union ameri an methodist episopal hurch, inc
TRANSCRIPT
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UNION AMERICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL
Church, Inc.
Volume 70, Issue 1 January 2021
The Union Messenger
Hallelujah; 2020 is over! God blessed us
by guiding us through one of the most
difficult periods known to man. We can
honestly sing these lyrics now, Through it
all, through it all, I’ve learned to trust in
Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. We
have seen sickness and death; experi-
enced heartache and pain; felt rejection,
dejection and misery. But, guess what?
We are still standing.
We have faced great loss but God’s Word
encouraged us every step of the way.
We often wondered what God was doing,
but chose to follow the advice recorded in
Proverbs 3:5. It is a wonderful rule to live
by: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understand-
ing.” And, then we followed that up with
verse 6. “In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths.” We didn’t
know where we were going. We didn’t
know how we would get there. We simply
trusted God and followed as He led.
We’ve cried our tears in grief, shaken our
heads in dismay, wrung our hands in dis-
belief, and balled up our fists in anger. But
the bottom line is this: God is STILL on the
throne. He is STILL in control. He STILL
has the power of the world in His mighty
hands. None of what happened caught
Him by surprise. And, here we are, on the
cusp of a new year, having come out vic-
torious on the other side.
He saw us through four
years of the tumultuous,
tyrannical reign of Donald
Trump. He saw us through
violent actions from so-
called Make America Great
Again delusional, misguid-
ed supporters. He saw us
through months of civil
unrest. He saw us through
the pivotal elections of
2020. We may not know
what 2021 will bring, but
we can trust God because
He has a plan. “For I know
the thoughts that I think
toward you, saith the Lord,
thoughts of peace, and not
of evil, to give you an ex-
pected end.” Jeremiah
29:11
We thank God for our leadership. He
spoke to the hearts of Rt. Reverends Adol-
phus Scott, Jr. and Charles L. Amos during
this challenging time. We were patiently
and lovingly guided and have thus come
out not only intact, but also stronger and
with more resolve. Our pastors have kept
us together and here we are.
It will take much more than all of this to
tear down the foundation that Peter
Spencer doggedly built so long ago. God
wants to take the Union Church to higher
heights. Now, who is going to come along
for the ride?
apc
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UNION AMERICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL
Church, Inc.
Volume 70, Issue 1 January 2021
The Union Messenger
The Union Church
Rt. Rev. Adolphus Scott, Jr.
President, Bench of Bishops
Prelate 2nd, 3rd, & 5th Districts
Rt. Rev. Charles L. Amos
Prelate 1st & 4th Districts
Rt. Rev. Linwood Rideout, III
Retired
Rev. Sheila Davis;
Rev. Ruth C. Evans;
Rev. Dr. Ralph T. Lampkins;
Rev. Dwayne McCain;
Rev. Sharon Young,
District Superintendents
Rev. Sondra L. Hunter
Bishop’s / Conference Secretary,
THE UNION MESSENGER
Rev. Alvirta V. Peterson-Cox,
Managing Editor
484.477.6637
Union Messenger Group on Facebook
Sis. Zoe A. Fields
Assistant Managing Editor
302.762.0490
Rev. Maxine E. Mayo
Features Editor
610.268.5732
Sis. Ann Stephens
Advertising Director
302.762.4613
Sis. Janet S. Johnson
Circulation Director
856.829.1773
Rev. Joseph S. Statesman
Assistant Circulation Director
301.994.0479
Bro. Richard Lewis, Sr.
Sis. Judythe Grice
Photographers
Sis. Dana Owens
Local Reporter, Trinity, Newark, NJ
Sis. Clara Brooks
Local Reporter, St. Mark, Valley Lee, MD
Sis. Marsha Blackwell
Local Reporter, St. Luke, Piney Point
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UNION AMERICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL
Church, Inc.
Volume 70, Issue 1 January 2021
The Union Messenger
An Historic Moment
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered.
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
Lift Every Voice and Sing James Weldon Johnson
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More History! Bucktoe Cemetery
Bucktoe Cemetery: 120 local residents, including nine United States Colored
Troops who served in the Civil War were laid to rest here. Crystal Crampton, life-
long member of New Garden Memorial in Kennett Square, is the current Site Coor-
dinator for Bucktoe. The cemetery is located at 229 Bucktoe Rd. in Avondale, PA.
The original church was on this site but burned down. It was relocated to E. Linden
St. in Kennett Square, PA. Rev. Beverly Bell is the current pastor. This was also a
stop on the Underground Railroad. Sis. Crampton works hard “so we won’t forget
about our history and to realize how much further we need to go” in regard to race
relations. Lest we forget.
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If I were to describe the last 10 months
in one word, my word choice would be
C-H-A-N-G-E.
CHANGE is defined as: 1. to
make different, to alter, to modify. 2.
replace (something) with something
else, especially something of the same
kind that is newer or better; substitute
one thing for (another)
Every single human has dealt
with some form of C-H-A-N-G-E in
their lives since March 2020. COVID-
19 entered and from birth to death, the
world as we know it has CHANGED!
Women are delivering babies without
their support teams, and far too many
people have died without the presence
and comfort of loved ones. Home go-
ing service programs reduced to 10
persons only or grave side memorial
services. CHANGE, CHANGE,
CHANGE.
Men and women who planned
to say, “I Do”, had to slash invite lists
down to just a few. School districts
had to make the tough decisions
whether to open school for in-person
learning, hybrid or remote teaching via
zoom/google classroom. Many restau-
rants all around the country were
closed to indoor dining, pictures of
fans instead of actual people can be
seen in the seats at NFL stadiums,
and we are required to wear face
masks when entering public buildings.
CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE.
Our houses of Worship have
also been affected. Who would have
ever imagined, some church buildings
closed to indoor/in-person worship
services 10 months ago and they re-
main closed today? Church leaders
had to leave the comfort of the pulpit
and four walls to preaching, teaching,
meeting, and doing ministry via social
media, oh what a CHANGE. Our sea-
soned saints are finding safety in stay-
ing home, our choirs have become 2-4
-person praise teams, temperatures
are taken, pews and chairs have been
blocked off to maintain the recom-
mended 6 ft-social distancing, and
more and more believers are becom-
ing followers of church from afar.
CHANGE, CHANGE, CHANGE.
The CHANGE of 2020 caused
us to deal with travel bans, shut-
downs, cancellations, and limiting our
gatherings for family functions, vaca-
tions, retreats and holidays. I felt like
a little life was sucked out of me each
time I had to delete a planned vacation
from my calendar. A few weeks ago,
when our missions’ trip to Jamaica
was cancelled, I realized I was in a
spiritual slump. I had been just going
through the motions for a few months
and was waiting to get away. Away
from the never-ending CHANGE, the
chaos in our country and the cunning-
ness of our government. Traveling,
vacationing, and getaways had be-
come my way of releasing, relaxing,
and regrouping for the past 20 years.
Although CHANGE was taking place
all around me, I failed to hear and
even believe that God was trying to get
me to see the need for a CHANGE
within me.
In seeking to return to a spir-
itual balance and a place of productivi-
ty, I first had to come clean. I had to
confess that I lost sight of God and
had become distracted by the
CHANGES. I admitted that simply get-
ting away had become more important
than what God was trying to say to me.
I placed my peace and hope in “time
away”, “a change of scenery”,” a plane
ride”, “a walk along the ocean”, and
“fun in the sun”, when Isaiah 26:3 is
clear; “You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you, all whose thoughts
are fixed on you.” When, I acknowl-
edged my wrong, God reminded me of
who He is:
“I am the Lord, and I do not
CHANGE…” Malachi 3:6
“Who has done such mighty deeds,
summoning each new generation from
the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord,
the First and the Last…” Isaiah 41:4
“God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not
change his mind…” Numbers 23:19
“Long ago you laid the foundation of
the earth and made the heavens with
your hands. They will perish, but you
remain forever; they will wear out like
old clothing. You will change them like
a garment and discard them. But you
are always the same; you will live for-
ever…” Psalm 102:25-27
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever…” Hebrews 13:8
God wanted me to know that it
was time for a CHANGE in our rela-
tionship. Our fellowship needed to be
fortified. He reminded me that when I
seek Him first and with my whole
heart, amid nothing but CHANGE, I
would be comforted by Him, my UN-
CHANGING God. The storms of life
are continually changing, but God re-
mains the same. He is consistent and
reliable. He is your anchor. You can
count on God because He never
changes.
I recall reading a quote at the
beginning of the pandemic, “we are all
in the same storm, but different boats”.
Yes, CHANGE is inevitable, and yes,
we have been tossed and driven by
the raging storm of COVID-19, racism,
greed, and self-absorption, but today I
urge you to be confident you are in the
Right boat. We have been given an
opportunity to re-evaluate our boarding
passes. As 2020 comes to and end
and we wait with expectation and tip-
toe anticipation at the door of 2021, be
very sure you choose to board God’s
boat and find safety,” God is our ref-
uge and strength, always ready to help
in times of trouble.” Psalm 46.1
Rev. Tracey L. Scott
General President of Sisterhood
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Thomas Morrison, Jr.
Director, UAME Youth Retreat
To the youth and families of the UAME, this has been a year that
has been full of change, Some may call it circumstance, some
call it opportunity. However one thing’s for certain, never let
your circumstances dictate your opportunities. Throughout this
2020 pandemic our youth programs continued with our Zoom
session. When sports shut down, Slingshot UAME Lacrosse had
six 2 hr. summer workouts and more than 35 youth recited
scripture, played lacrosse and prayed during sessions in July and
August. We also teamed w/the Delaware Lacrosse Association
and Wilmington Park & Recreation to sponsor a Scoop & Treat
Halloween play day.
The 2020 UAME Youth Retreat was cancelled for safety. Howev-
er, the Retreat Committee is steady programming Spirit-filled,
safe and fun activities for all of God’s children. This fall, the
youth enjoyed a social distance Roller Skating Party. On Decem-
ber 12, we held our Youth Retreat Zoom Rap Session. The COVID
-19 Pandemic cannot defeat us and this is why:
P is for the purpose that God wants us striving towards
A is for action, Faith is our shield, and His Spirit is our sword
N is for numbers / counting each day as a blessing
D is for the doors He opens / God is elite-there is no testing!
E is for the Everlasting Father, whose power is greater than I
M is for mercy, it’s God’s goodness in disguise
I is for interior & the world is nothing; compared to the G that
is in I
C is for Christ the ultimate vaccine; don’t let 2020 leave until He
is your everything!
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Philippians 4:13
Called for Such a Time as This
On July 25th of 2020 I heard words that I didn’t think I heard and
then it was confirmed. I, Reverend Beverly Bell, will be the new
Pastor at New Garden Memorial Church in Kennett Square, PA.
Tears ran down my eyes that I thought would never stop com-
ing. I said to myself, did Bishop Amos just call my name. I felt
like Sarah giving birth at a late age.
My first meeting of my new church family was August 3, 2020
via a new approach for me called Zoom. It was all an innovative
approach as I prepared myself to become the host through pur-
chasing an account. As I received confirmation, I had to learn
how to bring members and friends into the service. Talk about
new technology with an old brain. I held on to the fact so stated
in Philippians 4:13 ”I can do all things through Christ that
strengthens me.”
As each Sunday, each new meeting and event with my New Gar-
den Memorial Family progresses so does the love. The church
has been so kind, even with my hiccups of learning, and I thank
God for each and everyone of them. I was assigned to a caring,
wonderful group of people. And the icing on the cake was my
QCA who was a former Pastor, Trustee for the Conference and
Quarterly Conference Assignee named Reverend Sondra Hunter.
So as we zoom I am so excited to be part of God’s plan and as
Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and
lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
In His service,
Pastor Beverly G. Bell
Year-end greetings
Out with the old, in with the new!
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A Poem for my Pastor
Davonna Wayman
16-years-old, 11th grade
Holy Trinity, Dover, DE
A women who teaches the Word of
God, the word of truth that gives the
people power, the power of love, the
power of God.
A woman who not only hugs the sheep,
but touches the heart of her flock.
A women whose smile actually means “I
Love You”, and whose eyes say “I’m
praying for you”
A women whose lessons from the pulpit
make you jump up and say I can take on
the world bring it on!
A women I appreciate and love and who
I am proud to call my Pastor.
——————————————————
Untitled
By Davonna Wayman
Our world today is harsh, we are left
with blood and scars because someone
hurt us in the past.
Today we have lost value in living life in
a way that makes the world go round,
but we don’t notice that we live in a
world where the color of your skin de-
termines whether you have justice or
peace.
We live in a world where cops are sup-
pose to protect us but yet they reject us,
attack us, and leave us for death.
We live in a world where children are
being neglected.
We live in a world where words are ex-
changed in a unkind way,
We live in a world where I love you real-
ly means I hate you because I hurt you.
We live in a world where it’s okay to
judge one for what they did before but
not giving them praise for what they are
doing now when only God knows what
it took to turn their life around.
We thought we would never last but
here we are standing stronger than the
U.S. Army ready to fight, still trying to
decide whats wrong and whats right.
What’s wrong is the George Floyd situa-
tion. It made the world sit and stop, and
realize that no one was prosecuted be-
cause he was killed by a cop.
The people who are suppose to protect
us are the ones dogging us.
Now we don’t know who to trust.
The only trusting person to depend on is
God and hope that our world today will
become better.
We live in a world where being accepted
is hard to do when someone is not living
life the same as you.
I wanna know why when God created us
all to be different yet we fail to under-
stand that.
We judge, hurt & destroy one another
when we should be uplifting everyone.
We live in a world where we don’t no-
tice this is the kind of world we live in
Maybe we should refuse to let the hate
& shameful ways remain the same.
——————————————————
[Davonna has a bright future ahead. She
is personable, bright, tech savvy. This
young lady will go far.
And, by the way, our young sister makes
a profound statement at the end of the
second poem. Maybe we should refuse
to let the hate & shameful ways remain
the same! Folks, we have the power to
make a change; it’s right in our hands.
Instead, we choose to sit on them, doing
nothing. So, everything stays the same.]
Bible Study - Food for the Soul –2021
Dr. Dorothy E. Wilmore
“Be strong and courageous.” Dt. 3:16
Beginning the year 2015, our country
has been involved with wars throughout
the Middle East, the Ebola crisis, and the
law of the land has condoned immoral
behavior that God has condemned, jobs
are scarce, and a bright future is not
promised in the land. But in spite of it
all, we must face the New Year with
courage and hope.
Being courageous means going forth
afraid until you’re no longer afraid. God
will walk with and work with those who
show courage. Be assured God is greater
than anything you’ll face this year.
Being courageous means to act with
confidence and meet vigorously the
challenges in the Christian life such as…
*to stand firm in the faith
1 Cor. 16:13
*to obey God rather than man
Acts 4:19
*to refuse to bow down to idols
Dan 3:16; 2 Chr. 15:8
*to persist in prayer
Dan. 6:10; Lu. 18:1-8
*to be distinct without fear
2 Cor. 6:14-18
*to be fearless in praising God
Ps. 34:1, 44:8, 86:12
*to be steadfast in study of the Word
Jn. 8:31; 2 Tim. 3:14, 15
You don’t have to be great to become a
person of courage. You just have to ful-
fill God’s purpose for your life--and be
willing to give up what seems good in
the moment for what’s best for your
future. Have a Happy New Year.
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Precious memories, how they linger...
Rev. Dianne P. Hood Dr. Cleona M. Jackson Bro. Reginald A. Bounds Sis. Kathy J. Cooper
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the
death of his saints.” Psalm 116:15. This is
the third straight issue of the Messenger
where we have said goodbye to a long-
time, faithful member of our church. The
Lord has called many home—so very
many—during this fretful time and these
are just a few. We still feel the loss; how-
ever, we are holding on to the words of
the apostle Paul recorded in 1 Thessaloni-
ans 4:13. “But I would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep, that ye sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope.” Yes,
we miss our loved ones. Yes, we must
continue to fight the good fight of faith
without them. However, we bless God for
each of them and are holding on to our
memories. We know that our loved ones
are safe and secure, for the Bible assures
us that though they are absent from the
body, they are present with the Lord.
Again, we have been hard hit, yet, there is
a remnant in the Union Church. And the
remnant will go forward in faithfulness.
We will find others to labor as Conference
Secretary; Pastor; QCA; Trustee; Retreat
Mentor; Choir Director; faithful member,
even though each of these particular
saints have left huge shoes to fill.
There will be others in our families that
we can wrap our arms around, that we
can share the love of God with, that we
can help disciple. We can do that, even as
we mourn. This is what these saints did.
Yes, there are empty seats in our pews
and when we close our eyes, we can al-
most see our loved ones seated there.
Anticipating a Word from above. Medi-
tating in expectation. Basking in the Pres-
ence of God. Waiting to be fed and filled.
Smiling and greeting other members. En-
joying the fellowship. Doing all they can
to promote the cause of Christ. We were
blessed by each of these. Now, it’s time
for us to turn around and bless others the
way we have been blessed. It is in our
power to do so! Let us follow the legacy
each of these saints have left.
—————————————————
Annual Church School Convention
The Church School Board was perhaps the
latest Union ministry to grab hold of our
Bishop’s progressive vision. On November
21, 2020, we held our first Virtual Church
School Convention. Led by Rev. Francine
Hazzard, even in these tough times, the
Board has had the lives, well-being, and
souls of our young charges at heart. So,
we were excited about hosting this event.
It was a huge success.
God used Bro. Kayden Bradley of Galilee
to speak to the hearts of our precious
charges. Our own Local Preacher Celeste
Williams lovingly spoke to them about
the pandemic and let them know it was
ok to feel afraid; that they were still safe;
that they could ‘hide out’ if they needed a
‘time out’. She stressed the importance of
properly wearing masks, washing hands
for 20 seconds, and remaining socially
distant at all times. Dallas Barber, a stu-
dent at Penn State-Brandywine, talked to
our youth about Social Justice. She en-
couraged them to get involved — if even
on a small scale. “No one is too young to
get involved.” We are proud to state that
Bianca Blake of Honeycomb, Lima has
done just that. She is involved. In fact, she
is the Chair of the Media Area NAACP
Youth Council’s Education Committee. We
older folks can take a page out of Bianca’s
book!
During the convention, Miss Mya Roches-
ter, of Star of Bethlehem, was presented
as this years recipient of our scholarship.
She will be attending Penn State-
Brandywine. We were proud to hear a
past recipient formally mentor our new-
est recipient. Sis. Inez Jacob-Hinton, of
Honeycomb and a junior at Howard U.,
offered sound advice to Miss Rochester.
She encouraged her to be herself, to do
her best, to get the most out of her col-
lege experience, and to meet new people
and try new things. We thank Evan Blake
for prayer, Dr. Kay Wayman for providing
the music, Sis. Linda Jackson for trivia,
and for all who attended. Stay tuned for
info about our Black History Artistic Gala
coming in February!
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A modern day ministry
Sis. Terita Williams;
Rev. J. Anthony Jones
During our last quarterly meeting, Rev. Jones made this statement: “The UAME will only survive if we embrace change.” Further,
“our ministries and our churches need to change!” At this challenging time, he and Sis. Williams have assisted Bishop Amos and
guided the District through modern technology, so we could move forward in faithfulness. With that in mind, they have more
words of encouragement for us.
“To fully grasp how technology has helped churches worldwide, we must lead off with a verse from the Word of God.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.” Matthew 29:19, 20.
The Pandemic of the 21st century called COVID-19 has changed the world in so many ways, including limited gatherings, washing
hands, and wearing a mask. It has also changed the face of the church. Not just the Union American Methodist Episcopal (UAME)
Church, but churches in general.
God warned in the Bible of the church’s flame dying, and we all must admit that while we sat in the church building, the world
was continually progressing. Many of us were afraid, and some still are, but it’s time to move forward and use the new tools God
has placed before us.
He started preparing us a long time ago, yet we just didn’t know it. Many of us will say it began with the internet, but what about
electricity? Some think it started with ZOOM, or iPhone, or even Androids, but what about the Airwaves? We can reach all over
the world now without wires simply by having the right frequency.
The UAME is making great strides, and with open minds, we will go even further. The UAME is moving ahead; our churches are
online; our school is online; we are what the world calls “A MODERN-DAY MINISTRY.” May we be ever so careful not to fall back
once this Pandemic has ended. There are so many people waiting to hear the Gospel, and we must stay and be ready to share it.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
After 110 Years of Aviation, Navy Gets Its First Black Female Fighter Pilot
In this photograph, Lt j.g. Madeline Swegle
stands in front of her special ‘mode of transpor-
tation’. She is the U.S. Navy’s first Black female
tactical aircraft pilot. She received her Wings of
Gold in July of 2020. She is now certified to and
capable of flying these fighter jets: F/A-18E/F
Super Hornet; the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter;
and the EA-18G Growler. This is all the more
poignant because less than 2% of all pilots as-
signed to these aircraft are African-American.
Congratulations to Lt j.g. Swegle, but there is a
bigger issue to address-how long will we con-
tinue to use these words? The first African-
American this, or the first African-American
that. If we truly live in the land of opportunity, when will this cease to be news?
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Messenger funnies
Ha ha ha ha
laughter is good for the soul.
The Curtis cartoon Puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————--
Think on these things
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
“a dream written down with a date becomes a goal.
A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan.
A plan backed by action becomes reality.” unknown
“what the people want is very simple—they want an America as good as its promise.”
Barbara Jordan