AME Church Clergy Family Information Center (CFIC)

Archived Congratulatory Announcements

2018

*Drs. McDonald and Retired General Officer Jamye Coleman Williams will be celebrating 75 years of marriage on December 28, 2018.

Married in 1943, Jamye Coleman and McDonald Williams have dedicated their lives to teaching, civic activism, and the church. Dr. Jamye Coleman William’s teaching career spans almost fifty years, the last fourteen of which she served as the head of the Department of Communication at Tennessee State University. In 1984, she assumed the editorship of the AME Church Review, the oldest black journal in America, becoming the first woman to be elected as a major officer in the 197-year history of the AME Church.

Dr. McDonald Williams taught English at various colleges and universities for forty-six years and is credited for the development and expansion of the University Honors Program at Tennessee State University, which he directed for twenty-two years. He also helped to steward the St. John AME Church and the AME Church’s Commission on Higher Education.

In tandem, the Williams’ co-edited the 1970 publication, The Negro Speaks: The Rhetoric of Contemporary Black Leaders. Working together throughout their careers, the Williams’ have been co-recipients of numerous accolades and awards, including the 2002 Joe Kraft Humanitarianism Award by the Community Foundation.

McDonald Williams, born in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania on November 13, 1917

Jamye Coleman, born in Louisville,
Kentucky on December 15, 1918

2017 article from the Tennessee Tribune profiled them as

"Couple of the Year".

https://tntribune.com/community/local/nashville/tennessee-tribunes-couple-year/

Congratulatory messages can be sent to:

125 Wynfield Way, SW

Atlanta, GA 30331

(404) 346-8927 — Phone/FAX

JMACAME@aol.com

*Rev. Dr. James Anthony Morris, won the prestigious Professional Award at the Greater Texarkana Branch of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Annual Awards and Freedom Fund Banquet

*Congratulations to Rev. Dr. James Anthony Morris, adjunct professor at Texarkana College, who won the prestigious Professional Award at the Greater Texarkana Branch of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Annual Awards and Freedom Fund Banquet held on Saturday, October 27, 2018.

*Rev. Dr. Morris is the proud but humble pastor of the Hamilton Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church located in Texarkana, Texas. He also serves as the secretary of the North Texas Annual Conference board of examiners and the annual conference statistician under the Episcopal Leadership of Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie and Supervisor Stan McKenzie.

(Pictured: Mr. Robert Jones, Texarkana Chapter NAACP President and Rev. Dr. James Anthony Morris)

Photo: Courtesy of Texarkana College

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to james.morris@texarkanacollege.edu, Dr. James Anthony Morris, MBA, MTS, D.Min.

*Rev. Ritney Castine is profiled in Louisiana Newspaper

The Advocate is Louisiana's largest daily newspaper. Based in Baton Rouge, it serves the southern portion of the state, including Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Lafayette. On December 14^th, Rev. Castine’s profile was featured in the bi-monthly “Faith Matters” column. Rev. Ritney Castine is Pastor of Trinity AME Church in Gonzales, Louisiana, Eighth Episcopal District.

It can be viewed via the following link: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/article_2b6faef0-fa54-11e8-9253-3b91532ffc5a.html

Congratulatory messages can be sent to ritneyc@gmail.com.

*Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. Preaching at Joint Ecumenical Service, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church Sunday, January 13, 2019

Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Pastor Of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church will be preaching at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church on the Louisiana State University’s Campus. Father Andrew Rollins is the Chaplain. The Joint worship Service will take place on Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 10:30 am. This will be the second time the Bethel Family will be hosted by The St. Alban’s Episcopal Family. The congregation and the Mass Choir will travel with Dr. Kelly. This ecumenical relationship began after Father Rollins and his family attended Bethel after the attack on Mother Emanuel in South Carolina. At the request of his wife Julie, they wanted to worship at an African Methodist Episcopal Church to indicate their solidarity with the Methodist Episcopal Church Family. The relationship continued as Dr. Kelly has lectured several times at his C. S. Lewis luncheons for students on Wednesday afternoons. The Youth at each respective congregations have done Ministry together. He has also taught a joint bible study at Bethel.

The Rev. Dr. Herman O. Kelly also teaches courses at LSU in education and African American studies and has taught religious studies courses in the past. He holds a master’s in divinity from Boston University School of Theology and a doctorate in congregational studies from Memphis Theological Seminary.

*l be presenting a Paper entitled The Black Rhetorical Traditions In The Civil Rights Movement. This paper will be presented at The National African and African American Studies Conference in Dallas, Texas on Thursday, February 14, 2019. Dr. Kelly is an adjunct Instructor at Louisiana State University in The African and African American Studies Program And In The College Of Education. This paper will highlight his research on The Black Rhetorical Traditions and how it assisted the Civil Rights Movement. He has edited Volume I And Volume II.

*REV. JONATHAN C. AUGUSTINE TO RECEIVE A $5,000.00 ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP FROM THE CHURCH MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY FOUNDATION RELIGIOUS SCHOLAR'S PROGRAM

Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, the 46th pastor of Historic St. James AME Church in New Orleans, has been selected as 1 of only 50 to to receive a $5,000 academic scholarship from the Church Mutual Insurance Company Foundation Religious Scholar's Program. Rev. Augustine is a second-year candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree at Duke University Divinity School. The Church Mutual press release can be viewed here:
https://www.churchmutual.com/cmcares/2018cmcares-scholars.cfm

Rev. Augustine earned a B.A. from Howard University, as a fully-funded ROTC scholarship recipient and University Board of Trustees Scholar, before serving on active duty as a U.S. Army infantry officer and earning his J.D. from Tulane University Law School. He later earned his M.Div. from United Theological Seminary, as a fully-funded scholarship recipient, before completing a fellowship for further study at Princeton Theological Seminary. Rev. Augustine currently serves as the national chaplain of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and an adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center.

Congratulatory expressions may be sent to: jayaugustine9@gmail.com.

October 2018

*Former Episcopal Supervisor Mildred Primm, widow of Bishop Howard Thomas Primm, celebrates 99th birthday on Sunday, October 21, 2018

Supervisor Mildred Primm will celebrate her 99th birthday on Sunday, October 21, 2018. Help wish her a happy birthday and pray God’s blessings as she begins a new year.

Expressions may be sent to: Campbell Chapel AME Church
1500 E. 22nd Ave., Denver, CO 80205

Email: campbellchapelamechurch.denver@gmail.com

Rev. Jennifer S. Leath, Ph.D., Pastor

*Bishop Frederick Hilborn Talbot, the 90^th Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church celebrates Ninety-First Birthday October 13th

Greetings in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our reconciled and redeeming Savior! I pray that you will join me now in fervent prayers as I celebrate my ninety-first birthday on Saturday, October 13^th.In the words of Henry McNeil Turner, the twelfth bishop, liturgist and missionary pioneer, “I thank God for mercies seen and unseen.” And for the innumerable surprises in my career, I exclaim with Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne, our 6^th bishop, pioneer, historiographer and liturgist extraordinaire, “My, My, My!” Thanks to God and to my church for the privilege and honor of electing and consecrating me the ninetieth bishop serving for thirty-two years and fulfilling the mission of our Bethel. Thank God for Sylvia who has partnered and blessed my life for more than 60 years. Pray for our strength for the rest of our journey! Simply and briefly put, God has been “embarrassingly good.”

Sincerely and humbly,

Frederick Hilborn Talbot, D.Min., C.C.H.

Birthday greetings can be emailed to: fhtalbotn@aol.com

**Husband and wife team, General Officer Dr. Richard Allen Lewis, Treasurer / CFO, Finance Department African Methodist Episcopal Church and Mrs. Delorse Askins Lewis served as Grand Marshals in the Tennessee State University Homecoming Parade

TSU Homecoming Parade Grand Marshals, Dr. Richard A. Lewis and Mrs. Delores A. Lewis smiles during the 2018 Homecoming Parade along John Merritt Blvd. Saturday, October 20, 2018, in Nashville, Tennessee during the Homecoming Parade. Dr. Lewis, owner of Lewis & Wright Funeral Directors, is an alumnus and Trustee of the institution. Mrs. Delores A. Lewis, an alumnus, is the Former Executive Director of TSU Development/Foundation Office.

Also pictured in the photo are honorees Mrs. Dorothy Lockridge and Mr. James Bass.

See news articles:
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/10/20/tsu-homecoming-parade-nashville-james-shaw-jr-waffle-house-hero/1710019002/

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to: cfo96amec@aol.com

*Dr. Hercules T. Miles General Officer Retired Celebrated 90^th Birthday

Congratulations to Dr. Hercules T. Miles, General Officer, Retired, Director of the former Church Extension of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Dr. Miles celebrated his 90th Birthday on September 19th.

*Mrs. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, Consultant, Social Action Commission African Methodist Episcopal Church Awarded the J Irwin Miller Award from the National Council of Churches

National Council of Churches Culminates “Christian Unity Gathering” with Elections, Resolution, and Approved $2.4m Budget

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the nation’s oldest ecumenical body, concluded its annual “Christian Unity Gathering” last week in a spirit of celebration and hope. Leaders from across the Council’s 38-member communions came to College Park, Maryland, to join in conversation, worship, and decision-making. The Christian Unity Gathering (CUG) continued the Council’s “AC.T. Now to End Racism” campaign, begun with a mass rally on the National Mall last April.

The Gathering hosted Rev. Dr. David Anderson Hooker, Associate Professor of the Practice of Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding at Notre Dame University, as its keynote speaker. Dr. Hooker led the Gathering’s attendees, a mix of denominational officials, seminary students, faith-based activists, and others, in practical exercises that can be used in churches in the work to end racism. These powerful sessions set the groundwork for the Council’s next steps in its A.C.T Now program.

Worship was integrated into the Gathering in ways that enriched and challenged the participants. Rev. Traci Blackmon of the United Church of Christ preached on the “Jericho Road” in the opening service, calling the Church to go into the areas perceived as dangerous and off-limits. Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church reminded participants that we are not to be spectators, but rather liberators to all of God’s people. Litanies in which participants pledged to do the hard work of ending racism in themselves, their churches, and their institutions formed the responses to these powerful sermons.

In addition to the vital ecumenical work done through the NCC’s Convening Tables and the Intergenerational Think Tank, participants also attended “Deep Dives,” interactive workshop experiences, covered subjects that included the Supreme Court, Religious Freedom, “Sacred Conversations” on ending racism, and the role of memory and truth-telling in anti-racism work.

The Council held its second annual awards banquet, presenting Mrs. Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker with the J. Irwin Miller Award for Excellence in Ecumenical Leadership; Amb. David Saperstein with the Award for Excellence in Interreligious Leadership, and Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune with the President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership. Each awardee was recognized for outstanding, exemplary leadership in the faith community.

“The individuals we celebrate embody the work of NCC as we strive for justice and peace,” remarked the Chair of NCC Governing Board, Bishop W. Darin Moore of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. “Our nation is facing enormous challenges and deep divisions. The Christian Unity Gathering is a powerful witness that Christians can speak hard truths and yet remain in beloved community. In fact, it is only when we can speak the truth in love will we experience true community.”

In the closing moments of the meeting, the Governing Board approved a statement, “The Urgent Need to Lift our Voice in Our Elections,” stating that, “We view exercising and defending every person's right and responsibility to vote as a way of lifting up the full image of God.“
The dates for the next Christian Unity Gathering is October 14-16, 2019. Information on this year’s CUG can be found at https://nationalcouncilofchurches.us/cug.

Photos from the event with credits and descriptions can be found here.

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: jdupontw@aol.com

*Rev. Mark Washington is sworn in as first African-American City Manager in Grand Rapids, MI

Mark Washington began as City Manager on October 1, 2018. Mark has worked in local government for nearly 23 years, most recently as Assistant City Manager for the City of Austin, Texas. He most recently served as pastor of Vision of Hope African Methodist Episcopal Church in Austin. He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He has a bachelor of business administration in human resources management from Tarleton State University, a master of business administration from Amberton University and a master of arts and doctorate in education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Send congratulations to: manager@grcity.us

Full media coverage below:

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/grand-rapids-swears-in-first-black-city-manager/1511175415

*Behold, children are a gift of the Lord…” Psalm 127:3

The birth of the first grandchild of Presiding Elder and Mrs. Alexander Gatson

Proud Parents Drs. Marlon and Alexis Heaston are happy to announce the birth of their daughter Alexandria Anne Heaston, born on September 27, 2018. Alexis is the Daughter of Presiding Elder, Alexander Gatson and Mrs. Annette Gatson of the North District, Tennessee Annual Conference of the 13th Episcopal District. Alexandria is Presiding Elder and Mrs. Gatson’s first grandchild.

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: algatson57@gmail.com

*Reverend & Mrs. Charles (Jeanette P.) Singleton of the Seventh Episcopal District Celebrates Their 61st Wedding Anniversary

Reverend & Mrs. Charles (Jeanette P.) Singleton who started out together as childhood sweethearts (2nd & 3rd grades), ask that you kindly join with them as they say "TO GOD BE THE GLORY! WE SAY THANK YOU JESUS, WE SAY THANK YOU LORD for blessing and allowing us SIXTY-ONE (61) blessed and beautiful years together" (September 7, 1957-September 7, 2018. Both are retirees from the world of work but still very, very active with many organizations.

In the AME Church - he is an active superannuated (retired) pastor and she an active Life member of the AME Connectional Women's Missionary. After a beautiful Dinner Cruise in Savannah, Georgia, they were welcomed back in AWENDAW by children - Charnette E. Singleton, Charles P. Singleton, Charlton P. (Maryjo) Singleton. Grandchildren - Eric (Kra'Shonna), Shalamar, Evan, D'Marcus, and Ashanti. The Welcome - Happy, Happy 61st Wedding Anniversary, We Love You And There Is Nothing You Can Do About It.

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: jeanettepsing@att.net

*Pastor Herman O. Kelly State Champion In His Age Group In Three Events in Swimming at the Louisiana State Olympics

Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, competed in the Louisiana State Olympics in Swimming at the Exxon Mobile YMCA in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Pastor Kelly is the State Champion in his age group in three events, the 50 Butterfly, 50 Breaststroke and 100 Individual Medley.

Dr. Kelly qualifies for the National Senior Olympics to held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he will represent the State of Louisiana. Dr. Kelly trains at Louisiana State University, where he is adjunct Faculty Member in Education and African American Studies.

Congratulatory messages can be sent to: spidermh7@yahoo.com

*Congratulations to Reverend Dr. H. Charles Farris retired Presiding Elder and Mrs. Rayjo Farris as they celebrate their Fifty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary

*Congratulations to The Reverend Dr. H. Charles Farris, retired Presiding Elder of the Phoenix/Albuquerque District-Desert Mountain Conference and former pastor, Fifth Episcopal District, and Mrs. Rayjo Farris, as they celebrate their Fifty-Fifth Wedding Anniversary on September 20^th.

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to:

revhcfarris@yahoo.com (Reverend Farris)

rjtfarris@yahoo.com (Mrs. Farris)

*Rev. Ritney Castine elected to Chair Board of Directors of the National African American Tobacco Prevention Network

At the annual board meeting held after the end of inaugural "State of Black Health" Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Rev. Castine was elected to serve as Chairman of the NAATPN board of directors for a three-year term. He also served as chair of the conference held from September 11-13.

Rev. Castine is the pastor of Trinity AME Church in Gonzales, Louisiana.

Congratulations can be sent to ritneyc@gmail.com.

*Holy Baptism for Melvin Lenard Priest Torrence son of Mr. Saxton Torrence and Terri M.L. Mayes-Torrence, esq. and grandson of Rev. Dr. Terence L. Mayes, Sr.

Praise God for the joyful Sacred Celebration of Holy Baptism for Melvin Lenard Priest Torrence, son of Mr. Saxton Torrence and Terri M.L. Mayes-Torrence, esq., and grandson of Rev. Dr. Terence L. Mayes, Sr., Presiding Elder, Fayetteville-Pulaski District, East Tennessee Conference, 13^th Episcopal District and Pastor of St. Paul Agnew AME Church, Pulaski TN and Mrs. Juliana Mayes, 1^st Lady, Fayetteville-Pulaski District.

Congratulatory messages can be sent to: tmayes56@gmail.com

*Saint James AME Church Family Newark New Jersey Proudly Congratulates Pastor Ronald L. Slaughter

Pastor Ronald Slaughter, a native of Orlando, FL, an adopted son of Georgia is now the youngest pastor in history to serve as Senior Pastor of Saint James AME Church in Newark, NJ. Following in the footsteps of deep family traditions, Pastor Slaughter accepted the call to preach on June 7, 1996, under the spiritual leadership of Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr.

In just over seven years of ministry at Saint James A.M.E. Church, 1,300 souls have been added to the kingdom, over 700,000 in debt has been liquidated, a $65,000 parsonage and $12,000 vestibule renovation completed, and a $15,000 renovation on the exterior sidewalks and courtyard making the edifice more accessible for those with mobility challenges. The ministry continues to grow with an average attendance of 1700 worshippers weekly at our Newark Campus and over 200 worshippers weekly at our South Orange Campus located at South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC).

On May 7, 2018, Pastor Slaughter earned his Doctor of Ministry Degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. In spite of all of his wonderful accomplishments, Pastor Slaughter admits that without a loving, supportive, and understanding family, none of this would be possible. He is eternally grateful and extremely appreciative of his wife, Kyla Trinette Brown Slaughter and their children: Kellyn Skyla, Kylynn Rona, and Ronald Levant “R2.”

According to Pastor Slaughter, God has done all of this to prove that He can use someone who is yet “a work in progress” and believes with all his heart that “the best in Christ Jesus is yet to come!”

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to:
ronaldslaughter@hotmail.com.

*The National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc. honors Presiding Elder Henry L. Postell, II with the Robert H. Miller “Professional of The Year” Award

On Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 7:00 P.M., Presiding Elder Henry L. Postell, a community servant of Central Florida, was honored as the Robert H. Miller 2018 Professional of the Year from the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc (NFD&MA). This black-tie event took take place during the 81st Annual Convention of the NFD&MA at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center located at 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee, FL 34747. Monica May of Star 94.5 served as the Mistress of Ceremony for this evening of honor and recognition, national recording artist, Smokie Norful performed, and the Presiding Prelate of the 7th Episcopal District, Bishop Samuel L. Green, Sr., who is also a Licensed Funeral Director, was the banquet speaker.

The Robert H. Miller Professional of the Year Award is given in recognition of one individual who has exemplified excellence through their commitment to funeral and public service. Presiding Elder Henry L. Postell, II has dedicated his life to ensuring that the bereaved families of Central Florida are rendered services of care, quality, and professionalism. He is a partner in education, community advocate and supporter of numerous civic organizations, churches, and youth groups. He provides generous contributes to Orlando Rescue Mission, Feeding the Homeless Coalition and the Salvation Army Annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Outreach Ministries.

Elder Postell also assists families with providing no-cost services for still born infants to families in need. He has without a doubt given much to the surrounding communities of Orlando. The Postell’s Mortuary have served the Central Florida community since 1991.

Elder Postell is also a Pastor and Builder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He now serves as the beloved Presiding Elder of the “NUTURING” North Orlando District, Central Annual Conference, Eleventh Episcopal District, of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Congratulatory Responses can be emailed to:
postellsmortuary@aol.com
Or
henpst@aol.com

*The Rev. Troy Merritt, Jr, and Mrs. Brenda Rhodes Merritt; Presiding Elder and First Lady of the Nashville District, Tennessee Conference celebrates 50th Wedding Anniversary

The Rev. Troy Merritt, Jr, and Mrs. Brenda Rhodes Merritt; Presiding Elder and First Lady of the Nashville District, Tennessee Conference will celebrate 50 years of marriage on Friday, August 17, 2018.

They were joined in Holy Matrimony on Saturday, August 17, 1968, by the late Rev. Leo Lesser, Jr., at Lee Chapel AME Church, Nashville, Tennessee.

Rev. Merritt was ordained a Deacon by the late Bishop Howard Thomas Primm in 1979; in 1981 he was ordained an Elder by Bishop William Franklin Ball, at Lee Chapel, Nashville, Tennessee.

Since 1979, they have served in the Tennessee, West Tennessee, and Kentucky Conferences of the 13th Episcopal District. Their service includes twenty-seven years as a pastor, and twelve years as a Presiding Elder. Presently, they, joyfully, serve the very fine members of the Nashville District.

Together, they also enjoy their four adult children, and six grandchildren.

Congratulatory messages can be sent to:

Troy and Brenda Merritt
913 Sutton Hill Road
Nashville, TN 37204
tmerrit1@bellsouth.net
brmerritt@yahoo.com

*Tyler Sloan Hansberry, graduates with Master of Science degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Policy & Management

T. D. Hansberry, Presiding Elder
Suwannee-North District
Eleventh Episcopal District – AME Church

*Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, JD, MDiv., senior pastor of Historic St. James AME Church in New Orleans served as speaker for the 2018 National Bar Association Arthenian Joyner Prayer Breakfast

Congratulations to Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, JD, MDiv., senior pastor of Historic St. James AME Church in New Orleans, for serving as speaker for the 2018 National Bar Association Arthenia Joyner Prayer Breakfast, during the NBA's 2018 National Convention in New Orleans. The Honorable Arthenia Joyner, the annual prayer breakfast's namesake, is a former NBA president and retired member of the Florida Senate. She is also a lifelong member of the AME Church and an active member of the 11th Episcopal District.

As a fellow NBA member, Rev. Augustine was asked to serve as the Joyner Prayer Breakfast speaker by Rev. Juan R. Thomas, Esq., the NBA's now-immediate past president, and an associate minister at The Cathedral of Grace-St. John AME Church, in Aurora, Illinois. In addition to being a NBA member, Rev. Augustine is also a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center, and former law clerk to Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson. He is a graduate of Howard University, Tulane University Law School, and United Theological Seminary, where he was a member of the seminary's Board of Trustees. Rev. Augustine is now a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree at Duke University Divinity School.

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to:

The Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, JD, MDiv.

46th Pastor, Historic St. James AME Church (1844)

National Chaplain, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

jayaugustine9@gmail.com

T: 225.773.4618

**Bishop Frederick H. Talbot and Dr. Sylvia R. Talbot Celebrate 60th Wedding Anniversary

**We are so grateful to be able to announce that on July 11, 2018 Bishop Frederick Hilborn Talbot and I (Sylvia Ross Talbot) will celebrate our 60^th Wedding Anniversary. Our lives have been full, demanding, exciting, challenging and fulfilling and we thank God for the vision, energy and fortitude.

With the initiative of our friends, Fred and I met while we both were studying at Yale University; he in the Divinity School and I in the then Dept. of Public Health in the School of Medicine.

I arrived at Yale after graduating from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico and several jobs in between. Fred was surprised by an announcement by Bishop William Wilkes that he was the recipient of a full scholarship to Allen University, Columbia, South Carolina and graduated in 1954.

We both graduated from Yale University the same day in June,1957. He left for Shorter College, Little Rock, AR to be Campus Minister and English teacher while I worked in New York City until I got a dream job in Sacramento, California. In 1958 we were married and I continued my work in Sacramento while Fred studied in Berkeley, California. He earned a Masters in Sacred Theology from Pacific School of Religion in 1959, Immediately we left for Wilberforce, Ohio where he joined the staff of Payne Theological Seminary.

Following The death of his Uncle, the Rev. D.P. Talbot in 1960, we moved to then British Guiana to pastor his home church, St. Peter’s A.M.E. Church. We arrived in Guiana at a time of tension and upheaval as there was a movement to gain independence from England. I was first employed as Teacher and later as Director of Health Education and we both attacked with the energy of young people on a mission and were very successful.

In 1966, I left to complete work on my doctorate at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City and earned the Doctorate in Health Education in 1968. Fred continued to develop the church family and as a “beloved son of the soil” was very active in community affairs, serving as Vice Chair of the Social Service Commission, was a Justice of the Peace and active in the Ministers’ Alliance serving as Chairman for several years. Later, he succeeded in completing the building of a new church in mortar and membership – some say with “pennies from heaven” and converted and added to the old church building to establish the Agape Community Center.

In 1968, I returned to Guiana and was immediately invited to serve as a Minister of Health of the new Government and served until 1971. That year, Fred was appointed as Guyana’s representative to the United Nations and I was appointed a delegate to serve during the annual Assembly.

In 1972, Fred was elected the 90^th Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and assigned to the 16^th Episcopal District serving until 1980. Understanding the needs of the District he designated his entire salary as a Bishop for the development of the District focusing on developing leadership providing more than 50 persons with scholarships to prepare for the ministry and other fields. Many of those persons now provide leadership in the District. During those eight years he was assigned first as Ambassador to the United States and Canada (1971-1975 and later as Ambassador or High Commissioner to several countries in the Caribbean -1975-1980. Resigning from his position in 1980.

During those eight years, I helped in developing the work in the District making more than 30 trips to the several islands, planning and supervising the first Connectional meeting of the District Women’s Missionary Society held in Haiti, Hosting the first meeting of the Connectional Young People’s Department overseas held in Guyana, building a Day Care Center in Kingston Jamaica, partnering with Bishop to host the first Connectional WMS meeting and Bishops’ Council Meetings outside the USA in Jamaica when more than 2000 AME’s attended. I was also active in the World Council of Churches, first as member of the Christian Medical Commission and later its Moderator (Chairperson) 1976-1983.

Bishop Fred served as Bishop of the 6^th Episcopal District (Georgia) 1980-1988, built the long wished for Dormitory on the campus of the Interdenominational Theological Center, purchased a Retreat Center in Columbus, Georgia. and as usual became involved in the life and work of the State. He also attended Columbia Seminary in Decatur and in 1987 earned the degree of Doctor of Ministry. My involvement in World Council of Churches programs increased with my election as one of the four officers of the Central Committee 1983-1990. At the same time, I was elected President of Church Women United /USA serving 1984-1988 and continued to work closely with the Women’s Missionary Society and YPD.

Bishop’s assignment as Ecumenical Officer 1988-1992 allowed time to attend Harvard University as Resident Fellow for a semester. Having moved back to St. Croix, I was happy to get involved in work with the Women’s Coalition and my local church as well as continue my work with the WCC. In 1989 when Hurricane Hugo destroyed the infrastructure of the island I was recruited to establish the Interfaith Coalition and am proud to report it still exists 28 years after. For years it was the only interfaith organization in the world that included members of the Christian (including Roman Catholic and Seven-Day Adventist), Moslem, Ba’hai and Jewish faiths. I served as its Director for five years building the agency from a staff of one to five and raising $1.5 million to help rebuild homes, then left to join Bishop in the 12^th District, serving from 1992-2000.

Bishop served in the 13^th District, Tennessee and Kentucky 2000-2004 retiring in 2004.

A trained baritone and a great lover of music, Bishop Fred has produced several CD’s and has written many hymns. He has also written several books.

We have been very fortunate in having our work recognized. Bishop has received the highest honor, the Cacique Crown of Honor from the Government of Guyana and many other honors from churches. He received the high honor of “Lux et Veritus” from Yale University and recognition from PSR.

I am especially moved by the recognition by the University of the Virgin Islands of my service as a Trustee, and also Vice Chair for several years by naming me Trustee Emeritus and also naming me one of “25 Most Prominent Men and Women of the U.S. Virgin Islands” and by ESSENCE magazine recognizing my work on two occasions, the last one being the title of “Legend of Our times” in 1990.

*Submitted by Dr. Sylvia Ross Talbot, Supervisor retired

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to: fhtalbotn@aol.com (Bishop Frederick H. Talbot) and sisti684@aol.com (Dr. Sylvia Talbot).

**Congratulations to Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield, Presiding Prelate of the Sixteenth Episcopal District African Methodist Episcopal Church for being included in the Ecumenical Hymnal: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

Congratulations to Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield for being included in the Ecumenical Hymnal: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. Her hymn, O Come Give Thanks was presented at the Hampton Ministers’ and Music Conference on June 5, 2018 directed by Rev. Anthony Vinson, immediate past Connectional Director of the Music and Christian Arts Conference. The Hymnal was distributed at the 2018 AMEC Council of Bishops and The General Board in Atlanta, GA. The hymn was also performed at the Music and Christian Arts Conference of the AMEC Christian Education Congress under Dr. Garland Pierce, Executive Director. and directed by Dr. James Abbington. Dr. Abbington is the Compiler of the One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism GIA Publication.

Congratulatory Expressions can be emailed to:
ahenningbyfield@gmail.com

Or sent by postal mail to:
The Right Rev. E. Anne Henning Byfield,
Presiding Prelate, 16th Episcopal District
Post Office Box 55106
Indianapolis, IN 46205-0106

**David Jameson Days a rising Senior at the Citadel, Military College of South Carolina designated to leadership role for the 2018-19 academic year

Annually, rising leadership is announced for the top nine student officers as well as battalion at the Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina in Charleston, SC. The Office of the Commandant has named the rising leadership for The Citadel 2018-19 academic year.

David Jameson Days, of Chester, South Carolina, a rising senior at the Citadel has been selected as the 2019-2020 Regimental Executive Officer, Second-in-command among the Citadel corps of cadets.

https://meritpages.com/ddays?expand=10811530

David is currently studying History and Spanish with plans of attending law school after finishing his bachelor's. He is also a member of the Air Force ROTC detachment at Citadel as wells as various other groups on campus. He states that he “is a Christian with a passion for helping others.”

He is the son of the Reverend Jacques Days, M.D. and the Reverend Angella Beckford-Days, Pastor and Co-Pastor of Thomas Chapel AME Church, Union, SC. and the grandson of the Reverend James Days, Pastor of St. John AME Church, Ailey, GA and Mrs. Dorothy Days.

Also, David was one of 13 Citadel cadets initiated into Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, on Thursday, May 3, 2018. https://meritpages.com/ddays?expand=10897746

Congratulatory messages can be sent to: daysmt516@gmail.com

**Dr. Wilma Mishoe has been named as the First Woman President of Delaware State University in Dover, DE, effective July 1, 2018.

Dr. Wilma Mishoe had been serving as the interim President. Prior to that she was named the First Women President of the Board of Trustees for Delaware State University. She comes to the office with a wealth of wisdom and over 30 years of experience in Higher Education, which includes her service as an administrator and interim president at Wilberforce University.

Dr. Wilma Mishoe is the Chair Pro Tem of the Steward Board at Mt Zion AME Church in Dover, DE where the Pastor is Rev. Dr. Erika D. Crawford.

She is the Sister of Rev. Rita Mishoe-Paige, Pastor of Star Hill AME Church in Dover, DE and the daughter of Dr. Luna Mishoe former president at Delaware State University and former member of the Judicial Council of the AME Church.

*Joe Ann Lyle Hoffman, the 6^TH Connectional Director of Promotion Missionary Education(PME) for the Women’s Missionary Society received the Valiant Woman Award given by Church Women United (CWU)

Joe Ann Lyle Hoffman, the 6^TH Connectional Director of Promotion Missionary Education(PME) for the Women’s Missionary Society, Life Member and the Widow of the late Reverend William D. Hoffman received the Valiant Woman Award given by Church Women United(CWU) in Fort Worth, Texas on Friday May 4, 2018. She has been a member of Church Women United for over 25 years. Joe Ann presently serves on the local level of CWU as Membership Chair, Editor for the Yearbook and Editor for the Unit’s Newsletter. On the state level of CWU she serves as the Editor for the Church Woman Newsletter, and as Chaplain.

The VALIANT WOMAN AWARD is presented at the local, state and national levels. A Valiant Woman is a woman who has given service to Church Women United, her church and her community. She may or not be an actual leader but is always someone who leads by example. A Valiant Woman is a woman who lives the Gospel Message in her everyday life.

Joe Ann is a faithful member of St. James AME Church in Fort Worth, Texas, Editor of the 10^th Episcopal District MSWAWO+PK’s newsletter “TEXAS NEWS” and a friend and blessing to all who are privileged to spend any time in her presence.

Congratulatory messages can be sent to: joahoff@sbcglobal.net

**James A. Alexander, Jr. Receives Dual Degrees and Symone Alexander Completes Ph.D. Program

James A. Alexander, Jr., son of Rev. James Alexander, Pastor of First AME Church (FAME) in Atlanta & Charmaine Alexander, Recording Secretary for CONN-M-SWAWO + PK’s, recently graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, earning both a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree and a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree simultaneously. James also received a certification in Law & Business from Vanderbilt Law School. James received his B.S. in Psychology (magna cum laude) in May of 2013 from Howard University in Washington, D.C.

In the law school, James was named a Dean's Scholar and a Branstetter Dispute Resolution Fellow. He was selected as an Associate Justice on the Moot Court Board, a Co-Chair on the prestigious Hyatt Fund Board, and Member of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court. During that time, he also taught as a Legal Writing Teaching Assistant (TA), was an Octofinalist in the Bass Berry & Sims Moot Court Competition, and was the Westlaw Student Representative for Thomson Reuters. He was also elected President of Vanderbilt's Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and to Phi Delta Phi, International Legal Honor Society – the oldest legal organization in the world. He remains a Phi Alpha Delta, Law Fraternity International member as well.

In the divinity school, James was named a VDS Scholar and a Cal Turner Moral Leadership Fellow. He was appointed by the Provost as an appellate judge of the university Honor Council, known as the Appellate Review Board. James was also elected as President of the Meharry-Vanderbilt Student Alliance (MVSA), served as the Ecumenical Chair of the Methodist Student Association, and served on the Class Gift Committee, which oversaw the largest amount raised to date. James was awarded HONORS in his Field Education work and was awarded HONORS for his Master's thesis and defense. James is also a recipient of the 2018 John Olin Knott Award for scholarly writing. He graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School summa cum laude.

James has accepted an offer from Alston & Bird LLP in Atlanta, GA and has moved to Atlanta, with his wife, as he prepares for the Georgia Bar Examination. Symone Alexander (James's wife) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow and defended her Dissertation on June 14, 2018, wrapping up her Ph.D. program in Macromolecular Science & Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering (magna cum laude) from Howard University in May of 2013. Symone received 1^st place in the Covestro Student Award Lecture Competition in 2017 for best lecture presentation. She also co-founded the CWRU Science and Human Rights Coalition, an organization that helps scientists fight for human rights across the globe. Symone forewent the MLK Fellowship Award and a postdoctoral fellowship offer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to accept a postdoctoral fellowship offer from the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech), where she was also awarded a prestigious fellowship award in the department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Symone has published numerous research papers in prestigious academic journals and will be traveling to Peru in July to begin research on her newest project.

February 2018 - May 2018

*Rev. Dr. Brenda Arnold-Scott, Sr. Pastor of Mt. Calvary AME Church-Houston, ends a year of remarkable achievements

Congratulations are in order in recognition of some of the multiple back-to-back milestone achievements that have transpired over the past year, for the now, Rev. Dr. Brenda Arnold-Scott. Dr. Arnold-Scott is serving her 10^th year in pastoral ministry, with her current appointment as pastor of Mt. Calvary AME Church, Houston, Texas, located in the Tenth Episcopal District under the leadership of Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie. In May of 2017, she retired from the City of Houston as Deputy Director of the Housing and Community Development Department, after almost 30 years of service. This 30-year journey resulted in a legacy that continues to speak. In her various roles, up to the highest executive level, she impacted the lives of more than one million low and moderate-income Houstonians; and thousands of homeless individuals, with public services, infrastructure improvements, housing, and jobs. Her work was so impressive that she was nominated for and named as winner of the 2017 Bravo Award, the highest honors given to City of Houston employees who have not only demonstrated extraordinary service in their careers, but in the larger community; and in the church community. She received recognition by the City of Houston for ministries under her leadership at Mt. Calvary AME Church in Houston, that are impacting the community. They are the, the Happy Feet Project”, and the “Children’s Therapeutic Outreach Project.” Both projects were founded and launched three years ago under her leadership; and have served more than 1,000 families to date. Rev. Arnold-Scott believes that with God, these ministries are about the business of, “making small big,” clearly evidencing the great impact that small charges can make in a community. She also received two Proclamations from the Mayor of the City of Houston, proclaiming Brenda Arnold-Scott Day—one submitted by the non-profit community, the other submitted by her colleagues and staff who were among the cloud of witnesses to her extraordinary acumen.

In, December 2017, within a few months of retirement, she completed her doctoral work (Doctor of Ministry, with a concentration in Urban Culture) at Southern Methodist University (SMU), in Dallas, TX. She defended her dissertation, “Shadow of Rights of the Disabled: Executing Social Action to Address a Political Theological Dilemma in Housing Law,” with honors. Rev. Dr. Arnold-Scott is participating in the May 2018 graduation ceremony at Southern Methodist University, where she will be hooded. Her scholarship earned her an invitation into SMU’s Golden Key International Honor Society, in May 2017. Rev. Dr. Arnold-Scott has no biological children but has been instrumental in helping to shape the lives of her nieces and nephews. She shares this graduation season with two nieces, both of whom she has supported in their educational endeavors. One will receive a B.S. in Digital Communications, the other a Doctor of Optometry, in May 2018.

January 2018 represented the official release of her new book entitled, “30 Days to You: Prophecy, Manifestation, & Revelation, A Journal.” 30 Days to You: The Workbook, is currently underway; and is scheduled for release later in the year.

Daily, she gives thanks to God for allowing her to experience this time in her life of, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard; nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Congratulatory remarks can be emailed to: brendaarnoldscott@yahoo.com, or sent to Rev. Dr. Arnold-Scott, a 5018 Antoine Dr., Suite 170 B, Houston, TX 77092.

*Congratulations to Alexis Gatson Heaston. Alexis will receive a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee

Commencement ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 4, 2018 at 5:00 PM at the Howard Gentry Complex. Alexis grew up in Saint Peter AME Clarksville, Tennessee and now is a member of Payne Chapel AME Nashville, TN under the leadership of Pastor W.A. Sinkifield. Alexis is the Daughter of Presiding Elder, Alexander Gatson and Mrs. Annette Gatson of the North District, Tennessee Annual Conference.

Congratulatory responses can be sent to: alexisgatson08@gmail.com

*Congratulations to Jeffrey Wayne Norfleet II

Congratulations to Jeffrey Wayne Norfleet II. Jeffery will receive a Doctoral Degree in Education with an emphasis in Leadership and Professional Practice at the 117^th Commencement Exercises of Trevecca Nazarene University on Saturday May 5. 2018 at 9:00 AM. Jeffery is a General Board Member and the 1^st Vice President of the Tennessee Conference Lay Organization. Jeffery is a member of Saint Paul AME Church Oakwood, Tennessee where his father Reverend Jeffery W. Norfleet, Sr serves as pastor and his mother Mrs. Cathy Norfleet is the first lady.

Congratulatory responses can be sent to: Jeffery.Norfleet@gmail.com

*Congratulations to Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine -

Congratulations to Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine. Rev. Augustine, pastor of Historic St. James AME Church and adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center, on having his work, "The Fiery Furnace, Civil Disobedience, and the Civil Rights Movement: A Biblical Exegesis on Daniel 3 and Letter From Birmingham Jail," published in the Richmond Public Interest Law Review. The work connects the Babylonian Exile with the Jim Crow Deep South and the Black Lives Matter Movement, 50-years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The article can be read below:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/pilr/vol21/iss3/3/

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: jayaugustine9@gmail.com.

*PAYNE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY CLASS OF 2018

The Class of 2018 is Payne Theological Seminary’s 125^th graduating class since its establishment by Daniel Alexander Payne in 1893!

MASTER OF DIVINITY DEGREE

Adderley, Quinetta, Non-Denominational
Baker, Carshena, 1^st District
Berry, Ivy, 1^st District
Carpenter, Devorah, 1^st District
Chang, Michelle, 1^st District
Creer, Michelle, 3^rd District
Curry, Ava, 11^th District
Davis, Diana, 7^th District
Flowers, Charles, 11^th District
Graves, Merritt, 7^th District
Henderson, John, 6^th District
Johnson, Catrinka, 4^th District
Jones-Taylor, Shameka, 3^rd District
Lewis, Melvin, 7^th District
Mangum, McRae, 6^th District
Mayberry, Vicki, 9^th District
McAllister, Bryan, 1^st District
McCune, Darlene, 1^st District
Reese, Agnelis, 8^th District
Roberts Jr., Dennis, 6^th District
Roberts-Bryant, Anda, 3^rd District
Ross, Barrington, 2^nd District
Stevens, Lenton, Non-Denominational
Stevens, Michael, 6^th District
Tanner Jr., James 3^rd District
Thomas, Aliston, 1^st District
Thornton-Brownlee, Catherine, 1^st District
Tinsley, Yolanda, Baptist
Washington, Leslie, 11^th District
White, Akia, 6^th District
White, Cassandra, 1^st District
Wilder, Patricia, 6^th District
Williams, Earnest, 6^th District
Williams, Gregory, 7^th District
Williams, Terry, 3^rd District

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

1) Anderson, Aimee, 3^rd District

2) Belin, Henry, 1^st District

3) Billips, Eric, 1^st District

4) Billips, Myra, 1^st District

5) Booker, Spencer, 5^th District

6) Boyer, Charles, 1^st District

7) Brookins, Rosalynn , 5^th District

8) Broomfield, Bettye, 7^th District

9) Brown-Deloatch, Sonja, 13^th District

10) Covington, Jermaine, 3^rd District

11) Kearney, Daryl, 2^nd District

12) Middleton, Linda, 2^nd District

13) Purvis, William, Baptist

14) Smith, Rodney, 9^th District

15) Williams, Kary, 3^rd District

16) Williams, Sidney, 1^st District

*The Rev. Dr. Rosalynn Kyle Smith Brookins, Former Episcopal Supervisor, Expresses Gratitude on receiving the Doctorate Degree from Payne Theological Seminary

Former Episcopal Supervisor, Rev. Dr. Rosalynn Kyle Smith Brookins expresses words of thanks to the Episcopal families and the A.M.E. Church family for their continued support, and prayers over these past three years, as she perused her Doctorate Degree from Payne Theological Seminary.

Dr. Brookins Praises God, that on May 11, 2018, she completed her assignment, making her the first female to pass her oral exam for the D.Min from Payne.

Dr. Brookins will be presenting her work "The Rebirth of the Woman's Prophetic Voice: Using Liberation to Empower Women for the 21st Century Church" at the Scholars Conference sponsored by Emory University on June 27, 2018. She offers a very special thank you to Dr. Teresa Fry Brown for this great opportunity.

She states that none of this would have been possible had it not been for the following people: Sir Wellington Hartford Brookins, her beloved son, Bishop John Richard Bryant and Dr. Ray Hammond her mentors, Dr. J. T. Roberson, Dean, the faculty and staff of Payne Theological Seminary; Rev. Dr. (s) Thema Bryant Davis, Najuma Smith Pillars, Velma Union, Kaye Lindsey, ReGena Booze, Sharoni Little, and Rev. Cinithia Morris who served as Dr. Brookins context associates. Last but certainly not least, she extends a heartfelt thank you to all of the officers and members of Walker Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, Los Angeles, California.

Rev. Dr. Rosalynn Kyle Smith Brookins says, "To God be the glory for the great and mighty things He had done for me, with me, through me, despite of me, and because of me."

Congratulatory expressions can be emailed to: revrosalynnbrookins@gmail.com

Dr. Herman O. Kelly Jr. launches three Interdisciplinary Titles on African American Studies and Religion

Dr. Herman O. Kelly Jr. of the African & African American Studies Dept. at LSU has overseen the creation of three custom texts that have been purpose-built for his students for the upcoming Fall 2018 semester.

The Role of the African American Church in the Civil Rights Movement is an interdisciplinary examination of the importance of the Church in black life, exploring the agency it afforded otherwise disenfranchised persons during a period of social upheaval, culminating in the Civil Rights Act, a landmark act of Congress that finally acknowledged the status of African Americans and minorities as equal citizens under the eyes of the law. This custom title will be used in both Dr. Kelly’s AAAS 2025- African American Religion and AAAS 3902- History of the Civil Rights Movement courses. “The number one objective of my Civil Rights Movement course is to trace the development and influences of the Civil Rights Movement. I am pleased to be able to highlight the indispensable role played by black Churches in applying government pressure through sustained activism, galvanizing African Americans and others to demand their equal treatment under the law, and as a catalyst for the Civil Rights movement and passage of the Civil Rights Act.”

Black Rhetorical Traditions in the Civil Rights Movement, Volume 2 is a companion reader to Black Rhetorical Traditions in the Civil Rights Movement: Voices of Struggle and Strength, Dr. Kelly’s nationally marketed anthology paying homage to those that dared speak out in the face of danger. This second volume will be used in his AAAS 3044- Black Rhetorical Traditions course as a condensed reader. The objective of this course is to trace the development and early influences of notable black communicators, and the new companion text will look at flashpoints such as the lynching of Emmett Till and the desegregation of the American public-school system starting in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dr. Kelly’s third new text is titled “Introduction to Religion: A Study of African American Religion” and studies the development of African American Religion and Churches from its roots in traditional African religion to the politically conscious tool of social justice that it is today. African American Religion has a particularly strong social and political bent and cannot be examined without considering its social agenda. Historically, it was a haven during the Underground Railroad, and more recently was a major factor in the Civil Rights Movement (an aspect Dr. Kelly explores at length in his first book “The Role of the African American Church in the Civil Rights Movement”).

About the Author:
Dr. Herman O. Kelly Jr. earned his doctoral degree in ministry at Memphis Theological Seminary, and now serves at Louisiana State University. Dr. Kelly teaches in both the School of Education and the African and African American Studies Program, for which he is the co-chair of the finance committee. His courses include the history of the civil rights movement and Black rhetorical traditions. He has most recently published Moments of Meditation Celebrating the Bicentennial of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Times Like These, and Black Rhetorical Traditions in the Civil Rights Movement: Voices of Struggle and Strength. Dr. Kelly is a past recipient of the NAACP Man of the Year Award, and recipient of the Kumba Community Member/Organization Award, a part of the 2017-18 LSU black History month held by the LSU Cultural Center recognizing individuals that have made an impact and meaningful contribution to their local communities.

Congratulatory messages can be emailed to: spidermh7@yahoo.com.

*Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, retired, the 93^rd Elected and Consecrated Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church celebrates his ninety-six (96th) birthday on Saturday, April 7, 2018his ninety-six (96th) birthday on Saturday, April 7, 2018

Ecumenical theologian, advocate for fair and decent housing, proponent of civil rights, political leader and public servant are only a few of the characteristics of Bishop Frederick Calhoun James.

Bishop Frederick Calhoun James, was born on April 7, 1922 in Prosperity, South Carolina, the son of Edward and Rosa Lee James.

He graduated from Drayton Street High School, Newberry, South Carolina, and earned his B.A. degree in History/English from Allen University (1943), and his Master of Divinity degree from Howard University School of Religion (1947). He also studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He married Theressa Gregg, December 30, 1944.

As a champion for civil rights, he became a community and state social and political action leader. In 1960, he was elected Consultant/Director of Social Action of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In this position, he formed a close relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1963, he became President of the Effective Sumter Movement of Sumter, South Carolina, a historic chapter in civil rights. In 1967, as pastor of Mt. Pisgah A.M.E. Church, Rev. James led the sponsorship of the first 221(d)Rent Supplement Housing Project in South Carolina. In 1969, he initiated the first 221(h)Home Ownership Project in the state. He was South Carolina’s first African American Congressional District member of the Department of Alcohol and Drug Abuse and the Department of Social Services. From 1987 to 1992 he was a member of the Columbia Housing Authority and served as vice chair. He also served as Vice President of the S. C. Christian Action Council.

In 1972, he was elected to the AME Bishopric and was assigned as the Presiding Bishop of the AME Church in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, and Mozambique. Headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, he established schools, a publishing house, churches, and other institutions. Bishop James later was assigned bishop in Arkansas and Oklahoma (1976). He formed a lifelong friendship with then Attorney Bill Clinton. In 1984, he was assigned to the 7th Episcopal District, State of South Carolina. In each of these positions, he built housing projects, strengthened schools and led two colleges to full accreditation; Shorter College, N. Little Rock, Arkansas in 1981 and Allen University, Columbia, South Carolina in 1992. In 1992, Bishop James was assigned Ecumenical Bishop and Chaplaincy Endorsement Officer of the African Methodist Episcopal Church International. In 1993, he was given major fiscal and reconciliation duties as Bishop of the Second Episcopal District (Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and North Carolina) of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and he stabilized the District. In 1994, he was selected by President Clinton as an official member of the delegation to attend the inauguration of South African President Nelson Mandela, and in 1998 he was again chosen to accompany President and Mrs. Clinton on an official visit to South Africa.

Bishop James is a former member of the White House Advisory Board on Historical Black Colleges and Universities, the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Board on Religious Freedom, and National Vice President of the Interfaith Alliance. A life member of the NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and a 33-degree Mason, he was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame (1991) and the Columbia Housing Authority Wall of Fame (1994). In January of 2003, Bishop James was awarded the state’s highest honor, The Order of the Palmetto, for his significant contributions to South Carolina.

He retired from active duty in 1996 and he and Dr. Theressa Gregg James, Episcopal Supervisor, retired, returned to live at their home in Columbia, South Carolina.

Birthday Greetings can be sent to:
Bishop Frederick Calhoun James
3700 Forest Drive #420
Columbia, SC 29204

(803) 787-8201 – Phone
(803) 787-8215 – FAX
Email: BishopFCJ@aol.com

*General Officer John Thomas III, Editor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church Christian Recorder, inducted into Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2018
In 1989, Honda joined with the College Bowl Company to establish the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC) in support of the unique mission of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). HCASC is as much a personal development and learning activity as it is a game of quick recall. Over 180,000 students have participated in the competition

In 2004, the HCASC Alumni Hall of Fame was established, to acknowledge former players who have succeeded in their chosen career and life paths, and to facilitate their becoming mentors for the current generation of HCASC players.

*Dr. McDonald Williams 100th Birthday Celebration -

Thank You from Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams, Retired General Officer

A Note of Gratitude..

Because McDonald Williams did not want a celebration of his 100^th birthday, I decided to write friends and family so informing them and indicating that instead I would appreciate a contribution to Wilberforce University (my Alma Mater and where Mac and I met 77 years ago). Thanks to friends across the AME Church, former students, WU alumni, and family I can report that Wilberforce received $56,200. The University has thanked the donors and either by telephone or in person I have done the same. May God bless each of you!

~ Jamye Coleman Williams ~

Email: JMACAME@aol.com

Congratulations New Orleans adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center for his leadership in resoling Carter v. St. Helena Parish School Board

Congratulations to Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, the 46th pastor of Historic St. James AME Church in New Orleans and an adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center, for his leadership in resoling Carter v. St. Helena Parish School Board, one of the oldest desegregation cases in the United States. As lead counsel for the plaintiffs, since 2010, Rev. Augustine helped resolve a case originally filed by Thurgood Marshall, before Marshall's appointment to the United States Supreme Court. Judge Brian A. Jackson, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, declared the school district unitary last week, after Augustine's final court appearance. Details can be found here:

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_a07bf26c-27a0-11e8-bc6c-071a9ae08c58.html

Congratulatory responses can be sent to:

The Rev. Jonathan C. Augustine, JD, MDiv.

46th Pastor, Historic St. James AME Church (1844)

National Chaplain, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

jayaugustine9@gmail.com

*The Reverend Dr. H. Charles and Mrs. Rayjo Farris nominated for inclusion in the 2018 Professional Who’s Who network

On February 20, 2018, the Rev. Dr. H. Charles Farris, retired presiding Elder of the Phoenix/Albuquerque District-Desert Mountain Conference, Fifth Episcopal District and former pastor, and Mrs. Rayjo Farris were informed by Marrisa Ross, Membership Coordinator of the Professional Who’s Who, that they both had been nominated for inclusion into the 2018 Professional Who’s Who network, America’s most respected networking and personal organization. Who’s Who is a national publication and community of top executives. Each candidate is selected individually. Once listed, the recipient will be featured among thousands of other accomplished individuals.

In recognition, each recipient receives a plaque and their name printed in the 2018 booklet.

The Reverend Dr. H. Charles Farris nominated for his servant leadership and civic contributions as an ultimate itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, having served in Casper, Wyoming; Roswell, New Mexico; Alleghany, New Mexico; Pacoima, California; Tucson, Arizona; Omaha, Nebraska; Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Santino, California; Denver, Colorado and for 12 years as Presiding Elder.

Mrs. Rayjo Farris, former Presiding Elder Consultant and local church First Lady, former Fifth Episcopal M-SWAWO Plus PK’s President and former officer of the CONN-M-SWAWO Plus, PK’s was nominated for her dedicated services rendered as a Registered Nurse (RN), providing kindness, compassion, healing care and comforting cheer to countless persons employed in Schools, Prisons, Group Homes Settings, Mental Health Settings and Hospitals, serving in each city where the Reverend Farris served until her retirement.

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to:

revhcfarris@yahoo.com (Reverend Farris)

rjtfarris@yahoo.com (Mrs. Farris)

*THE REVEREND LESLIE JOSEPH SCOTT RETIRED FIFTEENTH DISTRICT SECRETARY CELEBRATES 90^TH BIRTHDAY

The Reverend Leslie Joseph Scott was born on the 27 January 1918 in Cape Town South Africa as the youngest son of Annie and Christie Scott. The first building the young Scott laid his eyes on was Bethel AME Church in Blythe Street Cape Town. He attended Church School there and was accepted into full membership in 1942. He accepted the Lord as Savior and Lord in 1945.

He entered the ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1950 at the Cape Annual Conference held at his home church Bethel. Bishop Isaiah Hamilton Bonner was the Presiding Bishop. He went to the R.R. Wright School of Religion in Evaton Transvaal. He received His first pastoral appointment in 1953 to a people whose language he could not speak nor understand, thank God for interpreters.

During the ensuing years he was honored to serve the church under the leadership of the following Presiding Prelates: Bishops Frederick D. Jordan, Francis Herman Gow, Harrison J. Bryant, George Dewy Robinson, Frederick Calhoun James, Donald George Kenneth Ming, John L. Hunter, Henry Allen Belin, Jr., Robert Thomas, Jr., McKinley Young, Harold Ben Senatlé and Gregory G.M. Ingram. It was during the tenure of Bishop Ingram that as a Superannuate, he was appointed as the Fifteenth Episcopal District Secretary and continued to serve in the Bishop’s Office under the leadership of Bishops Samuel Lawrence Green, Sr., Wilfred J. Messiah, E. Earl McCloud and David R. Daniels until his 90^th Birthday.

Rev. Scott’s sterling work in the 15^th Episcopal District could not have been accomplished without his wife Cornelia at his side, with whom he would give thanks to the Almighty God for 54 years of wedded bliss in 2017. His credo and witness remains, “Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame, From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same. O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be thou our guide while life shall last, And our eternal home.”

His contribution to the 15th Episcopal District will surely be missed as he enjoys his full retirement and the rest of his days, so deservedly earned.
Belated 90^th Birthday well-wishes can be emailed to: revlesliejscott@yahoo.com (Rev. Leslie J. Scott)

*Dr. Herman O. Kelly, chosen to receive The Kumba Community Member Award from Louisiana State University Barney African American Cultural Center

Dr. Herman O. Kelly, the Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana was chosen to receive the Kumba Community Member / Organization Award as part of the 2017-2018 Louisiana State University Black History Month Celebration by the LSU Barney African American Cultural Center. Each year, LSU acknowledges individuals who embody passion, dedication, and commitment to Service. Dr. Kelly was nominated by Dr. Lori Martin, Director of African and African American Studies at LSU. The award recognizes the connection between the Academy and the Community. The award will be given on Saturday, February 24, 2018 at 10:30 am at The Annual Clarence Barney, Jr. African American Cultural Center, Louisiana State University Club at Union Square Baton Rouge, LA.

The Letter of Awards:
Congratulations Dr. Kelly! You have been chosen as a recipient of the Kumba Community Member/ Organization Award as a part of the 2017-2018 LSU Black History Month Celebration by the LSU African American Cultural Center.

The mission of the African American Cultural Center is to implement educational, cultural and social activities that acknowledge and address the needs of African American students at LSU. The Center also provides a venue for all members of the university and Baton Rouge communities to learn about African American culture, heritage and traditions. As we look to the future of the AACC, we would be remised to not acknowledge and celebrate those who have continuously impacted and modeled the mission of the African American Cultural Center in their everyday lives. Each year, we honor these individuals during our annual AACC Jazz Brunch. This event is designed to acknowledge individuals who embody passion, dedication, and a commitment to service. You were nominated for this award by Dr. Lori Martin.

We would like for you and all your friends and family to come out and celebrate your great accomplishment. The Jazz Brunch will be held on Saturday, February 24^th in the LSU Club at Union Square The program will begin at 10:30 am. Guest can purchase tickets by following this link: https://www.lsufoundation.org/jazzbrunch.

We look forward to being able to honor you during this momentous occasion. Please let us know if you are able to accept this award by Friday, February 16^h. We also ask for a head-shot and a brief bio of yourself which is due Monday, February 19^th by 9 am.

Evante Topp, MA
Assistant Director for African American Student Affairs
Office of Multicultural Affairs
Louisiana State University
African American Cultural Center

The Metro Birmingham Chapter of the NAACP will honor Bishop Harry L. Seawright as the Religious Leader of the Year on Sunday, December 3, 2017

On Sunday, December 3, 2017, The Metro Birmingham Chapter of the NAACP will honor, Bishop Harry L. Seawright as the Religious Leader of the Year.

Bishop Harry L. Seawright was elected and consecrated the 133rd bishop of the AME Church in July 2016, at the 50th Quadrennial Session of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He serves as Presiding Prelate of the 9th Episcopal District (the State of Alabama).

Bishop Seawright is married to the Reverend Sherita Moon Seawright who serves as Episcopal Supervisor of the 9th Episcopal District.

They are the parents of two adult children, Shari and Matthew, and the grandparents of one grandson, Cameron.

Bishop Harry L. Seawright was born in Swansea, SC, to the late Joe Nathan and Mary L. Seawright. As a fourth-generation AME, his faith was nurtured at Prodigal AME in Swansea, SC.

Bishop Seawright accepted his call to ministry in 1976. The late Bishop Frank M. Reid, II admitted him to the South Carolina Central Annual Conference in 1977. He was ordained as an Itinerant Deacon in the Washington Annual Conference in 1979 by the late Bishop Henry W. Murph and as an Itinerant Elder in 1981 by Bishop John Hurst Adams.

In 1978 Bishop Harry L. Seawright served as the Interim Pastor of St. Stephen AME Church, St. Matthews, SC and a staff minister at Reid Temple AME Church, Washington, DC. During 1978-81, he was the Assistant to the Pastor at Pilgrim AME Church, Washington, DC. His first pastoral appointment was to Payne Memorial AME Church, Jessup, MD where he served 1981-1983. For three years, 1983-1986, he served faithfully as the pastor of Hemingway Temple AME Church, in Washington, DC. In June 1986, he was assigned to Union Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Brandywine, MD. Bishop Seawright served Union Bethel longer than any other pastor in the church’s history.

In 1991, Bishop Seawright led Union Bethel in the construction of a $1.6 million sanctuary. Union Bethel has over 50 innovative ministries. More than 50 persons answered the call to ministry. In 2001, Union Bethel opened a satellite church in Temple Hills, MD, and Union Bethel North (previously known as Union Bethel Intergenerational Center, Inc. – IGC) was birthed. This second church location holds Sunday worship services, Church School, weekly Bible Study and Intercessory Prayer. This facility also features a banquet hall for special events; it is the former home of a Union Bethel non-profit’s certified HUD Housing Counseling Program office (which is now located in a professional building in Camp Springs, MD). For nine years, Union Bethel operated FOCUS (For Our Children’s Unity School) daycare and kindergarten. FOCUS students received a strong Christian and academic foundation. Union Bethel's ministries and services blessed thousands of people in the county annually. Bishop Seawright spent over 39 years in ministry, specializing in community leadership, church construction and development. He is a spiritual leader, entrepreneur, community leader, world traveler, author, loving husband, devoted father and grandfather.

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to:
9th Episcopal District AME Church

Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson, Retired General Officer, and Mrs. Mary A. E. Dickerson Announce the birth of the Great-Grand Child of Bishop Philip R. Cousin, Sr. (retired) and Dr. M. Joan Cousin (Supervisor retired), and the Birth of Their Two Grand-Children

During this season of Thanksgiving, we joyfully announce the birth of two beautiful and healthy grandchildren. God is good! On October 25, 2017 at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Samuel Philip Allen Cousin was born at 6:09 a.m. and weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces. His proud parents are the Rev. Steven A. Cousin, Jr. and Dr. Christina Dickerson Cousin. Rev. Cousin is the pastor of Bethel A.M.E. Church, New Haven, CT. Samuel is the grandson of Dr. Dennis C. Dickerson, Retired General Officer, and Mrs. Mary A. E. Dickerson; Rev. Steven A. Cousin, Sr., Pastor of Trinity A.M.E. Church, Kansas City, Kansas, and Mrs. Linda Cousin; and Mr. Lorenzo Henderson and Mrs. Sybil Henderson of Bristol, PA. Retired Bishop Philip R. and Dr. Margaret Joan Cousin are the proud great-grandparents.

In addition, Dr. and Mrs. Dickerson are pleased to announce the birth of a granddaughter, Yocelin Mariela Cordero on November 24, 2017 at St. Thomas Mid-Town Hospital, Nashville, TN. She was born at 3:46 p.m. and weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces. Her loving parents are Mr. Yosvany Cordero and Dr. Valerie Dickerson Cordero. Her paternal grandparents are Pablo and Estella Cordero of Guanajay, Cuba.

Dr. M. Joan Cousin: mjoancousin@aol.com

Dr. Dickerson: dennis.c.dickerson@vanderbilt.edu

Mrs. Dickerson: marydickerson@comcast.net

Tennessee Tribune’s Couple of the Year
Dr. McDonald Williams and Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams

Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - By Tribune Staff

NASHVILLE, TN — The Tennessee Tribune has chosen to honor Dr. McDonald Williams and Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams as Couple of the Year, for their exceptional bond and accomplishments–as educators, civil rights activists, and religious leaders in the AME church. Dr. McDonald Williams celebrated his 100th birthday on November 13, and Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams will celebrate her 99th birthday on December 15!

The Williams were married in 1943, and are proud of their family: their daughter, Donna Williams; one grandson, and two great-granddaughters. They are certainly proud of their family, and also have reason to be proud of their amazing professional achievements.

The husband/wife team of Drs. McDonald Williams and Jamye Coleman Williams have a lifetime of service and activism, and are energetic forces in behalf of good.

Dr. McDonald Williams taught English at many colleges and universities for 46 years. Some believe his greatest contributions were during his three decades at Tennessee State University in Nashville, where he played a key role in the development and expansion of TSU’s Honors Program which he directed for 23 years.

What began as an Honors Program for freshman students, gradually added sophomore, then senior level work, evolving into a premier program at TSU to create a community of academically bright and talented students, serving as campus leaders and role models. Over 400 students were involved at the time of Dr. Williams’ retirement in 1988. In 1995 the honors center was named the McDonald Williams Honors Center. The goal today remains the creation of an Honors College.

In 2013, Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, became the first female president of TSU. In her inaugural speech, she mentioned that she was a graduate of the Honors Program during Dr. Williams’ tenure, and credited him for helping to keep her in school—as he stood to a round of applause, she said he was among many people who gave her “roots and wings.”

And the Williams also have had a significant impact in religious circles. Dr. McDonald was a long-time member of St. John AME Church in Nashville, and the AME Church’s Commission on Higher Education. He was an Associate Editor of The AME Church Review, America’s oldest Black Journal. Both are current members of Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta.

In 1970, the Williams’ co-edited the groundbreaking anthology, The Negro Speaks: The Rhetoric of Contemporary Black Leaders, which was adopted as an approved text for schools in Tennessee.

Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams’ teaching career spans 50 years. She taught humanities to thousands of students at 5 HBCUs, 4 of which are AME colleges, and expresses pride in being “part of their educational experience.” She joined Tennessee State University’s faculty in 1959, where, in 1973, she became head of the Communications Department until her retirement in 1987. And because the AME church is one of the big forces in her life—her father and brother were AME ministers—she often speaks about the long history of this church and its unflagging activism against slavery and for higher education and economic justice over 200 years. Her students include women and men who later became notable in their fields—in science, the arts, law, government, college presidents, and 8 AME bishops!

Dr. Jamye Coleman was a delegate to the AME General Conference in 1964, and became a board member of the National Council of Churches in 1968. She was an alternate member of the AME Church’s Judicial Council, serving as president of the 13th District Lay Organization from 1977 until 1985. In 1984, she assumed editorship of the AME Church Review, and was the first woman elected as a major officer in the church’s 197-year existence—a position she held for eight years. She also helped other women smash barriers. Her husband, Dr. McDonald has proudly spoken of his wife’s “fierce advocacy for women in ministry, particularly in the bishopry.” Her efforts led to the election in the year 2000 of the first female bishop of the AME Church after 187 years: Vashti McKenzie!

The Williams’s have earned many citations and awards, among them the 2002 Joe Kraft Humanitarian Award by the Community Foundation.

They have been academics, but importantly they have been activists, too. They talked the talk, and walked the walk for civil rights, notably during the 1950-60s in Nashville, and the rising of violence under Jim Crow segregation and racial injustice.

For 40 years Mrs. Williams was on the Executive Committee of the NAACP (her husband McDonald was vice president), working with local youth councils in colleges, fighting injustice that threatened their own and others’ lives. She worked with well-known leaders, including Martin Luther King, John Lewis, James Lawson, and Thurgood Marshall—and others hardly known now.

In 1960, a racially motivated bombing in Nashville and threats of more, solidified the black community. Dr. Jamye has vividly described how the blast, felt several miles away, broke 140 windows at nearby Meharry Medical College (HBCU), injuring some students. A spontaneous silent protest march began at TSU with several hundred, growing to 3,000 with students in schools and colleges joining along the way, including Jamye Williams, her husband, and their daughter Donna. Later, Mrs. Williams was chosen as the only woman on an interracial, inter-religious council, to work on stopping a threatened racist march—which was successfully prohibited.

In 2016, Dr. Jayme Williams was invited by a former student, Dr. S. Allen Coulter, to address Harvard University’s Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. There, it was clear after all these years, that the Williams’ interest in fighting injustice isn’t over; and they continue to ask more from themselves and others. Jamye Williams urged students and faculty, so fortunate in their access to knowledge, to “combat the obstacles to parity in education for African Americans”–adding with great intensity that equality of educational opportunity is a crucial “avenue for all our youth [to] realize their dream and destiny” when “more of our young men are in prison than in college!”

While now residing in Atlanta, their many years in Nashville are fondly remembered. She comes back often for speaking engagements, most recently at Fisk University. Even in retirement and at ages where most folks would be content to sit back and relax, Mrs. Williams continues to be active on the lecture circuit and in the church.

At ages 100 and 99, they remain a powerful couple, continuing to positively affect generations.

Drs. MacDonald and Jamye Williams – Count your birthdays not by the years, but by the blessings. Count the friends, the accomplishments and the joys. Count the people who have come to admire and love you, and count The Tennessee Tribune in.

Tennessean Article:
https://tntribune.com/community/local/nashville/tennessee-tribunes-couple-year/

Congratulatory Comments can be placed at the bottom of the Online Article, COMMENTS, or Congratulatory responses can be sent to:

Dr. McDonald Williams and Dr. Jamye Coleman Williams

125 Wynfield Way, SW
Atlanta, GA 30331

Phone: (404) 346-8927 — Phone/FAX
Email: JMACAME@aol.com

*McDonald Williams, Ph.D., husband of retired General Officer Jamye Coleman Williams, Ph.D. and grandfather of AME Church General Counsel Doug Selby celebrates his 100th Birthday on November 13, 2017.

A graduate of Penn State University and The Ohio State University, Dr. McDonald Williams taught English at various colleges and universities for forty-six years, and is credited for the development and expansion of the University Honors Program at Tennessee State University, which he directed for twenty-two years. For many years he served as a consultant to the General Board Commission on Higher Education. He has served on numerous civic boards in the state of Tennessee and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Boule.

Congratulations may be sent to:

125 Wynfield Way
Atlanta, GA 30331
Email: jmacame@aol.com

*2018 Best Lawyer in America Recipient, Derek E. Bruce, the son of the late Dr. Yale Benjamin Bruce, Sr., former General Officer

Gunster Law, one of Florida's oldest and largest full-service law firm's Press Release announced that 66 of its attorneys have been selected for the 2018 Best Lawyers of America List. Inclusion in the 2018 edition was based on millions of evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.

Attorney Derek Eliott Bruce is a 2018 Best Lawyer of America recipient with Law Offices in Orlando and Tallahassee Florida respectively.

His law career started after immediately passing the Florida Bar in 1998 and was hired by Gray Harris Robinson Law Firm, Orlando, where he served his internship during his senior year. His knowledge and legal skills were noted throughout Central Florida and subsequently became Director, Government Relations for a Fortune 500 company, Walt Disney World.
The spirit of entrepreneurship became a reality when he started Edge Public Affairs. The firm flourished as he developed relationships with some of the states most influential decision makers and stakeholders in government.

Counsel Bruce and three other lawyers of Edge Public Affairs were asked to join Gunster Yoakley and Stewart Law Firm for a Central Florida presence. According to its website, " When a client's objective necessitates a fight, however, his focus is steadfast in that he takes a back seat to no one. His aggressive litigation approach was utilized in a case and the challenge ended up being dismissed in its entirety."

He has developed experience in numerous areas of law, ranging from the representation of clients in complex business litigations and property tax disputes, to the negotiation of large real estate transactions, governmental affairs and lobbying.

Attorney Bruce has received many accolades for his meaningful activism and visionary acumen. He was an Orlando Business Journal's "40 Under 40" recipient; Chaired, Orange County Rezoning Committee, University of Florida Board of Directors and the National Kidney Foundation Board Member.

Remarks of congratulations to dbruce@gunster.com or brucegs@bellsouth.net will be warmly welcomed and appreciated.

*JUDGE TAMARA C. CURRY ELECTED AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF PROBATE JUDGES

The Honorable Tamara C. Curry wife of Judicial Council Member, Reverend Eduardo K. Curry, Esquire has been inducted as the president of the National College of Probate Judges (NCPJ) in Ponte Vedra, Florida on November 17, 2017. Judge Curry is the first African-American president for the organization which was organized in 1968 to improve the administration of justice in courts with jurisdiction over decedents’ estates, guardianships and trusts. The National College of Probate Judges was established in response to concern with the time and costs involved in estate administration. It is the only national organization dedicated exclusively to improving probate law and probate courts.

Judge Curry was born and reared in Charleston, South Carolina. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from South Carolina State University and a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1988. She was admitted to practice law in Ohio in 1988 and South Carolina in 1992.

She was appointed as Associate Probate Judge for Charleston County in 1998. Judge Curry also presides as one of the judges for the Charleston County Adult Drug Court and in 2003 started the first Mental Health Court in the State of South Carolina. She was appointed to serve as one of the presiding judges for the Charleston County Juvenile Drug Court in 2010. Judge Curry is involved in the following activities and organizations: Board of Trustees Allen University; National College of Probate Judges – President Elect; Past Editor of the National College of Probate Judges Journal; Board Member YWCA of Greater Charleston; Task Force on the Revision of the National Probate Court Standards, 2013; South Carolina Association of Probate Judges; Charleston (SC) Chapter of The Links Incorporated. Past President, Charleston Mental Health Center – Advisory Board Mental Health for Heroes; Center for Heirs Property Preservation-Board Member; South Carolina Bar Association; Charleston County Bar Association; National Bar Association; South Carolina Black Lawyers Association; South Carolina Women Lawyers Association and Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.

She is married to Judicial Council Member, Reverend Eduardo K. Curry, Esquire, and they have, three children, Eduardo II, Morgan and Xavier, a daughter-in-law, Jennifer and grandmother to Olivia. She is also a faithful member of Chavis African Methodist Episcopal Church, in Hemmingway, South Carolina.

Congratulatory expressions can be sent to:

Tamara C. Curry
Associate Judge of Probate
Charleston County
84 Broad Street
Charleston, South Carolina 29401
(843) 958-5030
Fax (843) 958-5144
Email: TCurry@charlestoncounty.org

*The Reverend Sherry Ann Jones-Miller, earned the degree of Masters of Education in Counseling & Human Development, Lindsey Wilson College

The Reverend Sherry Ann Jones-Miller, ministerial staff member of Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church in Louisville, Kentucky, earned the degree of Masters of Education in Counseling & Human Development, Lindsey Wilson College. The penning was held Saturday evening, the second of December 2017 at six o’clock p.m. at JCTC Hartford Building Auditorium, Louisville, Kentucky.

Commencement Exercises will be held Saturday morning, the ninth of December 2017 at ten o’clock a.m. at Bigger’s Sport Center, Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia, Kentucky.

The Reverend Sherry Ann Jones-Miller: Recognized by Lindsey Wilson College for Academic Excellence and outstanding Scholastic Achievement.

Sorority: a member of Chi Sigma Iota Society and initiated to the Alpha Chi Omega Chapter for scholastic and professional excellence.

Student: elected by the student body of Lindsey Wilson to be Student speaker.

Member of the American Counselor Association; served as a facilitator for the 2016 & 2017 Kentucky Counseling Association convention.

2008 recognized as Pastor of the year by the Kentucky Conference Lay Organization.

Membership: Quinn Chapel AME Louisville
Joined St. James AME Memphis, TN in 1980 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Henry Logan Starks.

Pastored: St. Paul A.M.E in Memphis
Mt. Pisgah in Millington, TN
Davis Chapel in Somerset, KY
St. Matthews AME in Midway, KY

Director of “Addiction No More” a support group done via weekly radio broadcast that offers support & encouragement to individuals in the community that struggle with an addiction and mental disorders.

Sponsor an in-house support group that is open to anyone who need support while in an addiction or support in their recovery.

Facilitate a Mentorship program at two Louisville schools giving support to children who have diagnosis such as ADHD, Altruism Spectrum disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Conduct disorders, depression, Schizophrenia,

Employment: A Rehabilitation Counselor at Wellsprings Crisis Stabilization Unit (Louisville) and Mental Health Counselor at Central State Hospital Louisville. Will Be employed working as an In-home Therapist with adolescent & Children for “Centerstone Mental Health Agency.”

“The appearance of Barak Obama at the 2008 General Conference changed my life. I adopted the “yes we can.” Slogan. I never tried to get a college degree before because I felt that I wouldn’t be able to do the coursework. I felt that higher education was something other people could get.

I took President Obama’s campaign slogan to heart started telling myself repeatedly “yes you can.”

I pray that in my career as a professional Therapist I can help prevent someone from using violence against others or themselves to resolve their issues.”

Future: (Fall 2018) will Pursue a Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Counseling Supervision & Research @ Lindsey Wilson College.

Children: son Aaron, and daughter Erica who are my inspiration.

Congratulatory responses can be emailed to: addnomore_54@yahoo.com