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SfH Opportunity
Day Dinner Speaker
See Story Page 16A
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Pre«y Toni Henry
.“Beauty of the Week”
Pretty Toni Henry “Had
—-—-— ----—:_• _
Great Time” In Jamaica
By Jalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
Pretty Toni Henry ndbst have
turned heads during ho- recent stay
in Jamaica, West Indies. But this 17
year old. South Mecklenburg High
School student only knows she had a
great time on the sunny island.
“I enjoyed it,” admits Toni.
‘‘Jamaica is a lot different than
home.” Not only was she around for
the celebration of independence Day'
In Jamaica, but Toni also experi
enced “Sun Splash.” “It’s three to
four days of constant reggae.
music” she explains.
“And the food is great,” Tool
found. She ate “lots of seafood” and
she informs, “The Jamaicans eat
rice with every meal.” She dis
covered a fruit similar to grapes
with a distinct sweet taste. “I also
ate Jerk Chicken,” explains Toni. “I
think that it is a fried pork diah. It
was very good.” ‘ -
Toni loved the food,music and the
beaches in Jamaica but she de
tected that the living conditions on
the island were not the best. “It
makes you appreciate your own
country,” Toni states. “But I’ll
\ always love to visit Jamaica.”
Back in the States, Toni has begun
her senior year at South Mecklen
burg. “It’s great being a Benior. I’ve
been looking forward to this,”
smiles this week’s beauty. She is a
member of the Drama Chib and is
anticipating being in a few of the
school’s plays, Toni is also a mem
ber of the Paws Club, a service
group.
Her future plans are to graduate
J’VKnMWt Jll
One way to get a real kick out of a
card game is to SIT opposite your
jarife.
high school and attend either
Bennett College or UNC-Gree ns bo
ro. She’s considering these two
schools because she has family
members in Greensboro and Ben
nett is her mother's alma mater.
Toni’s mother, Peggy LeVonne
Henry, is the person she most ad
mires. Toni is an only child and she
relates that she and her mother are
“very close.” “My mother’s given
me practically everything I’d like to
have," Toni tells. "And she's a very
good role model. ” Toni’s mother is a
_teacher at Sedgefield Junior High
School. "She’s one of the best
teachers I’ve known,” Toni boasts.
“Yes, it’s nice having a mother
who’s a teacher,” responds the high
See TONI On Page 12A
At Revolution Park
!L unities To Celebrate
ay” Here Saturday
By Audrey C. IsdaUi
Post Staff Writer
Get set for fun, because that’s
what’s In store for you at Satur
day’s First Annual "We Are Family
Day,” co-sponsored by radio station
WGIV, Coca-Cola, and The Charlotte
Poat. The event will take place at
Res-olution Park beginning at about
11 o’clock.
“The family is the strongest insti
tution in the black community,”
noted Cal Thornton, Operations
Manager for WGIV. "We are trying
to affirm that valuable institution."
Thorton commented that the
concept of "family” inlcudea single
people. "They are a family, too," he
asserted.
Emphasizing that there are no
gimmicks or tricks to Saturday’s
celebration, Thorton stated he
envisions "families coming out and
bringing picnic baskets and grills,
and having a good time.” Activities
will Include bands, clowns, gospel
singers, rhythm god blues groups,
and • senior citizad fashion show.'
The Voter Task Force will be on
hand to register voters, and neigh
borhood groups will participate with
displays.’ The Afro-American
Cultural Center will be participat
ing. and it is expected that political
candidates will be making
-___ - - — — •
f-j V • 1
Here This Weekend
I_tend House
V nvocation
By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer
The United House of Prayer’s 58th
Annual Convocation convened at the
church’s motherhouse on Beatties
Ford Road this past Sunday,
September 30. Activities will
continue through Sunday, October 7.
Introductory services were
conducted by Charlotte pastor,
-Apostle C,-&. Gibeon, whn_apoke c
“The Choice Is Yours - To Serve
Him or Not to Serve Him.”
According to A1 Cloud, director of
the church’s Coalition of Concerned
Citizens in the Community, the
sanctuary was full for Sunday’s
service. Seating capacity at the
motherhouse is about 7,000. Noting
that Sunday’s heavy rain did not
hamper scheduled activities. Cloud
remarked, “I thought it would but it
didn’t, Nothing stops us.’’
Most of the opening day's partici
pants were from the local area. Out
of town people are scheduled to start
arriving Thursday. ‘-‘We’re
expecting buses" rfonTafl-wer- the
country,” Cloud revealed. “We’ll
block Beatties Ford Road off. We
take it over,” he laughed. Cloud
commented that there has been a
problem getting sufficient hotel
rooms this year because of the race
being in town the same week, but he
—is confidant that all nf the expected
16-17,000 arrivals will be
accommodated.
Cloud noted that the 600-seat cafe
teria is well-stocked and will be in
operation around the clock during
the final days of the Holy Convoca
tion. The motherhouse’s swimming
pool, normally used for summer
recreation, is being prepared for
Sunday morning’s Baptismal
Service. Bleachers are being set up
around the parking lot in prepara
tion for the big Band Exhibition. He
summed up the congregation’s
activities by saying, “Everything is
being spruced up and readied for the
convocation.”
Apostle Gibson, who has pastored
the state's motherhouse for seven
years, credits the House of Prayer’s
national growth to several factors.
One is its leader. Bishop W.
Honorable Bishop McCollough
.House of Prayer leader
McCollough. “He has been the
sparkplug, the entire motivation,”
Gibson enthused. He explained that,
before becoming bishop, the
Honorable W. McCollough was a
businessman. Under Bishop
McCollough's leadership, the House
of Prayer has been able to build
mortgage-free churches, thus
freeing members of heavy taxation;
purchase a modern bus fleet for the
convenience of any of the churches;
provide low-income housing for
members; and institute various
other programs to benefit church
members. Each November, Bishop
McCollough presents awards to
clubs and individual members based
on their activities over the previous
year.
Apostle Gibson began pastoring
for the House of Prayer 30 years ago
in Detroit under the church’s
founder. Bishop Charles Emmanuel
Grace, better known to his followers
as “Daddy Grace." Gibson has also
served in Buffalo, Columbia, and
Savannah. He explained that the
House of Prayer has something
for everyone. “Here we have about
Cal Thornton
.WGIV operation* manager
appearances Registered voters will
be eligible to win a television to be
raffled off by the Prince Hal!
MasonS|'aS9 (laMMBTbe othir3*p=
aways, including “a complete make
over from head to toe” for some
lucky woman, compliments of
D1 Essence No. I on Weet Boule
vard, according to WSIV’s Clara
Williams
Entertainment will Includrfeospel
singing by the Gospel Travelers,
Carol Blair and the Golden Angels,
Al Anders and the Mighty Golden
Crowns* the Southernaires, the
Silver Mount Baptist Church Gospel
Choir, soloist Patricia Staton, and
the Angels of Joy; rhythm and blues
by Southern Transit, the Com bona
tion Band, the Dice Band, ti ll, and
Identity; breakdancing by the
Wingate Body Wavers, the Junior
Shockers, and members of the D.C,
Family; and comedian Lionel
Norman.
Leading up to. activities at the
park will be a Martin Luther King
Fun Run and Torch Relay,
sponsored by the S.C.L.C. to
highlight the fact that this is the last
weekend that citizens can register to
vote for the November elections
The actual last day to register is
Monday, October 8.
The Torch Relay and Fun Run will
be routed through neighborhoods
where there is a high concentration
af ugreglstered voters. People will
knocking on dbbrir afcnf the
routes to encourage voter registra
tion.
According to Carrie Graves,
S.C.L.C. spokeswoman, the
Olympic-style relay will begin in the
Biddleville area at 7:00 a.m. As in
the Olympic relay, runners will be
passing the torch at intervals The
Fun Run will start at Little Rock
Apartments on West Boulevard
Both runs will end at Revolution
Park. ,v
"This is a fun and sportsman kind
of way to put emphasis on voter
registration now and voter partici
pation in November," Graves
explained "This in a non-partisan
activity. We want to stress how
important the November election is
We must participate to make our
voices heard," she. continued.
Noting that the first l^artin Luther
King Relay was held in Atlanta in
June, Graves revealed that
Charlotte was chosen as the second
site for the voter run. There will also
be runs in other cities the same day
Here in Charlotte, trophies will be
awarded for male, female, youth,
and elderly winning runners People
are being asked to sponsor runners
for the event The entry fee is $5 for
individual* and *25 for businesses
Ahmad Daniels is coordinating both
Tordnuny and Puri nun
Saturday’s "We Are Family Day"
la expected to become an annual
tradition, and may be the forerunner
of a "Black Family Month,"
according to WGIV’s Thorton
See FAMILY On Page 3A
30 clubs and auxiliaries," he stated
These inleude 10 choirs, one of which
is a youth choir comprised of 175
young people, imd two musical
bands (the McCollough Concert
Band and the McCollough Brass
Band). There are also recreation
programs, which provide revenue
for a scholarship program for the
church’s young people.
The House ojf_Prayer seems to
thrive on competition, both withTH
the congregation and among
churches. This weekend, for
instance, bands from the various
churches will compete in a massive
Band Exhibition, to be hied on
the motherhouse’s 6-acre parking
lot. During the past 12 weeks, at
convocations in other cities, choirs
have competed.
Apostle Gibson believes competi
tion motivates members. “Every
one has an objective to look forward
—•to- It gives them an interest to come
to church,” he remarked Gibson
thinks giving members something to
--do-makes-them-better-people
only in church, but also in their
homes, in the community, in their
towns and cities, and on up to the
national level.
The pastor explained that when
new members join the House of
Prayer, they are encouraged to
become active the full life of the
congregation, not just attend Sun
day services. "When someone
becomes a member, we let the
individual decide which auxiliary or
club they want to be part of." he
stated.
All church members benefit,
Gibson emphaized. We are all one.
We are our brothers' keeper," he
said concerning the church's finan
cial structure, whereby all income
from the various churches is
pooled "Regardless how small a
congregation is, it can have some of
the luxuries of the larger churches,"
he added. "Church is a place where
people go for consolation and com
fort, not to feel obligated with'
things they can’t comply with.”
Members, he said, simply give what
they can.
The House of Prayer on Beatties
Ford Road is motherhouse to the 29
churches in North Carolina. Church
headquarters are in Washington,
D.C. Gibson explained that there are
several classes or categories of
states, depending on such factors as
size and church membership. “We
(North Carolina) were the top state
in our class this year,” the Char
lotte pastor reported. He added that
the District of Columbia had held
that honor for the past 13 years.
4 Schedule iff A iw/Ai ^
4l SATURDAY. OCT. B l|*
4l McColloojfh Scholarship |]»
y Soft B»» Game
4 2pm
A West Charlotte Senior High If*
i t
T T
4i SUNDAY. OCT. 7 ||»
jt| Baptismal Service at the A
House of Prayer ^
▼ II a m.
4* 2321 Beatties Ford Hoad l)*
♦ • ♦
+ •- *»
4» SUNDAY, OCT. 7 $*
A Band Exhibition iL
at 2p.m.
T* on the House of Prayer Ground**
4* 2321 Beattie. Ford Road
* - 4
and enjoy this week of V
4l Spiritual Feast with u*. There |J»
4,will he program, and preach-£
♦♦ 4 4 4* 4»