Former city resident named
pastor at powerhouse church
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
A search committee voted
unanimously to name a former
Wake Forest University pro
fessor as senior minister of
New York City's famous
Riverside Church
Dr. Brad Braxton, most
recently a member of the facul
ty at Vanderbilt University
Divinity School, wijj lead the
congregation of more than
2,400
when he
takes
over the
pulpit
from Dr.
James A.
Forbes
Jr. next
month.
After
? ? roroes,
Braxton Braxton,
39, will
become only the second
African-American to serve as
senior minister of the storied
75-year-old church, which was
largely built with the money of
billionaire John D.
Rockefeller, Jr., who was a
member.
The pulpit that Braxton will
stand behind has been graced
by legends like Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr., Nelson
Mandela and Bill Clinton, all
whom have visited the influen
tial church.
"Part of what religious
communities do in their best
moments is to seek after the
truth with a sense of humility
and a sense of the common
good," Braxton told the New
York Times, "so I certainly
would hope to continue in that
marvelous legacy of congrega
tional care internally, and bold,
courageous, prophetic action
externally, for which the
Riverside Church has been
known so many years."
Braxton served at Wakfe
Forest Divinity School for four
years prior to assuming his
position at Vanderbiit. Wake
Forest Divinity School Dean
Bill Leonard says it was evi
dent then that he was destined
for greatness.
"I think we've all traced his
strengths and the possible
future." Leonard said. "1 think
most of us (faculty members)
knew that sooner or later he
would end up in a prominent
pulpit."
During Tiis time in
Winston-Salem. Braxton
penned two books and devel
oped a reputation as a gifted
teacher.
"It was really wonderful to
watch him mentor students in
preaching," Leonard comment
ed. "He really has an ability to
communicate not just how to
preach, but why one should.
That's one of his great skills"
The Rev. Dr. Cedric
Rodney, James A. Gray
Distinguished Professor of
Religion and Ethics at
Winston-Salem State
University, befriended Braxton
during the time Braxton was in
the city.
"I see in this young man the
gift of the Holy Spirit," said
Rodney. "He can exegete a
portion of Scripture in a w?y
and make it come alive, but
still keeping the focus on heart
and mind."
Rodney has served as coor
dinator of WSSU's James A.
Gray lecture series, a religion
and ethics focused program
that is open to the community,
since its inception. Of the
more than 65 esteemed theolo
gians who have served as
speakers over the last 16 years,
only two have spoken more
than once. Braxton has graced
the podium four times so far,
most recently in April.
"You can't go to sleep on
Brad Braxton. This fella, he's
like a plane taking off,"
declared the professor. "His
voice is like the voice of
MoSes, a booming voice.5
Forbes, 7 1 , became the first
black senior minister at
Riverside, which has an inter
racial and international congre
gation, when he assumed the
position nearly two decades
ago. ?
if-Forbes, once hailed by
Newsweek magazine as one of
the 12 "Most Effective
Preachers" in the English
speaking world, will also make
a repeat performance at the
f\r rnoiu
The highly-respected Riverside Church in New York City.
lecture series when he speaks
at Winston-Salem State early
next year.
Braxton's appointment as
Forbes' successor was fhe right
choice for the church, says
Rodney, who added that he
envisioned Braxton in the pul
pit of Riverside when he visit
ed the church years ago.
"I told him God had
answered my prayers." Rodney
reported telling the young pas
tor when he heard the news of
his new position. "I hope the
hand of God will always be in
his hand. If you put your hand
in God, He will lead you."
WSSU Photo by (iarrett C?arms
Dr. Cedric Rodney
Members of The Pond Reunion Planning Committee.
Pond
from page AI O
Pond had children, and if they didn't, they
claimed some."
A group of former residents started the annu
al reunion 17 years ago to help keep the spirit of
the old neighborhood alive.
"This is the oldest African-American com
munity reunion in Winston-Salem," Delores
Scales, historian for the group, proudly pro
claimed. "People come from everywhere just to
remember how it used to be."
A close knit group of Pond committee mem
bers planned the 2008 reunion, which was held
Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr.,
Recreation Center in the heart of The Pond.
Scales and the other committee members served
home cooked food to current and former resi
dents. Live music, fellowship and reflections
from community members rounded out the four
hour affair, which attracted hundreds.
Claude Rucker, 96 spent more than 70 years
of his life "on The Pond," before moving to his
current home on Carver School Road. Rucker, a
deacon at Union Baptist Church, is a living
example of the caring nature many residents
were said to have.
"He used to take in every stray cat, every
stray dog, every stray kid..." joked daughter
Emma Dismuke. "He couldn't stand to see any
one go without."
Rucker's daughters say he used to slaughter
his own hogs and give the meat to neighbors in
The Pond who couldn't afford such things.
"I tried to help a lot of people," he said mat
ter-of-factly. "The Lord has blessed me."
Seeing how her childhood home has grown
and changed over the years is meaningful, said
Claudia Rucker-Foote, Rucker's elder daughter.
"It's just wonderful to be able to see the
progress that has been made and then to be able
to share it with our children and grandchildren,"
she remarked.
Flora Golden, 92, also grew up in The Pond.
She was a member of one of the first classes to
attend the nearby Kimberly Park Elementary
School.
"(Kimberley Park) had a room for every
thing, and that was odd for us; we had come from
a smaller school," she related.
Top photo : Delores Scales with Alberta Black.
Above; Flora Golden with Ella Giles.
"We had some of the best faculty in the coun
ty," added Golden, who went on to spend 40
years as an educator herself.
One of the guests of honor was? Ella Giles.
The l(X)-year-old came to the reunion to recon
nect with old friends.
"I come particularly to see people," said the
former hairdresser. "I think the friendliness of
the people is what makes this neighborhood spe
cial."
DOUBLE COUPONS!
wp No mtnklHW" purchase rwquiriod.
? ""T"1* "?? <? twimly itutm>fm:luMr'H > oi^?? with ymK
"t" Somo rwttricttonn apply l?w *lon* lor ctxt^iMn ftytwtfv
ground beef
fresh "Jotb
Pepsi products
selected 2 liter
Gain detergent
liquid laundry 24 -32 loads
powder 31 - 40 loads
pork chops
9 ct all natural bone-in
white seedless
grapes
product of USA j**$i7oS
Edy's Grand
ice cream
48oz TSBSglS
save
$1.00 lb
&?? r-j /ho*oh
Jk. Wo vwlcoim* your cnlls on ouf toU-fr?H> CliatorrHM Hotltrwv
1PIUS t wmwr tttvltxii .Mlhfinl.vjh t.il vt\:wo w?vv> . on*