The Old Black Church

R eader, Bishop Eddie Long has chopped off all his hair! Or took off his wig, one of the two. Either, way Bishop Long church family are tickled pink and very supported of the bishop new look. For some guys, going bald is no big deal. They shrug and chuckle “Hair today, gone tomorrow!” For others, it can feel like a loss of identity. Anyhow, Bishop Eddie Long I like your new look.

R eader, today December 31st, is the six day of Kwanzaa focus is on Principle - Kuumba (Creativity): To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

R eader Dr. Earl Carter latest video is pleading with COGIC members to ask Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake to resign. In a new video that was uploaded today claiming there's a photo that has surfaced of Bishop Blake on his knees and he's NOT petitioning a prayer.  According to Dr. Carter, COGIC will never recovery if the photo is shown. So the question is will Dr. Carter expose Bishop Blake if he does not resign? Man this is a mess!

R eader, say what you want about Pastor Jamal Bryant, but he is trying hard to claim back the social and civil rights we once fought for. Today he called out the accomplishments of 2015 despite social injustices. Kudos Pastor Bryant! 

R eader, it's with a heavy heart that I inform you of the transition of the Honorable Bishop Aletha J Cushinberry. Bishop Cushinberry Pastor's the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ Topeka, KS. Dr. Cushinberry was consecrated as the first full female bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World during the 100th Centennial International summer Convention in Detroit, MI. Bishop Aletha Cushinberry Will be missed Greatly. Please keep the Elder Larry Cushinberry, the Cushinberry Family, ACJC Topeka, Heart of America Council of Churches in Prayer. Thanks for being a trailblazer for so many. I can hear the Lord saying "Well done my good and faithful servant" Bishop Aletha Cushinberry,79, died Sat in Topeka.

R eader, knowledge is power!  Once again year after year, the links and articles on this blog about "THE WATCH NIGHT SERVICES" are the most searched for articles on this blog. On New Year Eve since the dawn of time black folks have gathered annually to praise God for bringing them safely through another year. The annual Watch Night service for many in the Black Community is a traditional service that has strong roots that go all the way back to the time of slavery. Watch Night Services in most predominantly black churches start around 9 or 10 p.m. with the first hour being devoted to those giving testimonials of thanks to God for the year past and watching in praying in faith for the future. On January 1st in 1862, the first Watch Night Services were celebrated in Back communities in America. The WatchNight service can be traced back to gatherings also known as “Freedom’s Eve.” On that night, Black slaves and free blacks came together in churches and private

R eader, so a priest was suspended for using a hoverboard during a service, as it was considered attention seeking and disrespectful. An unidentified Catholic priest is taking some time to reflect on his decision to ride a hoverboard at the conclusion of Christmas Eve Mass, according to religious news sites.  An official statement from the Diocese of San Pablo in the Philippines reprimanded the priest, saying Mass and the Holy Eucharist,  "It is the Church’s highest form of worship. Consequently, it is not a personal celebration where one can capriciously introduce something to get the attention of the people." The Diocese described the incident as a wake-up call for the priest, whom the Diocese claims offers his apologies and vows not to repeat the incident.

R eader, today December 30th is the fifth day of Kwanzaa. It is a day for reviewing our purpose for living. Each family member should examine his/her ability to put his/her skill or talent to use In the service of the family and community at large. Take time to reflect on your expectations from life: discuss your desires and hopes with family and friends. On this day you should try to determine if this purpose will eventually result in positive achievements for family and community.

R eader today [Dec. 29] is the 4th day of Kwanzaa and the principle of the day is ‘Ujamaa’ in the Swahili language, which represents ‘Cooperative Economics.' Kwanzaa is a week-long festival for the purpose of honoring and celebrating Afrikan culture and traditions with family, friends and community.

R eader, Comedian Sarah Silverman has upset a whole lot of Christians who flew into a rage after Silverman posted about a gender-fluid Jesus on Twitter Christmas.  Someone ask what  does the Bible really says about the gender of Jesus?  I like Sarah Silverman, she's usually pretty funny. This was not funny, not because of the content, but because it wasn't funny. But you can guarantee some fake Christians as usual has lost their mind over her stupid tweet. You can have millions of homeless people in your city and by and large people don't care. Say something dumb about one religion however, and people lose their minds.

R eader, Bishop Jake's clapped back at one of his many followers yesterday after the bishop posted the above photos on Instagram. A follower lashed out saying that he supposed to be leading by example and not wearing ripped jeans to the altar as it is worldly.

R eader today [Dec. 28] is the 3rd day of Kwanzaa and the principle of the day is ‘Ujima’ in the Swahili language, which represents ‘Collective Work & Responsibility’. Kwanzaa is a week-long festival for the purpose of honoring and celebrating Afrikan culture and traditions with family, friends and community.

R eader, in a time when the pressures and expectations of leadership are derailing worship leaders and ministry support teams around the world, the iLead Escape exists to equip leaders with the necessary tools to survive and thrive. With sessions including Initiating Self-care, Managing Burnout, Prioritizing a meaningful connection with God, and more, The iLead Escape offers a place of ESCAPE for those who give of themselves on a weekly basis. Please join us as we bring clinicians from across the country to share “1WORD” that will revolutionize your life.

R eader, today is the second principle of Kwanzaa, Kujichagulia (Self-Determination): To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves.

R eader, the 2016 National Festival of Young Preachers is scheduled for January 2-5 in Lexington, KY. This is a nice opportunity for students to preach, receive feedback, and get to know peer preachers.

R eader according to Bishop Brandon B. Porter: It's amazing how people are quick to Judge what they did not witness. Trust me Jesus means everything to our Faith... Now there are many traditions used by many different people and religions even unto idles, but remember, even the practice of Communion could be misconstrued. However Jesus said ..."as often as you do this do it in remembrance of Me"...meaning himself. That's the difference in a nut-shell...Why you do what you do!! ...Because Solomon even wrote in Ecclesiastics 3: 1-8 there's a Time, Season and Purpose for All Things,.... Namely War, Peace, To Kill, to Heal, Time to Love and to hate... To name a few ...read the rest for yourselves. Know this: "Your Purpose Determines the Validly of your Practice!" We do what we do to show the love of Jesus. video here:

Reader HAPPY KWANZAA Today is the 1st day of Kwanzaa today's Principle is Umoja which is Unity .. Let us stick together and Help build up one another. Should a Christian celebrate Kwanzaa? 

R eader, wishing you a Merry Christmas!

R eader, why are Black Churches filing under chapter 11 more so than other churches?  Could it be that lenders may have charged Black Churches more for credit and denied Black Churches’ modification requests in times of financial troubles, leading these churches to file under chapter 11 to achieve debt restructurings?  According to BloombergBusiness.Com , a long line of research shows that black consumers pay higher rates for credit, including mortgages and car loans. A new study suggests the same kind of financial discrimination may apply to black churches. Of the 654 religious congregations to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection between 2006 and 2013, 60 percent had black pastors or predominantly black membership, according to a just-published paper by Pamela Foohey, an associate professor at the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Meanwhile, black churches make up only 21 percent of U.S. congregations, according to a 2012 analysis.

R eader the news and the disappointment of Christian Rapper Jahaziel renouncing his Christianity yesterday was all up and down my timeline. Former, UK-based Christian rapper Jahaziel released a shocking statement, renouncing Christianity on his Facebook page yesterday. The rapper didn't only renounce Christianity he also renounce the Bible, and some of his reasons include the way it treats women as second class citizens, its controlling dictatorship, its emasculation of men, etc.  His fans and followers are asking a lot of questions.   After having a powerful testimony for so many years of being saved, delivered, and sold out for the Kingdom of God, what happened?  To all of a sudden boldly renounce and somehow doubt the existence of God. Folks are saying even when ‪Mali_music‬ announced his shift from gospel to secular, he never for once doubted God's existence or spoke against the bible.

R eader, in the video below Dr. Earl Carter, interviews Pastor Thomas Cross of Boston, MA.  Pastor Cross Tells what Harvard Professor Gomes said about Bishop Charles Blake. Also, Dr. Earl Carter talks about how Bishop Charles Blake in 1970 was arrest for pedophilia.

R eader, a lot of us get caught up in the COMMERCIAL HYPE OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS and don't even know what all the other symbolism means and the incorporation of PAGAN PRACTICES.  Yesterday, Minister Louis Farrakhan took to his social media and posted the following with an overwhelming response: Did you know that when you put your lights on, put it all over your house, put a candle in the window, and a wreath, that’s because the people worshiped the Sun? December the 21st is the shortest day of the year, so the Sun worshippers thought their god was leaving them. So they were entreating their god to come back to them, so they would burn a yule log. They lit candles. They cut the tree out of the forest. And when Constantine became a Christian from being a pagan, he substituted the worship of The Sun for the worship of The Son of God. But how do you carry out the honor and worship of Christ? Drunk? That’s part of the holiday season. Foolish? Doing unrighteous things? We have dishon

R eader, after following a number of pastors on Periscope Bishop Brandon Porter is by far one of my favorites. He is one of the many reasons I'm drawn to Periscope, even though he's a bishop and a general board member of the C.O.G.I.C., he has always seems down to earth, approachable, relevant while not losing his reverence for the things of God. Only he could and would do something like this. I love it! According to the bishop Facebook page , he is asking young people to make sure they don't miss Christmas Day service. Bishop Brandon B. Porter as an awesome leader will be giving away some hoverboards. Make sure you are in the house young people for your chance to be selected.

R eader, according to  Claudia S. Smith of the Liberian Observer. Once known as Taffi Dollar Children’s Welfare Center the orphanage located in Disco Hill, Margibi County, was forced to change its name to Abundant Life Chapel’s Orphanage after its main backer the Taffi Dollar family, allegedly asked to have their name removed from the center. The director of the self-run orphanage and school, Mr. Wilmot Ben Yalarjai told the Daily Observer Women and Family that he had to make a lot of changes to his children’s center in the past six months, including releasing most of the orphans and changing its name. “I fell out and had a minor stroke because of the kids’ condition last year and I almost lost my life because of the tension. There was no one helping us, the kids were going to suffer, so I had to release most of the 100 children because it was really hard. Now we only have 35,” he said. Now known as Abundant Life Chapel Children’s Welfare Center, Father Yalarjai said afte

R eader, Emma Akpan is a faith leader at her North Carolina African Methodist Episcopal Church. She also volunteers for Planned Parenthood.  Akpan wrote a column for Bustle last week trying to justify her abortion advocacy with her Christian faith by claiming that she wants to end violence against women. Akpan described herself a minister at her church.  “I am a clinic greeter because of my faith, which teaches me how important it is to provide care for my community,” the Raleigh, North Carolina, woman wrote. “For me, that means ensuring that women have safe access to their health care facilities.”  Akpan, an African American, honed in on violence against the African American community, churches and women.  

R eader, according to social media, Mike Murdock is one of the many criminals who parade as "men of God," robbing and stealing from God's people. Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing. So, Mike Murdoch has made some outlandish claims like if you send $112 to Rod Parsley's Breakthrough, God is going to release a Territorial Anointing to you?

R eader, for some this may provide mind expansion; for others, this may ruffle feathers. No predictions on how the reader will take this information. I thought it interesting enough to share.  It is very interesting to discover that there are more Bible verses about Hell than there are about Heaven. Here are a few verses in the Old Testament about Hell. Daniel 12:2 proclaims, "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Hell is described here as everlasting. Isaiah 66:24 declares, "And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind." In this Scripture, hell is described as a place where the fire is not quenched.  Deuteronomy 32:22 portrays hell as a place where God pours out His wrath, "For a fire is kindled in My anger, and shall burn to the

R eader, the wait is FINALLY over! Registration for the 2016 International AIM Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio is NOW OPEN! Get ready for a HISTORICAL, extraordinary convention as we prepare for the 20/40 Celebration of UNAC/AIM. Chairman Dillard and the AIM Team, along with the Department Heads, have planned a mammoth week of activities and special surprises, and you can't afford to miss out!

R eader, this is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. What are they going to do with the toys they remove? Operation Christmas Child, the Christian charity headed by Franklin Graham, says it's excluding Harry Potter and Pokemon toys from its 2.4 million boxes that are sent to children all over the world. Ridiculous.

R eader Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake was just awarded an honorary doctorate of divinity degree by Biola University. Congratulations!

R eader, talk about a pimp preacher. I have always given this dude a side eye. In my opinion, Mike Murdock is one of these preachers who can stand in front of virtually anyone and preach about getting rich and never blink an eye. He has no shame when it comes to asking for money and promising you will get it back 30, 60, 100 fold. He continues to amaze me yet today.   Why does he never talk about love, fornication, adultery, Hell, Heaven or anything else? It's always money & seed sowing with him. Doesn't the bible say to "be instant in season & out of season"? Shouldn't he be preaching the whole gospel?

R eader, according to social media, Apostle David E. Taylor has spent more than $50,000 dollars out of people’s donations to transform a Mercedes into a limousine to drive guests around town. Below is just one of many video transcripts from a series of legal depositions conducted by an authorized member of the Michigan Bar Association in an active court matter in which David E. Taylor was subpoenaed to testify. David E. Taylor Under Investigation For Criminal Charges, Spent $50,000 In Donations Upgrading Mercedes to Limousine

R eader, Pastor Bryant says the movement needs ministers .....not hiding in sanctuaries but in the streets. He's looking for 300 soldiers to take a stand.

R eader, this pastor say some of yall is to deep, give me your thought.  Is this ok or wrong? (The playing of R Kelly "step in the name of love" in a church on a Sunday morning and the pastor and First Lady steppen to it?) Now some Muslims will blow themselves up for their faith and beliefs, while some Christian Pastors will make a mockery out of the places they have dedicated to the Lord. Where is the dividing line between the church and the world?Sin has been downplayed for so long, that the world have invaded the church.  Now look what that seed have produced: Wickness!!! No respect for God at all. Mercy King Jesus!!! Just like Eli's sons in I Samuel 2:12 they had no respect for the service of the sanctuary and more. They solicited the people to wickness. God killed Eli Sons. What you see happening in this video is stirring the wrath of God. Disrespectful to God and His people.  R-Kelly is famous for his sexual perverted performances and sexually immoral mu

R eader, I been following this awesome conference sinced it started on yesterday by way of Periscope.The discussion of race and reconciliation is crucial in this hour.  The 2015 National Consultation of the Conference of National Black Churches (CNBC) is underway in Charleston, SC at the Charleston Marriott Hotel. This is a major conference on race and reconciliation, according to CNBC chairman Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson. Race and reconciliation is the theme as more than 300 bishops and pastors of CNBC member denominations descend to the Lowcountry yesterday.  Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson says the consultation is a "bold and urgent call to initiate a cross-racial, religious dialogue to address the racial hurts that recently have been laid so grotesquely at the doors of the churches." "We called the leadership together to come and host a conversation about racism and reconciliation with white leaders, to begin to have an honest conversation about racism and how we ca