The Old Black Church

Y'all here we go again, some photographs and videos has emerged online of a rainbow Mickey Mouse hat that is being sold at Disney’s theme parks in Florida and California, that have upset some in the Christian community.

Y'all today was a sad solemn day for many Redemption church members in Greenville, South Carolina. As today was Pastor Ron Carpenter, senior pastor of Redemption Church last sermon as senior pastor of the church he and his wife Hope founded in 1991 with three members and a passion for breaking down walls of racism, crossing cultural lines, and changing poverty mindsets.  Next Sunday, May 6, will be the farewell service to honor Pastors Ron and Hope Carpenter as they depart for a new assignment in San Jose, CA.    

In a day and age where record label-backed artists seem to dominate the market, one independent Gospel singer is proving it is possible to go it alone and succeed. If you’ve ever felt like reaching your goals with little backing was impossible, Maranda Curtis, worship leader at Bishop TD Jakes’ The Potter’s House of Dallas church, is giving you some inspiration.

Y'all this story, is the epitome of white privilege, it's beyond disturbing ( You Can Read It Here ) . Two racists adopted six children of color, abused them for years without court intervention or forced accountability, then one of the women ultimately drove the entire family of eight over a California cliff last month. Two of the children's bodies have not been recovered, but they are presumed dead.

R eader I've mentioned Jermaine Grant in this space before ( You Can Read It Here ) t he leader of the Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ, and another church official alleged diverted more than $5 million in church funds over nine years, according to the U.S. of Burlington Township.  Grant was exposed by the most high as being a false prophet and greedy. Take heed, to who ever is out there pushing the word for filthy lucre, you might be next to get exposed. Calling himself  "The Comforter." a level of total disrespect that cannot be measured. Anyhow Grant had a hearing Wednesday on tax-evasion charges in federal court were the man who once posed as an “entertainment mogul ”was charged  in a scheme to avoid almost $2 million in federal income taxes, authorities said. http://www.nj.com/bergen/index.ssf/2018/04/black_hebrew_israelite_leader_jermaine_grant_arres.html  

R eader Pastor E. Dewey Smith JR and Pastor Dwight McKissic SR took to their social media platform Thursday to express their thoughts about the violent arrest of former NFL player Desmond Marrow by white officers after his cellphone is mistaken for a gun.

R eader somebody’s got to call this stuff out and the young Apostle Jonathan Ferguson did just that on his Facebook page last week:

R eader I am heart broken to hear this news. ( You Can Read It Here ) A giant tree has fallen in the forest. Very saddened to hear Dr. James Cone made his transition. Thank you sir for your groundbreaking work and for the many women and men (myself included) who developed a different perspectives because you sharpened their iron. Rest In Peace and Power. I once saw Dr. James Cone on one of Tavis Smiley "State Of The Black Church" panel discussion, check out the clip below. 

R eader shortly after Bill Cosby ( You Can Read It Here ) was found guilty on three counts of sexual assault, Bounce TV network pulled ‘The Cosby Show’ reruns. The network said in a statement, “effective immediately, Bounce is removing ‘The Cosby Show’ from our schedule.” I guess everybody affiliated with any of his shows now will get messed over. So what do they do about royalties? Dose their work go down the tubes for ever because of Bill Cosby?

R eader the Beyoncé Mass at Grace Cathedral, SF Wednesday night seemed to have been a huge success. (success = numbers) It brought in over 900 people and the opening song was "Survivor" by Destiny's Child.

R eader what in the world is Pansexual? According to definition it's one who can love sexuality in many forms. Like bisexuality, but even more fluid, a pansexual person can love not only the traditional male and female genders, but also transgendered, androgynous, and gender fluid. As a society we are beginning to look less humane and more animalistic... This only promotes sex to the next generation.

R eader how many people do we know who married based off physical attraction exclusively and it didn’t work out? Could one of the reasons be because God never intended for marriage to only meet our physical desires, but to produce our intended purpose. Anyhow last month Pastor John Gray joined the Sister Circle ladies for table talk and shared thoughts on marriage, dating and the power of self worth. He explained marrying for passion exclusively versus God’s purpose and how it's always a short sighted transaction. DON'T GET ME WRONG! YOU WANT TO HAVE BOTH AND YOU CAN AND SHOULD HAVE BOTH! But don’t sacrifice purpose for passion alone.

R eader, in light of the recent allegations ( You Can Read About It Here ) against R&B Singer R. Kelly and "MeToo" Founder Tarana Burke’s call for the Tom Joyner Morning Show to stop supporting the singer.  Tom Joyner has announced he will no longer play the 51-year-old’s music. Could this finally be the beginning of the end?

R eader I believe at the heart of most Christian women conferences exist the need to help draw other women closer to the heart of God…everyday. Great lineup: Dr. Alexis L. Felder, Regina Belle, Prophetess Janet Floyd, Dr. Irishea Hilliard, Dr. Veronica Winston, Dr. Robin Smith. 

R eader here we go again, allegation surfaced Saturday after multiple women told the Modesto Bee that Les Hughey — who founded Highlands Community Church in north Scottsdale — victimized them while he was working as a youth pastor at a Modesto, California church in the 1970s ( You Can Read It Here) . Now I'm tired of the statement "I have sinned" that every pastor caught says as to rape or sexual misconduct. It is an abuse of power and a disrespect to our Lord Jesus Christ. It is an abuse of Grace. And it is also tearing down churches...especially the fall of mega churches. 

R eader, first off I think it’s refreshing to read about a man that ‘waited’ for a wife, I love it. Too often, it seems like we get the narrative that men decide they don’t want to be single anymore, then immediately find a wife, that wasn't so in this case. The backdrop to this love story is wonderful. (You Can Read It Here)  

R eader, I like this, I have always been encouraged by Bishop Charles Blake, I've read that he's an excellent businessman. COGIC Presiding Bishop Charles E Blake is allowing an intimate opportunity to anyone who interests in picking his brain for a chance to glean from his years of wisdom. Bishop Blake has been heralded as one of the greatest leaders in Christendom, and one of the brightest minds in the world.

R eader I'm afraid we have strayed far from worship for the sake of entertainment. I of all people believe God the Creator made us in his image. He being creator made us creative. However, there has been a recent burden of what our “Worship” services are becoming. In an attempt to compete with the world’s presentation we have flooded the church with lights, stages and performances. I’m all for creative expression but what happens when the PRODUCTION overshadows the PRAISE?   The Lead Pastor of Embassy City, Atlanta GA, Bryan Meadows posted the above picture and the following comment on Instagram:   fully plans on making aerialists a FULL PART of our normal worship experience! We endeavor to create a culture driven by the creativity and character of Christ! This was one of my favorite highlights!!!  To me .... And this is just my opinion ... things like this may be appropriate for an artistic night where people are able to express their worship through various methods.

R eader Oprah Winfrey is being sued (You Can Read It Here) by a pastor who made serious claims that she stole from him... As Oprah Winfrey and the OWN network film prepare for the third season of “Greenleaf,” a pastor is coming forward with serious allegations against the former talk show host. According to online reports, a pastor is accusing Winfrey of stealing the idea for the hit show, “Greenleaf.” It has been reported that Pastor Lester Eugene Barrie and Shannan Lynette Wynn filed a lawsuit in federal court last week accusing Winfrey and the network of stealing their idea and profiting off of it.

R eader I found the above and below flyers in one of my favorite Facebook groups. While many large religious organizations in the United States allow women to be ordained – and to hold leadership positions within the organization – few women have actually served at the very top. Over the last 20 years there has been a major shift in church leadership with the rise of first lady as co-pastor and with the overall administration of the church. It appears that most of the men who I see in leadership are just a face, but the women are running the show( hint early post). 

R eader last Sunday the senior pastor of  Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, blessed four members of the church who had been unemployed for multiple months in a lesson on tithing. In each of the services, members took it upon themselves to give ABOVE and BEYOND, just to be a blessing! 🙌🏾 We would like to say, "Thank you for being such a great church!" The video below is from the 11:00 am service.

R eader September 2013 a Louisiana deacon admitted to walking into a Louisiana church and killing Pastor Ronald Harris, has now been found not guilty. Woodrow Karey was charged with manslaughter for shooting Harris to death back in September of 2013.

R eader, I just finished watching this. I can see where he is coming from a lot of honesty truth to what he’s saying. I definitely agree with some of what Bishop Carlton Pearson stated in this Facebook Live last night. Like him or dislike him. Agree or disagree you cannot take away the brilliance of the man. As the saying goes hurt people hurt people! Growing up in the church I’ve seen a lot of it. The response to Bishop Ellis was respectful and professional.  Some church people are mean as *ell and there are a lot of clergymen that are unforgiven to their own fathers and you can see it in the life they live.  Having your own relationship with the God that loves is the most precious relationship you can have.

R eader I wasn't going to say anything about the dragging the Christian community gave Wendy Williams Wednesday morning, after she made an honest mistake concerning the Clark Sisters. Wendy was congratulating Snoop on getting #1 gospel album of the year and then turned around and said that the Clark sisters need to step their game up cause they been around for years and ain’t #1 on nothin. I saw the response one of The Clark Sisters gave to Wendy on YouTube and let me just say Christianity isn't what it used to be. She responded very haughty, and saying some other things that were not Christ-like. They should not have been the least bit affected by anything that Wendy Williams said. Just because someone doesn't know you or in essence idolize you, that's an issue?? Christians are supposed to be about Christ not about self-promotion but then again, I guess these so-called Christian celebrities are on a different level. That's more disgusting than anything Wendy s

R eader the above flyer has really struck a nerve with some online Christian sisters....who think that sexism in the church needs to be heard and it needs to be called out. Why enter into ministry if you know that this is what you will face? It's a shame that women experience sexism when it comes to their call to ministry.  Check out what this young Christian sister had to say: 

R eader time to get in formation, a San Francisco church is set to hold a Beyoncé Mass. The Vine SF at Grace Cathedral invites parishioners "to sing your Beyoncé favorites and discover how her art opens a window into the lives of marginalized and forgotten — particularly black females.

R eader I've received a number of messages and emails from people wanting to know the reasoning and caused for William McCray's blog to be shut down....I am not at liberty right now to disclose exactly what happened. William said he'll address the issue live before the end of the day. Stay Tune!   

R eader I don't know what brought about this (You Can Read It Here) discussion, but it's a very good discussion none the less that was started by Bishop Brian Keith Williams. I agree with the following comment that was posted under the article: subjects like this is seldom discussed publically. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, we will be able to handle these types of discussions with maturity and the mind of Christ in order to set multitudes free from sexual distortions of God's original design. What Y'all think?

R eader I absolutely LOVE this ministry, Apostle Stevenson, truly has a heart for the people of God.  This past Sunday God did an awesome thing through the Apostle ministry( video below ).

R eader Televangelist Ernest Angley, is back in the spotlight ( You Can Read It Here ) as the subject of a new ruling from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court decided to overturn a 2017 ruling that required Cathedral Buffet and Angley himself to pay more than $388,000 in back wages owed to workers as well as damages. The latest appeals court ruling, which was unanimously decided by a three judge panel on Monday, said the workers did not expect to be paid for their work at buffet, meaning Angley did not violate fair labor laws. Angley claims that the buffet never made a profit. Judge Benita Peason, who presided over the 2017 case, previously suggested that Angley coerced his followers into volunteering at the buffet, equating not volunteering with not being faithful to God. Angley has previously been accused of abuse by members of his megachurch. ( You Can Read The Rest Here )

R eader, in my opinion, this is just petty, the Oneness Pentecostal Bishops Jesse Delano Ellis from the Joint College of African American Bishops is calling out Bishop Carlton Pearson's heresy while preaching a heresy of his own. 

R eader please join me in pray for President George H.W. Bush, Barbara Bush, and the Bush family. This statement clearly means she is transitioning from life unto eternity. Barbara Bush is 92. ‬

R eader eight years after being installed as Senior Pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center by his father Apostle Frederick K.C. Price. Fred Price Jr was officially set down last May as senior pastor of one of the largest congregations in California.

R eader watching Come Sunday on Netflix.... Come Sunday is the story of Bishop Carlton Pearson. My goodness , the Saints have started already with the attacks, in my opinion, COME SUNDAY was nicely done. You can enjoy "the movie" and not embrace Carlton’s teaching on inclusion. It's not one in the same.

R eader I've seen this picture going around social media for a couple of weeks now, but this is the first time (You Can Read it Here) I found the story, and now it's even better. I love this story because there were Christians who walked in the trenches with this woman and her children, helping her to get back on her feet. This is what churches should be doing. This is excellent. Ieshia Champs never could have imagined what she would achieve when she grew up, as she bounced around family homes, entered into the foster care system, and had her first child at age 19. But nearly 14 years and a total of five kids later, the single mother is about to graduate from law school after a difficult journey — and she says her faith led her through it all.

R eader what y'all think? Riders are part of the legal contract so they must be honored. Of course, you have to have the star power to pull it off. Now this is not the first time the Christian community had to call Tasha Cobbs Leonard out for foolishness. Some are now labeling Tasha Cobbs Leonard a mean girl.  Yesterday, Pastor Christina Staton, Albany, NY  posted the above to social media which is getting some mix reviews. Some of the pastor followers are calling her a true gatekeeper, and one that they admire for how she won’t let people take advantage of her spiritually or financially. On the other hand folks are saying that the pastor is being petty in her post.  In my opinion, that's a lot of money and some outrageous perks, though...not saying Tasha Cobbs Leonard shouldn’t charge it, but wow. My guess is that most ministries can’t afford it. What y'all think?   

R eader I have never heard of anyone being knocked out at church. I do not think that even Benny Hinn has had this happen at any of his crusades. Anyhow a woman claims the pastor at the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Norcross GA pushed her head during a blessing and she fell to the ground, hitting her head and causing her injury. ( You Can Read It Here )

R eader,  “headship” in a Christian marriage is a hard concept for some to swallow. Maybe that's why  I don't understand why folks are upset with Erica Campbell who has been married to producer Warryn Campbell for over 17 years but does not credit her self as being a boss.

R eader Alex Malarkey ( You Can Read It Here ) , the boy who claimed in a bestselling book that he went to heaven while comatose from a car accident, is suing his publisher Tyndale House for damages including book profits from the since-retracted story. The 2010 book "The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven" listed Malarkey as a coauthor with his father Kevin, but Malarkey retracted the story in 2015.

R eader, I've asked this question a number of times in this space, do today's church need a dress code? Is there any such thing as inappropriate wear when it comes to the church house? “Come as you are” is sometimes misunderstood and misapplied in today's church. While the concept of “come as you are,” if understood correctly, is biblical, the precise phrase “come as you are” is not found in Scripture.

R eader we need to pray, that Gospel artists who compromise biblical principles for their own conveniences, will not cause those who look up to them, to stumble.  Pastor Deitrick Haddon and his wife went facebook live last night, saying out of their own mouth it's not a sin and it's okay for two people who are engaged to live together before marriage and /or even show each other "the goods" before getting married. He says, " ...  You gotta look at it and see what you're getting into for a lifetime.    

R eader the senior pastor of World Changers Church,  Creflo A. Dollars has called the church to shame for its bad treatment of Snoop Dogg. Now in my humble opinion, this is divisive and misleading on Pastor Dollar's part. It isn't that people are criticizing Snoop based on his past. It's the fact that he is still actively engaged in his past lifestyle and culture that contradicts The Word of God. Snoop still promotes his old lifestyle. Check out what Pastor Dollar had to say below.

R eader kudo's to Grammy Award-winning artist Chance the Rapper who will deliver this year's commencement address to graduates of Dillard University in New Orleans. Some say that Chance The Rapper came into the game, (You Can Read It Here)  winning and has yet to slow down on his accomplishments. The school's 82nd Commencement ceremonies for more than 200 graduates will be held Saturday, May 12, at 8 a.m. on the campus' historic Avenue of the Oaks. Dillard President Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough says Chance the Rapper, whose real name is Chancellor Bennett, is part of a new wave of artists who can openly talk about faith while being in hip hop, balancing the secular and the sacred. In 2017, the 24-year-old's independent project "Coloring Book" became the first streaming-only album to be nominated and win a Grammy.

R eader Rapper Lecrae, Bible teacher Beth Moore, and the Rev. Rob Lee, a descendant of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, were slated to march with activist the Rev. Bernice King to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. On today April 9th, The King Center will lead the community in a March for Humanity which will serve as a global clarion call to the world of how Together we CAN win with Love for Humanity. The March, which begins at 12 (noon), will start in front of The Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and march to the front of the Georgia State Capitol. ( You Can Read It Here )

R eader must Christians adhere to the Old Testament practice of tithing to remain in God's will? Does God even ask a tithe of Christians? Comment below!

R eader Pastor T.B Joshua, has made news once ( You Can Read It Here ) again this time after a video of him performing a deliverance session on two lesbians surfaced online. The pastor claims to have delivered the women who were lesbians partners and had attended his church during a program. 

R eader, I'm a product of the Black Church and still believe in its power to transform, uplift, restore, and heal our communities...But, we've got to continue to ask ourselves the tough questions.. Where Today’s Black Church Leaders Stand on Activism? An article this week written in The New York Times talks about where "today's black church leaders stand on activism".  Bishop Blake tends to avoid politics in church but his stances are clear when he’s not in the pulpit. He called police violence 'atrocious.' He hopes that someday 'we will see some sign that Trump is interested in the needs of all the people of our nation.' ( You Can Read It Here )