THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY A Voice for Ecumenical Congregations and Christians Around the World VOLUME 67 MARCH 2017 NUMBER 6 BOARD OF TRUSTEES The Ostrich and the Bible! President by Harry Foockle William H. Samuels VP for Conference Planning VP for Regional Relationships Shyreece Pompey VP for Membership Enlistment The theme of our 2017 Annual Conference is “Living Faith in Carter S.R. Garner a World of Change.” If you don’t know that we live in a world VP for Membership Services Wayne Samuels surrounded by change you haven’t stepped out the door lately Secretary or listened to the radio or turned on the TV. If you don’t know Abraham Wright that we live in a world surrounded by change then you missed Regional Trustees Vermelle Barnes, Janet Burch an election. If you don’t know we live in a world surrounded Glenn Clay, Sharyon Cosey, by change then you haven’t looked under the hood of a new Charles Addison, Doris Marcisak, Kenneth Young automobile. If you don’t know we live in a world surrounded by BOARD OF DIRECTORS change then you…..fill in the blanks from your life. If not I know President another ostrich who’s head is in the sand. William H. Samuels So, how do we handle all the change…this year you might try the ICCC Annual Conference Treasurer Rev. Dr. William H. Samuels Nicholas Brame in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. We will be meeting there on July the 17th – 20th. We will talk (Rev. Bill) Secretary about Change. More importantly how our walk with the Lord can help us to not drown in a Abraham Wright world of change. VP for Planning Harry Foockle Someone said to me the other day, “I’ve changed my plans so I could be in Cherry Hill at VP for Financial Development Conference in July.” I was wondering…what do you say? By the way (or as we say in a Roberta Smith world of change btw) Hebrews 13:8 offers us a firm grasp of hope to hold onto in our world VP for Regional Relationships Shyreece Pompey of change…”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” See you in July. VP for Membership Enlistment Carter S.R. Garner * * * * * * VP for Membership Services In hopes to create connectivity between generations Wayne Samuels who attend this year’s conference we have VP for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations intentionally designed an inter-generational activity Herman Harmelink, III that does just that. On Monday evening of the ICCC VP for Leadership Development Conference 2017 we are having a Movie Night. The Stephen York movie is “To Save a Life”. VP for Informational Services and Outreach Michael Donahue Guardians, mentors, parents, grandparents, Auxiliary Representative preachers, teachers, directors, leaders are invited to Wayne Samuels come and watch the movie too! This is not just for Immediate Past President Richard O. Griffith the youth. Just before the movie we all will have a brief facilitated discussion regarding race AUxILIARy HEADS relations, bullying, and other real life issues that challenge our ICCC vision/mission “that they all youth: Andranae Brown may be one”. Parent supervision is needed for children under 10. Also, children between 10- Samaritans: Wayne Samuels 12 attending unaccompanied will require a permission slip that parents, guardians or sponsors Women’s Christian Fellowship: Barbara Ratliff can fill out during conference registration. Ministerium: Charles Clark Jr. cont’d. on page 5 PAGE 2 THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY MARCH 2017 President’s Message “For Whom the Bell Tolls” Rev. Dr. William H. Samuels (Rev. Bill) Does a man from the 16th Century have the scaffold and wrong may be forever always there among a people waiting on any words to say about our country, our on the throne—yet it is the scaffold that a change to come from a “deliverer” for churches and our community? Does the sways the future, for in the dim unknown the cause of liberation. The history of wisdom of the past have any instructions standest God within the shadows keep- the “Oppressed” or “exiled” was always for the situations in which we find our- ing watch above his own.” Bryant adds, the story of victimization of injustice and selves in the 21st Century? In the case “Truth crushed to earth shall rise again.” liberated by truth. of John Donne of 16th Century England, The beloved community’s foundation and perhaps in the literature recorded (die ethische Gemeinschaft/sittli- The idea of speaking truth to power is throughout the emergence of what we chkeit) indicates ethical leadership,non- the battle cry of many movements to- call “civilized modernity,” there is an violent change and equitable sharing of day. Politics, the warehouse of power in underlying theme of progress, morality resources (food, housing and job oppor- America, has divided the nation into the and ethics embedded in the words of its tunity). power of the rich over the poor, the black “agents of the Spirit.” The focus of our attention in this article and the white, the gay and the straight, “No man is an island,” states Mr. Donne is the mix of political and religious ideas to right wingers and left wingers. from the past. “Any man’s death di- and whether the two issues should ever Could there be a better time for the pow- minishes me,” he meditates, “for I am a be discussed or implemented from the part of mankind…so “send not to know government side or even considered or erful ideas of inclusiveness of the ICCC for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” given editorial space from the religious to come forward? Is the vision of Roy From poets to theologians from the past, side. The idea and history of the Social Burkhart and Joseph Evans simply a there are statements of assurance which Gospel directly addresses this issue and prophetic wish—or is it rooted in an idea stem from an inner core of good will has continual reference to the separa- of faith and spiritual power whose time from which our idealized civilization has tion of church and state with the under- has come? Shall we rally in New Jersey drawn hope. Martin Luther King, Jr., in standing that it is the ethical-religious particular, has reminded us of the great this summer armed with truth, prophecy backdrop which should guide the con- and God’s Spirit? Shall we communi- words and inspirational ideas from the sciousness of the country. The Biblical past and how their applications to the cate to our communities, our cities and testimony is that of the political domina- injustices of racism, women’s rights and our governments that the passage way tion of Egypt, Babylon and Rome over the “other,” have been the beacon lights Israel and its claim to be God’s people to a new day has been found? Are we of righteous application in our govern- and having certain religious-based ben- simply spectators in Rome watching ment. Dr. King has reminded us of the efits regardless of the political realities of hired gladiators battle—or is the battle wise and instructional words and ideas their condition. not ours but the Lord’s? of James Russell Lowell, William Cullen Bryant and philosophers such as G.F. The story of Judeo-Christian thought, John Donne centuries ago gave us the Hegel, in unpacking the movement of according to my reading, is the narrative words which should be our guide. The God’s hand in history. of Exile: Exile in Egypt until being “de- bells rang out in those days when great livered” by the Moses of the Penta- tragedy or death had occurred amidst Through the thoughts teuch. Exile in Babylon and oppres- of these timeless think- the town folk. People inquired concern- sion in Israel by various inhabitants of ers come to us the ing the misfortune a fellow that they the “Promised Land” as recorded in the triangle of love, might know who faced the misfortune books of Joshua, Judges, Chronicles, power and justice. or death. Donne says it as clearly today Russell invokes the Kings and prophecy. The New Testa- as he did in the 16th Century. If we do idea of justice and ment makes it clear that Rome and its truth in his under- government applied oppression over the not understand the crisis our country is standing that “truth Jews and Christians in Palestine. The in—“Send not to know for whom the bell may be forever on narratives of oppression and exile are tolls—it tolls for thee.” MARCH 2017 THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY page 3 Quadragesima Don Ashmall Council Minister “Quadragesima” is Latin for “fortieth” – and If I’ve ever had a problem with Lent, it is also in that language the title for Lent. was the unrelenting inward-looking that (Yes that’s a bit of irrelevant trivia, but I seemed to me to characterize the season. did want you to know I did the research.) Part of that was just my restless person- In the unique and apparently arbitrary way ality. After all, it is more than appropriate that churches do things, the title is applied that we (and especially I) take time to re- to a season that’s longer than forty days. view our spiritual lives, and to reflect on But if we subtract Sundays from the total what we have done and what we have failed to do. We all know that the world in of days in the season we can arrive at the which we live does not encourage such correct total.