Skip to main content

Mcconnels Bethesda Presbyterian church to ordain its first black elder

MCCONNELLS during the period when Alberta Anthony joined Bethesda Presbyterian church in MCCONNELLS three years back, she felt a great sense of peace. Standing beneath the sanctuary's chandelier, she gazed at the balcony where her forefathers and her husband's-The Anthony's and the Davidson's-once settled. That was standard in many York County churches prior to the Civil War: White parishioners sat in pews;their slaves worshiped in the balcony. During Sunday's 11 a.m. service, Anthony willbe one of six elders ordained at the historic church,which was initiated in 1769. Three men and three women comprise the latest class of elders that will serve for three years.Anthony is the first black church member elected as a Bethesda elder."I feel like this is drawing me closer to God,"Anthony said. "I'm not doing this in opposition,not with an ethic... In heaven it will be blacks and whites."

Bethesda's spiritual mentor, the Rev.Daniel Smoak, called today's installation"a fascinating moment for the church." "But in otherwise, we're doing what we have always done, setting apart by prayer and the laying on of hands leaders chosen by God for service to His church," he said. "I believe Alberta was elected for leadership in this church for the right reasons – not as a political statement about race – but simply because of her gifts and service to the church "She and her husband James are good members; she'll be a good elder."Anthony said she didn't intend to change churches when she visited Bethesda with friends three years back. Her home church was St. Paul's Baptist, where she attended until she married James in 1972. She and James attended Galilee Baptist.She was active at Galilee, but felt led to change churches.

At Bethesda, the former fifth-grade teacher at Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary attended services, went to Sunday school and Bible classes. Others recognized her servant heart,and she was elected by the congregation as an elder.In her new role, Smoak said, Anthony will be
asked to "consider ways the church can share the gospel of Jesus with a broken,detrimental and fragmented community and world. She cares about those things."Anthony also is interested in enlarging the church's yearly food drive and using her Techniques as a mentor to associate with the church's youth.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Imam Shamshad Visits Two Inland Empire Mayors

Imam Shamshad’s mission is to inform the citizens of Southern California in general — and its religious and civic leaders in particular — about the true teachings of Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s Baitul Hameed Mosque on Ramona Ave. in Chino is celebrating its 25th anniversary in July, and its Imam, Shamshad A. Nasir, is on a mission — a public relations mission that’s been on-going since the mosque was built and which he has continued since being stationed at the Chino Mosque as the worldwide Ahmadiyya Community’s southwest regional missionary in the U.S More Brief
Post a Comment
Read more

Nigerian military denies targeting Muslims in its operations

The Nigerian military on Tuesday rejected the allegation that soldiers were carrying out attacks aimed at killing Muslims. The military described a statement issued by the Jama'atul Nasril Islam, JNI, alleging extra-judicial killing of Muslims as 'inflammatory.'The JNI had issued a statement on Monday accusing the military of carrying out attacks targeted at unharmed Muslims. The JNI is a coalition of Islamic organisations in Nigeria and is headed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar.In its response, the Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, said in a statement that JNI's statement was false and was meant to cause disaffection within the military. Mr. Olukolade said although the military would not join issues with the reputable religious group, it would, however, set the records straight."The Nigerian military remains non-partisan, non-sectarian and will continue to be the symbol of patriotism and a unifying factor in the face of threats to national s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Leaders of Syrain church group visits U.S to ask government to stop supporting rebels

Armenian Orthodox Christians gather at their church of St Sarkis in Old Damascu s || BCCN1  The stories told by five top Syrian Christian leaders about the horrors their churches are experiencing at the hands of Islamist extremists are biblical in their brutality. Bishop Elias Toumeh, representative of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, tells of the funeral he led ten days ago for the headless body of one of his parishioners in Marmarita. Rev. Adeeb Awad, vice moderator of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, explains how the rebels blew up his church and then pointed the finger at the regime. Bishop Armash Nalbandian, primate of the Armenian Church of Damascus, says he received word on facebook from a fellow bishop in Aleppo that two congregants were traveling when opposition fighters stopped their bus, made them present their Armenian IDs, and then took them away. The fighters, Nalbandian recounts, returned to the fellow passengers...
Post a Comment
Read more