March 2026 Communicator

March 2026, VOL 50 NO. 3

First Missionary Baptist Church

The Communicator

IN THIS ISSUE Scruggs Academy Golf Tournament

FROM THE PASTOR'S CELEBRATING FMBC PEN WOMEN Page 2-3 Page 4-5

FMBC PORTRAITS OF FAITH Page 6 & 7

SCRUGGS ACADEMY GOLF TOURNAMENT Page 8

From the Pastor’s Pen

Dr. Carlos D. Williams, Senior Pastor

Titus 2 Christian Women But as for you, teach what accords with sound[a] doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

– Titus 2:1-5 There is a certain behavior that should befit what we believe.

There is a certain practice that should prove what we profess.

There is a certain duty that should be derived from our doctrine, and Godliness should get its glow from the Gospel. If there is going to be right living, there must be right teaching. That’s the issue of the text before us.

Sound living comes from sound teaching. These are the things that Paul is referring to in chapter 2:1: Godly living and good works that befit sound doctrine. He expounds on those things in verses 2-10. He mentions 6 2

groups of people within the church: what they are supposed to be and how they are to live out good works or godliness in their relationships with one another, as an outgrowth of their faith and witness to the world. This text teaches how we ought to act in the world and with each other. Our focus in this edition of The Communicator is on Christian women, specifically their characteristics.

Paul is referring to elderly women.

However, this text is applicable to all Christian women. Paul uses different descriptions in verse 3 for women, but likewise means that older Christian women should also be worthy of respect, selfcontrolled, and sober, sound in faith, love, and patience, as mentioned in verse 2 regarding older Christian men. Christian women are to be Christians of high moral character and spirituality. He will also address the topic of young women in verses 4 & 5.

He says first, they ought to be reverent in behavior. The KJV says behavior that becometh holiness. This means suited to a sacred character, that which is

befitting in persons, actions, or the things consecrated to God. This is one who is completely devoted to God, consecrated to God, only used of God. This is a broad, general term, but Paul gets into more specifics of that behavior.

They are not to be false accusers (diabolos), used as a title of Satan and the devil. Use of false accusers or slanderers. This means making false, damaging statements about someone to defame them and smear their name. This is a verbal assault. Older Women shouldn’t slander, tear down, or defame anyone. That’s not becoming of a Christian woman. They are not to be given too much wine.

The word given is the verb form of doulos. It means to enslave, to bring into bondage. Older Christian women must not be slaves to wine, or as the CSB says, not slaves to excessive drinking. If it’s unattractive to a man for a woman to get drunk, how attractive do you think that is to God? Even women in Crete were gluttons, and Paul prohibits the Christian women of Crete from becoming slaves to excessive drinking.

They are to be teachers of good things. The word "teachers" is kalodidaskalos. The word kalos means good, fair, beautiful.

They are to teach things that are intrinsically good. They are to be teachers of all that is good, righteous, holy, and beautiful.

Paul now goes into the specifics of what older Christian women should teach. They should teach young women. This is not a reference to the spiritual gift of teaching. Interestingly, the word teach in verse 4 is sophronizo, which means to cause to be of sound mind, to recall to one’s senses. This means encouraging young women to be of sound mind, to exercise sound judgment, and to exercise wisdom when it comes to loving their husbands, which means having tender affection for them.

affection for your children.

Young women must be selfcontrolled (wise), chaste (pure –connotation of holy, pure from carnality), keepers at home (doesn’t prohibit working women; but it means busy at home doing domestic things, can’t be lazy or idle), and in subjection to their husbands. The word subjection is a military term that means to rank under. This is a strength exemplified. Godly young women are to recognize God’s order for the home and know that God put man over the woman. She will never have any problem submitting to the Godly leadership of a man who is under authority and who she sees loves God, loves her, and loves their children, and who knows that he is a priest, provider, and protector of the home.

wisdom with young women without being judgmental or condescending. Young women must listen and admit they don’t know it all. Older Women should speak wisdom from experience.

They should know God’s will for their marriage, their families, and their lives, and be willing to be transparent about it. Young women, connect with an older Christian woman whom you respect. Older Women, ask God to lead you to one young lady whose life you can sow in and model sound living.

The church is strengthened by godly Titus 2 Women, and FMBC is blessed to have some who exhibit these traits. Happy Women’s History Month!!

Young women must love their There is a two-way street here. children. It means having an Older Women must share 3

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very March, the United States observes Women’s History Month, a national celebration recognizing the vital contributions women have made to society. This observance is not merely ceremonial; it reflects decades of advocacy to ensure that women’s achievements are acknowledged in historical narratives, classrooms, and public memory. Women’s History Month provides an opportunity to honor past trailblazers, celebrate present leaders, and inspire future generations.

The origins of Women’s History Month trace back to grassroots efforts in the 1970s. In 1978, educators in Sonoma County, California, organized a “Women’s History Week” to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8 (National Women’s History Museum [NWHM], 2023). The movement quickly

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gained national attention. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring National Women’s History Week (NWHM, 2023). By 1987, after continued advocacy from historians and women’s organizations, Congress officially designated March as Women’s History Month (U.S. Library of Congress, 2024). Since then, every president has issued annual proclamations recognizing the month.

of American history.

Additionally, the observance encourages ongoing conversations about equity, leadership, and opportunity for women and girls.

We celebrate Women’s History Month because women’s contributions have historically been underrepresented in textbooks and mainstream narratives. For generations, women made groundbreaking advancements in science, politics, civil rights, education, and the arts, often without receiving equal recognition.

Highlighting these stories promotes a more accurate and inclusive understanding

Her portraits and writings humanized marginalized communities in the post– Civil War South and later earned her induction into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame (Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame, 2022).

Locally, Huntsville, Alabama, has been shaped by remarkable women whose leadership and service left lasting impacts. Maria Howard Weeden, a Huntsville native born in 1846, gained international acclaim as an artist and poet.

Another trailblazer was Alice Boarman Baldridge, the first woman elected to public office in Madison County and one of the first female attorneys in the area.

At a time when women faced significant legal and social barriers, her accomplishments opened doors for women in public service (City of Huntsville, 2023).

More recently, Loretta Purdy Spencer made history as Huntsville’s first female mayor in 1996. During her tenure, she led the city through substantial economic and population growth, strengthening Huntsville’s reputation as a thriving technology and aerospace hub (Encyclopedia of Alabama, 2023).

Community leadership has also been exemplified by women such as Rosetta James, a dedicated civic volunteer whose decades of service supported local families, schools, and nonprofit organizations. Her legacy reflects the powerful influence of grassroots leadership in strengthening communities (City of Huntsville, 2023).

Nationally, women have profoundly shaped American progress. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were central figures in the women’s suffrage movement, laying the groundwork for the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920 (History. com Editors, 2023). Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and women’s rights advocate, delivered powerful speeches

History Month: that challenged both racial Women’s Inspiring stories from Huntsville and gender inequality leaders. https://www.

(History.com Editors, 2023).

In the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks became a symbol of courage when she refused to surrender her seat on a Montgomery bus, helping ignite the modern civil rights movement (History.com Editors, 2023). In aviation and exploration, Amelia Earhart broke barriers as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, inspiring generations of women to pursue careers in science and technology (National Geographic Kids, 2023).

huntsvilleal.gov

Encyclopedia of Alabama.

(2023). Loretta Spencer. https:// encyclopediaofalabama.org History.com Editors. (2023).

Women’s History Month 2023.

History Channel. https://www. history.com National Geographic Kids. (2023).

Women’s History Month. https:// kids.nationalgeographic.com

National Women’s History Museum.

(2023).

Women’s History Month. https://www.

Month womenshistory.org

Women’s History serves as both reflection and motivation. It reminds us that progress often results from determination in the face of resistance. It calls communities—local and national—to recognize leadership in all forms, from elected officials and innovators to educators and volunteers. By celebrating women’s history, we ensure that future generations inherit a fuller, richer understanding of the past and a clearer vision for an equitable future.

U.S. Library of Congress. (2024).

Women’s History Month. https:// www.loc.gov/womens-historymonthunity for women and girls.

References

Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.

(2022). Maria Howard Weeden. https://www.awhf.org City

of

Huntsville.

(2023).

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PORTRAITS OF FAITH: SAMANTHA PEPPER By: Minister Jo Anita Miley principal at the local school, and her father was a deacon at their church. The family was surrounded by believers— Sunday School teachers, deacons, and faithful servants— and even the cook, seamstress, and teachers in their community were Christians. Faith, service, and learning about Jesus Christ were woven into everyday life or centuries, women for her and her siblings. have played a vital role in the life of the church After completing high school, by mentoring one another, Pepper left Tishabee to attend particularly through the Wenonah State Technical guidance found in Titus 2, which Trade School in Birmingham, calls older women to teach and Alabama. Upon graduating, encourage younger women she began her professional in faith and daily living. From career as a medical secretary in Naomi and Ruth, to Elizabeth Fayetteville, Tennessee, working and Mary, to Lois and Eunice, for Dr. Donald Donaldson. In Scripture shows a powerful those days, medical secretaries legacy of women learning were expected to work on site together, leading with wisdom, in operating rooms, transcribing and lifting one another in love. doctors’ notes during surgeries Sister Samantha Pepper, now and studying medical 91 years old, stands as a living procedures ahead of time. It witness to that legacy and firmly was demanding work, but she believes that mentoring is one describes it as an incredible of the strongest ways faith and opportunity. Her employer wisdom are passed from one became an important mentor in generation to the next. her life, often encouraging her by saying she could be anything A native of Greene County near she wanted to be.

Demopolis, Alabama, Sister Pepper confessed Jesus Christ Pepper later moved to at the age of 13 at Christian Michigan, where she married Valley Missionary Baptist Church and continued her career in in Tishabee, Alabama. Looking several positions. There, she back, she says her becoming a encountered the challenges that Christian felt almost inevitable came with being a Black woman because of the environment in professional spaces. Out of in which she was raised. Her more than 120 secretaries in the mother served as a teacher and Pontiac Public School System,

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only 17 were Black. She became the first Black employee hired into the Personnel Department and the only Black person working on the first floor of the Administration Building.

A strong believer in workers’ rights, she served as president of the Pontiac Education Secretarial Association, a union position, and later was promoted to executive administrative assistant. In 1995, she retired after 30 years of faithful service.

After retirement, Pepper knew exactly where she wanted to live.

She had often visited her sister, Clara Vickers, in Huntsville and had grown to love the area. She also did not have to search for a church home. Whenever she visited First Missionary Baptist Church, the members welcomed her warmly, making her feel as though she already belonged.

In 1995, she united with FMBC under Pastor Julius Scruggs and became active in the Missionary Societies, including Circle One and the Dayspring Circle.

Though she has no children of her own, Pepper helped her sister care for dozens of children through “A Bundle of Joy Daycare” and continues to look for opportunities to mentor others. Guided by Psalm 23, she believes that if the Lord is our Shepherd, He will always provide everything we truly need.

PORTRAITS OF FAITH: SISTER DELORES THOMPSON

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By: Minister Jo Anita Miley

hroughout Scripture, the Lord reminds His people to tell every generation about His mighty works. God never intended for His grace and faithfulness to be forgotten; instead, He calls believers to remember, to testify, and to pass those stories forward. Part of the church’s calling, then, is to preserve the memory of the people and places where God has moved. Hebrews 11 offers a beautiful example, celebrating men and women whose lives of faith continue to inspire the church today.

In that spirit, and in honor of Women’s History Month, we celebrate one of the remarkable nonagenarians in our congregation—Sister Delores Thompson, age 93—a Christian woman whose life reflects decades of faithful service and trust in God. Sister Thompson believes you can be a witness at home or abroad. As a military spouse who traveled widely, she learned that sharing the Gospel is not limited by culture or geography. Born and raised in Decatur, Alabama, she confessed Christ at age 12 at Shiloh Baptist Church. Though she had attended revival services the week before, she took that final step at the close of the following Sunday’s worship service and was baptized on the next first Sunday.

Her faith journey had been

forming for some time. While she attended Sunday School at a Presbyterian church in her neighborhood, she crossed town to worship with her grandparents at Shiloh, where they served as deacon and church mother. After accepting Christ, she experienced a deep sense of God’s protection that touched every area of her life, even sports. As a forward on her school’s basketball team, she trusted God for safety, made sure the team prayed before each game, and never suffered an injury.

member. During his more than 22-year military career, their family traveled across the nation and overseas. With each assignment, she relied on her faith and the power of prayer. While living in England, She credits her mother and she prayed for a place to grandmother as spiritual worship and found fellowship mentors who taught that in a local church, where growth comes through active cultural differences became service in ministry. After high opportunities to share her faith school, she attended Alabama and build lasting relationships.

A&M University in Normal, Alabama, where she spent In 1986, she united with First four years, remained active in Missionary Baptist Church campus ministry, and graduated under Rev. Dr. Julius Scruggs with a Bachelor of Science in and served in the Missionary Society, Circle One, Dayspring Education.

Circle, and later the Senior Sister Thompson often says Adult Ministry. Though she now prayer is her superpower. worships virtually due to health She recalls praying for help in challenges, she continues to algebra, sleeping with her math pray for the church’s growth. book under her pillow, and earning an A+ the next day. Her favorite scripture and prayer remain the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13.

Her advice to the next generation is simple: “You cannot make it without God. Pray about everything, and trust that God is working—even when you’re not She began her teaching career thinking about it. Prayer works.” in Carbondale, Illinois, where she met and married her late husband, an Air Force service 7

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FIRST MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH | 3509 BLUE SPRING ROAD, NW HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA 35810 CARLOS D. WILLIAMS, SENIOR PASTOR