SECTION B
Winston-Salem Chronicle
MAY 12, 1988
Religion
Patterson tends young flock
iBARKSDALE
viidB Staff Writer
The founder of Ambassador Cathedral said that
L type of growth must begin with a young seed and
I's the principle on which he built his church.
In 1965 Bishop F.D. Patterson began a group
as Ambassadors for Christ, a youth group
Jiich operated within the Baptist church. The purpose
of the group, he said, was to find a way to keep young
,|^ple interested in participating in church activities
gnd to make them realize their importance to the over
all church. For Patterson, the organizing of Ambas-
DfS for Christ was a continuation of his ministry to
jtig people that began when he first became a min
ister.
■ "My ministry has always been with young peo
ple," said Patterson, who is celebrating his 39th minis-
• Fur Nticks, cocuinr and truck have
•comr a symbol of 'steppin}i up' and
dnii ihiiifis ihiii other people are doinf{.
tiidni: druiiS) become a .'status symbol."
- Uislinp I .I). Faiurson
ial anniversary this week. 'TVe always had a natural
■action to and interest in teen-agers. Most of the
lurches are started with young people."
But Patterson, a native of Indianapolis, didn't
_ 'ays plan on being a preacher or dedicating his life
to ministering to young people. What he actually had
in mind for a career was far removed from the course
he finally chose. Ifatterson said he had his heart and
mind set on being a scientist and joined the Navy in
ticipation of developing skills to lead him in that
rection. But somewhere along the line, he said, his
urse got switched and he found himself in the pulpit
itead of in the science lab.
"I was always very interested in scientists. I had
gotten out of the Navy and I planned on being a
scientist,” said Patterson, who attended Butler Univer
sity. "The Lord impressed upon me that he wanted me
to preach. So I gave up the idea of being a scientist
and I went to seminary in Louisville."
The science field's loss may have been the reli
gious field's gain, particularly when it came to bring
ing young people to the church in active roles.
In 1970, Patterson extended his ministry beyond
the Baptist church and founded Ambassador Cathe
dral, an interdenominational church organization.He
said his reasons for focusing so much attention on
young people are a matter of logic and a matter of
growth and survival.
'Young people are the church of tomorrow, the
world of tomorrow, the citizens of tommorrow," he
said. "But they're also the citizens and the church of
today. If you start with a group of young people, they'll
help bring their parents in. Tney're the ones who will
carry on so they've got to become interested and
involved now."
But Patterson admits that the mission of minister
ing to young people is not always easy, particularly
today when they have so many other distractions and
temptations. Too many churches, in Patterson's opin
ion, have chosen not to devote enough time to provid
ing youth-oriented programs at their churches and
have lost them by the time they become adults.
'You Just have to have someone with the mind
and emphasis on young people," Patterson said.
'Young people feel that everything is for adults and
they feel left out. Too many churches are waiting until
they get grown to deal with them."
Patterson said that a lot of young people are
"going bad" simply because they have nothing else to
occupy their time except drugs and other harmful
activities. He said the kinds of things that brought
young people to church and kept them out of trouble
years ago, like the lure of free movies and fellowships,
are losing the battle against the things that keep them
away, like drug abuse and crime. He said that the
Bishop F.D. Patterson: Bringing youth back to church is a critical part of his ministry (photo by Mike
Cunningham).
church is in a position to provide an alternative to
those activities just by letting their young people know
there is a place for them in church and that someone
will be there to listen to them and help with their prob
lems.
"I admit that in the last few years it has gotten
more difficult to attract young people, but most times
they will be attracted just because someone takes time
for them," said Patterson who with his wife raised
eight children of their own and two foster children.
'You don't have to have any great charisma or the Pied
Piper effect We don't have the impact in the communi
ty like we used to. It's hard to get them used to coming
to a church building for anything."
Patterson said finding a solution to the problems
of youth in general can be traced to the home and to
the school. Parents, he said, must take the lead in help
ing children channel their energies into positive activi
ties.
'Youth not being involved in the church is one of
the symptoms of the problems they're having," said
Patterson. "They're looking for something to thrill
them and it's something that they don't get at home or
at school. For blacks, cocaine and crack have become
a symbol of 'stepping up' and doing things that other
people are doing. It's (using drugs) become a status
symbol."
As he celebrates his 39th year in the ministry, Pat
terson said he also is relieved to see family groups
returning to the church.
"For me to be able to look out and see families
coming to church together is very rewarding," he said.
"We're getting back to the old ways of families coming
to church and then taking the church back out to the
community."
CHURCH
CALENDAR
CHURCH NOTES
B.F. Daniels to deliver keynote address at Shiloh service
THURSDAY MAY 12
The Quarterly Assembly of New Faith Chapel Holiness Church will
» )e held through May 15 at 7:30 nightly at Open Door Apostolic
Ilhurch. The guest speakers will include Elder Reginald Eldridge, the
lev. J.B. Morrison, the Rev. Doris Russell, and Dr. Lawrence S. Tate,
[he assembly will close at 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information call
184-7699. Tate is the general overseer; C.L. Acker is host pastor.
FRIDAY MAY 13
The Youth Alive of St. Peter's Church of God Apostolic will present
heir first annual youth revival "Rappin for Jesus” through May 15. Tlie
ffogram will be held at 7 p.m. May 13,10 a.m. May 14,7:30 p.m. May
14, and at 6 p.m. May 15.
SUNDAY MAY 15
Friendship Baptist Church will begin its annual spring revival at the
Ul a.m. worship service. The revival will run through Friday, May 20.
me evangelist for the week will be the Rev. Lorenza A. Lynch, pastor
fcf White Rock Baptist Church in Durham. Services will be held nightly
It 7; 15. The Rev. S£. Tyndall is pastor.
The Junior Missionary Department of Calvary Hill Apostolic
Ihurch, 2411 Urban St., will hold a youth day program at 4 p.m. The
)pic is "Youth Speak Out." Elder C.C. Turner is host pastor.
The Pastor's Aid Auxiliary of
Shiloh Baptist Church will cele
brate its Annual Observance Sun
day, May 15, at 7 p.m.
The Rev. Benjamin F. Daniels,
pastor of Union Baptist Church,
and congregation will be the hon
ored guests.
Daniels, a native of Weldon, is
a graduate of Booker T. Washing
ton High School in Norfolk, Va. He
earned a Bachelor of Divinity
Degree from Norfolk Stale College
in 1965 and a Master of Divinity
Degree from Shaw Divinity School
in 1974. Since 1982, he has studied
toward a Doctorate Degree in Min
istry at St. Mary's Seminary and
University, of Baltimore.
For the past seven years he has
been the pastor of Union Baptist
Church.
He served as pastor of First
B^tist Church in Lexington from
1969 until 1981.
His career began at Shaw Uni
versity in Raleigh, North Carolina
where he was a Dormitory coun
selor from 1962 until 1965, and
Dean of Men from 1965 until
1966. From 1966 until 1974, he
was a 1974, he was a Southern
Baptist Missionary with the Baptist
State Convention and he has
served on the Board of Friends of
the Shaw Divinity School. Daniels
was also president of the Forsyth
County Baptist Training Union,
directing a program of teaching
and training among the Baptist
Churches of Winston-Salem; trea
surer of the Rowan Baptist Associ
ation and Chairman of the Housing
Committee of the Gener^ Baptist
Convention, as well as a member
of the Progressive National Baptist
Convention, Lott Cary Foreign
Missionary Convention and the
Pilot Mountain Baptist Association
Strategy Planning Committee.
He served as co-director of the
Summer Lunch Program in David
son County, North Carolina, as lour
host with Wholesale Tours Interna
tional, and as a teacher with the
Seminary Extension of the Baptist
B.F. Daniels
The Youth Choir and the Tots Choir of Union Baptist Church will
Resent their 10th anniversary concert at 4 p.m. Sherwood T. Davis is
pinister of music..
MONDAY MAY 16
Christ Rescue Temple Apostolic Church, 1500 N. Dunleith Ave., wUl
»ld its annual revival through May 20 at 7 nightly. The guest evange
list is Bishop U.I. McCall, pastor of Bethel Apostolic Church in Flo
unce, S.C. The host pastor is Bishop W. Davis Jr.
Revival services wUl be held at Zion Hill Baptist Church through
lay 20 nightly at 7:30. Th evangelist for the week will be Elder James
Woodson, co-pastor of Mount Zion United Holy Church in Danville,
He currently serves as first administrative assistant of the state of
Mrginia. The Rev. John Walker is host pastor.
Stale Convention in Raleigh.
In his community, Daniels has
served as treasurer of the Emanci
pation Proclamation Day Associa
tion, and was a member of the
Christmas Cheer Toy Shop and of
the Executive Board of Crisis Con
trol Ministries. He presently holds
a membership in the Acacia
He and his wife reside at 3911
Ibny Drive.
Youth Alive schedule 'Rappin' for Jesus"
Celebrating A Milestone
The annual spring revival services will begin at St. Stephen Baptist
::hurch and run through May 20. Elder Richard Hairston, pastor of
poly Trinity Church of God and Christ, wiU be the evangelist for the
peek. The Rev. J.R. Samuels is host pastor.
St. Philips Moravian Church recently celebrated its 166th anniversary,
with a traditional Moravian lovereast ceremony. The Rev. Cedric Rod
ney was the featured speaker (photo by Harden Richards).
The Youth Alive of St. Peter's
Church of God Apostolic will pre
sent their First Annual Youth
Revival, "Revival, Rappin for
Jesus," on Friday, May 13 through
Sunday, May 15 with guest speaker
Stephen Wiley, the originator of
"Gospel Rap".
Pastor Wiley is a graduate of
Rhema Bible Training Center,
where he studied evangelism.
While attending Rhema, he
was a member of the Rhema
Singers and Band and traveled
with the Kenneth Hagin Ministries'
crusade.
A licensed and ordained min
ister, Wiley is currently serving as
Youth Pastor at Love Center Chris
tian Fellowship in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A "new breed” of evangelist,
Wiley ministers with a style that is
bold, dramatic, warm and humor
ous. Through the medium of rap
music, Wiley reaches out to young
people with a positive message of
inspiration, encouragement and suc-
Pastor Wiley states, "Through
gospel rap music, I establish a rap
port with young people that enables
me to tell them about the reality of
God's love for them in a way they
can relate to."
St. Peter's is located at 1031
Highland Ave.
8th annual Holy Convocation of Macedonia Holiness Church of
c. will convene at the headquarters church, 4111 Whitfield
hrough May 22. The theme for the event is "Let Jesus Be Jesus
■ Services will be held at 7:30 nighdy. The final serviee will be
nday, May 22, at 3 p.m. Dr. Robert L. Wise is host pastor and
overseer of Macedonia Holiness Church of God Inc.
lie/ uio icciiuieu 0(.n;ar\CI Uy naiUtJM nioiiaiuoy.
Marino returns to the South as first black archbishop
TUESDAY may 17
Evangelist Shirley Ceasar will present the annual spring revival
5ugh May 20 at Mount Calvary Holy Church. The guest evangelist
Please see page B5
WASHINGTON (AP) - Bishop
Eugene A. Marino, about to
become the first black archbishop
of the Roman Catholic Church in
America, returns this week to a
South he believes has "come of
age" since he left his native Missis
sippi 36 years ago bearing child-
hoc^ wounds of racial prejudice.
The 53-year-old Marino, an aux
iliary bishop in the Washington,
D.C., archdiocese since 1974, was
installed last week as archbishop of
Atlanta, taking charge of a 69-
county region of northern Georgia.
Marino recalls a childhood in
Biloxi, Miss., in which, for exam
ple, he and his sister were kicked
out of a coin-operated laundry
because they were black. But he
said in a recent interview feels
"personally very comfortable"
about returning to the South.
changed and come of age and
grown," he said. "In many ways,
the race question has been more
effectively addressed in much of
the South than it has been in the
North.
"I think I will be able as a black
person to function better in a
Southern situation, as a Southerner,
than I might be able to function in
some Northern situation," he said.
John Paul II in March came more
than two years after he and other
black bishops wrote a pastoral let
ter calling on the church to
increase the number of blacks in
official positions.
"I think that the South has
Marino's appointment by Pope
One of only 12 black bishops in
the United States, Marino became
the first to hold an office in the
National Conference of Catholic
Bishops when he was elected sec
retary of the organization in 1985.
Lodge, the John G. Lewis Junior
Consistory 326, the Al-Khaitab
Tbmple (charter member) and the
Eta Beta Beta Chapter of Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
He has been recognized
throughout this career with plaques
from the Elks of North Carolina
for working with youths, the Lex
ington Ministeria Association for
outstanding service and the First
Baptist Church of Lexington, for
outstanding accomplishments. He
has been awarded the key to Union
Baptist Church.
He also received a Distin
guished Service Award of Appreci
ation from Shaw Divinity School.
His biographical sketch is listed in
Marquis Who's Who In Religion.
Daniels is married to the for
mer Bronnie M. Harris of Winston-
Salem, a counselor for the Win
ston-Salem/Forsyth County School
System.
Hi
"‘■*1