Issue 2
Sister Priscilla Turner, Sister Estelle Gardner, Sister Ethel Smith
A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER FOR THE MT. PLEASANT COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
BUILT ON THE WORD, CONNECTED TO CHRIST, COMMITTED TO SERVANT-LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY
MEET PASTOR LYDIA EVELYN SPRAGIN PATTON MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH By Shirley Cunningham A third generation CME, Pastor Lydia Evelyn Spragin, is a native of Clarksdale, Mississippi and the daughter of the late Presiding Elder Rev. Ore Lee Spragin, Sr., and Mrs. Henrietta Murphy Spragin. Both of her parents were teachers. Her father a social studies teacher and after retirement, a remedial first grade teacher. At various times in his life her father was employed as an auto mechanics instructor, a World Book encyclopedia salesman, a carpenter, a concrete mixer, a brick layer, and a furniture and an appliance salesman/delivery man. In addition to growing vegetables in his own garden, he would use his tractor (and occasionally Mr. Redd’s mule) to plow fields for neighbors to plant gardens and also to mow “the field” a place where Negro League Baseball was played. Her mother was a home economics teacher who excelled in sewing, cooking, and business. Together her parents bought several houses, fixed them up, rented, and then sold them. One investment 1750 Chestnut Street was known as the Teacherage and was used to house African American women who needed a place to stay while student teaching. The teacherage was necessary because at the time there was not any place for persons of color to reside other than a person’s home. Both parents were engaged in the civil rights boycotts of the sixties and were initial funders of the Friendship Credit Union, the first African American owned financial institution of its kind in Clarksdale. Her brother, Rev. Ore Lee Spragin, Jr., is the current editor of The Christian Index, the Official Organ of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and the author of several books. Pastor Spragin was baptized at the Mt. Moriah Christian Methodist Episcopal (“CME”) Church on June 5, 1970. As a youth and young adult, she served as Sunday School Secretary, a Youth Usher, Christian Youth Fellowship President, and as a member of the Youth Choir. Although she was active in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, she is ecumenical in her church background including but not limited to active participation in the Catholic church, the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, the Baptist Church, the Metropolitan AME Church (Washington, DC, the church home of Frederick Douglass), a non-denominal church – Victory Christian Center, and the Disciples of Christ. She believes that each of these churches have contributed to her spiritual formation and her firm belief in the Ephesians 4 Ministry and the biblical truth that there is “One Lord, One Faith, and One Baptism”. In her role as a CME pastor she is a member of the Committee on Ministerial Examination of the Ohio-Central Indiana Annual Conference. Pastor Spragin began her academic pursuits at the early age of three years old at the House Kindergarten and entered Immaculate Conception Elementary School at the tender age of five. In 1979, she graduated valedictorian from Immaculate Conception High School. In 1983 she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Liberal Arts with a Major in Biological Sciences and minors in Chemistry and English from the University of Mississippi where she served as the Associated Student Body Campus
Affairs Director and President of the Black Student Union. Pastor Spragin, like Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris (1986), matriculated at Howard University in Washington, D.C., an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (1987); Middlesex Community College (Edison, NJ) obtaining a Certificate in International Trade (1990); and the University of Akron School of Law where she received a Juris Doctor Degree (1993) and was the first AfricanAmerican to write on to the prestigious Akron Law Review. Pastor Spragin has taken courses in Ashland Theological Seminary’s Master of Divinity in Clinical Pastoral Counseling Program. She is a graduate of the School of Ushering of the Interdenominational Church Ushers Association and Neighborhood Leadership Class 36, Cleveland, Ohio. She is an ordained traveling elder in full connection in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. She started her journey in the ministry under the tutelage of Bishop Othal Hawthorne Lakey and was appointed to her first church by Senior Bishop Nathaniel Lindsey. She has continued to faithfully plant seeds and cultivate CME vineyards at the pleasure of Bishop Edward Lynn Brown, Bishop Sylvester Williams, and Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas. The Presiding Prelates of the Second Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church have appointed her to the following assignments: St. John CME Church (Akron) – Assistant to the Pastor (July, 1995 – July, 1996); Norwalk Community CME Church (Norwalk) (August, 1996 – July, 2001); Phillips Chapel CME Church (Steubenville) (August, 2001 – July, 2005); New Bethel World Bibleway CME Church (Sandusky) (August, 2005 – July, 2006); Christian Temple CME Church (Akron) (August, 2006 – Palm Sunday, 2007); Circuit Pastor Christian Temple CME Church (Akron) and Phillips Chapel CME Church (Steubenville) (Palm Sunday, 2007 - Aug, 2007); Phillips Chapel CME Church (Steubenville) (August, 2007 – November, 2007); Shared Ministry of the Phillips Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) and the Simpson United Methodist (UM) Churches (Steubenville) (November, 2007 – June 30, 2015); and Phillips Chapel CME Church (Steubenville) (July 1, 2015 – August 2, 2019). In August 2019 she became the newly appointed Pastor of the Patton Memorial CME Church in Cleveland, Ohio, and in October 2020, was re-appointed. In 2013, she was elected an alternate delegate to the 37th Quadrennial, 38th Session of the General Conference of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and, in 2014, seated as a Delegate upon the election of Rev. Dr. Charles J. King, Jr. as the 63rd Bishop. In 2017 she was named the Cleveland Pittsburgh District Pastor of the Year and in January 2020 Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas, Sr. named her Pastor of the Year for the Second Episcopal District. In March 2015, long-time missionaries and church planters Paul and Heather Danielson sponsored her on a month-long visit to The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. While there, Judge Evelyn C. Canete, the pastor and founder of the Cornerstone Community Church, located in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, The Philippines, invited her to deliver the morning message and share her faith. Pastor Canete translated the sermon from English to Tagalog. We believe this is the first sermon preached in the Philippines by a CME. While there, Pastor Spragin also taught an impromptu bible study at Christian Gospel Centre - Quezon City, Philippines. She also extended a helping hand as well as prayers of encouragement to the pastor and staff at the Brooke’s Point United Methodist Church. Her law firm, Lydia Evelyn Spragin Attorney and Counselor at Law, celebrates twenty-five years of representing individual and business clients in areas of bankruptcy, business entity formation, civil and criminal matters, contract drafting, trial and appellate level litigation, immigration and as general counsel of several not-for-profit organizations. Currently, her practice focuses primarily on criminal trial and appellate issues and social security disability appeals. Attorney Spragin is admitted to the Bars of the Ohio Supreme Court, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and in April of 2009, was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2014, she became the first African American to run for Judge of the Jefferson County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas and to be appointed a member of the Board of Directors of the Jefferson County Library where she served until 2019. Over the years as Pastor Spragin has matured as servant-leader. Her goal is “not to be a church that sits in the community, but a church in which the community sits.” Her personal philosophy of the Holy Bible-based, Christ-Centered, Disciple-Making, Evangelical, Teaching-oriented, Holistic ministry to which she has been called and ordained is: “I have been commissioned as an officer in God’s army. I have been placed in charge of a small mission party. Our objective is to seek out the lost, nurture the saved, and let there be no casualties along the way. We have entered the war zone. We have sighted the enemy. He is holding many hostages (the lost). We have a battle plan (the Holy Bible). We will attack at dawn (with the rising of each day). Moreover, when the day is done, and the battle is over, we hope to have freed at least one hostage and loosened the chains of many more.” She says, “I am not perfect. I may make mistakes, but I ask that you pray for me daily, or as often as I cross your mind, that I will allow God to lead and direct me in all that I do and say so that God is Glorified, Jesus the Christ is Magnified, the Holy Spirit is Gratified, the People are Edified, Faith is Fortified, Ministry is Multiplied, Sinners are Justified, the Church is Sanctified, and Satan is Down-right Terrified.” WE WELCOME OUR NEW PASTOR REV. DR. LYDIA EVELYN SPRAGIN TO THE PATTON MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH LOCATED IN CLEVELAND’S VICTORIOUS MT. PLEASANT COMMUNITY!
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – President Barack Obama
Welcome to The Patton Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Our Mission is to be "Built on the Word, Connected to Christ, Committed to Servant-Leadership in the Community". The Pastor is Rev. Dr. Lydia Evelyn Spragin. Our physical location and mailing address are 3547 E 142nd Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44120. During this Covid-19 season and beyond you may: Dial our free conference call number(s): (425) 436-6380 or Backup (alternate) numbers: (520) 420-9085 or (209) 399-9095, then dial the Access Code: 581058#: Sunday Morning Worship Experience Welcome Fellowship - Introduce yourself begins at 11:05 a.m. Service Begins at 11:25 a.m. Communion Every First Sunday Sunday School is held on every THURSDAY afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Taught by Rev. Erline H. Williams On Facebook Live (Lydia Spragin FB page) at 10:00 a.m. Saturday Morning Breakfast Bible Study with Pastor Lydia Spragin (For previous studies visit the Church or the Patton Memorial Bible Study Group FB pages or Rev. Dr. Lydia Evelyn Spragin Channel on YouTube) Always bring your Bible! We look forward to your presence with us! Invite a friend! If you get a busy signal, please keep trying until connected. We want to welcome you. We want to be the church that sits in the community and in which the community sits. Remember God really does love you and so do we. Thank you in advance for any consideration that you may give to us as your church home.
We welcome everyone to the Patton Memorial CME Church Family. Come and visit with us. Trustee Emeritus Brother Frank W. Jones and Sister Shirley Jones, Stewardess THANK YOU FOR YOUR MANY YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE!
Hi! We are Fred and Sharon Ramsey from Norwalk, OH. In March when our church closed to in person attendance, due to Covid-19, we were like many others, missing our church family and missing worshiping our Lord Jesus Christ with others. It was then that we were invited by our long-time friend Rev. Lydia Spragin to join her and her church, Patton Memorial CME Church, in a telephone conference call worship service. We have always enjoyed and been challenged by Pastor Lydia's preaching, so even though we are a bit technology challenged, we joined in on that first conference call and have been there each Sunday since. Now it is so easy to connect at service time. We feel more focused on the prayers and message since we are not distracted by things going on around us. The messages have been timely and just what we needed to hear during these turbulent days. We appreciate the sincere prayers and songs by Pastors and Lay people. We have truly seen how "the church" is much more than brick and mortar. It is people coming together to worship and serve God wherever they may be. We are grateful for our new brothers and sisters in Christ. We enjoy the fellowship time before service when everyone has a chance to greet the others. All the members have such joy and caring in their friendships with each other. We are thankful God has allowed us to be part of this family. We hope someday to meet all of you in person. Hebrews 10:25 says, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching". You are an encouragement to us. Thank you! Fred and Sharon
BRYANA L. HELTON By Elizabeth Helton, Mother
Bryana L. Helton was on born September 2001. I would say that she is everything I asked for and more. She is a highly intelligent, caring and a strong young woman. At a young age her father and I always implemented the importance of education in her. She always said she wanted to go to college from a young age so when the time came, she was excited and ready to venture off into a new world. She did not know what she wanted to study until her senior year. It was then she decided to study social work and stuck to it. Bryana lived in downtown Cleveland near E. 55th Street near Carver Park. When she was young, she loved to help people in need. Once Bryana graduated from high school, she knew she wanted to attend Central State University where she made the Dean’s List her first year for the first and second semester. Bryana was a member of the volleyball team, drama club and several other organizations while at St. Martin De Porres. Bryana did internships at Cleveland Clinic, The Plain Dealer, and the Karamu House also while in High School. Bryana is extremely helpful with her younger siblings and they look up to her. While going through life she always lived by the saying “tough times do not last tough people do”. She wants to encourage other people to be great and to follow their dreams and achieve all their goals. CONGRATULATIONS FROM YOUR PATTON “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn MEMORIAL CME more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” – FAMILY! John Quincy Adams
Paying for a College Education: Preparing Now for Later >>>
Paine College 1235 Fifteenth Street · Augusta, GA 30901 Phone: (706) 821-8200 or 1-800-476-7703
Paine College is a private, historically black Methodist liberal arts college in Augusta, Georgia. It is affiliated with The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church. Paine College offers undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, business administration, and education through residential, commuter, and off-site programs. The College emphasizes academic excellence, ethical and spiritual values, social responsibility, and personal development to prepare spiritually centered men and women for positions of leadership and service. The Paine College Department of Business is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) to offer the Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with emphases in Accounting, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, and Marketing. The Paine College Department of Education Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher preparation program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Paine is Accredited by Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS). Among their Notable Graduates are Dr. Louis Lomax, ‘42 – Journalist, Dr. Mack Gipson, ‘53 – Scientist, Bishop Woodie White, ‘53 – Preacher, and Dr. Shirley McBay, ’54 – 1st African Dean of Students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1980). https://www.fastweb.com/ is your connection to scholarships, colleges, financial aid and more.
Check out the website for more information on: Rubincam Youth Award Deadline: 12/15/20 Available to: Seventh Grader Students Though High School Seniors Award Amount: Two awards from $250 - $500 The Rubincam Youth Award is available to students in grades seven to 12 or between the ages of 13 and 18. To be considered, you must submit a single-line genealogy in a biographical format for five generations. Submissions should demonstrate understanding of various original and derivative source records. It should apply critical analysis and intellectual skills in compiling the family genealogy. Events should be placed in historical and genealogical context.
Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship Deadline: 2/20/21 Available to: High School Seniors through College Freshmen Award Amount: 2 Awards at $5,000 The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors. You must have been active in promoting vegetarianism in your school and / or community; and have demonstrated compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet / lifestyle to be considered for this award.
TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING‌ COOKING WITH GLORIA By Gloria Murdock
LEFTOVER TURKEY SALAD - Very easy recipe, it's great to spoon onto a green salad, wrap in lettuce, eat with crackers or make sandwiches. Prep. Time Cook Time Chill
15 minutes 0 minutes 30 minutes
Total Time Servings
45 minutes 4 servings
Ingredients 2 cups leftover turkey. (diced) 1 stalk celery (chopped) 1/2 cup dried cranberries 2 green onions or red onion (diced) 1/4 cup pecans chopped (optional) 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Seasoned salt and pepper to taste Instructions 1. Chop leftover turkey into chunks 2. Dice celery and onions 3. Mix all ingredients together (per recipe) and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Nutritional Facts:
Calories 229 Fat 17g Carbohydrates 2g Saturated Fat 3g Potassium 181 Protein 14g
4 ingredients Orange Salmon Prep time Total Time Calories
5 minutes 30 minutes 463
Cook time Servings
25 minutes 2
Ingredients list 1lb Salmon with skin on Zest and juice from 1 orange Orange juice 3 Tbsp soy sauce 2 Tbsp honey Instructions Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper with edges folded up to keep sauce in. Combine the juice from 2 oranges and the zest from 1 orange, soy sauce and honey in a bowl and whisk well. Pour a few spoonfuls of sauce on prepared baking pan. Place salmon skin side up and pour remaining sauce over it. Bake for 7 minutes and carefully flip skin side down. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of salmon. Bake for 18-20 minutes until salmon is done. Cook time will depend on the size and thickness of salmon filet. Enjoy.
Books of the Holy Bible (Look in horizontal and vertical, all directions) P S O N G O F S O L O M O N S I S E N E G Q R B
S C H V H H C M S C J K P X S S N A I S E H P E
J K D C P A S W E O E S R K E T A J L S H A Y C
N K S M P I S N L L R U O I L G I S U N M I R C
Acts of the Apostles Ecclesiastes Habakkuk Jonah Mark
Haggai Joshua Matthew
Philippians
O U N K E D G B T O E D V N C Z N D I A U M E H
M K A N T A N O S S M O E G I N O V T I H E H A
L A T L R O S I P I A E B I O Y A E E T N E S I
I B A E L W F M A A H X S H R J S P I N Y N E M
H A L O E I O O E N Z A Y C H L S H K I Q Q S B
P H A J V D G T H S W W Y A C T E A E R N H O J
S H G S I A N H T R Z E D L R I H N Z O W O I P
N T S E T U O Y F V M H A A O T T I E C J S P S
Amos
Chronicles
Ephesians
Esther
Exodus
Hebrews
Hosea
Isaiah Kings
Micah
Nahum
Nehemiah
Song of Songs
I O T D C S P U S E E T I T A S L H S A S A E L
T J S U U O N W T U Z A E V N Y Y C W M T T H M
A T A J S J Y N C M R M L G S F D L O O G O C S
T G I J U D E D A A A Y Z N U M B E R S D I A G
Ezekiel
Lamentations Numbers
Zechariah
E V E M U V V B Z C U P H I L I P P I A N S R O
A S C R R Q J H A G G A I Y M O N O R E T U E D
L F C K T J A M E S D J O N A H S H L U K E H G
Jeremiah
Y K E J W B Y P I N A Z E C H A R I A H Y Q T V
Deuteronomy
Galatians
Genesis
Job
Joel
John
Leviticus
Luke
Malachi
Obadiah
Peter
Philemon
Romans
Thessalonians
Zephaniah
M U L A Y E E H A I A S I K H E B R E W S H P M
Daniel
Ezra
Revelation of Jesus Christ The Preacher
N T S I R H C S U S E J F O N O I T A L E V E R
Corinthians
James
Judges
Psalms
O B E G I H S M O L B T N M M U L A Q I J E R A
Colossians
Jude
Proverbs
Song of Solomon
E K I B E B O T O S I X R S N K L Z L H A H T C
Samuel
Timothy
Titus
THE PATTON MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 3547 E. 142ND STREET CLEVELAND, OHIO 44120
TO:
Rev. Dr. Lydia Evelyn Spragin, Pastor Publisher and Editor All Rights Reserved (except where noted)