There’s something special about a church that has a praise and worship experience that’s soul-stirring; where people greet you with a warm and friendly welcome; where smiles, laughter and love saturate the atmosphere. There’s something powerful about a praying church where the preaching and Bible studies are solidly rooted in Biblical doctrine.

Taylor Memorial Baptist Church is such a church, and the Rev. G. Lamar Stewart, the senior pastor, leads it.

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Taylor Memorial is a small church with a gigantic heart for praising and worshiping God, and it has a strong teaching ministry, as reflected in its theme: “A Church Powering Disciples to Make Disciples!” With a perfect balance of youth and senior saints, Taylor Memorial’s blended praise and worship experience incorporates a unique mix of traditional hymns and contemporary gospel music that doesn’t disappoint.

Stewart, 26, a U.S. Army veteran, will celebrate his one-year anniversary as the senior pastor at Taylor Memorial this Sunday. Prior to being called to that pulpit, he was a member (since 1999) of the famed Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church under the leadership of the renowned Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller.

When you hear Stewart preach, you quickly realize that he’s been thoroughly prepared to preach and teach the Word of God by one of the best preachers in America.

“The Lord has called me in a very unique way to this branch of Zion. I have a very intense passion around teaching. I believe every preacher ought to be a teacher. Every teacher may not be a preacher, but every preacher ought to be a teacher,” said Stewart. His ministry ethos is to offer strong Biblical teaching to develop and produce authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.

To celebrate the pastor’s anniversary, Taylor Memorial is hosting a fall church revival. The lineup of guest preachers for Sunday’s 11 a.m. service includes the Rev. Willett Burgie Bryant, the chaplain/director of student formation and seminary of Palmer Seminary;for the 3 p.m. service, the Rev. Dr. Waller; for Monday and Tuesday 7 p.m. services the Rev. A.L. Perkins, senior pastor of Tabernacle of Faith Missionary Baptist Church, San Francisco;.;  and Wednesday at 7 p.m. the Rev. Dr. Kevin R. Johnson, senior pastor of Bright Hope Baptist Church.

Albertha Baily, 46, joined Taylor Memorial in February and now serves on the Deaconess ministry. She’s all about serving God’s people, “My role is basically service to the people in any way that I can, whether it be (serving) the people in the church or the people in the community.”

She said that after attending one service, she was hooked, “Once I got here I started feeling the Spirit of the Lord. I couldn’t sleep (at night), I couldn’t go anywhere else. There was nowhere else for me. Taylor is about helping the people.”

Connie Clanton, 49, a trustee, has been a member of Taylor Memorial for three years. “(I) oversee the finances of the church. We don’t believe in doing fundraisers. The challenge is having the people adhere to what God’s Word is, as far as paying their tithes and understanding what that means,” he said.

Clanton said the youth and wisdom of Stewart has the ability to reach a broad range of people, “He’s a person that follows the direction of the Holy Spirit. He has the spirit of an old person; he can reach all people, as far as our seniors and young people. What’s wonderful is that we’re having a new understanding about what God would have us to do. We’re learning a new thing about what missions need to be.”

Clanton said Taylor Memorial’s local missions work has included cleanup of a local Boys and Girls Club in Nicetown, visiting the sick and shut-in, and on the second Friday and third Saturday of the month, church members conduct street evangelism.

The oldest member of the church is Georgia Gonsalves, 86, and she proudly shared that, “We have a wonderful young pastor of this church and he brings the Word of God every week. I will tell anyone to come to hear him.”

With 50 years of membership at Taylor Memorial, Gonsalves is very impressed with how Stewart is drawing young and older members to the church. Gonsalves reflected on how she was originally drawn to the church via the ministry of the Rev. Walter C. Wynn.

“(Wynn) was the one that really built the church; he was here for 23 years,” she said. “He was a wonderful man.”

Wynn, as director of the Philadelphia Fellowship Commission and director of its Council for Equal Job Opportunity, battled racial discrimination in Philadelphia. Of note, he challenged the Philadelphia Gas Works to end corporate discriminatory practices of unions and companies that received contracts. He died in 1992, at age 89.

Robin McDaniel, 53, has been a member for three years and serves as the administrator for Taylor Memorial. He named some of the Church ministries. “We have our Women’s Ministry, we have our Men’s Ministry, we have our new and exciting Sanctuary Choir that is for all ages, and we do have a Dance Ministry…and our (Wednesday night) Bible Study is off the chain.”

Desiree Regina “Dezzie” Neal, 33, a radio personality at Praise Philly/WPPZ, 103.9FM, joined Taylor Memorial earlier this year. She is the minister of music there.

She said, “I instruct the choir, I do vocal assessment and guidance, lead Praise and Worship, and (oversee) all other music ministry duties." Neal added, "We are a grassroots church, we don’t mind getting dirty for the Kingdom, we go out! Our pastor believes in evangelism, he believes in hitting the ground running. (Pastor Stewart preaches a) relevant Word, a timely Word, and it is, I’ll say, (an) edible (Word)."

Most impressive was the testimony of Lamar Alexander, 29, who’s lived a hard life in the streets. Alexander is the leader of the young adult ministry at Taylor Memorial. He is a transformed man with a sincere and loving heart to serve Jesus Christ.

“I represent the young adults 30 and under,” he said. “I’m happy to be here.”

Alexander has numerous tattoos and he sports dreadlocks; he commented on his unconventional appearance.

“Like Grandmom used to say, ‘It ain’t how we look on the outside, it’s always about what’s going on on the inside,’” he explained.

Alexander has been a member of Taylor Memorial for seven months; he’s been saved for four months. He is the father of two lovely girls and works at Cooper Hospital in Camden. He aspires to get married one day.

Alexander was attracted to Taylor Memorial by his aunt and the youthfulness of Stewart.

“I was in the streets doing a lot of nonsense, ya know what I mean. My grandfather and my father are both in jail right now. My grandfather is doing life. My father has been in jail out of my life. I can’t get to Heaven with nobody but myself. So, I got to do what I got to do to turn my life around for my two daughters. There’s nothing like church…believing in God. The streets ain’t the same, man, ain’t nothing like believing in God, when God got your back, you’re good to go. Ain’t nothing like having God behind you.”

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Taylor Memorial Baptist Church

3819-21 Germantown Ave.

Philadelphia, PA 19140

11 a.m. Service

(215) 221-6100

Pastor: The Rev. G. Lamar Stewart

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Over 2,000 years ago, in ancient Biblical times, the Christian church of Corinth earned a notorious reputation for its sexual immorality. The Apostle Paul documented in 1 Corinthians 5:1 that the Corinthian church members’ immoral sexual behavior was more notorious than their non-Christian counterparts. Then and now, fornication and adultery are tarnishing the reputation of the universal church body.

So, how are saved and sanctified church members confronting sexual immorality in the modern day church?

“Christians are also men and women, many of whom come to church with excess baggage from the prior week. Unfortunately, in this day of fast food, instant messaging, and high-speed internet, some Christians are allowing themselves to get ‘caught-up’ in instant gratification without considering the repercussion of their actions on themselves, their families, and/or their communities,” says Quibila A. Divine, a local committeeperson for the11th Ward/12th Division.

Many people from all walks of life visit and join churches for diverse reasons. Among the myriad of reasons, people are seeking healing, protection, hope, forgiveness, spiritual counseling, repentance, encouragement and unconditional love.

Is the church failing them?

“In the last 10 years we have had our share of sex scandals that have rocked the Christian church. Black and white — religion sees no color,” states Shirea L. Carroll, author of “10 Sex Scandals that Rocked the Christian Church,” which appeared in the September 2010 edition of Essence magazine. Carroll, web editor for Juicy magazine, offered the following comments when interviewed for this article: "Christian is just a title. The belief system, morals, values, and responsibility that come with that title isn't always practiced the way it is taught.

Religion doesn't stop ‘Christians’ or anyone else from answering to their flesh, In a real deal relationship with whatever higher power you answer to, that weighs in on the decisions people make."

The Holy Bible urges people to, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body (1 Corinthians 6:18).” It is believed that Biblical scriptures warn against Christians committing adultery and fornication, because sexual immorality has harsh mortal and eternal consequences. So, why do many Christians sin against their own body and God?

Col. Larry Boyd, U.S. Army, who is a married Christian, offered this response: “Christians do not have a special immunity to these lusts and temptations.” Boyd cites that there’s no such thing as “a little sin or a big sin. Sin is sin and we all fall short from time to time…None of us can cast any stone. We just have to keep one another in prayer and (examine our own behavior).”

Jillian Patricia Pirtle, the reigning Miss Black Pennsylvania and a native Philadelphian, offered this comment: “I do not know how much light I can shed to the subject…because I am still a virgin saving myself for marriage. So I am not an expert on being a (single) Christian that is sexually active and I tend to be very private…It is okay to be a virgin and not to give up. God has a plan.”

Confessing that he had sex before getting married, Ted Watkins, a member of Community Baptist Church, in Henderson, Nev., offered this candid testimony: “For me, [I] was seeking my own pleasure and satisfying my desires…[and] not accepting God's authority in my life. [Christians] still fight that battle, even to this day. We stand in opposition to Christ and his authority on many issues. We think we know it all. Imperfect vessels? For me, absolutely.”

“Sin is sin. One sin is no different from the other. Christians are people,” says Naja Killebrew, a marketing and public relations entrepreneur in Philadelphia. On the topic of Christians having sex before marriage, Killebrew pondered, “What if you never marry? Now what?”

Merwin L. McIntyre, a retired postal worker, said, “As a married Christian, I understand the ramifications of adultery (and) single Christians should never put themselves in a compromising position, the flesh is weak!”

The Bible teaches that faithful Christian disciples (single or married) should avoid sexual immorality (Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 6:32; 1Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 13:4).

“Like a world class athlete, serving God takes constraint, self-sacrifice and a laser-like focus on God’s mission and will,” shared Derek Green, an airplane pilot and aerospace engineer from the University of Alabama.

Kim Barnett, a happily married graduate of Liberty University and Philadelphia Biblical University, stated that it’s sexual frustration that lures single and married Christians into sexual immorality.

“If the truth be told (sexual immorality) is not only a single’s sin, it’s a marital sin as well! When a Christian is sexually frustrated, being obedient to the Word of God is desired, but the pull of the flesh is desired as well. When we allow ourselves to be put in tempted situations, we need to know that God will make a way of escape.”

The key is, are most Christians spiritually strong enough to recognize and take God’s escape-route from the lure of sexually immorality?

Ideally, it is best for Christians to simply avoid acting on urges to commit fornication or adulterous sex. How? Peter David, author of “How Christians and Ministers Can Avoid Sexual Immorality,” on Ezinearticles.com, offers a few simple answers:

--If you’re single, get married.

--If you’re married, pay more attention to your spouse. Don’t take him or her for granted, and pay particular attention to your spouse’s sexual needs.

For more than four decades, the Rev. Louise Williams Bishop has entertained, encouraged and edified millions of Philadelphians as a gospel music radio personality.

With a signature voice that is unmistakable, she established herself as an iconic legacy during her tenure at WDAS 1480AM.

She can now be heard spreading the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and playing traditional gospel music, every Sunday from 6 a.m. to noon, and weekdays from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. on WURD 900AM.

Williams Bishop is a highly in-demand preacher but equally impressive is that, for more than two decades, the Democrat has served as the state representative for the 192nd District.

A 1953 graduate of West Philadelphia High School, she was elected in 1989 and serves more than 59,000 constituents.

The Tribune recently caught up with Williams Bishop during a Community Legislative Meet & Greet that she hosted at her 63rd Street district office in West Philly.

When it comes to the dichotomy of her ministry/broadcast career and legislative responsibilities, Williams Bishop reconciles both as service to the public, she said that “there’s no conflict of interest, they both do the same thing, they serve. As a radio personality, it’s amazing how that [gets] tied into the state representative” [position and the ministry]. “You are performing a service for the people.”

In 1987, a distraught listener called into Williams Bishop’s radio show, he conveyed that he was blind and that his wife had abandoned him and their five young children; three of the kids were still in diapers. The caller pleaded for help, and she asked her faithful listeners to assist this gentleman. Not only did many people quickly respond to help this man, but the city’s managing director immediately responded, too. It was that fateful call and the power of her influence in the community that led Williams Bishop to pursue her third career in politics.

In her opinion, being a radio personality, an ordained minister and a state representative, “All three of those fields are fields of service,” she said. “You are performing a service for the people.

“State representative and serving in government is a calling by the people, who live in your legislative district — who believe in you, and who wanted you to run in a public office to take care of their needs, to take care of their concerns. And when you’re elected, you’re almost doing the same thing that you do, when you’re called” [to the ministry.]

For Williams Bishop, it’s all about serving others and representing the people’s interests, “whatever those interests are.”

Elegant, soft spoken and humble, Williams Bishop is very appreciative of where God has brought her from. As a child, Williams Bishop was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her stepfather.

On the subject of being sexually abused as a child, Williams Bishop said, “I think the time has come when we have to talk about these things.”

She stated that some victims don’t recover well from being sexually abused.

“I was fortunate, it happened to me as a young person” and she said she handled her situation quite differently from most. “And my step-father also handled it differently. He was very cunning.”

She said he started the abuse around the time when she was between 7 and 9 years old. “It started with play,” Williams Bishop recalled. “The actual act did not happen until I was probably 12. But there was a playful kind of thing, I didn’t know what it would lead to, or what was happening. I always felt funny about it, and I always tried to cover myself with my sister and brothers, I always tried to stay around them.”

To avoid being molested by her step-father, she felt comfortable and safe being among her brothers and sisters.

“Then one day it actually happened,” she said. “I was hurt by it. But I knew I couldn’t tell my mom, because I knew it would hurt my mom. And I knew I couldn’t tell my sisters and brothers, because it was their father.”

Her next move, even at a young age, was to find a way to move out. And eventually she did move out, to reside with family in Philadelphia.

“I was able to protect myself, I was able to get to Philadelphia,” she said.

Williams Bishop is a vocal advocate against sexual abuse of children as she is the House Democratic Chair of the Children and Youth Committee.

She is also the most senior African-American woman serving in Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and she is a former officer of the Commonwealth’s Legislative Black Caucus and the Philadelphia Delegation.

Williams Bishop has sponsored several pieces of legislation including domestic violence, day care, mandatory drug treatment, education, health care and sarcoidosis.

Constituents can contact Williams Bishop at her local district office at 1991 N. 63rd St. or by calling (215) 879-6625 or (717) 783-2192.

Change — a one-word slogan that propelled a little known U.S. Senator from Chicago to the presidency of the United States. Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church is no stranger to change. From its humble start in 1961 as The Crawford Tabernacle Baptist Church, Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church has experienced 50 years of growth and renaissance.

In 1961, with only 30 members, the late Rev. Thorny C. Crawford organized The Crawford Tabernacle Baptist Church. In 1967, the Rev. Leo Graham legally chartered The Crawford Tabernacle Baptist Church as the Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church. 

In its 50 years of existence, Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church has had seven pastoral leaders: Crawford, the Rev. Alex Blake, the Rev. Robert Waters, the Rev. Leo Graham, the Rev. Theophilus Wright, and the current pastor, the Rev. Martin T. Wright. Theophilus Wright, who had the longest tenure of 39 years, retired two years ago, passing the senior pastoral role on to his son Martin.

On his role in succeeding his father, Martin said, “Excellent. (It’s) a blessing, (an) opportunity to learn ministry, and to share what I’ve been given with other people in the community of God, the kingdom of God. It’s been an exciting time. The Lord has, by his spirit, provided the impetus to vision things and to implement things.

“We have made great advances in expanding our ministry.”

Those innovative advances have included raising funds to make improvements to the church edifice, creation of a newsletter, weekly movie nights at the church, Saturday night worship services for the seniors and a Web presence on the Internet.

Church first lady Cynthia Wright, 52, is a hands-on leader who loves serving with her husband, Martin. “Being there, to help people along the way,” she explained, “is a real joy.”

Alice Williams, 75, one of the most senior members of Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church, said of Martin’s pastoral leadership, “He’s a loving man, he’s a good preaching man.  He’s not no sexy-man that’s running after other people. He’s a man that loves God.”

Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church has an array of ministries to appeal to youths and adults, including: Sunday school, men’s and women’s fellowships, dance, basketball and drama.

Minister Joshua Wilsher, 21, president of the Drama Ministry, described his leadership role, “Well, I write, direct and act in most of the skits that we do.” 

Wilsher’s vision for his ministry is to spotlight real-life issues that most churches shy away from, for example, “Something like, um, a crackhead mother that’s being abused by her husband, and the children are there watching the whole thing, and how that affects a child as they grow up, in school, and how that relates to bullying.” 

Wilsher is certainly cutting-edge. His next dramatic production will deal with an abused mother who puts her man above raising her kids. Visitors can catch his dramatic ministry productions the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.

The Youth Ministry seems to be the most vibrant of all the ministries, says Mary Woodard, youth supervisor and superintendent of Sunday school, “We have a very exciting, vibrant group of young people here, ranging in ages from babies to college graduates. Some have gone on to college, striving for their doctorate degrees, and they’re back here, still coming back to the church, and being a very vital force in the church, teaching Sunday school and working with our youth in various ways.” 

Woodard, 59, has been a member of Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church for 27 years.

Keyanna Wilson, 15, revels in the fact that Forty-Sixth Street Baptist “(is) a very active church, we go on a lot of trips. And the youth here (are) always encouraged to do more, if they are not doing their best.”

Wilson, a ninth-grader at Penn Wood High School in Lansdowne, is eagerly anticipating the “hype-ness” of the upcoming Youth Anniversary celebration, set for next Sunday with 11 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. services. The youths will take a prominent role in serving and performing during the Sunday morning and afternoon worship services. 

Wilson’s favorite part of ministry is serving. She is an usher, sings in various choirs, is a praise dancer and she will soon become a junior nurse. She strongly recommends that today’s youths should attend church.

“When youths think of church, they think, ‘You’re coming to church, people gonna judge you, because you haven’t been coming to church a lot’ — Forty-Sixth Street is not that kind of church,” she said. “It’s a church that encourages you, they believe in you, they believe you can do better. It’s a really good church. I would never leave my church home.”

Deacon Howard Mills, 52, is one of Pastor Wright’s right-hand men. He is also president of the Men’s Fellowship Ministry.

Commenting on that ministry, Mills said, “We all have different talents; some of us may be talented in plumbing, some of us may be electricians, you know, but whatever you can do, you do that for the Lord. There are a lot of churches that you go to, and the women are the ones doing all the work. So, I’m just glad that I came to a church with a strong male presence. You know, that’s not something to take for granted.”

Howard Jackson, 64, has served as a member of Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church for approximately 22 years, “I have grown a lot since I have been here,” said Jackson, a deacon. “Being a deacon has helped me (to) grow.”

Jackson said some people get caught up in carrying a title, but he feels it’s most important to serve. Being called to the Deacon Board is one of his greatest life achievements.

As he speaks, Jackson’s raspy voice cracks with emotion. It’s obvious from his conversation that Forty-Sixth Street Baptist Church and the Deacon Board have transformed his life. Jackson said he is indebted to Christ and his church for turning his life around. As a result, barring sickness, he proudly proclaimed, “I don’t miss church…God has been good to me.”

46th St. Baptist Church

1261 S. 46th St.

Philadelphia, Pa.

(215) 386-8150

Website: www.46thstbaptistchurch.org

Pastor: Rev. Martin T. Wright

Sunday School — 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship — 11:00 a.m.

Prayer and Bible Study, Tues. — 7 p.m.

Calvary St. Augustine Episcopal Church is a small West Philadelphia congregation making a very positive impact in the community and beyond.

During last Sunday morning’s worship service, congregants of Calvary St. Augustine witnessed two milestones: the installation of the Daughters of the King and the sudden and official resignation of the Rev. Renee McKenzie-Hayward as rector (senior pastor).

As of Nov. 1, McKenzie-Hayward will be the vicar at the Church of the Advocate at 16th and Diamond streets. She was appointed by a bishop within the diocese to shepherd this congregation.

Calvary St. Augustine installed 14 women into the Fannie E. Wilson Chapter of the Daughters of the King order. This is a momentous occasion in that since 1885, there have only been 24,000 women installed as Daughters of the King throughout America.

Nationally, Daughters of the King operate as chapters within the Episcopal Church. Its headquarters are in Woodstock, Ga. The mission of the Daughters of the King is “the extension of Christ’s Kingdom through prayer, service and evangelism.”

Although the Daughters of the King is an order for congregants of the Episcopal Church, bylaws of the order include women from the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and Roman Catholic denominations. The 14 women recently installed at Calvary St. Augustine are: Inga Aikman; Judith Brewer; Alice Briscoe Brown; Sandra McFadden-Brown; LaVerne E. Gonzalez; Janet Harris; the Rev. Renee McKenzie-Hayward; Edith Johnson, who was absent due to illness; Halise McKinney; Jane McKinney; Barbara Robinson; Frances Upshaw; Juanita Usury and Kathleen Williams.

Asked how she was chosen for installation into the Daughters of the King, Deborah Rogers, an eight-year member, said, “It was a nomination.”

Rogers attended the installation ceremony as corresponding secretary for Pennsylvania and newsletter editor for the Pennsylvania Diocese. Her major responsibilities are sending correspondence to all Daughters in the Pennsylvania Episcopal Diocese, and doing the newsletter for the Pennsylvania Diocese, gathering information from the 12 Pennsylvania chapters for compiling the newsletter. 

Rogers isn’t currently affiliated with a church, but she frequently visits Calvary St. Augustine, and Trinity in Ambler.

“Service, love, and worship,” are the watchwords of the order, she said.

“The Daughters of the King for Calvary St. Augustine Church became an order back in June of this year. During that time, we had 14 ladies who were under instruction, who were being instructed in the way of the order,” Sharon Congleton said.

Congleton, rector’s warden at Calvary St. Augustine, said the Daughters of the King order was started in New York. The founder was Margaret J. Franklin, a member of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in New York City, known today as the Church of the Resurrection.  Congleton saidchu, “Over the years, the order has reached just about every part of the globe.” 

Congleton underscored that women of the order are “called by God” to serve, saying it’s not a sorority or a club membership. “You have to feel it in your heart that you’re being called to serve God through his people.”

Each Daughter must pledge a lifetime vow to be spiritually disciplined in daily prayer, service and evangelism.

Lillian Randolph, clerk of the vestry at Calvary St. Augustine and first vice president of Province 3 of the Daughters of the King, said she was installed as a Daughter in 1995.

“Whenever (we) go out into the streets, by being a child of God, people recognize you, they might recognize you by the (spiritual) glow of your face,” said Randolph.

After church service, the newly installed Daughters of the King were toasted during a brunch. A few Daughters offered feedback about their installation:

Alice Briscoe Brown, 58, said, “It was very exciting. I’m glad to be a Daughter of the King … it filled my heart with joy to be a Daughter.”

Jane McKinney said, “I am overwhelmed (and) I am filled with the Spirit, although it’s a little bittersweet … we celebrated something wonderful and we lost our priest.” 

McKinney was emotional about the resignation of McKenzie-Hayward, “But all in all, God is still good.”

“I really just want to thank God for giving me a clean heart, to help me do right to carry out my job to serve, to love my brothers and sisters,” said Sandra McFadden Brown.

On the news of McKenzie-Hayward’s resignation, McFadden Brown said, “Hurts my heart. God has a mission for her, she has to go on to do God’s will, and we must go forward also, to deliver the Word of God to the world.”

After the installation service, when McKenzie-Hayward announced her resignation it jolted the congregation, which reacted with a collective gasp. Some began to cry.

One of her main goals as vicar will be to increase the number of members at the Church of the Advocate, which currently has fewer than 100 congregants.

Concurrently, McKenzie-Hayward will also become the diocese chaplain at Temple University.

“Having the Church of the Advocate as a place where campus ministry is going to happen will allow us to do, I think, some interesting programming,” McKenzie-Hayward said. “I envision this as a place where the academic world can meet the laity, can meet the streets, can meet clergy and the congregation, as they actually get to go about doing the work of the church.”

McKenzie-Hayward has served as the senior pastor at Calvary St. Augustine for eight years. Her last day in this role will be Oct. 23. Her legacy at Calvary St. Augustine has included the activation of Sunday school, implementation of an after-school program, the creation of a community development corporation and the co-founding of POWER (Philadelphia Organized to Witness Empower & Rebuild).

“We’ve done some really incredible work,” she said.

Besides the work she’ll be doing at Temple University and Church of the Advocate, McKenzie-Hayward eagerly looks forward to her serve with POWER. The organization consists of congregations from all across the city coming together to address justice issues.

McKenzie-Hayward said POWER will hold its founding convention, bringing together its 2,000 members, on Sunday, Sept. 25 at 5:30 p.m. at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church, Broad and Fitzwater streets. 

The public is welcome to attend.

Calvary St. Augustine Episcopal Church

814 N. 41st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone: (215) 222-2070

Sunday Worship Service: 10 a.m.

Pastor: Rev. Renee McKenzie-Hayward

Website: www.calvarystaugustine.org

With 60 years of preaching, 42 years of pastoring, the Rev. Dr. James S. Hall Jr. is the elder statesman of Philadelphia senior pastors. 

Hall is a man who loves God and people, and he has a church congregation that reflects the same affection.

During his early years, Hall pounded the pavement, taking the ministry to the streets conducting Block Blasting Evangelism.

“I would host actual church services on the porches of (willing) neighborhood residents,” said Hall, while other members of his church would knock on doors sharing the Good News, inviting neighbors to come out to hear the Word. “Currently, Rev. Michael Dawkins heads up the church’s evangelism outreach.”  

Hall is laser focused on how he approaches ministry. When asked about his top ministry priorities, Hall responded, “Evangelism, education, and economic empowerment.” 

Commenting about the gimmicks and entertainment that has overtaken the pulpit of many churches, replacing sound Biblical doctrine, Hall is totally against such non-Biblical antics. 

“We must find ways to attract people, (and) use that which is within Biblical guidelines,” he said. “Exercising and executing what we learn (is high priority).” 

Hall’s pastoral DNA flows in two of his four grown children: The Rev. Cathy Johnson, assistant pastor, serving under her dad’s leadership; the Rev. Phillip C. Hall, senior pastor of Love Missionary Baptist Fellowship Church, in Philadelphia.  And, his other two children Wanda Lowe and James Anthony Hall.

Deacon Hopson H. Gross, 74, is a huge supporter of his pastor.

“(Hall) is one of the greatest pastors, God has blessed him to deliver the Word to us,” he said. “He’s been preaching for 60 years. He has a great personality, and he makes time for (the) young and old. He’s a lovable person.”

Gross is one of the 63 original charter members. 

“I think there are less than 20 members living today, I may be wrong,” Gross said.  Gross said that the Comfort Ministry (for the bereaved and mourning) and Evangelism Ministry are the most prominent ministries at Triumph.  

Blanche Johnson, 85, is a senior saint who “enjoys” her membership at Triumph. Reflecting on her past and present ministry activism, “I served on the Usher Board, Young People’s Usher Board, Mission Society (10 years President), Senior Choir, Trustee, Financial Secretary and Cook.” 

Johnson enjoyed the Mission Society most because they worked to serve the homeless and other misfortunate community residents.  

“Pastor Hall loves kids, he loves kids!  I love my pastor,” she said. “I appreciate his vision and courage.”

As a full-time Family Therapist with Vision Quest, Saniyyah Cormany, 33, volunteers her time serving as the Youth Ministry Leader at Triumph. 

Highly energetic and goal oriented, Cormany keeps the youth busy, her agenda for the youth include, “Outreach and evangelism, Interdenominational Fellowships, and the College Collection.”  

Cormany grew up in Triumph, “I was impacted by the church, it shaped the woman, the wife and the professional that I am today,” she said. 

Cormany graduated from Lincoln University and the University of the Sciences, with Bachelor and Master degrees in areas of Psychology. 

On October 20, Cormany and her husband will have been married one year.  Her co-directors are Cheryl Walker and Raymond Sisco, they coordinate services and activities for approximately 100-125 youth. 

“We need more young people and young adults speaking up to express themselves.  Young people need to be supported,” said Dionne Shank, 18, a young adult who grew up at Triumph. 

Shank is a freshman attending Johnson C. Smith University pursuing a Bachelor in Psychology. 

Her fondest memory about being involved with the youth and young adult ministry were the rap sessions and the sleep-overs.

“You’re taught to do your best at all times, being a college student, I keep my faith in God,” Shank said.  

The Chairperson of the Trustees is Barbara Smith, 70, who has held this role for 12 years. 

“I like pastor Hall, he loves children and senior citizens,” she said.

Next month, Hall, 79, will be celebrated for his long tenure serving in ministry.  From Sunday, Nov. 13 thru Sunday, Nov. 20, Triumph Baptist Church will be host to a ‘Who’s Who’s’ line-up of nationally known guest preachers:  Rev. Charles Quann, Bethlehem Baptist Church; Rev. Alyn Waller, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church; Rev. Kevin Johnson, Bright Hope Baptist Church; Rev. Leslie Calahan, St. Paul Baptist Church; Bishop Keith W. Reed, Sr., Sharon Baptist Church; and Rev. Jessie Jackson, Founder-Rainbow PUSH Coalition. 

A special concert will be held on Nov. 18 featuring Lonnie Hunter, James Fortune and Dorothy Norwood. 

Contact the Triumph Baptist Church for more information about the concert and pastoral anniversary celebration (215) 228-8000.

According to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), approximately 1.5 million students are home-schooled in America. To put that number in perspective, it’s the equivalent of the entire population of Philadelphia. Locally, home-schooling has become a preferred education alternative for many Christian families.

Decades ago, home-schooling was not a well known, well accepted or well pursued alternative to public and private education for American students. Today, home-schooling has grown exponentially, and it’s become a credible scholastic source for quality student recruitment — recognized, respected and accepted by many colleges and universities across America, including elite schools like Harvard University.

In an earlier report published in the Harvard Crimson newspaper in Cambridge, Mass., William J. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions, Harvard University said, “… homeschooling is an educational asset that Harvard considers favorably when making its admissions decisions ... (homeschooled students) do just as well as most all students who come here do.”

IES reports that, “More white students were home schooled than Black or Hispanic students or students from other racial/ethnic groups, and white students constituted the majority of home schooled students (77 percent).”

Regina Palmer, an African-American parent from Philadelphia, has home schooled her eldest son Joseph for four years, a 9-year-old third grader. Palmer recommends that novice home school parents should affiliate with a local home school association for support, guidance, and resources, “Especially for the ones just starting out, it’s probably helpful to (join an established home school group) that has knowledge of the laws or the resources where you can get various (supplies and teacher support).” Joseph’s home schooling experience is progressing well, according to his mother, he tested in the 89th percentile on a national academic assessment; state law requires home schooled students to be tested at certain grade levels (third, fifth and eighth) to evaluate their academic progress and level of learning.

Regina’s husband, Orville, supports homeschooling because it affords his sons personalized attention and freedom to provide a strong Biblical foundation that his sons would not receive within the Philadelphia School District. “It gives you the opportunity to really invest in your child,” shared Orville.

Jennifer Cedeno, 45, a professionally-trained and college-educated teacher, lacked confidence in the public school system and decided to pursue home schooling her children. “My oldest (child) is 20 years old, we’ve been home schooling for 15 years,” said Cedeno.

One of the greatest criticisms leveled about home schooled children is that they lack socialization skills to interact with other students. Cedeno countered, “We interact with all different kinds of people — at church, and my children participate in a (home school) co-op with (kids from) different age groups, sometimes we have to pull back from doing (social) activities to make sure that we’re getting our academic work done.” Cedeno said home schooling allows students to work at their own pace, without having to deal with the stress and stigma of feeling like they are lagging behind other students in their peer group. Cedeno has 10 children.

For parents contemplating homeschooling their children, Cedeno said, “I think it’s beneficial (for parents) to get to home school fairs…” to obtain resources, materials, curricula, supplies, etc. and to interact with experienced home school families. She highly recommends the annual CHAPS conference (Christian Homeschoolers Association of Pennsylvania) in Harrisburg, scheduled during the month of May. CHAP’s website is: www.chaponline.com.

Dr. Howard B. Richman, founder/executive director of Pennsylvania Homeschoolers Accreditation Agency (PHAA), hosts an annual conference in Carlisle that consistently draws several hundred home school parents seeking legal information, textbooks, curricula, supplies, workshops and student panel presentations to equip and edify novice and experienced homeschooling families. Certified home education evaluators also attend PHAA’s annual conference, “(The evaluators) serve as guidance counselors to the families that they (serve),” said Richman.

“(PHAA) is first of the home school organizations recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to give diplomas to graduates of home education programs,” said Richman, who founded PHAA in 1991. Dr. Richman and his wife, Susan, have homeschooled all their children. One son, Jesse, is an associate professor at Old Dominion University while another son, Jacob, is a programmer for Google. A daughter, Molly, is a mother and teacher of advance placement English in Israel while another daughter, Hannah, is an artist and she works at a synagogue in Boston and she is a graduate of Brandeis University.

According to Dr. Richman, “The biggest advantage of home schooling is that you get a closer family out of (the experience).”

Information and resources on PHAA can be found on: www.phaa.org.

“Home schooling is an excellent vehicle and an option for parents who opt to take education beyond the four walls and brick and mortar schools, it gives parents an opportunity to explore different options,” shared Kari Hill, 39, Principal of Crooked Billet elementary school in the Hatboro-Horsham School District.

But there are those who differ.

Tamika Joy Rogers, a teacher in the Philadelphia School District, said, “The (education) standards of public schools are much more higher (than compared to home school education).”

However, Rogers does support homeschooling as a viable option for kids who are constantly victimized by public school bullying. 

“I was home schooled from third grade to sixth grade, and seventh and eighth grade,” said Gloria Branch, 25, a junior at West Chester University. Branch, a Philadelphia resident, is majoring in sociology. She has a 3.95 grade point average and is a member of the national Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

“Homeschooling helped me become more responsible for my own education,” said Branch, who said she was homeschooled because she was bullied in school. “Homeschooling isn’t for everybody.”

Two popular home school instructional methods are “A Beka” and “Classical Conversations”: A Beka provides high quality academic textbooks and teaching materials that are rooted in a Biblical worldview; Classical Conversations is home-centered education that equips parents to educate their children with classical tools of learning also rooted in a Biblical worldview. 

The Richmans opted to use an amalgamation of materials and textbooks; it’s this variety and freedom that they preferred to use in educating their children.

“Parents chose materials that fit the parents’ personalities and the children’s (personalities),” said Richman.

Tamika Graves, 34, hosts a Classical Conversations home school site at Antioch of Calvary Chapel Church in West Philadelphia.

“I felt that in the Philadelphia School system, kids were not getting (a quality education),” said Graves.

A product of the Philadelphia school system, Graves admitted that she felt under-prepared when she attended Hampton University. This was part of her motivation to pursue home schooling as a viable option.

For information about the Classical Conversations home school site at Antioch of Calvary Chapel Church, call: (215) 474-1050.

This year, Cornerstone Baptist Church will celebrate its 60th year of ministry in Philadelphia. As the church closes in on identifying a new senior pastor to lead the congregation, committed and diligent leaders have kept the ministry and congregation moving forward, serving the Lord.

Cornerstone has been without a senior pastor for at least two years, guest preachers have been invited on Sundays to preach the Word to the committed families and frequent visitors who are faithful supporters of the church.

The Rev. Jonathan Brown, from New Birth Baptist Church, 21st and Clearfield streets, was the guest preacher on June 3. Brown’s sermon resonated with people in the congregation. “It’s just a blessing to be in the house of the Lord, I thank God that I made it this morning, He woke me up this morning, and he brought me here this morning,” said Roberta Lewis, who committed to joining Cornerstone on this Sunday. Her grand-daughter Delicia Jackson committed her life to Christ that morning. Delicia, 11, a shy fifth-grader at Williamstown Middle School, in Williamstown, N.J., is an active band member at school.

Cornerstone Baptist Church was founded by the Rev. Harold O. Davis in 1952. Deacon John Lewis has been a member since its founding. Remarking about the solidarity of the congregation, Lewis said, “This is a church that prays together and stays together.” He expressed some delight in that the church leadership is close to making a decision on a selecting a senior pastor, “We’re on the verge of getting one, hallelujah, thank you, Lord.”

Adam Frederick has served as a deacon for 16 years, and is the current chairman of the Deacon Board. He is proud of his Cornerstone roots, saying, “We are a Bible-based teaching church.” Active with the majority of the choirs, he is also involved in the Men’s Fellowship group. Keeping a congregation intact has been a challenge for Frederick, but he and other Cornerstone leaders have been successful in doing so. His greatest challenge has been “Keeping unity. You will always have division, so you have to be humble enough to deal with it.”

Guest preacher Brown is a son of Cornerstone: “Coming up under the leadership of Rev. Harold O. Davis, I started here when I was a kid, at 14 years old, and God called me in ministry. And serving in the ministry over 40 years gave me opportunity to let people know, dying men and women, that the wages of sin is death, and the gift of God is still eternal life. This is a church that I grew up in, and I thank God that I was able to come back this morning to share the Word, to let them know that there is power in the Word of God.”

Brown was optimistic in encouraging the congregation to support the church leadership as they narrow down the candidates to select a senior pastor, “My prayer for the congregation is that they stay faithful. It’s not easy for the chairman (of the deacons) to try to hold the church down for members. Sheep are being lost, but it’s by the grace of God that they be led by the (new) shepherd. They cannot go astray, they have to have a shepherd.”

Corey R. Jefferson, 29, is an active young leader in the church, “I have served as the church clerk for the last 10 years, I’m also on the gospel choir,” and he serves as the chairman for Cornerstone’s upcoming 60th anniversary celebration. In addition, “I’ve been with the Pennsylvania Baptist State Convention’s Youth and Young Adult Division for the last 10 years,” among other leadership roles.”

Jefferson loves the family bond of the Cornerstone congregation. “We’re very family-oriented. Most of the youth here have grown up here, so we’re more like family. We love youth, we love helping each other, and we love fellowshipping, even when it’s not Sunday.” Neighborhood killings, teen pregnancy and school failure are major issues in which Jefferson feels the church community can intervene to make a positive impact, “It’s very encouraging to have a body of Christ that can help kids become educated.” Jefferson works in the cardiology department of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Cornerstone has embraced its talented young leaders, like Dominik Miller. Miller, 28, has been a member for about eight years, and she serves as the financial secretary for the church. On a weekly basis, “I keep the records for the church. I basically make sure that people and the bills get paid. I make sure that all money is accounted for that comes in,” said Miller, a graduate of Philadelphia University with an earned master’s degree in taxation. She went to Temple University for her undergraduate degree in accounting. Miller works full-time as an auditor for the city of Philadelphia.

Youths like Charles Jordan are just as inspiring; Jordan, 14, enjoys serving as an usher. He is an eighth-grader at Camelot Academy in Philadelphia. He is not shy about encouraging his peers to consider church fellowship and a meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ. “There are kids that youths can talk to here, it’s not a bad place to come to church; church isn’t like a bad place. You come to church to praise God, to learn things about Jesus, and other stuff,” said Jordan.

“I’ve been at Cornerstone all my life — I was born and raised here,” said Tasha Green. Green, 25, was appointed choir director by the recently retired Rev. Clifford H. Cutter Sr. Commenting on her Cornerstone membership, Green said, “We’re like a big family. That’s what a lot of people in the community need. We help each other, and we build each other up, and that’s what kind of community we are.”

Doris Butler Raymond, a member for 40 years, joined Cornerstone when it was first located at Broad and Master streets. Reflecting on her longstanding membership, she recalls Davis, the founding pastor, “He baptized me. I thought he was a beautiful pastor, I really enjoyed his preaching and how he brought people to Christ.”

Raymond offered her thoughts about the two-year hiatus of Cornerstone not having a pastor, “Well, we managed to survive. Every Sunday we have a different pastor, we made it. She is the former chairwoman of the trustee board. She remains a trustee, and as an active member of the Contract Committee she handles all outside contracts for the church, like the recent facilities contract for the annual divine service of the Keystone Grand Lodge of the State of Pennsylvania. In addition, for the last 15 years, she has served in a national ministry role, “I am a delegate representative of Cornerstone Baptist Church for the National Baptist Convention — I really enjoy it. You get to fellowship with other people, and you get to learn other ways (of doing ministry).”

There’s something about Cornerstone that keeps people engaged over time. Two longstanding members are Lear Green and Sally Anne Williams. Green, a member since 1953, shared, “Cornerstone is my life, I love it!” She is the former president of the Hospitality Ministry. Williams, 82, a member for 59 ½ years, said about the founding pastor, “Pastor Davis was a great, great pastor. He always taught us to have faith in God.” And she relishes the fact that she remains best friends with retired Pastor Cutter.

Cornerstone Baptist Church is at 2117 N. 33rd St. Phone: (215) 763-8383. Bible study: Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday school: 9 a.m.–10am. Sunday morning worship is at 11 a.m.

Last Saturday, Zion Baptist Church celebrated the stellar service of three women during its Second Annual Legacy of Leadership Luncheon.

A capacity crowd of family and friends attended this gala event at the ritzy Bala Golf Club to honor Barbara Butcher, Thelma Young and Annie DeBerry, under the event’s theme “Honoring Women in Service from Generation to Generation.”

Zion is one of the oldest churches in Pennsylvania, and one of its most famous pastors was the late Rev. Dr. Leon Sullivan, founder of Opportunities Industrial Center (OIC).

Over fifty years ago he established a day care center, credit union, community center programs, employment agency, retirement home, adult education courses and the Progress Plaza shopping center near Temple University’s main campus. 

And it was Sullivan’s wife, Grace, along with church members Maude Matthews and Rose Jones, who the Legacy of Leadership Luncheon awards were created to honor. The women were chosen on Saturday because they demonstrated exemplary volunteer service and stewardship while members of Zion.

• Annie DeBerry is a 50-plus-year member of Zion and the widow of the late Rev. Joseph DeBerry, who served as an associate minister at Zion until his death, and she continues to volunteer her time at the church in many capacities. Annie received the Grace Sullivan First Lady Award.
• Thelma Young is also a 50-plus-year member and the widow of the late Elmer Young. Thelma was a past Women’s Day chairwoman and founder of Zion Laity Day. She was the Maude Matthews Award recipient.
• Barbara Butcher is a 41-year member and a trustee for Zion Baptist Church, a past Women’s Day chairwoman and manager of the Zion Federal Credit Union. Butcher received the Rose Jones Award.

The purpose of this event? “It’s a celebration of 50 years of service of a group of women that Dr. Sullivan selected,” for their respective leadership roles and exemplary service in the church and community, said Mabel E. Welborn, luncheon co-chair.

Welborn continued, “We wanted to honor those women, on [whose] shoulders we do stand.”

The one-hundred plus family and friends in attendance enjoyed the melodic sounds of jazz and classic R&B tunes performed by a live band, while dining on a nicely prepared lunch, with a scenic view of the Bala Golf Club’s well manicured 18-hole course.

Charlita Latham Martin, a Zion member for over 50 years, is a luncheon co-chair and a team leader responsible for overseeing and ministering to a small group of congregants at the church. Another major task she handles is raising money for the Women’s Day event.

Sandra Moon Hightower was the 2011 Women’s Day chairwoman. When asked about her role in the planning of this year’s Second Annual Legacy of Leadership Luncheon, she smiled and said, “I delegate,” and she burst into laughter. “And it was a pleasure because I have fabulous people working for me. My two co-chairs, Mabel and Charlita, took on a mammoth job.”

Three younger women of Zion were selected to introduce the three elder honorees. Among her warm remarks, Jasmin Senior, 29, a human resources recruiter for Ernst & Young, said this about Barbara Butcher, “This is an opportunity for us to honor women in our community. I look to Ms. Butcher as an example. Barbara loves life, her extended family and many friends at Zion Baptist Church. Barbara attributes her energy through her faith in God who gives strength.”

Butcher, 72, remarked, “It’s an honor and pleasure to receive this award, Rose Jones was my mentor. She was the woman who led me to baptism.”

During her introduction of Thelma Young, Shelly Laws, 32, an attorney with Fox Rothchild, shared this about her honoree: “Sister Young has been a warrior for Zion Baptist Church. (She) is the founder of (the) Laity Service at Zion, a service that recognizes stewardship in God’s House.”

Laws, a member for 25 years, underscored the charitable generosity of her honoree, saying, “Young supports others financially and spiritually as needed.”

Young offered this comment about receiving the Maude Matthews Award: “Maude Matthews were one of our esteemed leaders of the church. She was a great lady. As a result of her leadership, it’s one of the reasons we are here today.”

Monica Majors had the honor of introducing Annie DeBerry, “(DeBerry) is a very elegant lady, a very helpful lady, she’s committed.” 

Majors, a grad school level student teacher, respects how DeBerry has remained active within the church, even after her husband passed away. Majors continued, “For over 25 years (DeBerry) has volunteered her services to the Board of Trustees in verifying financial data and collating financial reports. She gets joy out of transporting senior citizens to and from church for Sunday morning service or other special programs or events.”

DeBerry, 77, was very proud to be an honoree, “I’m receiving the Grace Sullivan First Lady Award, I am the wife the late Rev. Joseph M. DeBerry — after his death, I continued to do my duties.”

One of her favorite duties includes the beautification of the church.

From its beginning in 1966 as a tiny storefront mission with a congregation of 16 Sunday school youths, Mount Airy Church of God in Christ has grown to become one of the most respected spiritual beacons in Philadelphia. Its congregation numbers in the thousands. Bishop Ernest C. Morris Sr., is the founder, jurisdictional prelate and God’s vessel responsible for building this well-regarded ministry.

“Bishop Morris and I met in the ’80s. He invited me to come preach at his Founder’s Day,” said the Rev. J. Louis Felton, senior pastor of Mount Airy COGIC, and close friend of Morris. From there, Felton was invited by Morris to preach during the Men’s Day celebration, and he obviously made an impression, “For over 30 years, I was the Men’s Day speaker, the fourth weekend in September.” Indeed, an indelible impression was made on Morris. God had revealed his successor.

To ensure the smooth succession of the ministry, in 2010 Morris made the bold move of appointing Felton to be senior pastor of the church, a move that has grown the ministry’s membership and deepened its discipleship of congregants. Felton is a brilliant preacher and Biblical scholar, a successor who is taking Mount Airy COGIC to the next level in the ministry stratosphere.

“We need to continue to do ministry in the way that the Lord Jesus viewed it,” said Felton. Not erroneously focusing on the expanse of physical church edifices and membership numbers, but, “Jesus built souls, built character, built relationships, and he did this without walls, buildings and budgets. Jesus did it with his relationship with people. In order for us to continue to impact people in that way, sometimes we’re going to have to get outside of the walls and actually engage the people.”

Evangelist Joyce Brooks, 55, is president of the church’s Fulfillment Ministry (singles), “I’ve been a part of this ministry for about five years,” but she’s been a member of the church for approximately 21 years. For Brooks, one of the biggest challenges facing singles is, “building their relationship up with the Lord.” Commenting on Felton’s ministry leadership, Brooks said, “He’s an excellent preacher-leader. He named servant leaders, to place the importance and significance on serving the needs of others. He has brought us on common ground … since he’s been here, he’s teaching us more on how to be servant leaders.” As a result, Brooks says, she has matured spiritually under Felton’s leadership.

“I came to Mount Airy from Georgia, where I’m originally from. I came from a church of 25 members, and coming to Mount Airy, a church with 5,000 members, was a different experience for me,” said William D. Hatcher. Hatcher, 34, a member since 2009, is the Youth Department servant leader, “As a youth leader for the Mount Airy Church of God in Christ, basically, it is our goal and our aspiration to inspire and encourage the young people … to keep their faith with God.” Accounting for the youth at the church and those in the community Hatcher serves, he estimates that approximately 1,500 are served via the Youth Department. “We offer several venues for them to express their talents and gifts.” These include choirs, sporting activities and teams, youth orchestra, webcasting, dance programs, mime programs, scholarships and other ministry endeavors.

Dorothy Lane, 71, is the church secretary and administrative assistant to Bishop Morris and Pastor Felton. She’s been affiliated with the ministry for six years. Lane believes that the church’s outreach to the nursing home community has been very impactful, and she explains, “Because the seniors need the company; the visitations help them. We serve most of the nursing homes in the Philadelphia area.” She estimates that the senior population of congregants at Mount Airy COGIC represents about a third of the entire church membership.

Seniors can enjoy a variety of ministry services. “We have our senior daily activities program on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. They are provided hot meals during the winter; they are served a breakfast, lunch and snack.” The seniors go on trips to plays, bowling, shopping; they are kept very active.

Lane is personally connected with Morris, “The bishop (Morris) and I are double cousins. Our fathers were brothers, and our mothers were sisters.” Though they did not grow up together, Lane says their spiritual relationship has brought them and their relatives closer.

Bishop Ernest C. Morris Sr., is a jovial and very astute man. His words edify you, his laughter excites you, and his preaching and leadership transform you. Morris, 79, is a plucky preacher with a compassionate heart for serving people. For over three decades, he has pushed his ministry focus into the community, beyond the comfortable confines of the church walls.

“My ministry beginning involved going from door to door witnessing for Jesus, I was always into reaching people outside of the church,” and throughout his ministry career, Morris has maintained a strong and consistent commitment to community outreach and evangelism.

Mount Airy COGIC’s ministries and outreach programs include Fulfillment Ministry; Marriage Enrichment Ministry; New Directions (single parents); Foster Parents Ministry; Sports Department; Youth Hospitality Ministry; Young Men of Valor; Young Women of Excellence; College Ministry; King's Children; Mt. Airy Youth Ambassadors and Praise Dance Ministry.

“I don’t care how large the church becomes, I’ll still be involved with outreach ministry. I always wanted to have a ministry that was more than just worship within the sanctuary. I believe that much of our church gathering, is to worship, to be taught, to be energized to go out into the community, to serve the people.”

Naming a successor while he’s still vibrant and healthy was a risky move for Morris, but he revels in being a risk-taker. After all, he jumped out of airplanes as a paratrooper serving in the United States Army.

“I know with his kind of preaching, he could take this church to another level; he’s doing a fine job,” said Morris This bold appointment of Felton as his successor ensures that Mount Airy COGIC won’t fracture and divide when he’s no longer around. His legacy is sealed.

Morris says he is eager to devote greater attention now to shepherding the pastors of the 30 churches he oversees as bishop and jurisdictional prelate, while also spending more quality time with his wife, Winifred W. Morris.