The Importance of Getting Exercise These Days Despite the Pandemic in America

The Importance of Getting Exercise These Days Despite the Pandemic in America James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed.D. Most of the news these days is about world and stateside events. News wires are filled with economic news about what is happening in this country and in the world for that matter. If you own stock, you are checking to see if Wall Street had a good day or a bad day. If you are grandparents like we are, you are spending more time with your grandchildren. For example, we know most of the programs on Nick, Jr. It could be that you are traveling again to some of your favorite destinations. As we go through these momentum swings, our family’s health and wellness has gone mostly under-publicized and un-noticed in my opinion. For example, if you ask some students what their favorite class is, they may say it is physical education. There are some obvious and not so obvious reasons for their response. First off, it gets them moving either outside or in a gymnasium. They get a chance to talk with their friends and classmates. No sitting at a desk and being quiet. A not so obvious reason is that it gives students a boost for the rest of their day. They are motivated and stimulated to do their best academically and socially. The joy of exercising should be a regular part of a student’s day. That joy took a hiatus for almost three years. COVID-19 stopped physical education in schools as school systems had to stop in-person learning. Virtual learning took over which meant no physical activity for students. The good news now is that the schools have reopened. Physical activity for our children and grandchildren has resumed. Without an organized and consistent activity schedule, they missed an important part of their school life. We have heard the expression “all work and no play.” Without physical activity, our students were suffering. This notion also applies to adults. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been without a regular routine for physical activity. We fell into some bad habits and practices. Instead of one cookie, we would have two cookies. Our sandwiches always had fries with them, and we consumed too much soda. Some of us couldn’t help ourselves. Bad became worse! Some will opine that we had virtual exercise activities and that was true. Virtual classes aren’t for everyone. Many of us simply took a vacation from exercise. However, our in-person aerobics and dance classes have now resumed. Our class in New Orleans is for senior citizens. The instructor is Carly Bourgeois, a senior dance fitness instructor with the New Orleans Ballet Association. She has been dancing since she was 3 years of age. At age 11, she was taking instruction in classical ballet. Carly has the pulse of our class and creates an environment that is both healthy and fun. In a recent conversation with her she said, “Physical activity is great for the heart and mind.” She added, “It is gratifying to see how engaged our class is. We have fun and that’s important.” When you come to our class, you will hear a variety of music which makes you want to move around and get in step. It is pretty cool to listen to the Temptations, Don Omar, Bill Withers, the Bee Gees, Aaron Neville, and Linda Ronstadt as we go through our routines. Rose Marie Powell, one of our participants and a retiree, said, “I look forward each week to our classes. They are both relaxing and energetic.” If you are a senior citizen, put exercising regularly on your schedule. Contact an appropriate agency in your community. Take a friend or family member with you and enjoy moving around and the fellowship of others. The importance of it cannot be overstated. ❏ ❏ ❏

Building Christian Character

The Indiana Conference: North District continues to heed the call for transformation through salvation, education, and innovation. Held at First African Methodist Episcopal Church, Gary, Indiana, the 2022 Sunday School Convention featured a blending of tradition and inspiration through innovation. “To God be the glory,” said the Reverend Lenore G. Williams, presiding elder. “It’s about that G.R.A.C.E.!”

According to Presiding Elder Williams, with more than 100 pastors, lay members, and youth attending, the convention exceeded the goals for attendance and participation. Empowered by the theme “Building Christian Character - It’s an Inside Job,” the Reverend Damen Morris and the Reverend Rosalyn Morris led the convention. Together, the husband and wife duo provided convention leadership, teaching, and facilitation that found attendees engaged, invigorated, and energized about character building. The convention also featured presentations by the conference’s longest-tenured pastor, the Reverend William Gary, Kokomo, Indiana, and Mother Delores Kennedy-Williams, 5th Connectional president of the Women’s Missionary Society. Following the Friday plenary, the Gary Area African American Corvette Owners Club drove onto the lot of First AME Church to display. The Reverend Dr. Vigil Woods, pastor of First Church and a Corvette owner, led the group and shared that “one can acquire nice things through education, working honest jobs, and having good character.” The youth and adults enjoyed the display of engineering wonder through automobiles. Elder Williams continues to exhibit a genuine sense of character and innovation as she leads the convention in teaching, songs, and the quest to strengthen our youth while building character for the entire district. She led a piece that included the lyrics: “The more we know (know), the more we grow (grow) fruit of the spirit. The fruit grows in gardens; fruit grows in trees, and the fruit of the spirit grows inside me. Fruit of the spirit. This song will stay with you.”’ The continuation of Missionaries on the Move Project collected toiletries and donated them to a local shelter.

As a tribute to the late Presiding Elder Leonard N. Williams, the district’s annual Bible Bowl took flight. With tenacity and true study, Allen Chapel, Anderson remained champions for at least two consecutive years.

Bible Bowl

Champions - Allen Chapel, Anderson (Rev. Dalrey Trotter, Pastor) 2nd Place - Davis Memorial, Gary (Rev. Veronica McFerson-Hall, Pastor) 3rd Place - Gomez Temple, Ft. Wayne (Rev. Damen Morris, Pastor)

Trophy Winners

Most Registered - Olivet, South Bend (Rev. Eileen Thomas, Pastor) Most Guests – Saint John, Indianapolis (Sister Delen Williams)

Convention winners will advance and compete at the Fourth Episcopal District’s Christian Education Congress, which will take place in July.

Paula Clark Consecrated Bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Chicago

The Rt. Rev. Paula E. Clark was ordained and consecrated as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Chicago on September 17, 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in Lombard, Illinois. Clark is the first black person and woman to serve as Chicago’s diocesan bishop. She leads more than 30,000 Episcopalians in 124 congregations and campus ministries across northern and west central Illinois.

Bishop Mariann Budde of the Diocese of Washington, where Clark served as canon to the ordinary before her election to the episcopacy, preached the consecration sermon. “Being in the presence of Paula Clark and watching her in action is like taking a master class in Christian leadership. That was true before all that transpired in the last 18 months. It is even more so now,” Budde said, referring to the cerebral bleed that Clark suffered in April 2021, just days before she was originally scheduled to be ordained and consecrated, and to the death of Clark’s husband from multiple myeloma in November. “Paula, you have lived the last 18 months as if everything we proclaim as followers of Jesus is true,” Budde said.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry was the chief consecrating bishop. Bishops Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows of Indianapolis, Kimberly Lucas of Colorado, Deon Johnson of Missouri, and Douglas Sparks of Northern Indiana served as co-consecrators, along with Bishop Yehiel Curry of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and Bishop Chilton Knudsen. They served as Chicago’s assisting bishop from October 2021 until September 18. Retired AME Church General Officer Dr. Kenneth Hill also participated in the service as a member of Bishop Chilton’s family. The service’s procession began with the Diamano Dancers and Drummers performing Lamba, a dance of Mandingo griots in Senegal, according to Brenda Malika Moore, the company’s artistic director. Kite bearers and vergers then led 30 bishops, more than a hundred clergy from across the Episcopal church, and lay leaders from the Diocese of Chicago to the front of a hotel ballroom brightly decorated with banners and dramatic floral arrangements. Clark’s daughter, Micha Green, read from Romans, and Khushi Pusnur, the 12-year-old daughter of the Rev. Barnabas Pusnar of St. Paul and the Redeemer in Hyde Park, read a lesson from Isaiah. The Rev. Greg Millikin, rector of Grace Episcopal Church in New Lenox, Illinois, was the liturgist for the service. Music was provided by a choir of singers from across the diocese, handbell ringers, and a band from St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Chicago, as well as by Kirby Metoxen of the

Oneida Singers and Hilary Daniel, a soloist from The Word of God Baptist Church in

University Park, Maryland. Keith Hampton of St. Thomas was the service’s music director and organist. More than 800 people attended the service, requiring masks to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In a letter in the service bulletin, Clark wrote, “The process of confirming a new bishop in the Diocese of Chicago has been long, challenging, sometimes heartbreaking, but always guided by God. I would like to thank the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago for your steadfast loyalty and faith. You have believed in me, prayed for, comforted, and encouraged me even through difficult times. You have held fast to your faith and shown me what God-centered leadership really is. Most of all, you have kept the faith and overcome. I am so honored to serve as your bishop. With your support, together, we will forthrightly and courageously serve God and our neighbor.” On September 18, 2022, Clark was formally seated at the Cathedral of St. James in Chicago. Videos of Bishop Clark’s ordination and consecration and her seating are available on the Diocese of Chicago’s website. ❏ ❏ ❏

A Private Journey

Byron Washington, Columnist

Few things are private. People post and share everything happening in their lives on social media. If the person is a social media personality, then it makes sense, or if a person’s business depends on social media, then being extremely visible is logical. We have become obsessed with showing the world all aspects of our lives.

In the age of technology where every church is live streaming, moments that used to be personal are now broadcast around the internet. We live in a time when a person’s worship can become a meme, or a praise of thanksgiving goes viral for the wrong reasons. Brothers and sisters, some parts of our journey should be private. the temple talking with religious teachers (Luke 2:46-51). Those in the temple were astonished by what they heard and saw in reference to Jesus. The next time we see Jesus is in Luke 3, when he is baptized by John and starts his public ministry, and the Bible tells us he was about 30 years old (Luke 3:21-23). There is a gap in time letting us know that there should be seasons when people do not see all that we are doing; there should be moments when we turn off social media and do not post for a while, and our life should not be on display 24/7. Consider why having a level of privacy in your life is crucial. First, when people have too much access, they will eventually start to disrespect or devalue you. Full transparency should only be available to a few select people. Secondly, it opens the door for criticism and unnecessary commentary about your life. Think about how many posts you have seen on social media when a person shares something personal or private, and everyone in the comments has something to say, both positive and negative. It is not constructive and does not benefit the person.

Finally, and this is more of a reflective question, why? What is the point or need to tell everyone everything at that moment? Some of God’s best work in our life is done when we are focused on him and not looking to gain the approval of the world around us.

Friends, do yourself a favor; stop sharing and posting everything that is happening in your life. As we are in the last part of 2022, I suggest that you and I remember that some parts of this journey are personal and should be kept private. ❏ ❏ ❏

Pan African Women of Faith Advocate to Prevent Malnutrition

Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith

“Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfi ll his promises to her.” Luke 1:45 Recently, the Pan African Women of Faith/Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network (PAW/PAWEEN) presented a workshop, exhibition, and reception at the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany. The Assembly included many member churches and partners of Bread for the World. Approximately 25 global members of PAW/ PAWEEN represented the group in person. They were blessed with sponsorships from their churches and other partners to participate in this. PAW/PAWEEN has advocated for Bread’s values and public policy agenda, bringing a lens of racial, gender, and class equity—as well as nutrition and climate justice. This informs their advocacy to change policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist. In partnership with Bread, PAW/PAWEEN’s advocacy and organizing workgroup members presented this paper: “Global Faith Voices of Women of Africa and African Descent: Nutrition, Food Security, Economic Empowerment, and Just-Peace.” The presentation featured Bread’s advocacy for the U.S. Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act (GMPTA). The paper cites alarming data from recent reports on nutrition, equity, and the environment and analyzes how they intersect and impact African women and women of African descent. The paper also includes the 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, which highlights the increase in the major drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition: conflict, climate extremes, economic shocks, and growing inequities. In addition, a joint UN Women and UN Development Programme report, “Government Responses to COVID-19: Lessons on Gender Equality for a World in Turmoil,” indicates that emergency preparedness requires gender-aware responses to reduce burdens of care, violence, and economic insecurity on women. The PAW/PAWEEN paper helps us learn about a North American economic perspective, a Caribbean historical perspective, a Brazilian political and religious perspective, a Portuguese and French perspective on the collaborative framework of the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act, an African perspective on the causation and solution to hunger, and a British perspective on the advocacy role of churches. The presentation and writings inform us of how the everyday and long-term impacts of food insecurity, malnutrition, economic insecurity, racial inequity, and war are tied to the livelihoods of African women and women of African descent. In sum, these women admonish us that time is of the essence to address the inequities they and their communities face. An important way to do this is through policies like the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act. You are invited to read the paper. Soon you will also see the entire PAW/PAWEEN at the Assembly of the World Council of Churches.

Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World.

AME Zion Church Suspends Bishop Seth O. Lartey as an Active Bishop of the AME Zion Church

This serves as official notification that pursuant to our authority granted under paragraph 128 in the Book of Discipline, the Board of Bishops announces the immediate suspension of Seth O. Lartey as an active bishop of the AME Zion Church.

This action is taken due to Bishop Lartey’s failure to comply with the terms he agreed upon to resolve the issue of inappropriate use of funds allocated from the Connectional Budget Office to LomaxHannon Junior College.

In a signed letter dated July 6, 2022, Bishop Lartey states; “I humbly submit to the Board of Bishops in accepting the sanctions consistent with verifiable proof and our church law that the board may choose to impose.” Sadly, as of this date, he has not fulfilled that promise. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Board of Bishops to act decisively to protect the integrity of our process and ensure accountability on all levels of our beloved Church.

The gravity of this action weighs heavily upon your Board of Bishops and we grieve that Bishop Lartey’s continuing refusal to accept responsibility and follow through on his signed agreement have left us with no alternative to this action; however, while these actions are immediate they are not terminal. The final disposition of the matter shall be at the seat of the General Conference as the first order of business. During the term of his suspension, Bishop Lartey will:

1. Be immediately enjoined from operating in the office of the Episcopacy. He shall not speak or act with ecclesiastical or administrative authority within or beyond the confines of the AME Zion Church. He shall not represent, entangle, or promote himself as a leader in or representative of the AME Zion Church in connection with any image, contract, authority, or conveyance (e.g., in raising funds), whether within or outside of the United States. This prohibition includes photos, fliers, podcasts, social media posts, etc.

2. Be prevented from participating in Board of Bishops meetings, Connectional meetings, Board of Trustees of our educational institutions, or any position that is bestowed upon him by virtue of his status as a bishop.

3. Have no standing to represent the AME Zion Church in any ecumenical or civic association and he must communicate such to any current affiliations.

The Board of Bishops appoints forthwith Bishop Hilliard Dogbe to supervise the East Angola, West Angola, South Angola, and Namibia annual conferences and Bishop U.U. Effiong to supervise the South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe annual conferences. We call upon all members to pray earnestly for the Board of Bishops and our beloved Zion. We also ask that you pray for Bishop and Mrs. Lartey and his family. Please pray for the clergy and laity of the Central Southern Africa Episcopal District and Bishops Dogbe and Effiong as they provide Episcopal oversight to the area.

Bishop Dennis V. Proctor, President of the Board of Bishops Bishop Kenneth Monroe, Senior Bishop Bishop Darryl B. Starnes, Sr. Bishop W. Darin Moore Bishop Michael A. Frencher, Sr. Bishop George D. Crenshaw Bishop Hilliard Dogbe Bishop Uduak Effiong Bishop Brian R. Thompson, Sr. Bishop Eric Leake Bishop Joseph Johnson, Retired Bishop Marshall H. Strickland, Retired Bishop Nathaniel Jarrett, Jr., Retired Bishop George W.C. Walker, Sr., Retired Bishop Samuel Chuka Ekemam, Sr., Retired Bishop Warren Matthew Brown, Retired Bishop George Edward Battle, Jr., Retired October 17, 2022