Those gathered at the prayer vigil sponsored by the Minister's Conference of
Winston-Salem and Vicinity at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Winston-Salem I
worshiped in praise during the song "How Great is Our God."
Photo by Erin Mizellc for the Wituton-Salem Chronicle
At right, Pastor Clara Cremedy prays during the public prayer vigil held at
?Vessels of Honor Church Ministries, 3608 Ogburn Ave., on Tuesday, June 23.
The special night of prayer focused on the Charleston tragedy and churches
around the world.
Vigils
from page AI
plexion, no matter the cul
ture, no matter the law, we
are all of one race, and that
is the human race," Bishop
Cremedy said.
Bishop Cremedy con
tinued the prayer and par
ticularly prayed for Dylann
Roof, the 21 -year-old
white man arrested in the
slayings of the nine people
at the church.
"Sometimes we have so
much stuff going on in the
world. We haVe so many
voices that are speaking to
us that sometimes it con
fuses our minds, and it's
just who we choose to
believe that's going to
determine which way we
go," Bishop Cremedy said.
Pastor Candy York con
tinued the vigil with her
thoughts of the Charleston
incident, while leading the
congregation ill saying the
Pledge of Allegiance.
"My heart breaks for
them. I've cried for them,"
York said. "I'm so sorry
that their lives were taken,
but I do see that things are
changing."
York went on to speak
of how the media reacted
after the victim's families
forgave Roof and the news
anchors speaking about
God when that subject
alone is sometimes unspo
ken in mainstream.
Another member of
VHCM, Lynn Roseboro,
stood before the congrega
tion and spoke about what
was happening from a spir
itual standpoint .
"It is time for us to rise
up and to be equipped, and
to stop looking at things in
the natural, and to see
things in the spirit," said
Roseboro. "Yes, it's a lot
going on in the natural, but
some of those things are
meant to distract us."
The Confederate flag
She explained about
how the story of the
Confederate flag is getting
major attention now, and
how elected officials in
South Carolina want it
taken down, as an example.
"That flag has been fly
ing for years, but now all of
a sudden they're talking
about it so much because
they want to take your
attention off of what's hap
pening," said Roseboro.
Pastor Clara Cremedy
concluded the vigil by
reciting Ephesians 6:10-20
and saying another prayer,
telling everyone to "be
encouraged saints" through
this difficult time.
On Sunday, June 21,
the Minister's Conference
of Winston-Salem and
Vicinity sponsored a prayer
vigil at Emmanuel Baptist
Church in Winston-Salem.
Violence has become a
way of life in America, and
that needs to give way to
non-violence as a way of
life, came the word from
the prayer vigil.
The scene of the slay
ings, Emanuel African
Methodist Episcopal
Church, is a historic black
church that has withstood
I
violent acts since it was
formed in 1791.
Various ministers con
ducted a worship service as
part of the prayer vigil on
Sunday, and others said
prayers for various aspects
linked to the slayings.
Prayers were said for the
families of the victims, the
church, the city of
Charleston, racial reconcil
iation, the perpetrator and
his family, social justice
and the nation.
However, the talk on
gun control by the Rev. Dr.
John Mendez, pastor of
Emmanuel Baptist, drew a
standing ovation.
Mendez says while
Christianity and all other
religions consider life
sacred, the United States is
the most violent of all the
industrialized countries. He
said the annual death rate
linked to gun violence in
the United States is thou
sands of times more than
other industrialized coun
tries, such as Japan and
England.
"If we really take a crit
ical look at what we call
our way of life, there's too
much death," Mendez says.
He said there is a perpetua
tion of guns and violence,
promoted by the National
Riffle Association (NRA)
and others.
"Violence in America is
almost like apple pie in
America," Mendez said.
The victims far too many
times are minorities, poor
people and people who
dare to be non-conformists,
he said.
The religious commu
nity needs to raise the level
of non-violence "where
non-violence becomes a
way of lite," not just a
method of protest or civil
disobedience.
The slayings at the
church in Charleston is not
the first time churches have
come under attack,
Mendez said. He men
tioned the numerous black
church burnings in the
South in the 1990s. He said
he learned that the church
es were being burned by
young white men, 19 to 22
years old.
"It's not an isolated
event. It's reinforced, it's
fed by this climate of hate,"
Mendez said.
Mendez said the young
man who has been arrested
in the Charleston church
killings case said, "We
want to take our country
back."
"That's the same we
hear from Congress, from
state legislators, from gov
ernors, from folk all across
America. But who are you
talking about taking it back
from?"
Mendez said the reli
gious community must
stand up and become advo
cates for non-violence and
challenge the NRA and
others who perpetuate vio
lence.
"The one thing we can
not afford is to become
comfortable and used to
them [minorities, poor peo
ple and people who dare to
be non-conformists] being
killed. That can never be,"
Mendez said.
I
Have a Story Idea?
Let us Know
news@wschronicle?om
tie man nun Minn aa
1591 NL UBBRTY SIHBfcl . gfT I
WMSTON-SALEM NC 27105 m|\
HEALTH SCREENING WILL B? AVAILABLE. |
NORTH CAROLINA'S
Pre-College Program
r
NC-MSEN
The Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (CMSTE)
NC Mathematics and Science education Network (NC-MSBN)
201S Summer Scholars Pre-Colleae Program
Voted 2nd in the 2014 Winston-Salem Journal Newspaper Readers Choice Awards for
Best Summer Camp
For Middle and High School Students (grades 6-12) who are interested in pursuing careers
in science, mathematics, technology, engineering, and teaching.
? Promoting Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education
? Academic Instruction & Activities in Mathematics & Science
? Field Trip: Atlanta, GA - Atlanta University Consortium Center (Clark Atlanta,
Spelman & Morehouse); MLK National Historic Park; Georgia Aquarium; World of Coke;
CNN Center/Olympic Park; Six Flags Over Georgia
1015 iummtr Program Pata*
June 15-26,2015; 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Rrtidmntial & nnti nnc available
Deadline for enrol!ment: teMewflaf- May 8,2015;
fltekSoMetiaUjfcte-22,2015
Program onb^notr/a-June 5.2015
Payment Options are available
I For further information about the program and online enrollment please refer to the
website: www.wssu.edu/ncmsen and select Summer Scholars or call 336-7S&-29K.
^ i
\