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The Chron icle
Volume40,Number45 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, July 17,2014
Photos by Chanel Davis
Global United Fellowship Presiding Bishop Neil C. Ellis (center) stands with (from left) Vice Presiding
Bishops Joby Brady, Rudolph McKissick Jr., Carolyn Showell, Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook, Judge
Glenda Hatchett, Rev. Dr. Sir Walter Mack Jr. and Bishop Sheldon McCarter.
Start of Something New
Ambitious Global United Fellowship brings international 'Gathering'to town
I ? ? ... )
Dr. Sir Waller Mack Jr. speaks.
BY CHANEL DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
Organizers of The Gathering,
the first-ever conference of the
newly-developed Global United
Fellowship, expect some 4,000
parishioners from 400 churches
across the globe to descend on
downtown Winston-Salem this
week.
They will hear about Bishop
Neil C. Ellis' grand plans for GUF,
whose aims include to more aptly
equip church leaders, enhance mar
riages and help Christians build a
stronger covenant with God.
"We have to come together to
unite and equip churches to serve
the needs of our people. When God
brings us together it is not for us to
have church but to be the church,"
Ellis, senior pastor of Nassau,
Bahamas' Mt. Tabor Church and
GUF's presiding bishop, said
Tuesday at the downtown Embassy
Suites, where much of The
Gathering is taking place.
A long list of heavy-hitters are
scheduled to take part in The
Gathering's sessions, special
events and concerts. They include
Juanita Bynum, a noted televange
list and author, and Dr. Jamal
Bryant, the pastor of Baltimore's
Empowerment Temple who recent
ly created a social media row with
a sermon that has been dubbed,
"These Hoes Ain't Loyal." Gospel
See GUF on A8
Residents want scaled-down bond
BY CHANEL DAVIS
THE CHRONICLE
The New South Community
Coalition is calling on the city to
scale back its proposed bond refer
endum.
Members held their second
round table discussion on Tuesday,
July 8 at the Georgia Taylor
Recreation
Center to
address the
impact of ris
ing tax rates.
City Council
members
Derwin L.
Montgomery
and Molly
Leight were
on hand to
address con
cerns and
answer questions about the $175
million bond referendum, which
will likely appear on the ballot in
November.
The proposed bond includes
$42.35 million for transportation,
$30.85 million for recreation, $31
million for public safety, $25 mil
lion for economic development and
$10 million for housing develop
ment. A $17.5 million project to
refurbish the Benton Convention
Center and a $18.3 million renova
tion of the former Union Station are
also slated but will not require
voter's approval because they will
be covered by a mortgage structure
bond.
If approved by voters, the city
property tax rate would increase by
2.5 cents for every $100 of taxable
property by July 2015. This means
the owner of a $200,000 home
would pay $50 more in property
taxes. The city's budget already
calls for a one cent (from 53 to 54
cents per $100) property tax hike.
This would be in addition to the
See Bond on A2
Leak
Phoio by Chanel Davis
Council members Derwin Montgmery and Molly Leight address resi
dents' concerns last week.
Second
chance for
historic
building
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The City of Winston-Salem Engineering Field Office
and Winston-Salem Police Department's Community
Resources Unit now call the historic Winston Mutual
Building home. City leaders held a dedication and open
house for the new offices last Friday.
The four story building at 1225 E. Fifth St. was built
in 1969 to serve as the headquarters of Winston Mutual
l i i e
Insurance
Co., which
was founded
in 1906 to
provided
insurance
and home
mortgage
products to
the African.
American
community.
"For
years the
Winston
Mutual
Building has
stood as a sign of hope and prosperity for this commu
nity," City Council Member James Taylor, chair of the
Public Safety Committee, said at the dedication
In the 1980s, Winston Mutual was sold to Golden
State Life. The building fell into disrepair when the
California-based company fell on financial hard times.
In 2010, Golden State was forced to liquify its assets.
Fifth Street Investments LLC bought the building in
2012 and renovated it. The city, currently the building's
sole tenant, now leases part of the second and all of the
third and fourth floors. City workers began working out
of the building in the spring.
Over the years, the building has had many short-term
tenants. City Council member Derwin Montgomery
based his 2013 re-election campaign there. The building
sits in Montgomery's East Ward. He has always been an
advocate of its renovation and use. He was a proponent
of the plan to base city offices there.
"We're able to preserve this structure with its rich
entrepreneurship history to the African American com
munity," said Montgomery. "...This serves as economic
development in this community. 1 think it shows it's
(not) the tip of the iceberg on what's to come, as we see
more development moving east from downtown to this
part of downtown. 1 think this is just a glimpse of what
is to come."
The Field Engineering Office was previously housed
in a building on Rams Drive that was demolished to
make way for the Salem Creek Connector. The'Office -
t ? , See Building on A7
Sgt. Mark Snow poses with Police
Chief Barry Rountree.
Convention brings dozens of Liberians to Winston
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Photos by Kevin
Walker
Christian
Kolleh hands
the mic to
mistress of
ceremonies
Vera Clarke
on Saturday
night.
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
"" ? r 1
Winston-Salem resident David K. Flomo was elected last weekend
as president of the United Bong County Association in the Americas,
Inc.
UBCAA is made up of natives of Bong County, Liberia. There are
similar U.S.-based associations for natives of the other 14 counties in
Liberia, a West African nation that was partly settled in the 19th cen
tury by former slaves from the United States.
See UBCAA A2
Flomo
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STORAGE
of Winston-Salem, LLC
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