January 15, 1987
Page B6 "
Focus On Reliaion
Wilson: Religious 1
By ROBIN BARKSDALE
Chronicle Staff Writer Elder
Horace A. Wilson is willing to give a little
to gain a lot -- especially when it comes to religious
freedom.
Wilson was the keynote speaker at last weekend's
religious liberty program at Ephesus Seventh-Day
Adventist Church. He is a firm believer in preserving
religious rights and made that point clear in his
address, 4tO Say Can You See?"
Wilson's discussion outlined the history of
religious persecution and the struggle for religious
freedom which has occurred throughout history.
The persecuting power, he notes, arises when there
is a unity of church and state.
"The struggle for religious liberty goes all the
way back to the first century and how Christ was
I f D.. - II ? i - ?
oy uuu wing an amoassaaor no tne
Vatican, the government goes contrary to
the Constitution. The Vatican is the home
base of a church. That shows preference. "
- Elder Horace A. Wilson
crucified because the church found him guilty of
blasphemy," Wilson says. "The first beast was
created when the Roman government and the
Roman church united. It was called thi-papacy/' ?
Wilson says the "beast" usually is represented by
a country and that during the 1700s the only rising
power^vas th^United STaTes" ?He
says the two horns which the beast has can
easily represent civil liberty and religious liberty.
Descriptions of the beast, Wilson says, seem innocent,
but in the case of the United States, the beast
was not so innocent.
"It (the United States) would appear to be innocent,
but it would practice things contrary to being
innocent and contrary to civil liberty and religious
liberty," Wilson explains. "Civil liberty means men
are created equal, but we-find that that wasn't the
v. CHURCH
CALENDA
THURSDAY, JAN. 15
There will be an Association for Couples in M?
ment chapter meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Highlan*
Church Activity Building. The topic will be "Hov
Thee/' presented by Kris Grapes and Tom Holm. F
? mation call 724-9226.
SATURDAY, JAN. 17
, /- ..; ?1S
The Shaw Divinity School Organization of Wo
will meet at Holy Trinity Baptist Church, 1200 E.
p.m. For more information call 788-1678.
v"'V ' ' ' *' r* "
The Winston-Salem Day Chapter of Wo
Fellowship will hold an interdenominational meetin
and at 1 p.m. at the Central YMCA on West End I
speaker will be Naomi Hopkins, who will discuss "
in a Chaotic World." For more information call 97
SATURDAY, JAN. 24
J?? -T- - . ^ rj ? . s
> V*-' * *' V ?^ ^
The ushers board of Christ Rescue Temple Ape
1500 N. Dunleith Ave., will sponsor a breakfast an<
the church fellowship hall from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hei
church's pastor. For more information call 722-984
?V. * . *. i
' > '".V;
FRIDAY^ JAW'
The Downtown Church Center will hold its 12:
the Mountcastle Forum at the Sawtooth Building
12:50 p.m. The discussioti topic will be "Humor
Gail Hamilton will be the speaker. The lecture is fr
the public. The cost of the optional lunch is $3. For
tion call 722-5128.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEM
St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church, 1625 E
conduct Bible study sessions and Masses for seni<
retirees every first and third Thursday of each montl
be organized by Sister Maxine Towns, S.A. Each sc
-at 40 a.m. and will last until 11:10 a.m. The Mass wi
third Thursday by the Rev. Morris Boyd. There will
meditation sessions followino th#? Mace a if ?
O ? '* r?u ill MIV.^
welcome to attend. For more information call 725J
<#* .. .
h ; *
St. Peter's Church of God Apostolic, 1031 High
hold a free six-week sign language course. Candi Y
' instructor. The classes will be held from 6:30
Wednesdays at the.church. To register call 722-i
through Fridays from 9 a.m. tp 4 p.m.
' i ?
*Y
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4
c*
RELIC
*
iberty must prevail
case because of all those years we, as a people, were
in slavery.*'
Wilson says tHat religious liberty is threatened
any time laws are made which are contrary to the
First Amendment guarantee that the government
will make no law which respects an establishment of
one religion over another or shows religious
preference. Wilson says recent laws have not run
true to that guarantee.
"By allowing an ambassador to the Vatican, the
government goes contrary to the Constitution," he
says. "The Vatican is the home base of a church.
That shows preference."
Though Wilson says he is "all for children praying,"
he maintains that prayer should not be required
in the schools for the simple reason that it
would require the passing of a religious law to make
it possible. It is on issues such as this that he says
there must be sacrifice in order to gain.
"To say, *Yes,' to prayer in school would be
passing a religious law," he says. "I'm for prayer,
but whenever Congress or government passes a
religious law, it opens the door to change the Constitution,
which opens doors to other things.
"Once they begin to make religious laws, what's
to sfnn thpm f mm molfinn o J om ? ? L ~ -
v is win iiiuning u mn IV/ 3U? tVCI ^UIIC 11 (15
to go to church on Sunday or Wednesday or some
other specified day? That would restrict the
-Ttlfgious liberty, of someone else."
Although tenacious about preserving the
guarantee of religious liberty, Wilson freely admits
that he~feels thexountnris faithfully adhering-to
providing religious liberty. He does not feel that
religious rights are denied at this time, and his intent,
he says, is to keep it that way.
Wilson says his strong belief in religious freedom
is based on the fear that, bit by bit, controlling
powers may be allowed to pass laws requiring all
religious denominations to worship in the same
fashion or on the same day. As a member of a
minority religious denomination, he says that if the
government is allowed to make small changes in the
I Church Notes
Distinguished
m.' - v < As part of Winston-Salem
State University's Martin Luther
King celebration, Dr. Walter
X V.L. Eversley will present the
Joseph N. Patterson, Lecture
trriage Enrich- Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m..
d Presbyterian Eversley will give his address in
/ Shall 1 Love - the lecture room of the Hallor
more infor- Patterson Communications
Building.
. Eversley has had careers as an
? educator and as a pastoi. He is an?
ordained minister of the Mora.
vian Church in America (Norin,ster^
them Province) and is presently
t t., at ^ pastor of Faith Moravian Church
in the nation's capital, a new congregation
chartered last May.
men s Aglow
tg at 9:30 a.m. Eversley started two Moravian
toulevard. The churches in New York while servGod's
Woman 'nS at a He ^as a^so served
4-5942. at churches in Guyana, South
" f Wentz member chose
\ * 4 . $ '
Saundra Blair, director- of
>' ' v''
istolic Church Christian education at Wentz
Memorial United Church of
Christ, ^een certified as an
tflvfo j, raTifta''' accredited church educator for a ^
four-year period effective in July.
Afef/' 5 %,*
The certification is the result of
recent action of the Committee
- j: '~r-?ort Certification?of?Church ~
: y\h
10 luncheon at t* ~ . ^
from 12:10 ta; M
and Healing."
ee and open to wf
more informa-1
ENTS '
li^SessioflpUfflT
ssion will, start j . m
Hbetaid every -f. "
i be prayer and r ^
:ommunity are L~- ^
^'.;< M All Are Welcome
land Ave,, wiH t>rk
will be the Bishop S.D. Johnson will be tl
to 7:30 >p.m. Ministers Conference and Ass
2285 Mondays King Celebration, which will be
;l Jan. 19, at Macedonia True Vim
on Kinard Drive. Dr. J.D. Ballar
i " i I (photo by James Parker).
?t?-?,j ?.
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Elder Horace A. Wilson: The unity of church and s
by James Parker).
Constitution now, it will not be long before
religious majorities will have the power to impose
laws that must be adhered to hv all Hpnnmin.tmn.
"I feel it is important to talk about because if our
religious liberties are taken away, or can be taken
away, I feel that in the near future it will open the
door to changing the Constitution to make religious ,
laws in favor of the majority or the persecuting
power," Wilson says. "In the near future there will
be calamities and destruction, and religious powers
will say that if everyone does the will of God, all of
these things will cease, but the will of God, as they
see it, may mean that everyone will worship on Sunday
and anyone who doesn't will be breaking the
civil law."
He also points out thaN-hL concerns extend
beyond his own denomination and says, "I'm not
f minister to join Martin
America, Andover, Mass., and
Boston.
He graduated magna cum
laude with a bachelor's degree in M
music from Moravian College in
Bethlehem, Pa., and earned both fl
the master's and doctorate at
Harvard University. Eversley
completed his juris doctor degree Jt
c 1 ~r t y~?_i ?
ai me otuuui ui Law ai i^oiumoia |
Univefsity in New York.
Since 1975, Everslev has been M
an adjunct professor at New
York Theological Seminary. He I
has also taught subjects ranging
from theology to law at Harvard
Divinity School, New Rochelle I
College and New Brunswick I I
Seminary.
The Joseph N. Patterson Lecture
and Assembly Series is a part
of the university's Lyceum
Cultural Events. Walter Eve
n as certified Christian educator
Educators in the United Church others in the chur
of Christ. The review in
amount of perse
Within the church organiza- and goal-setting
lion's structure, such a recogni- the candidate anc
tion has become an important the part of the co
and significant event in the life of The certificate
both lay and ordained church a branch of the
educators, it results from a pro- Board for Homel
fesstorrat review by peeis and?? recognized ins
Ministers'
The Interde
Ministers' Wives
fttsflHr Widows met fecei
flHH Fine Arts House.
. for the
^^ 3 Taylo
-" the nev
be implemented
I W 1987-88.
^ MrsTJones out
'. of each of the <
' asked that the ch
lunmmicc mamic
her during the ye;
host pastor for the Baptist The group's pr
ociates' annual Martin Luther next two year
I held at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, outreach work in
3 Pentecostal Holiness Church linking forces u
d will be the keynote speaker service groups.
The associatii
<
News of religion, church
and church organizations.
\
B T I
state can result in religious persecution (photo
just concerned, about Seventh-Day Adventist
religious liberty, but everyone's religious liberty."
Though some may scoff at Wilson's concerns, he
says that, based on historical precedent, his predic-.
tions are not inconceivable.
"People say, 'How could that happen?' -- but it has
already happened," says Wilson. "It happened
in the past. You can't say it is above man because it
has already happened.
"The church believed that the pontiff was the
head of the church. John Huss and John Wyclif
believed that Christ was the head of the church, and
they believed that Scripture, and not tradition, is
the sole authority in matters of faith. They were
persecuted. It's not above the human mind to
persecute someone because of what they believe to
be true."
Luther King program 1
% Bfil
irsley Blair
by United Church of Christ
ch system. the United Church of Christ,
eludes a great The work of the ministry in nal
assessment eludes education, publication,
on the part of evangelism, local church develop!
evaluation on ment and prophetic service and
inmmee. acuon.
n committee is
United Church Dr. Marion R. Blair is pastor
land Ministries, at Wentz Memorial United
trumcntality of?Chureh -ef Christ.
wives, widows hold meeting
nominational theme of "Love: The Greatest"
and Ministers' for the coming biennium.
itly at the Delta It was also noted at the meeting
that the national organization has
vas the nostess changed the organization's official
name from "Alliance" to
r Jones, the 44 Association of Ministers'
w president, in- Wives."
v slate of pro- Mrs. Lonnie Robinson was
rttces which will chosen as the new program chairfor
the terrcr man; Mildred Leak was selected
as the new membership chairlined
the duties man. - ~
;ommittees and The group's next meeting will
airman of each be held1 at First Baptist Church;
lin contact with Lucy Summers will be the
ar. hostess.
ograms for the ' ?
s will stress MCIAiC
vi i wn w l iibVf 9
the community, nBAHl IftJCC
/ith established DEADLINES ... .
The deadline for announceon
chose the ments is Monday at 5:30 p.m. v
??? ? ( v