Posted on Wednesday, May 1, 2019

The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Magazine Articles for Black Christian Women in April 2019

Hello World,

Happy May! It’s getting closer and closer to my favorite season of the year: summer!!! I know I’ve been ghost for a little bit. Chalk it up to family obligations. But I’m back with my monthly roundup of blog posts and or magazine articles for black Christian women! So below is my Top 10 monthly roundup of blog posts and or magazine/newspaper articles for black Christian women for April ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1. “An Afro Fit For A Crown: Miss Teen USA 2019 Rocks Her Natural Coils While Winning The National Title” by Vinciane Ngomsi

Excerpt: Kaliegh Garris, an 18-year-old woman from Connecticut, was crowned Miss Teen USA on Sunday, beating runner-up Miss North Dakota Kaitlyn Vogel. What made the victory even sweeter was that the teen sported her natural curls as she took home her crown. See more at: blavity.com.

Excerpt: Several weeks ago, theologian Ekemini Uwan was interviewed on stage at the Sparrow Conference for Women. But when Uwan, a Nigerian American who frequently speaks out against racism and white supremacy, began doing so at the conference, people in the audience began walking out, according to a report from The Witness. Uwan later tweeted that she had to hire an attorney to force the conference to send her photos and video of her interview. YouTube also removed a video of her remarks at the request of Sparrow, and the conference’s social media did not include her images or quotes, in contrast to those of other speakers. See more at: christianitytoday.com.

3. “Black women cracking ‘stained-glass ceilings’ with Jesus’ 7 last words” by Adelle M. Banks

Excerpt: In a growing tradition, at least a dozen churches across the country are hosting Good Friday services this year that feature seven African American female preachers, expounding in seven short sermons on the last seven phrases uttered by Jesus before his crucifixion. “It’s a big deal because historically black women have been underrepresented,” said Hamilton, associate pastor of innovation and engagement at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Pleasantville. See more at: religionnews.com.

4. “Allen Temple Baptist Church Welcomes 1st Woman Pastor in History in Its Centennial Year” by Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr.

Excerpt: With the confirmation of the Reverend Dr. Jacqueline A. Thompson as Senior Pastor, both my son and I have retired and welcome her leadership from Allen Temple’s pulpit. A growing grass-roots opinion in the membership led by strong women and non-patriarchal men who were concerned that Jesus affirmed the equality of the sexes realized that the search community should give first consideration to their first woman assistant pastor. Dr. Thompson was already in great demand nationally as a preacher in multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-cultural settings and had won the hearts of her audiences with her charismatic preaching style that reached the Ph.D.’s and the “no D’s.” See more at: postnewsgroup.com.

5. “See The Book Cover Of ‘Parker Looks Up’ That Captures One Little Girl’s Viral Moment With Michelle Obama” by Sydney Scott

Excerpt: Parker Curry first captured America’s attention when she stood mesmerized in front of Amy Sherald’s astonishing portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama. Now, Parker and her mom are telling her story with their new children’s book, Parker Looks Up. See more at essence.com.

6. “Mellody Hobson, George Lucas seeking to obtain control of historic EBONY and JET archives” by Megan Sims

Excerpt: Following Johnson Publishing Company’s recent Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, the fate of thousands of original historical pictures and recordings are left threatened, but that could change with efforts from a powerhouse couple in finance and film. Ariel Investments president Mellody Hobson and her husband, Star Wars filmmaker George Lucas, are seeking control of the EBONY and JET archives, The Wall Street Journalreports. The extensive collection contains images and recordings chronicling more than 70 years of Black life and culture. Original images of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and Muhammad Ali are among the collection. See more at: thegrio.com.

7. “‘Jesus chose me for you’ | Educators at same school are perfect match for kidney donation” by Jon Shirek

Excerpt: Dr. NaKisha Wynn, a veteran teacher at Woodland Elementary, has been on kidney dialysis since February 2018. Wynn could not have imagined that her match would soon find her – right there at the school. See more at: 11alive.com.

8. “The Rockettes race to reverse long history of excluding black women” by Susan Edelman

Excerpt: “There is an awareness that there needs to be representation,” said Danelle Morgan, 33, who is black. A 13-year Rockette veteran, she is a leader of the diversity drive. “We want the line to be a reflection of all different faces and backgrounds.” For the first time in 10 years, the Rockettes will hold “open call” auditions outside NYC, with Chicago and Atlanta tryouts scheduled in May. See more at: nypost.com.

9. “Stacey Abrams is said to rule out bid for Senate in 2020” by Greg Bluestein

Excerpt: The decision not to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue follows months of speculation about the Democrat’s next political step after her narrow loss in last year’s race for governor. See more at ajc.com.

10. “California Senate passes new bill banning racial discrimination against employees with natural hairstyles” by Jacqueline Laurean Yates

Excerpt: California has joined other states in ending racial discrimination against people with natural hairstyles such as braids, twists, and Afros. On Monday, the Senate passed the CROWN Act (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) which will ban discrimination against employees based off their hairstyle. The bill was initially passed by Los Angeles Senator Holly J. Mitchell, who recently said in a speech, “A google image search for ‘unprofessional hairstyles’ yielded only pictures of Black women with their natural hair or wearing natural braids or twists.” See more at: abcnews.go.com.

If you know of any black Christian women bloggers and or writers, please e-mail me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com as I’m always interested in expanding my community of black Christian women blogs and websites. As I noted before, while this is a roundup of interesting blog posts and or magazine and newspaper articles for black Christian women, you don’t have to be one to appreciate these pieces .

Posted on Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, T.I. & Scrapp Deleon Bail Out 23 Non-Violent Offenders From Jail in Time for Easter Sunday!

Hello World,

How was your Easter Sunday?! Mine was lovely. After a wonderful Easter service at my church, my husband and I were blessed to spend time with family and friends. Since my parents live pretty close to my in-laws, it was easy to see a good number of people that I don’t get to see every day in one day. In addition to having a soul-saving relationship with God through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, I’m so thankful that God has blessed me to have a close-knit family and great friends.

Apparently, I was not the only one who was able to reunite with family and friends on Easter Sunday. Through New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s Bail Out Program, $120,000 was raised with the help of rapper T.I. and VH1’s “Love and Hip Hop” personality Scrapp Deleon to bail out 23 non-violent offenders from metro Atlanta jails (DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Rockdale County Jails) on Saturday, April 20 in time to celebrate Easter Sunday with family and friends, according to Fox 5.

On the bus ride home from jail, one man said, “I aine never had nobody help me or do nothin’ for me. I’ve been on my own since I was 13. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done by myself so for y’all people to just come out and bless me like this. I really feel, like, very grateful, very thankful for everything. I’m trying to be, whatever y’all need me to do, whatever y’all need me to help with, I’m there. Just say the word. I’m just very blessed. I’m very thankful.”

Also, church volunteers greeted the men and women with a Welcome Home Party. Barbers, beauticians and celebrity makeup artists in addition to clothing were on site to get the men and women looking right before they were reunited with their families and loved ones. One man at the party said 30 minutes after he prayed about getting out of jail, he was told about the Bail Out Program at midnight! “12 o’clock at night, the guard knocked on my door and handed me the Bail Out Program. Like it was just crazy.” How many of y’all know that when no one else is up at the midnight hour, you can call up Jesus who hears and answers prayers! That reminds me of what happened with Paul and Silas when they were jail. They were freed at midnight as well!

At the party, Pastor Bryant announced that ALL of the children of the men and women who were released from jail will have college fund accounts at Citizens Trust Bank courtesy of the church. “We want to make sure that we disrupt a culture of recidivism so they do not go back into the system as in previous generations.” Additionally, mentors will work with the men and women.

See for yourselves what happened in the video below:

That is what the resurrection of Jesus Christ is all about – resurrecting new lives.

Any thoughts?

Posted on Friday, April 12, 2019

It’s First Lady Friday Featuring…Kirstyn Mayden, First Lady of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Upperco, Maryland!

Hello World,

Last month, Women’s History Month, I’ve launched a new feature featuring First Ladies! In thinking about my mother who was the First Lady of Central Christian Church in Atlanta, Georgia for 38 years before my father retired in 2017 and after reading Kimberla Lawson Roby’s final Rev. Curtis Black book “Better Late Than Never” which explored Charlotte’s desire to not be a typical First Lady, it dawned on me that I should feature First Ladies. Everyone is always talking about what the pastor of this church and that church is doing, but First Ladies are equally as important as the pastors to whom they are married! So once per month, on a Friday of course, I am featuring a First Lady. So if you know of a First Lady who should be featured, please e-mail me at jacqueline@afterthealtarcall.com because I’m looking for notable First Ladies to feature!

So with that being said, let me present to some and introduce to others the First Lady of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Upperco, Maryland, Kirstyn Mayden…

Below is her biography followed by my interview with her. Read, enjoy and share!

Kirstyn Mayden lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband the Rev. John Mayden. A graduate of Spelman College, Mrs. Mayden also has a master of divinity degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. For the last 15 years, she has served in a number of ministry capacities with children, youth, and women. She has a passion to serve with women empowering them to grow and live out their God-given purpose. Currently, she serves alongside her husband in ministry at Mt. Zion UMC church in Upperco, Maryland. They are brand new parents to a baby girl. In addition, she is the founder of Worthy Girls, Worthy Lives, an empowerment program for pre-adolescent girls in Baltimore and blogs at kirstynspeakshope.com.

1. How do you feel about the term “First Lady” and is Mt. Zion United Methodist Church the first church where you have served as First Lady?

Yes, Mt. Zion is the first church where I have served as First Lady. We’ve been there about five years. In reference to the term “First Lady,” I understand the cultural significance of it, but I’m not really for it or against it. My heart is about serving within the ministry so it kind of comes with the territory. For me, it’s kind of limiting in some ways because it boxes you in because there is a certain way a “First Lady” must act or be, but I feel like God is bigger than any title. I guess I don’t care for the term per se but I understand why it’s there.

2. What is the “job description” of a First Lady?

A First Lady serves God first of all, but she also serves as a support to the ministry and to her husband. Each church is different so for me, I’m part of the worship liturgy. I serve in administrative functions. But overall, just serving as a supportive presence for my husband.

3. What is the best part and what is the worst part about being a First Lady?

I really enjoy serving as a part of a team with my husband. There is something powerful about that. I have my masters of divinity degree and so we’re able to serve in ministry together. And also being a presence for the congregation and being able to walk with them with their triumphs and challenges and empowering them to use their gifts and talents. That’s one of the best parts about being a First Lady.

I wouldn’t say there is a worst part, but one of the challenging parts is the ongoing ministry and family balance. Serving in ministry means you can be on call so it can be difficult to set boundaries between your family life and your congregational life. Also, I’ve had to realize that even as a First Lady, I can’t be all things to all people. And I have to work to keep my own identity. I’m not just my husband’s wife. I have my own ministries and my own goals. Those are challenges.

4. What are some misconceptions that people have about being a First Lady?

I think there is a misconception that she is seen but not heard. Every week, I’m there to support the ministry, but I don’t want to be boxed in as just his wife as I said before. The perception that you’re just kind of sitting on the sidelines doing everything for the church or for your husband and you don’t have your own identity.

5. You created Worthy Girls, Worthy Lives in 2012 to “improve the confidence, self esteem, and life skills of pre-adolescent girls.” What inspired you to create this organization?

I’ve been serving with children and youth for over 15 years. What prompted me to start the organization is that I received a grant with the United Methodist Church. It’s called the Spark12 grant so we were funded to start Worthy Girls, Worthy Lives in 2012. Ever since then we’ve been in existence.

It’s a six-to-eight-week program, and we meet on Saturdays. During each session, we work on activities that relate to etiquette, service, building leadership skills. And there’s also an arts component. For example, sometimes, we have someone come in and teach the girls dance to get ready for our closing ceremony. We also do outings as well. We’re starting our next session in two weeks for our spring session.

One of our first participants is a junior in high school now and she’s doing really well with singing. She’s in a statewide competition. She is also getting ready for college. I do know that Worthy Girls, Worthy Lives has been formative with many of the girls that have gone through the organization over the years. We’ve had about 50 girls since we started.

6. You write weekly devotions for women at your blog Kirstyn Speaks Hope. Why did you create this website and what inspires you to write these devotions?

I was an English major in college. And since I work with women and enjoy being in community with women, I wanted to write devotionals to encourage women. I said I was going to start a blog for a long time, but I finally did in January of this year. And I think it’s important to have someone to encourage us in the Word in quick and simple ways. Last year, I also became an online devotional contributor for Beloved Women and that inspired me to write my own as well.

7. You are a new mother to a seven-month old daughter. How do you balance your role as as a new mother and First Lady?

It takes a lot of coordination and scheduling. It does take a village. I’m actually a new stay-at-home mom but I haven’t always been one. I worked in adult education for about 10 years, but I decided to stay at home because I want more time with my daughter. I wasn’t ready to go back immediately after she was born. And I also want more time to write and do a few more things for myself. I won’t be staying at home forever, but right now, I am.

When we’re at church on Sundays, some of the congregants will have her during service so that frees me up to do my responsibilities during service. Being okay with allowing others to support me is really important and leaning on the village because I can’t do it by myself. Since we have a small church of about 40 congregants, I facilitate the first half of the service and my husband does the rest of the service.

Anything else you would like to add?

Being a First Lady is definitely a calling. In general, I enjoy it because I enjoy being in ministry. And also I think it’s important to nurture the gifts that God has given to me individually. At the end of the day, as long as we’re ministering to the heart of God’s people, that is more important than any title.

If you missed the first post of First Lady Friday, please click on It’s First Lady Friday Featuring…Dr. Elaine Gattis, First Lady of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Stockbridge, Georgia!

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