The Christian Index - November 2024

The Christian Index The Official Organ of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church • November 2024

WMC, Bishop Marshal (sic) Gilmore Cathedral

THE CHRISTIAN INDEX

The Official Publication Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Copyright © 2024 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 C. Kelby Heath PUBLISHING BOARD Chairman Bishop Kenneth W. Carter THE CHRISTIAN INDEX (0744-4060; USPS 0108320) is published monthly by The CME Publishing House.

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The Christian Index • November 2024

Inside The Christian Index Quadrennial Theme: "Be Bold: Face Now, Embrace Next, See New"

Volume 157, Number 11

November 2024

Connectional Interests Episcopacy 4 CME Calendar of Events 5 Department of Publications 6 Dept. of Evangelism/Missions 8 Dept. of Lay Ministries 9 Committee on Disaster Relief 10 CME-Affiliated Schools

Texas College Accepted by Alpha Chi 21 Submissions Our Ancestral Journey to Vote 12 Make Good Trouble: Do Something 16 A Review of the Book Church 21 Veterans Day Poem 22 Gilmore Cathedral National Women's Day 23 Greenville/Texarkana Shines at Conference 24 2024-2025 Liturgical Calendar 26 Unforgettable NYAC in Nigeria 28 "Hope Dealers" Give Support 30 "THIS AIN'T OUR MAMA'S CHURCH" 31 Children/Youth 33 Ecumenical 35 World California Indian History and Genocide 36 Connectional Directory 43

Cover: Bishop Marshal (sic) Gilmore Cathedral Women's Missionary Council, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Story on page 23.

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

Submitted to the Publisher: October 18, 2024

Editorial

What Are You Thankful For? On the fourth Thursday of this month, many Americans will celebrate the national holiday known as Thanksgiving. According to britannica.com, the day was first regularized as a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, though it had to be proclaimed annually by each successive sitting president. Thanksgiving Day was made a more permanent fixture in the US calendar by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1942.

Though the date has changed from time to time over the years, one constant has always been that the day is a day for giving thanks, and for Christians that means giving Rev. Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr., thanks to God. Sometimes thanks have been given for life itself, for just being alive.

Editor Sometimes thankfulness has been expressed for bountiful harvests. In modern times, the emphasis seems to be on giving thanks for family and friends, or for being able to gather in large groups in public spaces.

Apart from these, the Bible gives us other things for which we can and should be thankful. Some of these include the fact that we know the living God as our God, that the Lord gives us good things just because he is God, that God has mercy on us when we sin or undergo various trials or persecutions, that in God’s providential wisdom we are protected from enemies and mercifully delivered when we are overcome. We are also taught to give thanks for opportunities to worship, especially in company with others; for salvation from sin and deliverance from temptations; for fellow believers, the saints of God; for gifts and abilities that may be used in the service of our Lord and for building up the people of God. Further, we are taught to give thanks for those who have come before us, the ancestors, preceding us in this earthly life and setting examples of faith that we might follow. We are taught to give thanks for trials and tribulations that build our faith, but not for temptations and sins that destroy our faith. We are instructed to give thanks for Jesus, the Son, through whom and by whom we are saved, and for the Holy Spirit who assures us, perfects us, and seals or marks us as children of God unto the day of the Lord’s appearance for eternal life.

Finally, we are taught to be thankful for all people, even those who are not saved, for despite their unbelief God uses them to the benefit of the saints, and they are opportunities for us to proclaim the name and love and salvation of God. Yes, there is much for which we can be and should be thankful.

What are you thankful for?

Reference: Silverman, D. J. (2024, September 23). Thanksgiving Day. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thanksgiving-Day.

CORRECTION!!!

Being prompted, I went back to look at the material Sis. Kimberly Chenault submitted for the article regarding the DFW-NWT Annual Usher Program (September 2024, page 23). The article states, erroneously, that Sis. Dorruth Boyd is deceased. This error is strictly the Editor's fault, and I take full responsibility. Someone whose knowledge I esteemed told me she was deceased, and I inserted it in the article. I sincerely apologize to Sis. Kimberly Chenault, and ESPECIALLY TO SIS. DORRUTH BOYD!!! I am thankful to God that she is indeed alive and well. Again, please accept this editor's apologies.

Humbly, Editor Ore Spragin November 2024 • The Christian Index

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Connectional Interests

Episcopacy

OFFICIAL NOTICE Upon authority set forth in ¶ 203 of The Book of Discipline, Revised 2022, the College of Bishops is calling a Special Session of the General Conference of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 9:00 A.M. Central Daylight Time at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2330 N. Stemmons Fwy, Dallas, Texas 75207. This Special Session is pursuant to and in facilitation of the 41st General Conference and 40th Quadrennial Session of the General Conference hereby called for Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. Central Daylight Time at the same location. + Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick, May 19, 2024

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The Christian Index • November 2024

November 2, 2024 - West Tennessee Region - Northwest District Fall Reporting Meeting; Coleman Chapel, Memphis TN November 9, 2024 - West Tennessee Region - Northeast District Fall Reporting Meeting; Pillow Street CME Church, Memphis TN November 15-17, 2024 - DR Congo Region Annual Conference, Goma City December 6-7, 2024 - Second Episcopal District, Winter Meeting; Virtual December 7, 2024 - Third Episcopal District Winter Meeting; Virtual December 12-15, 2024 - South Africa Region Annual Conference (Tentative) December 14 - Sixth Episcopal District Winter Reporting Meeting; Anderson Conference Center, Macon GA March 7-8, 2025 - First Episcopal District Spring Gathering 2025; Phillips Temple CME Church, 1321 Moore Road, Chattanooga TN March 20-23, 2025 - Uganda Region Annual Conference, Busia March 28-29, 2025 - Second Episcopal District, Spring Meeting; Phillips Temple CME Church, Dayton OH June 25-27, 2025 - Arkansas Region Annual Conference; Miles Chapel CME Church, Texarkana AR July 9-11, 2025 - East Tennessee Region Annual Conference; St. Luke CME Church, Nashville TN July 13-15, 2025 - Michigan Indiana Region Annual Conference; Carter Memorial CME Church, Gary IN July 16-18, 2025 - Kentucky Region Annual Conference; Louisville KY June 22-24, 2025 - Kansas Missouri Region Annual Conference; St. Peters CME Church, Kansas City KS July 23-25, 2025 - Ohio Central Indiana Region Annual Conference; Indianapolis IN

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.

November 2024 • The Christian Index

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Connectional Interests

Department of Evangelism/Missions

BE BOLD: Face Now-Embrace Next-See New Faith, Witnessing, and Serving God The journey we are on should not be traveled alone. Believers need the support of other believers to encourage, pray, cheer, and rebuke when necessary. Faith, witnessing, and serving God are aspects of the believer's life. Each plays a crucial role in shaping a believer's relationship with God and their impact on our world.

Faith in God Faith in God requires believers to understand the core truths of Christianity, which are the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. We must accept the truths of the scriptures as authoritative while demanding a personal commitment to live according to Biblical beliefs. How do we trust God, and hold ourselves accountable, while being committed to witness and serve?

Witnessing Witnessing is about sharing one's faith with others. It often involves personal stories that demonstrate God's presence and intervention in our lives. The knowledge of God's intersectionality will create space for conversation and our personal testimony to be shared with others. People are drawn to Christ by observing how believers live out their faith in daily life.

Serving God Serving God involves dedicating one's life to His will and purposes. It means trusting in His provision and guidance even during challenging times. Serving can manifest in various forms, such as participating in community activities, helping those in need, or leading Bible studies. Wholistic stewardship of our time, talent, and resources is needed to serve in vertical and horizontal relationships. Through service, believers experience God's faithfulness and learn to rely on God. Our Challenge Faith, witnessing, and serving are interconnected aspects of the believer's journey. I offer: Serving Family and Community: Engage in acts of love and support for family members and volunteers.

Witness: Demonstrate integrity, kindness, and diligence in every place, pointing others to God through actions and words.

Kindness and Hospitality: Show kindness to strangers, practice hospitality, and invest time in building authentic relationships.

Stewardship: Use personal skills to help others, donate goods, and offer financial support to those in need.

Worship and Prayer: Start the day with prayer, read scripture, and maintain a thankful heart throughout the day.

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

Dr. Leon C. Moore, Jr. General Secretary of Evangelism and Missions Anderson Chapel CME, Holly Springs, MS 8

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Connectional Interests

Department of Lay Ministries

Here is the link to complete the information for CME's that are elected officials. https://forms.gle/YNGrfW3YX89dni5q8 November 2024 • The Christian Index

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Connectional Interests

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Committee on Disaster Relief

Connectional Interests

CME-Affiliated Schools

From: https://www.texascollege.edu/blog/post/alpha-chi-inaugural-induction-ceremony. Accessed 10-10-2024.

Alpha Chi Inaugural Induction Ceremony Earlier this year, Texas College was accepted by the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society, one of the top national honor societies in the country. The College’s acceptance yields the chartering of the Texas Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi, Chapter 409 in Region II, Texas College’s chapter.

The Alpha Chi National College Honor Society recognizes exceptional student scholars and unites them around one goal —channeling creativity and curiosity into scholarship that serves the greater good. Texas College is excited and eager to offer this opportunity to students. The Texas Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi will afford scholars an enhanced landscape on campus to thrive and collaborate. The College’s Alpha Chi chapter will further fuel and invigorate a robust intellectual life both inside and outside of the classroom, providing students opportunities to engage with a community of peers on campus and across the country, as well as leadership and service opportunities to build students’ résumés. Alpha Chi also offers students a rich source for scholarships and financial awards with many grants, fellowships, and travel stipends to support undergraduate scholarship.

Texas College will officially celebrate the chartering of the Texas Beta Beta Chapter of Alpha Chi with an inaugural induction ceremony on Tuesday, October 29, at 11:00 A.M. on the Texas College campus.

Notice of Non-Discrimination: Texas College does not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. The Vice President of Academic Affairs has been designated to handle student inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies and the Director of Human Resources has the responsibility for faculty-staff concerns in this regard. Contact information is: Texas College, Attn: Vice President of Academic Affairs/Compliance Officer, Office of Academic Affairs/Martin Hall 2nd floor, 2404 North Grand Avenue, Tyler, Texas 75702, (903) 593-8311 ext. 2342 office, (903) 526-4426 fax or Texas College, Attn: Director of Human Resources, Martin Hall, 2nd floor, 2404 North Grand Avenue, Tyler, Texas 75702, (903) 593-8311 ext. 2201 office, (903) 363-1828 fax. If you do not have it, download Adobe Reader here (https://get.adobe.com/ reader/).

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Submissions OUR ANCESTRAL JOURNEY, SLAVE SCHEDULES, THE PRIVILEGE OF VOTING: MY FIRST-PERSON ACCOUNT Submitted by Martha S. Lue Stewart

Election 2024, represents a pivotal time in our nation’s history, one for which our ancestors struggled and fought. And we, as their beneficiaries possess a privilege and a right to exercise: Voting. As a daughter of the Deep South born during an era where our most abled Black men were fighting racism abroad, hard battles of racism were taking place in their own backyards.

Sixty (60) years later, I am still reminded of a personal experience that continues to inspire my commitment to 'go the extra mile,' particularly in exercising the privilege and the right to vote.

For some, this story may be familiar; for others, it may be new.

I grew up in rural North Florida, in the region now known as the Panhandle, close to the state capital. In the 1870s, this area had a larger population of enslaved individuals than free residents, many of whom were brought there to cultivate the fertile land, assist in harvesting tobacco, and cotton crops. My great-great-grandfather, born around 1820, was among these enslaved. Yet, my paternal great grandfather inherited land—yes, land—that remains in our family today.

Forty acres and a mule. As explained by the noted historian, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, in the documentary appendix, “The truth behind 40 acres and a Mule,” “The islands from Charleston, South, the abandoned rice fields along the rivers for thirty (30) miles back from the sea, and the country bordering the St. Johns River, Florida, are reserved and set apart for the settlement of the negroes (sic) now made free by the acts of war and the proclamation of the President of the United States … and that these new communities, moreover, would be governed entirely by black people themselves.” William Sherman’s Special Field Order, Number 15, January 16, 1865 However, just as “freedom is not always free,’ owning of land did not come without constraints, challenges, and attachments. The ‘ownership of land’ then did not include the opportunity for an education. Look at my great grandfather’s 1900 Census record: ______________________________________________________________________________ 1900

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Occupation

Farmer

Months Not Employed

2

Can Read

N

Can Write

N

The Christian Index • November 2024

Submissions Can Speak English

Y

House Owned or Rented

Own

Home Free or Mortgaged

Mortgaged

_______________________________________________________ The Greatest Generation: Fast forward to my father's generation. Born in an era commonly called the Greatest Generation as the youngest of six children (his birthdate was between 19131914), societal and family expectations were clear: While women worked within the home, with daughters assisting and allowed to attend school up until the sixth grade, male children, as young as five, were expected to work the land, till the soil—many never stepping foot in a formal classroom. In later years, several of our male family members served on the front lines of wars, often returning home bruised, battered, mentally confused, missing limbs, scarred-in a myriad of ways.

In the meantime, as we, the children of my father, grew older, we took turns in assisting him to read and memorize important information. My older sisters helped him read and memorize his favorite Bible verses. The two younger daughters were tasked with the responsibility of teaching him how to write his name—starting with replacing the 'X' - a designation used and accepted as his official signature.

Vote. My daddy was a sharecropper for most of my formative years, although the family owned the land. Notably, his inability to read must have been costly. When I turned eighteen, my first year in Community College, Daddy and I went to vote together - as a matter of fact, unannounced, he took me to vote. A requirement to vote: To read the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal. Daddy asked me to go first. I realized what was happening and decided to read it as slowly and distinctly as possible, knowing his phenomenal ability for memorization. When it was his turn, even with a memory that rivaled that of much more learned persons, he just couldn’t read or recite it all, and thus was not allowed to vote. Later, at 60 plus years, he walked to the polls and proudly cast his very first vote. But he always filled our hearts with the spirit of determination, reminding us of how proud he was of us. Denied the right to vote with now illegal parameters of reciting the Preamble, he inspired all of us to use the right to vote in every election.

U S Federal Census: 1850; 1860: Exploring “Slave Schedules” I serve as the historian for my family. As such, I have spent countless hours “breaking down walls” in learning more about our history. For those budding genealogists, it may be helpful to note that the U S Federal Censuses of 1850 and 1860 were the first to enumerate the slaves who

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Submissions were our ancestors existing in the federal count. If enumerated, they were listed under their ‘owners’ names and categorized as female or male. Decades later, through the use of little used microfilm, through further understanding of “Slave Schedules,” through releasing of additional information from the National Archives (archives.gov), and through other genealogical tools, I used the owner’s name to only then finally discover my relative’s real name. You guessed it: his last name bore the name of his owner (Appendix A).

Discussion As my family’s historian, I’ve learned a great deal as an eighth generation Floridian, beginning with the days of my great-great-grandfather, who was initially identified on the Slave Schedule Census as Enslaved. Male. 30 years of age (older than his slave owner). This is a resounding reminder of the ‘promise’ of forty acres and a mule, and yet the collective memory that drives my desire to cast a vote when and where I am able.

Because of my father and of my resilient ancestors, I proudly stand on the shoulders of those who stood before me. Ensuring that my voice is both heard and that my vote counts are the least that I can do. With the powerful restatement that each of us has our own Ancestral Journey story, I remain committed to democracy and voting. I thank God each day for those who helped to pave the way for me, for my children, my grandchildren, and future generations. My brothers and sisters, my friends, no doubt, the ‘heavy lifting’ has already taken place … The importance of participating in this long fought democratic process cannot be overemphasized. The opportunities to exercise these rights are here and open to making our voices heard … I leave you with questions: How will you diminish your excuses and barriers to vote? What’s your plan to get out the vote in this very important election?

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Submissions APPENDIX A: (SLAVE SCHEDULE) Name

(Name of slave owner)

Residence Date

1850

Residence Place Number of Enslaved People

10

Role

Slave Owner

All Enslaved People (Gender)

Age

Male (my great-great grandfather)

30

Female

60

Male

Female Female Female Female Female Female Female

10 35 11 9 7 5 3 1

The author: Martha S. Lue Stewart is a member of the Carter Tabernacle CME Church, Orlando, Florida, where Rev. Dr. C. K. Heath, Presiding Prelate of the 5th Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, serves as Pastor. A Professor Emerita in Exceptional Student Education from the University of Central Florida, she is an active Sunday Church School participant and a member of the Social Justice & Human Concerns Ministry, as well as the president of the local Women’s Missionary Society, along with serving as the Vice President of the Women’s Missionary Society, Florida Region. A member of the Executive Board of the Women’s Missionary Council, led by International President, Dr. Jacqueline I. Scott, she serves as Chair of the Sylvia M. Faulk Commission on Christian Social Relations. She and her husband, Carlton, find joy in studying the Word together. Her son, Rev. Marvin C. Lue, Jr., serves as Pastor of the historic Stewart Memorial CME Church, Mobile, Alabama.

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Submissions

MAKE GOOD TROUBLE:

DO SOMETHING! Submitted by Rev. Shea Thompson, MTh Member, Trinity CME Church, Indianapolis, Indiana

For those who know me, I am a lover of History. History is a way for me to look at past events to see how they affect the present. As I always say, “History forces us to reflect to correct.” In American history, we have witnessed world-renowned poets, philosophers, entertainers, intellectuals, theologians, and activists who changed the world through the power of their words and the power their writings. However, I am sure we all would agree with this assertion: John Lewis is one of the most significant American figures of the 20th century.

Regarding the Civil Rights Movement, John Lewis was a prime figure. Born the son of sharecroppers in Troy, Alabama, he wanted to fight for justice. He was only 15 years old when he heard the news about the arrest of Rosa Parks and the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his first national address as President of the Montgomery Improvement Association on December 5, 1955. As the fifties ended, Lewis was determined to stand up for justice.

In 1960, he participated in nonviolent workshops during the Nashville student sit-ins while attending Fisk University.

In 1961, he participated in the Freedom Rides, which was a movement to end segregation in interstate travel. In 1963, Lewis served as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and helped organize the March on Washington. On March 7, 1965, he participated on the first march of the Selma to Montgomery campaign. The march was so brutal that it would be coined “Bloody Sunday.” He was hit in the head by an Alabama state trooper and had to spend two days in the hospital. From March 21-25 of 1965, he participated in the march from Selma to Montgomery, which led to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. From the 1970s to the 1980s, he made significant moves in politics. In 1981, he became a member of the Atlanta City Council; he served that role until 1986, when he was elected to Congress, representing Georgia’s 5th district, which included Atlanta.

John Lewis was arrested more than 40 times for the cause of justice. While he died in 2020, this nation will never forget John Lewis for his work during the Civil Rights Movement and the post-civil rights era. In speeches and interviews, Lewis would mention how his family told him that segregation was the norm and that he should stay out of the way.

However, as he encouraged students and activists, John Lewis proclaimed, “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”

When we read the Bible, the stories of the Old and New Testaments were written to address audiences who lived during times of oppression, whether Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, or Roman. 1 Kings was one of these books.

The Book of 1 Kings was written around 550 BC during the reign of King Solomon. The key theme in 1 Kings is the corruption of Solomon and how disobedience leads to destruction. When David died, Solomon became the king and was a good king. He led Israel to rise to the peak and oversaw the construction of the temple and palace in Jerusalem. However, later, in Solomon’s older years, he took a pagan wife who influenced him away from God and the worship of God in the temple.

Solomon’s heart was divided between the pagan lifestyle and the godly lifestyle, and as a result, the kingdom was divided.

As we see in this book, the faithfulness of a nation’s leader will directly impact the followers. Solomon’s activities led to another corrupt government under the leadership of King Ahab. The Bible describes King Ahab as a king who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him” (1 Kings 16:30). King Ahab was an evil king whose deeds were magnified by his marriage to the evil Jezebel who had a hatred for God’s people. He led Israel into idolatry - worshipping other gods - such as the Baals. All of this led to the confrontation with Elijah.

My friends, in our passage this morning, we find a brother who got in the way and made good trouble; his name was Elijah. Who is Elijah? Elijah is a prominent figure in this period of history. His name in Hebrew means, “Yahweh is my 16

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Submissions God.” He is a prophet whose story is written as a social justice narrative. He is a Tishbite living in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. In our text, Elijah and King Ahab have a significant confrontation. From verses seven to fourteen, Obadiah and Elijah meet up, and Elijah tells him to tell Ahab that Elijah is here. Obadiah is hesitant at first, but in verse sixteen, he does what Elijah commands.

Ahab and Elijah meet, and King Ahab has the nerve to call Elijah a “troublemaker.” Why does Ahab call him a troublemaker? Well, Elijah was making changes and challenging the people in Israel. In 1 Kings chapter 17, Elijah proclaims a drought, visits a widow, increases her food supply, and revives her deceased son. Yes, Elijah was making good trouble!

Elijah tells King Ahab to gather all the prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mount Carmel. On Mount Carmel, Elijah gives the people an ultimatum: follow the true God or the false gods that the Nation of Israel worshipped. Elijah rebuilds the altar with twelve stones, each representing the twelve tribes that descended from Jacob. Once he put the altar together, he commanded the people to pour water on the wood. Elijah prays to God to give him a sign so the people can know who God is.

God does what Elijah prayed for. God burns the altar and the sacrifices, and once the people see God’s power, they have to repent and know that God is God. The Baal prophets are slain, and Elijah commands his servant to look at the sea seven times. After that seventh time, a dark cloud arose, and the Bible says there was heavy rain. Looking at this story, we see that Elijah is a prime example of a troublemaker who causes good trouble.

While we have worshiped and fellowshipped at this Unity Summit, don’t get it twisted; our struggle for justice is far from over. God is calling us to make good trouble because our world is messy. How can one be a Christian or practice any faith tradition and sit idly by as their brothers and sisters are brutalized? How can one be a Christian and support policies that oppress people of color? How can one be a Christan when sexism, misogyny, and oppressive forces toward women in the church occur daily? How can one be a Christian and not care for the poor and the needy?

How can anyone be a Christian and not speak out against the social evils in society? How can we, as the CME (Christian Methodist Episcopal) Church, claim to preach the liberating gospel of Jesus Christ, but we do not do the liberating work for our society? James Cone poses the question in his classic, The Cross and the Lynching Tree, “How can anyone be a great theologian and not engage with America’s greatest moral dilemma?”

Well, my friends, I must tell you that God is not a God who does not care for the marginalized. The God we worship cares about humanity’s soul, but God also cares about humanity’s social conditions. God has commanded us to be concerned about God’s people because, as the body of Christ, we have a moral obligation to care for the body and the soul. The great mystic Howard Thurman once said in his classic, Jesus and the Disinherited, “It cannot be denied that too often the weight of the Christian movement has been on the side of the strong and the powerful and against the weak and oppressed - this, despite the gospel,” and Dr. Thurman further goes on to say, “The masses of people live with their backs constantly against the wall. They are the poor, the disinherited, the dispossessed. What does our religion say to them?” Throughout scripture, we see that the prophets of the 8th century used their platform to confront the social evils surrounding them.

God used the prophet Isaiah, who said, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). God used the prophet Zechariah, who said, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien or the poor; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another” (Zechariah 7:9-10).

God used the prophet Jeremiah, who said, “Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place” (Jeremiah 22:3). God used the prophet Micah when he said, “He has shown you, O man what is good, and what does the Lord require of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8), and God used the prophet Amos when he said, “Let justice roll down like water and righteous like a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24).

Yes, all of these prophets were troublemakers who caused good trouble for the cause of justice! But my friends, while we are in this setting, I want to ask you all a question: What is the task of the CME church during this critical hour?

We may conveniently look at two areas of how the CME church can cause good trouble. church.

1. We must make good trouble OUTSIDE of the

When it comes to discussing the church, one must analyze what makes it the church. The Greek word

Continued on next page November 2024 • The Christian Index

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Submissions Continued from previous page for church is ekklēsia, from which we get ecclesiology, which is the study of the church—church practices and church history. In the Book of Acts, the church formed on the Day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus was resurrected.

Initially, the church was formed to save the soul but also to care about the social condition of the parishioners.

Even in a more profound study of the book of Acts, Peter was causing good trouble when he healed a disabled beggar, went before the council to proclaim that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, and preached the gospel, and three thousand people were saved; Peter was making good trouble throughout the city.

The early church leaders understood that just salvation would not be enough; what good would it be to save the soul but not care for the body? Even in the early twentieth century, theologians such as Walter Rauschenbusch, a prominent figure in the Social Gospel movement, challenged the church to take social matters seriously.

In his classic text, Christianity and the Social Crisis, Rauschenbusch said that “the fundamental purpose of Jesus was the establishment of the kingdom of God, which involved a thorough regeneration and reconstitution of social life … thus Christianity as an historical movement was launched with all the purpose and hope, all the impetus and power, of a great revolutionary movement, pledged to change the world-as-it-is into the world-as-it-ought-to-be.”

But today, in the modern church, we have been influenced

by John MacArthur, who called social justice preaching heretical. Instead of being the church that God called us to be, we have turned into a social club that opens at 10 am, which is entertaining and ineffective. We have turned the gospel into a money-making machine and preach a capitalistic gospel. We have turned our theology so “heavenly” that we do not care about the “earthly.” Any theology or religion that fixates so much on a “land over yonder” must be questioned. How can we fixate so much on a “land over yonder” but not realize we are going through hell on earth? We cannot afford to have a theology such as this; therefore, any theology that fixates on the heavenly but not on the earthly must be questioned and ultimately rejected.

Our duty as the church is to respond to the social injustices we face. In areas such as education, the United States ranks 13th. In the state of Texas, it ranks 41 overall. It is our job as the church to teach our children the truth of their history because most teachers in the public school system do not look like us. Our children learn about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, 18

The Christian Index • November 2024

and Christopher Columbus in school. For those who are in seminary, they teach you about John Calvin and Martin Luther, a bunch of people who did not like nor care about black people. But our job is to tell our children the truth about their history. Tell your children about Bishop William Henry Miles, Bishop Isaac Lane, Bishop Charles H. Phillips, Bishop Teresa Snorton, Bishop Denise AndersModest (my favorite), and Rev. Dr. Jesse Douglas. Not only that. Tell your children about Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou, Phillis Wheatley, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Amanda Gorman, Gabriel Prosser, Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey, Howard Thurman, Angela Davis, and my favorite, Bishop Henry McNeal Turner (who declared in 1895, “God is a Negro”).

In another area of social injustice, we must grapple with the issue of poverty in the United States. Did you know that in the United States, the poverty rate is at 18%? In black neighborhoods in Texas, the overall poverty rate is 18.7%.

With these statistics, the church must take the issue of poverty seriously. Some may ask me, why do you always address the issue of poverty in your sermons? My response: When I study the life of Jesus and look at the location where he was born, I have no choice but to cry out and be an advocate for those experiencing poverty. Since Jesus was born in the hood of Nazareth, he understood what life was like for those experiencing poverty. The rich man asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and Jesus replies, “Sell all your possessions and give all your money to the poor, and the rich man leaves away grieving with all his possessions” (Mark 10:17-22).

Dr. Darvin Adams, in his book Inner City Blues, asserts, “Black poverty is a theological issue because of what the Bible says about God’s loving action concerning the poor and the full-scale harm that results from idolatry, heresy, and racism as founded in the economic practices of late capitalism and white supremacy.” If the community wants to feel the love of the church, we must side with those who are poor because they need liberation just as we do, which requires us to leave the building. I can hear the words of the prophet Marvin Gaye when he said, “Rockets, moon shots, Spend it on the have nots, Money, we make it, Fore we see it you take it, Oh, make me want to holler, they way they do my life, [make me] want to holler the way they do my life, this ain’t livin’.”

However, one final element we need to address [related to] how we need to make good trouble outside of the church [...] is genocide. We have genocide in the United States called police brutality, and we have genocide in Gaza, Congo, and Sudan. On the topic of genocide, since October

Submissions 7th, we have been witnessing brutal acts of violence by the nation of Israel, bombing and killing the citizens of Gaza.

The sad part is that we, as the black church, have taken the side of Israel because we “think” that this is the Israel of the bible, but we are wrong, and we need to do research.

The Israel of 1948 has been operating this same act since following its formation by the United Nations. And how can we claim to love Jesus, who was a Palestinian Jew, and side with the oppressor? With the United States sending more funds for this genocide to continue, we need to side with Palestine, with the casualty now at over 40 thousand, as well as the Congo, which is dealing with violence and has 6 million deaths, and Sudan, which is suffering due to hunger and casualties of 15,500.

they takin’ tax out, so we payin’ for these cops to knock the blacks out” (Point tha Finga). J Cole proclaimed, “All we want to do [is] break the chains off, all we want to do is take the chains of pain, all we want to do is be free, all we want to do is be free” (Be Free). Janelle Monáe declared, “Walter Scott, say his name; Philip White, say his name; Trayvon Martin, say his name; Aiyana Jones, say her name; Emmett Till, say his name; Miriam Carey, say her name, Sandra Bland, say her name (Hell You Talmbout). Killer Mike said, “The end of the Reagan era, I’m like eleven or twelve or old enough to understand that things had changed forever. They declared the war on drugs, like a way on terror, but what they really did was let police terrorize whoever” (Reagan).

Now on the topic of police brutality, it is not new, for we have lost so many people due to the violent acts of police [...] in this country: Sonya Massey, Rekia Boyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Stewart, Eleanor Bumpurs, Tanisha Anderson, Kayla Moore, Malissa Williams, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arberry, Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, John Crawford III, Tamir Rice, and Walter Scott. In 2024, according to statistics, we have lost over 710 people to police violence; for those who were black, that number is 154. The sad truth is that we live in a country that spends more money on policing than it does on funding education.

We are the church, and as the body of Christ, we must cause good trouble outside the church and let the powers that be know that your empire is about to fall. Before we move to our final section, make sure you vote and take our souls to the polls. I will not tell you who to vote for, but our black job is to go vote in November. What else are we called to do since we know we must cause trouble outside the church?

The philosopher Tupac Shakur once said, “I got lynched by some crooked cops, and to this day, those same cops on the beat getting major paid. But when I get my check,

church.

2. We must make good trouble INSIDE the

While theology and history are my priority interests, something about philosophy intrigues me. What makes

Continued on next page

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November 2024 • The Christian Index

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Submissions Continued from previous page philosophy so great is that it connects to history and theology. I love philosophy; I have studied Plato (although I didn’t understand what he was talking about), Aristotle, Socrates, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Immanuel Kant (avowed racist). You name it, I have either read it or will read it.

But why am I saying all of this? Once you expose yourself to various thoughts, philosophy will open your mind to multiple ideas. When you open your mind, all things are possible, and you see all possibilities.

So, what does philosophy have to do with causing good trouble in the church? There is a word in philosophy called Ontology. What is ontology? Ontology is a metaphysical study of being. Since it is the study of being, it constantly wrestles with being vs. nonbeing, and existence vs. nonexistence. Paul Tillich discusses philosophical theology and ontology in his other works, such as, The Courage to Be, and his three-volume classic, Systematic Theology.

Why does this apply to us making good trouble inside the church? Since we changed our name in 1954, we have been struggling ontologically. We are so busy trying to be something we can’t even define.

Some may tell me that the word “Christian” means to be Christ-like. While this is true etymologically, we struggle to be Christ-like, too. So, how can we re-claim our ontological identification? The answer is simple: the black church must become black again. How can we, as the black church, become black again? The first part is simple: white Jesus has got to go! Why? Because you cannot preach a liberating gospel while you have a European overseer on the wall behind you. Wherever I say white Jesus has to go, people come to me with the following questions: Why does his color have to matter? What difference does it make on what color he is? Isn’t Jesus still Jesus?

Those who have asked me those questions fail to understand that white Jesus is a psychological tool to paint whiteness as superior. Therefore, in the words of Dr. James H. Cone, “Whether they like it or not, Christ is black, baby.” If I could quote from the 52nd bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr., “Jesus did not look like Kirk Douglas.”

Even the bible declares the blackness of Jesus; for instance, in Matthew 2, the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph and instructs him to take the baby Jesus to Egypt. The last time I checked, it would be too hard to hide a blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby on the continent of Africa. When I go to Revelation 1:14-15, the writer says he had “hair like wool and feet like brass.” However, not only does white Jesus have to go, but so does anti-blackness.

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The Christian Index • November 2024

Some of us here think that white is better. If that is the case, why do you think that most white foods are not the healthiest [options]: white bread, white sugar, white rice, salt, and white potatoes? From our hair to our music to the brown paper test, we have been indoctrinated in anti-blackness. And even today, with most of our people, especially those my age, going to these multicultural churches, it feeds more into anti-blackness. Most of our people go to these multicultural churches simply because they saw only one negro on the poster, and they became enamored. Some may say, “They have black people in the choir and musicians” at our multicultural church. But if it is a multicultural church, tell me why the hierarchy is all white. Even the paintings in those churches got everybody white: Mary, Jesus, and God. Is it possible that churches such as these promote white nationalism?

While they may take your body and money, they will never preach on the social condition of black and brown people that fill up their pews. If the black church is going to become black again, we must fully embrace our identity, celebrate our heritage, and be proud of our culture. Antiblackness must be eschewed for the black church to become black again. Be proud of your history, be proud of your culture, be proud of your heritage, be proud to be in the skin you are in. Be proud that you come from a race of people who continue to rise no matter how many times they try to knock us down, for the bible says “I am Black and Beautiful” (Songs of Solomon 1:5).

Finally, to make the Black Church black again, it needs to return to being the epicenter of the community. When one studies black history, all historians conclude that the Black Church was the epicenter of the Black community. But how did the Black Church come about? Since we could not worship freely with others, we decided to create our own.

We made the CME Church, the AME Church, the AME Zion Church, COGIC—you name it, we created it. It was the black church where we were taught our history; even during the Great Depression in the early 1930s, it applied the black social gospel theory into practice. Churches such as the Abyssinian Baptist Church responded to the Great Depression by creating a free soup kitchen, a job bank, an adult education center, a nursery, youth programs, and a mental health clinic. Also, they made their clothes and distributed them to the community.

Under the leadership of Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Trinity United Church of Christ provided tutoring programs, daycare, drug counseling, mentoring programs for its youth, a women’s health program, and an HIV/AIDS ministry. And the church is still being an epicenter in the community under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III. The church is not

Submissions meant for us to simply come in and have a good time for an hour. God commands us to be concerned about what the community is suffering with. Each of our congregations has unique talents that can be used for our community.

For instance, all of us can read; therefore, our babies should not struggle to read. Most of us can write; therefore, our babies should not struggle with writing. Most of us can add and subtract; thus, our babies should be able to handle basic mathematics. While we are diverse in our gifts, we all function as one body, for Paul reminds us, “Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many” (1 Corinthians 12:14). Every day, when we go our respective churches, we must have it set it in our minds that the church needs to go back into being the epicenter of the community, because if the black community does not have

anything to rely on, then it is inevitable that we won’t have a community left.

In conclusion, I want to leave you with a challenge. As we progress throughout this Unity Summit, I challenge you to make good trouble everywhere you go. Why? Because the ministry of Jesus Christ is a prime example of how to make good trouble. Make good trouble in your communities, make good trouble in the school system, make good trouble in your churches, and make good trouble in the streets. As I take my seat, I am reminded of the words of a sister who received degrees from Princeton and Harvard University, [was] raised on the South Side of Chicago, and married a brother who became the first black president of the United States. In the words of Michelle Obama, “Do Something.”

A Review of Church by Valerie K. Thornton Submitted by Ore L. Spragin, Jr. Editor, The Christian Index

The book, Church (see the full title in the picture below), as written by author Valerie K. Thornton, is a clear call from God to the church, not as an organized body, but to individuals as members of that body. It is a call to a holy, living relationship with God and with human beings, and a call from doing to being.

Valerie K. Thornton She establishes that from the beginning of human creation and man's establishment in what is known as the Garden of Eden, it was God's desire to have intimacy with humanity, but this intimacy was interrupted by the corrupter, Satan. She goes on to explain the impact and "residual effect" of original (Adam's) sin, to include not just removal from the Garden, but also separation from the culture of communion that existed in the Garden.

Thornton interprets and applies scripture beautifully and soundly from a kingdom theology perspective. From this viewpoint she shows that until we get the kingdom part right, we cannot be boots on the ground in Christ or for Christ. We must understand what this means for us as individuals and practice it. It is worthy to mention her explanation of the "Angel of the Lord" on page 62, and her use of personal testimony to develop some of her arguments.

Though the title gives the impression that it is to speak to how the organized church should be advancing in the world, the content is really more about God's advance to reclaim (save) us as individual people in the world in order to form the church. She has diligently ordered the sequence of chapters which are well thought out, revealing that she has spent time in study, in prayer, and in listening to God. As you go through the text, you will see that some of it looks as if it were dictated and written through AI, resulting in frequent inaccurate, incorrect, and misplaced words and distorted meaning, none of which, however, should hinder most readers. Thornton is a bit wordy at times, leading to an impression of disjointedness within a few chapters. Further, there is limited linking of references in the text to the included bibliography.

Despite the above, the author makes it clear that the Word of God is our weapon, prayer is the battle, and the war takes place in the human mind, though it has outward manifestations and consequences. It is her aim to help instruct the church in these vital areas and to encourage the saints of God in their struggles to go on to victory for their souls' sakes to the glory of God through the church. This is an excellent presentation of information and insight for the life and advance of the church.

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Submissions

Veterans Day Ode to our Veterans Veterans we came to appreciate you We appreciate all that you have done and continue to do We thank you for giving your life up for us And I know many of you were treated bad when you were Returned as if you were dust But you did return to families who were glad to see you Glad that you were alive and made it through We know you have memories that you would like to forget And we know there are many that stick with you yet But we pray that your mind as well as your body will completely Heal And today you will enjoy a nice meal So again on this day we appreciate you And may God continue to bless you in all that you do

Written By: Nellie Williams

Subscribe to The Christian Index Only $30.00 per Year Call Rev. Dr. Roderick Lewis, Sr., Publisher, at 901-396-5400 22

The Christian Index • November 2024

Submissions

BISHOP GILMORE CATHEDRAL WMC COMMEMORATE CMEC NATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY ... Advocate oneness in the body of Christ Submitted by Abraham Abraham

The Women's Missionary Council of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop Marshal Gilmore Cathedral, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on Sunday, September 15, 2024, joined the women of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Nigeria to mark the 2024 National Women's Missionary Council Day in a grand style, with the women taking lead in the church activities such as preaching, moderation. drama, and special ministration, among others.

The President of the Women's Missionary Council of Bishop Marshal Gilmore Cathedral, Mrs. Arit Udofia, in her welcome remarks, thanked the Almighty God for the Grace to witness the 2024 National Women's Missionary Council Day and used the opportunity to encourage Christians to love one another and to live in peace and harmony. She also reminded the women to continue playing their roles in their various homes, church, and their workplace as ambassadors of Christ and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Arit Udofia seized the opportunity to announce and present the project executed by the Bishop Marshal Gilmore Cathedral Women Missionary Council and pledged the continuous support of the women to the church development, growth and expansion.

The sermon was offered by Mrs. Gloria Isemin Etuk, who preached on the topic, "That we may be one." She admonished Christians to emulate Christ and live together with one another, as unity is the foundation of progress and development in any organization, group and society.

The event was moderated by Mrs. Enobong Martins and witnessed by the Presiding Elder of Uyo Itu District, Rev. Enobong Williams Umanah, Rev. Koko Sunday Daniel, Rev Isemin Etuk, and the host Pastor, Rev Utibe Ekwere. Also present were the Church officers, including Stewards, among others.

In Nigeria, September every year is set aside to honour and celebrate the works of the Women's Missionary Council in Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

November 2024 • The Christian Index

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Submissions

Greenville/Texarkana District Shines at the 2024-2025 Annual Conference Submitted by Geraline Ray Reporter for the Eighth Episcopal District

The East Texas Region’s Annual Conference held at Titus County Civic Center in Mt. Pleasant, Texas, was not just successful, it was momentous! The 154th session was facilitated by the Greenville/Texarkana District, an historical event because it was a first in the annals of history that an entire District hosted an Annual Conference.

Preparation was developed by assigned committees working in conjunction. For an example, the hospitality committee worked with all churches to purchase snacks, water, fruit, soft drinks, etc. Not only was there enough for each day, but much was left over for another event.

The committees were comprised of twenty individuals, male and female, clergy and lay who over a period of eleven months planned the elements needed to achieve an effortless Annual Conference experience.

Another committee put together personalized delegate goody bags that included the week's agenda, tumblers with the recipient’s name, pens, facial tissues, hand sanitizer, snacks, water and other items that made each delegate feel special and appreciated.

Each day, the Greenville/Texarkana District displayed our unity by wearing colored tee-shirts: red on Wednesday, yellow on Thursday, while Missionaries wore their traditional blue; Friday was royal blue day; and Saturday was green for everyone.

The front of our tees was emblazoned with the CME Connectional globe. Printed over the top of the globe was “TEAM,” and underneath, “Greenville/Texarkana.” The left sleeve read “Pace Setter,” and printed on the back of the shirt was our motto, “Don’t Talk About It, Be About It.” Elder Casteel also recognized Bishop and Mrs. Reddick; Mrs. Essie Dodd, who had been an East Texas Region Missionary President and who recently celebrated her 100th birthday; and Past East Texas Region President Crystal Lewis for their work for the Mighty 8th. The Rossie T. Hollis candidate, Baylee Victoria Ray, who raised the most money for the East Texas Region Extravaganza, was crowned by Bishop Reddick that night as well.

On behalf of the Greenville/Texarkana District we want to thank God for His servant, Presiding Elder Diana Casteel, for allowing us to perpetuate her vision for our beloved District and for His endowment of the vision to His Servant. Thank you, committees, for your hard work as well. To God be the glory!!

Elder Casteel's Collage

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The Christian Index • November 2024

Submissions

Baylee Ray awaits her crown from Bishop Reddick.

Delegate Packs

November 2024 • The Christian Index

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The Christian Index • November 2024 Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Wednesday of Holy Week

Maundy Thursday

Good Friday

Purple

Purple

Black

April 15, 2025

April 16, 2025

April 17, 2025

April 18, 2025

* Isaiah 25:6-9

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Tuesday of Holy Week

Purple

April 14, 2025

Easter Evening

Isaiah 49:1-7

Monday of Holy Week

Purple

April 13, 2025

White

Isaiah 42:1-9

Liturgy of the Passion

Purple

April 13, 2025

April 20, 2025

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Liturgy of the Palms

Purple

April 6, 2025

April 20, 2025

Isaiah 43:16-21

Fifth Sunday in Lent

White

March 30, 2025

* Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25

Joshua 5:9-12

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Purple

March 25, 2025

Job 14:1-14 or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24

* Isaiah 7:10-14

Annunciation of the Lord

Purple

March 23, 2025

Resurrection of the Lord

Isaiah 55:1-9

Third Sunday in Lent

Purple

March 16, 2025

Holy Saturday

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Second Sunday in Lent

Purple

March 9, 2025

Black

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

First Sunday in Lent

Purple

March 5, 2025

White

Psalm 31:9-16

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12

Ash Wednesday

Purple

March 2, 2025

April 19, 2025

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

Exodus 34:29-35

Transfiguration Sunday

Psalm 84 or Psalm 24:7-10

Psalm 114

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16

Psalm 22

Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19

Psalm 70

Psalm 71:1-14

Psalm 36:5-11

Psalm 126

Psalm 32

Psalm 45 or Psalm 40:5-10

Psalm 63:1-8

Psalm 27

Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16

Psalm 51:1-17

Psalm 99

Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

Psalm 1

Psalm 138

White

February 2, 2025

Psalm 71:1-6

Psalm 19

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany

Green

January 26, 2025

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Green

January 19, 2025

Psalm 36:5-10

Psalm 29

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14

Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 62:1-5

Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Green

January 12, 2025

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 43:1-7

Baptism of the Lord

White

January 6, 2025

Green

Isaiah 60:1-6

Epiphany of the Lord

White

January 5, 2025

Revelation 21:1-6a

Colossians 3:12-17

Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)

Titus 3:4-7

Titus 2:11-14

Hebrews 10:5-10

Philippians 4:4-7

Philippians 1:3-11

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Epistle Reading

1 Corinthians 5:6b-8

Luke 24:13-49

1 Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12 43

Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42

John 18:1-19:42 1 Peter 4:1-8

John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:1416; 5:7-9

John 13:21-32

John 12:20-36

John 12:1-11

Luke 22:14-23:56 or Luke 23:1-49

Luke 19:28-40

John 12:1-8

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Luke 1:26-38

Luke 13:1-9

Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Luke 4:1-13

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Luke 6:27-38

Luke 6:17-26

Luke 5:1-11

Luke 2:22-40

Luke 4:21-30

Luke 4:14-21

John 2:1-11

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Matthew 2:1-12

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

Matthew 25:31-46

Luke 2:41-52

John 1:1-14

Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20

Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)

Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Luke 3:7-18

Luke 3:1-6

Luke 21:25-36

Gospel Reading

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Hebrews 12:1-3

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Hebrews 9:11-15

Philippians 2:5-11

Philippians 3:4b-14

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Hebrews 10:4-10

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Romans 10:8b-13

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2

1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50

1 Corinthians 15:12-20

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Hebrews 2:14-18

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Acts 8:14-17

Ephesians 3:1-12

Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon Ephesians 1:3-14 10:15-21

Green

Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12

Second Sunday after Christmas Day

White

January 1, 2025

Psalm 8

Psalm 148

February 23, 2025

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

New Year's Day

White

December 29, 2024

Psalm 98

February 16, 2025

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

First Sunday after Christmas Day

White

December 25, 2024

Psalm 97

Psalm 96

Malachi 3:1-4

Isaiah 52:7-10

Nativity of the Lord - Proper III

White

December 25, 2024

Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)

Isaiah 62:6-12

Nativity of the Lord - Proper II

White

December 24, 2024

Presentation of the Lord

Isaiah 9:2-7

Nativity of the Lord - Proper I

Purple

December 22, 2024

Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7

Isaiah 12:2-6

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Micah 5:2-5a

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Purple

December 15, 2024

White

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Third Sunday of Advent

Purple

December 8, 2024

Luke 1:68-79

Green

Baruch 5:1-9 or Malachi 3:1-4

Second Sunday of Advent

Purple

Psalm 25:1-10

Psalm Reading

February 9, 2025

Jeremiah 33:14-16

First Sunday of Advent

December 1, 2024

February 2, 2025

Hebrew Reading

Liturgical Date

Color

White

Calendar Date

2024 - 2025 Liturgical Calendar An adaptation of The Revised Common Lectionary, Year C Prepared by the Editor of The Christian Index Rev. Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr.

November 2024 • The Christian Index

27

Hebrews 12:18-29 Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 103:1-8 Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112

* Acts 9:36-43 * Acts 11:1-18 * Acts 16:9-15 * Acts 1:1-11 * Acts 16:16-34 * Acts 2:1-21 or Genesis 11:1-9 Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8 1 Kings 19:1-4, (5-7), 8-15a; Psalm 42 and 43 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30 Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82 Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52 Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85 Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43 Isaiah 1:1, 10-20; Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23 Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6 Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Ascension of the Lord

Seventh Sunday of Easter

Day of Pentecost

Trinity Sunday

Third Sunday of Pentecost

Fourth Sunday of Pentecost

Fifth Sunday of Pentecost

Sixth Sunday of Pentecost

Seventh Sunday of Pentecost

Eighth Sunday of Pentcost

Ninth Sunday of Pentecost

Tenth Sunday of Pentecost

Eleventh Sunday of Pentecost

Twelfth Sunday of Pentecost

First Sunday of Kingdomtide

White

White

White

White

Red

White

Red

Red

White

Red

Red

Red

White

Red

Red

Red

Green

May 11, 2025

May 18, 2025

May 25, 2025

May 29, 2025

June 1, 2025

June 8, 2025

June 15, 2025

June 22, 2025

June 29, 2025

July 6, 2025

July 13, 2025

July 20, 2025

July 27, 2025

August 3, 2025

August 10, 2025

August 17, 2025

August 24, 2025

August 31, 2025

Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7; Psalm 66:1-12 Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104 Joel 2:23-32; Psalm 65 Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Psalm 149 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144 Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 or Psalm 98 Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12 Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79

Fifth Sunday of Kingdomtide

Sixth Sunday of Kingdomtide

Seventh Sunday of Kingdomtide

Eighth Sunday of Kingdomtide

Ninth Sunday of Kingdomtide

All Saints Day

Tenth Sunday of Kingdomtide

Eleventh Sunday of Kingdomtide

Twelfth Sunday of Kingdomtide

Reign of Christ - Proper 29 (34)

Thanksgiving Day

Green

White

Green

Green

Red

White

White

Green

Green

Green

White

September 28, 2025

October 5, 2025

October 12, 2025

October 19, 2025

October 26, 2025

November 1, 2025

November 2, 2025

November 9, 2025

November 16, 2025

November 23, 2025

November 27, 2025

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

2 Timothy 2:8-15

2 Timothy 1:1-14

1 Timothy 6:6-19

1 Timothy 2:1-7

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Philemon 1:1-21

Hebrews 11:29-12:2

Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46

Malachi 4:1-2a; Psalm 98

Philippians 4:4-9

Colossians 1:11-20

2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12

Ephesians 1:11-23

Sirach 35:12-17 or Jeremiah 14:7-10, 192 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 22; Psalm 84:1-7

Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 121

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Psalm 111

Amos 6:1a, 4-7; Psalm 146

Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113

Revised Common Lectionary, Copyright © 1992 Consultation on Common Texts. Used by permission. * During Eastertide a reading from Acts is often substituted for the lesson from the Hebrew Bible.

On the Day of Pentecost, if the Old Testament passage from Genesis is chosen for the first reading, the passage from Acts is used as the second reading. * "First" OT readings, read semi-continuously, follow major stories/themes, beginning in Year A with Genesis and ending in Year C with the later prophets. * "Alternate First" OT readings follow the complementary historical tradition of thematically pairing the OT reading with the Gospel reading. ** In a very few instances in the Lectionary, no Psalm reading is offered for reasons relating to the thematic nature of the Day.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 100

Job 19:23-27a; Psalm 17:1-9

Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26 or Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-9 Psalm 137

Isaiah 1:10-18; Psalm 32:1-7

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9

Fourth Sunday of Kingdomtide

Green

September 21, 2025

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1

September 14, 2025

Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-10

Jeremiah 18:1-11; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Psalm 14

Second Sunday of Kingdomtide

Third Sunday of Kingdomtide

White

Green

September 7, 2025

Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Colossians 3:1-11

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23; Psalm 49:1-12 Genesis 15:1-6; Psalm 33:12-22

Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)

Colossians 1:15-28

Colossians 1:1-14

Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Galatians 3:23-29

Romans 5:1-5

Romans 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21

Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21

Ephesians 1:15-23

Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5

Revelation 21:1-6

Revelation 7:9-17

Genesis 18:20-32; Psalm 138

Genesis 18:1-10a; Psalm 15

Deuteronomy 30:9-14; Psalm 25:1-10

Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-9

1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21; Psalm 16

Isaiah 65:1-9; Psalm 22:19-28

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

Psalm 97

Psalm 47 or Psalm 93

Psalm 67

Psalm 148

Psalm 23

Revelation 5:11-14

Revelation 1:4-8

White

Psalm 30

* Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)

Third Sunday of Easter

White

May 4, 2025

Psalm 118:14-29 or Psalm 150

* Acts 5:27-32

Second Sunday of Easter

White

April 27, 2025

John 6:25-35

Luke 23:33-43

Luke 21:5-19

Luke 20:27-38

Luke 19:1-10

Luke 6:20-31

Luke 18:9-14

Luke 18:1-8

Luke 17:11-19

Luke 17:5-10

Luke 16:19-31

Luke 16:1-13

Luke 15:1-10

Luke 14:25-33

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Luke 13:10-17

Luke 12:49-56

Luke 12:32-40

Luke 12:13-21

Luke 11:1-13

Luke 10:38-42

Luke 10:25-37

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Luke 9:51-62

Luke 8:26-39

John 16:12-15

John 14:8-17, (25-27)

John 17:20-26

Luke 24:44-53

John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9

John 13:31-35

John 10:22-30

John 21:1-19

John 20:19-31

Submissions

"It was Unforgettable"

First National Young Adult Council (NYAC) Convention with Excursion ....Youths unite together and draw closer to Christ in 4-day event Submitted by Destiny Ubek

On August 29 - September 1, 2024, the very first Young Adult Council Convention with excursion in Nigeria was held.

National executives, Region and District youth presidents and the young adults in Nigeria organized 4 days of uplifting and fun activities for the youth in Nigeria at Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Ikot Akpan Ata, Ikot Abasi LGA, Akwa Ibom State.

This was an opportunity for the young people under the age of eighteen and those up to age forty, who came from different Regions of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Nigeria and don't all speak the same language, to gather and get to know each other while they competed, studied and prayed together.

Nigeria is a country in West Africa with a population of over 200 million people, and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has a [dominant presence] especially in the Southern Geopolitical Zone of the Country.

The theme of this year's convention was, "That we may be One: Face Now, Embrace Next, and See New" (John 17:21).

The Districts who attended this year's NYAC convention participated in many activities like Quizzes, Debates, and Male/Female Preaching competitions. Others were Songs competitions and Essay Writing competitions.

Highlights of the Convention were: Word ministration by seasoned men of God; the handover service; National Assembly; the novelty football match between Episcopal FC (football club) and Mobility FC; open air service; Holy Ghost Night; award service; and a excursion with visits to The Bridge of No Return, Amalgamation House, Women's War Memorial and the Slaves House, all in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.

A check by #NYAC TV correspondent on Sunday revealed that most of the attendees were at the overflow due to the small auditorium of the church.

Speaking on the convention, the immediate Past President of the Council, Brother Uduak Nkantion, stated that Young Adults are the future leaders of the CME Church, and it is too dangerous not to properly guide them in the right paths of life that would engender impactful and purposeful life in the society. Nkantion urged the Young Adults to face the situations of today to see New, as he promised the New Executives his support through their tenure.

The Thanksgiving service witnessed the Reverend Victoria Nkantion, the Presiding Elder of the Ikot Abasi Central District, thanking God for the success of the 2024 convention.

Also, in attendance were: Rev. (Dr.) Victor Ekott; Rev. Nse Udo Uko; Rev. Abraham Umoh, the Rector/Founder of Nice Polytechnic; Dr. Itohowo Umanah, the clan head of the area; NYAC directors and executives; and the representatives from the Ikot Abasi Local Government Area.

The National Young Adult Council Convention 2024 was a resounding success, leaving many inspired, transformed, and motivated to live purposeful lives anchored in Christ Jesus.

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The Christian Index • November 2024

November 2024 • The Christian Index

29

Submissions

Hope Dealers As Spiritual Care and Emotional Support Submitted by Rev. Dr. Amber R. Jackson

As we prepared for the Connectional Youth and Young Adult Conference 2024, I conversed with Chaplain Octavia Moore. We reminisced about our experiences at CYYAC as youth and young adults. We found that one of the gaps in our experience was a balance of spiritual and emotional support. As chaplains, we understand that while all chaplains are ministers, not all ministers fulfill the chaplaincy role. We felt a profound responsibility to become the "Hope Dealers" we wished we had during our formative years. A “Hope Dealer” is a person who often has demonstrated immense resilience and has overcome many life obstacles. This person then goes on to assist others in overcoming their own struggles and building up their resilience. It led us to revisit the poignant question posed in 2 Samuel 9:1, where David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" The text's response reveals that someone—Mephibosheth—is living in LoDebar despite being lame in both feet. We currently inhabit the Mephiboshethian generation, a time when many young people resemble Mephibosheth, as described in 2 Samuel 4:4. Some translations suggest he was dropped, while others indicate he fell; I argue that perhaps he was pushed by the very individuals entrusted with his care. We must ask ourselves if we have dropped someone in our haste to do our job.

After continuing to wrestle with this text, I wrote a proposal. The proposal was submitted to Bishop Teresa Snorton and Dr. Carmichael Crutchfield for chaplains to be officially recognized for providing spiritual and emotional support to all the participants at CYYAC and all other future Connectional Meetings. Several chaplains were asked to serve, and we organized by creating 12hour on-call shifts to work, forms for charting, and a mandatory training session led by Ms. Stephanie Phillips, MS-CMHC, on Adverse Childhood Experiences and Youth Mental Health First Aid. The chaplains who participated in this endeavor were Rev. Andrew Archer, Rev. Rose Archer, Rev. Dion Broughton, Rev. Dr. Edward Moultrie, Rev. Bridgette Houston, and Rev. Dr. Amber Jackson.

By equipping chaplains with training in areas such as Adverse Childhood Experiences and Youth Mental Health First Aid, we empower them to respond effectively to diverse situations that may arise during conferences.

Their specialized training enables chaplains to serve as 30

The Christian Index • November 2024

compassionate listeners and knowledgeable resources, ensuring all participants feel supported and valued.

Throughout our preparation, we recognized that while all ministers provide valuable guidance, not all are equipped to address the unique needs of individuals in a high-stress conference environment. Trained chaplains bring vital skills in emotional support, crisis intervention, and spiritual care, which are critical in fostering a nurturing atmosphere. Their presence not only helps mitigate feelings of isolation or anxiety but also encourages open dialogue about mental health and personal struggles.

Moreover, having trained chaplains at all conferences reinforces the notion that spiritual and emotional well-being are integral to the holistic development of our communities. These chaplains act as "Hope Dealers," ready to engage with attendees meaningfully during structured events or informal gatherings.

Participating in this initiative was truly fulfilling and enriching. Together, we offered guidance, comfort, and empathy to the youth, young adults, and chaperones who attended. This experience allowed us to fulfill our roles as chaplains and created valuable teachable moments for everyone involved. It was an honor to provide emotional support during altar calls, offering a listening ear and compassionate presence when needed.

Reflecting on our experiences at the Connectional Youth and Young Adult Conference (CYYAC) 2024, it has become increasingly clear that trained chaplains are essential at all conferences. Participants' emotional and spiritual well-being is paramount, and many attendees— especially youth and young adults—often face challenges requiring specialized support. The impact of our participation was particularly evident during the youths' sneaker ball and carnival, where we engaged with the community in a more informal environment, further strengthening our connections with church members.

Overall, this experience has been profoundly rewarding, revealing a unique and meaningful way for us to serve the church and our community. All the chaplains involved are deeply thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others.

In short, the presence of trained chaplains is not merely beneficial but necessary at all conferences. Their dedicated support can create an environment that fosters growth, healing, and connection for every participant, allowing us to cultivate a community grounded in compassion and understanding. This experience was truly fulfilling and enriching, and we are grateful for the opportunity to be part of such a meaningful endeavor.

Submissions

"THIS AIN'T OUR MAMA’S CHURCH" Submitted by Rev. Zachary David Mullens (Pastor Zach) Senior Pastor | Central CME-Detroit Chair | MI-IN Region Joint Board of Finance Board Member | CME CDC Appointed Member | 2024-28 CYAM Council

As I prepare to return to Nashville, Tennessee, for the 2024 Annual Unity Gathering of the National Council of Churches, my mind reflects on the enriching experience of last year’s gathering. The event overflowed with rich theological insights and inspiring expressions of worship. Communions from across the country came together to engage in critical conversations aimed at developing a more robust strategy in the fight against racial injustice, gun violence, and the pursuit of Christian unity.

I could elaborate extensively on the wealth of knowledge absorbed during this gathering, including the soul-stirring meditation delivered by our own Bishop Teresa E. Snorton, who challenged us to “Meet the Moment.” However, for the sake of this inaugural submission, I must draw our attention to the UCC Awards Luncheon, particularly the Luncheon Speaker, the esteemed Rev. Dr. Renita Weems.

Dr. Weems masterfully highlighted the cliffhanger we are left with in Acts 28. She reminded us that the Acts of the Apostles deny the church a happy ending and leave us with uncertainty about its future. Dr. Weems suggested that perhaps the 28th chapter of Acts ends with Paul, the leader of the church in Rome, awaiting trial because it is no longer “Paul’s Church.”

In this theologically challenging sermon, Dr. Weems referenced the writings of author and religion professor Phyllis Tickle, who, in her book The Great Emergence, uses the analogy of “The 500-Year Rummage Sale” to describe religious shifts throughout history. Tickle asserts that history shows the church “cleans house” approximately every 500 years, suggesting a “giant rummage sale” where the next generation decides what to keep and what to discard. This process makes room for new things and positions the church to “serve this present age.”

Dr. Weems concluded by challenging us: as we stand at the 506th anniversary of Martin Luther’s leading in the great Reformation with his 95 theses, perhaps it’s time to write the 29th chapter of Acts. This quote from Dr. Weems resonates deeply within me as I reflect on these words: “Our task is to prepare the next generation for the church they will need, not the church we grew up with!”

As fellow CME members, we must ask ourselves: Are we ready to write Chapter 29? Have we come to grips with the reality of our present moment in order to meet the needs of our future? Are the silent generations— Baby Boomers and Generation Xers—who have been faithful to the institutional church prepared to invest in Continued on next page November 2024 • The Christian Index

31

Submissions Continued from previous page the next generation to produce a bold church? Millennials, Gen Z, and Alphas, are you committed to receiving wisdom in order to create impactful work and witness for the salvation of your peers?

In other words, fellow CME family, THIS AIN’T OUR MAMA’S CHURCH. Yes, I know the grammar may be informal, but the statement rings true. The reality is that the current generation will not connect with the “faith of our fathers and mothers.” Yet, we must write a new chapter—one that gives space for a new church that reflects our lived experiences filled with new challenges, new politics, new social norms, new rules of engagement, and even new interpretations of the Gospel. We must be a Chapter 29 Church.

This call to action is not merely for the sake of novelty, but for the necessity of impact. The Chapter 29 Church must love without limits, serve without arrogance, meet community needs without strings attached, and be holistically intergenerational—not selectively inclusive. We must preach where the people are and speak truth to power.

As we continue to wrestle with the quadrennial challenge to BE BOLD, what could be bolder than laying the church in the front yard of our spiritual imaginations and deciding what still holds value and what must be discarded? What’s bolder than marking the sacred with a “keep” label while allowing what remains to be celebrated as historical moments, but no longer letting it occupy the ecclesiastical space that could be used to transform lives?

It’s important to note that this article is written by a hymn-lining, whoop-preaching, suit-wearing pastor who longs to hear “All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name” sung at the opening communion service of every annual conference. Yet, as a millennial, I desire not only for the church to thrive during my time on earth but also beyond it.

For too long, we have been distracted, thinking that the call to relevancy is merely about singing hymns or wearing dresses. These are surface debates utilized by the enemy to draw our attention away from the core question of our church's purpose and motives. I believe that if our purpose is clear and our motives are pure, we become the church that God promises will not allow the gates of hell to prevail against it.

Will you write this chapter with me? Will you courageously grab your pen and scribe on your tablets a church that builds a house of refuge for the generation of now on the foundation laid by our ancestors? This may not be our mama’s church, but it is because of their sacrifice that we have a church to transform for this present age.

However, a church that only serves as a foundation offers no shelter to those who need it most.

Let us build a place of refuge for our children and their children. Let us become the Chapter 29 Church. Until next time…build.

"The church of the living God is not in danger of death, but yours could be."

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The Christian Index • November 2024

--Rev. Dr. Valencia Edner

Children/Youth

Wordsearch Puzzle for November (Environmental Justice)

Access Agriculture Canopy Care Climate Creation Disasters

Drought Earth Ecosystems Extinction Fossil Fuel Global Habitats

Industry Migration Nutrition Pollution Resilience Resources Sacred

Soil Sustainability Transportation Trust Violence Vulnerable Water

November 2024 • The Christian Index

33

Children/Youth Answers to Puzzle

REGISTRATION LINK

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZwudOqurjwtGN1pQ1gtpBzFTeeHrziQYDx0#/registration

34

The Christian Index • November 2024

Ecumenical

November 18-20, 2024 The premier national gathering for African American faith communities, health professionals, and community activists who seek to improve the health profile of Black Americans.

Pre-Register Today!

Individual Pre-Registration

Click or go to https://www.balmingilead.org/conference-pre-registration/ for Individual Pre-Registration $25 per person

Groups of 20 or More: Become a Certified Faith Partner! and receive PRE-REGISTRATION $15.00 PER PERSON PLEASE GO TO BALM IN GILEAD INC AND CLICK ON THE DESIRED METHOD TO REGISTER. Need your help.

Please consider becoming a Certified Faith Partner Sent by Dr. Elnora P. Hamb, Secretary of Board of Directors Balm in Gilead.

November 2024 • The Christian Index

35

World From: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/gold-rush/intro-essay/. Accessed 5-9-2024.

Credit: National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution

CALIFORNIA INDIAN HISTORY AND GENOCIDE

By Dr. Khal Schneider, Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, California State University, Sacramento The history of California was already thousands of years old by the time Europeans came to stay in 1769. Long after the first Indigenous people made California their home, their descendants numbered in the hundreds of thousands and lived in hundreds of densely settled independent nations. Colonizing newcomers of European descent found Native Californians thriving in a world of abundance and relative peace, but the colonizers did not mean to leave California as they found it. In a relatively short period of time—just an instant in the long sweep of human history in America—they violently undid the work of generations of Native Californians.

In California, a series of colonizing societies posed threats to Indians. The Spanish forced coastal Native people to give up their land and to labor for the people who took it. Instead of working to sustain their own communities’ independence and prosperity, Native Californians worked at new industries like cattle ranching and European-style farming to support the colony. When California was part of Mexico, ranchers raided independent villages for laborers and took control of more Indian land. Colonists made it harder for Indians to make a living from the gathering, fishing, and hunting they had historically relied upon. This made the Indians poorer and less secure. Colonists had already inflicted violence, poverty, and hardship on thousands of people by the time gold was discovered in 1848. After that, when Americans arrived in large numbers and claimed California as a state, more California Indians faced even greater danger.

Americans took control of California by law and by violence. American citizens were confident that they had the right to use physical force to secure their own rights and to take Indians’ land because of their race. They knew their government would support them. In the United States in the mid-1800s, “race” was the idea that human diversity could be explained by perceived or imagined differences in peoples’ physical features and that these differences should determine one’s place in society. It was a way of determining who had power.

Those whom the law treated as “white” stood to gain the full benefits of property ownership, citizenship, and political freedom (if they were male), as well as the ability to act with authority when it came to “nonwhite” people. White citizens in California saw Indians not as members of distinct and independent nations, but as a lower race of people within American society. As such, state laws empowered whites to act forcefully against Native and other nonwhite people. One of California’s first laws denied Indians equal protection under the law.

That law also set up a system that allowed citizens to keep Indians as laborers without paying them, have them arrested and then put to work if they were not already employed by a white citizen, and use corporal punishment on them. By law in California, white citizens could not be convicted based on Indians’ trial testimony, which assured white citizens that their mistreatment of Indians would not be prosecuted as a crime.

Citizens also used violence to terrorize entire communities of California Indians. Groups of white citizens attacked Indian villagers to “punish” suspected thieves, to keep Indians away from citizens’ property, and to capture Indian children. The state and federal governments often paid the attackers and so encouraged more attacks. Almost from the moment they began, white citizens understood and even cheered these attacks as attempts to destroy or “exterminate” California Indians. Americans displaced California Indians from their lands and homes, denied them access to traditional life-sustaining resources, carried out mass murder against them, enacted a system of forced labor that led to the kidnapping and enslavement of Indian children, and generally subjected them to a sustained climate of terror.

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The Christian Index • November 2024

World Historians have written that American violence against California Indians was similar to other historical examples of organized and government-supported violence against specific groups of people. Even before the word “genocide” was defined during World War II, surviving California Indians knew that they had endured world-shattering violence at the hands of Americans. In the 1930s, the Pomo man William Benson published the first historical article by a California Indian on what scholars would later call the California Indian genocide.

For his evidence, he talked to survivors of two 1850 American attacks on Pomo villages in Northern California.

Benson ended his account not with the violence itself but with a survivor’s grief. After the attack, when one man realized that he was “not to see my mother and sister but to see their blood scattered over the ground like water,” he was overwhelmed and “sat down under a tree and cryed all day.”

In the years that followed, that man and other grieving survivors set to work on the difficult task of remaking the kinds of Indian communities in which Benson was later born, grew up, and lived his entire life. By the time Benson published his article, eighty years after the gold rush, California had more tribes than any other state in the country, but for every Indian person living in the state, there were nearly three hundred non-Indians.

California Indians owned almost nothing of what would become the wealthiest state in the country. Survivors and their communities dealt with these legacies of nearly unimaginable destruction as they continued new chapters in the long history of California’s Indian people.

"Don't let the hard days win." --Unknown

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Announcing Publication of the 2024 General Connectional Board/Unity Summit "The Daily Index" The Daily Index (Compiled) for this recent Connectional meeting is now available to preview and for purchase for online viewing only at the link below. At 32 pages, this issue is the largest special issue published by this editor to-date.

This newsletter is a comprehensive compilation of almost all of the major events during the entire 2024 General Connectional Board and Unity Summit of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. It is a special publication of the General Department of The Christian Index, the official organ of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The response from the reporters was tremendous, and their work outstanding. You will want to get this issue.

If you are a subscriber to the digital issue, it is already available to you. If you are not an online subscriber, you may use the link below to review and purchase. The cost is just $10.00. Thank you for your support and prayers for this ministry of our church.

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Register here: https://thecmechurch.org/pastors-conference/ 42

The Christian Index • November 2024

CME Connectional Directory THE COLLEGE OF BISHOPS Senior Bishop Lawrence L. Reddick - 8th Episcopal District - 1616 E. Illinois Ave., Dallas TX 75216; 214-372-9073 (office); email: llreddick3@yahoo.com Bishop Thomas L. Brown, Sr. - 6th Episcopal District, 2028 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur GA 30035-2395; 404-963-6652 (office); 404-963-6656 (fax); 6thdistrictcme@gmail.com

OR 6thdistrict@thecmechurch.org Bishop Kenneth Wayne Carter - 4th Episcopal District - 5417 Robinson Road Extension, Jackson MS 39204; 769-251-0531 (office); 769-251-0758 (fax); 817-938-3747; KWCarter8@gmail.com Bishop James B. Walker - 7th Episcopal District, P.O. Box 1481, Hartford CT 06144; 301-270-7136; 301-270-7139 (fax) Bishop Sylvester Williams, Sr. - 3rd Episcopal District, Post Office Box 211237, Normandy MO 63121; 314-381-3111 (office); 314-381-2060 (fax); sw58cme@aol.com Bishop Teresa E. Snorton - Ecumenical Representative and Development Officer, P.O. Box 5069, Sun City Center FL 33571; 404-307-2911; BishopSnorton@thecmechurch.org Bishop Marvin Frank Thomas - 1st Episcopal District, Suite 222, 4466 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis TN 38116; 901-345-4114 (office) and 901-345-4115 (fax) Bishop C. Kelby Heath - 5th Episcopal District CME Church, P.O. Box 13383, Birmingham AL 35202-3383; 205-202-6504; cmec35203@yahoo.com; Web site: www.cmefifthdistrict.org;

office located at 2615 12th Avenue N, Birmingham Al. 35234 (do not send mail to the office address) Bishop Denise Anders-Modest - 2nd Episcopal District, P.O. Box 36455, Cincinnati OH 45236; 318-348-8982; bishopandersmodest@thecmechurch.org; 2ndEpiscopaldistrictcme.org Bishop Charley Hames, Jr. - 9th Episcopal District, 9440 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 301, Beverly Hills CA 90210; 323-294-3830; bishophames@thecmechurch.org Bishop Ricky D. Helton - 10th Episcopal District, 1703 Tamarack Street NW, Washington DC 20012; 202-726-5103; heltonfam1@aol.com Bishop Kwame Lawson Adjei - 11th Episcopal District, P. O. Box AN 7639, Accra, Ghana, West Africa; 011-233-244-630267; rev.adjei@hotmail.com.

Bishop C. James King, Retired - 311 Magnolia Dr., Thomson GA 30824; 502-494-5366; kingcmep1@aol.com OR constance3088@gmail.com Bishop Henry M. Williamson, Sr., Retired - 3576 Golf Walk Circle E, Memphis TN 38125; 310-902-8193; hwillia531@aol.com Bishop Paul A.G. Stewart, Retired - 8145 Summerwood Circle, Olive Branch MS 38654-7060; phone: 662-890-0021; bishoppstewart@aol.com Bishop Othal H. Lakey, Retired - 4441 Magnolia Path Pl., Buford GA 30518; 678-482-7066 Bishop Marshall Gilmore, Retired - 683 Beacontree Court, Concord NC 28027; 704-786-3226; mgilmore1@windstream.net THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Dr. Pene' G. Woods - Executive Secretary, 517 Forest Hill Irene Rd. South, Cordova TN 38018-4829; Email: cao@thecmechurch.org; 901-489-9253 THE JUDICIAL COUNCIL Atty. Bernard Snell, President - P.O. Box 27333, Macon GA 31221 or 5801 Zebulon Rd., Unit #446, Macon GA 31220; 478-731-1897; bernard.snell@usdoj.gov Rev. Russell Fuller, Sr., Vice President - 647 Shadyway, Dallas TX 75232; 214-793-1945; fwdistrict@yahoo.com.

Atty. Shirley C. Byers, Clerk - P. O. Box 5008, Holly Springs MS 38634 or 125 East Van Dorn Ave., Holly Springs MS 38635; 662-820-2763 (c) or 662-252-2188 (h); scbjudge@gmail.com Rev. Dr. James T. Morris - 12832 Holdenbury Ln., Windermere FL 34786; cfdcmec.elder.morris@gmail.com Rev. Roland Johnson - 4945 Bradfield Run, Memphis TN 38125; 901-497-9588; revrjohns@aol.com.

Rev. Dr. Kevin J. Agee - P.O. Box 55834, Washington, D.C. 20040; 201-736-9107 (c) or 301-638-7124 (h); revkjagee@hotmail.com Dr. Lynda Brown-Wright - 3157 Dale Hollow Dr., Lexington KY 40515; 859-433-3396; Lynda.brownwright@gmail.com Atty. J. Richet Pearson - P.O. Box 11135, Birmingham AL 35202; 205-252-8961; jrichetpearson@gmail.com Dr. Terri D. Dyer - 1259 Date Palm Dr., Carson CA 90746; 626-372-2026; Terridyer1@aol.com THE GENERAL OFFICERS Dr. Carmichael Crutchfield - General Secretary, Department of Christian Education & Formation - Suite 300, 4466 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis TN 38116-7100; 901-345 4109 (office); 901-261-3289 (fax); basiz1@aol.com; also 1119 Linksview Lane West, Cordova TN 38018 Dr. Roderick D. Lewis, Sr. - General Secretary, Department of Publications, 4237 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis TN 38116; 901-396-5400; cmepublishing@bellsouth.net; rdlsr@aol.com Dr. Ore L. Spragin, Jr. - Editor, The Christian Index, 1700 Whisperwood Street, Albany GA 31721; 901-515-6510; ChristianIndex@thecmechurch.org Dr. Victor Taylor - General Secretary & CFO, Dept. of Finance and Investments, 4817 Murfreesboro Road - #399, Arrington TN 37014; 847-274-0182 (main); 312-706-6804 (work); 240-359-6272 (fax); vtaylor@dficmechurch.org; https://www.hightail.com/u/cmefinance (securely upload confidential documents here) Rev. Dr. Leon C. Moore, Jr. - General Secretary of Evangelism and Missions, 2893 Hwy 178 West, Holly Springs MS 38635; 678-362-7549; cmegdem@gmail.com Dr. Jacqueline I. Scott - President, Women's Missionary Council, 7255 Richmond Road, Memphis TN 38125; 901-737-7675; scottjacqueline210@yahoo.com Rev. Reginald G. Barnes - Gen. Sect. General Bd. of Personnel Services, P.O. Box 74 - Memphis TN 38101-0074; 901-345-4100; FAX 901-345-4107 Mr. Anthony J. Smoaks, Sr. - Gen. Sect., Ministry to Men, PO Box 3, Egg Harbor NJ 08215; 201-892-3942; CMEM2M@gmail.com.

Mr. Shannon L. Faulk - Gen. Sect. Dept. of Lay Ministries, 400 Corporate Pointe, Ste. 300, Culver City CA 90230; 310-902-6836 (cell); 310-590-4522 (office); slfaulk3@aol.com Dr. Theresa Duhart - Gen. Sect. and CIO, Dept. of Communications & Information Technology; 1907 Willow Lane West, University Place WA 98466, cio@thecmechurch.org; 253-376-6361 Dr. William George - General Secretary, Emeritus, Dept. of Publications, 535 Harwood Cove, Memphis TN 38120; 901-683-7883; email;weg38@aol.com.

Dr. Jeanette Bouknight - Executive Secretary, Retired, 11928 Steven Drive, Sterling Heights MI 48312; 313-433-7207; cmeexecutivesecretary3@yahoo.com.

Dr. Tyrone T. Davis - General Secretary, Emeritus, General Board of Personnel Services, Retired; 809 Sapphire Ave., Memphis TN 38109-6421; 901-218-0091; Tyrone.T.Davis@comcast.net Dr. Leo Pinkett - General Secretary, Ministry to Men, Retired - 2850 Shoreland Dr., S.W., Atlanta GA 30331; 404-349-1722; email: lpinkettace@yahoo.com Dr. Clifford Harris - Gen. Sect. of Lay Ministry, Retired - 15485 Prairie Bell Rd., Okmulgee OK 74447-8690; 918-519-4233 (c);918-304-1999 (h); MrCliffHarris@yahoo.com OTHER CONNECTIONAL OFFICERS Rev. James Smith - Coordinator, Chaplain Services; 493 Robin Song Ct., Blythewood SC 29016; 803-800-9788; SmithJEJR@aol.com Rev. Cassandry Keys - President of the Ministers' and Laymen's Council - P.O. Box 170703, Spartanburg SC 29301; 251-689-7969; email: cassandry@att.net Mrs. Felicia G. Johnson - President, Connectional Ministers' Spouses, Widows and Widowers Department - 832-284-1847 (c); fefejohnson@outlook.com Ms. Barbara Christian Campbell - President, Connectional Lay Council - 4819 Eagles Ridge Loop, Lithonia GA 30038; or 2012 Memorial Drive SE, Atlanta GA 30317; loviebarbara1@gmail.com; 404-587-8311 or 678-641-9745 Ms. Jamea Sevel Grace - President, Connectional Young Adult Ministry; 2000 Mallow Lane Apt 204, Kernersville NC 27284; 336-354-2034; cyampresident@gmail.com Rev. Dr. Jetson Ronzell Maness - President, Presiding Elders’ Council - 2 Rebecca's Ct., North Augusta SC 29860; 706-495-0298 (c); jetson_maness@yahoo.com Ms. Jolinda Dugger - President, Connectional Stewardesses, 110 Montclair Dr., Jackson TN 38301; 731-736-0961 (h); 731-394-7504 (cell); email: Jmdugger810@aol.com Rev. Lisa Lewis Balboa - Coordinator, Commission on the Concerns of Women in the Ministry; 47 Angela Drive, Trenton KY 42286; 270-305-6204 (cell); Lbalboa67@yahoo.com Mr. Freddie McKnight - President, Connectional Stewards, 24 Canton Street; West Haven CT 06516; 203-933-7230 (h); 203-500-6377 (cell) Attorney Barbara Bouknight - President, Connectional Trustees Ms. Dorruth Boyd - President of Connectional Ushers, 5135 Menefee Drive, Dallas TX 75227; 214-533-7553; email: dorruthboyd@att.net Rev. Jermaine Marshall, PhD - General Conference Secretary; 2239 Adam Clayton Powell Jr.Blvd., New York NY 10027; 904-422-1627; jermmar25@gmail.com Rev. Dr. Valencia Edner - Coordinator, Connectional Music and Arts Ministry - 17206 Atascocita Bend Dr., Humble TX 77396; 936-465-7284;Pastorvee522@yahoo.com CME GENERAL COUNSEL Attorney Ouida Brown - General Counsel - P.O. Box 587, Tuscombia AL 35674; 256-383-9620; fax: 256-383-9933 HEADS OF CONNECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS Dr. Paul Brown - President and Dean, Phillips School of Theology, Atlanta GA; 404-527-7768 Dr. Donald W. Comer - Interim President, Lane College, 545 Lane Ave., Jackson TN 38301; 731-426-7595 (office); 731-427-3987 (fax) Ms. Bobbie Knight - President, Miles College, P. O. Box 39800, Birmingham AL 35208; 205-929-1428; 205-929-1448; 205-929-1429; 205-929-1426 (fax) Dr. Dwight Fennell - President, Texas College, 2404 N. Grand Ave., Tyler TX 75702; 903-593-8311; 903-593-0588 (fax) Dr. Cheryl Evans Jones - Office of the President, Paine College, 1235 Fifteenth St., Augusta GA 30901-3182; 706-821-8230 (office); 706-821-8320 (Admissions)

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