The Christian Index - April 2021

The Christian Index The Official Organ of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church • April 2021

Born, Suffered, Crucified, Dead, Buried, Risen, Ascended, Returning

JESUS IS LORD!!!

CME’s Distribute Water as Part of Texas Disaster Relief Ministry p. 18

THE CHRISTIAN INDEX

The Official Publication Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Copyright © 2021 Offices are Housed in The International Headquarters Memphis, Tennessee Contact the Editor at (901) 515-6510 E-mail: ChristianIndex@thecmechurch.org 1700 Whisperwood Street, Albany GA 31721 Contact Circulations/Subscriptions Office at (901) 396-5400 EDITOR

Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr. PUBLISHER Dr. Roderick D. Lewis, Sr. EDITORIAL BOARD Chairman Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr. PUBLISHING BOARD Chairman Bishop Henry Williamson, Sr.

THE CHRISTIAN INDEX (0744-4060; USPS 0108320) is published monthly by The CME Publishing House.

Periodicals Postage is paid at Memphis, Tennessee, and at additional entry offices. Postal records are maintained at: The CME Department of Publications, Dr. Roderick D. Lewis, Sr. General Secretary, 4466 Elvis Presley Blvd., Suite 153, Memphis, Tennessee 38116. POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to The CME Publishing House, P. O. Box 16035, Memphis, TN 38186. THE SUBSCRIPTION RATE IS $30 for one year.

Subscriptions should be sent to Office of the Publisher: The Christian Index, P. O. Box 16035, Memphis, TN 38186. The Publisher’s telephone number is (901) 396-5400. ARTICLES FOR PUBLICATION should be sent to Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr., Editor, THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, 1700 Whisperwood Street, Albany, GA 31721 or to: ChristianIndex@thecmechurch.org.

The Editor's office number is (901) 515-6510. COST FOR REPRODUCTION OF PICTURES is $20 per photo; payment (to Department of Publications) must accompany mailed article, and pictures will not be returned. Members and friends of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church are encouraged to submit articles for possible publication in THE CHRISTIAN INDEX, the Official Publication of the CME Church.

No compensation is made for articles published and no articles will be considered that have been submitted simultaneously to another publication or published by any other publication. Articles submitted will not be returned. Articles submitted and printed will become the property of THE CHRISTIAN INDEX with all rights assigned to the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. THE CHRISTIAN INDEX was established in 1867 and has been in continuous publication since. It is the Official Organ of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, a member magazine of the Associated Church Press, and a subscriber to Religion News Service. Views expressed by the editor and/or other writers are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

2

The Christian Index • April 2021

Inside The Christian Index "Getting Back to Basics As We Envision Our Way Forward in Taking Care of God's Business"

Volume 154, Number 4

April 2021

Connectional Interests

Episcopacy 4

CME Calendar of Events 5

Dept. of Finance and Investments 6

Board of Personnel Services 8

Dept. of Evangelism and Missions 9

Department of Lay Ministry 10

Ministers' Spouses, Widows/Widowers 15

CME-Affiliated Schools

16 Submissions

How Can We Sing?

17

Prayer, Connection, Worship, and Action 18

Interview with Presiding Elder Casteel 20

Mrs. Annie Ruth Hamler Wilson 23

Who Opened the Door?

24

St. Matthew Women of Wisdom Conference 25

Do You Want to Be a Delegate?

26

Russell Memorial Leads Souls to Polls 28

Mt. Zion 125th Anniversary 31

Oak Grove 127th Anniversary 32

Father, Forgive Them 36 Children/Youth

37 Ecumenical News

Changing Black Farmers Landscape 39 Connectional Directory 43

Cover: General Secretary Leon Moore, General Department of Evangelism and Missions leading the CME Church in a disaster relief ministry in Texas.

Photographs: Photos are by contributors to The Christian Index and Index staff.

Submitted to the Publisher: March 19, 2021

Editorial

What Comes After PPP?

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) website, "The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on payroll. First Draw PPP Loans can be used to help fund payroll costs, including benefits, and may also be used to pay for mortgage interest, rent, utilities, worker protection costs related to COVID-19, uninsured property damage costs caused by looting or vandalism during 2020, and certain supplier costs and expenses for operations." (https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/ Rev. Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr., paycheck-protection-program/first-draw-ppp-loans). From the start of the program as a Editor response to the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, through March 7, 2021, a total of 7,555,249 loans have been approved by 5,474 lenders for a total of $687,374,564,619. Of these, as of March 5, 2021, 5.46% of respondents identified as Black or African American and accounted for 2.08% of aggregate approved dollars or loan values. This data is commensurate with that from a 2018 USAfacts.org survey showing that "... Black Americans own 2.2% of the nation’s 6 million businesses with employees." (https://usafacts.org/ articles/black-women-business-month/)

Many of our churches have applied for and received such loans, but I wonder whether those who have received such loans are making full use of the funds. I do not put myself forward as a financial guru of any kind, but I wonder, how did churches manage their finances before the availability of PPP funds? Now that such funds have been received, how are churches managing those funds? If churches are not having to pay salaries and utilities because of the funds they are receiving, what use is being made of those monies that do come in that are now freed for other purposes? Is the hope to not have to repay the loans? Even if that is the case and does occur, there still remains some money to be accounted for and to be used in good stewardship.

Of course, this is predicated on the assumption that the overall income for a given church has not declined significantly. It is generally agreed that in-person attendance figures are naturally down, but it has also been generally observed that where attempts have been made to stay in some form of contact with the members, and where ministry and outreach have been attempted, especially over social media and through the offer of electronic giving of some kind, finances have remained steady if not increased, even among so-called smaller churches. If PPP money is being used to take care of salary and utility expenses, for example, is other money being used to pay down mortgage principal, or to repair or improve facilities in ways that have previously been impossible due to the lack of funds?

Are new ministries being started and funded with dollars that have now become available? PPP will not last forever.

This brings me to the final point of the question. What are your plans for continued operation and for continuing the ministries and improvements begun during the relief provided by PPP? If you are considering this as extra money, who will provide the extra when the government closes its pocketbook? In the past, it was often said that one should not look a gift horse in the mouth. Well, if you don't look in this horse's mouth, you had better look somewhere.

Mission Statement of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church The mission of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is to be disciples of Jesus the Christ by serving individuals, communities and the world as the representative, loving presence of God and as witnesses to God’s salvation and grace.

Vision Statement of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church The vision of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is to be a transforming church for Jesus the Christ within a changing world.

April 2021 • The Christian Index

3

"It's OK to say, 'I;m not OK ... just pray for me! Even the strong get weak at times."

--Kelvin J. Anthony

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: Unity Summit 2020 Rescheduled In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 Unity Summit, scheduled to be held in Dallas, Texas, August 31-Sept. 4, 2020, has been rescheduled for the year 2021. The official dates for the Unity Summit 2021, which will convene in Dallas Texas, are August 28 - September 3, 2021 (inclusive of the Connectional Lay Institute).

Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr., General Chair, Unity Summit Bishop Lawrence Reddick, Senior Bishop June 2, 2020 CORRECTION ON UNITY SUMMIT 2021 OPENING DATE: Please note that the “opening date” of the 2021 Unity Summit will be Saturday, August 28th, which is the first day of the Connectional Lay Institute.

4

The Christian Index • April 2021

April 9 - Southern California Spring Convocation; hosted by Amos Memorial CME, Los Angeles, California April 9-10 - Second Episcopal District Virtual Spring Gathering April 9-10 - Third Episcopal District Virtual Spring Gathering April 9-10 - West Georgia Region Spring Gathering April 16-17 - Central Georgia Spring Gathering April 30 -May 1 - Georgia North Spring Gathering June 30 - July 2 - Virtual Connectional Youth and Young Adult Conference July 7-10 - Joint South & West Georgia Regions Annual Conference July 13-16 - North Central Alabama Region Annual Conference; format TBD July 21-23 - Kentucky Region Annual Conference July 21-24 - Joint Central & North Georgia Regions Annual Conference July 22 - First Episcopal District; Trinity Virtual Annual Conference

Arkansas Region 9a.m. - 11a.m.

East Tennessee Region 12p.m. - 2p.m.

West Tennessee Region 3p.m. - 5p.m.

Holy Communion/Closing 7p.m.

July 25-28 - Kansas Missouri, Michigan Indiana and Southeast Missouri, Illinois & Wisconsin Regions Annual Conference July 27-28 - Ninth Episcopal District Joint Reporting Meeting (Virtual) July 27-30 - Birmingham & Southeast Alabama Regions; format TBD July 28-30 - Ohio Central Indiana Region Annual Conference August 3-6 - Florida Region Annual Conference; format TBD August 28 - September 3 - Connectional Lay Institute and 8th Connectional Unity Summit December 4 - Third Episcopal District Winter Meeting

April 2021 • The Christian Index

5

Submissions

The Church in Prayer, Connection, Worship and Action Submitted by Rev. Leon Moore General Secretary, Evangelism and Missions, CME Church Pastor, Pleasant Hill CME, Conyers, Georgia

A winter vortex engulfed parts of the southern United States in February. Hearing and seeing the people in the State of Texas suffer from no power for several days was not OK, knowing our sisters and brothers were hurting. I prayed and God led the way on Friday, February 19, 2021, while I was sitting in my car. I made a call to Senior Bishop Lawrence L. Reddick III. We conversed and I asked the following question, “What can the Department of Evangelism and Missions do to help and what is the greatest need?” After a pause, his reply was the need for water in Houston. I said I would like to help. Sr. Bishop stated, “If you can get water to the people, that would be a big help.”

The Church in Prayer

After speaking with Sr. Bishop Reddick, I made a call to Rev. Bonita Collins-Hobbs (Connectional Prayer Ministry Coordinator) and asked her to assemble a team of prayer warriors to pray for the mission. The original plan was to drive to Mississippi, pick up a truck and water, then drive to Houston. I called Dr. Pene’ Woods (Executive Secretary, CME Church) and she called Rev. Gerald Hudson (Pastor, Newell Chapel CME, Meridian, Mississippi) so we could converse. However, Rev. Hudson later informed me that a truck would not be available until February 24, 2021. Rev. Hudson also collected water to send to Houston. My plan was not going to work. I made a call to Ken Porter, a member of Shy Temple CME (Dr. James Clements, Pastor). Bro. Porter and I had driven to Houston a few years earlier when hurricane Harvey hit Houston. I asked Bro. Porter if he was up to ridding to Houston and he replied with excitement, “Whatever we need to do.”

I reserved a truck at Penske and once a truck was secured, water was the next thing we needed. I prayed and began making calls in an effort to find pallets of water. I was finally able to secure the needed water. On Saturday, February 20, 2021, David from Penske called and informed me that they did not have a truck even though I had a reservation. I called the company with the water and they were closed for the weekend. The warehouse had said I could pick up the water on Saturday. I did not panic, after all God had called for this mission, so it was up to God to provide.

David from Penske called and said he had a truck for me, but it was 45 minutes away from me. I looked for water elsewhere, found several pallets and made the purchase. We were now on a roll, only to have a schedule conflict. The water needed to be picked up by noon, the truck was 45 minutes away and it was 11:00 AM. I prayed, “God this is your mission.” Prayer was answered as David met me at the warehouse with the Penske truck so we could load the pallets of water.

18

The Christian Index • April 2021

Submissions Making Connections

I called each Episcopal Leader whose District we would travel through to get to Houston, Texas. Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton and Bishop C. James King offered help and assistance. Next, I called the Chair of the Disaster Relief Committee, Bishop Sylvester Williams, who was also willing to assist.

The Church in Worship

We left Atlanta at 3:30 AM on Sunday morning with six pallets of water headed to Meridian, MS. We arrived in Meridian at 7:45 AM and Rev. Gerald Hudson welcomed us. We picked up an additional two pallets of water (case water) from Newell Chapel CME Church members as more members started showing up with additional water as well.

We finished loading the water and headed to Houston. Bro. Porter joined the worship experience with the Shy Temple family by Zoom. I was present for worship at Pleasant Hill as we celebrated Black History with Rev. Robert Mclaughlin as messenger. We both were able to participate in worship while on the mission. We celebrated Jesus all the way to Houston.

The Church in Action

Our destination was the Metropolitan CME Church in Houston, where we were greeted by Presiding Elder Wayne Mays, Pastor Allen Page, and a plethora of pastors, ministers, and laity of the Houston District. Once at Metropolitan, they began unloading the truck, breaking down the pallets, and loading vehicles with water. What a sight to see the church in action and a Sunday local mission experience seeing the church from the four-phases of prayer, connection, worship, and action. God had a mission and used vessels to execute it as we saw our sisters and brothers hurting and knew that was not the plan of God (Matthew 25: 31-46). God is calling the church to action. How will we answer when we hear and see the people of God in need?

We are The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church recognizing the importance of Christ in our daily lives.

"The difference between the road to success and the road to failure is the decision."

--Diana Casteel

April 2021 • The Christian Index

19