PAGE B6
Winston-Salem Chronicle
Religion
JANUARY 217;;;;
FOCUS
Pastor Jeanne Bryant dies
By ANGIE MARTIN
Chronicle Staff Writer
Only a few people came to say goodbye to Jean-
nie Bryant. The pastor and founder of Disciples of
Christ Holy Church passed away on Sunday, Jan. 3.
She was laid to rest the following Friday when the first
snow storm of the year made venturing outdoors dan
gerous. Another memorial service is being planned by
Bryant's collegues at the Baptist Hospital where she
worked as a unit secretary.
Fashion Industry High School and later she attended
Long Island University in Brooklyn in her home state
of New York, Before moving to Winston-Salem in
1977 she had operated a night club.
Then she turned her attention and her work to
God. She embarked upon an evangelism campaign in
New York. In 1978 she served as an evangelist with
various prison fellowships in Danbury.
Only a few short years ago, Bryant founded her
church in the basement of Connie Mack's home.
Mack, who served as Bryant's secretary, said that
"God said I should open up for him a
house of prayer. It was a unique experience.
If you've ever heard the voice of God,
nobody is there except God and you. "
- Jeanne Bryant Alford
Bryant stepped out on faith in starting her small
church. Mack said that it was evident to all, Bryant
had a burning zeal to accomplish what God had told
her to do - to preach.
Later she joined Baptist Hospital where Mack
experienced Bryant’s powerful Christian witness that
affected others both inside and outside of the church.
"She was a woman who stood firmly on God’s word,"
Mack said. "Whatever God gave her, she spoke. She
was a dynamic woman of God."
In addition to preaching, working and guiding her
five children, Bryant attended classes at Forsyth Tech
nical College. In August 1982 she stepped out on
faith and founded Disciples for Christ Holy Church.
"God said I should open up for him a house of
prayer. It was a unique experience. If you've ever
heard the voice of God, nobody is there except God
and you. It's the voice of thunder, and you've got to
obey," said Bryant during an interview with the
Chronicle in 1986.
Pastor Jeanne Bryant died recently following a long illness. She was the founder and pastor of Discini
of Christ Holy Church (top file photo by James Parker).
a slightly larger facility near the Samaritan Soup
Kitchen on Patterson Avenue. In 1985 the church
moved to its present location on Ogbum Avenue. The
following year the church received its church charter
from the state of North Carolina.
Known to many as a dynamic and strong speaker
Bryant also could be heard to whisper a prayer in the
early morning hours when a caller needed counseling.
"She used to always say to continue to trust God
and to hold on - nothing is impossible with God -
hold fast to your profession of faith. That was basical
ly one of her teachings," Mack said. "She taught oth
ers to trust in God and to hold on."
Bryant held on as well as she could after becom
ing ill almost a year age. She was a graduate of the
So she obeyed. She started the church with only
three congregation members. Times were hard then
and often she doubted her ability to carry forth God’s
word.
'You don't think about the problems and opposi
tions when you've been told what God wants of you,”
she said. "When the Lord first spoke to me and told
me to make a house of prayer, 1 said, 'Lord, I can't do
this kind of work.' But I did it"
As one of a small number of women pastors in the
community, Bryant did not let stigmas, often attached
to women preaching in the pulpit, deter her. "Souls
are all I’m concerned with," she taught her congrega
tion. "I've overlooked the skepticism of being a
woman minister. If a person is truly anointed and sent
by God, it doesn't matter if you're male or female. In
the pulpit, I don't try to justify being a woman."
almost withdrawn person, said Mack. Mack said t
somehow the Lord de-emphasized Bryant’s shyn.
and fashioned her into a valuable vessel to be u»l
the building up others.
Bryant leaves behind ftve grown children. Two
them, Miriam Booth Cross and Addis Booth, residt
Winston- Salem. Her daughter, Aisha Booth Joi
lives in Kemersville.
And she did it well. Mack recalls that Bryant’s
spiritual influence grew and that the congregation
expanded over the years. In 1982 the church moved to
"She would tell you she loved you, and she would
always tell you that Jesus loved you," said Mack. As
Mack characterized her pastor’s mission, Bryant led a
unique one-on-one personal Christian counseling min
istry that touched the lives of everyone she met.
Bryant had often described herself as a shy,
Bryant also experienced the death of her moil
when she was very young. As one of eight chiidr
left to the care of a single parent she neverthele
learned a way to make it through difficult Umes, apt
losophy - rather, a hope - that she shared wi’th ot
ers. She believed that even during hard limes a pera
must "keep theii hand in the hand of the Lord."
CHURCH
CALENDAR
SATURDAY JAN. 23
• The Usher Board of Christ Rescue Temple will sponsor a breakfast
and dinner sale with breakfast beginning at 7 am. Dinner sales will
begin at 11 a.ro. until 4 p.m. The church is located at 1500 N. Dunlcilh
Ave. For more information call 722-9841.
• Saints Home United Methodist Church will present "AIDS and You"
during its Youth Crusade from9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The church is located
at 1390 Thurmond Sl Fellowship and free pizza will follow the work
shop. For more information call 723-3552.
Looking forward, she had said, "I've found that
all my good limes and laughter there’s nothing I'm;
satisfied with as the Lord. Preaching the word of Gt
is my joy. To be caught up in the Spirit is my joy."
CHURCH NOTES
Religion-oriented television show to begin broadcasting
SUNDAY JAN. 24
• Ordination services for evangelist Lee Faye Mack will take place at
7 p.m. at New Faith Holiness Church. The church is located at 1419
Waughtown St,
A new religion-oriented tele
vision show will make its area
debut on cable television Sunday,
Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. The premiere of
"Biblia Magazine- 'The T.V. Show’
" will air on cable channel 32.
The first show will feature a
90-minute segment on celebrations
of the King holiday in the Triad
area. The co-hosts for the televi
sion show, which will air three
times a week, will be Dr. Serenus
T. Chum Jr., Tim Jackson and the
Rev. L.V. Lassiter. Jackson said the
show will cover a variety of topics.
* The Annual Installation of Officers service will be he|d at Shiloh
Baptist Church at 6:15 p.m. The Rev. William S. Fails, pastor of Hanes
CME Church will serve as the guest pastor.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Emmanuel Baptist Church will hold early Sunday morning services
at 8 a.m. For more information call 788-7848.
• Sl. Peter’s Apostolic Church of God will sponsor Wednesday morn
ing prayer meetings and Bible study each week at 10:30 a.m. The Rev.
J. C. Hash is the Bible study teacher. For more information call the
church office at 722-2285. »
The Awakening Giants, an interfaiih religious organization, has
begun the first quarter session of its Educational and Cultural Center
featuring workshops in storytelling for children. Tai-Chi Chaun,
African Dance, African American History and Spanish classes. For
more information call 722-1119.
St. Peter's Apostolic Church of God will conduct Inner Healing
Services every third Saturday at noon. Mary Abbott will conduct the
services. For more information call 722-2285. The church is located
at 1031 Highland Ave.
CHURCH NEWS DEADLINES
like ^Chronicle welcomes your church announcements and news from
some -ies church. The deadline for submitting church materials
iniramuqay 5.30
"If >
"The program will look at
stale, national and local issues with
a religious emphasis," said Jack-
son. ”We feel there is a need for
this program because there is no
medium to look at minority con
cerns."
Jackson said the weekly show
also wilt include a five-minute seg
ment on economic development.
Jackson applauded the County
Churn
Lassiter
Jackson
Commissioners for taking the lead
in helping to make the television
show a reality. The initial broadcast
on the King celebrations, Jackson
said, will be underwritten in part
by the Commissioners.
"The key has been the County
Commissioners," he said. "(County
Commissioner John) Holleman has
made sure that the program is aired
over the education network. Previ
ously, it didn't seem that the Com
missioners have been as sensitive
to issues of black concern. Maybe
this is a sign that they are becom
ing more involved. Thai’s progress
and that's good."
"Biblia Magazine" will be
broadcast on WEJS, the area's new
gospel-oriented station.
Ordination services scheduled for Evangelist Lee Faye Mack at New Faith
Ordination services will be
held for evangelist Lee Faye Mack
at New Faith Chapel Holiness
Church on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m.
Mack will be ordained as a
licensed minister with services
conducted by Dr. Lawrence S. Tate,
pastor and general overseer of New
Faith Chapel Holiness Church.
Mack has been ministering for
five years. She is a recruiter with
the Winston-Salem Urban League.
A community developer in the
areas of housing, education and
government, she has served on var
ious committees and neighborhood
coalitions.
Mack is also the board chair
man of Broadbay Homebuyers
Association.
She is certified in the problem
solving approach to community
work by the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro.
Services program. Mack holds an
honorary doctorate degree in
human services from the Urban
League, for recognition of
unselfish dedication to the devel
opment of young minds.
She has also been recognized
by the Neighborhood Reinvest
ment Corporation for her contribu
tion to the Neighborhood Housing
She has five daughters. Hazel
Mack; Clara Mack; Ruth M. Hop
kins; Lenora Mack; Betty Mack
and one son, Preston Mack.
New Faith Chapel Holiness
Church is located at 1411^
Whughiown Street.
Theologian challenges Afro-Americans to achieve dreams
By The Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. - The fulfill
ment of the dream envisioned by
the Rev. Martin Luther King in the
1960s is the responsibility of
blacks in the 1980s, an Atlanta the
ologian said during a speech at
Jackson State University.
'Tfs in your hands,” said the
Rev. George Thomas, an associato
professor at the Interdenomination
al Theological Center in Atlanta.
"The dream that you have in your
heart, is it a living dream or is it a
dead dream?"
King's dream for equality and
justice for all humanity exists
through God's providence, Thomas
said during the speech Friday,
"Beautiful dreams never die,"
Thomas added. "You can kill the
dreamer, but bullets have no power
over the life and death of the
dream."
King, who advocated change
through civil disobedience rather
than violence, was assassinated
April 4, 1968, in Memphis, as he
stood on the balcony of the Lor
raine Hotel. James Earl Ray, an
escaped convict, pleaded guilty to
the slaying and was sentenced to
99 years.
Congress set aside the third
Monday in January to commemo
rate King __ a date close to King’s
Jan. 15 birthday. The first official
holiday observance was in 1986.
At Jackson Slate, Friday's com
memorative activities included an
afternoon panel discussion follow
ing the theme Reflections on
Living The Dream."
State Sen. Alice Harden of Jack-
son said she attempts to live
King’s dream.
"My way of living the dream
in fact, I hope, reflected in
daily life," Harden said. I “V
you will seek to do that thronfl'
love."
Improved educational ad
employment opportunities
blacks are positive ,
fulfilling King’s dream, Hardej
said. But blacks cannot make ih
dream real on their own.
-Ufs put God first, in
the dream a reality, we
are
Lue uieuiii a
to need someone bigger ^
and I," she said.