The Old Black Church

The leaders of Primitive Baptist Churches are considering whether to revoke the credentials of a Nashville pastor because he went against 100 years of church tradition by licensing women as ministers . Pastor Frank Stevenson told WTVF that he broke St. Luke’s Primitive Baptist Church’s “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” when he licensed 15 women to be ministers earlier this month.  That decision prompted church elders and pastors in the Cumberland Association of Primitive Baptist Churches to call a meeting on Thursday to discuss Stevenson’s future. In the end, they decided to put the fate of Stevens in the hands of a committee, which will consider the case over the next few weeks. Background : Primitive Baptists draws all of their beliefs directly from the King James Version of the Bible. If they can't support it with Scripture, they don't follow it. Their services are modeled on the early New Testament church with preaching, praying, and singing without instrumental accompa

Sarah Jakes the daughter of renowned preacher, pastor and teacher T.D. Jake's, have gone from being a teen mom to a beautiful role model. Sarah Jakes had to make many life adjustments having her son at only 14-years-old. Fast forward to 2014 the young lady is now using  her platform to reach a lot of people in a way she never knew she could. And, at every opportunity she gets, she talks about her journey and in "Finding Hope in the Detours of Life."   Anyhow, I was surprised when I read on Facebook the below comment about how this person found Sarah's dress to be a big distraction from her overall message.  I'm finding that one thing about folks in social media, they will let you know what they are thinking without holding anything back. "If our outward appearance is a visible and silent testimony of our Christian values, then how do one chose regarding appropriate and inappropriate dressing? Even if the Bible recognizes the importance o

Pastor Irishea Hilliard celebrated her 37th birthday with a big "CHANEL"bash theme party June 10,2014.  Dr. Irishea Hilliard is the daughter of Bishop I.V. and Pastor Bridget Hilliard. Born on June 7, 1977 in Houston, TX .   Facebook!

Salute to one of the worlds greatest soul singers, of all times Bobby Womack. Mr. Womack was set free yesterday, the legendary soul singer career spanned more than seven decades, died yesterday at age 70.  Bobby Womack had roots in gospel music and cited R.H. Harris of the Soul Stirrers as one of his influences. Womack and his brothers performed gospel music before gaining the attention of Sam Cooke, who eventually signed them to his label (SAR Records) as The Valentinos, where they made the transition to R&B.

A church which advertised that a prayer session could heal health problems, including "incurable diseases" has been told to remove the advertisement. A complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority was made about a brochure from the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, which was circulated publicly and contained a timetable of healing sessions. "For people  who suffer with constant pain, deteriorating health, can't work due to illness, incurable disease, doctors don't know what's wrong, on pill recovering from injury, weight problems, sick children."    The complainant, Mark Hanna, from the Society for Science Based Healthcare, said there was no evidence that any of these health issues could be alleviated through prayer.

In a rather dramatic turn of events a pastor was accused of dating two girls who are members of his church in pipeline. The man of God was allegedly seeing these two girls who happened to be completely unaware that they were two sides of his one coin. The pastor of the Esteemed Gospel Chapel along Pipeline was dating two female members of his flock.  All hell broke loose for the pastor, when the two female members realized that they were dating him at the same time. Angered by these revelations, the two ladies decided to air their dirty laundry in public and at the same time confront the pastor. The confrontation between the two women and the pastor drew large crowds as many curious onlookers gathered to witness the spectacle. The two women who have been avid members of the church demanded answers from the pastor.

Lord have mercy, I don't agree with this approach at all, we don't be needing to participate in "BATTLE RHYMING " to win people to God. DO WE?   This article and video , came across my Facebook timeline this morning. Now,  I don't feel this is what the scriptures meant by being able to argue our faith.  Now, if I'm not mistaken, God has been building his church for thousand of years and doesn't necessarily need this kind of assistance.  With must respect to this young man  (Th3Saga) in his effort, but this really goes over my head.  I  believe this to be way over the line of soul winning. This is a classic example of things the world does that the Kingdom of God just don't have to reproduce. In my opinion!

Why is America so preoccupy ,  consume,  obsessed with sex? Especially pornography.  According to Morality in Media, American Apparel is selling more than just clothing, therefore they are asking the public for help.  Morality in Media is asking  the public to contact American Apparel to urge that the company turn away from sexual exploitation. A special web page has been set up for the campaign here.

Another powerful post by Pastor H.B. Charles .  In his latest post,  Pastor Charles says he detest church hopping, but believe there is a proper time and way to leave a church.   Source  He lists legitimate reasons for leaving a church.  When is the right time to leave a church? How should one leave a church to join another? Great read!

"Kierra Sheard" brought forth the WORD yesterday at GEI's Youth Conference 2014.  Proud mommy, Karen posted to her Facebook page: We are so proud of our daughter @kierrasheard !! It was Amazing to see God use this young lady today! Another gift to bless the world. So anointed I could not stop crying this girl preached wow.

I'm so glad Mali Music moved for under the Gospel Music umbrella.... He's still giving a Christian message in his songs, he's just not preaching to the choir anymore. I believe he went secular because there is more money and fame in the secular industry than the Gospel.  Last year Mali Music "announce to the "Gospel" community that he was going mainstream with his message, like so many Gospel artists before him had done in the past.  The songs on his new album like "Royalty," "I Believe," "Walking Shoes" and "I Believe" still have Biblical messages to them. Many of his Gospel fans are still upset with him for dropping the gospel music label,  but not me. I can understand the money move. Check him out on Spotify if you want to hear the whole songs.

It's amazing to me that when Christians rightfully criticize another Christian's behavior people so easily throw out the judgmental card. It would be better for us to examine the validity of the criticism. Rightful criticism and correction is not false judgement. The Bible exhorts women to dress modestly and to not exploit their sexuality. The Bible also exhorts men to present themselves in a holy manner as well. In the latest issue of Rolling Out magazine, Megan Good once again, defends her lifestyle, claiming that Christians can often be judgmental. She says that rather than approaching her with love, people often come at her with criticism in mind. But she stops short of explaining how being a free and independent woman means that she can wear anything she wants.  Her critics say that she is free to dress as a normal person, but should show some respect to her faith, audience and venue in the process. Ms. Good is a  beautiful actress who's both a devout

The follow-up to Lecrae's Grammy-winning album "Gravity" will feature the Christian rapper's face on the cover. Lecrae revealed early in the week on instagram his new album cover design for 'Anomaly' which is set to release in August 2014. The reveling of the album cover by way of social media have caused quite a stir among some of the Christian rapper followers.  In 2012, Christian Rapper Lecrae made history by becoming the first rapper to win the "Best Gospel Album" Grammy for his project Gravity, which featured contributions from other big name rappers. The artwork featured Lecrae's face overlaid with a 3D topographical map, the cover art seems to comment on the digitized, constantly surveilled  world we currently live in, situating Lecrae as an independent-minded "anomaly" in the system.  a·nom·a·ly əˈnäməlē/ noun 1. Something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected.  I think, I get the album cover ide

It´s no wonder our culture is in the toilet. It´s really, really disgusting and appalling that anyone would even think this is acceptable.  A Brooklyn art gallery held an exhibit portraying Kim Kardashian as Jesus - and the Virgin Mary. The show, "The Passion of Kim Kardashian," opened in Bushwick last week, shocking local clergy.   Father Michael Perry of Our Lady of Refuge Church in Flatbush called the show "dumb and stupid." "Everyone knows who Kim Kardashian is and I don't care who she is. She has no impact on my life at all," Perry said.   Pastor Reggie Stutzman of Real Life Church in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx was less forgiving, and was particularly offended after seeing one of the portraits of the "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star wearing a crown of thorns with a cross behind her. Rest Here!

Anna Giuffrida, who had a 20-year professional relationship with “Preachers of L.A.” cast member Bishop Clarence E. McClendon, believes he and a former Oprah Winfrey Network executive stole her idea for the reality show and is suing, alleging she is entitled to compensation. Filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Giuffrida also names Oxygen Media, LLC, and Rod Aissa, one of the reality show executives, who is now senior vice president of original programming and development for cable network Oxygen, in the lawsuit. An Oxygen Media representative could not be reached for comment. Source:

Join Bishop T.D Jakes and other special guests like Dr Jasmin Sculark, Christine Caine, Pastor Lee Jenkins, Rosilyn Houston and musical guests James Fortune and Fiya for a powerful episode of ”PRAISE THE LORD". Program airs June 20 at 9PM CST Bishop Jakes will discuss his new book, INSTINCT, and preview what's to come at WTAL 2014 in Atlanta.

On yesterday, members of Presbyterian Church USA, the largest Presbyterian denomination in the nation, voted by 61% to allow pastors to perform same-sex marriages in their churches. They also voted by 71% to change the definition of marriage from one man and one woman to two people of any gender. The first proposal goes into immediate effect Saturday after the close of the convention; the second proposal still has to gain majority approval from local branches before it would take effect. WOW!

Leaders of the National Black Church Initiative, a coalition of 34,000 churches, gathered at the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem on Thursday to kick off an ambitious program to advance the financial stability of their community. Source:

First, I just want to say thank you Ta -Nehisi Coates, for all of the work he's doing and, I appreciate his transparency as well.  Walking through his logic and historical data shows how people can change their view when presented with facts. I am a big ole fan of his work. I truly believe his work is some of the best writing about America in a long time. Most people are woefully ignorant about American history, believing they have not received the benefits of racist policies that extend far beyond slavery and Jim Crow, but have their roots in the insidious ideology of white supremacy.  I believe, Ta-Nehisi Coates almost single handed reignited the reparations conversation in this country with his "The Case for Reparations" : An Intellectual Autopsy blog piece. By making the case that black social peril and inequality in the United States of America is mostly the result of the legacy of white supremacy and African enslavement, Coates has effectively initiated a

Lord have mercy, the Christian music world is still reeling from the revelations that As I Lay Dying founder Tim Lambesis hired a hit man last year, to kill his estranged wife, and has been faking a walk with God for some years, to cash in on a music industry niche.   One of his former band mates is now speaking out against the Grammy-nominated Christian metal singer's behavior.

Mary, a reader from Pennsylvania, email and ask would I help get the word out about an upcoming conference this weekend, in Pennsylvania.   Strictly Gospel! 

Pastor Benny Hinn:  I believe strongly that I am supposed to ask God’s people right now to prayerfully consider giving a sacrificial gift of $1,000. Why 1,000? One thousand is a significant number in Scripture. In fact, the word thousand is recorded in the King James Version of the Bible 521 times, so it is obviously a number that is important to the kingdom of God. The Lord God says: If you have been at a low-level harvest for a long time, then it’s time to release your prosperity with higher seed-level giving and a greater expectation of an unprecedented harvest. It’s time to move into high gear and release the prosperity anointing over yourself and your loved ones!  Today, I am asking you to move up to a higher level. Man, this "Prosperity Gospel" never gets old, it has plagued Christianity since the beginning. And the problem is the same it's always been.

R eader the diva mentality is a disease that's rooted in pride and it has permeated our holy platforms.  I think, far too many worship leaders are tolerating a level of dysfunction on their worship teams that is completely  unbiblical . But how can leaders weed out this disease without hurting feeling? All too often we place a large emphasis on the outward appearance. I found the following question on Facebook, and thought I would post it here for thoughts:   We need help ! There's a "FAT" diva on our worship team who's causing some concern along with an unqualified, unskilled want-to-be superstar drummer. The trouble is, we really need them both.  How do we best utilize their gifts while helping reshape them and their attitudes? Thoughts: Should "Fat" People Lead Worship?

Yesterday, the US Senate made history when it unanimously confirm Darrin Gayles to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Some are saying you can say what you want about President Obama, but one thing no one will be able to take from him is his commitment to diversity and the lasting impact his nominees will have long after he’s left office. Do you agree?

Ephren Taylor, once a financial adviser to congregants from some of the most prominent mega-churches in the country, was arrested today on federal fraud charges. The Department of Justice announced in a news release that Taylor, 31, was arrested on a federal indictment charging him and his business partner with "defrauding investors across the country of more than $5 million."  The charges allege that Taylor, the former CEO of City Capital Corporation, and the company's former COO Wendy Connor "participated in a conspiracy to defraud investors" between April 2009 and October 2010, and allegedly managed to defraud "hundreds" of people nationwide, according to the DOJ. Source:

Lord have mercy, Oklahoma Senator Constance Johnson has cited Genesis 1:29 as a reason to legalize pot. The scripture states, “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food."   Johnson has interpreted the scripture to mean God made the plant so it should be legal for use.  This Genesis verse is often used by marijuana users to justify their use. I'm not surprised. Any Bible verse can be taken out of context to justify virtually anything.  “We’re putting forth in Genesis 1:29 as the basis of this campaign,” Johnson said. “God created this wonderful, miraculous plant and we know that is has been vilified for the last 100 years, and it’s time to change that in Oklahoma.” The earth was cursed and changed since because of mankind's sin. (Genesis 3:17-19). 

 Members of a Birmingham congregation claim their pastor locked them out of their church Sunday morning. It happened at Friendly Missionary Baptist Church on 6th Street North in the Smithfield neighborhood. Church members said for several months there have been issues between the pastor and some members of the congregation about who is in charge.  In a civil lawsuit filed last year, there are allegations that the pastor told the congregation the church is “His Kingdom” and “He has the only key to the church.” On Sunday morning members of the church arrived for service only to be greeted by a locked door. Source:

How in the world, can we with our limited thinking ever think that God is unable to keep his promise? I know that, we are all accustomed to promises in one form or another. We are also accustomed to seeing promising made and then broken. Anyone who has lived for a number of years as I have, would certainly never lay claim to having kept every promise made. There are many reasons why this is true. Sometimes we forget, sometimes we are negligent, and sometimes it may be due to circumstances beyond our control. But to challenge God on His promises is something totally different.  Anyhow, according to  the internet , Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas, led by Pastor Ed Young, has launched a 90-Day Challenge, encouraging members of the multi-campus Megachurch to put God to the test by "bringing (their) tithes and offerings to the House." In part, of the sermon series titled “The Tipping Point." Pastor Ed   attempts to persuade church members to bring their tithe

Calm down folks and stop with the foolishness. Over the last past couple of years I've noticed a trend in which single mothers are wishing other single mothers… A Happy Father's Day. Don't get me wrong, while it is your right to do so, no one can argue that. But this is not your day , this needs to stop.   We need to be mindful of trying, to hijack and take the shine away from the good fathers on Father's Day.  Father's Day, is a day for celebrating  father's who take care of their responsibility .   I have a big ole problem with this craziness every year when Father's Day comes around folks trying  like HELL to take the shine away from those fathers who deserve it.  I am really disappointed in 'black' folks  who attack the black mother who's  raising their children on their own and doing the best they know how by them self.  In the last couple of years, this back and forth on social media has almost overtaken a celebration that was