35 Queens Of Black History Who Deserve Much More Glory By Taryn Finley Black history lessons in classrooms shouldn’t be limited to the names of men and only a few women, especially when there are countless women who’ve made enormous strides for the black community. The revolutionary words Angela Davis spoke, the record-breaking feats of Wilma Rudolph and the glass ceiling-shattering efforts of Shirley Chisolm paved the way for black women and girls across the country to dream big and act courageously. Here are 35 phenomenal women everyone should acquaint themselves with this Black History Month. Shirley Chisolm (1924–2005) New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images Chisolm broke major barriers when she became the first black congresswoman in 1968. She continued on her political track when she ran for president four years later, making her the first major party black candidate to run. Claudette Colvin (1939-present) The Washington Post via Getty Images Several months before Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat 1 The Grace Beacon Vol. MMXIX Issue 3 - March, 2019 Published by Grace Baptist Church of Germantown 25 West Johnson Street Philadelphia, PA 19144 Rev. Dr. James H. Buck, Jr., Senior Pastor Dr. Clifford L. Stanley, Chair, Diaconate “A Community of Baptized Believers Committed to the Faithfulness of God, Building Families of Fellowship in the Spirit of God, and Blessings th e Fallen Through the Forgiveness of God” Sea Cliffs of Maher - Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland by Giuseppe Milo It’s Women’s History Month
Transcript
35 Queens Of Black History Who Deserve Much More
Glory
By Taryn Finley B l a c k h i s t o r y l e s s o n s i n classrooms shouldn’t be limited to the names of men and only a few women, especially when there are countless women who’ve made enormous strides for the black community. The revolutionary words Angela Davis spoke, the record-breaking feats of Wilma Rudolph and the glass ceiling-shattering efforts of Shirley Chisolm paved the way for black women and girls across
the country to dream big and act courageously. Here are 35 phenomenal women everyone should acqua in t themselves with this Black History Month.
Shirley Chisolm (1924–2005)
New York Daily News Archive via Getty Images Chisolm broke major barriers
when she became the first black congresswoman in 1968. She continued on her political track when she ran for president four years later, making her the first major party black candidate to run.
Claudette Colvin (1939-present)
The Washington Post via Getty Images Several months before Rosa Parks’ refusal to give up her seat
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The Grace BeaconVol. MMXIX Issue 3 - March, 2019
Published by Grace Baptist Church of Germantown25 West Johnson Street
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Rev. Dr. James H. Buck, Jr., Senior PastorDr. Clifford L. Stanley, Chair, Diaconate
“A Community of Baptized Believers Committed to the Faithfulness of God, Building Families of Fellowship in the Spirit of God, and Blessings the Fallen Through the
Forgiveness of God”
Sea Cliffs of Maher - Liscannor, County Clare, Ireland by Giuseppe Milo
on a bus, Colvin was the first person arrested for resisting bus segregation in Montgomery, Alabama, at the age of 15. She also served as one of four plaintiffs in the case of Browder v. Gayle, which ruled that Montgomery’s segregated bus system was unconstitutional.
Septima Poinsette Clark (1898–1987)
Charlotte Observer via Getty Images Clark was an educator and civil r i g h t s a c t i v i s t w h o established citizenship schools that helped many Afr ican Americans register to vote. Regarded as a pioneer in grassroots citizenship education, she was active with the NAACP in getting more black teachers hired in the South.
Mary Church Terrell (1863–1954)
Stock Montage via Getty Images This women’s suffrage activist and journalist was the first pres ident of the Nat ional Association of Colored Women
and a charter member of the NAACP. She was also one of the first African-American women to be awarded a college degree.
Angela Davis (1944-present)
Hulton Archive via Getty Images D a v i s i s a r e v o l u t i o n a r y American educator. The former Black Panther has fought for race, class and gender equality over the years. Davis authored o n e o f t h e o f t h e m o s t distinguished books in the field of women’s studies called Women, Race & Class. She’s also an advocate of prison reform.
Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931)
Fotosearch via Getty Images Wells helped bring international attention to the horrors of lynching in the South with her investigative journalism. She was also elected as the Secretary of the Colored Press Association in 1889.
Kathleen Cleaver (1945-present)
Ted Streshinsky Photographic Archive via Getty Images Kathleen Cleaver is one of the central figures in Black Panther history. She was the first communications secretary for the organization and is currently a l a w p r o f e s s o r a t E m o r y University. She also helped f o u n d t h e H u m a n R i g h t s Research Fund.
Dr. Dorothy Height (1912-2010)
The Washington Post via Getty Images Dr. Height was regarded by President Barack Obama as “the godmother of the Civil Rights Movement.” She served as the president of the National Council of Negro Women for over two decades and was instrumental in the integration of all YWCA centers in 1946. Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)
Stock Montage via Getty Images Wheatley was a former slave who was kidnapped from West Africa and brought to America. She was bought by a Boston family and became their personal servant. With the aid of the family, she learned to read and eventually became one of the first women to publish a book of poetry in 1773.
Audre Lorde (1934-1992)
Robert Alexander via Getty Images This Caribbean-American writer and activist was a self-described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior and poet.” She empowered her readers with her moving poetry often tackling the injustices of racism, sexism and homophobia. She’s known for her poetry and memoirs such as, From a Land Where Other People Live, The Black Unicorn and A Burst of Light.
Flo Kennedy (1916-2000)
Duane Howell via Getty Images Kennedy was a founding member of the National Organization of
Women and one of the first black female lawyers to graduate from Columbia Law School. She helped found the Feminist Party in 1971, which later nominated Representative Shirley Chisholm for president.
Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992)
Wikimedia Commons Johnson was an outspoken and fearless trans woman who played a vital part in the fight for civil rights for the LGBT community in New York. She was known as the patron at Stonewall Inn who initiated resistance on the night the police raided the bar.
Sojourner Truth (1797-1883)
MPI via Getty Images Born Isabella Baumfree, she escaped slavery with her infant daughter and changed her name to Sojourner Truth. She’s best known for her speech delivered at the Ohio Women’s Rights Convention in 1851 titled “Ain’t I A Woman?”
Fannie Lou Hamer (1917-1977)
Afro Newspaper/Gado via Getty Images Hamer was a civil rights activist and organizer of the Student N o n v i o l e n t C o o r d i n a t i n g Committee Fannie Lou Hamer. She helped blacks register to vote and co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.
Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)
Chicago History Museum via Getty Images Dr. Bethune was an educator and civil rights activist who believed education was the key to racial advancement. She served as the president of the National Association of Colored Women and founded the National Council of Negro Women. She was also the president and founder of Bethune-Cookman College in Florida.
Robert Abbott Sengstacke via Getty Images This poet was the first African American to win a Pulitzer Prize for her 1949 book titled Annie Allen.
Bessie Coleman (1892-1926)
Fotosearch via Getty Images Coleman became the first black woman to earn a pilot’s license and the first black woman to stage a public flight in the United States. She specialized in stunt flying and parachuting and remains a pioneer for women in aviation.
Lena Horne (1917-2010)
Gilles Petard via Getty Images Horne was a popular actress and singer who was most known for
h e r p e r f o r m a n c e s i n t h e films “Stormy Weather” and “The Wiz.” She worked closely with civil rights groups and refused to play roles that stereotyped black women.
Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994)
STAFF via Getty Images Nicknamed “the black gazelle”, Rudolph was born premature and was stricken with polio as a child. Though her doctor said she would never be able to walk without her brace, she went on to become a track star. She became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics in 1960.
Billie Holiday (1915-1959)
Gilles Petard via Getty Images Holiday was an extremely influential jazz vocalist who was known for her “distinctive p h r a s i n g a n d e x p r e s s i v e , s o m e t i m e s m e l a n c h o l y voice.” Two of her most famous songs are “God Bless the Child”
and “Strange Fruit,” a heart-wrenching ballad about blacks being lynched in the South.
Diane Nash (1938-present)
Afro Newspaper/Gado via Getty Images Nash is a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. She was instrumental in organizing the Freedom Rides, which helped desegregate interstate buses in the South. She also planned the Selma Voting Rights Movement in response to the Birmingham 16th Street Church bombing that killed four young girls.
Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)
Fotosearch via Getty Images Hurston was an anthropologist and author of the Harlem Renaissance. Though she didn’t receive much recognition for her work while she was alive, her works of fiction, especially Their E y e s W e r e W a t c h i n g God, became staples in American literature.
CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images A s a n a c t r e s s , M c D a n i e l appeared in more than 300 films and was the f irst African American to win an Oscar in 1940. She was also the star of the CBS Radio program, “The Beulah Show.”Ruby Bridges (1954-present)
Getty Ruby Bridges was six years old when she became the first black child to integrate an all-white school in the South. She was escorted to class by her mother and U.S. marshals due to violent m o b s o u t s i d e o f t h e Louisiana school. Correction: This slide previously misstated that Bridges attended school in Mississippi.
Charlayne Hunter-Gault (1942-present)
Yvonne Hemsey via Getty Images Hunter-Gault was the first black woman to enroll at the University of Georgia. She became an award-winning journalist after she graduated and worked for outlets such as the New York Times, PBS and NPR.
Daisy Bates (1914-1999) Afro Newspaper/Gado via Getty Images As a civil rights activist and
journalist, Bates documented the fight to end segregation in Arkansas. Along with her husband, she ran a weekly black newspaper and became the president of the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP.
Dr. Mae Jemison (1956-present)
Science & Society Picture Library via Getty
Images Dr. Jemison is the first black woman to be admitted into the astronaut training program and fly into space in 1987. Jemison also developed and participated in research projects on the Hepatitis B vaccine and rabies.
Ella Baker (1903-1986)
Afro Newspaper/Gado via Getty Images Baker was the national director for the NAACP. She also worked with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. As one of the leading figures in the civil rights movement, Baker is known for her leadership style which helped develop others’ skills to become leaders in the fight for a better future.
Katherine Johnson (1918-present)
Smith Collection/Gado via Getty Images Katherine Johnson overcame the prejudices thrown at her while
working as a “human computer” at NASA to calculate the numbers that successful ly launched the first Americans into space. Johnson’s work helped mark a turning point in the United State’s race to space with the Soviet Union. Johnson’s untold story has recently been popularized through the critically a c c l a i m e d f i l m “ H i d d e n Figures.”
Madam C. J. Walker (1867-1919)
Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images Madam C. J. Walker became one of the first female self-made mi l l iona i res in the wor ld when she inventing a line of hair care products specially for African Americans in 1905. She traveled around the country to promote her products and give hair care demonstrations. She eventually founded Madame C.J. Wa l k e r L a b o r a t o r i e s t o manufacture cosmetics and train beauticians.
Josephine Baker (1906-1975)
Keystone-France via Getty Images After getting her start in New York, Josephine Baker found fame and fortune when she moved to France in the 1920s and became one of Europe’s mos t be loved per formers , entrancing her audiences with her enticing dance moves and vocals. During World War II, she worked for the French Resistance, smuggling messages hidden in her sheet music and underwear. Baker frequently returned to the United States to join the Civil Rights Movement efforts. She was even a speaker at the 1963 March on Washington.
Linda Martell (1941-present)
Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images Linda Martell was the first black woman to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. The country and blues singer went on to make 11 more appearances on the international radio program throughout her career and she landed a Top 25
song with her 1969 single “Color Him Father.”
Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972)
Apic via Getty Images Mahalia Jackson, the Queen of Gospel, is one known as one of the grea tes t mus ic ians in American history. Jackson sang a t t h e 1 9 6 3 M a r c h o n Washington right before Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech . Whi l e giving his speech, Jackson interjected with “Tell them about the dream, Martin.” Jackson’s words led King to improvise the pivotal latter part of his speech. Dominique Dawes (1976-present)
Doug Pensinger via Getty Images Dominique Dawes became the first African American to win an individual Olympic medal in women’s gymnastics for her floor performance at the 1996 games in Atlanta. Dawes also won a gold medal with the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. She participated in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympics before she retired.
Jemal Countess via Getty Images Patricia Bath, Ph.D., is the first black female doctor to receive a medical patent and the first African American woman to c o m p l e t e a r e s i d e n c y i n ophthalmology at NYU. In 1986, she created the Laserphaco Probe, a tool used to treat patients with cataracts with more precision and less pain. Bath was able to help restore the sight of
people who had loss their eyesight for more than 30 years. Correction: This slide has been updated to reflect that Bath was the first African American woman to complete a residency in ophthalmology at NYU, not the first African A m e r i c a n t o c o m p l e t e a residency in ophtalmology.
Greetings and Peace to AllLet me open by asking this
question. How many of you are sticking to your New Year’s resolution? Whether it’s a diet, commitment, some sort of purposeful idea where you seek to achieve something? All of these may be relevant in some sort of way, but I want to say that the greatest commitment that we can hold to is “obedience” to Christ. There are many things that we seek in this season of newness and difference. However I want to encourage us all to seek a closer relationship with Christ.
As we have started out in the year of 2019, there have been days where some may feel overwhelmed and also high levels of anxiety. Days when it seems as if all hope and help has abandoned some. There are days in which all that one can do is feel the tension that is causing things to become uncontrollable. I want you to know that we serve a “head-lifting God”. The Psalmist says “lift up your head O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in.” I say this to inspire and encourage all of us in this season of political and social discontent. As a creation made in the image of God, the imago dei, God in God’s own infinite wisdom has always made a way for God’s people. Don’t allow your circumstances to get the best of you – “Be anxious for nothing but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God, and the
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Beacon Staff Managing Editor Sandi Johnson
Associate Editor Karol Mason
Computer Specialist William L. Lucas
Advertising Debra L. S. Wake
Circulation Manager Cheryl Johnson
Reporters Doris Collins-Terrell
Jeanine Watson Staffers
Marcia Bass Courtney Carter
Priscilla E. Custis Leedrester Jackson
Jackie Johnson Grace McCollum Lavida Royster Ellen Williams
A friend has passed So dear she remains in our hearts. She loved the Lord She spoke His Word Praying was her art. In prayer she carried you far and deep His Word she knew no doubt He blessed her with His Joy divine And this she carried about. To many she spread the Word and promises of God To this she was obliged To fill the hearts of those left out With the saving Grace of God. Yes, the church is sad Indeed, as it should be Because a dear and precious friend Is now a memory, But with God's help We'll be the church of which she loved and blessed And thank the Lord she stood her ground And passed His every test. She prayed for us, sang for us, and spoke of which she knew She was to us a gift from God Of whom we loved so true
peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus”. Put it all in the hands of a loving Savior and God will make a way.
As we are preparing to enter the LENTEN Season, we invite you on this journey with your other brothers and sisters to seek a closer relationship with God and with loved ones. While so many people will be giving up sweets, sodas and other things for the fasting season, I offer to give up anything that puts us and others in direct contradiction with a loving Christ. Let us strive together as a unified body of believers living in a land where there is not much to offer us, but we surely have a lot to offer this world and that is peace and love.
Please pray for the Grace family in your individual prayers. As a church family, I ask of your prayers and petition to comfort the sick, to bring peace to a troubled world, to inspire individuals to love one another as Christ has loved us and also to show that love towards other in our community.
We say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all who are celebrating in this 1st quarter of 2019. Also, if you are celebrating a wedding anniversary as well we say congratulations to you. Here is a thought for the rest of this week – What if God is not happy with our praise”?
Peace and Love,
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LET’S PRAY TOGETHERIf you are like many of us, you don’t always make it to Wednesday Prayer Services. Yet the Word of God admonishes us “16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”
Ephesians 6:16-18Can we pray on one accord whether we are gathered together in the same place or not? I think we can. This is not an invitation to forsake coming to Prayer Services on Wednesday, but if we don’t make it there, we can still pray together. Rev. Kershaw has put together some prayer focuses for Lent. Let’s try to pray about these, remembering that God has promised in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Church Wide Weekly Prayer Focus Sunday, March 10, 2019: First Sunday in Lent
Acknowledgment - 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5 (NIV) Psalm 51: 1-4 and 7-10 (NIV) Specific prayer focus - Lord, remind us that we are Your church planted here on Johnson St. for YOUR purpose. Help us to see more clearly.
Sunday, March 17, 2019: Second Sunday in LentCleansing - 23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and
know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23 and 24 (NIV) Specific prayer focus - Lord, help us to give all of our anxieties about the GCCC, budgets, etc. to You, in faith, knowing that if we are good stewards, You are faithful!
Sunday, March 24, 2019: Third Sunday in Lent Transformation – 2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)Specific prayer focus - Lord, prepare our hearts and minds to do Your Will as we move forward in 2019.
Sunday, March 31, 2019: Fourth Sunday in Lent Regenerated Heart - 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new
spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.Ezekiel 36: 26 and 27 (NIV)Specific prayer focus - Lord, help us reach out to our neighbors in more loving ways.
Do you work with or around our children? Well, it’s that time again. State law mandates that if you fall into one of the categories listed below, you must get training and clearances. Who needs clearances and how often? The following individuals must now obtain clearances:
• An employee of child care services.
• A self-employed provider of child care services in a family child care home.
• An individual 14 years of age or older who is applying for or holding a paid position as an employee with a program, activity or service as a person responsible for the child’s welfare or having direct contact with children.
• If the program, activity or service is an internship, externship, work-study, co-op or similar program, only an adult applying for or holding a paid position with an employer that participates in the internship, externship, work-study, co-op or similar program with a school and whom the employer and the school identify as the child’s
supervisor and the person responsible for the child’s welfare while the child participates in the program with the employer must obtain the clearances.
• Any individual seeking to provide childcare services under contract with a child care facility or program.
• An individual 18 years of age or older who resides for at least 30 days in a calendar year in the following homes which are subject to SUPERVISION OR
licensure by the department under Articles IX and X of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code:
• A family living home. • A community home for
individuals with an intellectual disability.
• A host home for children. • This does not include an
individual with an intellectual disability or chronic psychiatric disability receiving services in a home.
• An individual who applies to the department
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National Child Abuse and Neglect Training and Publications Project (2014). The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act: 40 years of safeguarding America’s children. Washington, DC:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
for a certificate of compliance or a registration certificate to provide child day care in a residence shall include criminal history record and child abuse record information required under section 6344(b) for every individual 18 years of age or older who resides in the home for at least 30 days in a calendar year.
• A foster parent. • A prospective adoptive
parent. • An individual 18 years of
age or older who resides in the home of a foster parent for at least 30 days in a calendar year or who resides in the home of a prospective adoptive parent for at least 30 days in a calendar year.
• School Employees (Pursuant to the provision of Act 153 of 2014)
• Adult Volunteers with a child care service, a school or a program, activity or service responsible for the child’s welfare or having direct volunteer contact with children.
• Mandated Reporters: Mandated reporters are people who are required by law to report suspected child abuse. They make over 75% of the calls to ChildLine, the state’s 24-hour hotline to report child abuse. They are often the only link between a child and safety from abuse. It is vitally important that mandated reporters understand how to recognize child abuse
and how to make reports that are timely, complete and accurate.Mandated reporters generally are people who come into contact with children as a part of their employment, practice of their profession and, sometimes, as volunteers in child-serving programs. The Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) was amended in 2013 and in 2014, including significant changes to the list of people who are mandated to report suspected child abuse. Effective December 31, 2014, these people are considered mandated reporters under Pennsylvania Law:
• School employee (someone who is employed by the school or who provides a program, activity or service sponsored by a school). This includes youth camp/program, a recreational camp or program; sports or athletic program, outreach program, enrichment program and a troop, club or similar organization;
• Anyone licensed or certified under the Department of State to practice in any health-related field;
• A medical examiner, coroner or funeral director;
• An employee of a health care facility or provider licensed by the Department of Health who is engaged in the admission, examination, care or treatment of individuals;
• An employee of a child care service who has direct contact with children in the course of employment;
• Clergyman, priest, rabbi, minister, Christian science practitioner, religious healer or spiritual leader of any regularly established church or other religious organization;
• An individual paid or unpaid who, on the basis of the individual’s role as an integral part of a regularly scheduled program, activity or service, accepts responsibility for a child;
• An employee of a social services agency who has direct contact with children in the course of employment;
• A peace officer or law enforcement official including the Attorney General, a district attorney, a PA state police officer and a municipal police officer;
• An emergency medical services provider certified by the Department of Health;
• An employee of a public library who has direct contact with children in the course of employment;
• An individual supervised or managed by a person listed above who has direct contact with children in the course of employment;
• An independent contractor;
• An attorney affiliated with an agency, institution, organization or other entity, including a school or regularly established religious organization that is responsible for the care, supervision, guidance or control of children.
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• A foster parent.• An adult family member
who is a person responsible for the child's welfare and provides services to a child in a family living home, community home for individuals with an intellectual disability or host home for children which are subject to supervision or licensure by the department under Articles IX and X of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code.
Anyone can and should report s u s p e c t e d c h i l d a b u s e ; mandated reporters must report suspected abuse.
The training session for Grace Baptist Church of Germantown is scheduled for May 4, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Social Hall. Sign up sheets will be posted on the back Bulletin Board of the Education Building. Please be certain that you sign up for the training by APRIL 1, so that we may order the amount of materials necessary. Those who complete the training wil l receive their certification by mail. Clearances are required, but 2 of the 3 are free.
Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check The Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check can be obtained online at “Pennsylvania A c c e s s T o C r i m i n a l History,” (PATCH). The cost for the criminal background check fo r employmen t pu rposes increased to $22 on December 1, 2017. Requests for volunteer purposes is free. Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
The Pennsylvania Child Abuse His to ry c lea rance can be submitted and paid for online through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) self-service portal. The cost of the child abuse clearances increased from $8 to $13 on July 1, 2018. Requests for the check for volunteer purposes is free. FBI Criminal Background Check • FBI Criminal Background
Checks are now done through IDEMIA (also referred to as IdentoGo or MorphoTrust) - effective November 28, 2017. It is a multi-step process – more information can be found a t h t t p : / /www.keepkidssafe.pa.gov/resources/clearances/index.htm
Please see Sandi Johnson or Trustee Deborah Croston for more information.
I came across an article the other day that I need to share. The title of the article caught my eye as I was searching for something else. It is called “The Autopsy of a Deceased Church.” Thom Rainer, the writer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Prior to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Here is the article. “I was their church consultant
in 2003. The church’s peak attendance was 750 in 1975. By the time I got there the attendance had fallen to an average of 83. The large sanctuary seemed to swallow the relatively small crowd on Sunday morning.
The reality was that most of the members did not want me there. They were not about to pay a consultant to tell them what was wrong with their church. Only when a benevolent member offered to foot my entire bill did the congregation grudgingly agree to retain me.
I worked with the church for three weeks. The problems were obvious; the solutions were difficult.
On my last day, the benefactor walked me to my rental car. “What
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From the Pen Of The Editor
Spiritual Armor “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet
and a light unto my path.” Psalm119:105
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and
do you think, Thom?” he asked. He could see the uncertainty in my expression, so he clarified. “How long can our church survive?” I paused for a moment, and then offered the bad news. “I believe the church will close its doors in five years.”
I was wrong. The church closed just a few weeks ago. Like many dying churches, it held on to life tenaciously. This church lasted ten years after my terminal diagnosis.
My friend from the church called to tell me the news. I took no pleasure in discovering that not only was my diagnosis correct, I had mostly gotten right all the signs of the impending death of the church. Together my friend and I reviewed the past ten years. I think we were able to piece together a fairly accurate autopsy. Here are eleven things I learned.
1. The church refused to look like the community. The community began a transition toward a lower socioeconomic class thirty years ago, but the church members had no desire to reach the new residents. The congregation thus became an island of middle-class members in a s e a o f l o w e r - c l a s s residents.
2. The church had no c o m m u n i t y - f o c u s e d ministries. This part of the autopsy may seem to be stating the obvious, but I wanted to be certain. My f r i e n d a f f i r m e d m y suspicions. There was no attempt to reach the community.
3. Members became more focused on memorials. Do not hear my statement a s a c r i t i c i s m o f memorials. Indeed, I r e c e n t l y f u n d e d a memorial in memory of my late grandson. The memorials at the church were chairs, tables, rooms, and other places where a neat plaque could be placed. The point is that the memorials became an obsession at the church. More and more emphasis was placed on the past.
4. The percentage of the budget for members’ needs kept increasing. At the church’s death, the percentage was over 98 percent.
5. T h e r e w e r e n o evangelistic emphases. When a church loses its passion to reach the lost, the congregation begins to die.
6. The members had more and more arguments about what they wanted. As the church continued to decline toward death, the inward focus of the members turned caustic. Arguments were more f r e q u e n t ; b u s i n e s s meetings became more acrimonious.
7. With few exceptions, pastoral tenure grew shorter and shorter. The church had seven pastors in its final ten years. The last three pastors were bi-vocational. All of the seven pastors left discouraged.
8. T h e c h u rc h r a re l y prayed together. In its last eight years, the only time of corporate prayer was a three-minute period in the Sunday worship service. Prayers were always limited to members, their friends and families, and their physical needs.
9. The church had no clarity as to why it existed. There was no vision, no mission, and no purpose.
10. The members idolized another era. All of the active members were over the age of 67 the last six years of the church. And they all remembered fondly, to the point of idolatry, was the era of the 1970s. They saw their future to be returning to the past.
11. The facilities continued to deteriorate. It wasn’t really a financial issue. Instead, the members failed to see the continuous deterioration of the church building. Simple stated, t h e y n o l o n g e r h a d “outsider eyes.”
Though this story is bleak and discouraging, we must learn from such examples. As many as 100,000 churches in America could be dying. Their time is short, perhaps less than ten years.
What do you think of the autopsy on this church? What can we do to reverse these trends?”
One of the frustrations that many people voiced in response to this article was that people
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depended on the pastor to “save” the church, ignoring the fact that the entire church has been commissioned to evangelize by Jesus.
I read many of the replies to Thom’s article. There are two that I’d like to share (though there certainly were many, many more.)
Dave says April 24, 2013 at 5:12 pm Thom, I currently pastor a
church that used to look very much like the church you describe. I described it when I got there as 40 old white folks driving in from out of town, into a neighborhood that was transitioning to a racially and financially diverse community. We intentionally began to cast vision for what it would look like if we really loved our neighbors like Jesus told us to and stopped worrying about how to get the people in the building and started focusing on how to get the people in the building out into the ne ighborhood se rv ing our neighbors. Over the past 4 years the church grew from 40 to 400 with over 200 (50%) of those attendees being African-Americans from the neighborhood. We have engaged in sus ta ined and intentional mission focus that has reclaimed a firehouse as a community center, developed a community garden, started a halfway/recovery house, and built 25 new homes for low income families within 5 blocks of our church. A year ago, this church actually launched a new church start in a neighboring town and is continuing to multiply. I write all this not to brag but to give hope. If there is a leader who is willing to really lead and a core of people
who are willing to do whatever it takes to be the hands and feet of Jesus, miracles happen. Thanks for your work.
Jocelyn says February 6, 2014 at 1:30 pm This a r t ic le i s a grea t
foundation to creating a counter list — 11 signs of a healthy congregation. Here’s my attempt, and I welcome others to add/edit!
1. The church proactively accepts to look like (and become a hub of) the community.
2. The church is full of community-focused ministries.
3. Members celebrate hopes, dreams, ambitions, attempts, successes and lessons learned. The past is respected (memorials) but the future and present are the focus of celebration. 4. The percentage of budget for meeting new members’ needs was balanced with budget for healthy solutions to sustaining members’ needs. 5. There is a passion to connect with those who are not found. 6. The members engage in increasingly more discussions with the community about what the community wants. 7. Pastoral tenure lasts a lifetime because pastors are encouraged by their members to support new ministries, empower lay leaders and create flexible systems for action. 8. The church prays regularly t o g e t h e r — a n d w i t h i t s community using language and tone that meets the community where they are, not necessarily where the members are. 9. The church knew exactly why it existed. The vision, mission and purpose can be reiterated by pastor
AND every member, making it easy for a new member to navigate their way and find a place to get involved. 10. The members span many generations and collectively apply lessons from the past to today’s experiences, questions and issues but also fully understand that today is a different world where not all answers are known but can be found with patience, understanding and tolerance and empathy. 11. The facilities continue to be main ta ined , r e inves ted o r repurposed based on what the community (the church’s ‘outside eyes and ears’) says it needs to be healthy.
I was troubled by this article because, quite honestly, some of the very things that killed that church are issues that we have recognized, but not significantly addressed as a church. Grace, it is time for action!
We just celebrated 126 years of ministry. Where do we go from here? Our community is changing economically, ethnically and socially. Are we praying to hear God’s voice as to what He wants for us as a church or are we seeking what we want?
Are we praying to “get people into the building or focusing on how to get the people in the building out into the neighborhood serving our neighbors.” Do we even know who our neighbors are or what they really need? Do we have a vision…A sense of who we are in this community, of who we can be in this community? The vision has to become reality if we
are to survive for another 126 years… even another 10 years. God will make the Mission Possible if we allow Him to use us as He will, not as we wish.
Lent will start on March 6th and many of us will consider this a special period of fasting and praying. As we make our special prayer lists for this special period, can we pray for God’s vision for Grace and His guidance to bring that vision to fruition?
Grace, it’s time to stop talking so much and start working a little more. God is calling us to a higher place, and while we might not see His vision as clearly as we might like to, faith isn’t what we see. It is stepping out and standing on His promises. It is saying, “Yes, Lord. Here I am, ready and willing to do Your will.”
Did you sign up to join us in the Daniel Fast? If not but you want to, the sign-up sheet is in the first floor office. We will be sharing with one another, so that we can actually DO this. I’ve got a few good recipes, and I’m sure there are others who have some good recipes or advice as we approach this fast.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to those of you who celebrate it. Happy Birthday, Jess! (my niece, who is a St. Paddy’s Day baby) Prayerful and successful Lenten Season however you approach it. Be blessed!
Peace, SJ
OUR BLACK HISTORY
“The Mason Comes Home” Part 2 of 2
As we conclude this article, we learn of yet another chapter of landmark history by African Americans who so honorably served our country and our Allies. Historians of World War II consider The Battle of the Atlantic part of America’s undeclared naval war. It spanned all six years of the conflict (from 1939 to 1945) and was effectively the longest battle of the war. For the Allied forces, it was a fierce struggle to defend the convoy routes which were under unrelenting attack by German U-boats.
For the United States, in particular, winning control of the Atlantic was an absolute necessity in order to secure and maintain the ability to project military force overseas. Writer Mary Pat Kelly chronicles the story of the first African-Americans to crew a warship, the Navy vessel USS Mason, a World War II destroyer escort vehicle. That history is a compelling record of sheer persistence and determination on the part of black sailors in 1944 who undertook the dangerous
job of shepherding convoys across the treacherous North A t l a n t i c , b u t w h o s e f u l l recognition and commendation did not come for another fifty years. Again, as we recognize a n d c e l e b r a t e g r e a t ach ievement s o f Af r i can-Americans, here is another unique piece of our Black heritage.
Submitted by Doris Collins-Terrell February 2019
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Yearly Income 2% 5% 10%
$10.000.00 $200.00 $500.00 $1,000.00
$15,000.00 $300.00 $750.00 $1,500.00
$20,000.00 $400.00 $1,000.00 $2,000.00
$25,000.00 $500.00 $1,250.00 $2,500.00
$30,000.00 $600.00 $1,500.00 $3,000.00
$40,000.00 $800.00 $2,000.00 $4,000.00
$50,000.00 $1,000.00 $2,500.00 $5,000.00
$60,000.00 $1,200.00 $3,000.00 $6,000.00
$70,000.00 $1,400.00 $3,500.00 $7,000.00
$80,000.00 $1,600.00 $4,000.00 $8,000.00
$90,000.00 $1,800.00 $4,500.00 $9,000.00
$100,000.00 $2,000.00 $5,000.00 $10,000.00
$110,000.00 $2,200.00 $5,500.00 $11,000.00
$120,000.00 $2,400.00 $6,000.00 $12,000.00
$150,000.00 $3,000.00 $7,500.00 $15,000.00
$175,000.00 $3,500.00 $8,750.00 $17,500.00
$200,000.00 $4,000.00 $10,000.00 $20,000.00
Tithes & Offerings Worship the Lord in giving
A CHART TO ASSIST US WITH OUR FAITHFUL GIVING Holy Scripture commends a minimum tithe (10%) of our earnings
Where are you on your spiritual journey?
Annual Faithful Giving
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KIDS’PAGEBIBLE VERSE FOR MARCH
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:2 | NIV
Some questions to think about… Did you give up something for Lent? What? Do you know why we give up something we like for Lent? What did Jesus give up for us?
03 Sunday 7:30 am Early Morning Worship Service 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship Service 3:30 pm Wright's Gospel Chorus Day 06 Wednesday Ash Wednesday…Lent begins
10 Sunday 2:00 am DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS Spring Forward 1 hour 7:30 am Early Morning Worship Service 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship Service/ Holy Communion HIV/AIDS Ministry Annual Day, Girl Scout Sunday Black Church Praying for the Healing of HIV/AIDS
17 Sunday St. Patrick’s Day 7:30 am Early Morning Worship Service 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship Service 24 Sunday 7:30 am Early Morning Worship Service 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship Service 31 Sunday 7:30 am Early Morning Worship Service 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15 am Worship Service- Youth Sunday
