Mount Zion announces Lenten Revival
SPECIAL TO THE
CHRONICLE
Mount Zion Baptist
Church announces its
Lenten Revival schedule
for 2015. The schedule
includes a series of special
devotions and worship
services at Mount Zion
leading up to Easter. Lent
is a season of the year
where Christians focus on
simple living, prayer, and
fasting in order to grow
closer to God.
It's the forty days
before Easter, excluding
Sundays.
Pastors and congrega
tions from eight area
churches will be co-cele
brants with Mount Zion in
its Lenten observance this
year. A joint worship expe
rience at First Baptist
Church on Highland
Avenue will lead off the
revival series on Ash
Wednesday, February 18.
The revival series move
back to Mount Zion each
Thursday night thereafter.
All of the evening services
begin at 7 pm.
The full lineup of pas
tors and churches coming
to Mount Zion for its 20IS
Lenten Revival is an inclu
sive list: February 26, Dr.
James Linville and Piney
Grove Baptist Church.
March 5,
Rev. Frederick O. Bass
Jr. and Mount Vernon
Baptist Church of High
Point. March 12, Rev.
Dennis Bishop and First
WaughtovVn Baptist
Church.
March 19, Dr. Dennis
Leach and Morning Star
Baptist Church.
March 26, Rev. Frank
Thomas and Mount Zion
Baptist Church of High
Point.
Locally, Mount Zion's
Lenten Revival culminates
with two high worship
experiences.
On Maundy Thursday,
April 2, Dr. Paul Lowe and
his congregation from
Shiloh Baptist Church will
worship at Mount Zion.
The crowning experi
ence in this annual series
will be Sunrise Service on
April 5. Rev. James Cook
and the St. Stephen
Missionary B
aptist Church Family
will join Mount Zion at this
time for worship and a fel
lowship breakfast, with
service beginning at 6:30
a.m.
Various Mount ? Zion
ministries will assume
leadership roles in the
revival format.
A special devotional
book written by host pastor,
Dr. Serenus T. Chum
Sr. will be given to each
person attending the
Lenten Revival on
Thursday nights.
All of the Lenten
Revival services are open
to the public.
A.M.E. chain of
from page K re stau
t r a n t s
based in
N. Snellville, Ga.
A.M? church members buying
from those two businesses will cause
the churches to benefit from those
sales; then identify other businesses
in and around the states and "replicate
this process". Weaver described.
After tracking the sales, initiated by
the churches, the hope is that other
church districts will get involved and
that the movement will spread to
other businesses and other churches.
II A 1 *._?!_ I . J
/\nu we cenamiy nope ana pray
that this will become a much larger
Black faith effort and we will reach
out to the Baptist community, the
Church of God and Christ and die list
goes on," Weaver said. "If we're able
to affect a significant change in terms
of relationships with Black business
es, can you imagine if we're able to
boost their profit margin and there
fore they are going to have to hire
more people and therefore they will
be reaching back to the faith commu
nity. More people will have jobs, they
will have better jobs; therefore there
will be less frustration, economically,
in our community."
* So far, the congregations have
been receptive to the idea. Weaver
said. "Quite frankly, I've not met any
resistance thus far."
In his speech. Grant reminded the
audience that a legacy of Black eco
nomic develop was at the core of the
founding of the A.M.E. Church.
"I agree with that great A.M.E.
historiographer, Dr. Dennis C.
Dickerson, who said that the history
of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church ? founded ? by Bishop
Richard Allen ? reflects the black
liberationist narrative of African
American history," Grant said.
"Nearly eight decades before the
signing of the Emancipation
Proclamation, Allen, a free man, was
already promoting Black economic
development. So it is fitting that we
come to his church today with an
urgent message: The time for
Americans of African descent to take
our place at the round table of eco
nomic opportunity is now. With each
passing day, the price of not having a
well-thought out economic agenda
for Black America continues to
extract a toll and degrade our position
in this country and throughout the
diaspora."
Grant, who last year received the
U. S. Department of Commerce's
Lifetime Achievement Award for his
Black business advocacy, ticked off
statistics that undergird the need for
an economic movement to support
Black-owned businesses and Black
owned banks:
There are currently 1.9 million
Black-owned businesses in America,
but only about one in 20 have more
than one employee and less than 2
percent have annual gross receipts of
more than $1,000,000.
In terms of relative wealth, White
America is 20 times richer than Black
America, according to a recent Pew
Report.
In the 1960s, we had 60 Black
owned banks. Today, that number has
dwindled to only 30. "What is insane
about this tragic loss is this: The bank
is the only institution in our commu
nity that can leverage or multiply dol
lars 7, 8, 9 or 10 times. That means
for every $1,000,000 dollars of
invested capital in these banks, they
are able to loan out 7,8,9 or $10 mil
lion for economic development, busi
ness growth and job creation."
Grant said African-Americans
lost significant ground in business
ownership after integration, largely
because African-Americans were no
longer forced to support each other.
"As long as we were forced to
trade with each other and barter with
each other, our businesses (small as
they were) thrived. But in our minds,
we were never quite good enough.
We had internalized the lie about our
lack of inherent worth," he said.
"When the doors of integration gave
us the long-awaited pass to wine and
dine with our former oppressors, we
enthusiastically abandoned our own
in search of an elusive White accept
ance. We believed then ? and many
of us still do ? that association would
bring on assimilation."
Dr. King concluded on April 3,
1968, the eve of his assassination:
"We've got to stay together and main
tain unity. You know, whenever
Pharaoh wanted to prolong the period
of slavery in Egypt, he had a favorite,
favorite formula for doing it. What
was that? He kept the slaves fighting
among themselves.
But whenever the slaves get
together, something happens in
Pharaoh's court, and he cannot hold
the slaves in slavery. When the slaves
get together, that's the beginning of
getting out of slavery. Now let us
maintain unity."
??????? ? 1 1
Submitted photo
Yette Rente Matthews-Phifer, composer and director
of music at Winston Salem Preparatory Academy,
sings with the school's Mixed Chorus.
Diggs Memorial
fetes leaders at ,
BHM program
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Diggs Memorial United Holy Church held a Black
History program on Feb. 8 with the theme "Know those
that Labor Among You."
The Rev. Annie Duck was the facilitator and president
for the event. The Rev. Travest Hunter, principal of the
School of Excellence of Winston Salem, served as the
master of ceremony.
The Diggs youth dance ministry (Kayla Smooth,
Diamond and Dallas Martin, Jada Tate) provided a mov
ing liturgical ministry.
Evangelist Monique McClenney galvanized the audi
ence with a warm welcome. The Rev. Sharon Isaiah pre
sented the poem "Life."
Duck presented certificates of recognition honoring
the service of "Unsung Heroes & Herions" from the com
munity who are still alive and are still making contribu
tions to our community. Those included: Ms. *Joycelyn
Johnson, social worker and former councilwoman of the s
East Ward.
?Isaac "Ike" Howard, deacon at Shiloh Baptist
Church, teacher and former Dallas Cowboys football
player.
?Nigel Alston, motivational speaker, columnist and
talk show host.
?Yette Renee Matthews-Phifer, composer and director
of music at Winston Salem Preparatory Academy
(WSPA), and minister of music.
The culminating aspect of the black history celebration
was the stellar performance of the Winston-Salem
Preparatory Academy's High School and Mixed Chorus
and Ladies Ensemble, who presented "A Journey in Music
from Africa to America."
Matthews-Phifer and the choir took the audience on a
tour in music back to the traditional African-American
spirituals of Africa with songs suqh as "Hold on,"
"Ezekiel Saw the Wheel" and "I Want to be Ready."
The Ladies Ensemble continued the journey, reaching
back for traditional songs such as:" God's Heaven, Swing
low, Sweet Chariot" and closed with an old-time spiritual
medley.
The WSPA Mixed Chorus picked up the driver seat
and brought the audience up to the contemporary African
American gospel sounds of songs such as: "So Amazing,"
and "Strong Finish."
When the journey was over, the audience felt as
though they had traveled the time capsule from the
African-American roots of Negro spirituals to the contem
porary sounds of gospel today.
The principle of WSPA, Rev. Richard Watts was rec
ognized for his work commitment to making a difference
with youth. The recognition and obvious respect of the
WSPA Choir and parents for principle Watts was made
clear as he was recognized.
Mother Carrie Miller, culinary president of Diggs
Memorial, and her staff were recognized for her leader
ship and food preparation of the wonderful meal served to
WSPA Choir and the community at large. Pastor Lamonte
Williams, along with the officers and members of Diggs
Memorial, say they would like to thank the community for
supporting the event.
Religion
from page B5
Minister Valerie
Northington is the program
leader. Bishop John C.
Parks is the senior pastor of
the church.
Black History service
The Forsyth County
Missionary Union will
convene Sunday, Feb. 22,
at 3 p.m. at First
Waughtown Baptist
Church. 838 Moravia
St. Youth and young adults
will meet at 1:30 p.m.
Seniors will meet at 3 p.m.
(Mini Rally/Black
History) Rev. Dennis
Bishop is senior pastor.
Geneva Payne is president
of the First Wauhtown
Baptist Union. The presi
dent of the Forsyth County
union is Lenner P. Jefferies.
For more information
please contact: R. J. Gore
at (336) 817-8424.
Black History Month
Piney Grove Baptist
Church, 4715 Indiana Ave.,
will have a service on
Sunday Feb. 22 at 4 p.m.
honoring Black History
Month. Pastor Richard
Miller and Holy Trinity
Full Gospel Fellowship
Center will be the guests.
For more information call
(336)-744-5759.
Beginning Feb. 24
Quarterly Assembly
The first-quarter meet
ing for the North Carolina
Area of the Northwestern
District Quarterly
Assembly of the Holiness
Church of God Inc. will
convene Feb. 24 through
March 1 at God's United
House of Grace and Mercy
in High Point, where the
host pastor is Ruling Elder
Carolyn Lazenby. The
weeknight sessions will
begin at 7:30 p.m. nightly
and the Sunday service
begins at 4 p.m. A Bible
discussion and business
meeting is scheduled for
Saturday, Feb. 28, starting
at noon, at Bethlehem
Holiness Church, Winston
Salem. All churches are to
submit their reports before
this business meeting.
The scheduled church
es and speakers are as fol
lows: Tuesday,
Elder Calvin Smith of
Miracle Temple Holiness
Church (High Point);
Wednesday, Overseer Roy
Alston (Graham, NC);
Thursday- Ruling Elder
Wardlow Frasier of Mount
Calvary Holiness Church,
Friday- Bishop James
Ijames of Mount Zion
Holiness Church
(Mocksville) and Sunday
Overseer Eugene Kirby of
Bethlehem Holiness
Church. On Sunday, March
1, the designated church
choir will render the night
ly music.
Presiding Overseer
Eugene Kirby, Jr. invite all
members of the NCANW
District, friends and the
public to come and wor
ship.
Feb.27
Job fair
Love Community
Development Corp. will
sponsor at job fair on
Friday, Feb. 27, from 9
a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Love
Community site, 3980 N.
Liberty St. Several
employers have committed
to be on hand for the job
fair, such as Novant
Health, Lowe's Home
Improvement, Bradley
Personnel, City of
Winston-Salem, Goodwill
and A AC Communication.
Anyone who needs help in
creating or updating a
resume should go to the
corporation's Job Link
fromlO a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday.
Interested people should
sign up at the front desk at
the Love Community site.
Plan
from page B5
discounts if they show
their church programs
when they dine at a
Denny's owned by
Thompson.
A.M.E. leaders want
to "support people who
are willing to provide
jobs."
The Rev. Jonathan
Weaver, senior pastor of
Greater Mt. Nebo
A.M.E. Church in
Bowie, Md., and board
member pf the A.M.E.
organization that deals
with economic growth
and development proj
ects, said in a news
report that so far, the
congregations have been
receptive to the idea.
"Quite frankly, I've
not met any resistance
thus far," he said.
Peppers
from page B5
enemy throws whatever he
(they) can, to deter the
effort. Where the believer's
head is will determine
behavior. Salvation comes
through Jesus Christ. He
overcame death and will
defeat evil once for all. The
church can never forget this
no matter how hot the bat
tle is. The sword can be
used to defend or to attack.
To cap off the armor, the
believer has to remain in
relationship with God. This
v
is done by prayer and
study. Both keeps the
church connected to the
Almighty. That connection
makes everything worth
while.
Life's Application:
Are you clothed and ready
for battle? We face the
enemy daily whether it is
on the job, in the communi
ty, over the airwaves, in our
homes and even in the con
gregation! We've got to
stay prayed up or our sur
?
roundings will get the best
of us. Regardless of what's
before us, there is hope
because we know who the
victor will be! As a good
soldier clothed and ready,
we know our
Commander's voice and
His love for us and we
know what is right. When
we stand for God. it has to
be in love, not hate; in
humility not arrogance; and
in forgiveness not
vengeance.
Church
from page ^5
on biblical principles to
guide spiritual growth.
Also participating on
the panel is Jasmyn
Graham. Graham is a
second-year student at
the Wake Forest
University School of
Divinity with a concen
tration in Congregational
Ministry. She earned her
Bachelor of Arts degree
from Morris College with
a major in Christian
Education. Graham
aspires to become a pas
tor.
LeTika Stephens,
coordinator of the Youth
Liturgical Dance
Ministry at St. John CME
Church, will serve as
moderator.
All are invited to
attend, especially all
youth and young adults.
The Rev. Omar L.
Dykes is the pastor.
if
P Macedonia Holiness Church Of God
Of The Apostolic Faith, Inc.
Sunday Service*
Sunday School 9:43 a.m.
Morning Worship .......... 11:00 a.m.
M.Y.P.U 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday Service*
Prayer A Bible Study 7:30 p.m.
4111 Whitfield Drive
Phone: 336-767-3700
Fax: 336-767-7006
IfthfU.HlB.fr.
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