Message
from page B5
wrong stuff," he said. "You
should be grateful that God
saved your sin-sick soul."
He said members of the
congregation should be
grateful for what they have,
what they don't have (such
as illness) and what didn't
happen (such as an acci
dent).
The people should be
grateful for Jesus, Scovens
said.
"Don't complain! Lift
Jesus up!" he said.
Photo by Doom Rogers
The choir, led by Willie
Mason, sings during the
Christmas Day service at
Galilee Missionary
Baptist Church.
v?
Lesson
from page B5
(verses 4-5). We praise
God in verses 6-7 for His
creative power of speech.
God spoke the heavens and
the earth into existence.
We praise Him also for His
manipulation of the waters
on the earth, noting again
His sovereignty over all
His creation. The psalmist
continues by saying let all
the earth fear and stand in
awe of God. Powerful and
mighty, "He speaks and it's
done. His commands stand
fast" (verses 8-9). UMI
Annual Commentary 2016
2017.
For Your
Consideration: Think
about all the things you are
thankful for God doing in
your life. Contemplate
those things you still desire
of Him. Now, where is
your "new" praise?
Life's Application:
Praising God as our
Creator is essential for our
spiritual health, just as
nutrition is essential for our
physical health. (Brian D.
Todd). Praising God can be
a relief of everyday cares of
the world, an uplifting of
downtrodden spirits and in
some cases a healing for
our souls...simply because
we recognize and express
in our praise who God is...
not only to us but to the
entire world. Praising God
meets needs for us that we
don't always know we
have. Yet without fail
after the praise, our spirits
are lifted and we feel
strengthened and victorious
" for praise is comely for
the upright" (verse 33:1).
Community adopts
ESR families
for Christmas
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
Experiment in Self
Reliance hosted a
Christmas Giveaway on
Dec. 12 and on into
Christmas. In partnership
with St. Leo's Catholic
Church, Jerry Romans, and
Winston-Salem State
University, more than 30
families in the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County area
were adopted for Christmas
and were provided with
toys and necessities, and a
Christmas meal.
St. Leo's, WSSU, and
Mr. Romans, ESR's board
chair, contacted ESR,
wanting to give families in
need the opportunity to
enjoy Christmas. ESR case
managers then contacted
the families and arranged
for pickup. Gifts ranged
from bikes, to clothes and
turkeys.
Clients and families
were thankful to be able to
provide a Christmas meal
for their families, and give
their children toys to open.
With the average cost of a
Christmas meal being over
$50, community members
were eager to help clients
alleviate that cost.
"It is a blessing to me
and my family because my
dad has always been my
backbone, but he passed
away three years ago, so it
is just me and my kids and
my mom." Said Aultrice, a
Self-Sufficiency client.
"This is actually a blessing
because I just started a job,
and it is only seasonal."
Marian, who picked up
the donation for her hus
_ i '
band Ali who is a client of
ESR, was all smiles. "This
donation means so much to
me, and I would like to
thank everybody who
helped me. I am very
thankful, and God bless
you! Me and my family are
very happy."
Ambriana, a Self
Sufficiency client, and her
husband, were grateful for
the unexpected donation
they received. "This is the
first year we have had a full
Christmas in four years.
We really didn't plan on a
Christmas." The client's
husband, who received a
bike, can now travel back
and forth to work.
"For us to be given all
of this, it means the world
to us."
ESR would like to give
a special thanks to St. Leo's
Catholic Church, WSSU,
and Mr. Romans for their
generous donations and for
providing hope to families
this holiday season.
Experiment in Self
Reliance is a non-profit
Community Action Agency
that focuses on empower
ing people with low-mod
erate income to become
self-reliant. Programs help
provide housing, teach
clients to save, budget, and
improve credit scores, pro
vide assistance for educa
tion, and help clients build
assets like homeownership,
as well as free tax prepara
tion. All clients must be
working. For more infor
mation on ESR's services,
visit their website at
www.eisr.org or call 336
722-9400.
Photos provided by ESR
Ola Ashford, Success
Coach, Marian N. on
behalf of her husband
Ali A., and William
Hawkins, Success
Coach, are shown.
?Hsanu._____ -????IMHi
It became standing room only for the Ministeri' Conference for Bishop Todd
Fulton's farewell address.
Conference
from page E5
Cleveland Avenue is help
ing to feed scores of indi
viduals. Also he was
involved in the
Conference's work with
getting fines eliminated so
thousands of individuals
were able to clear their
"driving records and obtain
their drivers license once
again. He said that work
means a great deal to him.
He went on to say that
he is pleased by the release
of Kalvin Michael Smith
Williams
from page B5
but I was certainly just
caught in the moment of
what I felt was going to be
true actually coming true."
Williams said before
the results were
announced, he remem
bered an encounter he had
with Mayor Allen Joines
earlier this year where they
were discussing the may
oral elections and Joines
said "never underestimate
your opponent." Williams
said he knew that one
wrong word or gesture
could mean the difference
between winning and los
ing.
Williams said that just
four years ago, there were
many pastors who were
walking away from the
conference but credits
Bishop Todd Fulton with
resurrecting the MCWSV.
"To see all of what he
[Fulton] has done >is amaz
ing," said Williams. "I felt
like people were applaud
ing Fulton because they
knew this conference has
made some major strides
under him and 1 felt like
they were saying to me the '
mandate is on me to not let
it fall but to take it higher."
When asked his
thoughts on Williams as '
and the concessions that
will be made for him. He
also wanted to say he was
excited for the new attor
ney general, Josh Stein,
and new governor, Roy
Cooper and eagerly antici
pates the great things they
have in store for the state of
North Carolina.
Fulton says the high
light of his time as presi
dent ~ofthe conference
came when they were able
to provide $11,000 in
scholarship money for
local high school seniors.
He says he looks forward
to the new leadership of the
the new president of the
conference, Fulton said, "I
think Dr. Williams will
continue to flow in the vein
of the conduit that the con
ference has already laid.
He will be a great president
to move us forward with
forward thinking and being
very action-oriented."
Williams said he wants
to take the model that
Fulton has built and
expand upon that. Each of
the three vice presidents
will lead a different com
mittee and form their own
individual staffs to achieve
the necessary goals of that
committee.
The committees under
Fulton are Ministry of
Education, Ministry of
Food Justice, Ministry of
Social Justice, Ministry of
Health and Wellness and
Ministry of Economics.
One of the goals that <
Williams wishes to accom
plish while in office is to s
double the amount of pjls~ I
tors in the conference I
before he "passes the man- i
tie off' to the next presi- t
dent. He also plans on <
choosing two communities
twice a year to hold a i
Community Day. During t
the Community Day, he <
wants to bring in resources <
for the community they 1
otherwise may not have \
access to. <
conference under Dr.
Lamont Williams.
When asked how he
would like to see the con
ference progress in the
future, Fulton said, I
would love to see more
female pastors involved
and definitely want to
embrace younger pastors as
well. But we must also not
forget the wisdom of our
senior pastors like Dr.
[John] Mendez and Dr.
[Carlton] Eversley because
it's their wisdom that has
gotten me and our cabinet
to this point."
Along with the
Community Day, Williams
plans to organize a trip to
Cuba once a year with
local leaders, pastors and
organizations for a revival.
He has previously visited
the country and has formed
a strong bond with some in
the religious community
there.
Bringing in more
young people and female
pastors to the conference is
paramount for Williams.
He says his spirit of inclu
sion is very important to
him.
"It is a benchmark to
the leadership that I wanted
to have a woman in the
cabinet," Williams contin
ued. "It was a necessary
requirement for me so I
was glad that it all played
DUt that way. That speaks
to the leadership style that I
will be imploring."
Williams closed by
saying he wants the signa
ure of his time as president
o be the minority male
nentoring program named
he Triad Mentoring
Coalition.
"If you believe in the
work then I want you
ojoin the struggle of
rhanging the narrative of
>ur young men of color,'
Williams said of those who
wish to help young men of
:olor.
H|PcHRISTMA^^ERVICnB
iMT SUNDAY, DEC; 25TH - 10:00AM |
WATCH NIGHT SERVICE
COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS
SATURDAY, DEC. 31ST - 6:00PM
NEW YEARS DAY SERVICE
SUNDAY. JAN. 1ST - 10:00AM