify to the same committee on gun violence. They talked about how important their loved ones were, as well as those who were injured but still alive. They stressed the depth of love shared in their families and their selfless contributions to their community. I also heard about the shooting at a medical clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where a patient killed his doctor and others because he felt they had caused him additional pain. Say their names, that we may never forget them!
The 19 Children and Their 2 Teachers Murdered--Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX
Jesus says-“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3 *Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo *Miranda Mathis Teachers *Jacklyn Cazares *Alithia Ramirez *Mrs. Irma Garcia *Makenna Lee Elrod *Annabell Rodriguez *Mrs. Eva Mireles *Jose Manuel Flores, Jr. *Maite Rodriguez *Eliana Garcia *Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio *Uziyah Garcia *Layla Salazar *Amerie Jo Garza *Jailah Nicole Silguero *Xavier Lopez *Eliahana Cruz Torres *Jayce Carmelo Luevanos *Rojelio Torres *Tess Mata
Has the Passion Passed?
John Wm. Roberts, ED.D., Contributing Writer
One of the greatest joys of a worship service is the singing which occurs–the blending of voices sincerely praising the blessing of God in their lives. This blending is not only of the choirs but also of the congregation. I recently read an article from a religious organization that asked a similar question. Unfortunately, many churches have gone the way of ‘performance-based religious worship’ versus ‘participatory-based religious worship.’ Historically and traditionally, worship with music has always been participatory. It is one of the high points of the worship experience – hearing the natural melodies and harmonies of both choir and congregation exalting the goodness of God. This exaltation, often, would penetrate the sacred area of the pulpit. Pastors, preachers, and evangelists would begin rhythmically tapping their knees and feet, clapping and waving their hands, standing in acknowledgment, and even singing with the choir and congregation. With the emergence of ‘megachurches,’ this participatory-based portion of worship has been replaced with professional singers and musicians who make up ‘Worship or Praise Teams.’ These musicians have replaced the choir in many megachurch congregations. Many pastors are encouraging members not to participate during the singing portion of the service. Several reasons may underpin this decision; however, it discourages members from participating in an integral part of the worship experience. In this performancebased form of worship, many of the musical numbers are almost entirely contemporary. This shift is not an indictment of this religious music genre; however, without the infusion of ‘songs of the faith,’ younger members of the congregation know nothing about the music which has buoyed faith and faithful and the importance of these music selections in the foundations of their faith/ faith system. Additionally, it excludes many older members from remembering and connecting them to their spiritual journey. Worship is intended as a conduit for the faithful to connect with God. It is not based on how perfectly a song is performed; it is based on the participation of the congregation with the choir. A personal connection to God is, or should be, the spiritual rudder for each believer. Allowing this musical connection to be severed diminishes the connection of the faithful. Therefore, participation in the musical portion of the worship experience is essential.
Participation versus performance is a slippery slope – musically. The majority of churches are not able to afford paid professional musicians and singers. These congregations rely on the participation of congregants with the choir or as their choir. It brings a sense of communal connection to God and elevates the worship experience for everyone. Never let the passion diminish for the faith or the music of the faith.
John Wm. Roberts, ED.D. is the director of Music/principal musician at Lee Chapel AME Church in Auburn, Alabama, in the Ninth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
...From Dr. Brenda p4 *Ms. Celestine Chaney *Mr. Heyward “Tenny” Patterson *Ms. Roberta Drury *Mr. Aaron Salter, Jr. *Mr. Andre Mackniel *Ms. Geraldine Talley *Ms. Katherine “Kat” Massey *Ms. Ruth Whitfield *Mr. Margus D. Morrison *Ms. Pearl Young
The 4 Adults Murdered in a Medical Facility--Tulsa, OK
*Dr. Preston Phillips *Ms. Amanda Glenn *Dr. Stephanie Husen *Mr. William Love
And all the many others who have been murdered due to gun violence! It is time to prove to the United States Congress, especially the Senators, that enough is enough! This gun violence must come to an end. Our laws to end this insanity must be strong to make a difference; if they are not, then this insanity will continue and destroy us and our country. We must do more than offer thoughts and prayers! So, please let us do whatever we can to save our children, ourselves, and our country before it is too late! May God help us all, and may he comfort those who grieve! Dr. Brenda Kaye Miller Thompson is a fourth-generation AME, Women’s Missionary Society (WMS) life member, and a life member/golden soror of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is an active member of Pearl Street AME Church in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Collaboration and Partnership
Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Contributing Writer
On Friday, August 26, 2022, Bishop Stafford Wicker, Supervisor Constance Wicker, clergy of the Louisiana Conference, and the faculty and administrators from Louisiana State University began a historic partnership. Bishop Wicker and the clergy from The Western New Orleans Baton Rouge District met at the Honors College at Louisiana State University. We were all greeted by Dr. Martin, assistant dean, Dr. Roland Mitchell, dean of Education, Dr. Earle, dean of The Honors College, and Dr. Becker’s chair of African American Studies Department. Bishop Wicker shared his vision for the African Methodist Episcopal Church regarding this historic partnership. This initiative began with the presentation by Bishop Wicker and concluded with questions and answers from all in attendance. The goal of this collaboration and partnership is to carry out connections between clergy and The Academy. In addition, this initiative will continue to speak to Louisiana’s new generation of leaders. We all have a vested interest in the youth, their education, and their growth.
Dr. Herman O. Kelly, pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and the adjunct instructor in African American Studies and Education, served as host along with Dr. Roland Mitchell and Presiding Elder Bland Washington.
Rev. Christopher W. Riley, Pastor, New Community AME, LaPorte, Indiana
FORT WAYNE
It was early one morning, just about the break of day, Jesus touched me and he washed my sins away I started running; I started shouting, There’s no reason to doubt him; I tell you, I’ve got Nothing but the Holy Ghost
The lyrics to this gospel classic recorded by the late great Rev. Milton Brunson and The Thompson Community Choir rang out in Turner Chapel on Sunday, June 5, 2022. The Indiana Conference of the Fourth Episcopal District made history by hosting its first combined Pentecost service. Local congregations celebrated Pentecost in their morning services and were able to come together with other members from across the state to commemorate the birth of the church.
Pentecost is a special day of worship. The feast marks the end of the Easter season and commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early followers of Jesus. The church of God, which began on Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2, is given the mission of preaching the good news of the kingdom of God. “The Pentecost service captured the spirit of that day recorded in scripture as we reflected on Pentecost’s passion, purpose, and power. The time spent in prayer, word, dance, and song united those in attendance while serving as an inspiration to continue in the Lord’s work.” The Rev. Lenore G. Williams, presiding elder of the North District, Indiana Conference. Williams, who has the distinction of serving as presiding elder over the same district as her father, the late Rev. Leonard Williams, Sr., was the visionary behind this conference-wide initiative and collaborated with the Rev. Elain Gordon, presiding elder of the South District, to host this praise party. According to Williams, the Pentecost service will become an annual event in the mother conference of the Fourth District. The preacher is a son of the Indiana Conference, the Rev. Christopher Bonner (Bethel AME, Bloomington), who is enrolled at Howard University in Washington, District of Columbia, majoring in Divinity and Social Work. Bonner proclaimed, “My God is making sound deliberations. Ain’t nothing impossible!” “We have to show the world that Jesus is real.” Bonner recalls, “The Indiana Conference has furnished my spirit with unconditional kingdom community since I first entered Bethel AME, Bloomington…you can feel the great cloud of ancestral witnesses clapping in that place. That Holy Black Joy is still echoing in my heart. Two of the most innovative presiding elders, the Rev. Dr. Elaine P. Gordon and the Rev. Lenore G. Williams, are responsible for this grand vision. My heart desires that this worship celebration catapults our Zion to uncharted greatness.”
Turner Chapel AME Church, founded in 1849, is the oldest church in the Fort Wayne African American community and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Rev. Kenneth C. Christmon is the pastor. ❏ ❏ ❏
Monkeypox, COVID, and Your Vote
Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher, San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper
Well, Monkeypox is the latest distraction, right after COVID. As serious as both of these are in the pandemic arena, they can be distractions from many of the everyday issues we contend with, like food, housing, employment, and health care. But in the midst of all these issues, let us not forget that how we vote has much to do with the quality of life we experience in all the areas mentioned here and many more.
We are only about 90 days from this nation’s midterm elections, which take place on the first Tuesday in November. It is no accident that we are not seeing much, if any, local media discussion other than our own. Unfortunately, we don’t have many choices. While the Democrats, under President Biden, have not delivered on The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act or The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Biden and the Democratic control of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate remain better alternatives than the Republican Trump-supporting candidates running for office in just about all states.
We must start a voter registration drive right here where we live. This effort must become as important to us as putting food on the table and a roof over our heads. Let us not forget what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in his famous “Give Us the Ballot” speech on May 17, 1957:
Give us the ballot, and we will no longer have to worry the federal government about our basic rights;
Give us the ballot, and we will transform the salient misdeeds of bloodthirsty mobs into the calculated good deeds of orderly citizens; sign a “Southern Manifesto” because of their devotion to a manifesto of justice;
Give us the ballot, and we will place judges on the benches of the South who will do justly and love mercy, and we will place at the head of southern states governors who will have felt not only the tang of the human but the glow of the divine.
Well, we have been given the ballot for more than 50 years, and many of us appear to have forgotten the price we paid for the right to vote, a right many seek to suppress or eliminate. So, yes, let’s deal with Monkeypox, COVID, hate crimes, and everything else they are throwing at us today, but above all, let’s get registered and prepare to VOTE. ❏ ❏ ❏
