CIjarlottE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1997
12A
RELIGION
Stephen
first of
Jesus’ seven
Sunday
School Lesson
Devotional reading: Matthew
5:43-48.
Lesson scripture: Acts 6:l-8:3.
Jesus had told his followers,
“Ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea, and in Samaria, unto the
uttermost part of the earth”
(Acts 1:8). Nevertheless, during
the time covered by the first
seven chapters of the book of
Acts, only Jews in Jerusalem
had heard the good news of
Jesus. Christianity was stiU a
little more than a sect within
Judaism. While Jewish leaders
had challenged the Christian’s
preaching and even had the
apostles beaten (Acts 5:40),
there had been no recognized
break between Judaism and
Christianity. Stephen boldly
changed all of this.
Stephen is listed as the first of
seven men chosen by the
Jerusalem church to administer
the distribution of food to needy
widows. All of the seven were
chosen because were “men of
honest report, full of the Holy
Ghost and wisdom” (Acts 6:3).
Stephen is especially noted as “a
man full of faith and of the Holy
Ghost” (v. 5). All seven men had
Greek names, a factor that prob
ably helped to reassure the
Grecian widows who had been
neglected (verse 1). These men
took over the daily food distribu
tion, providing more time for the
apostles to engage in prayer and
the ministry of the word. As a
result, “the word of God
increased; and the number of
the disciples multiplied in
Jerusalem greatly; and a great
company of the priests were obe
dient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
The apostles, however, were
not the only ones responsible for
the increase of the word of God.
Although he was one of those
who had been designated to
oversee the ministry to the wid
ows, Stephen certainly did his
part to spread the gospel.
Stephen's power was demon
strated in his ability to work
great wonders and miracles
among the people. This ability
came from the laying on of the
apostle’s hands (see verse 6 and
compare with Acts 8:18).
Stephen’s record shows a man
who was respected by his peers
and who experienced success in
whatever he imdertook. As the
adage says, “Cream rises to the
top.” From among thousands of
disciples in Jerusalem, Stephen
was selected as one of only seven
men to adrrrirrister the first “food
pantry” of the church. Shortly
thereafter, we find him preach
ing and debating in the local
syrragogue. He rose from waiter
to witness overnight, it seems.
He performed “great wonders
and miracles among the people”
(Acts 6:8).
The next portion of orrr lesson
text is preached by Stephen’s
defense before before the
Sanhedrin (Acts 7:1-53). The
contents of this address reveal
Stephen’s rmderstanding of the
radical difference between the
Old Covenant and the New
Covenant established by Jesus.
As indicated in the lesson intro
duction, prior to Stephen’s
speech, ChristiEinity was still
considered little more than a
Jewish sect. But Stephen’s
speech drew a dear and unmis
takable “line in the sand”
between Judaism and
Christianity, and that is why
Luke includes this message in
its entirety in his record. The
gospel meant the end of the sys
tem of laws and sacrifices that
the Jews held dear. That they
were adamant about not letting
go of this system is evident fium
their reaction to Stephen’s inci
sive discourse.
‘The thing that has allowed St. Michael to survive is our people. ‘
-Connie Sessoms, Senior Warden
w
a,.,.
Mil
PHOTO /SUE ANN JOHNSON
Eternal flame burns In hearts, minds and sanctuary of dedicated communicants.
Former downtown church
thrives in west Charlotte
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
A candle burns slowly near the
altar at St. Michael and All
Angels Episcopal Church.
It has flickered unceasingly for
more than 100 years.
“The lit candle lets people
know a reserve sacrament is
here,” Senior Warden Connie
Sessoms said. “It means there is
always sustenance here.”
For 113 years, members have
received sustenance at the small
Episcopal church. During the
early part of the 20th century,
St. Michael was one of
Charlotte’s strongest churches.
Good Samaritan Hospital and
Nursing School grew out of it. A
nationally renowned boys choir,
one of the first black vestried
choirs in the country, called St.
Michael home.
In the 1940s, Charlotte boast
ed 18 African American doctors,
two-thirds of them members of
St. Michael. Charlotte artist
Romare Bearden was a member
in the church, Sessoms said.
A member for 26 years, he
rode out the storm as the church
suffered.
“The overwhelming thing that
has allowed St. Michael to sur
vive over the years is our peo
ple,” Sessoms said. “There is a
certain group of committed peo
ple that are here that have kept
this church alive.”
A varied history
When St. Peters Episcopal
Church’s new rector. Bishop
Joseph Blount Chesire arrived
in 1882, he found only one black
communicant.
Before the Civil War, blacks
and whites worshipped in the
same sanctuaries, though not on
the same pew. Black members
sat in specially erected balconies
or in the back of the sanctuary.
“They saw the need for a black
Episcopal church,” Sessoms said.
“It was after the (Civil) war and
it was decided that they would
help establish the church.”
By 1883, the small church was
ready to stand on its own. A
sanctuary was begun on the cor
ner of Mint and West Hill
streets. By 1885, it was complet
ed.
In 1887, the Rev. Primus
Alston became the first black
priest, taking charge of the
church, which was almost inde
pendent of St. Peter’s. For more
than 20 years, Alston led St.
Michael, overseeing the begin
ning of the hospital and a voca
tional training school for black
children. The school closed when
public high schools began to
offer vocational courses.
“Besides being one of the first
black priests to take charge of
the church, it grew tremendous
ly under his leadership,”
Sessoms said. “He laid the
groundwork that was followed
for almost 100 years.”
After Alston’s death in 1910,
St. Michael continued to grow.
The boys’ choir was begun in the
1940s by members of St. Peter’s.
“It gives us a chance to teach
them reverence for the church.”
the Rev. J.W. Herritage said in a
1942 interview. “It has broken
down a sense of prejudice others
have toward the Episcopal
church for it shows we do not
confine our work to our denomi
nation, but reach out to help
anyone regardless of race.”
“That choir was the model for
the Harlem Boys Choir,”
Sessoms said. “It was a wonder
ful group.”
The large church housed
offices of the Work Progress
Administration, Boy Scouts and
the Community Women’s Club.
The church was further fostered
by students at the Good
Samaritan School of Nursing.
Students were required to
attend services at the church.
Dreams deferred
The late ‘50s and ‘60s were a
period of change for downtown’s
black churches. First came the
closing of the nursing school in
1959. The city bought Good
Samaritan Hospital in 1961.
See BLACK on page 13A
D.C. aides
rebuUd
burned
churches
By David Pace
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - A black
church in East Georgia that
burned down nearly a year ago
got an imusual infusion of feder
al aid recently- a bus load of
Capitol HiU volunteers ready to
help in the rebuilding effort.
More than 20 congressional
aides left on a chartered bus for
the trip to Gay’s Hill Baptist
Church near MUlen, where they
were joined for the workday by
Reps. Jack Kingston of
Savannah and Charlie Norwood
of Augusta.
The congressional volunteers
were recruited by the Faith and
Politics Institute, a nonprofit,
interfaith, nonpartisan group
whose mission is to provide
political leaders with opportuni
ties for moral reflection and
spiritual community.
“We’'re giving them with an
honest opportunity to put into
action the resolution they
passed (last June) condenming
church arson and encouraging
Americans to work together to
avoid future arson incidents,”
said David Riibimaki, the insti
tute’s rebuilding project coordi
nator.
The institute is one of a grow
ing number of non-govemmen-
tal organizations that have
taken the lead in rebuilding the
dozens of black churches across
the South that have been
burned during the past two
years. , ' ,
Habitat Tor Hiimaihity; the”'
ecumenical group that builds
homes for poor families with
donated tools and volunteer
labor, has been coordinating
construction, while the National
Council of Churches and other
groups have been raising money
to finance the effort.
Monday’s workday is the sec
ond the institute has organized
for congressional volunteers. In
October, a group that included
Rep. Eva Clayton, D-N.C. led a
crew that cleared the site in
Richmond where the Glorious
Church of God in Christ is
rebuilding.
A third congressional workday
is planned this spring to help in
the reconstruction of a in
Orangeburg, S.C.
The institute hopes that work
ers who participate will have a
heightened sense of the role race
plays in church arsons.
Four charged in church burning
By Kim Gamel
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RALEIGH - The pastor of a
predominantly black church
that was set on fire last sum
mer said she has mixed feel
ings about the arrests of a
white man and three white
juveniles in the case.
“I’m sure they have a mother
and I’m sure their mother is
concerned and affected,” the
Rev. Jean M. Anderson said
Thursday. “I don’t feel anger. I
would like to see them and
perhaps maybe talk to them
and ask them what their rea-
But Anderson said she and
the rest of the congregation
felt strongly that those
responsible should be brought
to justice.
An indictment unsealed
Thursday in U.S. District
Court in Raleigh charged
Matthew Neal Blackburn, 18,
of Stella and three juveniles
with conspiring to maliciously
damage and destroy a rural
Jones County church. The St.
James A.M.E. Zion Church is
located near Maysville.
“Today’s Indictment shows
that we are continuing our
commitment to vigorously
pursuing arsons at our
nation’s houses of worship,”
said James E. Johnson, co-
chairman of the National
Church Arson Task Force,
which is overseeing investiga
tions into last year's rash of
church burnings.
The four are accused of fill
ing seven beer bottles with
gasoline and paper towel
wicks, pouring gasoline
around the church and throw
ing the firebombs at the
church, according to the
indictment.
The fire’s heat and flames
melted the upholstery on the
See SUSPECTS on page 13A
A Matthews-Murkland member sifts through rubble after arson.
Jesse Jackson eulogizes father in S.C. service
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The
Rev. Jesse Jackson hailed his
father Sunday as a “model citi
zen, praying deacon, devoted
father and loving husband,” in
front of more than 500 people
who came to honor Noah
Robinson.
Robinson, Jackson’s father,
died last Monday at Greenville
Memorial Hospital several
hours after being hospitalized
for heart problems. He was
88.
Jackson delivered the eulogy
for his father at Robinson's
funeral service at Tabernacle
Baptist Church in Greenville.
Jackson called is father a “big-
ger-than-life” figure, a man
who “was never arrogant but
always confident.”
“He was called Mr.
Robinson,” Jackson said. “It
was a big deal to be Mr.
Robinson’s son.”
Jackson daughter, Santita,
who recently sang at
President Clinton’s inaugural,
also performed two solos for
her grandfather.
Jackson said his father over
came obstacles throughout his
life, which he said began in
poverty as “a defiant slave.”
“There were all types of
slaves,” Jackson said. “But
history only gives high marks
to runaway slaves. Noah
Robinson was a defiant slave
who never let go of his digni
ty-”
Robinson spent more than
40 years working as a highly
skilled laborer for a textile
manufacturer. He was born is
a suburb of Greenville.
Robinson spent part of his
youth in Philadelphia, where
in 1926 he was named
Philadelphia Golden Gloves
boxing champion. Shortly
after, he followed his mother
back to Greenville.
Jackson said his father
reached out to people less for
tunate.
During the service, Robinson
was honored with resolutions
by the Greenville City and
Greenville County councils
and by the South Carolina
Senate.