The Old Black Church

Pastor John F. Hannah  Senior Pastor Of New Life Covenant Church and Morris Chestnut.  

On Tuesday Marvin Sapp did like so many other preacher/pastor/teacher before him. He took to his Facebook page to chasten one of his many followers, for having the nerve to question his motives for hooking up with Kandi Burress on her new single "Stay Prayed Up." And as usual  just like clock work within minutes of updating his page status, his many followers and "pew-sitters" were there, in full force to defend and back up their man of God.  But what I found interesting in all the that-a-boy comments and butt kissing that was taking place on Marvin Sapp page was this:  "Why didn't MARVIN address Kandi struggles instead of addressing the person that wrote the note?  That's what real pastors do. I'm submitting MARVIN is not a Pastor chosen by God, he is just a singer looking for the next gig. Wanting to be SEEN and KNOWN."  In an interview Kandi did admit she leads a contrary life in terms of the principles outlined in the word of God fo

S hout out and high five to photographer Eunique Gibson Jones for a beautiful and awesome campaign.  I love this amazing campaign celebrating "Black History Month" through pictures. I'm speechless! It’s an awesome tribute to those who came before us and a wonderful way of encouraging our youth who will lead future generations.  F or each day during February the photographer released a pic showing someone from the past or present who has and/or continues to pave the way for us!  Get this!   kids were used to get the message across.  "Because of them, we can!"  Love it!

I f you always wanted to witness and experience the life of our Lord, Savior and King, Jesus Christ during the Easter season in a more real way. Then you need to make your way to the Evangel Multi Media and Arts Center in Upper Baltimore Maryland during the week of March 22-24. They are presenting a special Easter production with live animals along with Gospel music artists like  Shirley Caesar , Richard Smallwood , Beverly Crawford , Tamela Mann and   Le’Andria Johnson .   

There's rumbling and some eyebrow raising among church folks after, a church in Flowery Branch Georgia gave away guns at it Sunday evening  “Man Church” event. I tell you what! as of late our fears have been heightened beyond a reasonable level. Especially when we take a step back and look at the crazy things that are happening in around our churches today we have to point the finger at the cultural influence of our society. Article Here!

All right now! According to the Christian Post , Pastor Jamal H. Bryant of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore, Md. have received an apology from Ebony magazine. This comes after Pastor Bryant openly rebuked the publication for reporting a church rumor that the charismatic minister had impregnated a 17-year-old member of his congregation in 2007. The way to go Pastor Bryant!

L ord have mercy! When we Christians start rebuking and calling one another out it can become a mess. W hat in the world is rebuke you might ask? Well it's an act or expression of criticism (words) spoken out loud by believers who try to stop the devil by saying stuff like: "Satan you have no place here", "I bind you", "I rebuke you", "You must stop".  And if that don't work then they write a blog post calling the devil out.  Lord have mercy!

BBC News! I pray the Lord have mercy on these gullible folks. There's a TV show that's made in London that encourage and brainwashes its viewers into believing  they are cured of life-threatening illnesses by prayer. They have been condemned and have come under fire from the authorities . T his is some alarming stuff here! Telling folks they are healed of disease, when in reality it just might not be there hour or season to be healed.  I know there are faith-healing groups in the U.S. that rejects medical science and rely heavily on Bible scriptures like James 5:13-15, which calls for anointing and prayer. I n an episode of the Miracle Hour show, on Faith World TV, during which a diabetic caller was told he was “set free” from the disease. “It is particularly dangerous and puts his life at risk,” said African Health Policy Network head Francis Kaikumba. UKWET, which produces the show, said it was “reviewing” its “new programs”.

  Young Prophet Manasseh Jordan!  I don't know if this is a good thing or not but, there are lots and lots, of single pastors within the Christian Community.  Some are single by divorce some by death and some by choice. And from the look of things it's becoming more a trend and  the norm. O nce upon a time, long ago this (single pastor) was frowned upon and considered by most to be a taboo. After reading the piece over at The Christian Post it got me to thinking and asking questions like: A re single men disqualified from the pastorate? If so why?  Are single pastors in a sense more qualified for pastoral ministry and are better suited for it than pastors who are married? If so why? Do you the reader agree with that statement? If so why?   What if a single young man believes in and preach the full Gospel of Jesus Christ, then should the fact he's single be a barrier to him being a pastor? If so why?   Does the phrase “husband of one wife” in 1 Timothy

This article has got to be one of the most thought provoking pieces I have read in a long time.  "Praise Net Org. The African American Church" " I s there some expiration date on ministry?  Is that the lesson the bible teaches us? Jesus ministered for only three years. He never traveled more than 100 miles from His home. In that time, without the benefit of social media or television, He changed the world. "   " W e have before us a spate of gross moral failures of high-profile black pastors, from Juanita Bynum’s bragging (sin) about spending “over a million” of her gullible and ignorant followers’ tithes and offerings on a gaudy, over-the-top pagan ritual “wedding” which served to glorify only her, to “Bishop” Paul Morton claiming he was, his words, “Stranded in New Jersey” during Hurricane Katrina even as we saw Bishop TD Jakes on the ground in New Orleans unloading boxes from a relief truck on

P astor Jamal Bryant is highly piss with an article in Ebony Magazine March issue and rightly so. It look like  Ebony Magazine has made some false claims against Pastor Bryant that are not true. The magazine has state that Pastor Bryant had  impregnated a 17-year old member of his church a couple of years ago. T he pastor stated in an open letter to the magazine that  this was a big lie and the magazine need to get it’s facts correct, because misinformation like this could cause harm to his girls.  I believe Ebony Magazine is wrong here for stating the age of the young women in question, especially if the young woman was older than 17.  Ebony Magazine do need to get there facts straight if that was not the case.  I can understand why this truly would not sit well for a man who has daughters. Update Here!   

L ord have mercy! Fantasia is covering JET Magazine‘s March 2013 issue and she's highly upset at the folks over at JET Magazine for the cover.  It looks like JET used a photo from 10 years ago. Fantasia says it doesn’t match her current rock/soul brand.   I don't think it's a bad picture at all, I've seen pictures of Fantasia that look much worse,  I think it's a cute picture.  I do understand where she's coming from especially if she sent " Jet Magazine "  the picture that she preferred that they use of her on the cover. Article Here !

Hebrews 13:5 instructs us to keep our life free from the love of money, and to be content with what we have! With that being said,  I'm having a feeling of let down in the action of Jesse Jackson Jr. I have always liked young Jesse Jackson Jr., for me he was someone who had shown so much promise early on in his young career as a great leader.  Jesse Jackson Jr.  pleaded guilty yesterday in Chicago, to operating in the spirit of greed (misusing campaign funds).  Jackson agreed that he took money ($750,000) that was to be set aside and use to support his campaign. Jackson used said money to buy a mink cashmere cape, $43,000 Rolex watch, Bruce Lee memorabilia, $60,000 in nightclubs and lounges among other things. Sad and disappointed!  Article Here!

The Mega churches are under the spotlight once again. There have been documented allegations aim, direct and leveled against Brian Houston and his Hillsong Church (Australia) for years. Now there's a new "Current Affair" piece out questioning the church assets, finances and spending.  I don't believe the church per-say  was ever meant to become such a big organization like it has become.  I am surprised to learn that Australia does not tax churches. I do not know their reasons, but the USA generally tax-exempts charitable organizations that meet certain criteria, whether or not those organizations are religious or not.  

https://www.facebook.com/FGBCF?fref=ts  

The internet is abuzz once again, this time with rumors that Bishop T.D. Jakes had a  long time Elder escorted out of the Potter House Church. The  elder in question is Elder David Lee Richardson who is reported to have been  part of the Potters house church family for years, and now decided to write a book entitled “The Sunday Morning Stick Up. "What your pastor doesn’t want you to know about tithes.”

The Internet was abuzz last week with news of Oscar winner Forest Whitaker being publicly searched and manhandled at a Milano Market in Manhattan after, a store worker suspected Whitaker of shoplifting.  What I like about this incident is the comment made by Forest Whitaker (none) and the action of the owners. They have since apologized to the star for the actions of their employee. And the store owners are hoping to appease Whitaker by offering a donation to the charity of his choice.  I'm glad Forest Whitaker showed restraint under pressure here by not overreacting in anger, in a way that could have cost the person a job. But, instead  allowed a great lesson to be taught by his action.  For me Forest Whitaker action shows us if you lose control you risk losing other things as well, like the respect of others or the chance to find a constructive solution.   “The management of Milano Market deeply regrets the wrongful actions of our employee in stopping and frisking For

Leonardo Boff said the chances of an African such as Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana becoming the next pontiff are slim after Pope Benedict XVI named most of the 117 cardinals who will choose his successor in a conclave next month. Photographer: Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo  Some in the "Catholic Community" are claiming that the election of the first black president (Obama)  has made it possible for the first black pope to be elected. Do you agree?

Pastor Larry Smith decided to stop his entire sermon at First Baptist Church of Hammond last month and yell at a pew member who was talking.

Well, I guess it's Kudos and high fives to Kandi and her many supporters. "Stay Prayed Up" the song by Kandi and Marivn Sapp, was released February 15 on iTunes and has already reached #2 on the Gospel & Christian iTunes single chart. Sad!!

Federal regulators late Friday shut down Covenant Bank on the West Side, of Chicago which has been reported to have been losing money since its 2008 founding by megachurch pastor Bill Winston.    What an unfortunate outcome for such a wonderful idea. I feel sorry for the church members who lost their money here.  From my reading and understanding, with the bank being closed by bank regulators. That the sale will protect account holders, who are insured up to the $250,000 per-account maximum. But it will wipe out the bank’s owners, including members of Winston’s Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park who provided cash for the purchase. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. sold the bank’s assets to Liberty Bank and Trust Co. of New Orleans. Article Here!    So Sad!!

Warning, don't get discouraged in well doing.  Just because the society we now live in is filled with dishonorable males, girls gone wild, angry bitter females and misogynistic men. That doesn't mean that God has abandoned His promise to those who seek after Him.  "I Will Give You The Desires Of Your Heart." For me, I have a very hard time understanding why Christians or anyone else  would choose this method as a way of finding a suitable mate. I guess we have  arrived at the place where we no longer believe the saying "True Love will find you" !  Anyway, Christian Mingle is one of the most established Christian dating sites on the internet.  Christian Mingle is a dating site solely meant for Christian singles looking for a life partner. The site was established in 1996, the website boasts of its many years of experience helping out Christian singles.  Well last week a California man was arrested after being accused of raping a woman he met through

 There's reports out that the young man Chief Keef will be looking to Jesus once he's released from juvenile detention.  According to "The Sun Times" the Rev. Corey Brooks (“the rooftop pastor”) said Friday, he plans to baptize the 17-year-old rapper when he’s released from juvenile detention.  The Chicago minister plans on helping Keef become part of the Christian faith. I wish Chief Keef all the best in his bid and transition to serve Christ.  This is the same young man who earlier in the year had to have a judge approve a final deal for millions,  he had made with a record company because of his age.

There's no way in Hades I would buy this doll for a kid. The internet is ablaze today over the above and the below image.   An image of a brown Barbie doll has surfaced on the Internet, causing people to question whether or not it is supposed to be the next African-American Barbie. The doll is sporting blonde hair, gold chains, cleavage, and two bags that are strikingly similar to the Louis Vuitton monogram multicolor collection. Many African-Americans find the doll’s appearance offensive, stating that it does not exude the true beauty of African-American women. Article Here!  What are your thoughts?

The ridiculous and foolish that take place in our churches nowadays is overwhelming. Why in the world  is the church always trying to repackage what the world is doing? "Praise God Gangnum Style"! HATE IT!   

With age comes wisdom and understanding.... And Chaka Khan has mastered both of those in being older and wiser. Chaka Khan learned long ago she can make you get up and move with her music, no matter where you might be at in life.  So, with her new pop-dance record, "It's Not Over," she manages to keep that idea working but in a new way.    The 10-time Grammy award winner has hooked up with Grammy winning Christian Lecrae for her new project.

Everything that has gone viral on the world wide net isn't necessarily good/bad. One Facebook photo that was posted yesterday is making BIG headlines. Latrell Higgins, a child who was adopted at age 10, asked his parents to let him take 'newborn' 13-year-old photos because he never got them when he was a child. The image was later posted to Facebook, and has been shared thousands of times. I am sorry, but I think and feel that they went about this in the wrong way… . and not to mention it’s a little disturbing.  I do believe that they had the best of intentions and their hearts are definitely without question and beyond doubt in the right place. Don’t get me wrong I believe there are many ways they could have come up with to make this young MAN feel like part of their family. I understand that there are a lot of people who think this is a good thing but I don’t. What if there is’s a deeper issue here for this young man that they don’t know about? Great read over here!

Today Ash Wednesday marks the  beginning of the  lent season for many in the Chrisitan Community. Lent starts every year on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.

 Dr Juanita  Bynum becomes a Goodwill Ambassador of Bayelsa State Nigeria last year.  She was honored  with the award during a celebration at the warehouse church last month.  Dr. Bynum, stated that she regarded this honor as her greatest achievement in missionary work.  She visited the state during the flood saga in parts of the country and was moved into the creeks of Bayelsa where she was fired up in the spirit to donate to charity, in alleviating the sufferings of the people in Nigeria.. Article here!

What a great read! I recently attended an event where a well-known Black pastor was preaching. Hip, relatively young and Baptist, he delivered a scintillating sermon on social justice that at times had the audience cheering loudly. While I loved his message of empowering the poor and providing equal opportunities for the downtrodden, I was more than a bit turned off by the way he quoted three popular secular rappers as if they were Marcus Garvey, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Rest Here!

The Singersroom has confirmed that  Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey will be sitting down for a no holds barred interview that will air on the latters successful series "Oprah's Next Chapter."

Pope Benedict XVl rose early this morning while being in sound mind and body....and decided, you know what, I don't want to do this any more. So in a move that took the world by surprise, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will resign on Feb. 28.

According to "The Examiner" Pastor Riva Tims, ex-wife of late televangelist and personality Pastor Zachery Tims, is opening up regarding his death. Speaking out in a report in the latest issue of Ebony, released Thursday, Tims says the late leader struggled with substance abuse and what she now believes was a "lifestyle." Rest Here!

Just a quick reminder! This young man has signed and agreed to a non-disclosure and secrecy agreements (also called) a confidentiality agreements.  If I'am not mistaken these types of agreements are important legal tools used by business and lay people who have something or someone to protect.  In this particular case it's name and family.  I believe Bishop Long had this confidentiality agreement put in place to protect him, his family and church from future home. Last summer Centino Kemp via his social media made a claim that he had dismissed the notion of a a tell-all book about his relationship with Bishop Eddie Long, and that he was moving on.  Well it looks like things have taken a turn for Mr. Centino Kemp. Mr. Kemp has decided for some reason or another, to move forward with his controversial book, "First Lady" which is slated to hit bookshelves on Valentine's Day. Mr. Kemp claims that he was referred to (not call) as the "First Lady" dur

Homegoings is a feature documentary exploring the African American way of death. Filmed at Owens Funeral Home in Harlem and rural South Carolina, the film takes an up-close and unusual look into the rarely seen world of undertaking, one of the few occupations Black Americans could enter freely after slavery. Combining cinema verité with intimate interviews and personal photographs, Homegoings tells the stories of several families who have lost loved ones, while painting a vivid portrait of the passionate man behind their funerals. Article Here!

Is Christian Church Marketing not working? The Barna Group, a market research firm that specializes in studying religious beliefs among Americans and how they impact faith and culture, recently released a study claiming that athletes have more influence than pastors. An estimated two-thirds of Americans- about 64 percent- believe that professional athletes influence people in American society more than professional faith leaders, according to the report released on the Barna Group website. What's going on here? I'm not one bit surprised at this new finding at all. We live in a celebrity obsessed culture. Last year  Jesus  Tim Tebow drew a crowd of about 15,000 to an outdoor Easter church service. Why?  The comment below is a powerful one for me. " I’m sure there are many reasons for the trend of decreasing influence of pastors. No doubt some of them are self-inflicted. What strikes me most is that we are living at a time when the Christian Church markets itself m

Wow what a Great Super Bowl that was last night. Kudos, high five and a big shout out to Ray Lewis, of the Super Bowl Championship team the "Baltimore Ravens." On one hand  I want to think Ray and his team for showing the world exactly what it means to get a scripture down into your soul. On the other hand I want to caution Lewis about missing, quoting and throwing scripture out wrong. Bible readers everywhere know that the book of Isaiah, is what Ray Lewis kept quoting, doing the last couple of weeks. "No weapon formed against us shall prosper." Ray believed in that particular passage of scripture to the point he had the entire team and the head coach John Harbaugh quoting the same passage of scripture. It is a beautiful passage of scripture especially when you read the entire 17th verse of the 54 chapters of Isaiah: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritag

“First giving honor and praise to my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who's  the head of my life.”   If you grew up in the construct of the black church the particular phrase above  is not something  new for you. You probably  have heard it a zillion of times before.  And, when you heard that phrase spoken during a church service, you knew a  testimony was about to break out. There's nothing wrong with one sharing their Christian testimony. And as a believer in Christ it can be one of the greatest witnessing tools we have available to us is the testimony of a changed life. I was reading over here where recording artist Zacardi Cortez will be a special guest on BET’s “Lift Every Voice” program this Sunday, February 3rd. On the show, the gospel artist will talk about his former life in the streets, selling drugs and a near death experience that brought him back to God.  The Bible has many examples of people who came to Christ, were saved and walked away changed. Not many

Pastor Jamal Bryant! Today is Super Bowl Sunday at EmpowermentTem2. Pastor Jamal Bryant via his Face Book, has  instructed his congregation to wear their ravens paraphernalia for their  pre-game pep praise rally. When I read the pastor comment I thought about the many churches in America  tomorrow that would be doing things totally different because of the super bowl. I'm finding out that many churches change their Sunday evening services or eliminate them completely on Super Bowl Sunday, some having "Super Bowl Parties" at church instead of regular services. What are your thoughts on doing this?

I hate to hear that  Willow Smith will no longer be starring in the remake of ‘Annie‘. According to reports, production took too long to get underway, and she has outgrown the role. Willow was given the role when she was 9 years old. I was so looking forward to seeing Little Willow Smith take on this role.

  Aspire TV! The "Scroll" will highlight  the journey of faith, hope and perseverance that led these individuals to a position of positive influence.  Part 1 – Premieres Sunday, Feb. 3 at 8 PM ET Featuring: Bishop T.D. Jakes, Rev. Bernice A. King, Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, Rev. Al Sharpton Jr., Bishop Noel Jones, Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Dr. Calvin O. Butts III and more.  Part 2 – Premieres Sunday, Feb. 10 at 8 PM ET Featuring: Bishop Charles E. Blake, Rev. Dr. David Jefferson Sr., Rev. Dr. Della Reese Lett, Bishop Keith Reed Sr., Rev. Dr. Marvin L. Sapp, Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood, Bishop Paul S. Morton, Bishop Donald Hilliard Jr., Pastor A.R. Bernard and more. Part 3 – Premieres Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8 PM ET Featuring: Pastor Lawrence Powell, Apostle Frederick K.C. Price, Bishop Joseph L. Garlington, Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, Rev. Dr. Mark Tyler, Bishop Dale C. Bronner, Rev. Dr. Perry Simmons Jr., Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Walker, Rev. Dr. Marvin L. S

 A story earlier  this week  has gone viral about a pastor who rejected the idea of paying 18% on at a restaurant bill  and wrote “I give God 10%. Why do you get 18?” The waitress who posted the receipt online has since been fired by her employer. I notice that any time the world gets a chance to point a finger toward the hypocrisies that's  in the Christian community they will/do.  Now I totally agree that the pastor who left the unwanted tip was wrong. I also think it was wrong for the restaurant to fire the waitress. What do you think was this fair?