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RELIGION
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2006
Life 1B
i Bibfe i Lesson I
Forgive and
restore
1 Corinthians 12
From an earlier lesson, we
know that Paul founded the
church at Corinth as noted in
Acts 18:1-18.
A few years later, Paul
spent a significant amount of
time in Ephesus. WhUe there
he received a letter from the
Corinthians asking for guid
ance on several difficult
issues (1 Corinthians 1:11;
7:1). He responded by send
ing'the letter of 1 Corinthians
and also by sending Timothy
to assist the struggling
church (4:17; 16:5-11).'
But these remedies appar
ently were unsuccessful.
After Timothy returned with
the bad news, Paul paid them
a visit “in heaviness” (2
Corinthians 2:1). This was an
unpleasant experience, as
Paul apparently had to con-
fi-ont a number of individuals.
Paul also suffered slanderous
accusations (2 Corinthians
10,11,12:11).
After he returned to Eph
esus, Paul sent Titus to
supervise the situation.
Upon hearing no report, he
began to worry and decided to
return to Corinth. On the
way, however, he met Titus
coming back to Ephesus over
land through Macedonia
(Acts 20:1, 2; 2 Corinthians
7:5-7).
Paul was generally pleased
with Titus’ report, but some
issues still needed to be
addressed. He therefore sent
the letter of 2 Corinthians to
prepare the church for his
impending return (2
Corinthians 13:1).
'Ibda/s Aim
Facts: to examine passages
from 2 Corinthians that deal
with forgiveness and restora
tion of damaged relation
ships.
Principle: to teach the
importance of forgiving and
restoring relationships
between Christians.
Application: to encourage
Christians to make the deci
sion to forgive and to make
the effort to restore relation
ships.
1. How many letters did
Paul write to the church in
Corinth?
It is noted, Paul may have
written other letters to the
Corinthians: one before 1
Corinthians (c£ 1 Corinthians
5:9) and one between the first
and second epistles, often
called the sever letter (cf. 2
Corinthians 2:3,4) however,
these letters did not survive.
Merciful Judgment (2
Corinthians 2:5-11)
Sufficient Suffering (vs. 5,6)
2a. What offense caused all
the “grief’ at the church in
Corinth (2 Corinthians 2:5,6)?
While in Ephesus, Paul
received word that a member
of the church in Corinth was
having an affair with his
stepmother. Paul recognized
that the sin involved
demanded that this man be
barred from the fellowship
until he repented (1 Corinthi
ans 5). The Corinthians were
tolerating something that
should not be tolerated.
Friendship open house
The Rev. Clifford Jones, senior minister a* Friendship Missionary Baptist
square foot campus on Beatties Ford Road.
By Chens F. Hodges
chens.hodges@fPechariot/eposf.com
The new Friendship Missionary
Baptist Church won’t open officially
until August 27, the public was
given a sneak preview last week.
Located on Beatties Ford Road,
the 135,000 square foot campus
includes a conference center that
can accommodate 1,000 people,
recording studio and gymnasium.
The complex also features two inte
rior courtyards-one for adults, the
other for children. The facility has
state of the art technology, with
more than 14 miles of wiring and
several areas of the complex, includ
ing the contemplative courtyard,
have wireless access.
The church also has 14 classrooms
that will also serve as meeting
rooms.
Senior Minister Clifford Jones Sr,
said the new church isn’t just for
PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON
Church, describes the new 135,000
Friendship’s members, but shows a
commitment to all west Charlotte.
While the chiuch is very modem
in its design, the sanctuary gives a
nod to classic chiuch style by aban
doning the ciurent trend of auditori
um-style seating, even though it can
hold 3,000 worshipers. The church
also has a 6,000 piece pipe organ and
faceted glass window, which depict
biblical and significant historic
Please see FRIENDSHIP/6B
Author urges single black women to greatness
By Cheris F. Hodges
chens.Oodges@fhechartoffeposf.com
Charlotte native Sheron C. Patterson
has a message for single black women:
“Wear yoiu crowns.”
Patterson, a West Charlotte High
School graduate with a doctorate in min
istry, will discuss her latest book “Put On
Your Crown, The Black Woman’s Guide to
Living Christian and Single,” at the Beat-
ties Ford Road branch of the public
library Tuesday fmm 12-1 p.m.
“It’s an empowerment book for black
single women to live like queens and not
messy, silly foolish women,” Patterson
said in a telephone interview.
As senior pastor of Highland Hill UniL
ed Methodist Church in Dallas, 'Ihxas,
Patterson has spread her message to
thousands through her nationally syndi
cated ABC radio show “Rejoice” and on
“Good Morning Texas.”
With her book, Patterson said that she
hopes to challenge the way black women
view themselves.
“When it titled the book ‘Put on Your
Crown’ it was a challenge to women to see
themselves as queens,” she said, “Queens
FLuntersville church leads drive for museum
By Cheris F. Hodges
cfieris.hodges@ff)ecfiartoffeposf.com
Mount Olive Missionary Baptist
Church is hoping to create the first muse
um of African American church history.
The Huntersville church is in the begin
ning stages of restoring an early 20th cen
tury house across fi-om the church. The
roof of the house built in 1916, will be
replaced this weekend, said Pearlie
Boarders, director of the project.
‘We’re also working with Rural Hill
Farm and Latta Plantation because our
church cormects with them because some
of our ancestors worked there,” she said.
A museum of African American church
history would be the first of its kind in the
U.S.
Boarders said that Mount Olive Mis
sionary Baptist purchased the one-story
farmhouse in 1991 fi^m a member of the
congregation for storage space. But the
congregation decided to do something
more meaningful with the space.
We want the museiun to extend nation
ally, because many black churches have a
similar history,” she said.
Boarders said Mount Olive first held its
services in a brush harbor and built its
first baptistery in the church yard.
won’t wallow in self-pity and not check on
herself.”
Patterson said black women may suffer
fi-om depression, but don’t get the mental
help that they need.
“If you’re a queen, you don’t live yoiu- life
in such a sad state,” she said.
Patterson is known as America’s Love
Doctor because she founded the Love
Clinic, a Christian relationship institute
dedicated to healing the hurts in the
African American community. Since its
inception in 1995, the clinic has produced
Please see CHARLOTTE-BORN/7B
‘Presence’
goes all
out with
praise
Judith Christie
McAllister
In His Presence Live
Michael Bereal and
Judith Christie
McAllister, producers
Aremis Gospel
The praise & worship genre
can leave a lot to be desired.
Tbo much repetition can be a
very bad thing, especially if
the repetitive lyrics don’t say
a lot.
Some how Judith Christie
McAllister avoids the trap
pings of today’s praise & wor
ship. Maybe because McAllis
ter is the current queen of the
genre and has been doing it
well for more than a decade.
She got her start with the
West Angeles Church of God
In Christ on those spectacu
lar “Saints In Praise” record
ings.
McAllister has moved on to
a stellar solo career of her
own. “In His Presence” is her
latest and perhaps best
recording.
McAllister’s songs fit in
with most of what you hear in
praise & worship, except shi
brings truckloads of passion.
She’s singing as if she’s lived
every word of what she sings
- a trait that seems to be
missing in a lot of other
recordings.
It also helps that McAllister
has a rich and resonate voice.
Her background vocalists are
no slouches, either. Those
vocals soar way above the
melodies more often than not,
while McAllister anchors the
middle.
The first four songs - “Tb
Our God,” “We Sing Your
Praises,” “One Thing” and
“My Confession” - could stand
as an exceptional EP. But
then you’d miss the “Expres
sions From My Soul” medley
or the haunting “As Your
Word Says It” and that would
be a crime.
“There is no other museum that focuses
on African American church history,” she
said. “We want to make history connect
with not just Mount Olive Missionary
Baptist Church but with all churches.”
Boarders said $13,000 has been raised
for the project, which is enough money to
repair the roof
If you’d like to donate to the museum
effort, send your donation to the MOMBC
Historic Project, in care of Pearlie Board
ers, project director, Moimt Olive Mis
sionary Baptist Church 6101 Neck Road,
Huntersville, NC 28078.
ALLELUIA
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Church News
The deadline for calendar items is noon on
Fridays. Fax announcements to (704) 342-
2160 or e-mail your announcement to
cheris.hodges@thecharlottepost.com. Please
put “church news” in the subject line.
August 12
Cornelius Parks and Recreation Department
will host its third annual gospel fest at
Smithville Park. Ibnya Rivens of Praise 100.9
will host the event. For more information, call
(704)892-6031 ext. 160. The event nms from
1p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
August 13
Voices of Morning Star will celebrate their
20th anniversary at The New Hampton Life
Center, located at 211-1 Hampton Church
Road, Charlotte. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the
show begifis at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 in
advance, $12 at the door and can be purchased
by calling Robert Garlin at (704) 596-2063.
August 19
Gethsemane Baptist Church, 565 Jetton
Street, Davidson, will host a “06 Back 2 School
Break-Out” festival, Saturday, August 19, 10
a.m.-2 p.m. at the church. This year’s themes
are: “P.A.S.S. - Parents And Students Succeed
ing” and “The Paths to Success are God, Edu
cation and Fellowship.” There will be enter
tainment, games for kids, food and school sup
plies. Free. Details: (704) 892-1635.
• The Children’s Church Ministry of Steele
Creek AME Zion Church, located at 1500
Shopton Road invite all children and youth to
ooo
the “Back to School Jam” from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Please contact the church office (704) 523-
6552 for additional information and to provide
the number of children attending from your
church or you may email steelecreek^publicre-
lations(%^ahoo.com.
• The Gaston-Mecklenburg County Chapter
of Women of Real Destiny will host its month
ly women’s fellowship event. The guest speak
er will be Minister Yvonne Davis of Commimi-
Please see REVIVAL/6B
■ii