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Page B6 The Chronicle, Thursday. March 29, 1984
Focus On Religion
Ministers' wives
By AUDREY L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Staff Writer Rt
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Probably the reason most tirst ladies ot the church ^
aren't ministers themselves is that they know their .
husbands need unending support outside the pulpit.
Not only must they lend support and encouragement to ,,j
their husbands, they also act as givers of advice to
m
members, church organizers ^nd sometimes secretaries.
Winston-Salem has over 250 black ch\irches, and the m
first ladies of these churches of all denominations have
formed a social outlet for themselves. The Ministers'
Wives Association is a group of women who gather main- sn
ly to fellowship with one another. However, it is not a ^
support group.
Of the many members of the association, some of the 1
wives were willing to share their views on the positives
and the negatives of being the church's first lady. ~
"It's really rewarding work being a minister's wife," ??
says Mrs. Mildred Leak, wife of the Rev.' F.A. Leak of
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Yadkinville, although
the couple resides in Winston-Salem. "But first yq*i have ^
to have compassion and know how to get along with peo- h
pie.
"When he was first called to the ministry," she says, ?
"1 didn't think I could do it because I grew up knowing in
the responsibility of a minister's wife." ca
Mrs. Leak attributes her knowledge of her respon- to
sibilities to the fact that her father was also a minister.
But after watching her mother work alongside her father, N
M rs. Leak says she didn't think she'd become a minister's W
wife. * M
"1 had no idea I would marry a minister," she says. "I m
really didn't want to, either, because 1 knew the problems e>
-- the bearing of the problems,of the church's goings on sh
and financial matters." ei
But after 12 years at Pleasant Grove, Mrs. Leak, who
directs the church choir and has only missed one Sunday "<
in five years, says she enjoys the counseling, the friend- cr
ships, the visits to the sick and shut-in and just being a
wife. M
I CALFNnAD fc
i. & Compiled by LucUle /,
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The United Interdenominational Missionary b
Union of First Baptist Church at Highland Avenue t
will host its quarterly meeting at the church at 3 p.m. C
R
Convention'will present a gospel concert To benefit \
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Jones marks 12 years
The members of Carver Road Christian Church will
.? observe the 12th anniversary of their pastor, the Rev.
Willie N. Jones, March 29 through Sunday April 1.
Services will begin nightly at 7:30 p.m.
On Thursday, the Rev. Kenneth Davis of spencer
Memorial Christian Church will be the guest speaker. Friday
will be "Name That Tune" night in honor of the
Rev. Jones. At the morning worship service on Sunday,
^ the Rev. Harold Sumner of Philipi Christian Church in
Mineral, Va., will be the guest speaker. At the evening
service beginning at 3 p.m., the Rev. I.L. Anthony of *
Oak Grove Baptist Church will be the guest speaker.
Relij
Church Calendar, Focus On Reli
wear many hats
Thirty-three-year-old Mrs. Sarah Mendez, wife of the
?v. John Mendez of Emmanuel Baptist Church, says
ing young and a minister's wife can cause problems,
owever, she says "you can't know what you're marryg
until you're married."
"1 think it depends on the individual," she says.
Before my husband and I were married, he had already
ade the decision to become a minister.
"But if your husband receives the call while you're
arried," she says, "and you really love him, prayer and
mmunicating with each other can really help."
She admits that being the wife of a minister hasn't been
100th sailing, but the fact that she's a Christian 24
)urs a day has helped the Nlendezes through trying
nes, she says.
"I married a minister," says Mrs. Mendez, "and that's
/ married a minister and that's important to
le because he's important to me. It's his catling
? be a minister and my first commitment to
im is to be supportive and vice versa. "
-- Mrs. Sarah Mendez
lportant to me because he's important to me. It's his
tiling to be a minister and my first commitment to him is
be supportive and vice versa."
The Mendezes moved to Winston-Salem last fall from
ew York when the Rev. Mendez replaced the late Rev.
'alter Mack, a longtime minister at Emmanuel Baptist.
Irs. Mendez says that because the members of Emanuel
are still getting to know her husband, she doesn't
Lpect them to be receptive of her right away and she says
le also doesn't expect everything to be in her favor,
thcr.
"The minister's wife faces a lot of criticism," she says,
especially in the black community, and I exnect
iticism but I don't react; I just listen.
"With my husband being a younger minister," says
Irs. Mendez, "the members are trying to win his conChurch
Notes
Bishop Tate to eel
Bishop Lawrence S. Tate, pastor of New Faith Chapel
loliness Church, will celebrate his 12th anniversary,
eginning Sunday at the 11 a.m. worship service, with
Ider Charles Tate, assistant pastor of Power House of
>eliverance Inc. in Greensboro, as the guest speaker.
The speaker for the 3 p.m. service will be the Elder
obert Tate, pastor of Mount Calvary Holy Church, and
peaking at the 7:30 p.m. ser\ ice will be Bishop Theodore
ice of Mercy Seat Holiness Church.
The anniversary celebration will continue through
. nril 8 Wlfh a varif?tv/ r?f cnpalprc corui.-o
f w f ? %- ' V4I ?vi; v ? jpvuiAVI J V UW I I JVI I W
Tate began his ministry at Kimberly Park Holiness
Spring crusade features L
The Evangelical Holiness and Missionary Association
f Scales Memorial Chapel at 5056 Butterfield Drive will
ost a spring crusade and missionary conference April
-8 at 7 p.m. nightly.
The guest speaker for the crusade will be the Rev. Sam
lalton of Denver, Colo.
Missonary Conference speakers will be the Rev. and
Irs. Herman Conley of Carver Foreign Missions in
dlanta and the Rev. and Mrs. Roy Handy of the Light
f the World Missionaries in High Point.
Snerial mu^ir will r*mviH*?H Kv t Vi o
wr ..awvav *? V/V V * IMVM C/J UlV \JV/jpV* IVUVJf HIV
lethlehem Tabernacle Church Choir of Thomasville and
:11a Eskridge of High Point.
Other foreign and home missionaries attending the
onference for the week-long activities will be, Edythe
ohnson, director of Salada Missions of East Nirobia,
rfwepj Rev. N4f?r-joaeph .tetep, diimiuu i?l' 11am tihii**
WET Travel Ministries* which .is. headqnarterefLJflu
'hiladelphia, Canada, Haiti, the Philippines, California,
4ew York, other statewide ministries and J. Caleb
ioskins, evangelist and missionary to western N.C. at
.ake Lure. Hoskins, a music writer, is also a bass soloist
or the EHMA.
Mary Stevens and Henrietta Herron of Carver Foreign
IIP y\M
Wll lieJones
y
jlon
gion, Church Notes, Obituaries
There's more to being a minister's wife than Sum
band is the Rev. F.A. Leake. There's also a comi
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fidence first, but I would hope that they would come t,o
me, although I've never really been one to dish out advice."
\1/U?? K4., II ?U 1 -I - -J . I ?
ncii iviis. iviuuicu nuMi wcuucu ine young miner,
Rueben K. Hash, she had no idea he would become a
minister. Today, he is a bishop and is pastor of St.
Peter's Church of God Apostolic.
"When 1 was a young girl, I always said, 41 Ml never
marry a minister,"' says Mrs. Hash, "but as time went
on, the Lord annointed my husband.
"You see," she says, "I didn't marry a minister,
although we were Christians, but now I'm glad I'm a
minister's wife because I love people and 1 think I was cut
out to be one."
Mrs. Hash also says at first, because she didn't realize
lebrate anniversary
Church where he had served as a member of the trustee
board. He later served as interim pastor of Bethlehem
Holiness Church and as associate pastor of Mt. Calvary
Holiness Church.
An active church leader, Tate also served as district
superintendent of the Sunday School Convention and as
chairman of the quarterly assembly of the Holiness
.Church of God Inc.
After founding New Faith, he was ordained bishop of
the church and vice-bishoo of the National Powerhouse
of Deliverance Organization. Tate also established the
L.S. Tate Scholarship Fund Drive and the Youth Church.
Walton at Scales Memorial
Missions in Atlanta, the Rev. and Mrs. Vernon Watford
of Triple t4C" Bible Institute & Camp in Ahoskie, the
Rev. and Mrs. Sellars Jenkins of the Light of the World
Ministries in Saratoga will also participate in the conference^
,
"** Br^ jtf^H^B|RM?Mr9^
^???9h^H ^h
The Rev. Clarence Johnson
Spring revival begins
Spencer Memorial Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) will host its annual spring revival April 2-6 at 7:30
p.m. nightly.
The evangelist for the week will be the Rev. Clarence
Johnson of Elm Grove Baptist Church in Reidsville. He
is a native of Roanoke, Va., and is a veteran of the
United States Marine Corps.
Johnson was elected moderator of the Guilford Educational
and Missionary Baptist Association in ^983. He
received an associate degree in applied science from
Virginia Western Community College in his native city of
Roanoke, a bachelor of science degree from North
Carolina A&T State University and a master of divinity
degree from the Shaw University Divinity School.
The evangelist and his wife, Betty Jane, have four
children.
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day services, says Mrs. Mildred Leake, whose lius*
mitment (photo by James Parker).
the implications of a minister's responsibilities, she had
problems.
"In-the beginning," she says, "I didn't understand
that I had to share my husband, but after a while I realized
that God comes first in his life and I'm second. 1 don't
mind sharing him whenever he's called to help."
Mrs. Hash offers a word of advice to women who are
contemplating marrying a minister or women who have
husbands that have been called to preach.
"First, a woman must be a Christian herself," she
says, "if she is to understand her husband and thej>
minister; and second, you must genuinely love people no i
matter how bad or good they are because you meet a lot
people you wouldn't normally be acquainted with if you weren't
a minister's wife." / ;;
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Bishop Lawrence S. Tate
Funerals
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Mrs. Richmond passes
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Mrs. Everta McLaurin Richmond
Mrs. Everta McLaurin Richmond of 345 S. Cleveland
Ave., died March 16th at N.C. Baptist Hospital following
an gxtandad iUnafchi She wa? a nafcivn
for the vast f?fty=five yemsvSf^;^ ?
was a faithful member of Mars Hill Baptist Church, past
president of the Missionary Circle, Usher Board,
member and vice-president of Faithful Few Christian
club and was a retired Domestic Worker.
Surviving relatives are her husband, Mr. Clinton Rich- .
mond of the home; one great niece, Mrs. Elinor Walker
of the city and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were conducted March 21st at 4:00 pm
at Mars Hill Baptist Church with Rev. K.E. Lilly of- .
ficiating. Interment followed in Piedmont Memorial
Gardens.
Russell Funeral Directors in charge of services and arrangements.
KAr Clortroo A Shonhorrt
6W ?vK'.v.vi
Mr. George A. Shepherd of 1305 N. Dunleith Ave.,
died March 21st at his home. He was a native of Laurins,
i S.C. and had lived in this city for the past forty-six years.-j:
He was a faithful member of New Jerusalem Baptist-:
Church, a veteran of World War II, and a retired \
employee of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
Surviving relatives^are three sisters, Ms. Savannah :
Shepherd, Ms. Isabell Shepherd both of the city, and '
Mrs. Lessie Irby of Washington, D.C.; one brother, Mr.
: Alonzo Shepherd of Washington, D.C.; one sister-in-law ;
i and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services were conducted March 24th at 2:30 at '
i New Jerusalem Baptist Church with Rev. S.J. Cornelius |
1 officiating. Interment followed in the Piedmont
Memorial Gardens.
Hooper Funeral Directors were in charge of services. ^
Please see page B7 *