^i)t Cljarlotte
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1996
11A
RELIGION
Take Judge: Baptists to lose church to AME
time to
study
Sunday
School Lesson
Devotional Reading: Jeremiah
30:13-24.
Lesson Scripture: Jeremiah
28,29.
In the first chapter of
Jeremiah and again in the first
chapter of Hahakkuk, we see a
gloomy forecast of Judah's dis
astrous defeat by the
Chaldeans, or Babylonians
(Jeremiah 1:15,16; Hahakkuk
1:6-9). That event was in the
future when those prophets
wrote about it. Now, as we look
back on the events, we see that
the disaster came in three phas
es, each one more severe than
the one before it. Mercifully,
God brought minor disaster
first, giving His people time to
repent and avoid the greater
calamity. But the people did not
repent. Stubbornly they contin
ued their evil ways until the
destruction was complete.
First phase. About 605 B.C.
the Babylonians first subdued
Judah. They took a few captives
(Daniel 1:1-7). King Jehoiakim
was left to rule Judah and pay
tribute to Babylon. After three
years he rebelled and stopped
paying. The Babylonians sent
other satellite nations to harass
Judah until Nebuchadnezzar
was ready to come back (2
Kings 24:1,2).
Second phase. About 597 B.C.
the Babylonians returned to
Jerusalem. By then Jehoiachin
was king. He quickly surren
dered, and the Babylonians took
him captive along with ten
thousand leading citizens and
craftsmen. Zedekiah was made
king of Judah and forced to pay
tribute to Babylon (2 Kings
24:8-17).
Third phase. About nine years
later, Zedekiah rebelled. The
Babylonians came to subdue
Jerusalem for the third time.
Entering the city after a siege of
eighteen months, they
destroyed it and took most of
the survivors to Babylon 92
Kings 24:18-25:21). Thus the
disaster was complete about 586
B.C.
The people of Jerusalem could
have known which prophet was
right. They should have recalled
the Law that king Josiah had
read to them some twenty-five
years earher. According to that
Law, sin would lead to disaster.
But disaster was always some
where in the future.
There are many kinds of voic
es in our world. There is the
voice of optimism; “Things are
bound to be better.” There is the
voice of pessimism. “We’re on
the slippery slope, plunging to
our doom.” There is the voice of
God; “Seek ye me, and ye shall
live” (Amos 5:4). Do we want to
live?
The people of Jerusalem were
without excuse, though several
years had passed since the Law
had been taken seriously by
their leaders. How shall we be
excused if we have a Bible in
the living room, but choose to
give more time TV?
A Christian needs to know the
Bible. This takes time. We need
to read large portions thought
fully to see what teaching or
example we can find for our
lives. We need to study the
Bible in groups as well as alone.
A Simday school class is great, if
we make it so by doing our
homework and being ready- to
contribute. Also great are half a
dozen neighbors with open
Bibles in someone’s living room.
It may be greater stiU if there is
a Bible concordance, a Bible dic
tionary, a Bible commentary,
and someone who knows how to
use them.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GREENVILLE, S.C.- A
judge says a breakaway con
gregation must vacate Bakers
Chapel, a 98-year-old church
building that the African
Methodist Episcopal Church
wants to close.
One member of the congre
gation promises not to go qui
etly.
“We've got 30 days,” Hattie
Cureton said Thursday. “And
between now and those 30
days we've got to raise as
much ruckus as we can.”
But Circuit Judge Charles B.
Simmons urged the AME
Church and the group calling
itself Bakers Chapel Baptist
Church to “resolve this as
Christian brothers and sis
ters” without further litiga
tion.
Since 1898, the church had
been known as Bakers Chapel
AME Church. One of its
founders was a runaway
slave.
But the AME’s Piedmont
Conference voted last year to
abandon the rundown build
ing and study how to use the
property that has been sur
rounded by commercial devel
opment.
Two of the church’s three
members kept meeting there
anyway. They declared them
selves independent Baptists,
recruited about a dozen new
members and renovated the
building.
They argue that a handwrit
ten 98-year-old deed says the
property was sold to the con
gregation “forever for the sole
use and benefit of church and
burying purposes.”
Simmons ruled Thursday
that the AME Church owns
the property and the break
away group must leave within
30 days. But Simmons also
noted that the group has
“brought life” into the build
ing.
“It would seem only appro
priate that both groups would
want this vacant church to be
used as a place of worship for
God,” the judge wrote.
One of 15 greatest coming to town
Civil rights pioneer and renowned pastor to speak for series
The Rev. Otis Moss, one of Ebony’s 15 greatest ministers, will discuss the role of the
church In the African American community during Thurman/King series.
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The Rev. Otis Moss has
delivered many sermons dur
ing his more than forty years
in the ministry.
Perhaps none as well
remembered as one in 1963 in
Cincinnati, when he preached
“civil rights” to a throng of
more than 30,000 during the
“March on Cincinnati.” The
march was organized by
Martin Luther King Jr.
Moss, a former associate of
King’s father at Atlanta’s
famed Ebenezer Baptist
Church, will be in Charlotte
next week for the
Thurman/King lectures. The
lectures are sponsored by
Faith Liberation Community
Christian Center, 2300
McClintock Road.
The lecture series, which
borrows its name from noted
African American theologians
Dr. Howard Thurman and
King, seeks to study the
impact of theology through
the eyes African America.
“We’ll have a high time,”
said Moss, with a laugh.
He will be the keynote
speaker for the lectures,
which will be held Oct. 17-18.
“I will be looking at the
black church as a unique
institution of faith, hope her
itage,” Moss said. “And, of
course, liberation.”
Moss knows much about the
liberation movement. He is a
civil rights pioneer, who
Worked with King and served
with his father, Martin Luther
King Sr., as an associate pas
tor. He currently calls
Cleveland home and pastors
Olivet Baptist Church there.
The oft-decorated minister
was a special guest of
President Clinton on a 1994
mission to help bring peace to
the Middle East. He was rec
ognized by Ebony magazine
twice as one of the 15 greatest
ministers in America.
But Moss still is humble.
And in spite of all that he has
seen, his faith in the black
church is unshakable.
The black church. Moss
maintains, “is still the founda
tion home, and custodian of
African American culture.”
“You cannot accurately say
the black church is in decline,”
said Moss. “That is true of
white mainline churches, but
it is not true of black ones.”
You only have to look to the
inner cities, says Moss, to see
that.
“Many of the inner city
structures that were aban
doned by whites when they
sold them or fled are being
used,” Moss said. “They have
been taken over by black
Baptists or Pentecostals.”
“We are not experiencing
decline,” he added. “That is
white writers, writing about
white churches. It doesn't
apply to us.”
What has happened is
African Americans have devel
oped a broader “spectrum of
expression.”
“All of our activities are not
See MOSS on page 13A
EYE ON GOSPEL
Image Is everything: With five Grammys, four Dove and
Stellar Awards and a gold album, Marvin Winans is perhaps best
known as a member of the world-renowned Winans singing
group.
Behind the .scenes, he is an accomplished lyricist, compo.ser and
preacher. His Detroit-based Perfecting Church boasts a niember-
ship of more that 1,500. Now add to that the title of author as
just recently, Winans has branched out into writing with the
release of his first book titled “Image Is Everything.” But don’t
read it hoping to find any intimate details about the life in one of
gospel music’s most celebrated families. Nor does he provide
much insight about himself. Instead, this book - which examines
the process of restoration, the deadly devices of “the image steal
er” and tells of the many ways that God would impart his image
of those who worship him into everyday life — is clearly intended
as an extension of his ministry. And if it serves as a true indica
tion of his preaching abilities, it’s easy to see why his church is
among Detroit’s fastest growing.
A new deal for the Canton Spirituals: The award-winning
Canton Spirituals signed an exclusive recording pact with Verity
Records last week in New York City. Rumors were that the
Canton Spirituals had been shopping a deal and had been circu
lating for some time. The Cantons had —
for the last few years - been recording
under the banner of Blackberry Records,
the label owned and operated by Doug
and Melvin Williams (aka “The Williams
Brothers”). The move to Verity is no
doubt a major setback for the
Mississippi-based label. With their last
two albums, the Canton Spirituals were
the best-selling act on the budding
Blackberry roster. The Canton Spirituals
join John P. Kee, Daryl Coley and
Richard Smallwood at Verity Records as
it continues to build a powerhouse ros
ter. The deal is expected to bring greater
exposure to the group. A new album is
due out next year.
Finally, Benson Records kicks off the
Winans
holiday season with the release of “The Real Meaning of
Christmas,” featuring Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ,
Hezekiah Walker fe^The Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, Angelo
& Veronica, Ben Tankard, and Commissioned.
Williams
makes
difference
at home
By Deb Saine
LOGANSPORT PHAROS-TRIBUNK
LOGANSPORT, Ind. - It’s
difficult to imagine someone
like Mary Williams surviving
life in a tough neighborhood,
let alone getting out of that
neighborhood.
She’s soft-spoken and easy
going, but she has a faith that
moves mountains. And she
has a way of seeing things not
only as they are but also how
they could be.
It’s that faith that helped
the 43-year-old get out of her
tough neighborhood in
Hammond years ago, a neigh
borhood that saw its share of
drug use, gang activity and
child abuse.
And it’s a vision that has
enabled her to see a stretch of
Spencer Street differently
than most. Others saw just a
vacant Roman Catholic
church between an old school-
house and a former rectory.
The buildings had stood
Linu.sod fur years arc .seemed
to be nothing but a waste and
an eyesore.
Not to Mary.
When she looked at the
property a little over three
years ago, she saw the rectory
as a home for girls, the former
St. Vincent de Paul Church
as a soup kitchen and food
pantry and the school as a
mission center and a shelter
for the homeless.
Aboqt a third of her vision
for the property has become
an answered prayer. The rest
may have to be put on hold
throughout the winter. Due to
an unforeseen shortage in
funds, the mission may have
to shut down for a few
months.
But Mary has lots of grit and
too much faith to let that hap
pen without prayer and a
fight.
“We’re doing all we can to
stay open,” she said. “It costs
about $500 a month just to
heat this place, and our board
doesn't want to get into a lot
of debt. Trying to stay afloat,
one option is to close over the
winter.”
Not that they’re worried, of
course.
“Whenever we need some
thing really badly, we pray
hard about it,” Mary said,
“and it seems that whoever
needs to call, calls.”
Three years after Emmaus
Mission Center, Inc., made a
down payment on a $75,000
contract for the land and the
buildings with the Lafayette
Diocese, the Morningstar
Girls Home opened in March.
Now Mary is spending a lot
of her energy applying for
grants so renovations to the
church and the school can get
under way. In the meantime,
the three-story schoolhouse
has been converted into an
office for Mary, a conference
, room for the Mission's board
members and two rooms and a
hallway full of used goods on
the first floor.
Nobody could call the accom
modations plush. Far from it.
Office furniture consists of
mismatched pieces, and light
ing is provided by old lamps
with dented, stained shades.
But for those who have little
to nothing, the interior of the
old brick school is a palace.
The used clothing and shoes
that may not be fit to a king
are appreciated by those who
are used to wearing the same
thing - winter and summer.
And the toys and decorations
being collected on the second
floor will go to needy families
in an effort to bring them
See Woman page 13A