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We continue our trek toward Kingdom Building. God has placed so many incredible people in our path who not only are able to bless us, but we are able to sow into their lives. Thanks to Ken Ashby and Victor Hyman at PNC Bank for their gift and concern for small businesses during PNC Small Business Month Recognition. Their customer service is second to none.
Editorial
Our cover story features Ambassador Sharon Edmond. I met Ambassador Edmond in 2007 at the Theologian Awards in Houston, Texas where we both were being honored. Imagine going all the way to Texas just to meet someone from your area that you have never met. Can you relate? Ambassador Edmond was asked to speak for 5 minutes at TCP’s Anniversary this year and left a lasting impression. Check out her story of healing and deliverance on page 16. We lost a jewel in Vivian Sansom when she died on July 4 at the age of 97. She was such a Trailblazer for women in sports and education. I got a chance to meet her last year and view her vast array of pictures and memorabilia. I’m sure you will enjoy reminiscing this piece of history. TCP Magazine is so proud to announce the formation of the Female Pastors Fellowship that has been gathering since May. The Gatherings are open to female senior pastors the first Thursday of each month or as announced. If you qualify and would like to join us, please contact me at the number listed below. Mark your calendars for our 12th Anniversary on March 12, 2016 at the Hilton Raleigh Midtown. In the meantime, join us October 3-10 as we celebrate with our media partner WIDU at their Anniversary Celebration. See back cover. Peggy Tatum, Publisher Contributing Writers Lori D. R. Wiggins MonicaMichelle Audretta Hall Stefan Youngblood Dana Wright Denver Wright, WIZPRO Imagineering Rick Crank Photography 421 Studios Joe Yancey, Ozion Media Peggy Tatum, Publisher TCP Magazine 181-104 Wind Chime Court Raleigh, NC 27615 tcpmagazine@gmail.com www.tcpmagazineusa.com 919 796-4724
Contents P 5 Editorial P 11 Vivian Sansom Tribute P 13 Rev. Tyrone Alston Profile P 16 Healing & Deliverance In His Name Ambassador Sharon Edmond P 19 Finding Treasure P 21 Loaves & Fishes P 23 90 Pounds Down
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TCP Magazine’s Female Pastors Fellowship TOGETHER AS ONE
Join TCP Magazine’s Female Pastors Fellowship at the 2015 WIDU Anniversary’s “TOGETHER AS ONE”. 20 Simultaneous Community Unity Services occurring in One Night: Wednesday, October 7th. Hosted by Dr. Lillian H. Spearman Second Chance Christian Fellowship 5238 Delco Street Fayetteville, NC Speaker: Ambassador Sharon Edmond Psalmist: Pastor Nell Smith
Visit www.widuanniversary.com for more info.
Pictured (clockwise): TCP Magazine’s Female Pastors Fellowship, Dr. Lillian H. Spearman, Ambassador Sharon Edmond, Pastor Nell Smith. 9
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE
Vivian McCotta Merrick Sansom Vivian McCotta Merrick Sansom was born September 11, 1917 in Durham, NC, the first of the two daughters of Lyda Vivian Moore Merrick and Edward Richard Merrick. She is the granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. Aaron McDuffie Moore (Sarah McCotta Dancy) and Mr. and Mrs. John Merrick (Martha Hunter). Both of her grandfathers, Aaron Moore and John Merrick, were co-founders of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and among the founders of Mechanics and Farmers Bank. Dr. Moore was Durham’s first black physician and co-founded Lincoln Hospital where Vivian was born. Her father, Edward, served as Vice-President of North Carolina Mutual, and her mother, Lyda, was a civic leader, pianist, and artist, and co-founded with John Carter Washington, the Negro Braille Magazine, now the Washington-Merrick Magazine for the Blind. Vivian was married to James Joseph Sansom, Jr., of Atlanta, GA, a graduate of Morehouse College and North Carolina Central University School of Law. They had four children: Joseph, Beryl, Genevieve and James. Vivian was educated in Durham’s public schools through the ninth grade before attending Palmer Memorial Institute in Sedalia, NC. She received her undergraduate degree from Talladega College in AL, and went on to Boston University where she received her master’s degree in Health and Physical Education in 1941. She returned to Durham where she served as an instructor of Physical Education at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) for 6 years. She was the only female instructor at NCCU at that time and worked alongside Dr. Leroy T. Walker, who went on to become a chancellor of NCCU and the first black president of the United States Olympic Committee, and John B. McLendon, legendary basketball coach. While at NCCU, she attended the first CIAA basketball tournament in 1945. From then on, she was hooked. In 2008, she was honored by the CIAA officials for having attended every tournament since its founding. She moved to Winston-Salem, NC in 1952 where she served as Assistant Director of the YWCA, and where her husband, Joe, became the first black branch manager of Wachovia Bank. Vivian and her family moved to Raleigh in 1959 where she shortly thereafter became a professor of Health and Physical Education at Shaw University until her retirement in 1996, and where Joe became Vice-President of Mechanics and Farmers Bank, and subsequently, its President and CEO. It was at Shaw where Vivian made her most lasting contributions, and it was this institution with which she most identified for the remainder of her life. She built the women’s athletic program, teaching tennis, golf, dance and archery. Because of her undying dedication to her students and her profession, Shaw awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2008. Shaw also instituted an annual Vivian Sansom Memorial Basketball Classic to honor her contributions to the Shaw Women’s basketball program. She was a charter member of the Durham Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a founding member of the Durham Mothers’ Club, a member of the Raleigh Chapter of The Links Inc., a past president of the Raleigh Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. She was also a member of the Nell Sisters of Destiny Birthday Club, The Raleigh Couples Club, The Alphabettes, The Lyndhurst Neighborhood Club, and an Archousa in the Gamma Sigma Boule of Raleigh. She was a devoted member of St. Mary Mother of the Church in Garner, and along with her husband active in the development of Meadowbrook Country Club and Southgate Shopping Plaza. Vivian died peacefully on July 4, 2015, at WakeMed Hospital at the age of 97. She was a joy to be around and always found something positive and complimentary to say to everyone. She lived life to the fullest, never complained, and wanted to live forever. 11
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PROFILE:
Reverend Tyrone Alston Down a long road right outside of downtown Mebane, NC stands Kimes Chapel Missionary Baptist Church over 98 years old. Coming from a line of pastors, Reverend Tyrone Alston has been called to wear many hats - from shepherding Kimes Chapel for over 18 years to raising five kids with his lovely wife and as an administrator in Hillside High School for over 22 years. His grandfather was a pastor throughout Hillsborough and Durham, and his dad over 30 years. So what new thing can he bring to the table? What would be his legacy? What is he most working toward? The mission of 777 is etched into his heart; the desire to reach 777 souls to assist to bring into the Kingdom - not necessarily members.
Rev. Tyrone Alston with his Amazing Grace Etiquette Father of the Year Award
This journey started for him as a child. He would have church at home, since he always enjoyed attending service. About 25 years ago, people started asking him to come speak at their church for special services which later transitioned into sitting in for a year at Kimes in Mebane, North Carolina while their search began. The Saint Augustine’s College graduate that Kimes quickly realized he was the perfect fit, and it was so. As kids are a big focus, he was able to recognize the importance behind bridging the gap - Brother to Brother and Sister to Sister. Opportunities are constantly developed to bring the young adults together with the more seasoned to learn and make a connection. Camp Risen Son was pulled together because the kids were coming to visit his family all summer long anyway. Thus far, Kimes has awarded 75 college scholarships in the amount of $1000 to provide some support for students. Reverend Alston wants to ensure everyone has a place at Kimes Chapel Missionary Baptist as they now have a bus and a van. Anyone has an opportunity to join this church - truly a staple in the community. “Church is [designed] to help the community” is the mantra that Reverend Alston keeps in the forefront. Kimes Chapel will continue to be a positive light to their community as they have increased the graduation rate for high school and college. With all of that, one may wonder what is next for Reverend Alston. While continuing to work closely with the Deacons, they want to put the 20 acres of land into good use by building a new location for the church and developing a Christian Academy. Kimes Chapel Missionary Baptist completely understands that everyone won’t become a member; however, that won’t stop them from helping. Even with all that is going on, Reverend Alston is very intent on ensuring people are giving because they have the opportunity to do so and want to - not because of necessity. The Alston Family is transitioning their two boys from high school and one girl from middle school as they balance the life of leading a church. You might just be surprised as to what mark they will make going forward!
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Healing & Deliverance in His Name by Lori D. R. Wiggins
Her life began when she was eight. That’s when Ambassador Dr. Sharon Edmond marks the birth of her journey to become the spiritual authority of a healing and deliverance ministry sought after nationwide and broadcast as far. It began a few months earlier as her Daddy lay weeping over the death of his oldest daughter, a sister five years older than Edmond whom she idolized, and the second of his daughters to die. Surrounded by his friends, her Daddy beckoned Edmond, sobbing, “Don’t leave me.” In, perhaps, a moment of unwitting childhood innocence, Edmond vowed she’d survive a generational curse that claimed women in her father’s lineage before age 40. “I ain’t going nowhere; I’m going to be right here with you and my mama,” Edmond said she told her bereaved Daddy. Something else happened, too. “That’s when I saw the Lord, when my sister died,” she said. “I started seeking something to fill the void inside of me. For some reason, I found myself in church, searching for an answer.” Edmond now proclaims the answer in sermons: “I’m on assignment.”
than the pressure of the enemy.”
At 51, she is the Chief Senior Prelate of True Churches of Deliverance, Inc. Worldwide Ministries, the Elite First Lady of Crown of Victory Church of Deliverance, Inc., in Wendell, NC, and the Founder and CEO of Sharon Edmond Ministries, a mobile ministry broadcast across the globe. Through each, Edmond teaches and preaches, and shares her gifts of healing and deliverance on the afflicted, diseased and bound. Once known as “the cancer and AIDS killer,” Edmond’s healing hands extol the gift to perform miracles, signs and wonders that span a spectrum from expelling demons to postponing death. “For some people, that would be a lot of pressure and responsibility,” Edmond said, turning to God’s word to Jeremiah. “My light was predestined and ordained. God knew who I was and what I would become. He knew what to do. He knew the strength I needed, and the vulnerability I could face. He’s given me the ability to master the pressure of the enemy. The anointing is stronger
Used by God. Edmond was raised on a Hobgood, NC, farm, the fifth of 12 children born to Accie and the late Evelyn Griffin. The deaths of her two sisters – a younger sister preceded the oldest girl – left her third oldest of 10 surviving children. When grief led Edmond to church, she met Teresa Cox, a missionary in her hometown who would say, “You are the one,” Edmond recalls. “Every man and woman of God she took me to said, ‘She’s going to be used by God.’” Cox taught Edmond the importance of honesty – and how it differs from “fairy tales and made-up stories.” She trained her in Biblical principles, groomed her in church attendance and tithing, cautioned temptations “work against me,” and demonstrated fasting and praying prostrate. She also told Edmond, “You’re my last assignment.” Before Edmond’s 9th birthday, Cox died. “I felt like Jesus came back and left me there,” Edmond said of her grief. At 15, Edmond went to a revival at her mother’s insistence. “When I got in Scotland Neck, there was this feeling in the air I know now was the anointing of God,” Edmond said. There, Minister E. L. Ricks preached “like he was preaching my life from 8 to 15 years old,” she said. “Who I am today was spoken again by this man.” As she witnessed Ricks’ faith healing, Edmond knew, “I’ve got to have that anointing. I’ve got to have that power.” She joined Ricks’ church and embraced his tutelage to better understand her God-assignment. “God used me through prayer, through faith, through belief…so no one else would have to suffer,” she said. Stand toe-to-toe. Edmond’s younger brother, Melvin Griffin, was Edmond’s first on-the-spot miracle. Griffin, then 5 and rambunctious, nearly severed a finger when the handle of a paint can he was tossing snapped. As others scurried to call 911, Edmond, then about 17 took her brother’s hand. “Do you believe God can heal you,” he recalls her asking. “Yes,” he answered, though unsure whether he believed or didn’t. Edmond laid hands. When she let go, “my finger had gone back together,” said Griffin, 39. “The blood stopped. I was totally amazed. Now, there’s nothing I don’t believe God can do because He did that.” Griffin, a national recording artist with Brothers in Unity, travels with his sister to lead the Crown of Victory praise team. “I’ve seen so many miracles, signs and wonders, and … it’s always amazing.” To her family, Edmond is the rock. “All of them look to me as if I am the oldest,” said Edmond, whose mother died October 28, 2014. “I’m not the oldest, but …they look up to me and respect me and count on me a whole lot.” It’s welcomed. “When your track record is pure, thorough and true, and when your track record is strong, they depend on you and believe in you, with trust and confidence that you’re able to pull them through.” Edmond moved to Virginia in 1994 as an evangelist. Like Jesus, she opened the doors of her first church there at 30. Since then, Edmond has led churches in Durham and Rocky Mount, married Apostle George Edmond, Sr. and had a “miracle baby,” George Edmond, Jr. In 2011, Wendell became home to Crown of Victory. “We know we’re in the right place,” Edmond said. “People still travel to us, celebrities and all, to receive miracles, healing and deliverance on a weekly basis.” Echoing a church motto, she said, “A church alive is worth the drive!” (concluded next page)
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Healing & Deliverance in His Name (concluded)
But it was Edmond’s drive to minister at a Charlotte, NC, revival that left retired military Sgt. Gregory Sargent healed. A post-deployment accident left Sargent disabled by a shattered hip. Doctors and a personal trainer left him with limited mobility, 37 pins in his hip that caused constant pain, and 27 prescription pills that altered his personality to the point of divorce and homelessness. At the revival, Edmond laid hands on Sargent. “The spirit took over me and I collapsed,” said Sargent, who’d always questioned the validity of faith healers and their ministries, and listened to doubts women are so ordained. Back to his feet, he said, “Within two minutes, I jogged a little bit. I had no pain.” His rotator cuff healed, too. “It was a miracle to me,” said Sargent, adding his mobility is now normal. “God did this for me through her.” Sargent shared his testimony last month during Crown of Victory’s Holy Convocation. His trot down the aisle and 360-degree arm rotation disproved any skepticism of his or others of God’s power and Edmond’s anointing. “That’s joy unspeakable and full of glory,” Edmond chuckled. “We love challenges. When you shut the devil up and shake him up at the same time, that’s joy, because I know who I am,” Edmond said. “I am not a fake. I am able to stand toe-to-toe with sickness and disease and affliction. I know the anointing of God is present, so I know the yoke will be destroyed.” ‘Evidence of who God is.’ Edmond’s accomplishments are lauded. She won the 2007 National Honor Healing and Deliverance Award at the Theologian Award Honors in Houston, TX; September 30 is proclaimed Sharon Edmond Day in Rocky Mount; and she was affirmed the Ambassador over True Churches of Deliverance Worldwide Ministries and ordained Chief Apostle over Churches of Deliverance International Ministries. As a student of theology and divinity, Edmond won awards in both Christian Ethics and theology. She also is an author, former restaurant owner, and an educator who has schools for prophets, Bible studies, spiritual mentorship and young Christians. As a double-minority – black and a woman - in ministry, Edmond said, the road isn’t easy. And the devil’s busy, recruiting “haters,” from spiritual leaders to laymen naysayers who question Edmond’s anointing because, as Sargent said he wondered until he knew differently, “God don’t give women that power.” But countless others know Edmond has opened eyes and wombs, fixed cracking bones and pulled diseases out. “You can’t build a ministry and have continued success without the word of God,” Edmond said. “And you cannot do it without miracles. The word contains miracles. That’s evidence of who God is.” Edmond also acknowledges the need for balance. “We must pray and not faint,” she began, “but we need something tangible here on earth that we can touch, something we can hold on to, speak to and it talks back to us; we need something that will be honest with us, won’t let us go overboard, or lag back and be delayed. “That’s my husband,” Edmond said, adding he is a compliment, not a curse; a man who joys over her and never grows jealous. “He’s a great man of God who understands my assignment and my responsibility.” Lori Wiggins is a freelance columnist and writer in Raleigh. Contact her at ldrwigg@gmail.com
Finding Treasures
By Stefan Youngblood
“I can’t show up at your church. I gotta clean up my life first.”
Those were the words of my friend Kenneth, one my homeless friends in downtown Raleigh. I’ve known him for years, and except for a few times, he has kept his promise, and kept his distance. Too dirty, and too shameful to come into church. My heart ached hearing his words, perhaps because he speaks for many who believe church appears to be a place where everybody’s “put together.” But inside the beautiful exterior of broken chards of stained glass you’ll find a different type of beauty: broken lives and stained people. I speak for myself. I’ve seen my share of feeling utterly unworthy and often write of the continued bumpy struggle to be a light for Christ in an often dark world. Kenneth’s comment reminds me however, that the call of Jesus is a call to go and serve, not a call to come visit our service. Jesus taught of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick, essentially saying, “When you reach out and love the least of these, you’re actually reaching out and loving Me.” When we turn our backs on our neighbors, we turn our backs on Him as well. One day, after an early morning Bible study at church, I drove through the city basically looking for ordinary things that might present divine opportunity. This has become a habit through the years. As I passed the courthouse, I saw a man in tattered clothes banging on an old drum, playing for loose change. A drummer myself, I sat down and listened. He introduced himself as “Captain Rob.” We talked, he played, people walked, and God moved. From that humble beginning started a friendship that eventually led to long treks around town, dinners at McDonalds, and even one year spending Christmas Day with my family. We both were changed in the process. He’d sleep during the day behind the stage, just below my office, and at night, in the bushes just outside the building on a bed made with hefty bags and cardboard boxes. Soon after, I had him join us on the stage as part of the band. He was a catalyst for many other homeless men and women finding a place of help and hope at our service called, The Gathering. The impact inside the building was a church service that grew over 300%. The impact in families and lives outside the building can’t be calculated. The other day a news reporter from our local ABC news affiliate called me and asked if she could ask a few questions. She was doing a story on two homeless men, living in a shelter who had now started a T-shirt company. It was Rob and his friend Tom, now co-owners of what may just be a million dollar idea: T-shirts with a single word, intended to start a conversation, and perhaps, even a friendship. Rob and Tom’s t-shirts create stories, Joy turns scraps into jewelry, Michael writes poetry, Kent plays drums, and Chantelle sits a cup of water next to my piano every Sunday morning. Asked how to help the complex homeless problem, I don’t know. But taking time for one person, we can all do that. We’ve launched a campaign called Bus Passes and Birthday Songs as a way anyone can help make a lasting change in the life of another person. Join us at www.gofundme.com/homelessbnb and check out Rob and Tom at Conversation Tees.
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Loaves and Fishes
By Dana Wright Driven by God’s command, focused on amazing children, and sustained by love is the mission of Loaves and Fishes Ministry. The organization was founded in 1982 by Betty Anne Ford and Nancy Newell as a summer enrichment program for children living in the Halifax Court federal housing community in Raleigh, NC. Loaves and Fishes Ministry has provided more than 2,500 academic years of support to 300 children and their families. Based in southeast Raleigh, our participating children are often referred from public schools when teachers or counselors believe they may be at risk of academic failure. “We have to remember that we are all at risk of not achieving our potential, not just during our development as young people, but throughout our lives! The difference for these children and their families is that they don’t have the resources available to overcome those challenges,” says Joe Burmester, Executive Director. All of the children served by Loaves and Fishes Ministry come from low-income families that frequently do not have the time or experience to supplement in-school activities, or may lack the connections and support network to find help. Monday through Thursday, Loaves and Fishes Ministry brings as many as 60 kindergarten through high school students on mini-buses to its New Bern Avenue location for a program that includes a wide array of services and activities such as homework assistance, tutoring, mentoring, life skills, workplace readiness training, experiential learning through field trips, experiments, participation in community events, special projects and guest presentations. Sandy Mossinghoff, Director of Youth Programs, and her staff also include healthy snacks to supplement frequently inadequate nutrition, exercise, and fun activities in the program. Says Sandy, “We rely on a large group of volunteers to bring both their experiences and their passion to work with our children. In addition, our holistic approach requires more talent than our small staff can provide, so we collaborate with other community organizations to broaden our capabilities.” Dana Wright, Director of Family Support, who is a graduate of the Loaves and Fishes Ministry program, emphasizes the long-term relationship focus of the organization. She states, “We work very closely with the families of our children and help them work together with the teachers and other resources that we identify to provide the best possible environment for their children to succeed.” Because Loaves and Fishes Ministry works with children and their families for up to 13 years, we become part of the children’s families, and similarly their families become part of the Loaves and Fishes Ministry family.
Dana Wright, Joe Burmester and Sandy Mossinghoff
Loaves and Fishes Ministry hosts a monthly Family Night of food, fellowship and learning, celebrating progress and working on mutual challenges with the family participants. The team at Loaves and Fishes Ministry staff is a collection of professionals; some in second careers, and some following their original profession. All think of Loaves and Fishes Ministry as more than a job. To them, Loaves and Fishes Ministry is an exciting mission, a blessing in their own lives, and the chance to work with young people who otherwise may not have the opportunity to achieve their own potential. Volunteers are always welcome! Check their website at www.lafchildren.org. 21
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90 lbs. Down! Detox, Nutrients, Rest & Water Over my 30 year journey to lose weight and get healthy I have tried hundreds of different diets and lost about 1000 pounds (yep a thousand pounds….. the same 10 lbs. about 100 times). Now, after 10 years of struggling to lose weight and keeping it off, I have finally gotten it down to a science. Daily detoxification, taking in enough nutrients, getting enough rest and drinking enough water has helped me to lose weight and keep it off….even going through menopause. We all go through a lot of things (Job changes, family loss, illness, financial setbacks) that disrupt our healthy routines. If I cannot keep up with ALL of the things that I do to lose weight and stay healthy, I always keep my health foundation going….. Daily detoxification, nutrients, rest and water. 90 lbs off and keeping it off and all I had to do was: • Drink a Daily Detoxification tea with lunch and dinner • Eat a fresh fruit or vegetable at every meal and take a good liquid vitamin • Taking 30 to 60 deep breaths before going to bed • Drink ½ my weight ounces in water a day (including a full glass upon waking and before going to bed). I have about 10 different things I do to keep the weight off including walking 30 minutes a couple times a week, portion control, increasing my fiber, increasing my protein, reducing my salt, reducing my sugar intake and a few more things that I have included in my book (due in May 2015). If you would like to receive the link so you can download a copy of the book Dieting is OUT Eating RULES..please email me at audrettas411@ gmail.com and put the word “Book” in the subject line.
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