OONVEA/r/^,
Race perception
gap widening,
study shows
WIRE REPORTS
I ifty years after Martin Luther
King's "I Have a Dream"
speech envisioned unity be-
tween blacks and whites, a new study
finds a growing gap in racial attitudes
and experiences in America.
"We do not live in a post-racial na-
tion, . . . but in a land of two Ameri-
cas divided by race, and less willing
than ever to find a common ground
of understanding," David Briggs of
the Association of Religion Data
Archives wrote, describing findings of
the 2012 Portraits of American Life
Study.
The study, a second wave of a
major study on religion and race led
in 2006 by sociologists Michael
Emerson of Rice University and
David Sikkink of the University of
Notre Dame, found increases in the
percentage of both whites and blacks
who felt they have been treated un-
fairly because of their race. One in
four agreed with the statement: "It's
OK to have a country where the races
(continued on page 2)
K
2014 Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Banquet
MEMORIAL GALA - The life and legacy of Dr. King was celebrated by hundreds of clergy, church leaders and laypersons as-
sociated with the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Inc. during the Annual MLK Memorial Banquet held on
January 10 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, N.C. President Dr. Howard W. Parker, Jr. (center) is pictured with Vice
President Reverend Dr. Nitous Avery, II, and MLK Guest Preacher Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, Pastor of Abyssinian Baptist
Church in the City of New York. (Additional photos inside The Informer.)
Dr. Gaddis Fauicon - New Acting President at Shaw University
PRESS REPORTS V '. :
haw University's Board of Trustees Chair-
man Dr. Joseph N. Bell recently announced
the appointment of Dr. Gaddis Fauicon as
Acting President of Shaw University. The ap-
pointment was made during a meeting of the
Board of Trustees Executive Committee on De-
cember 30, 2013. Dr. Dorothy Cowser Yancy,
who previously served as Shaw's president, retired
on December 31st.
Dr. Faulcon's appointment began January 1 ,
2014 and will continue until the national search
for a permanent president is completed. The Act-
ing President is not eligible to apply for the permanent presi
dency.
" Dr. Fauicon has a proven record of excellence in higher
education and has been committed to our students, faculty
and staff for more than 1 5 years," said Dr. Bell.
"We are confident that the University will continue
to flourish and advance under his leadership."
Prior to Dr. Fauicon accepting the appointment
of Acting President, he served as Dean of Shaw's
College of Graduate and Professional Studies and as
an Associate Professor of Public Administration.
His career in academia spans more than 25 years
with both teaching and administrative positions,
including serving as the Vice President for Student
Affairs at Saint Augustine's College and as the Act-
ing Executive Director for Northeastern North
Carolina Tomorrow, Inc. at Elizabeth City State
University.
(continued on page 1 3)
INSIDE
THIS
ISSUE
A From the Desk of the !
pp m First Vice President-
m %F at-large, Dr. Avery
V
f^^' Highlights of IVILK I i
Memorial Banquet ! i
1 1# Celebration in Durham * "
ten
le
1 TODAY! See Page 12
1 Baptist Informer
1 Subscription Form
Voice of 500,000 North Carolina Baptists
1867-2014
V ■ ; > / V
i...t-,i^.
Race perceptiongap.^:^
widening, stuc^snows
(continued from page 1)
are basically separate from one another, as long as they
have equal opportunity."
In 2012, nearly half of blacks, including 52 percent of
black Protestants, said they thought about their race
daily. Just 1 0 percent of whites reported the same degree
of racial awareness.
Nearly six in 10 white Americans — including 69
percent of white evangelical Protestants — believe one
of the best ways to improve race relations is to stop talk-
ing about race. That's up from 45 percent in 2006. The
percentage of black Americans saying the same thing
also rose from 31 percent in 2006 to 39 percent in
2012, including 44 percent of black Protestants.
In 2006, slightly more than a third of white respon-
dents said the government should do more to help mi-
norities increase their standard of living. In 2012, just a
quarter of white respondents favored such government
action. During the same period, the percentage of black
respondents favoring a greater role for government rose
from 71 percent in 2006 to 79 percent in 2012.
Both races increasingly view themselves as victims of
racial prejudice. Fourteen percent of whites said they
had been treated unfairly because of their race in the last
three years, up from 8 percent in 2006. The percentage
of blacks reporting prejudice rose from 36 percent in
2006 to 46 percent in 2012.
Observers termed the findings sobering in a year that
saw 50th anniversary commemorations of the Civil
Rights Movement — including Dr. King's Aug. 28,
1963, words at the Lincoln Memorial, considered one
of the top 1 00 speeches in American history, and the
Dec. 5 death of Nelson Mandela, a symbol of racial rec-
onciliation for his work to end apartheid in South
Africa.
A recent controversy over a television reality show
hinted at how difFerendy Americans perceive the issue of
racism. "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson, in the
news for expressing his views on homosexuality in a
magazine interview, also commented that he never
heard blacks he knew in pre-Civil Rights Louisiana
complain about their treatment by whites.
Dwight McKissic, a prominent black Southern Bap-
tist pastor who has in the past pointed out his own de-
nomination's shortcomings in matching its rhetoric on
racial reconciliation with concrete aaion, gave Robert-
son a pass, saying there was some truth to his comment
and that it didn't suggest all Southern blacks were happy
under Jim Crow.
Fred Luter, the first African-American to be eleaed
president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said that
he agreed with Robertson about homosexuality but took
exception to his views on race.
Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in
New Orleans, said in a story distributed by Associated
Press that there was nothing happy about segregation or
"being himg in a tree because of your race," adding that
blacks were definitely complaining, if not to Robertson.
Alan Bean, a white American Baptist minister who
leads Friends of Justice — a ministry that spotlights
racial inequality in America's criminal justice system —
said people like Robertson and Fox News personality
Megyn Kelly, criticized for saying both Santa Claus and
Jesus were white, "don't mean to be mean" but think like
they do because of "social isolation."
Bob Allen is managing editor of Associated Baptist
Press.
The Power Of Love
"Beloved, let us love
one another: for love is of
God and every one that
loveth is bom of God and
knoweth God. He that
love not knoweth not
God; for God is-love". ( 1
John 4:7, 8)
Love = feel affection
for, to adore, to he devote
to, to care for.
. Joseph R.
RCM3ERS, SR.
h
dentine's Day is a
national holiday
honoring love and
acts of love. It is a time
when many people get into, what I term, the "Love
Mode" and do special things for the ones they love
and care for. It is a time when flowers, candy and rings
(diamond) are often purchased. Valentine's cards are
often designed with red hearts to symbolize love.
Without a doubt, it is very important that you and
I understanding what love is and its place in relation-
ships between (God & Man), (Husband & Wife),
(Parent & Child), and (Friend & Friend). God loved
man (mankind) so much that he gave His only begot-
ten Son, Jesus Christ; therefore, real love is more than
just feelings or thoughts. .,.,„.».,„„.„,,...„..,
They are 'actions' or 'applica-
tions' of those feelings and
thoughts.
Love is what God is all
about. Love is what should
drive all that we do toward
Godfor relationship and our
mankind for companionship
(male & female).
Our Christian faith is
based on L.O.V.E. Jesus told
His disciples and us today to'
love one another as I have
love you and by this will oth-
ers know that belong to Me,
(Jesus), because you love.
What a wonderful atmos-
phere it would be if LOVE
saturated our intentions,
thinking, motives and ac-
tions.
There would be no broken
relationships.
There would be no di-
vorces.
There would be no crime.
There would be no prob-
lem in the church fellowship.
What is Love = A strong
feeling of affections according
to the dictionary, but the bib-
lical definition goes some-
what deeper. The Greek
language offers us three (3)
words describing LOVE. Two
of these are conditional; while
the other one has no condi-
tion.
"Eros" love = relationship
love,
"Philo" love = friendship
love, and
"Agape" love = God's
love for humanity.
The love that is dis- ^
cussed in this short essay is
"Agape Love" = love be-
cause of and in spite of
This love of God put up
with you and me regardless to our actions.
1 John 4:7-"Beloved, let us love one another: for
love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of
God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love".
Therefore, if a person loves God, he becomes a lov-
ing person; he takes on the very nature of God. If a
person really loves God, then he does what God does:
he loves everyone.
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disci-
ples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:35
This text states that we must do what God does -
love and care for other people: rich and poor, healthy
and suffering, deserving and undeserving, acceptable
and unacceptable, good and bad.
Dr. Joseph R. Rogers, Sr, is an Associate Minister at
Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC. You may
reach him at jroger3420@aol.com.
» if
M\!icH 10 -0,2014
8
.rcTiNG Ti .Jream:
Reconnecting Christ, the Church, and Humanit}^
CONrEllEN(:EPilf,Ai MLR
Rev. Dr. Wiliiam Curtis, Pastor
Pastor, Mount Ararat Baptist Ctiurch
Pittsburgh, PA
CONFERi:N(:Ei.,ECIllR,ER
Rev. Dr. Renita Weems
Vice President of Academic Affairs
American Baptist College
Nashville, TN
For more information, visit vv\w.sriawu.edu,/Suds
From the Desk of the Vice President-at-large ...
You Are the Light to the World!
"To the [General Baptist Family] of God in [North
Carolina], to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and
called to be holy, together with all those everywhere
who call on the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. . . Grace and peace to you from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:2-3, NIV).
JW esus declared to His disciples in
I Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of
I the world." Jesus also promised His
sciples they would receive God's power
to accomplish what no other power on
earth could do (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8).
Through them, God's power would pro-
vide light to a world that was bound by
the darkness of lesser powers. Through
them, God's light would enlighten, equip,
and empower them to be witnesses of the
Christ, even "to the ends of the earth."
The oppressive power of Roman imperial-
ism was no match for the promised power
the disciples would receive in order to
serve as "the light of the world."
The same is true today. My sisters and brothers in
the Lord, YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE
WORLD! This is the promise of the Christ from the
Christ to all who trust and follow Jesus our Lord. No
wonder the Apostle Paul could exclaim with confi-
dence: "I have been crucified with Christ
and I no longer hve, but Christ lives in
me. The life I live in the body, I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20,
NIV).
We receive this world-illuminating
power from God through an intimate
companionship and communion with the
once crucified, but now risen Christ!
With this power: we overcome weakness
because God's power works through
human weakness; we are rescued and
healed; thus, we become rescuers and heal-
ers because God's power rescues and heals
those who are handcuffed in the ruins of
destructive experiences; we become a
Christian community which reaches out
to the least, the lost, those who are left
out, looked over, and let down because
God's power strengthens Chris»^ian communities.
The work of our convention is "light-shining"
work. Missions is what we do. We do it through your
Dr. Nilous M.
AVERY,
II, D.MIn.
support of the following
objectives: State Mis-
sions, Shaw University
and Shaw University Di-
vinity School, Central
Children's Home of
North Carohna, J.J.
Johnson Baptist Assem-
bly, and the Lott Carey
Baptist Foreign Missions
Convention. We have
done this since 1 867! Under the leadership and in-
sight of our President Dr. Howard W. Parker, Jr. and
Executive-Secretary Dr. Haywood T. Gray, we must
continue to empower and equip God's people to glo-
rify God and edify others.
Thank you General Baptists for shining your light,
and the opportunity to serve God and humanity. We
need your gifts. We appreciate your support. We
cherish your prayers. Please support the kingdom
work of your convention with your generous and
cheerful gifts of total stewardship. "The grace of the
Lord Jesus be with you. My love to all of you in
Christ Jesus. Amen." (1 Corinthians 16:23-23, NIV).
Dr. Avery can be reached at; averyrevkin@aol.com.
The Stigma Associated with Mental Illness
Mental illness, especially anxiety and depression,
is on the rise among adolescents and young
adults in America. Like many other illnesses
affecting the physical body, mental illness's effect on
poor and minority commimities is huge, and its cost to
society in general is incalculable. Many families, irre-
spective of race, ethnicity or nationality, are affected by
the painful and debilitating illness of depression and
other forms of mental illness. These illnesses often go
untreated because of the age-old stigma that accompa-
nies the diagnosis.
Several years ago I met a
young man who told me
of his struggle with depres-
sion. He told me he had
enrolled in college and,
without warning, became
very depressed. He did not
know what was happening
to him. He stopped associ-
ating with his classmates
and stopped going to class.
There were days when he
could not even get out of
bed. His mother took him
to the doctor, but when
the doctor diagnosed him
as suffering from severe
depression requiring immediate in-patient treatment,
the mother refused to admit him. Being a person of
faith, she thought she could help him get well.
The stresses of the legal profession most likely affect
its members disproportionately. In recent years aroimd
the state there have been several suicides among mem-
bers of our profession. Each member of the legal bar
should do his or her part to get rid of the mental health
stigma.
On December 20 and 27, 2008, 1 accompanied sev-
eral others, including psychologist Dr. Alfiee M. Bre-
land-Noble, to the Shaw University campus to appear
on the radio talk show, "Traces of Faces & Places:" We
discussed adolescent mental health, depression aware-
ness and suicide prevention.
I had the opportunity to describe the many ways in
which I see the manifestation of poor, unmanaged men-
tal health in the juvenile justice and adult court system
as well as the stigma associated with mental health
within diverse communities. Another guest, whose
teenage son had committed suicide, emphasized the sig-
nificance of parents having the ability to distinguish be-
tween "typical teenage behavior" and clinically
significant depression.
Dr. Breland-Noble mentioned on the program that
some of her own patients had discussed that their reluc-
tance to seek treatment was because they felt that as a
black male in America, they already had enough strikes
against them. "Being black and crazy" would make life
even more difficult for them, they remarked.
Indeed young black males, who disproportionately
make up those appearing in state and federal criminal
courts, are particularly affected by undiagnosed mental
illness. Often they end up being the victim of our court
systemwhich most often is illequipped to address the
emotional and behavioral problems that lead many juve-
nile offenders into the judicial system.
As contributing author of the article titled, "Juve-
nile Mental Health Courts for Adjudicated Youth:
Role Implications for Child and Adolescent Psychi-
atric Mental Health Nurses:' in a 201 1 pubhcation of
the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nurs-
ing (ISSN 1073-6077) (201 1), I wrote, "the court sys-
tem, like society in general, continues to ignore the
fact that many of our juveniles come from broken
homes, broken dreams, and broken minds brought on
by mental illnesses that they cannot control. Society,
including the judicial system, has done far too little to
rid society of the stigma that goes along with mental
illness:'
A recent Washington Post article (7/9/20 1 3) reported
that some therapists from major metropolitan areas have
seen an increase in the niunber of African Americans
seeking help for mental illness. The North Carolina Bar
Association's BarCARES program, a confidential short-
term intervention program which provides cost-free
services to members of participating bar groups and
their families, has also seen increasing numbers of those
seeking professional care.
We need more members of the bar and others to
publicly tell of their struggles with mental illness and
how they have over come and been successful in spite of
their mental illness. It is not difficult to find well-
known examples. Thank you, television reporter Mike
Wallace, for telling your story. Thank you Mary J. Blige,
Janet Jackson, Drew Carey, Halle Berry, Ellen De-
generes, Harrison Ford, Sheryl Crow and others who
have publicly talked about their own experiences with
depression.
Perhaps unknowingly, you have contributed to the
commendable goal of ridding society of the stigma re-
lated to mental illness. To those who suffer on a daily or
periodic basis with depression or other mental illnesses,
be encouraged and know that you are not alone, and
just as importantly, there is treatment that will help you.
NCL
Since November 7, 2012, foe L. Webster has served
as a United States Magistrate judge for the Middle Dis-
trict of North Carolina with chambers in Durham. He
serves as 2nd Vice-President of BarCARES. More infor-
mation about BarCARES may be found at vmw.bar- -
cares.org or by phoning I -800-640-0735.
Baptist Informer
Developing and ' LAYMEN OUTLOOK
Maintaining Accountable Relationships
Continuing Strand 2: Discipleship —
We have explored Making Disciples and
Training Leaders. Now, two additional
elements that must be discussed include
Developing Accountable Relationships and Teaching
People to live Effective Christian Lives (2 Timothy
2:2). I am anxious to bring to a conclusion the 2nd
strand to the Great commission -
Discipleship.
After all, discipleship is a way of
life. Not a program.
In the book, Discipleship for
the Man in the Mirror by Patrick
Motley, he lists seven steps to a
wise life. The seventh step is
learning to "Develop personal Ac- - '
countability." ,
Note: I must pause here for a
moment of transparency. I grew up in a non-disciple-
ship congregation, as most of us, if we were to be hon-
est. Therefore, I'm not writing as an expert, but as a
disciple who is growing spiritually.
Now, let's go back to Motley's seventh step to a wise
■A
life. People succeed or fail in four ways: Spiritually,
Morally, Financially and relationally. No one ruins
their life on purpose. Yet people all around us fail reg-
ularly. Why? According to Motley's, "in our era, al-
most all Christians lead anonymous spiritual lives.
Today's Christians seem to be able to float in and out
of the church without having to be accountable for
their lives."
Without accountability we have no one to whom
we must give an answer for our
lives. We have not given anyone
permission to ask the hard ques-
tions. Our lives become shrouded
in ambiguity of trite responses to
questions asked by people who
might actually care if we would be
honest with them." With so
many problems of our own, we
don't often have the energy to ex-
press interest in how others are re-
ally doing. So, they often fail and so do we.
The overarching goal of accountability is to help
people succeed in life. This only can come to pass by
leading a life that pleases God. How? By living a life
of integrity.
A'
Seeing and Believing:
Exploring True Faith in Believers
How can seeing be believing?T maintain that
believing must be followed by the deeper un-
derstanding that will be possible only after
the glorification of Christ.
The relationship of seeing and believing, with refer-
ence to the life of Christ, is a major problem in the
Gospel of John. We meet
the two words 'seeing'
and 'believing' at every
turn, so to speak in John's
Gospel. We hear as early
as the prologue: 'we have
seen his glory' (Chapter
1:14) and the book
reaches it climax in the
account of Doubting
Thomas.
We cannot overstress
the point that it is not by
chance that this is the last
narrative of the Gospel
proper and it has not
been sufficiently recog-
nized that the last words
of Jesus which stands in the Fourth Gospel are these
words to Thomas, Chapter 20:29): 'Because thou hast
seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have
not seen, and yet have believed.'
John has placed these words at the end of his book
as the crown of his whole work, since his readers are
among those who has not seen and yet ought to be-
lieve.
John does not claim by any means that the eyewit-
ness is of no account. The words in the prologue
Dr. Frank J.
BYRD
Congress President
about those who have seen the glory are in accordance
with the words at the end of the Gospel. It is obvious
that there were those in Jesus' lifetime who first of all
saw and that all of a latter day, who have not them-
selves seen, can seek support in the witness of those
who actually did see with their own eyes. But it is not
sufficient to seek support in an eyewitness, however
necessary that may also be. There must be added to
this an act of faith, which a deeper understanding of
the life of Jesus presupposes. In this respect readers are
in exactly the same situation as John himself.
We find therefore in John's Gospel, on one hand
passages which stress the necessity of seeing and, on
the other hand, passages which stress the necessity of
believing. At first sight it seems a contradiction to say,
on the one hand, that seeing is what matters, on the
other hand, that not seeing but believing is what mat-
ters.
There is no contradiction in the fact that the neces-
sity of seeing in the flesh is stressed on the one hand
and that of faith on the other hand. In actual fact, this
method of setting two things side by side is character-
istic of all of John's thinking and the aim of which he
pursues.
Seeing alone is not sufficient to enable one to come
to this faith. The eyewitnesses had to see, but for them
also something else had to be added to the seeing.
Thomas seeing had to be followed by faith.
faith which is based exclusive on seeing is not suffi-
cient. A faith derived from things seen and nothing
else is not true faith. True faith is an act which ftilfils
itself in the hearts of those who believe.
Reach Dr. Frank J Byrd at fjbyrdl@aol.com
Bro. Richmond
TURNER
GBSC Laymen
Integrity is a one-on-
one correlation between
my Bible, my Beliefs, and
my behavior.
Walking transparently
before some brothers or
sisters creates the highest
probability for leading a
successfiil hfe with in-
tegrity. Isolation from
the valuable views of maturing Christians contributes
to failing in life, not succeeding.
At the precise time when we need some friends to
help us make the right choices, we are culturally mov-
ing toward isolation from each other."
As I look back on my Christian life, I find that I'm
operating more without any meaningftil accountabil-
ity. Therefore, my objectivity is lacking in a lot of
cases. Without accountability, we are syncretizing
Christianity with Humanism. Let us all make the ef-
fort needed to live wisely by maintaining accountable
relationships.
Reach Bro. Turner at: Iturn60@aol.com.
Mark Your Calendars
GBSC Laymen's
Upcoming Events
March 8
Western Region, Liberty Hill MBC,
Claremont, NC
April 4-5
Annual Session, Neuse River MBA/
Neuse River Baptist Assembly
Rocky Mount N.C.
June 14
Eastern Region Ebenezer MBC,
Rocky Mt. N.C.
July 11-12
Men and Boy's Retreat, Rev. Matthew
Rouse, Jr. CommunKy Center
September 13
Piedmont Region Buffalo Springs MBC
Raeford N.C.
December 13
Central Region Redbud MBC,
Henderson N.C
Baptist Informer
Possible Obstacles to Receiving the Truth
Dr. Ricky L.
BANKS
Second VP, GBSC
AS wonderful as it is
to be pleasing to
God, what are in-
ternal obstacles that keep
us from reaching out and
grasping this reality?
Addiction to the ap-
proval of others:
Because other people
can give us such approval
when we are successful
and because we are ad-
dicted to obtaining that
approval, we often do not
want to live only the ap-
proval based on what
Christ provided for us. It is not that we should not
enjoy the approval of others. The problem is when we
have to have it in order to live in peace and joy.
A Sense of Hopelessness:
A sense of hopelessness can drive us to depend on
God or drive us into passivity. We will never know the
victory that God has for us when we are passive. God's
way is for us to actively cooperate with Him. >
A Desire to live by Isome formula:
Some of us only know our faith as a series of rules
or steps. In order for you to experience what Christ
has provided through justification, you must receive it
through your relationship with Him, not by perform-
ing some ritual.
A Need to control:
Most of us have a priority system that goes some-
thing like this: air, water, food, control. We can hardly
stand not to be in control. We can hardly stand not to
be in control. However, if we are going to base our
worth on what Christ did for us, then we will sense a
loss of control.
Reasons for Obedience
The love of God and His acceptance of us are based
on grace. His unmerited favor. They are not based on
our ability to impress God through our good deeds.
But if we are accepted on the basis of His grace and
not our deeds, why should we obey God? Here are
some compelling reasons to obey Him:
Christ's Love:
Understanding God's grace compels us to action
because love motivates us to please the One who has
so freely loved us. When we experience love, we usu-
ally respond by seeking to express our love in return.
Our obedience to God is an expression of our love for
Him (John 14:15, 21), which comes from an under-
standing of what Christ has accomplished for us on
the cross (2 Cor. 5:14-15).
Sin is destructive:
Satan has effectively blinded man to the painful,
damaging consequences of sin. The effects of sin are
all around us, yet many continue to indulge in the
sex, status, pleasure seeking, and rampant self-cen-
teredness that cause so much pain and anguish. Satan
contradicted God in the Garden when he said, "You
surely shall not die!" (Gen. 3:4). Sin is pleasant but
only for a season. Sooner or later, sin will result in
some form of destruction.
The Father's Discipline:
Our loving Father has given us the Holy Spirit to
convict us of sin. Conviction is a form of God's disci-
pline and serves as proof that we have become chil-
dren of God (Heb. 12:5-1 1). If we choose to be
unresponsive to the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Father
will discipline us in love.
His commands are good for us:
God's commands are given for two good purposes:
to protect us from the destructiveness of sin and to di-
rect us into a life of joy and fruitfulness. His com-
mands are guidelines, given so that we might enjoy
life to the fullest.
Eternal rewards:
Through Christ's payment for us on the cross, we
have escaped eternal judgment; however our actions
will be judged by Christ. There, our performance will
be evaluated and rewards presented for service to God.
Rewards will be given for deeds that reflect a desire to
honor Christ, but deeds performed in an attempt to
earn God's acceptance, earn approval of others, or
meet our own standards, will be rejected by God and
consumed by fire. -
Christ is worthy:
Our noblest motivation for serving Christ is simply
that He is worthy of our love and obedience. Christ is
worthy of our affection and obedience. There is no
other person, no goal, no fame or status, and no mate-
rial possession that can compare with Him. Our
hearts will reflect the psalmist's perspective: Whom
have I in heaven but Thee? And besides Thee, 1 desire
nothing on earth... But as for me, the nearness of God
is my good; I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all Thy works" (Psalms 73:25,28).
Reach Dr. Banks at: pastorrickybanks&^ahoo.com.
What is God s Standard for Worship
T
the only standard
that has remained
unchanged
throughout history is the
standard of God's word.
God has revealed who he
is and how his creation is
to relate to him. When
God speaks, that is it, for
in his word we find his
standard for worship, and
it is as unchanging as
God himself. God is the
same yesterday, today,
and forever, so is his stan-
dard for worship. While
man may shop for a God
that fits his personal standards, this does not change
the standard against which all God's children are
judged.
In the encounter which Jesus had with the Samari-
tan woman, Jesus made a startling announcement. He
told the woman, "A time is coming and has now come
when the true worshippers will worship the father in
spirit." (John 4:23) Jesus was announcing that matters
Bro. Charles
DUNN
Ushers' President
of the exterior would become secondary and the mat-
ters of the interior were God's primary interest and re-
quirement. Jesus would be looking to see if worship
comes from within our innermost being, our hearts.
When our Lord said to the Samaritan woman a
time is coming and now come when true worshippers
will worship the father in spirit, He was making a di-
rect reference to our inner being or our human spirit.
Jesus told her that the place of worship would no
longer have to be the temple of Jerusalem, but that
wherever God's children gathered they could offer the
father the worship He seeks as long as it was in the
spirit. The apostle Paul knew what God wanted. He
understood that our worship and service come from
the inside. Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, said "God
whom I serve in my spirit in preaching of the gospel
of His Son." (Romans 1:9) Paul's ministry itself was a
form of worship. It was not something he did because
he felt he had to rather it was something he did out of
love for his Lord.
Worship comes from within. God is not at all im-
pressed with outward expressions of worship that do
not come from our hearts. No matter how excellent
we may think we have executed worship, God only
hears and receives what is offered to him in spirit.
Jesus noted this with great sorrow in his heart when
he said, "These people honor me with their lips but
their hearts are far from me. They worship me in
vain." (Matthew 15:8-9)
I urge you in view of God's mercy to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,
this is your spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1).
We look forward to seeing each of you at the One
Day Session Feb. 22, 2014. Featured will be our
Dean, a health seminar and the youth in action speak-
ing on ushering.
Reach Bro. Dunn at: jusricem^bellsouth.net.
Baptist Informer
What Makes the Difference in Our Preaching Is Hand Gesture
Facial expression was the focus of our previous ar-
ticle. In this article we argued that the preacher's
face is worth a thousand words during actual de-
livery of the sermon. During the presentation of the
sermon the question is not necessarily what Chris
Tucker asked Jackie Chan in the movie Rush Hour,
"Do you understand the
words that are coming out
of my mouth?" Rather, the
question the preacher
should ask is "do you un-
derstand the message that is
coming from my face?"
Such a question underscores
how important and decisive
facial expression is during
the delivery of the sermon.
This article continues the
discussion concerning non
verbal communication with a focus on use of gestures
as another effective channel of communication be-
yond words. In doing so, the question now is this:
"Do you understand the functions or the words com-
ing from my hands?"
Hand gestures communicate effectively beyond the
use of words. One of the ways hand gestures commu-
nicate beyond words is through magnification. When
preachers use gestures they magnify their words or
meaning during the delivery of the sermon. In many
ways gestures underscore, complement, reinforce and
add greater meaning to the preacher's argument. As
argued by one writer, another way gestures function is
not only to support words but serve in a manner,
which substitute the words of
the preacher. In other words,
hands talk even when the
mouth does not. In this sense
gestures function as a type of
signal as a way to direct. For
an example, traffic cops use
their hands to direct traffic
without saying a word. They
simply tell motorists what to
do by giving gestures or
pointing hands. In a similar
manner, soldiers when in bat-
tle sometimes use hand signals for obvious reasons of
remaining undetected by the enemy. Hand gestures in
and of themselves help the listeners get the point.
Thus, preachers do well to remember that gestures
can either help in communicating or hindering the
message. To ensure that gestures serve and not ob-
struct the message, the preacher should make sure
they are in step with the words. To achieve such a bal-
ance there must be har-
mony and rhythm be-
tween words and
gestures. God forbid, if
your words should travel
in one direction and ges-
tures another. No one en-
joys seeing band
members out of step with
the music they are play-
ing. Even worse, it is not
appealing to see a dancer
out of step with his or
her partner. Likewise,
non verbal communica-
tion lacks effectiveness
when gestures , are not in
timing with the preacher's words. Finally, make sure
your gestures are natural. Do not get carried away and
overuse them. To do so defeats the purpose and be-
comes a distraction that takes away from the message.
In the next article, we will discuss the importance
of eye contact in non-verbal communication.
Dr. Fullwood is Professor of Preaching and Pastor
of Riley Hill Baptist Church in Raleigh, N.C. Reach
him at: RHBC@bellsoudi.net.
Dr. Alfonza
FULLWOOD
Lott Carey Baptist Mission (India) Opens A Church at Bethany Leprosy Colony Gannaur, Haryana
Lott Carey Baptist Mission (India) recently
opened its fourth church. It has been 40 years
since we opened a new church in India, and we
rejoice that the Bethany Baptist Church at Bethany
Leprosy Colony, Gannaur, Haryana has been dedi-
cated to the Glory of God.
Gannaur is a small town in the state of Haryana,
about 45 kms from Delhi on the National Highway.
The late Dr. Dorothy Chacko, a missionary from the
United States, established a leprosy colony by the
name Bethany Baptist Village in the early 1960s. She
also started the first Broiler Chicken Farm in India in
the village to help the unfortunate leprosy patients
there to be self sufficient rather than begging for their
livelihood. A small community hall was later built
which Christians of the colony used for their Sunday
worship service led by a Methodist Pastor. After a pe-
riod of time this Pastor stopped coming, and there
was no worship service for many years.
Some of the inmates of this colony ap-
proached the Lott Carey Baptist Mission
to send a Pastor to this colony to conduct
the Sunday Worship Services. Rev. C V
Valson, Pastor of our Anandgram Leprosy
Colony Church, was sent to conduct Sun-
day worship services once a month. There
were already 22 Christian families and a
congregation of 60.
Due to some litigation, the old com-
munity hall, which was already in a di-
lapidated state had to be demolished,
and the Christian inmates did not have i
place to worship. Lott Carey Baptist
Mission then decided to build a proper Church at
Bethany Village. The foundation stone of the
church was laid by Lott Carey Superintendent,
File photo
FORWARD TOGETHER - The historic IMoral IMarch IHKonJ People's Assembly returns to Raleigh, N.C. on Sat-
urday, February 8, 2014. Crowds will begin assembling at 9:30 a.m. at the campus of Shaw University, South
Street. The march begins at 10:30 a.m. "The moral march on Raleigh is part of the anti-racist, anti-poverty, pro-
labor, deeply moral Forward Together Moral Movement," according to Dr. William Barber, State President of
the NAACP. "With diversity and solidarity, thousands will stand together against extremist policies being
passed by the NC Governor and legislator and demand the 14-Point People's Agenda." For additional details,
contact the NAACP at (919) 682-400 or www.hkonj.com.
Thomas T. Roy on 28 July 2012.
The congregation started collecting donations from
their friends and relatives, and Rev Valson also col-
lected a considerable sum. The total cost of the build-
ing came to $25,500.00 and the Mission
contributed $15,500.00 The rest of the amount was
collected by the congregation and Rev. Valson.
By the Grace of God the church building was com-
pleted by May 2013. Superintendent Thomas T. Roy
had the honour of inaugurating the Bethany Baptist
Church, Gannaur, on 11th May 2013, and Mr. D K
Chetsingh, President of Lott Carey Baptist Mission in
India and Mrs. D ATressler, Director of Somerville
Schools graced the occasion. About 400 people from
our other leprosy colony churches and staff of our
headquarters at Daryaganj attended the Inauguration.
The size of the Church Building is 25 x40'. There is
a balcony also which can accommodate around 30
people. The Head (Pradhan) of the Colony, a non-
Christian, Mr. Kishan Murthy worked harder than
anybody for the construction of this church. His fa-
ther, Mr. Govind Samy, who was the former Pradhan,
also supported and actively participated in the con-
struction of the church. The Lord works through
miraculous ways.
6 Baptist Informer
Marbet Debuts on Broadway: Being called 'die new great dramatic soprano'
R
Verdi.
aleigh native Maria Marbet recently debuted on
Broadway in an opera composed by one of the
19th centiuys pre-eminent composers Giuseppe
Maria, a dramatic classical opera soprano, played the
lead role of Amelia in Un Ballo in Machera (The Mas-
querade Ball) at Peter Norton's Symphony Space located
at 95 th Street and Broadway in New York.
The opera is filled with passion, mysticism and mis-
understanding as it explores the love relationship be-
tween Amelia and her jealous husband, Renato. The
enr^ed husband, Renato, ultimately executes revenge
on his wife and their friend, Riccardo, during the 3.5-
hour opera which was performed in Italian.
Marias stage performance garnered positive reviews
from theater critics, including Balentin Peytchinov who
commented in his review that "this new young artist is
the next dramatic soprano."
"It was an awesome, humbling experience and I was
just very honored to be able to glorify the Lord with
what He gave me," Maria said, during a recent inter-
view. "The Word says that your talent will make room
for you."
For nearly three months, Maria worked with an inter-
national cast of singers, linguists and acting coaches to
create the 3.5-hour physically demanding production,
which sold out on its first night.
Maria, who grew up singing in the youth choir at
Martin Street Baptist Church in Raleigh, is a graduate of
Broughton High School and North Carolina A&T State
University in Greensboro. She is the daughter of Manny
and Iris Marbet of Raleigh. She's a member of Philippi-
ans Community Church in Raleigh and divides her
time between Raleigh and New York.
Reach Maria Marbet at venividi8@gmail.com.
OB8C
Congress of
Caunstiaii
Eldoeatioii
Classes
Friendship Miwi«ionai^
Ba|>tist Chnrcb
Chariotte,j\C
GBSC Family,
Prepare to attend to
attend the Bi-Annual
Session of the CorK|ress
of Christian Education.
4.lsted are some of the
classes you can look
forward to attending.
Pastors, ministers, church
leaders, Sunday school
Jeaders and teachers, ~
ministry leaders, and lay
persons, there is a class
for you!
1
1 -Pastoral Counseling Techniques
.Mini St
4-f iai
2-The Soiritual Life of the Preactier
nivisi*
3-Characteristics of Expository Preactiing
>n
4-The Five Star Ctiurch
5-Whv Men Hate Going to Church
11
l-Creatina a Compensation for Pastor
1 ailo
■ship
2-Spiritual Ctiaracteristics of Leaderstiip
^^■3^The f^irristerinq Rote of the Deacon
4-How to Start A Counselinq Ministry
5-Handfina Church Finances
6-Helo 1 am a New Leader
7-The Work of a Trustee
8-The Leoacv Of the GBSC for the Church Today
l)i>~isiui]
III
l-Recruittno Teacher's
2-Teacher Traininq
3-Doubling Your Class Size
4-Leadino An Effective Sunday Sctiool
IV
1-An Overview of Evangelism
'lisiii
2-One on One Evangelism
iiixi M
3-DeveloDtna A Mission Minded Church
4-Praver Walking Your Community
S-EvanaeOsm and Church Growth
Division
^
1-Six Secrets 1o LasHnq Love
Uil>li<-:
(1 <tll(l
2-Overview of a Book???
.1
3-Church Covenant??
<.*-m*rs
If
4-Doctrine of the Holy Spintr?
Sliuiio
s
5-How the Bible Originated
6-Blendina Generations
7-Essential Church
4-Sexuatity in the Black Church
9-Pravina Your Way Through Life
l>itisi.>ll
A 1
1 -Teaching Biblical Concepts to Children
T
2-How to Study Your Bible
S-Gifted to Serve
4-Contemoorary Techf>icfues for Teactiing Youth
l>t\ isii>ll
Ml
1 -Children's Ministry 101
^i.iitli
2-Oratorical Contest
Minis!
3-21" Century Youth Ministry
HH 4-Sptrituai Formation in Children
><>llll!X
\<iiilt
HH 5-Teaching Discipline to our Youth at Home and at
Church
6-Trainina Young Adults for Ministry
7-Undersfandlng Ihe Millennials??
l)ivisi«>ii
MH
1-Praise Dance: Rags & Billows
'V oiitil D
i\ isioii
2-Praise Dance Ministry
( hiUllH-l
3-The Gospel Hymn: Blending the Sacred and
Contemporary???
4-TeachirK) & Reaching Black Males
l>itisi(»ii
5-Puppet Ministry
WKm 6-Children & Their Bible
.■^iSr^0J\ SKaw Urvivei-siity I>iviruity 3cl\ool
i%V - 41.st AnnitakJ Ale5ca.rvclcr / F*cgwcs
■-•->?Ki«s? A^irvisters' Corvfer-crvcc
"Resurrecting the Dream.-
Reconnecting Christ, the Church, and Humanity'
JVIai ch 10-13, 2014
Registration Information " • .
Name
Address
City State Zip
Home Phone Cell Phone
Church Name
Email Address:
Pavment Information . ■ ,
Number of Registrants
Zl cash check Q money order
Amount of Payment: $
Registration fee:
Early Bird (by February 29) $100.00
Reqular/On-Site $1 35.00
Seminary/College Students $50.00
(Must Pr«-sent Valid Student ID)
Return Registration information and Payment to:
Shaw University Divinity School
Annual Ivlmisters' Conference , . . ' .
1 18 East South Street : ' • .
Raleigh. ISrC 27601
BAPTIST
INFORMER
Publication of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Inc.
Voice of 500,000 Baptists
Published the first of each month at Raleigh, N.C.
Postmaster send addresses and all communications
for publications and inquiry to:
Baptist Informer, Baptist Headquarters,
603 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, N.C. 27601
919-821-7466 • Fax: 919-831-1526
Rev. Haywood T. Gray, Executive Secretary-Treasurer
GBSCgray@bellsouth.net
Ophelia Johnson, MFA, (Editorial)
informereditor@yahoo.com
Rev. Anthonette Wright, (Advertising)
Nwrightgbsc@aol.com
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Photos by Greg Thompson
8 Baptist Informer
m Photos by Ophelia Johnson
20 1 4 Memorial Banquet
STRENGTH AND HONOR -
During his sermon titled
"Searching for the
Beloved Community" Dr.
Calvin O. Butts, III, elo-
quently explored Dr. Mar-
tin Luther King, Jr. as a
social, economic, political
and spiritual giant whose
work was a continuation of
"a long line of prophets"
who sought to uplift 'the
beloved community' and
save humanity throughout
history.
HIGHLIGHTS - The Rev-
erend LaMont J. Johnson
lead the banquet guests
singing "Lift Every Voice
and Sing," the Negro Na-
tional Hymn written in
1899 by James Weldon
Johnson, and "We Shall
Overcome," a popular
protest song that became
an anthem of the African-
American Civil Rights
Movement of the 50s-60s.
mary 10, 2014
erial Hotel, Durham, N.C.
February is Heart Month . . .
Heart attack survivors paint a complex picture of adhering to medicine
H
" eart attack sur-
vivors of difFer-
• ent races and
genders are about equally
likely to be on medica-
tions that reduce the risk
of another heart attack
and other potentially life-
threatening cardiovascu-
lar problems. But,
according to a new study at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill, that's not the case a year later.
The odds that an patient is still taking the medica-
tions as prescribed within a year vary significantly de-
pending on race and gender, and black and Hispanic
women are the least likely to adhere to their regimens.
The work, led by Gang Fang at the UNC Eshelman
School of Pharmacy, suggest that while national initia-
tives have been effective in encouraging clinicians to
prescribe preventive medications for heart-attack pa-
tients at the time of discharge, more needs to be done
to help patients stay on those medications.
Fang and his team examined prescription records
and looked at three types of medications — statins, beta
blockers and ACEIs/ARBs— for more than 85,000
Medicare Part D beneficiaries who were hospitalized for
a heart attack in 2008 and survived at least 30 days
after discharge. The results, published last month in the
journal Circulation, show that although there is little
racial and gender disparity in getting the patients
started on preventive medications, keeping them on
those medications long-term is a different story.
"Adherence is a two-dimensional behavior: The
physician has to prescribe the medication, and the pa-
tient has to fill the prescription," said Fang, an assistant
professor in the School's Division of Pharmaceutical
Outcomes and Policy.
"The policy implication from our study is that we
should now put a lot of emphasis on helping patients,
especially minority groups, understand the importance
of these medications and help them improve their long-
term adherence to get the greatest benefits."
Julie Lauffenburger, a graduate student at the school
and first author on the paper, said the findings also
point to a need for different interventions for different
groups.
"Some adherence interventions in the past have fo-
cused on a blanket approach to emphasizing adherence
even though patient demographic subgroups may have
different needs and perceptions about medication use,"
she said. "These results suggest that more targeted in-
terventions need to be considered, especially for adher-
ence after heart attacks."
Using white men as the reference group for compar-
isons, the study found adherence was worse among
racial minorities.
• Black and Hispanic women were the least likely to
be filling their prescriptions as prescribed in the year
after discharge, ^
• black and Hispanic patients had the lowest likeli-
hood of adherence to beta-blockers and statins,
• black patients had the lowest likelihood of adher-
ence to ACEIs/ARBs
The study also found that women, who have worse
outcomes than men after heart attacks, had worse ad-
herence within each race group, especially in blacks and
Hispanics. One possible explanation is a difference in
men and women's beliefs on the severity of their heart
attacks and the benefits from the medications.
The findings raise a number of other questions about
what might influence adherence. For example, the
study revealed different levels of adherence to each of
the three medications within a race and gender group.
White women, for instance, were more adherent to
statins but less adherent to ACEIs/ARBs and beta-
blockers.
"There is no clinical evidence that says one of these
drugs is more important than the others," said Fang.
"So this brings up a very interesting question about
how clinicians and patients perceive benefits from each
of the drugs."
The researchers also adjusted their results to control
for out-of-pocket medication costs and whether the pa-
tients had a follow-up visit with a primary-care physi-
cian or a cardiologist. They did not find a significant
connection between those factors and the racial and
gender gaps in adherence.
"It's not just how much you pay for medications or
whether you visit a primary-care physician or cardiolo-
gist after discharge," said Fang. "For instance, it could
be whom you see — the quality of the providers' care
and services."
North Carolina Mutual and Our Baptist Churches
Building strong churches and communities together
Money for building programs • Financialliteracy and wealth-building • Life insurance planning
North Carolina Mutual
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
800.647.2114
wvvw.ncniiituallife.com
10 Baptist informer
Cornell P.
WRIGHT
Heart to Heart:
Celebrate Americas 'Heart Month'
I very February, the na-
tion observes Ameri-
Hean Month.
This is a month that raises
the awareness of heart and
cardiovascular health issues.
According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year about
715,000 Americans have a heart attack. About 600,000
people die from heart disease in the United States each
year — that's 1 out of every 4 deaths. Heart disease is the
leading cause of death for both men and women.
What Can We Do?
Heart disease is preventable and manageable. It is not
imcommon to get caught up in everyday life that we can
forget to take care of ourselves properly. Taking the proper
steps to take care of your own health will not only help
you but can also inspire other. Here are a few thin^ to
keep in mind to improve and sustain healthy behaviors
and lifestyles: ■ _
• Exercise Regularly
• Keep a Healthy Diet "
• Maintain a Healthy Weight
• Limit/Moderate Alcohol Consumption
• Monitor Individual Health Levels (blood pressure,
blood sugar, cholesterol, etc.)
• Take All Medications As Prescribed -:
• Follow Advice of Medical Professionals
The American Heart Association (AFiA) and American
Stroke Association, constandy provide programs and activ-
ities to promote good hean health, both locally and na-
tionally. Some of their programs include; Go Red For
Women, My Heart My Life, and Power To End Stroke.
These programs are done in conjimaion with community
member and AHA staff/volunteers.
Linda King, Direaor of Commimity and Multi-Cul-
tural Health Initiatives with AITA states that, "for 10 years
the American Heart Association has sponsored National
Wear Red Day to raise awareness about heart disease in
women. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the
United Sutes, claiming more lives than all forms of cancer
combined.
This year we are asking churches, community-based or-
ganizations, health agencies, social and civic organizations,
and individuals to join us on February 7, 2014 to celebrate
Health
Spot-
Light
National Wear Red Day
and throughout the month
of February as we celebrate
Heart Month."
For more information
about the American Heart Association (AHA) or if you
would like to become a volunteer in the Raleigh-Durham
or Greensboro- Wmston-Salem areas contaa Linda B.
King, at 919.463.8352 or by email: linda.king@heart.org .
To learn more about the AHA events, aaivities, and re-
sources visit www.heart.org.
For more information about the Center for Health and
Healing, please visit our website www.c4hh.org or call toll-
free 1-866-972-6374.
www.facebook.com/GBSCNC
• To receive breaking news about GBSC
• To receive updates on events, meetings, etc.
• To be in the Icnow about Baptist iife in NC
Indian Woods Missionary Baptist Church
2330 Indian Woods Road v
Windsor, North Carolina 27983 - ■ .
Indian Woods Missionary Baptist Churcti, an African American Congregation established in
1876 and affiliated with the West Roanoke Missionary Baptist Association and the General
Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, Inc., is cun'ently seel<ing a licensed, ordained
Baptist Pastor. - ^
Applicant must possess the following requirements:
• Biblical qualities of a Pastor as defined in Titus 1 :6-9 and II Timothy 3:1 7, be full of
the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and knowledge,
A strong reputation of honesty and integrity. ' -
Be a licensed and ordained Missionary Baptist minister. V- .
Be familiar with and practices Baptist doctrine.
Have at least 3 years of Pastoral experience (prefen^ed, but not mandatory).
Be able to share his vision for the spiritual and intellectual growth of the Church.
Have a compassionate approach to visiting members, including the sick, shut-ins
and the needy.
Be willing to adhere to existing policies, procedures, and recommend new policies if
necessary.
Have the ability and desire to work with all age groups in the Church with definite
emphasis on spiritual growth and development.
Possess excellent Biblical teaching skills.
Must be a graduate with a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college, university,
or seminary.
Be willing to work cooperatively with officers and members. ... ,
Be willing to present short and long term goals.
Understand taxes and financial obligations of the Church.
Represent the Church at local association, state and national conventions.
To be considered please submit a resume, copies of current license and ordination, and a
copy of diploma from accredited college, university, or seminary.
The deadline to submit applications and resumes is April 15, 2014, A CD/DVD recording of a
sermon preferred but not required.
Please direct letters of interest or calls to: ' - ^
Linda Speller, Chairperson _ .'■
Pastor Search Committee - • ■
Indian Woods Missionary Baptist Church
2330 Indian Woods Road
Windsor, North Carolina 27983
New ZIon Missionary Baptist Church
■ - 5 . '-^^ . 12123 Old Lake Road . ; \ ' '
■ pobox94
■ ,; ' ^ . Riegelwood, NC 2845 :
New Zion Missionary Baptist Cliurch, a small and rural congregation, is
actively seeking a just and devout man as pastor. He must possess the
biblical qualities given in II Timothy 3: 1-7; in addition, the following
requirements must be present:
: .- 1 . A minimum of 3 to 5 years experience as pastor
2. Strong knowledge of the Bible and Missionary Baptist
doctrine, polity and procedure
■\ ; 3. Spiritual maturity in dealing and communicating effectively
; • ■ / - with a diverse congregation
" .. : 4. Born, licensed and ordained in the Missionary Baptist
■ V > - Denomination
; " 5. Can teach and/or attend Sunday School, Prayer Service,
."^ ' ... Bible Study, Christian Education and other church
V ■ ministries
;': -v -r; •- 6. Seeks constant spiritual improvement through on-going
. studying of God's Word, training and education
■ 7. Understands, supports and performs all the duties of a
Missionary Baptist pastor in a Godly manner .
- ■ 8. Understands and adheres to the beliefs and practices of
New Zion Missionary Baptist Church
Please send resume to: New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 12123 Old
Lake Road, PO Box 94, Riegelwood, NC 28456
Baptist Informer 1 1
MINISTRY BRIEFS
Black Men and Boys Conference
A nationally recognized speaker and
author will be the featured presenter for
the first Trayvon Martin Black Male
Conference at First Baptist Church in
Fayetteville, N.C., on Saturday, Febru-
ary 22, 2014. The con-
ference will run 9:00
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. _
Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu,
an author of 38 books,
will discuss topics ad-
vancing black boys and
men during the confer-
ence. He has been fea-
tured on the Oprah TV
show and in Ebony and
Essence Magazines. He
will focus on how to
raise successful black
boys and how to
strengthen men's min-
istries in the church.
A former instruaor at United Theo-
logical Seminary, Dr. Kunjufu has
preached at the Hampton Ministers'
Conference and in hundreds of pulpits
nationwide. Among his books are na-
tional best sellers, Adam Where Are
You?; Why Most Black Men Don't Go
to Church; Developing Strong Male
at First Baptist - Fayetteville
Ministries; and Raising Black Boys. His
books will be available at the Confer- ^
ence.
The conference is being sponsored by
the Laymen of First Baptist Church
who have conducted a
boys mentoring pro-
gram called IMANI
(Swahili for faith) since
2000. In addition, the
Union Baptist Associa-
tion Ministers Confer-
ence (Fayetteville and
Cumberland County)
will support the event.
"Dr. Kunjufu is one
of the best authorities to
address these issues and
help us prepare our
young men for their fu-
ture. We're so pleased
that he wdll speak on the
weekend preceding the first anniversary
of Trayvon Martin's death," said First
Baptist Pastor Cureton Johnson.
Pre-registration ($5 per person) will
be available through Thursday, Feb. 20
on a first-come basis by contacting First
Baptist Church at (910) 483-6505.
Ml
Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church
318 Denmark Street, Goldsboro, NC 27530 Phone 919-735-3242
Musician/ Music Administrator
Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church of Goldsboro, NC is
currently seeking a musician/ music administrator.
Qualifications .
• Must be a Born again Christian '
• Must fiave knowledge of Baptist Doctrine.
• Must tiave a working knowledge of music ranging from
contemporary gospel to traditional gospel , hymns, the
ability to train voices, and teach songs.
• Must have previous church musical experience.
• Must be able to work with Pastor to enhance worship
service..
• Must have great organizational , and interpersonal skills.
• Salary Negotiable .
All interested persons can apply the following ways; ~ -
1 . Apply by mailing resume to church at Mount Calvary
Missionary Baptist Church, 318 Denmark St., Goldsboro,
NC 27530.
^ 2. Email resume to Church email address at
mtcalvarygoldsboro@att.net
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FOR ADDRESS CHANGE, ATTACH OLD MAILING LABEL
Pastor Vacancy Announcement
Position:
Beauty Spot Missionary Baptist Church of Fayetteville, North Carolina is seeking a fuil-time pastor called by God to
serve as spintual leader of the congregation.
1 . Must i» guid^ by the principles set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9.
2 Must be a person of prayer, good faith. Godly character and Divinely called to God's nrtinistry
3. Must be baptized by immersion as set forth by Baptist Doctrine.
. 4. Must be licensed, trained and ordained in the Baptist ministry.
5. Must have at least a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university, college or seminary.
6. Minimum of 3 years of pastoral expenence preferred.
Duties of the Pastor
1 Serve as spiritual leader for the congregation.
2 Plan and conduct worship service.
3. Provide Pastoral guidance and counseling to congregants as needed.
All interested and qualified persons must submit a candidate packet consisting of the following
information:
• 1. Beauty Spot Missionary Baptist Church Application Form (download from ^ beautyspotmbc.org)
2. Cover Letter.
3. Current Resume (include email address and phone number)
4. Two professional references (pastors).
5. Copy of certificate of Ficense and ordination.
6. Copy of your degree(s)
7. Proof of theology training
8. Two DVDs of necent sermons within the last six nronths (optional)
Please mail these items, NO LATER THAN February 28, 2014 to;
Beauty Spot Missionary Baptist Church
ATTN. Pulpit Search Committee
PO. Box 25268
Fayetteville. NC 28314
The candidate packet must be postmarked NLT February 28, 201 4. Any packet postmari(ed after that date will be
destroyed without consideration The committee will acknowledge receipt of all items by email notification
12 Baptist Informer
• • • NEWS ACROSS THE STATE • • •
Brunswick Co. School Board Keeps
'The Color Purple' on Reading List
PRESS REPORTS
B
OLIVIA, NC - The Brunswick County Board
of Education recently voted 3-2 to uphold a
decision by the county superintendent to keep
SHAW UNIVERSITY
••• NEWS •••
(continued from page 1) /
In 1998, Dr. Faulcon joined the faculty at Shaw as
an assistant professor in the Department of Allied
Health Professions. He received a Bachelor of Science
degree from Saint Augustine's College and rwo degrees
from North Carolina State University: a Master of
Recreation Resources and Public Administration and a
Doctorate in Higher Education Administration and
Public Administration.
"I am deeply committed to the mission and well-
being of Shaw University, said Faulcon and I am dedi-
cated to moving it forward during this period of
transition."
Shaw Professor Receives
Three Awards in 2013 "
December 19, 2013 - Dr. Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan,
professor of religion in Shaw's Divinity School, was
the recipient of three prestigious awards in 2013.
Kirk-Duggan received the
2013-2014 Outstanding Fac-
ulty member of the Year Award
from the National Alumni As-
sociation of Shaw University.
She also received the 20 1 3
Bishop's Empowerment Award
winner for meritorious service
to church and community
from Senior Bishop Thomas L.
Hoyt, Jr., Presiding Prelate,
Seventh Episcopal District, of the Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church [CME]. In addition,
Kirk-Duggan received the 2013 Committee on the
Status of Women in the Profession of the Society of
Biblical Literature Mentor Award. The Society for
Biblical Literature, founded in 1880, is the oldest and
largest learned society devoted to the critical investiga-
tion of the Bible from a variety of academic disci-
plines.
Previously, Kirk-Duggan received the 2011 YWCA
Academy of Women in Education Award, a 201 1
Black Religious Scholars Group Award and was a
2012 Womanist Legacy Honoree. In 2009 and 20 11,
she was the recipient of the Shaw University Excel-
lence in Academic Research Award. An author of over
20 books, numerous articles, and membership in sev-
eral professional societies, Kirk-Duggan has also been
featured in Malka Drucker's White Fire: A Portrait of
Women Spiritual Leaders in America, Skylight Paths,
2003, and in Cleo LaRue's This is My Story: Testi-
monies and Sermons of Black Women in Ministry,
Westminster/John Knox, 2005.
Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize -winning
novel, "The Color Purple," ^
as part of the school system's
high school curriculum. The
vote came after the board re-
ceived public testimony from
parents, students, educators,
and community members.
"Today's vote marks a victory
for academic freedom and the
rights of students. The freedom
to read is just as essential to a
healthy democracy as the freedom \
of speech and all other rights pro-
tected by the U.S. Constitu-
tion," according to Chris Brook,
Legal Director for the American
Civil Liberties Union of North Car-
olina Legal Foundation.
"Literary classics such as 'The Color Pur-
ple' are part of high school curricula across
the country precisely because they tackle
difficult and challenging topics that com-
pel students to think critically about the
world around them. When we deny stu-
dents access to certain books or ideas, we
deny them access to knowledge and the
tools necessary for critical thinking. We
are glad the board did the right thing
today, and we will continue to monitor
the situation going forward."
In September 2013, the Randolph
County Board of Education voted 6-
1 to reverse an earlier vote banning
Ralph Ellison's literary classic, "In-
visible Man," from Randolph
County schools.
',- Advertisement For Pastor
7 ; ' • Mount Pteasant Missionary Baptist Church
, . 4460 US Highway 13 North
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist is currently accepting resume's for the position of Pastor. Mount Pleasant
is a member of the Bear Creek Missionary Baptist Association.
Potential Candidate Qualifications:
• Must be led by the Spirit of God in all matters and perform pastoral duties according to the
scriptures and the needs of the church.
■ • Must be ordained and licensed with a strong knowledge of the Missionary Baptist doctrines,
policies and practices.
■ * Must be willing to conduct worship service on a weekly basis.
• Three to five years of prior pastoral experience.
• Seminary degree from an accredited school or equivalent education preferred.
'-\- * Ability to teach God's word and carryout administrative, strong leadership and counseling
duties.
• Ability to communicate and work with al! age levels. Participate in Outreach Ministries
■ £ (including, but not limited to, youth and senior ministries).
: r . • Must be family and community oriented. ■ '
■ ' • Must be a positive role model of moral and ethical conduct.
• Must be witling to teach and/or attend Sunday school, Prayer Meeting and Bible Study; visit the
sick and shut-in, participate In administering Holy Communion to the sick and shut-in and
; ^ - support church functions,
/ " • Must have vision for the spiritual, intellectual, physical and financial growth of the church.
• Be willing to relocate within a 25-mile radius of the church.
. • Be a strong supporter of the Union and the Bear Creek Association.
• The applicant will be expected to attend seminars, conferences, workshops and other
- , Educational programs that will contribute to the spiritual and intellectual growth of the church.
Along with'your resume, potential candidate must also provide:
• Four references: 2 professional; 2 personal. References must include name, address and
telephone number.
■ " • Name, address and telephone number of previous or current church affiliation. Please include
pastor^s name if applicable.
• Proof of religious credentials (license/ordination),
. L , • Proof of degree for confirmation or transcript of completed courses if degree has not been
conferred.
, ^ ~ • Provide a criminal background and credit check.
• Provide a cover letter/letter of intent.
In case of questions contact Deacon Eddie B. Waters, Committee Chairman @ (919) 734-7715,
If you feel God is leading you to answer this call, please submit your resume to:
Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church
Pastoral Search Committee
P.O. Box 678
Baptist Informer 13
God s communication systems surpass all others
In a world of cell telephones, email, text messages.
Face Time and instant Messaging, you would
think communication would be easy. The reality is
that most of us have become so overwhelmed by the
world's "always available" expectation that we tend to
let one or more of our communication tools slip.
My family's problem is
the home telephone
voicemail. So, here is a
blanket apology to all the
people who called with
Mother's Day wishes, Fa-
ther's Day greetings,
birthday messages, politi-
cal campaign pushes, sales
pitches, meeting re-
minders, appointment re-
minders and just plain
chat opportunities: I am
sorry that I did not re-
spond to your telephone
calls, although I did even-
tually listen to each and
every message. I have not
checked voicemail in a few days or weeks. Well, actu-
ally, months. I know... it's bad.
I try to justify my delinquency by telling myself
that not checking voicemail is acceptable, because
most of the people trying to reach us also have our cell
numbers or will call back when we are home. But, I
Linda Brown
DOUGLAS
know better.
What if God was "slack" about receiving our calls?
In fact, what if God just said, "That's OK. If she really
needs me she will try again later. Surely, she can write
down her message someplace."
What if God decided to operate the same as the
big companies these days that only accept inquiries
electronically? Just imagine it:
Before your prayer request can be submitted di-
rectly to God, you must first type in these zigzag al-
phabets that look like "b-e-e", but are actually "h-a-a".
Please wait 24 hours for God to respond. Thank you
for being a loyal believer.
Aren't we glad that God is old fashioned? Despite
all the techie stuff, "God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1 ESV)."
Actually, correct that "old fashioned" thing. God
provided the first source of Instant Messaging. People
have been "IMING" God throughout time. God of-
fers "Real Time" responses through a system with per-
fect Voice Recognition.
We are already experiencing a rwo-way system of
Speech Recognition, because not only does God hear
us, but we realize when we hear God: "My sheep hear
my voice and I know them and they follow me (John
10:27 ESV)." Also, "Call to me and I will answer you,
and will tell you great and hidden things that you
have not known (Jeremiah 33:3 ESV)."
God perfected multimedia centuries ago, knowing
that "faith comes from hearing and hearing through
the word of Christ (Romans 10:17 ESV)" And who
can forget God speaking to Moses through the burn-
ing bush? Now, that's multimedia communication.
God is the ultimate communicator, surpassing any
File Sharing, Website Platform or Customer Relations
Management (CRM) systems available yesterday,
today or tomorrow. And it's all live: "For the Word of
God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of
joints and of marrow and discerning the thoughts and
intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)"
Linda Brown Douglas is Director of Community
Relations at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Reach her at: Linda_Douglas@unc-edu.
Pastoral Vacancy for
Zoar Missionary Baptist Church
1. Born Again ■ ' . ~-
2. Faithful Christian with a solid belief in the birth, crucifixion and resunrection of
Jesus Christ as recorded in the Holy Bible
3. Biblical qualities of a pastor as defined in I Timothy 3:1-7
4. Solid Knowledge of God's Word and God's Will in doing and canning out the
function of the church
5 Family, Community and Politically Oriented ^ , : , .
6. Effective worl<ing with ail age groups in the church
7. Bachelor's Degree in Theology from an accredited college or university
(preferred) or courses in seminary training and willing to do further study
8 Licensed and ordained by the Missionary Baptist Denomination
9. Have at least 2 years of pastoral experience
10. Believes/Abides by the Missionary Baptist Doctrine, Policies and Church
Covenant . ■ ^
1 1 . Supportive of the Association and the General Baptist State Convention
12. Expected to teach, preach, (4 Sunday's/month) and counsel in Word & Deed to
all age groups in the church
13. Able to guide the critical management function of the church Spiritually,
Intellectually and Financially _
14. Willing to submit to a criminal background check and credit report
1 5. Visionary and trained in setting goals for the continued growth of the church
16. Implements policies fairly and consistently and respects individual needs and
abilities
17. Supports church functions including Sunday School, Bible Study and Prayer
Meeting
18. Visits the sick and shut-in "hospitalized & nursing homes"
Please include resume, copy of pastoral license and ordination papers.
All correspondences must be post-marked by;
_ February 28, 2014
Attn: Search Committee ^ '.
- - - . P.O. Box 27 ,V;. ■
• . Pendleton, NC 27862
Holly Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Rockingham, North Carolina
is now accepting resunnes for the position of pastor.
Qualifications:
1. The applicant must be a licensed and ordained Minister, and willing to become
a member of the Pee Dee Missionary Baptist Educational Association.
2. Must have strong knowledge of Baptist Doctrine.
3. The applicant must be a born again Christian, as evidenced by one's character
and dedication.
4. Must be able to work with all age groups within the church.
5. Must be willing to support all church programs. (Sunday School, Bible Study,
Prayer Meetings, etc.)
6. Must be able to build up church spiritually.
Qualified candidates must submit the following Items:
1. Letter of intent (Cover Letter)
2. Current resume (include family background and summary of
relevant ministry, professional and educational experience.
3. Three letters of reference along with a copy of Ministerial License
and Ordination Certificate.
Please forward all correspondences to:
Pastor Search Committee - C/0 Dr. Mary F. Swann
Holly Grove Missionary Baptist Church
107 Minturn Avenue
Hamlet, North Carolina 28345
14 Baptist Informer
Many are called, but few are chosen. Are you called to lead God's
People in the 2 1 st Century? We can help you be better equipped.
Earn up to 1/3 of Your Degree On-line
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Accredited by ATS for Over a Decade
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Please contact our office today to setup your tour and to get more
information. The number is (919) 546-8570.
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