Usher Board Ushers in Another Graceful Year

By Jerome Nathaniel
Editor in Chief

A smile and a gesture can either make or break your entire impression of a church and your worship experience. Before any of us can make our way to Grace’s pews, be serenaded by an angelic choir or draw our attention to the hollowed pulpit, we first must make our way through the doors — an important part of service that we overlook and undermine far too often. Every Sunday, we are blessed to be greeted with open doors and arms because of an Usher Board that has been faithful to the church since its foundations. On August 28, 2011, Grace Baptist Church of Christ will be honoring the Usher Board with a 3:30 p.m. anniversary service. In recognition of their dedication to Grace, food, praise, history, thanks, good company and a sermon will all be a part of the menu.

But the festivities will not end on the August 28; Sister Griggs will also be recognized for her service as the head of the Usher Board as one of the select and prestigious honoraries at an appreciation banquet for the Ushers of the New York Missionary Baptist Association in mid-October.

For those who do not know, ushers, or gatekeepers, have been around the Church and Temple since biblical times. In Marty Stevens’ “Temple, Tithes, and Taxes: The Temple and the Economic Life of Ancient Israel,” she suggests that the gatekeepers could also be understood as “gate accountants.” Not only were they required to keep an eye on the Temple gates, but they kept an account of who entered the Temple and what transferred to and from the Temple storehouse and to whom (2 Kings 23:4).

The responsibility of today’s Usher Board is similar: Sister Griggs and Dennis are also bound to know what is stored in the kitchen and who made their way to the pews.

Regardless of what we may think we know about ushering, it is truly something that you cannot fully appreciate until you have tried it for yourself. Just two years ago, I was able to grow a greater understanding and respect for the Board when I participated for a month. Between standing, holding the doors and trying to pay attention to receive the message from the pastor, I was amazed at how they were able to juggle so many tasks and still be attentive for service.

Indeed, “the singing usher,” or Sister Brathwaite, seems not to have a problem ushering and being a part of the service experience at the same time — she’s been doing it since she was 10-years of age, including 20 years with Grace.

“It’s a blessing to be a doorkeeper,” Sister Brathwaite said with her trademark smile. “So we have to be prayed up, be prayerful in all that we do. For me, it isn’t even so much what we say; it’s how they see us. So I always ask the Lord if I can be a gesture or a smile, a blessing at the door.”

For some of us, it may be daunting to enthusiastically greet so many different types of people with a smile. As we have all witnessed at one point or another, there are many instances when individuals come through the church doors with a lot of negative and painful thoughts on their mind and with heavy hearts. However, Sister Brathwaite sees their entrance and welcoming as an integral part of the service.

“Ushers are like the spiritual guards at the door, because you see a lot of people come through the doors with a lot on them. If by greeting them with a smile or a hug can ease that, and in some cases warn of demonic spirits, I count it joy that I have done for the church. That helps the whole worship service — for us to be on one accord.”

As the famous Psalms goes, “I’d rather be a doorkeeper for the house of my God than to dwell in the tent of wickedness.” (Psalms 84:10). On August 28, we have the opportunity to recognize their hard work. Do not forget to show support and turnout for the Usher Anniversary. Without them, the doors of the church would hardly be open — or we’d at least be confused and traffic jammed at the entrance.

Jerome Nathaniel graduated from the University of Rochester in 2011 with a B.A. in Religion. Member of Riverside Church and AFSC's "Campaign to End the New Jim Crow"

Words From Co-Pastor Michael Rogers: Standing in the Gap

One of the greatest ministries of the Church is the ministry of intercession. The Church should stand as representative of God to people, and as a representative of people before God. Peter views this as the role for the Church so much that in 1 Peter 2:9 he says we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood — a priest intercedes on behalf of the people. The Church’s role is to help and intercede for those who cannot help themselves. Jesus saw that as an important part of his mission, for He stated that He came for people in need of a physician.

If we are going to be a strong church, a vessel God can use, we must first learn to be a praying church that not only prays for Herself, but for the needs of the community and world. One biblical leader that understood this responsibility was Nehemiah. He was characterized as being one of the strongest administrators of his time. Several leaders read his book for insight on leadership. But one of Nehemiah’s strongest attributes was that he was an intercessory prayer warrior.

Nehemiah had the position of the cupbearer to the king. The office of royal cupbearer was of high antiquity and was a place of great honor in the Persian court. The cupbearer had many opportunities to ingratiate himself into the goodwill of the monarch and thus could obtain many favors that were denied others. A mighty monarch such as King Artaxerxes of Persia would select a man who was wise and discreet, and consistently honest and trustworthy to be his cupbearer, which was a position that many saw as only second to the king. Nehemiah’s position alone reveals much about his intellectual capabilities, his emotional maturity, and his spiritual status. However, Nehemiah did not allow his success to inflate his ego. He did not forget where he came from and he did not allow his position to make him forget that he was in exile and still captive.

In this text, Nehemiah heart breaks when he hears people talking about Jerusalem’s condition. He hears two men saying that the city was lying in waste and that the walls were broken down. During this time, a city’s walls were crucial to the city’s survival. The walls represented a city’s security, boundary, and identity. Physically, the city had no protection; politically, broken walls represented a dead and captive city and the reality that they were still in bondage; psychologically and spiritually, broken walls were how the people saw their identity and their God.

It was a tragedy that the walls were broken down — a tragedy that required Nehemiah’s prayer and the intercession of the body to heal the community. However, as I take inventory of our community, the walls are broken down here and now! When African Americans represent 13 percent of the United States population, but 38 percent of those who are incarcerated nationally and over 80 percent of the NYS Prison System, the walls are broken down! When HIV is highest among African American females, the walls are broken down! When a majority of black wealth has been wiped away due to foreclosures and job loss, the walls are broken down! The walls are broken down and we must be in a place where we can meet the needs and intercede on behalf of our brothers and sisters!

Two principles I admire Nehemiah for is the fact that he had already attained the resources to complete the project before he even showed the people his vision, and that Nehemiah organized his own people to pray and help rebuild their own walls. Too many times we want others to help rebuild our cities, but we must rebuild right where we are because the city belongs to us. Parents, churches, and pastors: do not tell me your philosophy, for it is vain idealistic words; just show me where you spend your money and time. Politicians: please do not merely tell us that you value future generations when the New York Times reports that the money we have spent in Iraq and Afghanistan could pay four year tuition for every graduating high school senior this year, and when one day in the Iraqi War could fund 34,904 four-year scholarships. Then the audacity of political movements to argue that seniors are the marginalized population, even though they pass budgets that contradict their rhetoric, should carry the debt load of the deficit for this nation. No one group should carry the debt load, especially seniors, when this is one of the most profitable times for corporations who have shipped many positions overseas! We must intercede on behalf of our community, be a strong and prayerful church, and turn to God! 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

The blueprint to intercession can be seen in as simple of an example as a little girl and her grandmother. The grandmother had become sick, but she taught the little girl to pray. The grandmother’s sickness was a result of there being no heat and food in the house because they could not afford it. While the grandmother was lying in bed sick, the little girl had an idea: she said she would write a letter to Jesus. In the letter, she said, “Dear Jesus, my grandmother is sick and needs a doctor. We are also hungry and cold, please help us!” The little girl signed it and placed it in an envelope and addressed the letter to Jesus. When the mailman saw the letter he laughed and thought, “Who would address a letter to Jesus?” He took it to the post office to show his friends. However, one of the postmen knew a doctor, and they showed the letter to the doctor. The doctor agreed to go see the grandmother. He also knew a grocery store-owner who he showed the letter to. The grocery store-owner agreed to bring groceries. He knew a wood and coal person. He showed him the letter and the man agreed to bring wood and coal. When the little girl returned home from school, she walked to her grandma’s house. She saw smoke coming from the chimney, so she began to run towards the house. The closer she came home, the more she could smell food in the air. When she opened the door, she saw her grandmother standing by a table filled with food beside a hot fire. The little girl began to cry and write a letter. The grandmother asked the girl who she would thank: the doctor, the grocery store-owner, or the wood owner? The little girl responded that before she could thank all of them, she must tell Jesus thank you!

This is the message of intercession: the little girl never gave up hope and because of her prayer God was able to use people who had the supplies and heart to help her grandmother. As believers, we must never give up on anyone or any situation, because with our God all things are possible.

Pastor Rogers serves as Co-Pastor of Grace Baptist Church and professor of religion of University of Phoenix. D. Min candidate at Colgate Rochester Divinity School and holds a Master's of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary

Assembling a Village of Excellence

By Sis. Teresa Rogers

An old African proverb states “It takes a village to raise a child.” The sentiment behind the proverb is that no one person is an island and that we must work together as a community for the betterment of everyone, including our children. The time has come for New Yorkers to start preparing their children for the first day of school. We have had a few months to reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of the previous school year, and now we must use what we have learned to make this next school year a successful one.

Unfortunately, as an educator, I find that each school year, our children are not only ill-prepared academically but they also lack the village that is necessary to have a successful school year. Not every child can perform or comprehend material in the same way; however, with the proper village assisting your child, each one can perform at or on grade level. I would like to offer a few suggestions as to how a proper village can be built within your community.

1) Make sure that your child has the proper school supplies and books. Most school supplies are perishable; therefore, make sure your child continues to have the usable school supplies. If economics prevent you from purchasing supplies, check around for school supply giveaways. There are many organizations that have supply giveaways in the months of August and September. Grace Baptist Church of Christ (GBCOC) will be hosting its first back pack/school supply giveaway on September 17, 2011. In addition, if you are experiencing hardship, contact your child’s teacher and/or the school’s parent coordinator. I am always willing to help a student when the parent has reached out to me to keep me informed about any issues.

2) Form a continual relationship with your child’s teacher. It saddens me that I have some students every year whose parents I never get to meet. Building a relationship means getting the teachers contact information and reaching out to them at least twice a month. Many teachers check their email on a daily basis. I offer my cell phone number to parents and welcome them to text or call until 9 pm. You should attend every parent teacher conference and collect every report card. Inquire about progress reports. Update your contact information as soon as it changes. Many times teachers try to contact the parent to no avail.

3) Teach your child time management, organizational and study skills. Every child should have a homework folder that details what they were assigned or homework. Check the homework folder every night. As soon as you slack on checking homework, your child may slack on doing homework. In addition, help them clean out their book bags every week. Important assignments are often crumpled and missing down in “the dungeon.” Your child should also incorporate study time every night, reviewing the topics that were taught that day. 2 Timothy 2:15 states “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (NLT).

4) Be aware of the resources that are available to help your children master the standards for their grade level. The DOE website for parents and students links to the current standards, information about what is happening in your child’s school, and a link to “Aris,” which is a portal that gives your child’s test scores throughout their public school education. (http://schools.nyc.gov/ParentsFamilies/default.htm)

5) Get your child involved in church. Grace Baptist Church of Christ provides tutoring through the Educational Resource Ministry. Do not be ashamed to allow someone to tutor your child. We should be ashamed to NOT get our children assistance. In addition, bring them to Bible Study and Sunday School so they can begin to develop their own relationship with Jesus Christ.

Build your Village of Excellence now. Your Child will thank you for it later.

Sis. Teresa Rogers serves as the Christian Education director and works as a gifted math teacher for New York City Department of Education. She is a doctor of education candidate with the University of Phoenix.

Scriptures to Think About: Decisions

Are you in the decision making process of a potentially new venture or stage in your life? Are you nervous of the outcome or hesitant about trekking in new territory? Well, here are some helpful verses and scripture that you may want to think about before going forward:

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Proverbs 15:22
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Black History: The Dream that Keeps Going

(The new MLK Memorial is scheduled to be dedicated at the National Mall in D.C. on Aug. 28)

By Bro. De'Andre Banks and Jerome Nathaniel

During the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Church was and continues to be the bedrock for a myriad of social justice issues under the guise of unity. It was during this prolific era that many of the struggles that we thrive on today were merely dreams differed. The quintessential essence of the movement and its principles is personified as we review just 17 minutes that changed the face of America, as we know it.

On August 28th, 1963, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. caught the attention of the nation with his “I Have a Dream Speech.” The son and grandson of pastors, Dr. King used Christian principles and rhetoric to challenge a contradictory reality that did not match America’s projected ideals. His words proved to be a benchmark for understanding the social and political upheaval of the time and gave the nation a vocabulary to express what was happening. Dr. King was able to captivate 200,000 listeners, not counting the families who tuned in by radio or picked up the paper throughout the week, with his allusions to Amos 5:24, Psalms 30:5 and Isaiah 40:4-5 — verses that call for justice, diligence and faith. It was with intense emotion and infallible certainty that his dream was forecast to all that were present. Dr. King’s dream was solidified with references to idioms relevant to the social concerns of the era, particularly the prevalence of Jim Crow, or institutionalized racism through segregation, and poverty.

As we move forward almost five decades later, and prepare for a long awaited memorial to the legendary Civil Rights leader at the National Mall on the 48^th anniversary of his speech (as pictured in the photo above), one may say that the pinnacle of Dr. King’s speech was the Inaugural Address that was made by President Barack Obama just over two-years ago. While we cannot deny the monumental significance of President Obama’s inauguration as the first president of African descent, there is still a tremendous amount of unfulfilled dreams that Dr. King preached about at the Lincoln Memorial. King preached about a “lonely island of poverty” that continues to permeate communities of color.

“One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity,” King preached. “One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.”

Nearly fifty years later, I fear that those same words ring as we reflect on our community. As Freshman Rep. Allen West, R-Fla, one of two Black-Americans in the House Republican conference, notes, “The exorbitantly high unemployment rate, the second- and third-generation welfare families, the rampant decimation of the inner-city black communities, the incarceration rate of young black men, and the breakdown of the black family would all bring a tear to his eye.” What we have today is an institutionalized plantation that has subtly enslaved and conditions our minds to accept an inferior socio-economic and political status as a norm. But Dr. King never said the Dream was easy, or that it would be fulfilled in the ’60s.

“This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy….Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning."

Forty-eight years later, our obligation remains the same. As our nation escaped by just an inch from defaulting on its financial obligations, the promissory not that King spoke of ("the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned") has yet to be met. I charge you to read and listen to his speech during these next two weeks, plan to do something in your community on August 28, and cover yourself with the armor of God to fulfill the Dream. There is no time to rest in our progress: we must continue to press towards the mark.

Bro. De'Andre Banks received his Master's Degree from Lincoln University and has over a decade of social service and case managerial experience.

Our Community, Our Justice

Last month, Co-Pastor Michael Rogers preached a sermon on Acts 16. Towards the end, Rogers spoke about the prevalence of prostitution in East New York and the trauma that many of those who are exploited have faced from a young age. In the spirit of Grace’s theme, “Each One, Reach One,” he preached that everyone in our community, from within our households first and into the streets, need to fill every Church seat.

Funny how God works.

Coincidentally, I had attended a community screening and panel discussion hosted by Girls Educational and Mentorship Services, or GEMS, a week prior to the July 24 sermon. Thus, I was prompted to take some time out to participate in the most important part of any social movement: education.

GEMS, the only Non-Government Organization that services sexually exploited youth in New York with mentorship, room and board, job and health counseling, GED programs and a sisterhood for spiritual growth, screened “Very Young Girls” as a kickoff to a yearlong campaign to stomp out sexual exploitation in NY.

The documentary was hard to watch without cringing or getting teary eyed. It was simply too hard for me to accept that the average sexually exploited woman is broken into “the life” at the age of 13, often by rape, drugging, abuse or emotional manipulation; that nearly 300,000 or more women service five to 15 men a night around the clock; that close to 2,500 young women of the City are expected to take the late night strip every year; that 70 to 90 percent of them have yet to recover from sexual abuse as a child and go home to a household permeated with domesticated violence and/or drug abusive families; or that the Johns, the fiends who purchase these exploited women, have the opportunity to avoid the mandatory one-year prison time and $1000 fine for Class A misdemeanors with pilot programs at the Supreme Court that offer a six-hour workshop and a slap on the wrist while the girl they purchased is more commonly subject to three months in prison, a $500 fine and deportation (a common punishment for Filipinas, Thai and Ukrainian women), even after the officer who takes them into the precinct demands them to perform a sexual act before they trick them and take them downtown.

Human trafficking and sexual exploitation is an urgent problem that continuously plagues our community without the dire attention that it warrants. In fact, Brooklyn D.A. Charles Hynes says that it has escalated over the past few years in Brooklyn. Thankfully, the able D.A. is one of few public officials who have made considerable efforts to take on the issue by creating the Brooklyn Sex-Trafficking Unit, or BKSTU, which includes community education, victim care and a 24/7 hotline to report any information on sex trafficking ((718)-250-2770).

Unfortunately, it usually takes a headline story about 41 shots for us to stand up and take notice. Perhaps some people are discouraged about these “too big to fix” social ills like prostitution, hunger and poverty; especially since they have persisted for millenniums, from the clay-trails of Babylon to the crack-littered-pavement of East New York. But it is that same spirit of apathy and disregard that the prophet Amos preached to have driven the ‘holy’ Israelites into decades of exile and oppression—they were content with worshiping God, yet they continued to forget and under-serve the poor, the widows, the orphans, and generally those who needed the most help from their community; never assume that everything in the Bible is too old or out of context to mirror what is happening today.

Thus, I leave us with a charge to spread awareness and seek preventative measures to address some of the systemic issues that exist in communities of color. After you have familiarized yourself with programs that address the issue, you may want to consider texting “GEMS” to 85944 to directly donate $10 to GEMS’ services.

Also, don’t be afraid to have straight forward and honest conversations with young women about how this issue threatens their community, whether they know it or not. And perhaps equally if not more important, have honest discussions with young black men about lust and temptations. Sure, it’s almost in every rap song that is on my Ipod, but the only reason that I am able to decipher their self-expression from my reality is because of the character and qualities that my parents and mentors have instilled in me.

Once we address the demand for prostitution, the supply (commercially exploited women) will diminish. In economics, they say that there is not much we can do about the supply when there is an inelastic demand — in other words, it is virtually impossible to envision a world where no man will have a lust so uncontrollable that he drives up the blocks of East New York with his last $20 to purchase a beautiful-misguided-woman’s innocence.

But someone forgot to teach economists about Philippians 4:13.