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The AC Phoenix November 2004 Page 5 VMTIL,JVfflCE Rains uoivn Carl Eller Evangelist Parthania S, Galloway THE BIB FOUR, IS STILL AMAZIBG By Rodney Sumler October is a time of transition and celebration. Autumn leaves are displaying the colorful beauty of the season as we celebrate special weekends in the triad. Winston Salem State University and A & T’s homecom ings, the Urban Leagues Ebony Fashion Fair and The Big Four have made October one of our busiest months of the year. I’m thankful and grateful that these events occurred on different weekends this year unlike last year when three of them happened on the same weekend. Anything that begins with God first ends with success. The Big Four Alumni opened the door of their 10th Anniversary hosted by the Atkins Alumni with worship and praise at St. Stephens Missionary Baptist Church. It was a soul stirring beginning with the Big Four mass choir processional singing, “One more time, one more time. Fie allowed us to come together one more time.” The Big Four Alumni celebration is a time for remembering. It pays tribute to our years of segregated high schools and the four black high schools in Winston- Salem — Atkins, Carver, Anderson and Paisley. It is a time for us to remember where God has brought us from with our educational institutions. This celebration enables us to see that it’s not what you become, but what you overcome that matters most. The Big Four Alumni celebration will help you to see clearly that it is the little things you do in life that count, because little things aren’t really little. They begin with real love, thoughtfulness, sharing and caring. They end up in the depths of the hearts and minds of those who are blessed to receive them and have enough common sense to be grateful. If youth but knew what age could tell. When the founders of the Big Four, the Anderson Fligh School class of 1967 initiated this celebration 10 years ago, little did they know what they had created. The Big Four is a feast of unity and harmony with God, self, old friends and high school rivals. Almost seven thousand people took part in this three day weekend of celebrations. On Thursday night, deacons from several churches and the Big Four mass choir blessed the more than 1,500 people in attendance as they lifted the name of Jesus in songs. I was especially touched by one song — “I Made It” sang by Edna Smith. That song brought back to my remembrance the past eleven years of my trials, tribulations and injustices. Over 900 peo ple have died that were family, friends, associates, former classmates and people that I knew. “I thank God Almighty I made it.” As the Big Four mass choir continued to bless those in attendance with a solo by Eddie Bines. Four and a half years of the pain of injustice made it very clear to me that,”all of my help cometh from the Lord.” Evangelist Parthenia Galloway, Associate Minister of Morning Star Baptist Church delivered a powerful message to Big Four Alumni. After singing one of the songs sinners need to hear Evangelist Galloway gave some powerful words in a timely manner warning the alumni about the temptations of the Saturday night social. YIELD NOT TO TEMPTATION, FOR YIELDING IS SIN Every temptation that attacked the believe is common to all men. All men face the same temptations. Some have overcome; many have fallen and caved into the temptation, but God is faithful. Fie limits the temptation. Fie does not allow a temptation to confront a believer that is too overwhelming; appealing; or fulfilling. God knows what we can bear and how much we can bear and Fie limits the temptation within our limits to overcome it. This is good news! We can’t be tempted above our limit to overcome it. God is faithful. Fie provides a way to escape, a way out of and away from the temptation. Fie gives us the strength and energy to walk through, overcome or else turn and run from it. The Big Four worship service was a living testimony that it is good to be able to come together in God’s house. The future of our schools teachers and systems of education have been discussed feverishly in cities across America by presidential candidates John Kerry and President George W. Bush. While these issues are separate and distinct, they are interlocked. Flow black communities ultimately deal with them will determine the future of generations of blacks in Winston-Salem. A Big Four teacher’s appreciation luncheon, hosted by Simon G. Atkins Alumni Association, honored 57 former teachers and administrators from Atkins, Anderson, Carver and Paisley at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. This event acknowledged the four big attributes of these honorees — teaching, mentoring, guidance and love. The speaker for this occasion football legend Carl “Mouse” Eller, 62 said, “When I I think of my experience in Winston-Salem... and participating at the high school level, it’s just such a wonderful memory that I have. And all of the teachers have such special place in my heart.” “I remember so vividly some of those afternoons out on the practice field in the back of Atkins Fligh school, some of those words from Coach (Ben) Warren,” Eller said. “Coach Warren really instilled that going to college was a possibility for me.” In the past, 1 have chosen my University’s (A & T) homecoming celebration, over participating in the Big Four. It was a special blessing for me to be able to attend all of the Big Four programs this year. I was especially touched by several of my former male students thanking me for teaching them and sharing with me how the discipline I gave them influenced their choices in life. The Annual Big Four Alumni celebration is one of our biggest, successful and most anticipated events of the year. It is another opportunity for me to say. Look where Fie brought me from! mi QIH r SHERARD'S q DLJ/^-r/^/^DADLJV * PHOTOGRAPHY Picture of the Month k Contact 336-391-3550 docrod7@aol.com HIT! 1
The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Nov. 1, 2004, edition 1
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