Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / March 18, 2004, edition 1 / Page 13
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
5B RELIGION/tCl^e Ctatlotte $«t Thursday, March 18, 2004 Should marriage include church, state or both? Continued from page 8B Powell, a team leader in the Justice and Witness division of the United Church of Christ. “A marriage is a legal, civil agreement between two people. The role of the church is to offer bless ing to relationships.” Back in 2000, Episcopal Bishop Mary Adelia McLeod of Vermont said the church should relinquish its role in weddings unless it was given equal jurisdiction in granti ng divorces. “The clergy of our church should be agents of God’s blessing,” said the now-retired bishop, “and not agents of the state.” In San Francisco, Unitari an Universalist the Rev. Margot Campbell Gross recently signed her first marriage license in seven years—to a gay couple— after she joined several dozen UUA ministers in boy cotting marriage licenses until gay couples can legally wed. Just where did this church- state marriage of conve nience come from? The answer, it turns out, has been after a tumultuous courtship. Historically, churches did not get into the marriage business until the Middle Ages. But in the 16th century, Protestant reformer Martin Luther argued against marriage as a church-approved sacrament, and threw it back into the civil sphere. America’s earliest pioneers were church-state purists. The Rev. Peter Gomes, pas tor of Harvard University’s Memorial Church, noted that the Pilgrims who arrived in 1621 didn’t autho rize religious marriage until 1692. “The civil law is just that, and the distinction between it and ecclesiastical law is as important as the necessary distinction between church and state,” he said in a recent op-ed pub lished in The Boston Globe. Even though the Pilgrims imported Luther’s belief in civil marriage to America, marriage has never been an either/or institution, said John Witte, director of the Center for the Interdiscipli nary Study of Religion at Emory University and author of “From Sacrament to Contract: Marriage, Reli gion and Law in the Western Tradition.” “Marriage is a spiritual association, a natural associ ation, a private contract and a social estate,” he said. “Those four corners were considered to be four dimen sions of an institution that was multilayered.” Don Browning, who head ed the Religion, Culture and Family Project at the Uni versity of Chicago’s Divinity School, said marriage is inti mately tied to notions of sex uality, intimacy, parenthood and mutual support that neither side has considered. OBITUARIES OF NOTE Activist, environmentalist Thomesina Johnson Thomesina Johnson Bom October 2, 1918 in Jefferson, S.C., Thomesina Miller Johnson was the daughter of the late Oren and Lucille Miller. While very young, her fam ily relocated to Charlotte. Thomesina was educated in Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, and graduated from Second Ward High School. An active member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church until her health failed, Thomesina was a Sunday school teacher, member of the missionary circles, and attended all meetings relative to the growth of the church’s min istries. Concerned with the v/el- fare of the community, Thomesina was a member of the Oaklawn Park Neigh borhood Association, and the National Council of Negro Women. Small in stature, but big on getting things done, particu larly when it came to giving, our quiet storm was called home to rest, but not before making a difference in the lives of many. After 30 years of working for local domestic and commercial cleaning companies, Thomesina retired and went to work again. This time the work was for the good of all humanity. While working with the cleaning company Thomesina started collect ing aluminum cans. When she learned she could get money for them, that’s exact ly what she did. But not for herself. Thomesina gave the proceeds of her sales to sup port the homeless shelter so they could help others. For that outstanding deed, in 1990 she was presented the Casaulties on humanitarian mission By Emery P. Dalesio THE ASSOCIATED PRESS “Environmental Hero Award”at Freedom Parks Earth Ceremony. Her next great work was to help spon sor a little girl from Ibgo, West Africa by paying for her food and medicine through the Christian Children’s Fund. Thomesina lived by this old Chinese Proverb, “He who knows he has enough, is rich.” Surviving are two sons, Robert L. “Bobby” Johnson and Gerald 0. Johnson, both of Charlotte; two sisters, Ver- nell Howard and Mamie Thompson, both of Char lotte; 7 grandchildren and 10 great-grand children; care giver Dorothy Wright and a host of other relatives and friends. Husband Willie “Bill” Johnson, son Willie “Billy” Johnson Jr., and brother Oren McCollough preceded her in death. In lieu of flowers, the fami ly request memorials be given in her name to Hospice of Charlotte, or Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Building Fund. The family thanks every- RALEIGH — Three Ameri cans killed Monday in north ern Iraq were Baptist mis sionaries on a humanitarian mission — a water purifica tion project for the troubled country, church officials and friends said. The Southern Baptist International Mission Board identified the victims as Lany T. Elliott, 60, and Jean Dover Elliott, 58, of Cary, N.C.; and Karen Denise Wat son, 38, of Bakersfield, Calif. "They knew going into Iraq, they couldn’t really share their Christian faith unless somebody asked them,” said Larry Kingsley, a church deacon. Obituaries A.L. Jinwright Mrs. Mary Belk at 2143 Lincoln Heights Court died March 9 at the age of 87. Funeral service was held March 12 at 2 pm at A.L. Jinwright Funeral Service Chapel. Alexander Funeral Home Annie Bell Clark died March 10 at her residence. Funeral was held March 13 at Greater Mount Sinai Baptist Church. Burial was held at York Memorial Park Bonnie Lee Smith died March 10 at CMC-University. Funer al was held March 16 at Zechariah Alexander Sr. Memorial Chapel. Burial was held at Charlotte Memorial Gardens. Walter Yang died March 11 at Elizabeth Place. Funeral was held March 16 at Zechariah Alexander Sr. Memorial Chapel. Burial was held at the VA Cemetery, Salisbury. Charles Pruitt died March 7 at his residence. Funeral was held March 13 at Zechariah Alexander Sr. Memorial Chapel. Burial was held at Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens. Ronnie Cureton died March 6 at Brithaven of Charlotte. Graveside service was held March 12 at Oaklawn Park Ceme- tety. Grier Funeral Service Mr. Sharon Sabb of 3327 N. Davidson Street, died Feb. 21 at Carolinas Medical Center. Mr. Gary Cathey of 6836 Rain Creek Way died on Feb. 24 at Mercy Hospital. Funeral service was held Feb. 28 at Greater Galilee Baptist Church. Mrs. PhyHis Fetherson of 2529 Old Steele Creek Road died Feb. 27 at her residence. Funeral service was held March 6 at Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church. Interment followed at York Memorial Park. Mrs. Georgia Walker of 301 W. Eighth Street, # 206-A, died March 1 at Mercy Hospital. Graveside service was held March 5 at York Memorial Park. Baby India Alliya Bennett Miller of4801 Wildwood Avenue died Feb. 13 at Carolinas Medical Center. Mar. Stephen Jurgen of Brooklyn, NY died March 1 at his residence. Funeral service was held in Linden, N.J, Mr. Joseph Brown of 2949 Bellaire Drive died' March 3 at Presbyterian Hospital. Graveside service was held March 5 at Oaklawn Ceme tery. Mrs. Deborah Jordan of 430-B West Craigh- head Road, died March 3 at her residence. Memorial service was held March 6 at King dom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Mrs. Marjorie Annette Matthews of 1818 McAllister Drive # E, died March at Presbyterian Hos pital. Funeral service held March 11 A.S. Grier Memorial Chapel. Mrs. Lillie M. Hampton of 3709 Hunters Run Lane died March 11 at her residence. Funeral service was held March 15 at Macedonia Baptist Church in Midland. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Mr. Willie Linton of 316 Skyland Avenue died March 6 at Mercy Hospital. Funeral service was held March 11 in A.S. Grier Memorial Chapel. Interment followed at Bethel Chapel AME Zion Church in Anson County. Ms. Shannon Davidson of 2128 Wilmore Drive March 6 at Presbyterian Hospital. Funeral service was held March 11 at St. Luke Baptist Church. Mr. Madroe Woodhum of 2314 English Drive died March 8 at Saturn Nursing home. Funeral service was held March 13 at A.S. Grier Memorial Chapel. Interment followed at Sunset Memory Garden. Mr. Jordan Lowery 5401 Springset Drive'#A died March 10 at Carolinas Medical Center. Funeral service was held March 14 at the Mother House of Prayer. Interment followed at Beat- ties Ford Memorial Garden. one for their support during Mrs. Johnson’s iUness and their bereavement. Present Day Ministries of Jesus Christ Church yy Syrln^ Revival" Sunday, March 28 - Tuesday, March 30, 2004 7pm Nightly Guest Speaker: Evangelist, Prophetess & Singer, Mother Margaret 'Walton Buffalo, New York For Information, Call; Rev. Gwen Curry, Present Day Ministries of Jesus Christ Church 27.30 Rozzells Feny Rd ‘Charlotte, NC 28208 704-393-2005 ADVERTISEMENT THE PROPHET'S COLUMN INC. 9626 FELDBANK DRIVE CHARLOTTE NC 28216-2131 "GOD REPROBATING A SINNER" - PART EIGHT J M LITTLE - TEACHER God deals with every sinner under grace or under judgment. Under grace, God is not willing that any should perish (1 Peter 3:9), Under judgment, He that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh at foolish sinners (Psalms 2, Proverbsl), Play the fool if you wgnt to but many of you think you can live as you please and God won't send you to hell. You say He is a God of love and would not send anyone to bum in fire forever. My friends, you need to read Numbers 16 and Luke 16 and weep. Is God dealing with you under grace or under judgment? Under judgment Gorfrepro bates the sinner. That ought to scare you if you arc not saved. It did me when i was under conviction, i was fearful Wiii you iet me give you a word of personal testirnony? When ttic Lord W3S dosting with nry iiosrt undor conyiction ! was Yisiling the foiks duwri honit? (N. 0-) Sfiti ridinQ w?in ofl?? df ifit? brOthdrs back to parsonaoft kirotb^r niadft a statftfiirftnt that O'lO to cfooth: “sooto of thss6 swsksnoct sfnnars srs cominG in hara and uomo fnjm back out into th© worid.” When he made that statement.! like to have died! \ dkJ not return a word- I was so afr3td. I didn t want to t)G in the nurTthor that w^as yOtoQ hack into the mJrtrt tAvofC rrriFtt f'kn irtrtt intes tFids \AmriA ‘viy ••nvvi.a »*«.»»» »»^»»» v r»i t \t t\^ course I neyer said that to him. And 1 hope you sinners know that it was the Lord working in me, making up my mind, or giving me grace to not go back into the world, bui Cotne On iO ChnSl. Lei rne guoie rtly old late pastor, L, R. Shelton, righl here; “every sinner who ever gets saved can take you back to the time he made up hrs mind: Cm going to Chnst. And every sinner who turns the truth down can take you back to the place fie turned the truth downl" That’ll hold it and won’t leak a drapl Friend, you had better get serious. Christ is Coming SOOf!^ Inspiratioipal Leader V. V. To Advert!^ or Become ABartneilCall 7nA-AA9-7977 ■ m m i-mm'm m
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 18, 2004, edition 1
13
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75