On Mother’s Day, a group gathered in front of the Love Zion Baptist Church located at 2521 North 23rd St., to watch Pastor Louis Cunningham cut a ribbon in front of the doors of the church’s new sanctuary. Church members were enthusiastic and emotional as they lined up to enter the new sanctuary at Love Zion Baptist Church.
Pastor Cunningham had a vision for Love Zion’s new sanctuary that is located directly below their previous sanctuary. According to Elaine West, the church’s secretary, the work on the new space began in 2006.
“This is something that Pastor Cunningham has been working towards for the past 20-plus years and we actually broke ground in 2006,” West said. “He’s been waiting for this day for so long and I’m just glad he is able to stand in this pulpit this morning.”
West believes the ribbon cutting and opening of the new sanctuary means a lot to the church members.
“We have members of this church who are still here from the start,” she said. “So for some of them, to be here from the beginning to now, to watch him actually cut that ribbon and unlock that door, it meant a lot to them.”
In honor of the new sanctuary, Love Zion Baptist will hold activities throughout the week. Dedication celebrations were scheduled from Wednesday through Sunday. On Saturday the church will hold a ministry at 10 a.m., followed by a women’s ministry meeting at 11 a.m., a crochet class at noon and an usher ministry meeting at 1 p.m.
There will be another dedication celebration on Sunday, May 20.
Love Zion Baptist Church’s history began with a meeting of 84 people, including Pastor Cunningham, in 1984 on the corner of 53rd and Wilton streets. With years of dreams of a new sanctuary, last Sunday the church was able to celebrate Mother’s Day in its new setting.
The “196th Session of the Philadelphia Annual Conference: Reach, Reclaim, Engage, Empower,” hosted by Mother Bethel AME Church, will be held next week, May 23 to May 27. The historic Mother Bethel AME church, located at 419 Richard Allen Ave. has an expected attendance of more than 5,000 people.
The meeting will be held by Bishop Richard Franklin Norris, presiding bishop over the First Episcopal District of the AME Church. All events are to be held at Mother Bethel excluding the Young People’s Division to be held at AME Union 1614 West Jefferson St. and the closing ceremonies, to be held at First Episcopal District Headquarters 3801 Market St.
The annual conference meets at different churches every year and Mother Bethel Church, is enthused to host the conference this year. According to Leslie M. Tyler, public relations director at Mother Bethel, the church last hosted the conference in 2008.
“The Annual Conference is always an exciting time for the AME Church,” said Rev. Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler, Mother’s Bethel’s 52nd pastor and conference host. “This is the most important annual meeting for local congregations to report on work that’s been done but also share visions of things to come — it’s a time to rekindle old friendships, make new friends and become inspired by powerful worship experiences.”
All evening workshop services start around 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. For more information and a list to a full schedule, contact Mother Bethel at (215) 925-0616 or visit www.motherbethel.org.
Senior center celebrates arts
Wednesday, 16 May 2012 12:23 Published in Metros: West, South & Southwest
When South Philadelphia native Lannett Lester learned of the Philadelphia Senior Center (PSC) upon retiring, she was enthused to participate in what the center had to offer.
One of its funders, The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA), held its 10th annual senior arts celebration “Celebrate Arts and Aging” in honor of Older Americans Month in May. Lester took part in the celebration and was chosen to have her artwork on display.
In preparation for the celebration, Lester participated in the PSC workshops and classes where she was able to explore her artistic side through ceramics and other activities.
Her interest in ceramics began at a young age but after going to college and working full-time, she had fewer opportunities to focus on ceramics—until she joined the senior center.
“I had worked for 32 years for the school district and when I retired I knew I had to do something, so I went to the senior center,” she said. “I am having a ball there—it is the best move I could’ve made.”
Lester was born and raised in South Philadelphia and has been living in the same home since 1957. Ever since she was a child, she loved paper dolls and clothing. She joined the Philadelphia Senior Center (PSC) main branch, located at 509 South Broad St. and began making ceramic blouses in the ceramics classes offered there.
This is how she developed her idea for her main piece “Special Dress,” which she made for the celebration.
“I didn’t have a dress in mind I just wanted to add my special touch—that’s why I call it ‘Special Dress,’” she said. “I just don’t go with the norm.”
Lester’s dress incorporated one of her favorite colors, yellow with the addition of blue beads and other intricate designs.
The artwork took her roughly two weeks to complete and is now displayed at the PSC main branch.
This year’s celebration featured 183 artworks and the work is displayed throughout the city. In addition to the PSC main branch, the artwork is also displayed at the Center on the Hill located at 8855 Germantown Ave.
Independence Visitor Center located at 1 Independence Mall West and the Klein JCC located at 10100 Jamison Ave.
PCA aims to create opportunities for seniors to stay active and participate in many arts and culture activities, including trips to museums, the theater and concerts.
Lester enjoys her ceramics class and other activities the PSC and PCA has to offer. She believes it is a great place for seniors to go.
“When you get older you need to be surrounded by people, you don’t need to just be sitting in your house,” she said. “We have a ball in that class—we don’t want to leave.”
In the midst of the Cinco de Mayo activities around the city, a north Philadelphia church decided to host a day dedicated to its community.
The historic AME Union Church partnered with a local nonprofit I Can Ministry, Inc. and Wells Fargo Bank Saturday May 5 to create a day of empowerment and uplift through their “I Can” Empowerment Expo.
The AME Union Church, located at 1614 Jefferson St., hosted workshops, vendors with products sold by community members and activities for kids. The workshops were financial literacy workshops that were instructed by a representative from Wells Fargo and were catered to all age groups. They focused on areas such as; entrepreneurship, mortgages, budgeting and credit scores. Simultaneously, various community members held tables both inside and outside with information and products from their respective organization.
Guests were able to browse through tables, get a soul food platter, sit in a financial workshop or take their kids outside to a bounce house or for face painting. The church was full of activity that day.
“With all the unrest going on in the community, we wanted to bring something positive to the neighborhood that families could come out to,” said the Rev. Mary Lou Moore, senior pastor at AME Union Church. “I Can Ministry is a nonprofit to help struggling families mature.”
At the event, Moore released her first book “Rescue ME! Save the Children,” and did book signings.
“It’s a book to bring solutions to parents about saving the children through effective parenting,” she said. “This story tells about my mother and my feelings as a parent — then my daughters tell their stories about growing up with me — the great-grandchildren even have a part in here.”
Pastor Paul Thomas has been pastoring at AME Union for about a year and believes there was a need for the church, “the castle on the hill” as he calls it, to engage the community.
“We saw the need as a church and community to engage some of the activity in the area, he said. “What AME Union wanted to do free of charge was provide the space — we have a lot of space that the community can take advantage of, we really wanted to just be that light.”
Community members mingled and participated in the various activities throughout the day. The organizers were pleased with the turnout and success of the event.
Ron Davis, Philadelphia resident and native, heard about this event through his family members and was enthused to participate and bring his seven children along.
“We need this right now because there are two many kids running around and too many shootings,” he said. “So any event that keeps them off the streets from any aggravation that’s going — I’m with it.”
Ms. Tootsie’s hosts Mother’s Day Awards gala
Wednesday, 09 May 2012 14:57 Published in Metros: West, South & Southwest
South Philadelphia’s Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar & Lounge owner, Keven Parker and The Keven Parker Company, is preparing to host the 15th annual Mother’s Day Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show May 13 from 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.
The luncheon at First District Plaza, 3801 Market St., will celebrate women who make a difference in their communities. Through Parker’s “Spread the Love” campaign, a campaign aimed to conduct acts of kindness in the community, Parker and his team have gathered stories of individuals who have been willing to extend a helping hand.
From a list of nominations, Parker will select 10 women and recognize them as this year’s “Women of Excellence.” Along with the “Women of Excellence” award, Parker will award five young people in the community with scholarships to continue their education on the collegiate level.
Parker will also incorporate a special dedication to his mother and former business partner, the late Joyce “Ms. Tootsie’s” Parker, with a video montage.
The event will include, a Health Care Pavilion hosted by the women’s Black Health Alliance, various vendors, a fashion show and an all-you-can-eat soul buffet featuring menus from Ms. Tootsies. Singers Carol Riddick and Tamika Patton will provide entertainment.
Tickets for the event are $55.