13A
RELIGION / The Charlotte Post
Thursday, January 30,1997
CHURCH NEWS
•New St. John Baptist
2000 St. John’s Church
Road
The Rev. Robert Leake will
deliver the morning message,
“Good News in Bad Times.”
Prayer meeting and Bible
study are held on Wednesday at
7 p.m. Sunday school is 9:45
a.m.
•Seigle Avenue
Preshyterian
832 Seigle Ave.
The church will host its annu
al Gospel Sing Sunday at 4 p.m.
Plaza. The guest speaker will be
Evangelist Tina Patrice
Johnson. For more information,
caU 335-1535.
Inspirational Choir.
•The Urban League will
host 1997 Winter Gospel
Showcase, a celebration of Black
History Month, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.
at Spirit Square, 345 N. College
St. Tickets are $15 in advance
and $17.50 at the door. For
more information, caU 377-4444
extension 5401-5450.
•CJ4. Jenkins
Presbyterian
1421 StatesviUe Ave.
The chimch wUl present “God’s
Trombones,” A tribute to James
Weldon Johnson, Friday and
Saturday at 7:45 p.m. and
Sunday at 4 p.m.
Upcoming events
•First Baptist-West
1801 Oaklawn Ave.
The childcare wUl host a Black
History Soul luncheon Feb. 7 at
noon for parents.
•Reeder Memorial Baptist
3725 Beatties Ford Road
The Youth Department will
host a youth celebration for
Black History Month Feb. 15
and Feb. 23.
•New Beginning
Missionary Baptist
3700 Freedom Drive
The church wUl host a Gospel
Explosion, Sunday at 3 p.m. For
more infomiation, caU 391-8323.
•New Vision Full Gospel
Baptist
101 S. Hoskins Road
The church will host “First
Friday Live” Feb. 7
•Galilee Baptist
2933 Shady Lane
The church wUl host its annu
al 12 tribes program, Sunday at
6:30 p.m.
The Ministry of
Reconciliation will host a
healing and deliverance service
Sunday at 6 p.m. at AH Saints
Episcopal Church, 6600 The
•St. Luke Missionary
Baptist
1600 Norris Ave.
The Royal Light Gospel
Chorus will be in concert on
Feb. 9 a 6:30 p.m. The special
guest will be Sister Joyce
McMillian and A.B. Sutton
•Salem Baptist
5318 Salem Church Road
The church wUl celebrate the
16th anniversary of the Rev.
Anthony Jinwright Feb. 10-13,
at 7 p.m. The event kicks off
Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. and ends Feb.
16. A banquet wUl be held Feb.
15 at 6 p.m. The speaker wUl be
Dr. Henry J. Lyons, president of
the National Baptist
Convention USA. For more
information, caU 399-5448.
•Rose Hill Missionary
Baptist
216 Rice St.
The church wiU host “Friends
Day,” Feb. 9 at 11 a.m.
Texas couple targeted rural, black churches
Continued from 12A
doing the work for less than
other contractors, he asked for
payment up front. According
to the indictment, the couple
planned to ask for additional
cash funding to complete the
projects.
According to the indictment,
the Scaifes “commingled the
money raised from individual
churches with money raised
from other churches” to create
a slush fund. The couple
would sometimes use
advances from one church to
pay bond dividends to other
churches. They also diverted
money to personal accounts.
“They played it up as an
activity,” Broderick said.
“They told them that once the
building started, members
would join and people would
pay more. They sold it as a
safe investment. Payment
depended on getting the pro
ject done on time. They would
skip out before the project was
done.”
According to Broderick, the
couple presented themselves
as Christians, bringing Bibles
to presentations and teaching
Sunday school classes. They
swayed congregations with
rhetoric and a plan that was
too good to pass up.
Broderick said the couple
operated a Charlotte office in
the late ‘80s or early ‘90s. It
was at that time they became
involved with several local
congregations and organiza
tions.
First Mayfield Memorial
Baptist Church, Ebenezer
Baptist Church and Ramses
Temple in Charlotte were
taken by the Scaifes’ scheme.
according to the indictment
and investigators.
According to estimates by
ministers and organization
leaders, Charlotte area losses
could total well over $1 mil
lion.
Ebenezer’s losses are esti
mated at almost $1 million,
Ramses Temple $200,000 and
First Mayfield lost between
$150,000 and $200,000'in
unpaid bonds and incomplete
construction projects. A
Shelby church. Palmer Grove
Baptist, lost between $70,000
and $160,000.
Ministers at affected church
es declined to comment on the
case.
“We were
the first ones
to file suit
against them,”
the Rev.C.
McAuthur
Sanders, pas
tor of First
Mayfield said.
“We are not at
liberty to talk
about it.”
Sanders
According to Broderick, the
Scaifes used Ebenezer as a
reference and used pictures of
the church on advertising
materials.
According to local sources,
Rosalind Scaife had relatives
at the church, including an
aunt. Her mother also lives in
Charlotte.
Broderick stressed that
bonds can be a good way to
finance church projects, but
congregations must be careful.
If a plan seems to good to be
true, it often is.
‘The thing that is important
is to get a third party,”
Greenville breaks ground
Greenville Memorial AME Zion Church members break
ground on new mulit purpose building. The new building will
house an expanded Christian education program.
Broderick said. “Particularly
in construction, you need
someone who understands
construction.”
Broderick suggests hiring an
independent architect to check
construction weekly to ensure
that the project is on schedule.
Payments can then be made to
contractors based on the
amount of work completed on
the project.
Diana Bint, a Charlotte
postal inspector, offered the
following tips:
•Make sure the company is
licensed through the North
Carolina Security Commission
and the appropriate authori
ties.
Solomon Scaife was not
licensed to contract in North
Carolina, which has stringent
construction laws. The couple
operated under the contrac
tor’s license of an employee.
•Check references carefully.
“Anytime anyone makes a
statement about experience, it
is best to check,” Bint said. “If
they can’t give you a refer
ence, be wary.”
•Always check with the
Better Business Bureau or the
state attorney general.
A federal grand jury indicted
Scaife, 49, and his 48-year-old
wife on charges of mail fraud,
conspiracy to commit mail
fraud and violating the
National Stolen Property Act.
The defendants failed to
complete a single church cov
ered in the indictment, prose-
McKelvey to head Gammon
By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
A Charlotte minister has
been tapped to head Gammon
Seminary in Atlanta.
The Rev. Walter McKelvey,
former pastor of Simpson-
Gillespie United Methodist
Church, was appointed in
December to head Gammon,
the Methodist arm of
Interdenominational
Theological Center. TTie move
comes after the election of the
Rev. Cornelius Henderson to
Bishop in Florida.
“I’m humbled for them
assigning me the to the posi-
t i 0 n , ”
McKelvey
said. “It’s a
privilege to
assist in the
training of
clergy for
local church
es.”
ROCKWELL
A.M.E. ZION CHURCH
“Celebrating 128 Years
of Christianity”
WilHftm M Idixlan 111: Pastor
6301 Rockwell Church Rd.
• WEEKLY HIGHUGHTS -
Sunday SchDol-9:45a.m. Sunday Worship-11:00a.ni.
Tuesday ‘^outh In Action’'...7-9p.m.
Wednesday - Prayer Service/Bible Study... 6p.m.
Tutorial Prog. Tue. & TTwr. al! ages 4:00-6:00P.M.
Charlotte, NC 28269
596-8279
GALILEE BAPTIST
CHURCH
Rev. EA. Griffin, PASTOR
Rev. F.A. Griffin
Sunday School 9:45a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00a.m.
Sunday School Study - Wed. 7pm
Prayer Service - 8pm
2933 Shady Lane • Charlotte, NC 28208
333-0810
cutors said.
If convicted, the couple could
be sentenced to 30 years in
prison and fined $1 million.
The indictment accuses the
Scaifes of swindling the fol
lowing churches;
• Mt. Sinai Missionary
Baptist Church, East St.
Louis, Mo.
• St. Mark’s Church of God
in Christ, East St. Louis, Mo.
• King Solomon Missionary
Baptist Church, Fort Smith,
Ark.
• Greater St. Paul AME,
Miami, Fla.
• St. Matthew Community
Missionary Baptist Church,
Miami, Fla.
• St. James Baptist Church,
Spencer, Okla.
• Ebenezer Baptist Church,
Oklahoma City.
• Greater Mt. Pleasant
Baptist Church, Dallas,
Texas.
• Strangers Rest Missionary
Baptist Church, Forth Worth,
Texas.
Broderick estimates that at
least 17 churches were
approached by the Scaifes.
Churches who have had con
tact with them are asked to
call Broderick (314) 539-9362
or Joel Merkel, Assistant U.S.
Attorney at (618)628-3700.
The Associated Press also
contributed to this article.
A graduate McKelvey
of Gammon,
McKelvey will oversee the
training and recruitment of
more than Methodist minis
ters.
A Greenville, S.C. native,
McKelvey has served congre
gations throughout the
Southeast.
The Post is looking for ministers to write
for “The Pastor’s Study.” To participate,
please submit an essay on the religious
topic of your choice to
: P.O. Box 30144,
Charlotte, N.C. 28230
SIMPSON-GILLESPIE
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Dr. Carl Arrington, Senior Pastor
Sunday School - 9:30 a-m-
Sunday Worship - 11:00 a.m.
Bible Study, Wednesdays - 7:00 p.m.
3545 Beatties Ford Rd. • (704) 399-2717
Dr. Carl
Arrington
ATTEND
CHURCH
THIS
SUNDAY
Greater Mt. Moriah
Primitive Baptist Church
Thomas W. Samuels, PASTOR
Church School - 9:45AM
Morning Worship - 11:00AM
Evening Services - 6:00PM
747 West Trade Street
376-8806
"We are laborers together
with God."
H HAMMOND* ORGANS
NEW&USED
CALL OUR TALENTED SALES PERSONS
Kings Mountian - Doug Boyce (704)394-6436
& Charlotte
Concord - Larry Fritz (704)785-8673
Mooresviiie - Gene Davis (704)663-7007
All Points (800)331-0768
TMs Exciting Lease/Purchase Plan Available From Orix Credit Alliance
Wnow
A M 1 0 3 0
P.O. Box 23509
Charlotte, NC 28227
704-332-8764 Bus. Line
704-882-9669 Studio Line
704-882-1330 Fax
Interracial Interdenominational Christian
Programming for The Carolinas
Temple Chapel
Baptist Church
Sundays 12:00 - 1:30PM
Evangelist Gene E. Gilmore
OPENING
OURHOME..
to YOU whenever you need us.
Our new funeral home stands as a sign of
our commitment to the families of Charlotte.
This community has been very supportive
during the construction and opening of our
home. We want you to be as comfortable
when visiting as you are in your own home.
That is why we offer a formal chapel with
an organ, stained glass window, beautifully
decorated gathering rooms, skylights
and a custom music system.
We hope you will visit us any time for
a personal tour and allow our staff to
answer any questions you may have.
We would like to take this opportunity to
pledge our commitment to providing
comfort, understanding and professional
service for many years to come.
Committed To Excellence
4300 Statesville Road • Charlotte, NC 28269
599-5994
km