The Christian Index - January 2022

The Christian Index The Official Organ of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church • January 2022

Holsey Chapel Conducts Pandemic Ministry - p. 36

THE CHRISTIAN INDEX

The Official Publication Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Copyright © 2022 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.

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The Christian Index • January 2022

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

Volume 155, Number 1

January 2022

Connectional Interests Episcopacy

Committee on Resolutions 5 Commitee on Emergency Relief 7

Public Service Loan Forgiveness 8

General Conference Delegates 8

Dept. of Finance and Investments 18

Board of Personnel Services 22

Dept. of Evangelism and Missions 23

Department of Lay Ministry 24

Ministers' Spouses, Widows/Widowers 25

CME-Affiliated Schools

26 Submissions

Senior Bishop Reddick Visits Ghana 28

Mt. Zion Celebrates Lay Day 2021 29

Africa and The Great Commission 30

Trauma into Transformative Treasure 31

The Godly Woman and Her Tasks 32

Charles Edwards Publishes New Book 34

A Pandemic Ministry 36

The Challenge to Do. The Will to Be 37

Spring Hill Recognizes Stansbury 38

McIntosh Named Director, Public Policy 38 Children/Youth 39 Ecumenical News

ITC Mourns Whelchel 41 Obituaries - Joining the Great Cloud 42 Connectional Directory 47

Cover: Holsey Chapel Conducts Pandemic Ministry, page 36.

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

Submitted to the Publisher: December 23, 2021

Editorial

The Strategic Plan: To Be or Not to Be?

One hundred fifty-one years ago on December 16, 1870, forty-one formerly enslaved black men met in a church in Jackson, Tennessee, to form, lay the foundations, and plan the ministry of what is now known as the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Many of them had litle education, and for the most part it seems that they had little that could be called wealth.

What they did have was faith in God and a dream for themselves and for their posterity. Their goals were to continue in the Christian and Methodist faith and heritage in which they had been instructed, to educate their children and grandchildren in both godly and secular ways, and to reach the lost for Christ. All of these were lofty goals for people who had lived most of Rev. Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr., their entire lives under the mastery of others. Yet, the "Colored Methodists" had persevered and Editor prevailed in gaining authority to found their own church.

Even though bishops were elected almost immediately and a modified Discipline adopted, executable plans for the new denomination were not quick to develop. The Connection had to be solidified, property had to be secured, members had to be introduced to their new leadership ... and there was no income stream to speak of. Strategic plans were developed as needs arose and minstries were envisioned. The CME Church has undergone a least a handful of strategic plans in the hopes of improving the stability and ministries of the church. In every case, there was discussion of the merits and flaws of the particular plan, but in the end there was a plan and the Church moved on in spiritual, numerical, and financial growth. Thank God that there have been plans, some things have been acheived, and the denomination remains a witness to the grace of God and to the foresight, insight, and fortitude of those founding fathers and subsequent church leaders, men and women, who came before us.

In the General Conference of this year, God willing, we will have the opportunity to vote on a Strategic Plan. It is nothing new to most of us, for we have been hearing about it for over a year now. For almost a year, we have participated in listening tours designed to inform and explain the plan to our members, and to give multiple opportunities for input from every sector of the Church. Though the listening tours were ceased toward the end of summer 2021, each episcopal district still has a bishop and other persons who are available for questions and who continue to prepare the Strategic Plan for presentation to the 2022 General Conference and for its full-scale execution afterward.

The concerns this Plan seeks to address have been with the church ever since there was a church with people called Christians. However, times change, and our approach to the challenges of the day must likewise change, or at least be evaluated for their effectiveness if we are to continue to be a church body. This Strategic Plan addresses these challenges and concerns in the following ways: 1. Develop and pilot a discipleship program for all our churches. The aim is to develop and promote Christian faith and behavior in both new and existing believers.

2. Increase and evaluate our international impact through clearly defined focused missions and partnerships. The aim is to have missions that are measureable and meaningful to all involved.

3. Develop a church growth initiative that will increase the apparent and real vibrancy of existing churches and that will result in the planting of new churches in new places. The aim is to have a vibrant, inviting church life and evangelism.

4. Teach and model biblical stewardship on an individual and a corporate level. The aim is a godly use of time, talents, and resources, including the acquisition or availability of new funding sources for the local church.

5. Teach and model biblical stewardship on an individual and a corporate level. The aim is a godly use of time, talents, and resources, including the acquisition or availability of new funding sources for the connectional church.

6. Enhance or develop congregational (local church) ministries. The aim is to create or strengthen bonds between the local church and the community thereby increasing the relevance of the local church to the community.

Each of these strategic initiatives is being developed on the connectional level with input from selected local churches throughout the Connection to create a common, unified plan that is adaptable and useful to every local church.

Jesus did not establish the church without a plan for its survival and success. Since 1870, the CME Church has been formulating, executing, and evaluating plans for its ministries and success in accordance with the Lord's plan for his church. The question is not whether we will have a plan. The question is whether we, the CME Church, will be or not be. The Strategic Plan keeps us going in the right direction.

January 2022 • The Christian Index

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Connectional Interests Continued from previous page

Episcopacy

COMMITTEE ON RESOLUTIONS Bishop Thomas Brown, Sr., Chair Bishop Othal H. Lakey, Vice Chair

First Episcopal District

Sixth Episcopal District

Second Episcopal District

Seventh Episcopal District

Third Episcopal District

Eighth Episcopal District

Rev. John L. Mason, Jr. 3446 Shelby Dr Memphis, Tennessee 38118 901-219-5579 Jomason9@aol.com

Rev. Pansy Washington 1303 Blairwood Ct Atlanta, GA 30331 626-625-4108 PansyWashington50@gmail.com

Ms. Twila Lewis-White 7733 Tanager Meadows Trotwood, OH 45426 937-503-9859 faithful1tlw@gmail.com

Mrs. Cathedra Miller 94 Nassau St Charleston, SC 29403 843-810-2693 cathedramiller@aol.com

Mrs. Renova Chunn 3824 Arbre Lane Florissant , MO 63034 314-974-4775 mybmw_745@att.net

Dr. Patricia McKenzie 104 Palmetto Court

Lufkin, Texas 75901

936-634-2367 patriciamckenzieEDD@gmail.com

Fourth Episcopal District

Ninth Episcopal District

Fifth Episcopal District

Tenth Episcopal District

Rev Dr. Debra Coleman 172 Promenade Shreveport, LA 71115 318-426-9647 or 318-635-0600 awcfam@comcast.net Mr. James Blackman 855 Wildwood Ave Mobile, AL 36609 251-295-5750 5thDistrictResolutions@gmail.com

Rev. Dr. David C. Isom P. O. Box 196 Fairfield, CA 94533 253-241-1538 davidcisom@thecmechurch.org

Mr. Friday Ben Governor’s Office Uyo, Akwa Ibom State Nigeria +234-803-868-9296

d2popman@yahoo.com

Eleventh Episcopal District

Rev. Urseila Williams 450 Coral Pass Jackson, GA 30233 770-310-3086 WilliamsExecAsst11@gmail.com

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The Christian Index • January 2022

Connectional Interests

Episcopacy

January 2022 • The Christian Index

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Submissions

Charles Edwards Publishes New Book Submitted by Ore L. Spragin, Jr. Pastor, Hines Memorial CME Church

Albany, Georgia, resident Charles R. Edwards was recently recognized by his fraternity, the Albany Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., its noted silhouettes, and the community on the successful publication of his first book, “STRAIGHT: From A Town Named Climax (To the Top of My Game).”

Friends recommend the book as a source of inspiration and motivation for those who are having difficulty navigating their way to success in life, and having that journey filled with obstacles and roadblocks set in their path by fellow human beings. The Climax, Georgia, native hopes that by reading the story of his climb “up from the bottom” others may be inspired to go on to achieve their own measure of success.

Edwards is the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Mack Edwards and is a graduate of Albany State College (now University) where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He successfully pursed further study at Atlanta University, earning a master’s degree in social work.

Charles Edwards is actively involved in the ministry of Hines Memorial CME Church in Albany, Georgia, where his wife Wyndolyn is a member, and they have two daughters, Tracy and Jennifer. His life philosophy is to serve others rather to be served.

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

The Christian Index . . . ONLINE issuu.com/OreSpragin

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The Christian Index • January 2022

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BY THE CHRISTIAN INDEX

:ALL CANDIDATES ME CONNECTIONAL OFFICE (special candidates issue)

AD SPACE AVAILABLE $100 - F11ll Page Submission Deadline: March 31, 2022 christianindex@thecmechurcp.org January 2022 • The Christian Index

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