Newspapers / Black Ink (Black Student … / Oct. 1, 1991, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Oclolvr IJWI News Religious Organization Returns To Campus _ _ T TT 'T'l 1 ^ ...ill tin tn on By Sharilyn Seale Ink Staff Writer Founded in November 1981, the Black Interdenominational Student Association once carried 250 members representing students, faculty and staff. In May 1982, the leadership graduated and BIS A was dissolved. But this year the work of coordina tor and chaplain Jo Watson and the efforts of a few members have res urrected BIS A, and they all hope it will soon be as powerful and in vigorating as it was ten years ago BISA is an organization de signed to provide avenues of fel lowship for University students of various religious affiliations. Watson, a founding member of the original BISA, is a licensed minister in the Eastern North Caro lina Association, Southern Confer ence United Church of Christ. She received her bachelor’ s degree from UNC in African-American studies and her master’s degree in divinity from Duke University. “University students should join BISA because the organization addresses the spiritual and religious needs of students,particularly those who are African American,” Wat son said. “At BISA, we want stu dents to be just as intelligent in the books as they are in the bible.” In an effort to remain conducive to an active student life, BISA holds an on-campus worship service on Sundays from 5 to 6 p.m. Feast and fellowship, a time when students, faculty and staff congregate while partaking of a potluck dinner, is held immediately following each service. “At feast and fellowship hour I get to know other Christians,” said Sonya McCauley, a junior BISA member from Charlotte. “I know that if I ever need good Christian advice, I can find it there.” Both the service and fellowship take place in the Wesley Founda tion Chapel at 214 Pittsboro St. behind the Carolina Inn. Every Sunday there is a different style of worship. BISA observes Commun ion Sunday, Traditional Sunday, Heritage Sunday and Outreach Sunday, respectively. On Traditional Sunday, the serv ice is without a theme and informal, and on Outreach Sunday, BISA emphasizes community involve ment by recognizing organizations that work within the community, like the A.P.P.L.E.S program, the Inter-faith Council and Habitat for Humanity. These services will commence Oct. 6. Jimmy Lewis, a junior from Lumberton, said BISA gives stu dents a chance to learn about other denominations. But, “It is a group that shares the same interests,” he said. BISA is composed of several committees including the member ship, newsletter, budget and public relations committees; all are open to prospective members. Full-time University students who wish to join should complete a brief mem bership application. No dues are required. Gregory McLeod, interim presi dent of BISA, encouraged students to join because the organization supports students through Christian fellowship. “BISA allows its members and guests to inter^t with one another at worship service, Bible study, and other BISA-supported functions,” he said. “Each of us has a chance to share our talents and customs.” BISA is run by an Advisory Board comprised of several cam pus andcommunity notables. Board members have agreed to make sure the BISA tradition perseveres. The board members are: Bertina H. Baldwin, theRev. Richard Edens, Edith Wiggins, Esphur E. Foster, Dr. John W. Hatch, Shirley M. Hunter, Velverton G. Land, Sibby Anderson-Thompkins, Vice Chan cellor Harold G. Wallace, Vice Chancellor and Chaplain Manuel Wortman. The late Dr. Sonja H. Stone had also agreed to sit on the board. UNC Alumna Remembers, Honors Sonja Stone This resolution is being submitted to the Black Ink as documentation of BISA's support of the efforts of the Sonja //. Stone Task Force." Remembering Dr. Sonja H. Stone I once read about an African nation’s tradition of believing that when one’s soul returned to God, their status or position with the heavenly council was qualified by how often they were remembered by those they left here on earth. So, whenever the family circle was broken on earth by a loved one’s homegoing, our ancestors would remember that individual by shar ing reflections of that person’s life with each other on earth, nammg a newborn after them...they would find ways to honor theu- loved one’s memorial day and sometimes their birthday...those left on earth would petition the ancesu^l spirit of the person that they personally knew to intercede with God on their behalf, and atcertain times they would pour libation to them. The more times their ancestor’s name was men- I tioned, called upon, remembered... I or the more times good deeds or activities were done in the name of the one whose soul had taken flight from earthly vessel, then the greater their chances were of helping earth lings get their prayers answered. Sonja Haynes Stone—my men tor while I was an undergraduate student majoring in Afro-Ameri can Studies and an active member of the Black Interdenominational Student Association almost 10 years ago; Sonja H. Stone—my mentor and friend while I served as presi dent of the Black Student Move ment and pledged the Theta Pi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority: Sonja H. Stone—my mentor, my dear friend, and my big sister while I worked as her em ployee and elsewhere in the Chapel Hill/Durham community, and then later when I accepted my call to the ministry. Sonja H. Slone—my dear friend, big sister and prayer partner throughout my mau'iculation at | Duke Divinity School and as an active member of the UNC Alumni Association...These are just some of the many reasons why I must join in the efforts to keep the name and spirit of Sonja H. Stone alive and well here on the campus of the University of North Carolina al Chapel Hill. SO... BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS, Members and potential members of the Black Interdenominational Stu dent Association will not ignore the supportive presence of Dr. Sonja H. Stone in BISA’s history when it was founded 10 years ago and her support of its re-establishment on campus this year; and WHEREAS, Sonja H. Stone was more than a feminist and was philosophically a womanist, that the spiritual leader ship of BISA will require the same of its Chaplain—that issues of not only sexism, but rather issues of sexism, racism, and classism in the Holy Scriptures be property placed in its theological context andappro- priately addressed through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God, and WHEREAS, Dr. Sonja H. Stone extended her sisterhood beyond her sorority, denomination, and even crossed generational and racial lines, BISA has agreed to host and coordinate the Sonja H. Stone Memorial Serv ice for the General Alumni Asso ciation (Black Alumni Reunion) which is scheduled for the weekend of 25 October 1991; and WHEREAS, Dr. Sonja H. Stone extended her role modeling, leadership and her professional and personal contribu tions beyond the university com munity to the community at large, BISA challenges other organiza tions (particularly the church com munity wherein she also made di rect contributions as a leader and role model) to establish an auxil iary, fund or whatever the respec tive churches or other community groups deem appropriate in her honor to maintain positive linkages to the university community; and WHEREAS, Dr. Sonja H. Stone was like Queen Esther of the Holy Scriptures in that she willingly made personal sacri fices to go before the powers that be for justice on behalf of others, and also like Queen Esther, Dr. Stone recognized and preserved the heri tage of the queens (and kings) who had gone before her; and WHEREAS, Dr. Sonja H. Stone believed in sis terly relationships like Mary and Martha of the Holy Scriptures— and was indeed her sister (and brother’s) keeper; and WHEREAS, Dr. Sonja H. Stone, like Elizabeth did with Mary, celebrated rather than envied or begrudged the bless ings received by others; and WHEREAS, Dr. Sonja H. Stone was like Joanna, Susanna, Lydia, and other certain female disciples of the New Testa ment, in that she too, followed Je sus; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT theBlacklnterdenominational Stu dent Association, in the tradition of our African ancestors, pledge to continue to help the university community to lift up the name and spirit of Dr. Sonja H. Stone so that she will maintain her rightful place on our ancestral grounds. AMEN. Jo Watson BISA Chaplain Dr. Stone speaks at the Western North Carolina Women's Mis sionary Annual Conference last May. The Conference was held at St. Joseph's Church in Dtirham.
Black Ink (Black Student Movement, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Oct. 1, 1991, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75