Founder's Day 2015-Portsmouth VA

The Virginia Conference hosted this year's 2nd District Founder's Day. Coordinator Reverend Vanessa Copeland did an excellent job. The opening session Thursday night featured none other than Retired Bishop Frank C. Cummings, who preached on the topic, "Let The Church Be The Church." The service also included the recognition of the 2015 Living Legacy Award winners, representing each conference and the 2nd District Living Legacy Award winner-Senator Carolyn Pugh.


CONGRATULATIONS LIVING LEGEND AWARD RECIPIENTS!!

 

 

Friday featured plenary sessions on politics as it affects the AME Church, also "What's Going On In the Second" with panelists- Rev. Ann Lightner-Fuller (2015 Clergy Retreat); Rev. Glenda Hodges (80 Mile Cancer Run at the AME Bicentennial); Rev. Jonathan Weaver (follow up on financial literacy); Rev. William H. Lamar, IV (Duke Univ. Initiative); Rev. Joan Wharton (Deliverance 2015).  Friday night featured No Justice, No Peace + Hands Up + I Can't Breathe= Young Prophets Speak. The dynamic speakers were: Rev. Michael Bell Jr.; Evangelist Tiffany Morriar and Rev. Akil Dickens.

The closing service was highlighted by the powerful preaching of Rev. Andre' Jefferson- Bethel AME, Hampton, VA. What a BLESSED celebration we had. Thanks to all who attended!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DR. PAM!!!

This is the Day the Lord has Made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~Psalm 118:24

 

May God's Goodness and Kindness Follow You all the days of your life!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Fruit of the Spirit Prayer Series

KINDNESS

Kindness is defined as friendly, considerate, caring and generous. Kindness is contagious.  The phenomenon of random acts of kindness originated when a stranger decided to be generous to another stranger just for the sake of doing a good deed.  That one act spurned a whole movement that spread across the nation and now February 17th is designated Random Acts of Kindness Day. That is well and good but I would propose that every day for a follower of Christ should be an intentional day of kindness.  There are so many way to be kind.

 Here are a few:

A smile and thank you to the grocery clerk

A positive text message to a friend

A phone call to someone on the sick and shut in list

A compliment to a parent about their child

Letting someone with a few items go in front of you in the store

Giving  your pastor a word of encouragement

We pray God that on this day we your children exhibit the spirit of kindness to everyone whose paths we cross. A kindness that flows from our heart and generates feelings of warmth and well being to all we meet. AMEN

Fruit of the Spirit Prayer Series

 

PEACE

Peace persists in the middle of chaos, peace plants seeds of forgiveness in poisonous hearts, peace provides proactive passionate pleadings for reconciliation. Peace prompts the hard hearted to seek love, peace places our bustling and hustling lifestyles on pause, peace puts pandemonium to flight.  Peace parts the seas of despair, peace pardons our pandemic perversions, peace paints prophetic portraits, peace permits past hurts to be healed.  Peace pours out Jesus' miraculous mercies, peace patiently persists in spite of pitfalls, peace partners with prayer and praise to achieve prosperity.  Peace presses on toward heavenly heights, peace plots precise paths of possibilities, peace preempts perdition, peace proclaims the presence of Christ and remember, "Peace passes all understanding."



Ash Wednesday

Dear Lord, As we enter this Solemn and Holy Season, we pray that you would send your Holy Spirit upon us that we might prepare ourselves for these coming 40 days of Lent. Even though we may no longer wear sackcloth and ashes, we do seek to humble ourselves so that we can understand the magnificence of Your love for us as You humbled Yourself  and gave Your life on the Cross that we might receive the gift of Eternal Glory with You. AMEN 



Community of Hope AME

Bishop DeVeaux was the guest preacher on Sunday February 15, 2015 at Community of Hope AME Church in Temple Hills, MD where Rev. Tony Lee is the Senior Pastor.  Bishop's message was taken from Psalms 40 entitled, "Can We Sing A New Song". God has never made a promise He did not keep.  Even if you have fallen and you can't get up; and even down looks like up, just wait! God will put a new song in your heart!!

Bishop DeVeaux and Dr. Pam with Rev. Tony Lee and Rev. Nancy Lee



Black History Month

 

 Interesting Black History Month Facts:

 

• Black History Month is celebrated in February in Canada and the United States. It is celebrated in October in the United Kingdom.
• The first Negro History Week took place beginning February 7, 1926. Carter G. Woodson was its creator.
• Throughout history, many important events in Black History have occurred in February. It was chosen as the month to celebrate Black History Month because the Black abolitionist and writer Frederick Douglass was born this month, and so was Abraham Lincoln, who played an important role in shaping Black history.
• In 1619 the first enslaved Africans were brought to the U.S. on a Dutch ship.
• The demand for slaves in the U.S. increased in 1793 when Eli Whitney's cotton gin was introduced.
• In 1808 Congress banned the importation of slaves.
• In 1849 Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery.  She later helped 300 other slaves gain their freedom by escaping through the Underground Railroad.
• The 13th Amendment of the United States Constitution was adopted by the 38th Congress on February 1st.  This amendment abolished slavery. It was approved in 1865.
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed February 10, 1964. It made it illegal for state or local governments of public facilities to deny access to anyone because of ethnic origin or race. It also made segregation in schools illegal and subject to law suits. 
• On February 13, 1923, the first Black pro-basketball team was organized- "The Renaissance".
• On February 19, 2002 Vonetta Flowers won the first Black gold medal in Winter Olympic Games' history. Vonetta and her partner won the (women's) inaugural two-person bobsled.
• Robert Abbott became the first back millionaire after he founded the weekly newspaper, the Chicago Defender in 1905.  BET founder Robert L. Johnson became the first black billionaire in 2000.
• Recent counts put the black population of the U.S. at 45 million. New York has the highest number of black residents, with 3.7 million, while Washington, DC has the highest proportion of  African-Americans with 51 percent.