Focus On
Wake Forest
BY ELIZABETH AKCllKtt
SUBSTANCE ABUSE DAY IN
BUNN
W« have had quite a hectic time
trying to put out two articles this
week. The following is information
that we promised to inform you of
on a session held recently in Bunn.
We’ll try to be back with our regu
lar column next week. See you!
A half-day session on substance
(drug) abuse was held at Gethse
mane Missionary Baptist Church
Saturday, June 20. At 8:30 a.m.,
Dr. Joseph C. Paige greeted the
participants, prior to his departure
for Shaw University where he re
ceived the Rural Pastor of the
Year award. In his greetings, he
conveyed the commitment of
Gethsemane Church along with
his own personal efforts, to work
diligently to rid the Bunn area of
substance abuse^and to fulfill his
role as pastor in the counseling/
treatment process for those who
have become victims of addiction.
Officer Matt Jones, chief of po
lice, Bunn, assisted by Officer
Dwayne Collins, investigator,
Bunn Police Department, gave an
update of the extent of substance
abuse in the area. It is evident
that Bunn is experiencing a seri
ous problem with alcohol, mari
juana and cocaine, especially
“crack cocaine.” Community resi
dents were urged to call the police
department with information on
suspicious behavior that may indi
cate drug trafficking. The tele
phone number is 496-2782. This
action is needed because “probable
cause” and “sufficient evidence”
are needed for police action.
The second session was a semi
nar on substance abuse prevention
presented by Dr. Khalif Ramadan
from the Office of Substance Abuse
Prevention, Raleigh. He pointed
out risk factors that can be ob
served in youth, from the view
points of family, school, commu
nity and church. Emphasized
among such factors were:
•Economic and social depriva
tion;
•Lack of employment for youth;
•Easy accessibility of alcohol
and drugs;
•Norms that make drug use fa
vorable;
•Inconsistent, harsh or lack of
discipline in the home, as well as
unclear expectations; and
•Academic failure, truancy and
suspensions.
He concluded his presentation
with a list of protective factors
which were:
•Development needs met;
•Norms that support non-use;
•Access to resources; and
•Protective network that in
r
volves youth in recreation and
community service.
Families were urged to maintain
close bonding, manage stress,
spend quality time together, make
expectations clear and promote
shared responsibilities. Protective
school factors were:
•Nurturing caretakers;
•Cooperative learning rather
than competitive learning;
•Teachers trained in child de
velopment and involvement of par
ents; and
•Encouraging mastery in goal
setting.
He recommended businesses,
schools, churches, and ethnic
groups pool resources, communi
cate, cooperate and collaborate to
prevent chemical substance use
among youths.
The third session was done by
Terry Hinton, case manager for
Treatment Alternative to Street
Crimes of the Louisburg Mental
Health Department. Her presenta
tion started with the warning
signs of drug (including alcohol)
use.
Pointers were given on how to
show "tough love” (the victim
needs to hurt enough to want to
change). The group viewed a vide
otape of a therapeutic confronta
tion and intervention. A wife,
daughter, alcohol counselor and
employer confronted the victim in
a formal setting, letting him know
how is drinking affected them,
what they wanted from him and
what they would do if he did not
change (bottom line). Ms. Hinton
gave information on available
treatment resources in Franklin
County, as well as the steps for an
involuntary cojnmitmeqt for treat
ment.
Information packets were dis
tributed to the congregation and
community members for reading
and study for a follow-up session.
Deacon Eddie Anderson an
nounced the ongoing substance
abuse meetings at the church each
Tuesday and Thursday nights,
from 7-8 p.m. Open meetings will
be held each Tuesday night. Refer
rals and new members are ac
cepted each night or call 496-4308
or 6881.
Rev. Dazale Kearney, Franklin
County School Board, gave con
cluding remarks and benediction.
Refreshments were served.
This Awareness Day was spon
sored by Gethsemane Missionary
Baptist Church with support from
the N.C. Office of Substance Abuse
Prevention, and collaboration with
the Franklin County Mental
Health Department.
1
TWO MINUTES
WITH THE BIBLE
BY COBNIUUS «. STAM Nil.
Bit! AN BIBLI fOCWTY
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60*35
"HAVE YOU HEARD?"
"...If ye have heard of
the dispensation of the
grace of God which is given
me to you-ward...” (Eph.
3:2).
Could it be that those
to whom Paul addressed
his Ephesian letter had
not yet heard that God had
committed to him "the dis
pensation of grace”?
Next to the death and
resurrection of Christ, the
conversion of Paul and his
commission to proclaim
"the gospel of the grace of
God” was the greatest event
in history.
The apostles at Jerusa
lem had recognized the im
portance of Paul’s part in
the divine program. They
themselves had at first been
sent by Christ into "all the
world”, yet in Galatians
2:9 we find James, Peter,
and John publicly shaking
hands with Paul in asolemn
agreement that he should
henceforth be the apostle
to file nations.
Could it be that some
twelve years later, when
he wrote the Ephesians
letter, there were any who
professed the name of
Christ who had not heard
of Paul’s special place in the
program of God as the apos
tle of grace? Little wonder
his words, "if ye have
heard”, carry with them a
touch of sarcasm and re
proach.
It is possible, of course,
that there were some
among them, but recently
brought into the Church,
who had not heard, but
what seems almost impos
sible is that there should
be even one believer at this
late date who has not heard
that after Christ and His
Kingdom were rejected and
the world was ripe for prop
hesied judgment to fall, God
intervened, saving Saul,
His chief enemy on earth,
and sent him forth with
"the good news of the grace
of God”.
This good news is based,
of course, upon the fact that
since Christ was the spot
less Lamb of God, His death
is accepted by God as full
satisfaction for the sinner.
Thus Paul, by divine inspi
ration, declares that believ
ers are "justified freely by
His [God's] grace, through
the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:24[,
SU^PSTIX*
CHIMPANZEE: GOD’S
FIRST DRAFT OF
A POLITICIAN
C1M2, Trtbuna Madia Sarvicas
Bahamas Leader, Clergy Hold Service
The governor general of the Ba
hamas and world church leaders
will hold an ecumenical service at
7 p.m. on July 11 during the 44th
Genera] Conference of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church in
Orlando, Fla.
The ecumenical service will be
Church Resolutions Say
Parole Wetzel, Hatcher
On June 24, the Criminal Jus
tice Committee of the North Caro
lina Council of Churches passed
resolutions supporting paroles for
Eddie Hatcher and Frank Wetzel.
The resolution supporting parole
for Hatcher claims that he has
served more than an adequate
amount of time of his sentence to
be eligible for parole. It also says
that Hatcher has been a model
prisoner and desires to return to
his family and community and to
resume his life and work.
The resolution supporting parole
for Wetzel is based on the fact that
he has served 34 years in prison
and at the age of 70 should be re
leased for humanitarian reasons.
It also notes the fact that Wetzel is
willing to be released to a proba
tionary status of another state and
r
that the state of Florida has evi
denced a willingness to cooperate
with this effort.
Both Hatcher and Wetzel have
been denied parole several times.
The council maintains that to deny
them parole is unjustified, and
says that any further delay in
granting them paroles will contrib
ute to existing accusations that
they are being kept in prison for
political reasons.
The resolutions have been sent
to Louis R. Colombo, chairperson
of the North Carolina Parole Com
mission, and to Gov. James E.
Martin.
The North Carolina Council of
Churches is an ecumenical organi
zation comprising 25 denomina
tional bodies, plus six individual
congregations.
i
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TAA/PMO
held at the Orange County Con
vention Center. Church leaders to
be involved in the service will in
clude clergy from throughout the
world including Bishop John R.
Bryant, Monrovia, Liberia; Bishop
Robert Thomas, Jr., Cape Town,
S.A.; Bishop Harold B. Senatle,
Republic of South Africa; and
Bishop Frederick Talbot of the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Bishop Vinton Anderson of the
Presidium of the World Council of
Churches; Bishop Bass of the
Christian Methodist Episcopal
Church and Bishop Sigma Rhee of
the Churches of Christ will repre
sent their organizations during the
solutions to be offered through the
church.
Issues to be addressed will in
clude economic empowerment and
development, political involve
ment, homelessness, AIDS and
outreach centers for drug control
and rehabilitation.
The 44th general conference of
the African Methodist Episcopal
Church will be held through July
15 in Orlando. More than 25,000
people of African descent are ex
pected to attend the conference
which is held every four year^.-In
addition to the ecumenical service
of the world church leaders,'the
conference will present other out
standing speakers. Arkansas Gbv.
and presidential hopeftil Bill Clin
ton spoke on Tuesday during a
banquet; psychologist and Essence
magazine columnist Dr. Gwen
dolyn Grant will speak during the
Red Flare Luncheon and Fashion
Show Saturday; a musical concert
with choirs from California, Wash
ington, Atlanta, Nashville, Phila
delphia and New York will be held
on Sunday; and motivational
speaker attorney Patricia Russell
McCloud will speak next Monday.
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THEIR LEGACY WAS THE
FREEDOM OF OUR GREAT
COUNTRY
Let's celebrate, but not forget
We owe them a tremendous debt:
Those men who risked their all and signed
That piece of paper which defined
The reasons for their great demand
Tor independence of our land.
This document for all to see
Forever lives In history;
And yet, the freedom that we gained
Must be eternally maintained.
With our alertness as the cost.
So what they gave us won't be lost.
The lessons of our faith portray
The gratitude we should convey;
To thank them for their legacy:
Our precious land of liberty.
— Gloria Nowak
Ood grants liberty
only to those who
are always ready to
guard and defend U.
- Daniel Webster
"Proclaim liberty...
throughout all the
land unto all the
Inhabitants thereof."
- Leviticus 25:10