Congratulatory Announcements 

March 2023


*Congratulations to Master Jacob Cuthbert III son of Connectional Boy Scouts Director Dr. Missiouri McPhee for successfully completing the Eagle Board of Review

                

On Thursday, February 23, 2023, Master Jacob Cuthbert III successfully completed his Eagle Board of Review, elevating him to the Rank of Eagle with the cBoy Souts of America. Jacob's Eagle Scout Project was completed in the Historic Page Jackson Cemetery, Sanford, FL on behalf of the Goldsboro Museum. Page-Jackson Cemetery is land that was donated to the Black people in Sanford, FL by a white philanthropist to bury their dead in 1830. The State of Florida confiscated the land from the Blacks in 1917 by authority granted under the Jim Crow Laws (1877-1960s) .... Blacks could not own land. The State of Florida kept the land for over 100 years. In that century, the land went unkept. A small portion of the land sits in the City of Sanford and is landscaped. The rest of it is overgrown with vegetation and trees so much so that headstones were not visible, and it was unsafe to visit loved ones buried there. It is approximated that over 3,000 (no one knows the exact number) are buried there including former slaves, African-American Civil War, WWI & WWII veterans, founders of the towns of Eatonville and Goldsboro, relatives of Zora Neal Hurston's, and Ebony photographer, Willie Brown.

Jacob, with the guidance of Mr. Harold Goshe of Red Earth Corporation, led a crew over the course of 4 weekends to buildout an outdoor information center as well as to clean and clear a portion of the cemetery. Jacob has brokered a partnership between the Presiding Elders of the Central Annual Conference (the Revs. Henry L. Postell II, Milton Broomfield & Lorenzo Laws) and the Goldsboro Museum to complete quarterly cleanups in the cemetery until July 2024. Jacob's efforts to retore dignity to this sacred ground has been highlighted by The Sanford Herald (Nov. 20, 2022).

Jacob is the first Black scout from Scouts BSA Troop 263 (Markham Woods Presbyterian Church, Lake Mary, FL) to attain the rank of Eagle. His Eagle Scout Court of Honor is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, 2023 @ 11:00 AM at the Frist United Methodist Church, Sanford, FL. Jacob is the son of Connectional Boy Scouts Director, Dr. Missiouri McPhee. He is a member of Saint Mark AME Church, Orlando.

Congratulatory expressions can be sent to:

Jacob Cuthbert III

c/o PO Box 169

Sanford FL 32772

Email: missiouri.mcphee@gmail.com

 


*Congratulations to Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. Pastor of Bethel AMEC Baton Rouge who has qualified for third Senior Games and will represent the State of Louisiana in Pittsburgh

Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. Pastor of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana has qualified for his third Senior Games and will represent the State of Louisiana in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in Swimming. Dr. Kelly is a nine-time State Champion in the butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and 100 IM. Presently, he ranked 14 and 15 in the nation in his age group.

He is a member of Crawfish Aquatics Swim Team. A former high school swimmer and a former member of The Legendary Morehouse Tigersharks, the water called him back into competition due to health concerns and by the encouragement of his family. In addition to training for competition Pastor Kelly teaches private swimming lessons to underserved youth in the community. He also organized The James Haines Swimming Ministry of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, where over 70 youth have been served. He is also an Adjunct Instructor in African and African American Studies at LSU and in The Arts and Human Sciences. He a certified American Red Cross lifeguard and CPR/ADA recipient. Dr. Kelly’s first Senior Games was in 2019 Albuquerque, New Mexico he finished 22 and 18 in the Nation. In 2022 he competed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and finished 14 and 15 in two events.

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


 

*Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Lorenzo and April Neal who were united in holy matrimony

   

Congratulations to Rev. Dr. Lorenzo and April Neal who were united in holy matrimony in March 11, 2023 at New Bethel AME Church in Jackson, MS.  Dr. Neal is the pastor of New Bethel and April is the YPD Director for the North Mississippi Conference of the 8th Episcopal District.
 

Submitted by,
The Eighth Episcopal District AMEC
5450 Executive Place
Jackson, MS 39206 

 


On behalf of Social Action Commission Chair, Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield and  Dr. Jacquelyn DuPont-Walker, Director, Social Action Commission, we extend congratulations as you praise God for the Joy of these significant milestones reached.