Religion
Calendar
Happening Now
Wherry
Roger
Center Grove
Homecoming! Revival
Center Grove AME Zion
Church, 7001 Zion Church Rd. in
Tobaccoville, is holding its
Homecoming/ Fall Revival.
Tonight (Thursday, Oct. 2) at 7
p.m. Rev. Ronald E. Spease of
New Jerusalem Baptist Church
will speak.
Phillips Chapel events
Phillips Chapel Missionary
Baptist Church. 132 N. Glenn
Ave., is
holding its
Fall
Revival. Dr.
Peter M.
Wherry,
pastor of
M a y f i e 1 d
Memorial
Baptist
Church in
fharlntfp iv
VIIUI1V/IIV, ?v>
speaking this evening (Thursday,
Oct. 2) at 7 p.m. Transportation
will be provided. For more infor
mation, call 336-723-9451.
Screening
TEEM - Temple Emanuel's
Environmental Movement -will
screen "Shored Up" and discuss
rising sea levels on Thursday,
Oct. 2 from 7-9 p.m. at Temple
Emanuel, 201 Oakwood Drive.
Middlefork anniversary
Middlefork Christian Church,
2216 East 1st St., is celebrating
its 115th Church Anniversary at 7
p.m. this evening (Thursday, Oct.
2). Members of Providence
Baptist Church of Kernersville
will be the guests. On Friday, Oct.
3 at 7 p.m.. Rev. C. E. Crawford
of White Rock Baptist Church
will speak. On Sunday, Oct 5 at
10:45 a.m.. Rev. Larry Ponds will
speak. Rev. Robert L. Coleman is
host pastor.
Beginning Oct. 3
Koger birthday
celebration
Ministries of Truth Church
Family will celebrate the 77th
birthday of Bishop William E.
Koeer next
month
under the
theme, "A
Weekend of
Celebration
and Praise."
At 7 p.m.
on Friday,
Oct. 3,
Elder
William
Koger and
Life Flow Kingdom Ministries
will be the guests and the Vision
of Praise Community Choir will
perform. On Sunday, Oct. 5 at 11
a.m., Daniel Rosa of St. Matthew
Apostolic Church will speak. At 4
p.m.. Elder Ed Lowery and
Bethlehem Holiness Apostolic
Church will be the guests. For
more information, call Faye
Fields at 336-287-7458.
Beginning Oct. 4
Anniversary services
Greater Tabernacle Worship
Center. 1410 Attucks St.. will cel
ebrate the 14th anniversary of
Apostle BJ McCloud beginning
on Saturday. Oct. 4 with a
Rainbow Tea at 5 p.m. at West
Salem Square. 1001 S. Marshall
St. At the church on Sunday. Oct.
12 at 4 p.m.. Bishop T. Hanchell
of Mt Calvary Holy Church will
speak: Apostle John Heath of
Greater Higher Ground will speak
Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.;
Bishop Freddie Marshall, of
Christ Cathedral Church of
Deliverance will speak on Friday,
Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. A Pastor's
Appreciation Service led by the
youth will be held on Saturday,
Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. On Sunday, Oct.
19 at 4 p.m., Overseer John Ford
of Healing House of God will
speak. Call 336-777-11 13 for
more information.
Beginning Oct. 5
Family Month 2014
Salvation and Praise
Sec Religion on B5
i
Holiness
Church of God
holding
Assembly
SPl CJ U ro [HE CHRONIC! E
Joyce
The 97th General Assembly
of the Holiness Church of God,
Inc. is convening this week at
Kimberly Park Holiness Church,
1640 S.M. Caesar Drive, where
Elder Robert R. Edmond Jr., is
the pastor. General Bishop Arnie
H. Joyce is presiding with the
assistance of Vice-Bishop
Theodore R. Rice, Vice-Bishop
James Ijames and the Elders
Board.
This year's theme is Psalms
121:1-2: "1 will lift up mine eyes
unto the hills, from whence
cometh my help, my help cometh
from the Lord, which made heav
i? n unH
earth."
The
opening
session
was
Monday
and
included
the pres
entation
of reports
Ki/ tha
I'J II IV
Elder Board, assembly secre
taries and district overseers.
Overseer Benjamin Brogdon Jr.
delivered the message at the
evening session.
Tuesday's highlights included
a workshop led by Overseer
David Terry ; speeches by
Minister Vickie Sumpter and
Ruling Elder Carolyn Lazenby;
and an evening session led by
Overseer Eugene Kirby Jr.
Yesterday, the Elder Board
met with all pastors and ordained
ministers and speakers included
Ruling Elder Izalliar Dalton,
Sumpter and Overseer David
Terry.
Today (Thursday. Oct. 2) at
10 a.m.. Rules and Regulations
Committee will meet and mes
sages will be delivered at 11:30
a m by Overseer Roy Alston: 2
p.m. by Overseer Jonathan
Shuler; and 7:30 p.m. by Vice
Bishop Ijames.
Tomorrow at 10 a.m., the
Ordination Committee will meet
and the speakers will be Pastor
Kay Lawson at 10:30 a.m.;
Overseer Eugene Paramore at 2
p.m.; and Vice-Bishop Rice at
7:30 p.m.
On Saturday, Oct. 4, there
will be an Ordination Service fol
lowed by an Alter Service begin
ning at 9:30 a.m. A series of ser
monettes will be given by various
speakers beginning at 11 a.m.
On Sunday. Oct. 5, General
Bishop Joyce will close out the
Assembly with at 10 a.m.
The General Assembly choir
is providing music for all servic
es throughout the session.
Council encourages voting
SPEC3A1 TO THE CHRONICLI ;
Faith-based organizations have a key role to
play in helping their members navigate changes
in North Carolina's election laws that could
make voting more difficult for some citizens,
says the N.C. Council of Churches.
In an appeal sent to leaders of its member
church bodies, to people of faith statewide, and
to other allies, the Council argues that broad
voter participation is a core principle of
American democracy. It urges them to act now
to make sure that congregants are properly reg
istered to vote for the Nov. 4 election and that
they understand the new rules, which include a
restriction on early voting.
When some voters face undue and unneces
sary inconvenience, the appeal points out. their
voices can be muffled and their views disregard
ed by those in power. The concept of social jus
tice - basic to the Christian tradition - hinges on
fair treatment of people at all social levels.
"Of course there must be rules keeping elec
tions orderly and honest," the Council says. "But
the aim should be to increase voter participation,
not to limit it. That is how more members of
society, including the poor and powerless, can
have a say in picking their elected officials and
thus in shaping the policies by which their com
munity, their state and their nation will be run."
The Council is mindful that religious bodies
must remain nonpartisan in any political activi
ties, but says that leaves plenty of room for them
to make sure members are up to speed on voting
requirements - including a critical change in
registration rules.
Formerly, voters could register and cast their
ballots on the same day during a 17-day early
voting period. Now, the period has been cut to
10 days and no "same-day" registration is
allowed. The deadline to register this fall is Oct.
10.
Starting in 2016, voters will have to produce
an official photo ID. Poll officials this year will
ask voters whether they have the necessary doc
uments, but no ID is required in order to vote
this November. Churches can help dispel poten
tial confusion that could deter some voters this
fall from showing up.
The Council's appeal to church leaders goes
into more detail as to what faith organizations
can and should do to make sure eligible voters
know how to work within the system to cast
their ballots.
"The N.C. Council of Churches favors public
policies that give every North Carolinian a fair
chance to realize his or her dreams," says the
appeal. "As to which candidates are best suited
to develop and pursue those policies, that's for
the voters to decide. The Council's article of
faith is that the more voters take part in those
decisions, the better public interests are served."
Leach anniversary celebration underway
SPECI AL TO THE CHRONICLE
Churn
Rev. Dr. Dennis Leach Sr.
Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church kicked off
Fifth Pastoral Anniversary events for Rev. Dr. Dennis
Leach Sr. yesterday with guest speaker Rev. Dr.
Kenneth Moore of Stoneville's Sharon Baptist Church.
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i IU5 evening ^ i nuiMidy. uti.
2) at 7 p.m.. Rev. Dr. Paul Lowe,
pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church,
will be the guest preacher. On
Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m.. Rev. Dr.
Serenus Chum, pastor of Mt.
Zion Baptist Church, will be the
guest.
At the 11 a.m. worship serv
ice on Sunday, Oct. 5, Rev. John
Mason. Pastor Emeritus of New
Bethel Baptist Church of High
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Word. Rev. Dr. James Cook, pastor of St. Stephens
Missionary Baptist Church, will serve as the guest
preacher during the 3 p.m. service.
Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church is located
at 1400 Fitch St. The community is invited to attend.
Call the church office at 336-748-0216 for more infor
mation.
Leonard
Rakes
Hash
Hints
Carpenter
Conservative, Liberal Christians to talk
SPf CIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Interfaith Winston-Salem is hoping to
help narrow the gap between conservative
and liberal churchgoers.
The organization is hosting "Ties That
Bind: Christians in Conversation" on
Sunday. Oct. 12 from 4 - 6:30 p.m. at
United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist
Church. 450 Metropolitan Drive. Clergy
and laity, ranging from high school sen
iors to senior citizens, will come together
for the discussion.
"We believe the ties that bind us can
be far stronger than the differences that
divide us." says Bill Leonard. Dunn
Professor of Baptist Studies and Church
History at the School of Divinity at Wake
Forest University. "The ties will be more
enduring when they're shared across a
table top than differences that are shouted
from across the room."
Leonard will moderate the initial dis
cussion, which will include panelists
Mike Rakes of Winston-Salem First
Assembly. Yvonne Hines of Mount Sinai
Full Gospel Church, James C. Hash Jr. of
St. Peter's Church and World Outreach
Center and Kelly Carpenter of Green
Street United Methodist Church. The con
versation will focus on two topics: "My
most profound experience of God" and
"How the Jesus story touches my life."
Following the clergy discussion, oth
ers attending will have an opportunity to
discuss those topics during small group
discussions. Participants will be assigned
to tables to ensure that there is a diversity
of theological perspectives and churches
represented. At the conclusion, partici
pants will be asked to help determine the
next steps in bridging the gap between
liberal and conservative Protestants.
Rev. Tasha Gibson of United
Metropolitan says she is looking forward
to the event. "What if Christian congre
gations from across our city were able to
show the world a different way of being
united, not in uniformity, but together
nonetheless? A conversation like this may
be a good beginning for people, from dif
ferent expressions of Christ's church, to
do just that," she said.
"Ties That Bind: Protestants in,
Conversation" is sponsored by Interfaith
Winston-Salem, which received The
Winston-Salem Foundation's 2014 ECHO
Award for building social capital.
It is free to the public. Childcare will
be available, but advance registration is
required. Online registration is available
at http://tiesthatbindws .eventbrite .com.