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VOLUME 172, NO. 12
SEPTEMBER 2023
Mother Emanuel Holds Historic Organ Dedication and Memorial Groundbreaking On July 22, 2023, the congregation of Mother Emanuel led by the Rev. Eric S. C. Manning held a service to dedicate the church’s restored historic organ and break ground for the Mother Emanuel 9 Memorial. The organ was purchased in 1908 and was the largest owned by a black congregation in Charleston. According to the church website, “The pipe organ of Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church holds precious memories for its membership. Our pipe organ is vital to the church’s outreach to the broader community in sacred concerts, music, and other musical and cultural programs.” Bishop Samuel L. Green preached the sermon for the dedication service sermon: “You Can’t Have My Music!” (Psalm 137:1-4). During the service, a brief hymn medley was played on the organ to the delight of all those assembled. After the service, the ground was broken for the Emanuel 9 Memorial, designed by architect Michael Arad. The memorial will sit on the church ...continued on p25
Healthy Living, Family Bonds, and Love Was the Order of the Day at Mt. Zion AME Church, 19th E.D. Brother Onkgopotse Maboe (PK)
Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Bloemfontein, on the 27 April 2023 at 09:00 am hosted its second 5km fun run/walk and aerobics. The 5km was held prior to the COVID-19 lockdown. We were blessed with huge support from all other six auxiliaries in the church including friends and families from other denominations. Presiding pastor, the Rev. Matsaseng, blessed the event by his well wishes as he had other commitments and could not be physically present. As many of us are faced with a challenge of sickness, busy lifestyles, and a fast-paced technological world, we as the Sons of Allen (SOA) saw fit during our plenary meeting to pass the plan to re-introduce the 5km fun race under the theme, “Embracing Healthy Living, Family Bonds & Love.” By the grace of God we managed to live to the theme. As per our Bishop Ronnie E. Brailsford, Sr. said during the annual conference, “Let the family [be on] one accord; you can have a husband asking for this and the wife
Turner Chapel AME Church, Greenwood Mississippi – Trustee Brooks Named Interim Superintendent
The Voice of the Ancestors Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Columnist
In traditional African religions, the ancestors’ spirit hovers over the living to give them direction and encouragement. As the ancestors’ spirit moves over us, they speak to us. Researchers define an ancestor as one who has lived a long, good life, has children and grandchildren, and has died a good death. We should celebrate our ancestors and cherish their existence. What would they say to us now? First, our ancestors cry tears of sadness and miscontent. Their tears would flow like rain because we have been killing each other like a video game or target practice on a gun range. They would continue to be sad because they see our youth struggling to find meaning and purpose. ...continued on p25
Turner Chapel AME Church Partners With ONYX/ CARE and Vaccinates 424 Community Residents… p4
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Fishing Differently in Washington, D.C.… p12
Rev. Dr. Alice Hubbard Crenshaw, Pastor Reports
Charles Brooks, a three-time former interim superintendent for the Greenwood public schools, was hired Friday morning to serve in the same capacity for the Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District through Dec. 31, 2023. The district’s board voted 3-2 to take the action, with its members splitting the vote along the same lines as on Tuesday when it fired James Johnson-Waldington. He had served as superintendent since July. Brooks served as the interim superintendent for the ...continued on p25
Turner Chapel AME Church Greenwood, MS - Judge Betty Sanders Receives Chief Justice Award… p15
Being African American and Knocking on the Wrong Door Could Be Dangerous … p17
When Our Culture Becomes Our Cancer… p23
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that, God will be confused.”
The Reverend Matsaseng said our children should not look far for their role models, fathers should claim their rightful positions in both home and society. The race was planned and organised by the Sons of Allen members, and we had a title sponsor by the name of Bro. Neo Masithela and family, who is one of the SOA members and a prominent businessman and a seasoned politician. He sponsored the prices, medals, water, and fruit for the event. We planned for the 71 brethren, and we received more than the amount as we had 69 brethren on the register excluding the children. The sponsorship was in a tune of R3933.95 and we praise God for the Masithela’s family. God’s blessings upon them. We organised a jumping castle for the little ones at no cost to make sure that they are catered for and kept happy. The race was well-planned and executed as we had the following: ❖ Tailgaters with first aid responsibility. ❖ Four cars for the tired, courtesy of (Brothers Motsoane, Moeti, Sigasa, and Kwenane) all Sons of Allen brothers. ❖ Ambulance and clinic on speed dial as we had alerted them and were ready for any request that would have came. ❖ Young sisters Sigasa and Maboe to look after young ones on the jumping castle. ❖ Energy drinks donated by Brothers Makume, Kwenane, Sigasa, and Maboe. ...continued on p25
❖ Frames Bro. Rampai.
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Rev. Kent Roberson Elected as Member of the Maryland House of Delegates Rev. Jazmine Brooks, News Editor
On May 30, 2023, the newly ordained the Rev. Kent Roberson of Ebenezer AME in Fort Washington, MD, was officially installed as a Maryland state delegate. He will be representing the 25th legislative district- a central county district that covers the areas between Mitchellville, Clinton, and Temple Hills, MD. The Rev. Roberson previously served as the chair of the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee, while maintaining his work as part of Ebenezer’s ministerial staff and ministerial intern for University United Methodist Church in College Park, MD. The Rev. Roberson’s political work across Prince George’s county allowed him to secure a unanimous nomination for his new position as state delegate as well as the endorsement of his predecessor and Black Caucus chairman, Darryl Barnes. He intends to continue building upon the work he began prior to his nomination.
Rev. Kent Roberson
“a rise in violence, a need for better education, and help for the least of these.” The remedy, he states, “is to merge his faith with his public works. I believe we must be clear that the Jesus we serve was focused on loving and helping our neighbor, not finding ways to limit our neighbor’s movements and activities… So, my call is not to make decisions based on how Jesus would want us to treat individuals, but to love others as Jesus would want us to love our neighbor.” ❏ ❏ ❏
Among others, the Rev. Roberson’s primary concerns for the county include
Pharaoh Did It First: To Be Black and Christian in the Aftermath of the Dobbs Decision It’s the states’ right to decide. This sounds familiar. There’s no guarantee of ‘liberty.’ I think we’ve heard this already. The constitution doesn’t grant you that right. I’m pretty sure we’ve heard this before. It must be deeply rooted in this nation’s history.
All of these lines, summarized from the majority opinion in the Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, are familiar. They echo sentiments shouted to maintain unjust systems and to stall progress. They were among the arguments against abolition, against civil rights, against equal rights, against … justice. It should not, then, have come as a shock to hear them repeated in the Supreme Court’s decision to deny a right to bodily autonomy. We should not have been surprised that the “constitutional purists” would look backward to a time when only a few – landed, white, and male – had any voice, any choice, any rights at all. We should not have been surprised to hear those same sentiments repeated, again, in threats to overturn every decision for progress the Supreme Court has rendered. We heard it all before. So many people, though, were shocked at the ruling. So many people were surprised that the highest court in the land would rule that the prevailing interests of the state prevents the individual from choosing to have an abortion. They should read their Bibles more. In the first chapter of Exodus, we find a frustrated pharaoh. He looks around and notices that the population has changed. The foreigner outnumbers the “native.” He begins to fear that
those who had fled to Egypt because of famine in their own land were replacing the Egyptians. He begins to oppress the people, casting them into slavery. When that doesn’t destroy them, pharaoh makes the labor harder. When they still thrive, pharaoh turns his attention to reproduction. He declares it the right of the state to determine who will and will not have children. Pharaoh commands which children should live and which shall die. He commences a reign of terror against the bodies of birthing women and toddlers. The people, he declares, are property of the state and it is the state’s right to decide their fate. Pharaoh did it first. The Dobbs decision followed a wave of protests for the sanctity of black lives. It came at the heels of a wave of awareness that black and brown bodies are overpoliced and highly murdered. Even in the midst of disease, young people (and some of the rest of us) piled into the streets to declare they’d had enough. Equity and inclusion became more than mere buzz words. Companies took notice and changed centuries’ old practices. Black and brown people were hired for positions in companies where they’d been previously barred. The face of America began to change. And the backlash was swift. From mass shootings seeking to “even the odds” and prevent “white replacement” to threats of bombs at HBCUs and black worship spaces, the response to the call for black lives to matter and the inclusion of black faces in advertisements and movies was waves of violence. Like pharaoh, white supremacists looked around and saw themselves being replaced. For hope, they looked backward. For hope, they remembered a time when white meant “I’m right” and they had the power to determine 3
other folks’ humanity. Like pharaoh, they looked for ways to limit the growth of all others. They looked for population control. They found sympathizers in judicial garb. Abortion. It’s polarizing for Christians. It’s full of conflicting emotions for black Christians. We heard the theologies that remove us from the image of God. We heard the preaching and teaching and medical practices that attempted to convince us that we are less than human. We believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, stitched together by God in the wombs of our mothers. We believe that God knows us and calls us before we were born. And we are acutely aware of what it means to be considered property of the state, bred like livestock against our wills, and forced to carry what we never desired. We are acutely aware of what it means to be unable to follow our own minds, our own consciousness, and have the paths that we would choose blocked to us by the state or racist agents. And we are far too aware of the little value placed on our lives – by pro-life and pro-choice activists alike – and how quickly we are slaughtered in the name of peace. We have seen our innocent blood flow through streets in every state. As black and Christian in America, we have spent generations in pharaoh’s crosshair and know that both pro-life and pro-choice leaders tend to pull the trigger. It can seem like none of this has anything to do with us at all. But pharaoh knows that the state interfering in reproductive decisions maintains the pharaoh’s power. When pharaoh decided for the Hebrew women how and when their children
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would live, God intervened. The midwives Shiphrah and Puah disobeyed pharaoh’s command, saving the children pharaoh commanded to die, and were rewarded by God. There is a tendency to say, “well, this is the opposite of reproductive justice. The children lived.” But the principles of reproductive justice are the right to have children, the right to not have children, and the right to raise the children we have in safe and healthy environments. When those rights were violated by pharaoh’s commands, God showed up. When pharaoh decided that the women could not have children, God showed up. When pharaoh decided that the children would be raised under oppression and enslaved, God showed up. With Dobbs, the
The Christian Recorder Supreme Court has declared that individuals do not have the right to determine to not have children while ignoring the unhealthy and unsafe living environments the children we do have. For black women, these state-forced pregnancies can be deadly. Because of implicit bias in health care, black women still receive prenatal care at lower rates and are still more likely to die during and after childbirth than every other race. The Dobbs decision ignores the possibility of harm. It ignores the impact of black maternal mortality on the future of the black community. It ignores the lack of access to adequate health care and the possibility that black mothers who choose to opt out of dangerous hospital births risk losing their
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children to the foster care system. Like pharaoh, the Supreme Court’s decision willfully disregards the suffering of the least of these for the sake of preserving the power of the state, for the sake of preserving white christian nationalism. The Dobbs decision has opened the door for legislated oppression, for individual states to begin to rollback human rights progress, and for increased suffering and harm for the very least of these. The Bible says, after pharaoh’s decrees grew increasingly morbid, that God looked upon the Israelites and was concerned about them (Exodus 2:25). May we, too, look upon our communities and be concerned enough to stand up for reproductive justice. ❏ ❏ ❏
Turner Chapel AME Church Partners With ONYX/CARE and Vaccinates 424 Community Residents Rev. Dr. Alice Hubbard Crenshaw, Dr. Alex Brooks
Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church has taken the challenge to assist as a forerunner of the African American and other churches in Greenwood, MS, to enlighten the community. The Health Awareness Conference was held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We were joined by health experts, community and business leaders, and members of Turner for a one-day health summit as we explored the current state of AfricanAmerican male health. We discussed tools for empowerment and the paths to health equity for our people and community. The day kicked off with panel discussions: prostate cancer, testicular cancer awareness, and high blood pressure. Presentations were made on policies and tactics that must be achieved on behalf of African American health equity in the state of Mississippi. Throughout our breakout sessions, we discussed heart diseases, chronic stress, kidney diseases, “Say no to tobacco,” Cancer, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. Our special guest was from Homeland Security/ FEMA, who spoke to us about how to protect our congregation inside our houses of worship. Agency (FEMA) has designated grant funds to help secure lives while in church buildings. Since the “Emanuel 9 killings,” a lot of churches are known to be unsecured. Other partnerships in this endeavor included Delta Health Collaboration, MHN, the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, Homeland Security and FEMA (grants), Care for Me Services Institute for the Advancement of Minority Health, State of Mississippi Tobacco Free Program, MHAI Mississippi State Department of Health and Ambassadors Initiative, and the Mississippi State Department of Health. During the men’s conference, we had Doctor Alex Brooks, who heads up one of the COVID-19 vaccination clinics from the city of Jackson, Mississippi. Doctor Brooks’ state office ONYX/ CARE agency gifted $50.00 cards to persons who received the COVID-19 vaccine shot, whether it was for the first time or booster update. He served the community from ages 5 yrs to 18 yrs with parental consent. After speaking with the Rev. Dr. Alice Crenshaw about partnering with his agency for a week the Lord blessed, this undertaking and Dr. Brooks along with his staff vaccinated 424 persons which included children in the Greenwood community. This included people of various races, nationalities, creeds, and colors.
need to be guarded because the pandemic is still alive. There are so many people who have refused to get their shots, many that are asymptomatic carrying the virus. So, we have to be careful to protect ourselves and our children. It appears that the shots will be here permanently just as the flu shots. According to the medical doctors throughout the nation it will be like having to take an annual shot. Each day of our clinic we had to turn people away because they ran out of vaccine. As a result, doing our women’s conference which will be coming up in a couple of weeks, we will be offering the vaccine once again. Those interested will be able to get both Pfizer as well as Moderna. To God be the glory for the things he has done, is doing and shall do on behalf of his creation. ❏ ❏ ❏
We thank God for his presence within our community allowing Turner to be a change agent helping our people to get vaccinated. It is known that the government is trying to cease free vaccination for COVID-19 for our people. But the reality is that COVID is still present now called Omicron, and we still 4
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Letting My Light Shine My church, Mt. Pisgah AME Church, has been a constant guiding light in my development. My church has provided me with a sound Christian foundation, continues to serve as “my village,” serves as my safe haven and a place where I have developed lifelong friendships. Particularly during COVID, I could stay grounded, stay connected, and, most importantly, maintain my sanity. Mt. Pisgah provided a platform to continue worship service and fellowship despite the distance. Having the opportunity to remain connected during the difficult time of being isolated from the world, the church helped me to navigate through life, grow, mature as a Christian, learn, and imparted the desire for me to radiate positivity and kindness everywhere I go. Having the ability to touch the lives of others lights me up! I am involved in several ministries within my church, and it is my hope that people around me are touched and feel it, too. One of the groups that I am active in with the church is the usher board.
The last ministry of my church that I am in is the dance ministry. This
Some responsibilities of the usher board are to help the service run
ministry holds a very special place in my heart. I have been dancing since
smoothly and keep the church in order. The ushers are one of the first
I was 1½ years old, and the liturgical dance ministry was one of the first
faces you see when you enter the church, so it is important that we have
ministries of the church that I joined. I instantly fell in love with it because
a joyful spirit when we greet people. I enjoy being on the youth usher
I loved to dance. As I got older, I grew even more of an appreciation
board because I am able to make members of the church and guests feel
for liturgical dance because I learned that we weren’t just dancing, but
welcomed and comfortable before and during service.
we were dancing for a purpose, which was to praise God and share his message. My liturgical dance director has us read scriptures and guides
Another group that I am active in is the youth choir. By being in the choir,
us in an understanding of the moves we make relating them to scripture.
I am able to lead the congregation in worship through music, which is a
By dancing, I am able to convey emotions and spread a message that my
very important part of my life. I am also able to spread the gospel through
words cannot solely communicate.
song. This is an activity that lights me up because I am given the chance to share Jesus and uplift people.
I would like to believe that I leave a little light everywhere I go. I would like to think I touch someone’s life with every dance, every song I sing,
An additional ministry of my church that I am in is the YPD. Being a part
and every time I welcome someone into Mt. Pisgah. My life radiates the
of the YPD gives me the chance to spend more time with the youth of
scripture, “You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my
my church, as well as meet other youth who share the same beliefs. What
darkness” (Psalm 18:28). This scripture helps me persevere and overcome
lights me up about being a part of the YPD is being able to give back to my
the difficult obstacles that life brings.
church and my community. For example, I am filled with joy when I am able to help the seniors of my church during their bi-monthly game nights.
I am thankful for each of the ministries that I am in. They each allow me
I also love working at the food pantry at my church and helping those in
to share how much God loves us, and I am able to share how much I love
need. During that time, I am also able to spread God’s Word and share the
him at the same time. While I learn about and praise the lord, I can also
love that he has for us.
do it with people my age. As a young person being active in the church, I understand the importance of learning about Christ and how to serve him because we are the future, and it will someday be our responsibility to teach the next generation. “Investing in today’s youth is necessary in growing the body of Christ. Teaching young people in the church to grow in their relationship with the Lord prepares them to serve Christ in all they do. As a result, this nurtures the congregation and allows the church to flourish” (Abraham 2). It makes me glad that my activeness in the church today will allow me to pass the torch one day. Bibliography https://www.gcu.edu/blog/theology-ministry/importance-christianyouth-ministry-todays-church. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-main-purpose-of-ministry ❏❏❏ 5
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WMS OFFICERS 9th ........................... Monica Dilihunt......... Historiographer-Statistician*
The following persons were elected as Connectional Women’s Missionary Society officers. The election was held August 2, 2023 at the 20th WMS Quadrennial in Orlando, Florida. *Denotes incumbent EPISCOPAL DIST.
NAME
9th ................... Djuana Duncombe-Paden .................... Worship Director 6th ............................ Janita Ferguson ............................. Member at Large
OFFICE
10th ........................Deborah Taylor King .................................... President*
Results of contested races
12th ...................... Charolett Biggs Martin ......................1st Vice President*
2nd Vice-President
4th ...................... Lenette Williams-King ...................... 2nd Vice President
Lisa Johnson-Whigham (6th District)
.................................................. 540
11th ...............................Sanjena Clay ..............................3rd Vice President*
Lenette Williams-King (4th District)
................................................... 600
8th ..............................Sherry Peyton ................ Corresponding Secretary*
Recording Secretary
13th ...........................Therese’ A. Baker ....................... Recording Secretary
Therese’ A. Baker (13th District) ............................................................... 577
Vacant .............................................................Assistant Recording Secretary
Sylvia Blake (7th District) .......................................................................... 544 Worship Director
1st ............................ Alisha Marriott.............. Promotion and Missionary Education Director nd 2 ........................... Chandelle R. Ivy ........................................ Treasurer*
Djuana Duncombe-Paden (9th District) ................................................... 849 Florine Herron (8th District)* ................................................................... 291
th
5 ........................ Richelle Fry Skinner ............................. Young People’s Department Director
Member at Large
4th .................Jacqueline Mitchell Robinson .................................... Editor Missionary Magazine*
Janita Ferguson (6th District) 50% .......................................................... 732
19th ......................... Elizabeth Mhlongo ............................ Assistant Editor
Adrienne Quickley (10th District) 31% .................................................... 406
Blessing Mpande (20th District) 19%
11th ............................... Wanda Sims .................................. Parliamentarian
YPD Officers 11th ......................... Deronique Wallace......Assistant Recording Secretary
The following persons were elected to serve as officers of the Connectional Young People’s and Children’s Division of the Women’s Missionary Society at the 20th YPD Quadrennial in Orlando, Florida. EPISCOPAL DIST.
NAME
7th ...................... Cassie Maree Singleton ....................Financial Secretary 9th ............................. Tra’Nyce Jones ............. Communications Secretary
OFFICE
6th ..............................Joyce Johnson ........................................... President
2nd .............................Jabien Dockery ............Historiographer-Statistician
13th ..........................LaQuandrea Sweat .......................... 1st Vice President
6th ...........................Michael Webb, Jr. ........................... Worship Director
10th .......................... Jarvis Denman, Jr. ......................... 2nd Vice President
2nd .................... Kiarah Michelle Williams ..... Editor of The YPD Gazette
16th ................................Tevin Nedd .................................3rd Vice President
19th ................ Tshimologo Unathi Moloisane .................. Associate Editor
5th ........................ Ashaya Delu Stewart ................... Recording Secretary
11th ............................. Mark Johnson ................................. Parliamentarian
Fishing Differently in Washington, D.C. On April 22, 2023, the Washington, District of Columbia Cohort of the Oikos Institute for Social Impact celebrated the end of its first year of engagement and initiated the next steps toward communal transformation and economic mobility. Oikos’ Discover and Dream initiative, funded by the Lilly Endowment, partnered with seven churches in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia, to adopt and apply the Fishing Differently model, as coined by the Rev. Dr. Sidney Williams, Jr. in his book Fishing Differently: Ministry Formation in the Marketplace, for conducting the social impact work so often depended upon in their communities. After 18 months of virtual
meetings, this first in-person gathering occurred at D.C.’s Wesley Theological Seminary, Oikos’ seminary partner in developing the F.I.S.H. Capital (Faith/Financial, Intellectual, Social, Human) Learning Modules. The D.C. Cohort comprises one African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church, one AME Zion church, two United Methodist churches, and three Baptist churches. The D.C. Cohort is coordinated by Wesley Seminary directors Dr. Douglas Powe and Dr. Lovett Weems, along with Oikos’ regional coordinator, the Rev. Regena Thornton, also an itinerant elder in the AME Church. The excitement and joy in the room was a 12
culmination of the learning modules, the churches identifying their social impact projects, and generous grants from Trinity Church Wall Street (TCWS) for each church to lay the groundwork for feasibility studies, predevelopment expenses, and professional reviews of the churches spending plans. Oikos believes that certain processes must be succinct if churches want to effectively Discover and Dream. Oikos brought in experts to facilitate discussions on financial preparation and grant writing. Candis White of the Crossing Capital Group and owner of PremierOne Business Services provided participants with a list of budget items to gather for funding partners. ...continued on p13
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They emphasized the importance of hiring a financial expert (inside or outside the congregation) to assist in their budget reviews. This best practice is especially important as place-based investors require this documentation for decision-making. The Reverend Jacqueline Rooths, an AME itinerant elder and long-time United States Department of Housing and Urban Development employee, provided a detailed presentation on grant preparation. They emphasized the importance of meeting deadlines and keeping all expenditure decisions aligned with the information documented in grant applications.
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deadlines as they make an impact in DC’s Northwest quadrant. The “Shark Tank” judges provided effective feedback and encouraged each church to enhance the use of their virtual platforms, ensure they can share at least three years of budget documentation, and allow their imaginations to evolve to conduct effective social engagement. This gathering is one of many leading up to Oikos’ inaugural Fishing Differently National Conference in Chicago, Illinois, September 20-22, 2023, wherein Oikos (a nonprofit organization) and its partner, Crossing Capital Group (a for-profit organization) build ecosystems to address matters in distressed communities with faith-based organizations, anchor institutions, and place-based investors. We hope to see all our African Methodist Episcopal Church family there.
In the spirit of the “Shark Tank™ Program,” each church provided a five-minute presentation on their respective #WeFishDifferently Social Impact Project. All presentations incorporated the following: Fishing Differently learning modules, historical information regarding their churches, interactions with collaborative partners, and their plans to generate income after completing their projects. The Reverend Dr. Anna Mosby, pastor, and her team at St. Paul AME Church, Washington, D.C., eloquently articulated the development of St. Paul’s social impact project and meticulously outlined the goals, milestones, funding, and
Find out more information about the national conference and register at www.oikosinstitute.org. You may also purchase Fishing Differently: Ministry Formation in the Marketplace by the Rev. Dr. Sidney S. Williams, Jr., who serves as pastor of Bethel AME Church in Morristown, New Jersey. ❏ ❏ ❏
Progressive National Baptists Gain Partners to Address Voting Rights, Gun Violence
(RNS) — Leaders of the Progressive National Baptist Convention announced plans at their annual session this week in St. Louis to work on enhancing voting rights and criminal justice reform through partnerships with likeminded organizations. Members of the social justice team of the historically black Protestant denomination also traveled to nearby Ferguson on Wednesday (Aug. 9), the last day of their meeting, to mark the ninth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager whose fatal shooting by a white officer prompted protests that energized the Black Lives Matter movement.
Photo by Brian Kaylor/Word&Way
Members of the historically black Protestant denomination also marked the ninth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, in nearby Ferguson, Missouri.
The annual session of the Progressive National Baptist The Rev. David R. Peoples, president of the PNBC, said in an interview Convention in St. Louis on Aug. 9, 2023. Thursday that supporting the Brown family and the Ferguson community is one example of how the denomination is pursuing justice issues. “We want to make sure that wherever injustice takes place, wherever our people are oppressed and don’t have a fair shake, we’re going to speak out, we’re going to speak truth to power,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere until those things happen and positive change occurs.” He said a couple of thousand Baptists attended the meeting of the denomination of more than 1,200 churches and more than 1.5 million members. In his remarks the previous day at a news conference, Peoples said the organization would continue to follow in the footsteps of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., who considered the PNBC his denominational home. Photo courtesy PNBC
“We won’t stop until what Dr. King said, until justice runs down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream,” he said on Wednesday. “We won’t stop Progressive National Baptist Convention members join others in marking the ninth anniversary of the death of Michael Brown until Florida Governor DeSantis understands that slavery never benefited by visiting where Brown died in Ferguson, Missouri, Wednesday, any African American.” Aug. 9, 2023. He continued: “We won’t stop until the real thugs like Donald Trump, who are the real threat to democracy, get justice they deserve.” ...continued on p14
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PNBC leaders also differentiated members of their denomination from Christian nationalists.
state and federal action to end the death penalty. PNBC members passed a resolution with the same aim.
“What a tragedy it is that so much of what it means to be a Christian has been co-opted by white nationalists,” said the Rev. Willie D. Francois III, the co-chair of the PNBC’s social justice arm. “But there’s something about the rebellious imagination of folk like us, the Progressive National Baptist Convention, that says we have political priorities that aren’t limited to policing who people sleep with and policing what women do with their bodies. The Progressive National Baptist Convention is actually pro-life because we care about bodies before they are born all the way through the tomb.”
“I stand here arm-in-arm with the Brown family, clergy, and people of faith who are intentional about being participatory in our policy efforts,” said Joia Erin Thornton, national director of the coalition. “We want to bring forth results that promote equity and opportunity for those who are historically disenfranchised in their communities and who are over-policed and often selectively policed.”
Answering the question “Why is the white Christian church aligning with Trump?” the Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III, the new Rainbow PUSH Coalition president, responded: “They’re more white than Christian.” During the meeting, PNBC delegates also adopted a resolution saying the denomination “strongly denounces any … who refuse to support the results of the 2020 presidential election” and anyone who supports the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The Rev. Darryl Gray, the PNBC’s director general of social justice, said the denomination will be working with Amnesty International USA to provide training and other resources on gun violence intervention to the denomination’s churches. The Baptists gathered for the meeting approved a resolution that said the two groups will “work to reduce gun violence in communities across the country while advocating for the passage of federal legislation titled the Break the Cycle of Violence Act, which will provide federal funding for community organizations conducting gun violence prevention work.”
Voting rights, a longtime agenda item of the denomination, continued to be addressed, including with a resolution calling for passage of a 28th amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would make voting “a permanent right for adult U.S. citizens and residents.”
“We need to find a way to make sure that voting is easier and not harder,” he said. At the news conference, several PNBC leaders agreed on the need to further address voting rights. “We’ve come here 58 years after the voting rights bill was passed to say we’re going to revive it,” said Haynes, a clergyman affiliated with the PNBC.
The Rev. Willie Francois III addresses a news conference at the annual session of the Progressive National Baptist Convention in St. Louis on Aug. 9, 2023. [Video screen grab]
Peoples cited the continuing partnership with the AFL-CIO on voter mobilization. “We won’t stop until the AFL-CIO and PNBC continue to push back voting suppression, till everybody gets a chance to vote,” he said at the news conference. “Even those who have paid their time, they have a right to vote. We won’t stop until everyone can realize the dream to vote, understand all of us are God’s children.” Francois added that the voter registration work with the AFL-CIO will be organized around their organizations’ policy priorities.
“We went today to Ferguson to stand in solidarity with this family to practice the presence of God, to practice the ministry of presence, because we are tired of blue privilege, blue terror, and blue violence,” he said. “It is not enough for us to talk about gun violence in our communities without also talking about gun violence that we’ve normalized, and that’s police gun violence.”
“We are tired of politicians asking us, and benefiting and pimping our robes and pimping our collars, for their agenda,” he said. “If they want our votes they need to sign on to our agenda.”
The denomination also plans to partner with the Faith Leaders of Color Coalition, which is seeking
The Rev. Frederick Haynes III speaks during a news conference of the Progressive National Baptist Convention in St. Louis on Aug. 9, 2023. [Video screen grab]
In the interview, Peoples condemned “strange tactics that are used to make sure that people are denied or deterred from voting,” including people of color.
Francois said the broader gun violence concerns of the denomination include greater accountability by police departments.
Francois added that gun violence in general should be viewed as an American issue, not a black issue, and one that needs to be solved with improved access to jobs and better schools rather than larger police forces.
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At last year’s annual session, the denomination joined forces in a renewed partnership with the prominent union, decades after the two groups worked together to lobby for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory practices in hiring and voting, respectively.
The Rev. David R. Peoples, president of the PNBC, speaks at the annual session of the Progressive National Baptist Convention in St. Louis on Aug. 9, 2023. [Video screen grab] American universities. It said the ruling will be a motivator in get-out-the-vote efforts for the 2024 election. “We believe this is not the final word on racespecific affirmative action, and our advocacy will mirror that conviction,” it said in a resolution. “PNBC will continue to partner with the nation’s
The denomination also reiterated criticism it first expressed in June when the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in admissions by 14
HBCUs and black churches to ensure the growth of the black middle class.” ❏ ❏ ❏
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Zion Gathers for a Historic Faith and Practice Summit Mrs. Renate Lee
The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church gathered at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside for the inaugural Faith and Practice Summit on July 21, 2023. Bishop George W. C. Walker, Sr. opened the summit with a reminder of the call to commitment by exegeting and lining the great hymn of the church, “A Charge to Keep I Have,” written by Charles Wesley. Being prompted by the Holy Spirit, the Board of ©RODERICK CHARLES Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church set aside time at the conclusion of the ©RODERICK CHARLES Connectional Council for our beloved Zion to gather for the purpose of examining and evaluating our faith and practice. We are grateful for their wisdom and courage; this conversation could be offensive to some, but is an opportunity to remind us of who we are as Methodists—a reminder of who God called us to be as the body of Christ. The desired outcome of the work done by the appointed Faith and Practice Commission is to inform the Board of Bishops as they wrestle with crafting the Episcopal address for the Fifty-Second General Conference. In the wisdom of the chair of the summit, the Rt. Rev. W. Darin Moore, and our senior bishop, the Rt. Rev. Kenneth Monroe, the commission was formed with representation from all twelve Episcopal areas, which included one clergyperson and one lay person. The members of the commission were effectively led by two co-executive directors, Ms. Portia Jacobs, Episcopal director of Christian Education for Eastern North Carolina, and the Rev. Dr. Brian Relford, pastor of Union Wesley AME Zion Church, Washington, D.C.
areas to focus on and began meeting in March 2023. Each subcommittee produced a white paper with different perspectives, a bibliography of sources used in the research, citations, and recommendations. Their findings were shared at the summit. An advisor was assigned to each subcommittee to help ensure sound doctrine and varied perspectives. Our very capable advisors were the Rev. Dr. Reginald D. Broadnax, the Rev. Dr. Vergel Lattimore, the Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Tribble, the Rev. Dr. J. Elvin Sadler, the Rev. Dr. Dominique A. Robinson, and the Rev. Patrick Barrett.
There were five crucial areas to examine as part of this work: 1) The Authority of Scripture, 2) Sacramental Theology, 3) Virtual Worship and Digital Discipleship, 4) Spiritual Gifts and Shared Ministry, and 5) Radical Hospitality Rooted in Our Identity. Members of the commission chose
One of the epic moments of the summit was the keynote address by the Rev. Dr. Joy Moore, professor of Biblical Preaching, vice president for Academic Affairs, and academic dean at Luther Seminary in St Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Moore
spoke on the theme “Zion - Deeply Rooted and Distinctly Relevant.” She challenged us to open our eyes and our hearts to find God in the space God has given us influence. Dr. Moore said that we live in a world that is hostile everywhere, but “…we are to bear God’s image in the world.” We were further admonished not to give the world a word but to give the world our witness. The scholarly work produced by the members of the subcommittees was a labor of love and will prayerfully result in our beloved Zion moving into a place where “... we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14). “Stay focused, serve faithfully, and stand firm.” The Rt. Rev. Kenneth Monroe ❏ ❏ ❏
Turner Chapel AME Church, Greenwood, MS - Judge Betty Sanders Receives Chief Justice Award Rev. Dr. Alice Hubbard Crenshaw, Pastor Reports
Senior Status Judge Betty W. Sanders, a member of Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church of Greenwood, is a recipient of the 2023 Chief Justice Award. Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph presented the award on Thursday, July 20, at the Mississippi Bar Convention in Biloxi. The annual award recognizes individuals whose actions significantly impact the law, the administration of justice, and the people of Mississippi. Chief Justice Randolph called her “one of the hardest-working judges in the state.” After serving 20 years as a circuit judge in the Mississippi Delta, she retired from office in 2014 but continued to hear cases by appointment as a senior-status judge. And when COVID struck, she was among the veteran judges appointed
to help relieve the court docket backlog. Judge Sanders was one of four special circuit judges appointed on August 4, 2020, to assist the Hinds Circuit Court. She continued hearing cases in Hinds Circuit Court through January 2023, resolving 182 post-conviction relief petitions and 132 criminal cases. He also praised Judge Sanders for her work supervising a drug intervention court. She established a drug court for the 4th Circuit of Leflore, Sunflower, and Washington counties in June 2002. Only two other drug courts were operating in the state at that time. Judge Sanders graduated from Alcorn State University in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in business education. She earned a Master of business education degree in 1971 from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She 15
pursued coursework toward a specialist degree in business education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She taught business at Coahoma Junior College and then at Mississippi Valley State University. After ...continued on p16
SEPTEMBER 2023 ...From Turner Chapel p15 she finished law school, she taught business law and court systems at MVSU for almost 20 years.
Judge Sanders’ children and grandchildren accompanied her to the award presentation. Chief Justice Randolph noted that Judge Sanders’ family are all legal and medical professionals. Her late husband, Alix H. Sanders, Sr., was a trailblazing attorney. Their children are attorney Neysha Sanders, Dr. Nikka Sanders Johnson, an OB/GYN, and dentist Alix Sanders, Jr. “She has provided exemplary service to the board by providing thoughtful leadership, brilliant advice and counsel, and superior guidance in the tradition of her judicial temperament of excellence,” said Ben Cole II, executive director of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services. “Judge Sanders is truly an asset to NMRLS and its client community.” He noted that Judge Sanders continues the work of her late husband, Alix Sanders, who previously served as executive director of North Mississippi Rural Legal Services. Judge Sanders served for more than 20 years as a member of the Board of Directors of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project and its predecessor, the Pro Bono Project of the Mississippi Bar. She was honored with the Pro Bono Público Award for her many hours of pro bono service. She joined her husband’s law firm in Greenwood in 1981. She was the first African American
The Christian Recorder attorney to serve as co-counsel to the Greenwood Public School District. She worked in the general practice firm until 1989 when she was appointed as a magistrate to hear cases filed by prisoners at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. She served as a magistrate from 1989-1994. She was the first African American elected to Subdistrict 3 of the 4th Circuit Court in 1994. She has been a leader of the bench and bar. She is former chair, vice-chair, and secretary-treasurer of the Conference of Circuit Judges and was on the Conference’s Legislative Committee. She served on the Commission on Judicial Performance, the Complaint Tribunal and Ethics Committee of the Mississippi Bar, and as secretary of the Magnolia Bar Association. She was a faculty facilitator at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and a Mississippi Model Jury Instructions Commission member. She currently serves as attorney for the Leflore County Board of Supervisors, a job she has held since January 2023. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the National Association of Women Judges, the Mississippi Bar, the Magnolia Bar Association, and the Leflore County Bar Association. She served on the ABA National Conference of State Trial Judges, the National Association of Women Judges Racial and Cultural Diversity Committee, and the Governmental Affairs and Education Committees of the Leflore County
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Chamber of Commerce. She serves on the Life Help Advisory Council and the Quality Mental Health Committee. Judge Sanders has received special recognition from the Judicial Division of the American Bar Association. She received the Magnolia Bar Association Government Service Awards in 1997 and 2003. She was inducted as a fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation in 2006. The Mississippi House of Representatives honored her with a resolution commending her career in 2015. In 2023, she received the State Social Action Award from Delta Sigma Theta, and community leaders in Greenwood honored her with the Grand Marshal Award during Black History Month. Previous education-related awards included a presidential citation for Mississippi Valley State University Support and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Distinguished Alumni Award. She received the Althea T.L. Simmons Social Action Award presented at the 1996 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., National Convention, and community service awards presented by regional and local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. The Greenwood Voters League honored her with the Outstanding Service Award for her work with the drug court, and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church presented her with the 2004 Drum Major for Justice Award. ❏ ❏ ❏
MESSAGE FROM A GROWING GARDNER: LIFE LESSONS OF AN EDUCATOR AND PASTOR
It Takes a Village: Strengthening Social-Emotional Learning and Fruit of the Spirit Through Church, Community-School Partnerships Rev. Eddie Walker, III, M.Ed., M.Div. Pastor, New Zion Hill AME Church-Thomson, Georgia (Augusta North Conference) 6th Episcopal District, Augusta Conference CDMC Commissioner
As a pastor and educator, I feel compelled to emphasize the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) and the values embodied in the fruit of the spirit. I firmly believe that nurturing these aspects in our children is the responsibility of the church and school and a collective effort that requires the involvement and support of our entire community. Social-emotional learning is critical to a child’s education and personal development. It equips them with essential life skills, such as emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, and conflict resolution. SEL helps children navigate challenges, build resilience, and thrive in various social settings by fostering emotional well-being and positive relationships. By prioritizing SEL, we can lay a solid foundation for the success and
happiness of our future generations. The fruit of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - are values that transcend religious boundaries. These virtues form the bedrock of strong character and ethical behavior. By cultivating these qualities in our children, we empower them to be compassionate, empathetic, and morally responsible individuals who contribute positively to society. While the church and school play vital roles in imparting SEL and teaching the fruits of the spirit, the involvement of the broader community is equally essential. Our community acts as an extended support network for our 16
children, reinforcing the teachings they receive at home, in church, and school. By working together, we create a seamless environment that nurtures our young members’ emotional and spiritual growth. Community involvement can take various forms. Parents can actively engage in their children’s SEL journey, promoting open communication and modeling positive ...continued on p17
SEPTEMBER 2023 ...From It Takes p16 behaviors. Local organizations
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can collaborate with schools and churches to offer workshops, mentoring programs, and extracurricular activities that promote socialemotional development.
values of the fruits of the spirit. By celebrating our shared humanity and fostering a sense of belonging, we instill in our children a deep understanding of the importance of these virtues in their lives.
Moreover, community events and activities that encourage unity, diversity, and kindness can serve as powerful platforms to reinforce the
The significance of social-emotional learning and the values represented by the fruit of the spirit cannot be overstated. As a pastor and
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an educator, we wholeheartedly believe that the active involvement of our community is paramount in helping our children understand and embrace these essential aspects. Together, we can create a nurturing environment where our children can flourish emotionally, spiritually, and morally, ensuring a brighter, more compassionate future for all.
The Rev. Eddie Walker III is the pastor of New Zion Hill AME Church in Thomson, Georgia. He works in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction as a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) specialist for the Dekalb County Schools System.
Grace Over Lunch Ministry Sister Barbara H. Laurie, MSW, Lay Minister
The Grace Over Lunch ministry was initiated in 2018 by Sister Barbara H. Laurie, lay minister, under the leadership of the Reverend Jeannine R. Smalls, pastor of Grace Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Beaufort, South Carolina. The lunch started with a phone call from Pastor Smalls while attending the Post Conference Convocation under the leadership of Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., presiding prelate of the Seventh Episcopal District. As a result of various ministry presentations at the meeting, she supported the idea that Grace Chapel needed to develop a ministry project. What began as a conversation with a church member has evolved into the Grace Over Lunch ministry. This ministry incorporates other ministries and components of the church and encourages active participation. According to the guidelines for ministry development by Bishop Green, the theological context should respond to the practical needs of the community we are called to serve. The ministry is designed to reinforce to the members and the community who are 55 years and older (“55 Forward”) that “Living Well, Aging Well, and Serving Well” are what God requires. In 2017, our church was relocated to Lady’s Island, one of the fastest-growing areas in Beaufort County, South Carolina. This strategic location of the church enables it to continue its rich service history to her members and the community. This new location is divinely positioned to serve the present age.
The Grace Over Lunch Ministry offers a mid-day meal and provides opportunities for participants to learn from and share in creative theme-based presentations by local clergy and for the “55 Forward” population to gather virtually and in person to fellowship with other persons. In addition, participants can engage in planned day trips, games, and other activities and gather information on current topics that affect the “55 Forward” population. Since the ministry began in 2018, six innovative themed sessions have been developed and shared with our church family and the community. Attendance at each lunch has averaged 40-50 persons from various ethnicities, faith groups, and other organizations. The presentations were divided into two parts. The first half of the session included a devotion led by a designated ministry team, a planned meal, and a presentation by a community provider. The second half of the session involved the clergy addressing the theme. This theme challenged participants from the audience to think of ways that the church could address needs within our communities. The desire is for individuals to be doers of the Word. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted how the Grace Over Lunch ministry functioned at Grace Chapel. We learned to fellowship differently by using conference calls and Zoom technology. We also learned that many in the “55 Forward” population had become more comfortable using technology. The Grace Over Lunch ministry piloted our virtual session in
July 2022. The success of the virtual sessions led us to offer Facebook Live as another way to participate in our sessions. The use of technology has expanded the reach of the ministry to include the ongoing fellowship (virtual and in-person) with members of the Beaufort County Port Royal Senior Center as well as families and friends living in other areas. We can now reach persons who are unable to attend in person. Using an established format, our summer sessions (June-August) expounded upon church school lessons excerpts from the 2022-2023 Standard Lesson Commentary International Sunday School Lessons. The community presentations were: (a) Remembering the Emanuel 9 and Moms Demand Action for Global Gun Sense Awareness, and (b) The Role of Emergency Medical Services in Our Community, and Updates on the Coronavirus (COVID). We are grateful to God for the unmerited favor that God gives so freely, the support and participation of our pastor, ministry team members, families of the church, and community organizations. To God be the glory for the great things God has done and continues to do at Grace Chapel AME Church. “The work is all divine!” Grace Chapel AME Church is located at 10 Holly Hall Road, Beaufort, South Carolina 29907. The Rev. Jeannine R. Smalls is the pastor.
Being African American and Knocking on the Wrong Door Could Be Dangerous James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed.D.
How can knocking on a door possibly be so lifechanging? It could be, especially if you knock on the wrong door.
I have knocked on a lot of doors over my lifetime as a child and now as an adult. My knocking has never been met with hostility.
Crime and shootings have become commonplace these days. We are filled with apprehension and fear each time we must leave our homes. For example, getting out of our cars could result in a bad outcome.
Quite honestly, I have never given much thought to anything bad happening. My most interesting experience knocking on doors was when I was a census taker in college. Now, knocking on doors may be hazardous to your health. In plain and simple language, you may lose your life, especially if you are black like me.
Yet, is our first line of defense to shoot someone? 17
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SEPTEMBER 2023 ...From Being African p17 Why
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police? Andrew Lester of Kansas City, Missouri, must have thought this was his only alternative. He allegedly shot Ralph Yarl, a teenager, on April 13th when he went to the wrong house to pick up his brothers. There are some interesting dynamics to this case. Andrew Lester is an 84-year-old white man, and Ralph Yarl is a 16-year-old African American male. Does race matter? Yes, it does. Lester will face two felony charges, according to Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson. The charges are assault in the first degree and armed criminal action.
and you had a black man shoot a white 16-yearold for merely ringing his doorbell, that he would not be arrested. This citizen went home and slept in his bed at night after shooting that young Black kid.” Andrew Lester, the man with the gun, told police he was scared to death. Was he scared to death because someone was at his door, or was he scared to death because someone black was at his door? I believe we know the answer to that question. Reports say that Lester’s ex-wife and his grandson said he had a problem with black people. Unsurprisingly, he took out his aversion to us on Ralph Yarl.
What about race? Was this a hate crime? Attorney Thompson said, “I can tell you there was a racial component to this case.”
The mayor of Kansas City, Quinton Lucas, said, “I think that this has everything to do with race, the defendant’s fear of black people, black men, black boys. If the young man [were not] black, we wouldn’t be here today.”
Ben Crump, who represents the family, said, ”Nobody can tell us if the roles were reversed,
Lester is now out of jail, cannot own a weapon, and has no contact with the young man.
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Demonstrations have now begun, and the city will be on high alert. It raises the question of how many white people are so terrified by African Americans that they will shoot with no questions asked or statements made. That was the case with Lester. He simply shot the teen without saying a word. Driving while black, walking while black, and now knocking on the wrong door while black should be added to the list of ways we get shot, sometimes to death. Ralph Yarl has been released from the hospital and is now resting at home. His family says that he is young and strong. In the coming weeks, Lester will stand trial for this shooting. Let’s hope the jury sees the compelling evidence and uses it accordingly. Black boys are already at risk from birth. These intentional shootings only make it more difficult for them to lead successful lives. ❏ ❏ ❏
Keep Your Hubris in Check and Don’t Become Complacent Dr. Michael C. Carson, Full Columnist
Brother Ken Agee and I discussed the need for an individual, business, team, church, meeting, whatever, or whoever, to always strive to be and do better. Always conduct “preventative maintenance work” on what you are responsible for in life. Complacency is feeling so satisfied with your abilities or situation that you’re sure you do not need to check your situation. When you believe all is well, regularly examine your life to see that everything is okay. Beware of feeling so satisfied with your ability or situation that there is no need to try harder, learn more, or strive to surpass where you are in life. When one believes they have “arrived in life,” they are “at ease in their Zion.” In the 8th century B.C., the prophet Amos shared these words of concern and caution, “Woe to them that are at ease in Zion” (Amos 6:1). Avoid becoming complacent with anything or anyone in your life. Every day during your prayer and praise time, make an assessment concerning your life and determine if you are traveling on the right road. Do not live in fear, concerning your life (Isaiah 41:10). Still, embrace the reality that Dr. Carl C. Lyles Sr., who I pastored in 1990, would always share, “Pastor Mike, the room for improvement is always the largest room around!” Something in your life can always be improved on. A relationship of yours can be strengthened. Explore the possibility of something new and wonderful taking place in your life. Believe there is an exciting blessing awaiting you! Always strive to be on your game. Take nothing nor anyone for granted in your life. Be veracious in your learning about life. Agee shared, concerning self-assessment, “It is not always about being bigger, but it should always be about being better.” As you schedule routine health checks concerning your physical self, always schedule time to conduct preventative maintenance in your entire life. King Solomon declared, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). I hear evangelist Cathy declaring, “Never become complacent in your life by believing too much of ‘your own press’ concerning how ‘great’ you are. Yes, you are great. But always acknowledge you are great because God made you great and blesses you. Never err by placing all your trust merely in yourself.” The psalmist, concerning not placing your total trust in where or who you are, shares, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). Brother Duran Hizer shared with me, “Always be teachable because, in this life that we live, it is truly about learning something new every day!” Writer Jim Collins utilized the term “hubris” as being overconfident and forgetting the true foundation of one’s success or taking success for granted. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Peace with justice and mercy, be blessed real, real good, attend worship, and families matter. I’m just saying! Dr. Michael C. Carsonbcan be reached atbrefreshingcoach@gmail.com. 20
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A Tribute to the Mystery of Wilberforce: Dr. Floyd Wilson Alexander, Sr. Dr. Brandon A. A. J. Davis, Contributing Columnist, 37th Senior Pastor of Ebenezer AME Church
JULY 20, 2023 Encompassing the personhood and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Floyd Wilson Alexander, Sr., is difficult. He was a respected preacher, pastor, former general officer, presiding elder, and at one time temporarily appointed president of Payne Theological Seminary. His reach, influence, generosity, and dedicated commitment to God are a tiny fraction of who this legendary leader was. Outside the ministry, Dr. Alexander was a family man, a devoted husband to Mrs. Sara Margaret Thomas Alexander, and a father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather.
one whose lived example compels you to think about the sovereignty of God in your life. He was a classmate of Bishop Robert Lee Pruitt, Bishop Robert Vaughn Webster, Bishop Cornal Garnett Henning, Sr., and others while matriculating at Wilberforce University. Their mastery of preaching and ability did not sway Dr. Alexander; he was himself, a character anomaly I wholeheartedly adored. Dr. Floyd Alexander taught me my knowledge and understanding of African Methodism and Black Church politics. Like a student, I gleaned from his wisdom and knowledge. He was my principal source of historical knowledge about the Wilberforce community, historical figures, and the formation of the schools in the area. Dr. Alexander bimonthly would call to ensure I pursued my degree with vigor. As he saw it, he had plans for me, including my earned doctorate.
I learned of this mystery of Wilberforce before my acceptance to Payne Theological Seminary. I began inquiring about the movers and shakers to be somewhat informed of the who’s-who when I arrived. Dr. Alexander served at that time as the president of the Alumni Association. After about a month of living on campus, the Rev. Rodrecus Johnson, Jr. recommended (unbeknownst to me) my pastoral and preaching abilities to Dr. Alexander, who, in addition to being PTS Alumni president, was the presiding elder of the Cleveland District of the North Ohio Annual Conference.
A funny story includes my late brother and friend, the Reverend James Howard Stowe, Jr. As struggling seminarians, we always needed money! Dr. Alexander employed us to drive roundtrip (12 hours) to Nashville, Tennessee, to bring back a cargo van full of Disciplines. After unloading heavy boxes at 4 a.m. and thinking we were about to get paid, Dr. Alexander gave us $100.00 apiece and said, “It is better for a bishop to owe you than for you to owe a bishop. Bishop Henning will remember what you young men did for the district.” What I learned from him has sustained me in ministry and redirected my focus in life. I will never forget Dr. Alexander; I will remember this prominent leader for who he was as a preacher, a family man, and a dedicated Christian leader. And when I call his name, I will say, “The Mystery of Wilberforce.”
While doing my laundry at a local laundromat in Xenia, Ohio, I received an interesting call from Dr. Alexander, who later appointed me the supply pastor of Mason Chapel AME Church, Findlay, Ohio. That was the beginning of a relationship that spanned 16 years—a relationship filled with mentorship, a grandfather’s love, and support. With ease, I recall my first face-to-face encounter with Dr. Alexander and remember it being a teaching lesson that started as, “You young preachers think too highly of yourselves than you ought to.” Naturally, to any person, this random and unseemingly wanted statement would rub anyone a certain way. Yet, I was a young preacher with a high opinion of myself and my abilities. Equally, though, I was taught to respect my elders.
In April 1915, a Canadian poet, John McCrae, penned a tribute to the battle in Belgium’s Ypres. For 17 days, he tended to the wounded injured in combat. He wrote the poem “In Flanders Fields” after the death of a close friend. On several occasions, these words were a tribute to Dr. Alexander’s friends who preceded him in death. I offer it in his sainted memory: “We are the dead. Short days ago, we lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow, loved, and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders fields. To you from failing hands, we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high.”
After that brief exchange, I recall asking the late Dr. Eugene L. Schoolfield II, “Who is that man?” to which he replied, “The Godfather.” Schoolfield urged me to remain on his good side, entreating me: “You either lived or died in ministry in the Third District with one cross of his leg.” A rather strange explanation, yet I would soon come to the full knowledge and meaning of that statement.
Good night, sweet prince, the Reverend Floyd Wilson Alexander, Sr. ❏ ❏❏
Known to his close and collegial friends as “Preach,” a story within a story, Dr. Alexander remains, in my estimation, a sincere and thought-provoking preacher—
Digital Equity for Black Americans: A Clarion Call Rev. Dr. Betty Holley, Contributing Writer
Due to a plethora of factors, including systemic racism, black Americans find themselves on the wrong side of the digital divide. Because of systemic racism, black American households earn only about half as much on average as their white counterparts. For many working-class African American families, home internet costs are simply too high. So, why is internet access so expensive? According to research, there is little competition among internet service providers across the United States. Almost forty percent of American households live in an area with only one or two internet service providers. Without competition, these companies can charge whatever they want for their services. This leeway is a serious issue in black communities because
internet service providers have underinvested in low-income, minority communities, assuming they will earn large profits in wealthier, whiter areas. Consequently, predominantly black communities have less digital infrastructure and slower internet speeds. Yet, black Americans are often charged the same price on their monthly internet bills. This discriminatory practice is called “digital redlining.” Other factors contribute to the racial digital divide. Signing up for broadband often requires a credit check, which becomes a barrier for lowincome families. Achieving educational and financial success in the 21st century requires internet access. About thirty-one percent of black Americans do not have a home computer, and thirty-eight percent lack high-speed internet 21
access, or broadband, at home. Hence, about one in three black adults are offline! Although the majority of black Americans do have mobile internet, smartphones are not enough to bridge the digital divide. In addition to increasing internet access, efforts to achieve digital equity must include a digital skills component. About seventy percent of the black community are unprepared with digital skills, affecting their employability. As more work moves to remote formats, black and Hispanic workers, without any ...continued on p22
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intervention, could be locked out of eighty-six percent of jobs by 2045. Digital literacy has increasingly become a critical component of elementary and high school curricula. Black Americans, particularly, must be equipped with internet access and digital skills to thrive in today’s technological society. Upward economic mobility, educational success, and health outcomes depend on one’s ability to get online. There is good news! The current administration’s Digital Equity Act will provide $14.2 billion to all states to promote digital inclusion. These funds
The Christian Recorder include the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which offers eligible low-income families discounts on their monthly internet service. Providers cannot deny service based on an individual’s poor credit score rating or if their households’ services were disconnected in the past due to nonpayment. Applicants also do not need to produce a social security number. The ACP is a relatively new initiative, and many people still need to learn how to sign up. Organizations like Community Tech Network (CTN) host workshops to help people enroll in the program and train nonprofit and community
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leaders to become ACP enrollment specialists. This training allows them to become experts in helping people get online. In addition, groups, including the Black Churches 4 Digital Equity coalition, have worked tirelessly to increase ACP enrollment. Currently, over 11.5 million households are already enrolled in the ACP. Homeless individuals are also eligible so long as they can state where they reside at night, whether in a shelter or on a street corner. For more information about the ACP and to check eligibility requirements, visit the program’s website or call toll-free: (877) 384-2575. ❏ ❏ ❏
Inconvenient but Not Impossible Rev. Monica C. Jones, Ph.D., Contributing Writer
It always seems impossible until it’s done–a great man who gave his freedom for the freedom of others said that. Nelson Mandela was willing to view the world from behind bars for much of his adult life because he viewed a future of equality for his people. A cell was his home, but he walked from prison to the presidency. It was a lifetime commitment, but it was not impossible. As our wonderful missionaries conclude their Quadrennial, I hope their plans will be to not set foot in Florida again as an organization until that state’s hateful educational and social policy has ended. I hope and pray that would be the same decision for any other AME Church Connection-wide event. It should apply to every justice-minded group, as well, including the remainder of our Greek organizations, such as my own. The Alphas have made the sacrifice, and we all should follow. It would involve renegotiation and canceling contracts, but it is not impossible. None of us, whether secular or faith-based, can afford to ignore the racist, bigoted, slaveryrationalizing policy coming from the various legislative bodies in Florida. In just a very short
time, the governor and local legislators have passed laws that put innocent voters in jail, declared that our African American history is no longer valid, and informed us that we should be pleased to have been slaves because we have learned skills that are useful in the workplace. In the days of our fight for civil rights, we were willing to walk to work, do without conveniences, and even be beaten in order to see justice done. We saw our friends and loved ones jailed; we saw our children blown to bits in churches; we saw our beloved King shot down on a balcony, but we fought on. It was a terrifying experience, but it was not impossible. Today, the sacrifice of losing a few dollars should not be an issue for people who understand what it means to give up much in a moment to achieve a
lifetime of freedom. All of us may not be able to march or protest in the streets, but we can certainly protest with our pocketbooks. After all, we are accustomed to putting our very lives on the line for what we know and believe is right. We have done it for generations; our church was founded on this premise. Let us not forget the greatest activist of all made it clear that with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). No matter the cost, we must say no and prove that we mean business by not planning engagements, vacations, or mass meetings in Florida. It will be inconvenient; it may even be unpopular. In some instances, it will be costly, but it is not impossible. The Reverend Monica C. Jones, Ph.D., is the Director of Christian Education Ministries and an associate minister at Big Bethel in Atlanta, Georgia.
I Shall Not Be Moved Rev. Dr. Maxine Thomas, Columnist
He alone is my rock Are you feeling lonely and rejected today? Does it seem like nobody cares or understands what you are going through? My friend, you are not alone. You are not all by yourself, for God is closer to you than and my salvation, your very breath. my fortress; I shall Beloved, won’t you just close your eyes right now and meditate on Jesus? I trust that he has brought back never be shaken. to your remembrance the depth of his love for you and his concern, the reality of his eternal presence Psalm 62:2 with you in the person of the Holy Spirit, the comforter. I’m praying that God is just breathing afresh upon you right now and is removing all the weights that are pressing you down. You are really loved. And the Bible teaches us that God is our rock. God is my rock. I can depend on the immutable God–God changes not. God won’t let you down. God won’t disappoint you. God will be what you need God to be.
God’s strength gives me the courage to keep moving forward: “When all around my soul gives way, he then is all my hope and stay.” Hallelujah! The Lord is my salvation. He will help his anointed (Psalm 20:6). The Lord has saved me by his power divine. And the Lord continues to save me day by day. I’m saved from the storms of life.
The Lord is my rock. I can stand on the promises of his Word, and I won’t fall, for when we stand on Christ, the solid rock, we are protected in the time of a storm. When the waters begin to rise in our life, we have an anchor; we have a strong tower; we have a rock.
I’m saved from heartache and despair. I’m saved from trials and tribulations. Jesus saved me. He rescued me. He raised me from a pit of depression and despair. I’m saved! He gave me a reason for living. I’m saved! Hallelujah! I’m saved!
The Lord is my rock. He is the strength of my life. When I feel like I can’t go on, I can draw on the strength of the Lord. When I feel like giving up,
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The Christian Recorder
...From I Shall p22 The Lord–Jehovah–Adonai–Elohim–El Shaddai is my defense. No weapon that is fashioned against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Satan is already defeated. He is under my feet. I’m on the winning team. If God be for us, who can be against us?
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my defender. The devil can do me no harm. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! And I shall not be moved! Storm clouds may rise, and strong winds may blow, but I shall not be moved! I may have to cry in the midnight hour, but I shall not be moved! I may have problems in my home, but I shall not be moved! Trouble may try to get in my way, but I shall not be moved! Hallelujah! I shall not be moved! My friend, you are really loved. ❏ ❏ ❏
I’m protected in him. I am victorious in him. I am shielded in him. He is
He Stirs Up the People . . . Rev. Dr. Kent L. Poindexter, Contributing Writer
In its effort to maintain a hold on its influence in the world, the church struggles with reaching masses of people. Many (especially the naysayers) say the church has no meaningful message in this “mess age” and has little or no appeal and needs to look within to determine its role in society. The collective needs to ask itself: what is God saying to us, and how shall we respond? What did Jesus do as he walked among those who were hurting, confused, despondent, and angry? Who would have assumed that their survival depended on not provoking the powers that be? The gospel of Luke reminds us about the impact of Jesus on the people who sought change and understood that God was the only answer to changing their circumstances. Clearly, the message he preached profoundly impacted their understanding of how God guided their lives. Clearly, the political leaders of the day were at odds over how they should deal with the changing attitudes of the
people, who believed that God was on their side. As the traditionalists fought to silence Christ, they argued before the Roman government that his message was dangerous, that it “perverted their nation,” and that he “stirred up the people” with his message of hope. For them, religion was the source of their power; they could not control people who were inspired to hear God and respond to this new word of unconditional
love. Such words of hope would possibly cause people to believe in divine change. Jesus inspired them to believe that God was challenging them to do “a new thing.” The debate continues as to whether Jesus was guilty of a crime. While blasphemy may have been an assault on Jewish law, the real issue was “stirring up the people.” Jesus taught people to be enlightened, to wake up! In fact, he was guilty of
promoting the “woke agenda” by speaking truth to power. Politics that rose against people being “woke” resulted in Jesus Christ paying the ultimate price. He admonished those who desired to be part of the new movement to follow him. Perhaps it is time for the church to consider how it will faithfully follow in his footsteps. ❏❏❏
When Our Culture Becomes Our Cancer Pastor J. Edgar Boyd, Senior Minister, FAME Church of Los Angeles
used to keep the enslaved “in their place.” In the aftermath of such atrocities, it should be unthinkable that the AME Church birthed out of the womb of oppression, would tolerate even the hint of such a dehumanizing attempt to constrain any just voice within the family of Allen.
In response to a recent TCR editorial: “On the Matter of the Rev. Dr. Jerome Harris” Dear Editor, Your recent editorial, “On the Matter of the Rev. Dr. Jerome Harris,” was most timely and appropriate in the wake of allegations surrounding the absence of a substantial portion of the African Methodist Episcopal Church’s retirement resources. It is telling that a significant number of the salaried and non-salaried members of the AME Church are reluctant to publicly address the issue at hand but are driven to the false safety offered in a refuge of silence. It is painfully difficult to fathom the irreparable injury sustained by many retiring clerical servants who bear a double dolor: no access to their hard-earned retirement savings, and now, what appears to be a callous unwillingness on the part of our system to hold the perpetrator(s) to a proper reckoning.
During the first 150 years following Emancipation, black Americans created the tradition of “Soul Food,” a dietary tradition replete with dishes high in cholesterol, fat, sodium, and sugar. As culturally satisfying as those foods and culinary practices were, that culture, which was consistently embraced by many blacks over time, is determined to have negatively impacted our physical well-being. As a result, such behavior has evolved into today’s culture of cancer for many blacks. Many health-conscious blacks soon discovered that it was not necessarily hereditary or genetic disorders that resulted in the widespread and disproportionate imbalance of disease and poor health within the black community. black Americans soon came to know that our culinary habits, over time, contributed to an evolutionary culture of cancer, and our health providers helped us see that the culprit was reflected in our choices and our behavior. Armed with this life-saving information, responsible voices from across black communities began to sound the
Some have suggested that the current matter may be the darkest chapter in our church’s two-hundred-plus-year history. Where is the demand for justice? Why is there no mandate for the corrective actions of restoration? Why is there such an atmosphere of silence in the face of such an egregious eclipse of trust? It is almost unthinkable that anyone in our church would not think it appropriate that such alleged and egregious behavior should be met by a swift calling of the alleged to accountability. At the bicentennial of African Methodism, our denomination took on itself a Connectional label that suggests, “We are a liberating and reconciling people.” That mantra speaks to the courage that emboldened the framers of our denomination to conceive and construct the very institution that we are privileged to serve today. Our current generation (AMEs) are the beneficiaries of an institution that evolved out of the hellacious system of American slavery, an ecliptic era where oppression and subjugation were 23
alarm and assisted our communities in modifying our diets and physical behavior. Positive, beneficial evidence is seen in the increased lifespan within our pews and across black America. The notion is widespread (within African Methodism) that a stale wind of oppression is growing across our denomination (over clergy and laity alike), creating a culture of behavior that, if not corrected, will surely metastasize throughout the church body (AME). Mr. Editor, thank
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...From When Our p23
you for arousing the consciousness of the General Board back in June to initiate a path that seeks truth, accountability, and a just restitution. We (the rank and file) have been given very little information about the financial and fiscal crisis manifested in the Department of Retirement Services. When considering the small amount of available information, I fear it reflects only the tip of the iceberg, and we remain innocuous to the 90 percentiles of facts hidden just beneath the surface, facts necessary to move the masses to the urgency of action.
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The deadliness of a cancer is not necessarily determined by its detection but rather by an unwillingness to seek urgent treatment and quickly submit to a change in the very behavior that made fallow, the very ground from which it grows. Do we submit to the treatment of bold action or continue in the repressive state of silence? Our deliberate choices and behavior, going forward, will determine the state of our future. “When our culture becomes our cancer.” ❏ ❏ ❏
NECROLOGY Listings
August 2023
*Purple font connotes Episcopal Family; Red font, General Officers; and Blue font, Connectional Officers. Sister Carolyn Diane Felder, the beloved sister of the Reverend Calvin E. Holloway, pastor of Mt. Olive AME Church, Monticello, Florida and Shiloh AME Church, Miccosukee, Florida and the beloved sister-in-love of Sister Patricia Holloway, Eleventh Episcopal District The Reverend Rudolph Ulric Aaron (Emirate), of the Jamaica Conference, Sixteenth Episcopal District Mr. Kim Jerome Smith, the brother of Oklahoma State Annual Conference Women’s Missionary Society president, Twelfth Episcopal District, Mrs. Brenda J. Fields (the Reverend Marcellus Fields, pastor of Allen Chapel AME Church, Oklahoma City, OK), and the father of Oklahoma State Annual Conference Young People’s Division president, Laila Fields The Reverend Dr. Stephanie D. Castro, an itinerant elder in the New England Annual Conference of the First Episcopal District; she was the wife of the Reverend Dr. Pedro A. Castro, Jr., pastor of Grant AME Church, Boston, Massachusetts and served with her husband at other AME churches, and as consultant of the BuffaloAlbany District of the Western New York Annual Conference Mrs. Freddie Brown, of the North Texas Conference, Tenth Episcopal District, the widow of the late Presiding Elder A.L. Brown and she
Episcopal Church, Kingstree District, Palmetto Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District
served in many roles at Quinn Chapel AME in Denison, and was a dedicated life member in the Women’s Missionary Society AMEC
Brother Roosevelt Williams, Jr., the father of the Reverend Roosevelt Williams III, pastor of St. John’s AME Church, Montgomery, Alabama in the Alabama River Region Conference of the Ninth Episcopal District
Mrs. Walretta “Jerri” Chandler was a lifelong member/officer of St. John AMEC, Nashville, TN of the Thirteenth Episcopal District, she had served as a delegate to the Lay Biennial on several occasions; she was the aunt of the Reverend Lisa C. Hammonds, assistant editor of The Christian Recorder; and she was a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.
Mother Joylene Andries, the mother of the Reverend/ LTC Curtis A. Andries, an AME Church endorsed Department of Veterans Affairs chaplain and U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Office of Ecumenical and Urban Affairs
The Reverend Herman James Ford, Jr., retired itinerant elder, the spouse of the Reverend Gloria Barr Ford, he had pastored many churches in the Seventh Episcopal District, his last pastoral assignment was Mt. Zion (Bloomingvale) AME Church, Georgetown District, Palmetto South Carolina Annual Conference, Seventh Episcopal District
Stephen D. Cross, the younger brother of Mrs. Sabrena M. Newsom (president, Twelfth Episcopal District M-SWAWO+PKs) and brother-in-law of the Reverend Kurbe L. Newsom, pastor of St. James AME Church, the son of Albert (deceased) and Claudia E. Cross of Memphis, Tennessee, and father of Stephen D. T.
Brother Anthony “Tony” Haynes, the beloved brother of Reverend Herbert Hollingsworth, pastor of Bethel AME Church, Monticello, Florida, Eleventh Episcopal District and the beloved brother-in-love of Sister Susie Hollingsworth
Mrs. Mable Norman Morton, the mother of the late Reverend Carnell Morton, and the grandmother of the Reverend Reginald Morton and the Reverend Carnetta Morton, and the last maternal aunt of Sister Elestine S. Norman; the Reverend Reginald Morton is the pastor of Mt. Lebanon (Donalds) AME Church, Greenville District, Piedmont South Carolina Annual
Mrs. Diana Stevens, the spouse of the Reverend Larry C. Stevens, Bethel (North Charleston) African Methodist
Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Mr. Alvin J. Sanders, the father of the Reverend Alvelyn Sanders-Swafford, and the father-in-law of the Reverend Raymond Swafford, who both serve as co-pastors of Gaines Chapel AME Church, Phenix City, Alabama in the Northeast Alabama Annual Conference of the Ninth Episcopal District Mrs. Mary Louise Jacobs, wife of the Reverend Daniel Jacobs, former dean of Turner Theological Seminary and mother of the Reverend Reginald Jacobs, pastor of St. James AMEC, Monticello, GA, Sixth Episcopal District The Reverend Johnson Battle, local elder of Allen Chapel AME Church, Portsmouth, OH, father of Kathleen Nicole, a special son, Samuel Dwayne McKenzie, two brothers, Grady L. Battle and Stephen Battle, two sisters, a granddaughter, and six special grandchildren; he was also the uncle of Leslie Patterson-Tyler, first lady of Mother Bethel AME Church, Philadelphia, PA The Reverend Dr. Arthur L. Holmes, the pastor of Holy Trinity (Mt. Pleasant) African Methodist Episcopal Church, Mt. Pleasant District, Palmetto Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District of the AMEC
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 Rev. 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
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SEPTEMBER 2023 ...From Mother Emanuel p1
The Christian Recorder
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property and is slated to be completed by November 2024. The project’s cost will be approximately 4 million dollars. ❏ ❏ ❏
Family members of the Emanuel 9 participating in the ceremonial Presiding Elder Norvel Goff, Bishop Green, and the Rev. groundbreaking. Eric S. C. Manning posing by an artist’s rendering of the completed memorial. ...From Healthy Living p2
❖ Subsidy for traffic officers, Brothers Mokoena (19th Episcopal SOA president) and Maboe. ❖ Aerobics donated by Thebe Fitness Academy and Sis. Neo Lapies. ❖ Race director’s time donated by Bro. Lerato Wanzi. We were forced to close our day by heavenly showers, and we could not give away the presents and certificates of appreciation for winners and donators respectively. President Maboe thanked everyone who supported and participated, reiterating in his opening forewords about working together as a team like the story of the geese! If all hands are on deck, we use less energy to accomplish the mission and we involve everyone. Every one of us is talented in their diversity - 1 Peter 4:10 ❏ ❏ ❏ ...From The Voice p1
Instead of using the power of the legacy they left us, they speak with guns. I want to argue that if such young people really knew and understood their legacy, who would put away their guns and stand in awe of the ancestors they have passed this way. I presently teach African American Studies at Louisiana State University. I am passionate about this teaching assignment because our sainted aunt, Ms. Elizabeth Wilkins, told us about her encounter with Ms. Mary McLeod Bethune at Bethune Cookman College (University) in Daytona Beach, Florida. She tells of how Ms. Bethune asked her about being her work-study student. In fact, she styled Ms. Bethune’s hair, and those same hands would rub our forehead when we were ill and braided my sister’s hair. The ancestor, Mary McLeod Bethune, we speak of was in the hands of our aunt. They still speak today from eternity.
glorious history. They want our history erased from the books of eternity like we erase a math problem to which we struggle to find the answer. The ancestors are sad because we have forgotten their voices and rich heritage. I still hear their voices, “God of our silent tears, thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; thou who hast by thy might, led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray” (James Weldon Johnson). As our ancestors cry, God hears the silent tears of a generation asking, “Why so much violence?” Last, our ancestors call for us to bring the village back together. Where is the village we once knew? Where is the community of love? One of my early sermons is now one of my new assignments, “The Community of Love.” Is the village so splintered that we might never return to the Community of Love? The ancestors are crying and sad. Please listen to their voices. Can you hear them? They are speaking. ❏ ❏ ❏
Second, our ancestors lament that some public officials want us to forget our ...From Turner Chapel p1 G r e e n w o o d
district for six months in 2016, when he came out of retirement to assist the school district. He previously worked for the Greenwood public schools for 38 years and was a long-time Special Education director for the district before retiring in 2012.
In 2016, his focus was on improving the Greenwood district’s test scores and continuing to bring it into compliance with the State of Mississippi’s code of standards. It is anticipated that Brooks will continue that focus in his new role. Mr. Brooks and his staff will continue to work to make decisions
that are in the best interests of the school district. The district is now seeing an increase in the academic achievements of its students. Charles Brooks is a lifelong active member of Turner Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. He is an active trustee of the church, an avid supporter of the church’s 25
endeavors, and a member of the church’s non-profit organization. Brooks is a model of a member in good and regular standing. He is married to Dr. LaShon Brooks. They have two young adult children attending college; they are also actively involved in the church’s ministries. ❏ ❏ ❏
SEPTEMBER 2023
The Christian Recorder
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EDITORIAL
Was a Missing Mudflap the Reason a Black Man Was Bitten by a K-9 Police Dog In Ohio? James B. Ewers, Jr., Ed.D.
Waking up in the morning starts an uncertain and even perilous day for black men in America. Depending upon our actions and decision-making, unexpected outcomes can occur. I have learned that we can never drop our guard. We must stay tuned in to our environment and our surroundings. We know an expression quite well: “giving you the benefit of the doubt.” Do African American men get the benefit of the doubt? I don’t think that we do. We know too well the many cases in which African American men were shot and killed. We also know of cases involving us being convicted and later released because of insufficient evidence. These turns of injustice have made us fear the police and the criminal justice system. When we see the police driving behind us, we cringe because we are unsure what will happen. We panic. This fear overtook an African American man recently in Ohio. Thankfully, law enforcement did not shoot this black man.
men, we all wonder, am I going to be killed? Did the police officer hear the state trooper’s command not to release the dog? Did the police officer see Rose with his hands held up? We can only speculate about the answers to those questions. Officials will release the full report in the coming days.
On July 4, 2023, Jadarrius Rose, 23 years old, was driving a semi-truck. According to reports, the truck was missing a mudflap. Mr. Rose did not stop initially, and a chase ensued. When the officers finally stopped him, he held his hands up. Video footage heard a state trooper saying, “Do not release the dog.” The state trooper made this statement more than one time. Circleville, Ohio, police officer Ryan Speakman released the K-9, and the K-9 bit Jadarrius Rose, and emergency medical procedures took him to the hospital. Reports indicate that he was bleeding heavily. Reports said that Rose told 911 dispatchers in two calls that he did not know why he was being pulled over. He said, “Right now, I’m being chased by like 20 police officers, and they all got their guns pointed directly at my truck.” Rose added, “And it’s not even my truck. I’m just
Mr. Rose was held in jail for three days because he led the police on a chase. Yet why did he have to remain in jail for three days? Remember the “benefit of the doubt” expression.
driving to my delivery point.” There are a few questions regarding what happened at the scene. Mr. Rose was afraid, so he did not stop originally–he did what a lot of black men would have done–panicked. At the moment of decision, as black
The Circleville mayor stated that “nothing like this should have ever happened to anybody” and that “it’s just a very unfortunate situation.” Looking back on this “unfortunate
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James B. Ewers, Jr. Guest Editorial
situation,” I wonder why these situations happen repeatedly to black men. Would this have happened if the driver had been white and 23 years of age? First and foremost, he would have stopped and been issued a warning or a ticket for not having a mudflap. Second, there would have been no need for additional police officers or K-9 units, and third, spending time in jail would have never happened. What transpired in this case is just another example of what happens to black men in the United States of America. We do not get the “benefit of the doubt.” We get charged. We get shot. We get records. Will that change? What do you think? ❏ ❏ ❏