The Heart of the Holidays
Rev. Dr. Darryn Hewson, Contributing Writer
A holiday is a “holy” day and therefore has sacred significance within whichever tradition celebrates it, but often the heart of the holiday is a theme that resonates beyond those who adhere to a certain religion. Diwali is a fabulous example of how the heart of a holiday can transcend a religion and find sacred significance in a way that is universal, even sacred in multiple faith traditions. Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, some Buddhists, and Jains, all at the same time within their various religious traditions, with different stories and foci, but with a central concept of light defeating the darkness.
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Channeling Martha and Mary
Dr. Jennifer Sims, Contributing Writer 
When I heard the story of Martha and Mary as a child, I took away the message that caring for others involved both providing for them materially as well as emotionally. As the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, extreme weather, and other crises continue to stress and strain our daily lives, the message of these two sisters’ different but equally necessary orientations remains relevant and important.
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Twin Pastors Make History in the AME Church
Rev. Shakira Sanchez-Collins, Columnist  Twin sisters, the Rev. Alethea Scott-Winston and the Rev. Dr. Alesia S. Ford Burse, are both pastors focused on the ministry of the gospel and service to their local communities. The twin pastors made history when Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson appointed them to churches with the same name: St. James. The Rev. Dr. Ford Burse is the Senior Pastor of St. James AME Church in Orange Park, and the Rev. Scott Winston is the Senior Pastor of St. James AME Church in Clearwater, Florida. These appointments mark the first time in the history of the AME Church that twins have pastored churches with the same name at the same time. Read More Here |
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Lay Witness Sunday celebrated at Mount Zion AME Church, 19th Episcopal District By Bro. Onkgopotse Maboe, 19th Episcopal District Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church celebrated Lay Witness Sunday on 17 October 2021. Mt. Zion AME Church is based in the Orangia Conference and was dedicated in 1904. Mt. Zion is the same Church that Bishop Harold Ben Senatle once pastored. The worship experience was organised and led by the local Lay Organization under the leadership of Bro. Totta Moeti and the programme was executed by both members of the organised and unorganised lay membership. Read More Here |
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From the Old School: Critical Race Theory & Education as a Practice of Freedom
By D’Weston Haywood, PhD., Columnist 
Glenn Youngkin’s recent victory in Virginia’s gubernatorial election has been a cause celebre for many Republicans, especially for the ways it provided the GOP with an ostensibly new plank for its platform. In a memorandum to the Republican Study Committee, one Republican leader distilled the “lessons from Virginia” that Youngkin’s win signaled the blueprint for future GOP triumphs. Republicans “must become the party of parents,” the memorandum stated, prioritizing issues of education, schools, and curriculum, as Youngkin did, particularly in following his vocal opposition to Critical Race Theory (CRT).
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“Take Thou Authority”: Reflections on my ordination as an itinerant elder Jazmine Brooks, News Editor 
My most formative years were spent in a high-spirited Black church that was much like how we might imagine an Azusa Street revival to look. Outside doors leading to the sanctuary, were opened while spirits were cast out of persons looking for deliverance. Prayer lines filled the middle aisle with people who would eventually be covered in a white blanket after the whispers of a pastor who somehow heard what was not spoken. The sounds of glossolalia were just loud enough to cover the voices of ushers who were watching as they prayed. The music was lively, and the preaching was fiery, but the pinnacle of the service was always the laying on of hands.
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Doing Church Differently Reverend Gilbert A. Ruffin Jr. and Reverend James C. Turner, Jr, 2nd Episcopal District 
We are experiencing a revolution of change in business, politics, society, and the world in general. As the COVID-19 pandemic exploded on the scene, everything changed! Any business agile and forward-leaning in technological strategies and approaches quickly adjusted and became super successful in cornering their markets. Existing and new technologies such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and over-the-top (OTT) media services like Apple TV, Roku, and Disney+ changed the way that the public approached everyday tasks of meeting and viewing information. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was also forced to adapt to this revolution of change in order to survive and thrive. Those AME churches that were forward-leaning in their technological strategies and approaches quickly adjusted and were successful in maintaining and growing their viewership and participation. |
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Domestic Violence Awareness in Liberia
Rev. Dr. Alice Hubbard Crenshaw, 8th Episcopal District 
In Liberia, there is gender inequality, by traditional and religious perceptions, portraying women as subordinate and men as superior. Gender biases and discrimination, and violence face women and girls as a normalized part of Liberian society. In focus groups, women of Liberia and Sierra Leone share how they experience men using violence as a normal way of responding to challenges of frustration. Violence against females remains a major impediment to realizing women’s and girls’ rights in Liberia. Read More Here |
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Passing the Mantle and the Anointing
Ms. Megan Doctor, 7th Episcopal District 
In Second Kings 2, it was Elijah’s responsibility to teach Elisha what was needed in order to continue working for the Kingdom of God by teaching and administering God’s Prophecy. As the Prophet Elijah prepared for his earthly departure, he asked Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you…?” Elishaasked for a double portion of his spirit! At this point, God transferred the mantle to Elisha, who received the power to do greater works than that of his predecessor. Every parent should desire that their children succeed at a greater level than they did. The same should apply to the church. One generation should desire that the next would excel and do greater works in advancing the Kingdom of God. The sages are responsible for providing wisdom, knowledge, and the history of the church to create a place of holistic ministry. However, often, they failed by holding on to positions for extended periods and maintaining outdated traditions.
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The Last But Not Final Journey: St. Luke AME Church, Harlem, New York 
After a fire forced out the tenants in my apartment building in 1997, I spent the next three years in a homeless shelter. Although appreciative of the help of the Red Cross, it was a very unpleasant, unsettling experience. I did not know then that God was working it out for my good. While living in that vermin-infested shelter, I gave my life to Christ. At the end of those three years, I found an apartment in an ideal location. God had a plan for my life.
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Highlights of DuPage AME Church Girl Scouts 
The DuPage AME Church Girl Scouts have continued to stay active throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Our Girl Scouts range from kindergarten-12th Grade, and we are currently meeting via Zoom or outside, weather permitting. The Girl Scout program is girl-driven, reflecting the ever-changing needs and interests of participating girls. It provides girls with a wide variety of opportunities. DuPage AME Church Girl Scout’s current roster consists of 20 Adult Leaders with 60 Scouts. Read More Here |
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Report from the 2021 Annual Session of the General Board and Council of Bishops TCR Staff Report  From December 6-8, 2021, African Methodist Episcopal Church clergy and lay leaders gathered both virtually and physically in Nashville, Tennessee for the Annual Meeting of the General Board and the Council of Bishops. Under the leadership of Bishop Paul Kawimbe (President of the General Board) and Bishop Anne E. Henning Byfield (President of the Council of Bishops and Host), the various departments, agencies, and Episcopal Districts of the AME Church gathered for the first organizational session of the General Board for the 2021-2024 period.
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Business Connections with Xenia for Wilberforce Students
The nation’s first, private, historically Black college/university (HBCU) has begun “Town and Gown,” an official partnership with the city of Xenia, Ohio. Wilberforce University’s geography is Xenia Township in the suburb of Wilberforce, but much of its business connections are within Xenia. With that in mind, a recent VIP mayor’s reception highlighted proposals between the university and its neighboring municipality. This initiative is not just going to just build jobs, but it will also bring ideas to the table,” said Xenia’s Mayor Sarah Mays. “This will also bring new, innovative ways to move forward.”
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New Revised Standard Version Bible Updated with Consideration for ‘Modern Sensibilities’
By Adelle M. Banks
 An updated edition of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible includes thousands of changes in language, reflecting the research of a wide range of scholars who spent four years reviewing its contents as well as taking into consideration “modern sensibilities.” A verse in the New Testament Book of Galatians that previously referred to the sons of Abraham as “one by a slave woman and the other by a free woman” will instead read “one by an enslaved woman and the other by a free woman.” Read More Here |
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The 32nd Annual NGO Conference - Virtual
Shawn M. Ross, WMS-AMEC NGO Commissioner and UN Representative
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The News Digest contains selected articles from the newspaper. Click below to get full access! |
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