St. Joseph AME Church Anniversary Kick-Off Celebration by stjosephsamec

ST. JOSEPH AME CHURCH THE REVEREND DR. JONATHAN C. AUGUSTINE, SENIOR PASTOR THE REVEREND DR. DEBORAH L. BURROUGHS, ASSOCIATE MINISTER THE REVEREND ERIKA D. LEWIS, ASSOCIATE MINISTER THE REVEREND VALERIE MCIVER, ASSOCIATE MINISTER THE REVEREND DR. SEQUOLA COLLINS, ASSOCIATE MINISTER THE REVEREND DR. LINDA K. NORFLETT (R), ASSOCIATE MINISTER

An anointed preacher and teacher with a prophetic voice and a global mission to empower God’s people to reach their full potential and fulfill their divine purposes. His ministry is characterized by love, mutuality, and respect for all people, and advocacy for justice and liberation by “restoring the poor, reclaiming the lost, realizing the vision, releasing the captive and revealing God’s favor”.

This new building was dedicated in August 2015.

Rev. Belin has changed many lives by igniting these five “flames of renewal” through his innovative teaching, vibrant preaching, and outreach efforts. In over 30 years of Christian ministry, Rev. Belin has traveled across the United States, and to Jamaica, West Indies, Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Bermuda, Israel, England, Nigeria, Turkey, and several countries on the continent of Africa where he preached, counseled, facilitated workshops, and ministered in song. He is highly respected within national and international circles, leading people of different faiths into needful dialogue and healing.

Rev. Belin’s commitment to sharing the love of Christ extends to his service in the community. He is very involved in a burgeoning interfaith organization in the Nashville community which promotes peace and cooperation among people of different faiths including those who lay claim to no faith. He has deep love and compassion for people and an important component of his ministry is his interest in the social and academic lives of youth, and the support of persons struggling with mental health and other stigmatized issues. Rev. Belin is particularly drawn to presenting long-term remedial means to those who are underserved and marginalized. His Christian faith and ministry are governed by humility, discipline, and a fervent prayer life.

A graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, Rev. Belin earned the Master of Divinity Degree with concentration in New Testament and Christian Origins from the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York as a “Union Scholar.” In 2014, Rev. Belin was one of the inductees into the highly revered Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College. In 2019, he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from Payne Theological Seminary with the ministry project “I Love to Tell The Story: Storytelling as Methodological Framework for Curriculum Design in the AME Church.”

A gourmand, Rev. Belin is passionate about the imperative of true Christian hospitality and acts upon this through gatherings at his table for good food and transformative conversation. He encourages his guests to open their hearts to the other. Rev. Belin continues to bring new ideas and approaches to make positive differences in the lives of others. He is a noted techie who is committed to using technology and social media to spread the Gospel and share information through this expanded means of interaction. Rev. Belin believes, “telling the story gives faith a way to travel from one heart to another.”

A third generation minister in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Rev. Belin has served as Executive Minister/ Assistant Pastor of the Greater Allen AME Cathedral, Jamaica, NY under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake. He served as the pastor of Williams Chapel AME Church in Orangeburg, South Carolina before returning to his native Nashville, Tennessee in 2004 to plant Kairos Community AME Church. Rev. Belin served as Presiding Elder of the South Nashville District before being appointed as Pastor of historic Lee Chapel AME Church in North Nashville.

He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated and is a part of a family of Christian ministers. He is the son of Bishop Henry A. Belin, Jr. and Mrs. Lucinda Crawford Belin, and brother of the Reverend Henry Allen Belin, III and the Reverend Toni Belin Ingram. On July 11, 2016, Rev. Belin was elected as President/ Publisher of the AME Church Sunday School Union, an office his father held from 1976-1984.

Within two years of this appointment, he led the planning and construction of a 15,550 square foot building with sanctuary seating for 500-plus persons. 3

Order of Liturgy Sunday, November 6, 2022 | 11:00 am Worship in Song ………………...…….……………………….………...…………..……The Music Ministry The Processional …………………...………...…………….…..…………..….…..……The Reverends Clergy The Doxology ……………………..……....…..……………………..…….……… All Worshipers (standing) The Opening Song of Praise …………...………………………….………....……………The Music Ministry The Prayer of Invocation …….…………………....……..…......................The Reverend Dr. Sequola Collins (prayer chant) Worship in Music …………….……………………….….………...…......….…………... The Music Ministry The Scripture Readings The Old Testament…………………Psalm 145:1-5,17-21…..The Reverend Dr. Deborah L. Burroughs The New Testament………...……2 Thessalonians 2:!-5, 13-17………………...…Brother Justice Hill Remembering the Church Triumphant…………...…………………The Reverend Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine

Worship in Music …….…………………………………………………..….………...….The Music Ministry Special Presentation…………………..…………………………………………..Brother Reginald J. Johnson The Announcements, Recognition of Visitors..…………………..……………..The Reverend Erica D. Lewis and the Giving of Tithes & Offerings

St. Joseph AME Church | stjosephsamec@stjamec.org | $stjosephame

The Presentation of the Preacher…………………………………………..…...……………..Pastor Augustine Worship in Music ……………...….………………….………………....…...…………..…The Music Ministry The Proclaimed Word……..………………………..….………..…....….The Reverend Dr. Roderick D. Belin President/Publisher of the AMEC Sunday School Union The Call to Pray ……………..……...….................………..………....…………The Reverend Valerie McIver The Celebration of Holy Communion The Doxology …….………………………….…………………...……..…..……… All Worshipers (standing) The Benediction ….…………………..……………………….…….……….…….…..…………....…Dr. Belin Please remain seated and follow the directions of the ushers as we exit the sanctuary from the Rear to Front. 4

History of Saint Joseph A.M.E. Church 1869 to 2022 The history of Saint Joseph African Methodist Episcopal Church reflects legacies of spiritual dedication, diligence in service and unity of purpose. The founder, Reverend Edian D. Markum (later, Markham) was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on April 23, 1824. In 1868, Rev. Markham and his wife, Sister Molly Markham, came to Durham and purchased a parcel of land from Mrs. Minerva Fowler, which he used for preaching and holding prayer meetings. Historians report that “the newly found church was nothing more than bushes supported by long poles which were fixed in the ground, with God’s ‘grassy earth’ as the floor”.

Shortly thereafter, a log cabin was constructed in which Rev. Markham continued to preach and teach the doctrine of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. On August 20, 1869, the church, with its six members, officially organized under the name Union Bethel A.M.E. Church. Rev. Markham’s wife, Sis. Markham, worked diligently with her husband in ministry and placed special emphasis on missionary endeavors until her death in February 1941. When the membership of the church reached fifteen, Rev. Markham was transferred to another pastorate. Rev. Markham’s ministry was succeeded by Reverend Lewis Edwards and Reverend George Hunter, respectively. Rev. Hunter accepted the challenge of initiating the construction of the first frame church building, which was replaced later on by a more stable frame edifice. Subsequent to the transfer of Rev. Hunter, the second frame building was completed by the Reverends O. Ofley, L. Edwards, and W. D. Cook. As the membership continued to increase, the pastor, officers and members developed plans for a more “stately” brick structure. The cornerstone was laid for the facility in 1892, at 804 Fayetteville Street, with the Reverend Andrew Chambers as pastor. Soon the name of the church formally changed to Saint Joseph African Methodist Episcopal Church. The building program continued under a succession of pastors, including the Reverends W. J. Jordan, W.E. Walker, D.J. Beckett and J.E. Jackson, who shepherded the church’s completion. The bricks used in construction were obtained from Robert Fitzgerald and Sons, an African American Company. Church records show that church members and prominent community leaders made generous financial contributions. Key among them are Brother John Merrick, Trustee and Co-Founder of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company; Professor W.G. Pearson, Trustee and Principal; Sister Minnie S. Pearson, Missionary Leader; Brother John Avery, Connectional Layperson; Brother E.D. Mickle, outstanding Steward. Washington Duke, General Julian Carr, W.T. Blackwell and Eugene Morehead are among the white citizens of Durham whose financial contributions assisted the building program, and the maintenance of the new facility. Their names are embossed on the church’s stained-glass windows. The basement of the church was completed to street level during the administration of the Reverend J.A. Valentine. St. Joseph’s membership made rapid gains in the 20th century. On November 28, 1948, Reverend David A. Johnston with his wife, Sister Verdelle Johnston, and their daughter, Doris, arrived at St. Joseph. Rev. Johnston was a visionary leader. During his tenure, the church planned and expanded its facility to include, the construction and dedication of the Edian D. Markham Memorial Educational Building

and a new parsonage. The sanctuary was renovated, the exterior was painted and the bricks of the structure were restored to their original beauty. The Official Board endorsed the naming of the Education Building as a tribute to the founder on March 17, 1952. After the completion of the education building, Rev. Johnston established a Nursery School and First Grade. He also expanded his family by welcoming another daughter, Loretta. Rev. Johnston was succeeded in 1958 by the Reverend Melvin Chester Swann who was accompanied by his wife, Dorothy. Under the leadership of Rev. Swann, the Lay Organization was established at St. Joseph in 1964. In September of 1965, the Reverend Philip R. Cousin, Sr. and his wife, Margaret Joan, and their sons came to St. Joseph. Rev. Cousin was a young, assertive minister with progressive ideas. These resulted in the establishment of new programs and building plans. A new parsonage was constructed in October 1968, and seven acres of land at the corner of Fayetteville Street and Burlington Avenue was secured for a new facility. A dedication service for the land was held in 1974, and immediately, Mr. Clinton Gravely, an African American architect from Greensboro, North Carolina, was employed to design a new church. Male and female designers in the corporation selected the color scheme, and the cornerstone was laid in October 1975. A historic milestone for the Church occurred on February 15, 1976, as the congregation marched from 804 Fayetteville Street (the old site) to 2521 Fayetteville Street (the new site) for its grand opening. The new facility was dedicated on April 11, 1976. While the membership celebrated the construction of the “new” St. Joseph, they also recognized the historic value and civic contribution of the original site to the community. Consequently, the site was repurposed as a cultural enrichment and arts education facility and renamed the Hayti Heritage Center. The year 1976 marked another milestone in St. Joseph’s history. During the month of June, Rev. Cousin was elected the 96th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at the Fortieth Session of the General Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the first Bishop elected from St. Joseph, as well as the First A.M.E. Bishop from the State of North Carolina. On August 15, 1976, Bishop Henry W. Murph appointed Reverend William Webster Easley, Jr. to St. Joseph. He was accompanied by his wife, Ora, and their son. During his tenure, the church continued to grow in membership and programs. A new Reuter Pipe Organ was installed and paid for; the mortgage for the parsonage was paid off; and the Sarah Allen Missionary Unit was formed. Rev. Easley served as pastor for 16 years. Pastor Easley was succeeded by Reverend Philip R. Cousin, Jr., on August 16, 1992. He is the eldest son of Bishop and Mrs. Philip R. Cousin, Sr., who previously served the St. Joseph congregation. Under his guidance, the church initiated a van ministry, refurbished the church offices and rooms, purchased new office equipment, completed a total renovation of the parsonage and instituted an aggressive plan to liquidate the church mortgage. In 1996, the mortgage, which had been in excess of $400,000.00, was burned. Further, under his leadership, St. Joseph also received its first female members of the Board of Stewards. Included among the new appointees were Sisters Cora Bryant, Ava Haskins Brownlee, Azzie Conley, Emily Marshall and Natalie Perkins. Rev. Cousin’s service at St. Joseph spanned 21 years.

On June 16, 2013, the Reverend Ronald L. Owens was appointed pastor of St. Joseph A.M.E. Church. Rev. Owens, along with his wife, Gwendolyn and daughter Ronnise, embraced the rich history of the church and progressively implemented a new twenty-first-century vision and commitment to the St. Joseph church family and community. Notably, Rev. and Mrs. Owens initiated a progressive community outreach ministry, instituted programs and resource networks for seniors and established a college connection ministry with students at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). On May 4, 2019, during the Western North Carolina Conference, Bishop James Levert Davis appointed the Reverend Jonathan C. Augustine as St. Joseph’s 31st Pastor. Rev. Augustine, along with his wife, Sister Michelle, and children,

Mason and Jillian were officially welcomed on Sunday, May 5, 2019. Since then, “Pastor Jay” has continued to col-

laborate with NCCU, establishing #NCCUSundays, while also emerging as a prophetic voice in Durham, while instituting #SocialJusticeSundays. The high-profile quarterly events have honored and welcomed, the Royal Ice Cream Seven, of the 1957 Durham sit-in, Vice President Kamala Harris (then a member of the United States Senate), the Honorable Andrew J. Young, and the Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, II, among others. Pastor Jay led St. Joseph through an exciting and spirit-filled, “150-days for 150-years,” as St. Joseph celebrated her 150th Anniversary. With innovation and creativity, new ministries have been birthed under his leadership. As St. Joseph also responded to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Pastor Jay led the church’s transition into a thriving virtual space, ministering to people around the world. He calls St. Joseph “The best church this side of Heaven.” St. Joseph’s historic pastoral leadership has been complemented by the rich engagement of its members. Since the early 1900’s, members of St. Joseph have held leadership positions on the Connectional Level in the A.M.E. Church including Brother John Avery, Lay Leader and Sister Minnie S. Pearson, Missionary Leader. Following these early pioneers were others who made significant contributions to the Connectional Church. Notably, Attorney William A. Marsh, Jr. was elected, in 1976, as a member of the Judicial Council of the A.M.E. Church at the General Conference in Atlanta, Ga. Subsequently in 1992, he became the Chief Counsel and in 1999, the General Counsel of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Between 1960-1988, Sister Verdelle Johnston served as President of the Western North Carolina Conference Branch of the Women’s Missionary Society; Chairman of Promotion and Missionary Education for the Western North Carolina Conference; Connectional Historiographer of the Women’s Missionary Society; Chairman of Promotion and Missionary Education for the Second Episcopal District and was appointed by Bishop H. Hartford Brookins as the Second Episcopal District Supervisor. During her tenure, Sister Johnston also authored the seminal text of the history of the WMS entitled One Hundred Years of Victorious Service. Sister Willia R. George was appointed by Bishop John Hurst Adams and Dr. Dolly Desselle Adams as Connectional Chair of the Hughes-Smith Life Membership Committee of the Women’s Missionary Society, 1987-1995. The Connectional WMS established the Endowment Fund of which Sis. George

served as the First Chairperson. In 2016, she received a Living Legacy Award from the Western District Community Development Corporation. Earlier, Sister Claudine Zimmerman was elected as Conference Director of the Young People’s Division of the WMS. In 2018, Sister Florine Roberson received The Western District’s Community Development Corporation Living Legacy Award. St. Joseph’s history also includes members who have held leadership in the Western North Carolina Conference (WNCC). Sister Minerva Evans, Dr. James W. Hill, Sr. and Sister Mary Dasher McAdams served as President, and Dr. Robert McAdams served as Treasurer of the WNCC Lay Organization. Recently, they were recognized for their stellar contributions to the organization. St. Joseph member, Shontea Smith, was elected to serve as the Historian for the Richard Allen Young Adult Council (RAYAC) in 2014. In 2015, her peers also elected her to serve as the Secretary for RAYAC in the 2nd Episcopal District. Sister Azzie Conley was elected as an adult delegate of the Western North Carolina Conference to the 50th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She was also elected as the conference delegate of the WNCC Lay Organization to the 35th Biennial Session of the Connectional Lay Organization in 2017. Sis. Conley has represented the church as a delegate of the WNCC Branch of the Women’s Missionary Society as a member of the Second Episcopal District Delegation to the Women’s Missionary Society Quadrennial Convention. Also, at the 127th Session of the WNCC, she was elected an adult delegate to the 51st Quadrennial Session of the 2021 General Conference and has served on the Episcopal Committee. Significantly, she is also the first female treasurer of St. Joseph AME Church. St. Joseph was also represented at the Connectional level by Brother Adam Johnston who was elected as the Youth Delegate of the Western North Carolina Conference to the Fiftieth Quadrennial Session of the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 2017, he was elected by the WNCC Lay Organization as delegate to the Thirty-Fifth Biennial Session of the Connectional Lay Organization and, in 2018, he was elected as the Second Vice President for the WNCC Lay Organization. Additionally, he was elected as the Young Adult Representative for the Second Episcopal District Lay Organization. Most recently, St. Joseph’s current pastor, the Reverend Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine, was elected as a clergy member of the AME Church’s Judicial Council during the 51st General Conference. St. Joseph continues to make significant contributions to the community. Of relevance is Pastor Augustine’s current service, after appointment by North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, to the state’s Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental and Health Equity Task Force. St. Joseph’s pastors have also played roles in serving as mentors and providing apprenticeship opportunities for Duke Divinity School students. The church continues to maintain a training partnership with Duke Divinity School. Further, in keeping with the entrepreneurial spirit of Bishop Richard Allen, founder of the AME Church, and Reverend Edian Markham, founder of St. Joseph’s congregation, St. Joseph owns several properties that serve the Durham community.

Ms. Sandra Alston

1318 Tralea Drive, Durham, NC 27707

Mr. James Bolden

1006 Jerome Rd., Durham, NC 27713

Mrs. Ruth Clarke

2909 Sprucewood Drive, Durham, NC 27707

Mr. Harold R. Davis

5220 Peppercorn Street, Durham, NC 27704

Mrs. June Gilliard

54 Preakness Drive, Durham, NC , 27713

Mr. Everett Goldston, Sr.

109 Umstead Street., Durham, NC 27707

Mr. Reginald Jackson-Jones

500 Cobb St., Durham, NC 27701

Mr. Howard Peace

102 Millicent Way, Morrisville, NC 27560

Mrs. Florine Roberson

24 Sunflower Circle, Durham, NC 27713

Mrs. Betty Smith

Camellia Gardens, 5010 Alston Ave., Durham, NC 2713

Mr. John Smith

Brian Center Southpoint, 6000 Fayetteville Rd., 27713 Visits are welcome.

Mrs. Carolyn Taylor

2208 Wintergreen Place, Durham, NC 27707

Mrs. Hazel Weeks

304 Red Oak Ave., Durham, NC 27713

Ms. Mamie White

5500 Fortunes Ridge Drive #95B, Durham, NC 27713

Mrs. Dolores Williams

Camellia Gardens, 5010 S. Alston Ave, Durham, NC 27713

Ms. Lucille Williams

Duke University Hospital, 2301 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC No visits at this time

Mr. Harold Yarborough

43 Stonewall Way, Durham, NC 27704

Out- Of Parish Mrs. Annette Bryant

5317 Harcourt Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90043 c/o Mrs. Yvonne Edwards

Mrs. Bernice Marsh

400 Suttles Drive, Atlanta, GA 30331

Mrs. Hortense McClinton

3124 Gracefield Road Apt 319, Silver Spring, MD 20904

www.stjosephamechurch.org

ST. JOSEPH AME CHURCH 2521 FAYETTEVILLE STREET DURHAM, NC 27707 (919) 683-1379 STJOSEPHSAMEC@STJAMEC.ORG