THE PATTON VOICE ISSUE 3

A LOVE LETTER Dear Sister Sara Law, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE LOVE YOU! WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE MISS YOU! WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU. WE KEEP YOU IN OUR HEARTS! WE ARE YET PRAYING FOR YOU! Always one with us, Your Patton Family

Issue 3

Sister Sara Law

A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER FOR THE MT. PLEASANT COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

BUILT ON THE WORD, CONNECTED TO CHRIST, COMMITTED TO SERVANT-LEADERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: SISTER JOHANNA HARRIS

BY SHIRLEY CUNNINGHAM

Sister Johanna Harris is one of the founders of Patton Memorial C.M.E. Church under Reverend Marshall Patton.

She, her six siblings and parents, Reverend Samuel and Mary Harris and others, were at the first organizational meeting.

Sister Johanna Harris is from a close-knit, and God-loving and fearing family. She has said many times, that she and her siblings were true "preacher's kids". She tells how they would stay in church as much as they did in school and that her and her siblings usually made up the churches’ choirs. They all were blessed with beautiful voices.

Sister Johanna was educated in the Cleveland Schools and graduated from John Adams High School located on East 116th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. She also attended Cuyahoga Community College, Main Campus and Job Corps as well. She served as Secretary with the Catholic Schools for many years at St. Adalbert Catholic School until retirement.

Sis Johanna is a proud and loving parent of one daughter, Tamara and three beautiful grandchildren: granddaughter, Tamia and two grandsons, Cameron and Kylan. They are the twinkle in her eyes and the heartbeats in her life. She enjoys when they attend church with her.

Sister Johanna Harris' missionary work cannot be overlooked as it is her passion. Her involvement over the years has been a moving force at Patton Memorial. She has served in the past as Missionary President and as an assistant. Sister Johanna helps with food drives, Thanksgiving Baskets to families, visitations, and collection of personal items to the homeless shelters. She has represented Patton Memorial Missionaries many years in the Cleveland-Pittsburgh District Conferences. Sister Johanna has been a substitute Sunday School Teacher and always a presence at Patton Memorial Vacation Bible School. She also serves as church secretary of Patton Memorial Church.

Sister Johanna's beautiful voice can be heard every Sunday Service at Patton. God blessed her with a soul moving and powerful alto/ tenor registry. It is pure in tone and harmonizing. Her solos uplift the hearts of the congregation as well as the praises of God. She has been a member of several area Mass Choirs, and President of Patton Memorial's Choir. I must also include that Sister Johanna is an equally talented Jokester.

She always brings smiles and laughter with her dry humor and straight-faced deliverance. Any and everyone can be a target at any given time!

Sister Johanna delivers the morning announcements on Sunday mornings at Patton and she always ends the announcements with..." Pray for me and I will pray for you!" She believes in the power of prayer and that prayer is the mainline to God. Keep on praying and singing Sister Johanna!

We love you!

MEET HIS GRACE, BISHOP MARVIN FRANK THOMAS, SR., PRESIDING PRELATE OF THE SECOND EPISCOPAL DISTRICT Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas, Sr. was elected the 62nd bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church on July 1, 2014 at the 37th Quadrennial Session & 38th General Conference in Baltimore, Maryland.

Prior to his election as bishop, he served as the seventh president/dean of The Phillips School of Theology (“The Seminary of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church”) at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the pastor of the Good News Community CME Church in Lithonia, GA. While at ITC, Bishop Thomas also served as the Chair of the Council of Deans and an adjunct instructor.

He holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a minor in Sociology from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He also earned the Master of Divinity degree from The Phillips School of Theology at The ITC and the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

He has served as the pastor of Walls Memorial CME Church in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to his tenure as pastor of Walls Memorial, he served as pastor of other congregations in the CME Church and presiding elder in the states of Alabama and Tennessee. Bishop Thomas previously served as the Vice President of Student Affairs, and faculty member in the Department of Religion at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. He returned to Stillman College, his alma mater, as a staff member in the Department of Student Services and as a faculty member in the Department of Religion.

Presently, Bishop Thomas serves as the presiding bishop of the Second Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, which includes the Kentucky and Ohio Central Indiana Regions. He also serves as the chair of the denomination’s Department of Lay Ministry and is the pastor of the Metropolitan CME Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is the immediate past chair of the College of Bishops of the CME Church. Additionally, Bishop Thomas serves on the boards of the following institutions: Lane College, Phillips School of Theology (vice-chair), The Interdenominational Theological Center, the Ohio Council of Churches (president), and the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. Bishop Thomas is a Life Member of the NAACP, member of the National Board of Directors for the NAACP and member of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Incorporated.

Bishop Thomas is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He is the second of six children born to Mrs. Minnie Thomas Brown. Bishop Thomas has two children, Kourtney Lea Thomas and Marvin Frank Thomas, Jr., and one grandson, Kameron.

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. NEW WAYS TO CONNECT WITH US! 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) 3999095, then dial the Access Code: 581058# to reach the: Sunday Morning Worship Experience Welcome Fellowship - Introduce yourself begins at 11:05 a.m.

Sunday Service Broadcast 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

Sister Kimberly Farmer Lindsay,

Devotional Worship Team Social Concerns Ministry Stewardess, and Usher

Saturday Morning Breakfast Bible Study with Pastor Lydia Evelyn Spragin Facebook Live (Lydia Spragin FB page) or via the posted dial in number and code at 10:00 a.m. (EST) - (TO RE-VIEW ALL BIBLE STUDIES visit the Patton Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church or the Patton Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Group Bible Study Facebook pages or Rev. Dr. Lydia Evelyn Spragin Channel on YouTube, Pinterest, or Twitter).

DONATIONS TO THE PATTON MEMORICAL CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH RECEIVED ON THE GIVELIFY APP. THE PATTON VOICE is now available on Facebook, via mail/e-mail (upon request), drop off to businesses in the Mt. Pleasant Community, and on Issuu.com.

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.

Paying for a College Education: Preparing Now for Later >>>

Mission Statement Texas College is a Historically Black College founded in 1894, by a group of CME ministers. Our mission continues to embody the principles of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The College shall prepare students with competencies in critical and creative thinking related to the knowledge, skills, and abilities as defined in areas of study. Additionally, the College shall provide an environment to inspire intellectual, spiritual, ethical, moral, and social development, which empowers graduates to engage in life-long learning, leadership, and service.

Core Values

Contact: Texas College, 2404 North Grand Avenue, Tyler, TX 75702 To address the mission, the College incorporates the https://www.texascollege.edu/, (800) 306-6229 Core Values listed below: • Academic Excellence - developing a culture of curiosity and creativity that will challenge the frontiers of teaching/learning; stimulate research; raise the level of analytical reasoning and inquiry; and enable students to acquire leadership, human relations, communication, and technology skills.

• Integrity - instilling the pursuit of character, honesty, and sincerity of purpose as the moral rubrics upon which the behaviors of our graduates and College family are anchored.

• Perseverance - implanting diligence, enterprise, and pride in the application of skills, knowledge, and abilities developed during the course of study at Texas College, Social Responsibility - promoting in the College community a conscious awareness that we are all stewards of the resources entrusted to our care.

• Social Responsibility - promoting in the College community a conscious awareness that we are all stewards of the resources entrusted to our care.

• Tolerance - emphasizing openness to divergent points of view, applying an eclectic approach to rational and analytical thinking.

• Community Service - encouraging self-extension in service to others as the heart and soul of our educational enterprise.

Historic Beginnings The College’s history states that in the Spring of 1894, Texas College was founded by a group of ministers affiliated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. The founding represented the start of the educational process for a group of disenfranchised individuals in the area of east Texas, City of Tyler.

The Charter as originally issued July 1, 1907, indicates that the name of the corporation was established as “Texas College,” with the purpose of an educational institution designed to operate under the supervision care and ownership of the CME Church in America. The exclusive educational direction was to include the education of youths, male and female, in all branches of a literary, scientific, and classical education wherein [all] shall be taught theology, normal training of teachers, music, commercial and industrial training, and agricultural and mechanical sciences.

On June 12, 1909, the name of the college was changed from Texas College to Phillips University. The noted change was associated with Bishop Henry Phillips, as a result of his leadership and educational interests for mankind. The name change was short lived and reportedly lasted until actions for a name reversal occurred in 1910 at the Third Annual Conference of the church. In May 1912, the college was officially renamed Texas College.

The subsequent years of the College were spent with refinements and enhancements of the educational enterprise. The Articles of Incorporation reflect such efforts with modifications and amendments during periods 1909 to 1966.

Today, the College complies with its founding principles in that she remains open to all individuals without discrimination on the grounds of national origin, race, religion, or sex…with the right to offer instruction in the areas of Arts and Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences preparation of teachers and the provision of instructional supports, to those in pursuit of an education.

FEBRUARY 21ST 11:25 A.M. BLACK HISTORY MONTH KEYNOTE SPEAKER QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD TO FOLLOW THE SPEECH. DIAL- IN TO THE SUNDAY SERVICE BROADCAST at 11:25 a.m.

Lieutenant Arabia E. Shanklin, PHR Human Resource Officer Navy Region Southwest LT Arabia Shanklin hails from Steubenville, Ohio. She commissioned from the United States Naval Academy in 2013 with a major in Economics and concentration in Chinese. While at the Naval Academy, she lettered 4 years in Women’s Track and Field and holds an all-time record in the 400m dash. Arabia attended Basic Division Officer School and commenced her first tour assigned as the First Lieutenant and Main Propulsion Assistant aboard the USS SIMPSON (FFG 56) in Jacksonville, Florida where she qualified as a Surface Warfare Officer and deployed twice to the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Following the decommissioning of SIMPSON, Arabia was assigned to the USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) as the Command Training Officer and Legal Officer, where she trained more than 150 outstanding Sailors through an AFRICOM deployment and qualified as an Engineering Officer and Tactical Action Officer. While stationed in Virginia, she remained a community servant and public speaker known for her advocacy of the military-civilian community partnership. Arabia’s initial shore duty enabled her to move to Camp Pendleton, California to be with her husband Captain Gerrico Shanklin, and serve as the CG I MEF G-6 Amphibious Updated: 01 OCT 2020 Communications Liaison Officer where she qualified as a Fleet Marine Force Officer. Her Marine Corps tour was cut short when she was nominated to serve as Flag Aide to the Commander of Expeditionary Strike Group Three; the Admiral in charge of the largest expeditionary strike group in the world. Arabia has deployed to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Arabian Gulf, and has been fortunate to have served with crews that have earned the Battle Efficiency Award during every afloat tour. Arabia co-founded the United States Naval Academy Minority Association an organization that captures the diversity of thought, experience, and leadership within the Brigade and esteemed alumnus. She has been featured in VOGUE Magazine as one of this generation’s trailblazing black servicewomen and is highlighted in the “Proudly She Served” traveling art exhibit honoring active-duty military and veteran women who exemplify courage, strength, and selfless service. Arabia currently serves on the executive board of MENTORCH, is an Ambassador for the Foundation for Women Warriors, and performs as professional Film/TV Actress. Arabia is a certified as a Professional in Human Resources, she was recognized as the “2020 Best Actress” by Black San Diego Magazine, and decorations include the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, as well as other individual, unit and campaign awards.

NEED $$$$ FOR EDUCATION These scholarships (with complete information on the scholarship and how to apply) and others are listed at College Connection Scholarships - collegescholarships.com and more. GO FOR IT!!! Happy Hunting….

Rosa Hartsook Endowed Scholarship – One scholarship for a resident enrolled in a graduate educational program in Ohio who is a registered occupational therapist or a certified occupational therapy assistant who is doing graduate study in a field related to occupational therapy in an Ohio University. Scholarship amount TBD. MGMA Midwest Section Scholarship - Individuals residing in MGMA Midwest section states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) who are enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program relevant to medical practice management.

Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) - The Ohio Board of Regents administers the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) program, which provides grant money to Ohio residents who demonstrate the highest levels of financial need (as determined by the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that should be completed) who are enrolled at Ohio public university main campuses.

Department President's Scholarship - The American Legion Auxiliary Department of Ohio awards one scholarship of $1,500 and one

scholarship of $1,000 annually for students preparing to enter his or her freshman year of college. The applicant must be a veteran or a direct descendant of an honorably discharged veteran.

Ohio War Orphans Scholarship - What is it? The Ohio War Orphans Scholarship Program awards tuition assistance to the children of deceased or severely disabled Ohio veterans who served in the armed forces during a period of declared war or conflict.

Ohio Safety Officers College Memorial Fund - This program provides tuition assistance to the children and spouses of peace officers, fire fighters and certain other safety officers who are killed in the lineof-duty, anywhere in the United States.

Lloyd A. Chacey, P.E. Memorial Scholarship - Eligibility Criteria - for ALL Scholarships (exceptions noted) *3.0 minimum grade point average (A=4) *Minimum SAT (Math=600, Reading or Composition=500) or ACT (Math=29, English=25) *Citizen of the U.S. & permanent resident of Ohio $2,000/year Renewable for one year. One chosen each year. Lloyd established this scholarship to help future engineers.

BLACK HISTORY PROFILE: Lucius Holsey (1842-1920) Eskew, Glenn T. "Lucius Holsey (1842-1920)." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 16 July 2020. Web. 09 January 2021. [As stated on the website: Photograph by Mathew B. Brady. Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration]

As bishop of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (later Christian Methodist Episcopal Church), Lucius Henry Holsey oversaw the growth of the denomination in his native state of Georgia. Through paternalistic interracial cooperation, he promoted collaboration between black and white southern Methodists that resulted in a number of successes, such as the establishment of Paine College in Augusta. Holsey, whose father was white, retained close ties with members of both races and worked for racial uplift even after, in exasperation over lynching and other racial proscriptions, he called on the American government to create a separate black state in the West. Born near Columbus in 1842 to a slave and her master, Holsey later became the property of a white cousin who lived in Sparta, in Hancock County. The light-skinned redhead grew up among distant relations, some of whom taught him to read. With death approaching, Holsey's second master allowed the slave to choose his next owner. Holsey chose the planter and educator Richard Malcolm Johnston, who in 1858 accepted a position as professor of English at the University of Georgia and relocated his family to Athens. There Holsey worked as body servant and carriage driver, and he continued his education, largely on his own. While attending a Methodist plantation missions revival led by the black exhorter Henry McNeal Turner, Holsey converted to Methodism. When the Civil War (1861-65) suspended classes at the University of Georgia, the Johnston family returned to Hancock County, where Richard Johnston opened Rockby Academy and where Holsey met his future wife, the slave Harriett Turner.

Turner was once owned by Johnston's neighbor Bishop George Foster Pierce of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MECS). As favored slaves, the Holseys received special treatment. Bishop Pierce performed the wedding ceremony for Turner and Holsey at his plantation home, Sunshine. With freedom at the end of the Civil War, Holsey received land from Johnston, while his wife took in the laundry of Rockby students. Pierce provided property for a black congregation that Holsey led, Ebenezer Methodist Church. During Reconstruction the white MECS decided to separate its black members into a "colored conference" that could evolve into a distinct denomination. Organized in 1870, the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (CME) attracted many of the black Methodists still attending white churches in the South.

Holsey participated in the organizational meeting and received an appointment to Trinity CME Church in Augusta. When one of the black bishops died in 1873, Pierce joined other white Methodists and the remaining black bishop in the laying on of hands that signified the elevation of Holsey to the bishopric. As a leader of the fledgling denomination, Holsey secured its footing and extended its membership among black Methodists in Georgia. He founded a number of congregations, including Butler Street CME Church in Atlanta. He revised religious tracts, including a Manual of Discipline, and a hymnal for use in the CME Church. As secretary, he regularly attended the general conferences of both denominations to report on the activities of the CME bishops and to speak to the members of the MECS. Later in life Holsey published an autobiography that included a selection of sermons, as well as a volume of poems. Promoting biracial cooperation, the black Holsey and white Bishop Atticus G. Haygood of the MECS traveled the South raising money for Paine College. This venture by black and white southern Methodists underscored the potential of racial collaboration. Yet by the turn of the twentieth century, vigilante violence, segregation ordinances, and disenfranchisement laws drastically altered life for many African Americans. At first Holsey joined other black leaders in supporting the biracial efforts of the Populist Party, but after the 1899 brutal lynching of Sam Hose in Newnan, Holsey renounced paternalistic interracial cooperation in favor of black separatism. He moved to Atlanta from Augusta and championed the idea of a separate state for black Americans created by the federal government out of the Indian territories—a foolhardy plan perhaps, but one that Holsey hoped would allow some people of color to enjoy first-class citizenship. Still holding to racial separation, he joined black and white church leaders in an effort to restore order after the deadly Atlanta race riot of 1906. Living on Auburn Avenue, where the King Center is located today, Holsey continued to influence the black community as racial diplomat and bishop of the CME Church until his death in 1920.

TIPS FOR HEALTHY EATING… COOKING WITH GLORIA

By Gloria Murdock In this year a lot of us are trying to let go of the extra weight we gained during quarantine. One way I am trying is to add more salads to my weekly menu. You can get very creative when making one's personal salad. I myself love fruits, apples, and grapes tossed with a few cranberries. Looking for ideals I found a list on the internet called STANDOUT SALAD INGREDIENTS that has helped me keep my salad interesting. I hope it will be helpful to you also.

How well do you know the Book of Genesis?

1

2

3

4

5

6 7

8

9 10

11

12

13

14

15 18

16

19

20

22

17

21

23

24 25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32 33

34

38

41

35

39

36

37

40

42

43

44

Across 4. bird that returned to the ark 5. another name for the first five books of the Holy Bible 7. what Lot's wife turned into 9. chapters 26-36 primarily tell his story and his sons 12. the event with which Noah is most associated 13. the animals went into ark in _____________ 18. had two wives 19. place where Joseph did time 21. the first Book of the first book of the Holy Bible 22. Abraham is considered to be the great 23. wife of Isaac 27. The ___ history includes the familiar stories of the Creation, the Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, and the Tower of Babel 28. author of Genesis 30. number of chapters in Genesis 33. twin of Esau 34. Garden of ____________ 37. bird that did not return to the ark 38. chapters 12–25 tell his story 40. number of Jacob's sons 41. Genesis derives its name from these opening words 43. the creator 44. Tower of ________________ 46. lived 969 years

45

46

Down 1. the African country where the Israelites are at the end of Genesis 2. He walked with God and was not 3. The _________________ history begins with the divine promise to Abraham that “I will make of you a great nation” (12:2) and tells the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants 6. Joseph was sold to _______________ in Egypt.

8. the third child of Adam and Eve 10. another name for the first five books of the Holy Bible 11. brother of Abel 14. the principal figure of chapters 37-50 15. Twelve tribes of ________________ 16. Genesis in Hebrew 17. Father of Abraham 20. when it flooded, the number of days it rained 24. place where Abraham received his call 25. Genesis tell the ___ history of the Israelite people (chapters 12–50) 26. another name for a biblical story 29. ____________ and Gomorrah 31. Another name for the promised landfall 32. Genesis narrates the ______ history of the world (chapters 1–11) 35. God promised to make Abraham a great _____ (Genesis 12:2) 36. Genesis can be divided into ten segments based on the repetition of the socalled "generations" or ______________ passages scattered throughout the book of Genesis 39. Genesis 9:13 describes this 42. built the ark 45. nephew of Abraham

THE PATTON MEMORIAL CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH 3547 E. 142ND STREET CLEVELAND, OHIO 44120

Rev. Dr. Lydia Evelyn Spragin, Pastor Publisher and Editor All Rights Reserved (except where noted)

TO:

Help support the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church by participating in AmazonSmile.

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.

An especially fruitful partnership that CVS Health has focused on is its collaboration with Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) churches to address health issues among the most vulnerable and provide paths of opportunity to better lives and employment for people in the community. The program has come to serve as a model for other partnerships with faith-based organizations. …In order to develop this partnership, Mrs. Olivia Lang, Director of Workforce Initiatives for CVS Health, and her team started to look closely at pre-existent groups in society which would share the same values and have the possibilities to assist them in achieving their goals as a company. CVS Health learned that the church is often seen as the “gateway to community” and have the means and connections to assist companies like CVS Health in engaging “those that need our help the most.” Mrs. Lang emphasizes that without a true and meaningful connection with our partners on the ground and roots in the deepest levels of societies, there is not an easy way for businesses to understand real issues and address them with a comprehensive approach.

This remarkable model and initiative started from a dialogue between CVS Health and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Churches in order to identify their shared mission of breaking the cycle of poverty and assist those in dire conditions not capable of accessing the healthcare system. The conversation focused on the goals that the two entities wanted to pursue by collaborating in this common effort, making sure that their objectives and methods were aligned. In Mrs. Lang’s words, “once you identify what both organizations have in common, then you build a FRAMEWORK OF TRUST around it, not (around) what is different”. This is an extremely powerful and innovative approach. The subsequent step was focusing on communications strategies, structure, and developing an organizational approach. It is a remarkable example of faith-based groups and business coming together to work on social issues with a comprehensive perspective and common respect for each other. The shared work covers a variety of social programs such as military, mature worker, disability, and youth initiatives.

READ FULL ARTICLE AT: CVS Health Has Faith Partnerships | RFBF

(religiousfreedomandbusiness.org)