Monday, January 31, 2011

Arrangements for Rev. Rosetta Hayes

Body entrusted to Magee Memorial Funeral Home
582 Simpson Highway 149
Magee, MS 39111
(601) 849-4975

Visitation 
Thursday, February 3, 2011
12 Noon - 6 PM
Family Hour 5 - 6 PM
Goodwater CME Church
322 Raleigh Dr., N.E.
Magee, MS 39111
(601) 849-9262

Homegoing Service
Friday, February 4, 2011, 1 PM
Visitation Hour - Noon - 1 PM
Goodwater CME Church
322 Raleigh Dr., N.E.
Magee, MS 39111

The eulogist for the service is Bishop Thomas L. Brown, Sr. The family can be reached at (601) 940-5006. Please keep her daughters,  Rhonda and Deidre, in your prayers. For additional information, contact Presiding Elder Earnest Thompson at (601) 319-7970.

Submitted by Pene' Woods

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sudden Passing of Rev. Rosetta Hayes,
Pastor of Goodwater CME Church, Magee, MS

The Gloster-Hattiesburg District is deeply saddened by the loss of one of its dedicated pastors, Rev. Rosetta Hayes. She passed away at Baptist Hospital in Jackson, MS around 2:30 PM on Sunday, January 30, 2011. Rev. Hayes became ill at some point on Saturday after being present at the Gloster-Hattiesburg District Fifth Saturday Meeting. Please keep Rev. Hayes' daughter, Attorney Rhonda Ellis, her son, grandchildren, the entire family, and the Goodwater CME Church family in your prayers.

Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

Submitted by Pene' Woods

Friday, January 28, 2011

Phillips School of Theology

January 28, 2011

Dear Connectional Members and Friends,

Thank you for your support of the Fifteenth Pastors' Conference and Sixty-Seventh Founders' Day Celebration that was held January 10-13, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. God's presence was awesome in spite of the inclement weather that affected the attendance and live broadcasting of the Celebration!

CDs and DVDs media are available for the plenary programs and services held at the Celebration.  You may order the media by mail.

Order forms are available at:

www.c-m-e.org/Announcements/2011pastorsconferenceorderform.htm

May God continue to bless you!

In His Service,

Dr. Marvin Frank Thomas, President/Dean
Phillips School of Theology

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Dr. Hamb Seeks Urgent Help for Haiti


Dear Missionaries and CME Friends:

Our sisters and brothers in Haiti are in desperate need of fresh, clean drinking water. I am asking as many missionaries as possible to assist us with this project of purchasing water purifier filters. The cost is only $48.00 per Water Purifier Filter. Please help by mailing your check to the council treasurer today. Mrs. Emogene W. Crittenden P. O. Box 234 – Tuskegee Inst., AL 36087

Rejoice,

Dr. Elnora P. Hamb
Women's Missionary Council President

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Philippians 4:4

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Prayer Coordinator Issues Prayer for Our CME Leaders

Dear Lord

We pray for our Bishops and the many decisions that they face daily. We ask for  a covering over their families and divine protection in the daily tasks encountered. Father we ask that you would grant the College a time to seek  restoration and spiritual renewal. Provide the wisdom, patience and peace of mind to lead each Episcopal District in your will and way. We pray this in Jesus name.

Amen and Amen

Dr. Jerome McNeil, Jr.
Denominational Prayer Coordinator CME Church

Sunday, January 16, 2011

2011 Dream Keepers Workshops 
Schedule and Locations

One Church One School (OCOS) encourages children and youth to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday through a study of his life, work and legacy.

The One Church One School Dr. Martin Luther King Dream Keepers Workshop provides an opportunity for interactive study with a focus on Dr. King's Six Principles of Nonviolence and community service.  Some service projects will address voter awareness.

OCOS 2011 Dream Keeper Workshops will be held at the following sites on Monday, January 17, 2011 (unless otherwise indicated):


8th Episcopal District, CME Church
Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr., Presiding Prelate
Rev. Pamela Blair, OCOS District Director

Carter Metropolitan CME Church
4601 Wichita Street
Fort Worth, TX   817-534-1754
Rev. Peris Lester, I, Pastor

Cedar Crest CME Church
1616 East Illinois Avenue
Dallas, TX  214-376-2601
Rev. Van Carl Williams, Pastor

Metropolitan CME Church
8955 South Freeway
Houston, TX  713-748-5947
Rev. Dr. Bobby  Best, Pastor
 
St. Mark CME Church (Saturday, January 22, 2011)
1100 Sapphire
Longview, TX  903-753-3210
Rev. Diana Castille, Pastor

3rd Episcopal District, C.M.E. Church
Bishop Paul A. G Stewart, Sr. Presiding Prelate
Mrs. Lillian Curlett, OCOS District Director
  
OCOS Headquarters
Carter Temple CME Church
7841 S. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, Illinois  773-651-0071
Rev. Allen Page, Pastor

2nd Episcopal District, C.M.E. Church
Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr., Presiding Prelate
Mrs. Louise Buchanan, OCOS District Director

Lane Tabernacle CME Church
2131 East 46th Street
Cleveland OH  216-391-9368
Rev. Bruce Gibson, Pastor

Friday, January 14, 2011

The Commission on Social Justice 
and Human Concerns Statement 
'Voter Registration Campaign 
For Jobs and Justice'

“And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

(January 13, 2011 – Atlanta, GA)  The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in 1870 by 41 formerly enslaved persons, is an interracial and international denomination of more than 1.2 million members. From 1870 to this day, the clarion call and mission of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has been three-fold: it has served as a beacon of hope for salvation, education and liberation.  To be sure, the CME church continues to serve as a determined voice, crying out that equality and justice belongs to all persons, regardless of race, social status, or life experiences.  We are still compelled to preach and live out a message of social change, equality, and unconditional love. Therefore, we must never forsake our God-given right to practice social activism.

On this coming Sunday and Monday, January 16 and 17, we call for all CME Churches to offer special prayers for those persons who were critically wounded, and for the families of those whose loved ones lost their lives in the recent tragic Tucson,  Arizona shooting—a senseless act of violence.  We further urge our churches to, simultaneously, call to memory the Principles of Non-violence as espoused by Martin Luther King, Jr. as we celebrate his life and legacy both Sunday and Monday.

We are proud that our nation elected its first African American president in November 2008, but it is clear that the political and social climate of the nation seems to be swiftly deteriorating into an unspoken critical and volatile racial quagmire.  As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century, we are called as Americans, beyond race and party, to find ways to overcome the crucial issues of daily life— deteriorating education, unaffordable housing, rising unemployment, marginal healthcare, unequal social justice, and a worsening income equality index.

As a people of hope and trust in the God of all creation, the CME Church maintains its focus on living the commission of compassion, while also continuing to preach a message of freedom, justice, equality, and hope for all persons from all walks of life. In that regard, we wish to bring to your attention the following achievements  and projects of several organizational entities that are committed to assuring political engagement, economic empowerment, educational parity, fair employment practices, and social justice for all peoples in this country and across the globe:

1.    We applaud the NAACP for the following:
The collaborative leadership it provided in obtaining the release of Gloria and Jamie Scott from prison in Mississippi, and its work to diligently encourage governors and presidents to use their clemency powers to achieve justice.
Its ongoing focus on the implementation of Voter Registration and Voter Education campaigns.
Its demonstrated efforts  to continue the fight for social justice for all Americans.
2.   We uplift the National Urban League’s “State of Black America 2010 Report”, which confronts nation-wide unemployment and suggests the steps that must be taken -—including supporting small businesses and the emerging green economy, reforming education and expanding broadband access—to move this country and our urban communities forward toward full economic and social equity.

3.   We salute the leaders of the nine major denominations, which represent more than 30 million African Americans, for coming together as the Conference of National Black Churches to address the major issues of economic empowerment, education, health and social justice/public policy.

4.   We congratulate Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, a United Methodist preacher, upon being elected the chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus. Furthermore we urge the CBC to continue its efforts to fight for equal justice under the law for matters related to healthcare, affordable housing and full employment.

5.  We thank the entire CME Church for its support of our Disaster Relief Fund, which enabled Bishop Kenneth W. Carter and the Sixth Episcopal District to provide for our rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

We are hereby recommending that all CME Churches commit to achieving the following:
Organize a continuing Voter Registration Drive in their communities.
Develop a letter-writing campaign to encourage elected city, county, state, and national congressional officials to support full-employment and job-training.
Partner with local public schools to help improve parental involvement, academic achievement, social behavior, and personal development.

The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, under the leadership of Senior Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. and its College of Bishops, is a 140-year old historically African American Christian denomination with more than 1.2 million members across the United States, and has missions and sister churches in Haiti, Jamaica, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan/Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.  For additional information about the CME Church, visit www.c-m-e.org .

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Senior Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr., CEO
Bishop Paul A. G. Stewart, Sr.
Bishop Lawrence L. Reddick, III
Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr.,
Bishop Thomas L. Brown, Sr.
Bishop Kenneth W. Carter
Bishop James B. Walker
Bishop W.E. Lockett
Bishop Sylvester Williams
Bishop Teresa Snorton
Bishop Godwin T. Umoette
Bishop William H. Graves, Retired
Bishop Othal H. Lakey, Retired
Bishop Edward Lynn Brown, Retired
Bishop Ronald M. Cunningham, Retired
Bishop Dotcy I. Isom, Jr., Retired
Bishop Marshall Gilmore, Retired
Bishop Nathaniel Linsey, Retired

Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Passing of Retired Minister 
Rev. Sammie Lowe

From:  The Gloster-Hattiesburg District, Mississippi South Region, 4th Episcopal District

Please keep in prayer the wife and family of Rev. Sammie Lowe. Condolences can be sent to Mrs. Sammie Lowe at:
499 Christian Union Road
Sumrall, MS 39482

Arrangements are as follows:
Visitation
Saturday, January 15, 2011
8 -11 AM
Sweetwater CME Church
Highway 35
Prentiss, MS
Presiding Elder Earnest Thompson, pastor

Home Going Services
Saturday, January 15, 2011
11 AM
Sweetwater CME Church

Body has been entrusted to
Cook-Galloway Funeral Home
1104 West Avenue
Columbia, MS 39429
(601) 736-7792

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Closing Service of the Pastors' Conference

January 12, 2011

Dear Connectional Members and Friends:

The Closing Service of the Pastors' Conference & Founders' Day Celebration will be held tomorrow morning (Thursday, January 13), 10 AM, at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel Atlanta Airport located at 1900 Sullivan Road in Atlanta, GA.


Jeanette L. Bouknight
Executive Secretary
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
"An Essential Church: Poised for 21st Century Ministry"

Monday, January 10, 2011

Pastors' Conference Delayed Until 
Tuesday (Jan. 11th) at Noon

Dear Connectional Members and Friends:

Due to the winter storm that has impacted the Atlanta, Georgia area, the College of Bishops has announced that the Pastors' Conference & Founders' Day Celebration will begin tomorrow (Tuesday, January 11) at Noon.

The Phillips School of Theology Trustee Board meeting will be held this evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel for those persons who are able to attend.

If you plan on attending the Pastors' Conference & Founders' Day Celebration, please confirm your lodging reservation at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel (770-997-1100).

We pray for God's protection over all persons traveling to and from the Atlanta area and other cities during this time of the year.


Jeanette Bouknight
Executive Secretary
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
"An Essential Church: Poised for 21st Century Ministry"

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Arrangements for Mrs. Ida Mae Hicks
The funeral arrangements for Mrs. Ida Mae Hicks, the mother of Mr. Travis G. Hicks, treasurer for the Southern California Region, are as follows:

Funeral
Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 1 PM
Bethel CME Church
167 Monroe
Beckville, TX  75631  Telephone: 903-678-3768
Rev. Nakia Smith, pastor

Funeral Arrangement
Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home
1131 State Highway 149
Carthage, TX 75633
Telephone: 903-693-7125  Fax: 903-693-2340
E-mail: jimersonlipsey@aol.com

Cards and condolences may be sent to Travis G. Hicks, 16223 South Flat Peak Lane, Cerritos, CA  90703.

Loss of Sis. Ida Mae Hicks
We are saddened to inform you of the passing of Mrs. Ida Mae Hicks on the morning of January 5, 2011. Mrs. Hicks was the mother of Travis G. Hicks, the treasurer of the Southern California Region.

Funeral arrangements for Mrs. Hicks are pending and will be made available at a later date.

Please keep the entire family uplifted in prayer.

In His Service,

Bishop James B. Walker
Presiding Prelate, Ninth Episcopal District
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church