Posted on Sunday, May 5, 2019

Lamenting the Death of Christian Blogger & Author Rachel Held Evans…

Hello World,

One of my favorite funeral songs is “When We All Get to Heaven.” I know it’s weird to even have a favorite funeral song, but even in coming together to celebrate the life of a loved one, there is comfort in singing songs as a collective I’ve found. But as I thought about this song this morning, it occurred to me that that the key word in this title is “All” when I typically focus on the “Heaven” part. When we ALL get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be…

Till we ALL get to heaven, there is no day of rejoicing…This morning, I’m saddened by the news of the death of a wonderful Christian blogger and author Rachel Held Evans, who passed away yesterday at 37 years old after a brief illness…

If you would like to know more about her life, please read “Rachel Held Evans, Christian writer of honesty and humor, dies at age 37” by Emily McFarlan Miller.

If you like to read some of her writing, please read these three posts below:

1. This is from her last post “Lent for the Lamenting.”

Excerpt: There are recovery programs for people grieving the loss of a parent, sibling, or spouse. You can buy books on how to cope with the death of a beloved pet or work through the anguish of a miscarriage. We speak openly with one another about the bereavement that can accompany a layoff, a move, a diagnosis, or a dream deferred. But no one really teaches you how to grieve the loss of your faith, or the loss of your faith as it once was. You’re on your own for that.” – Searching for Sunday. Read the rest at: rachelheldevans.com.

2. As a romantic, I enjoyed this post “10 Marriage Reality Checks (from 10 Years of Marriage).”

Excerpt: This week Dan and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary! Of the many good things in my life, I must say my happy marriage is probably the best. But like every couple, we’ve had to learn as we go. So here are a 10 myths and 10 reality checks we’ve encountered along the way:

***

Myth #1: The best way to prepare for marriage, and to thrive in it, is to learn the differences between men and women so you will know what men/women want.

Reality Check: The best way to prepare for marriage, and to thrive in it, is to learn about your partner so you know what your partner wants.

You don’t marry a gender; you marry a person. And yet the majority of Christian marriage books dole out advice based on gender stereotypes: “men need adventure,” “women need security,” “men like quiet time,” “women process verbally,” “men crave respect and control,” “women crave love and emotional intimacy,” “men are like microwaves,” “women are like ovens.” But even before we got married, Dan and I realized that just as often as we fit these generalities, we don’t. Dan knows I’d prefer tickets to a football game over a nice piece of jewelry and that too much security and not enough adventure leaves me feeling bored. I know that Dan is better at nurturing friendships than I am and thrives creatively when he has the chance to collaborate with other people. Read the rest at: rachelheldevans.com.

3. And this one is really brave – “Life After Evangelicalism.”

Excerpt: This is for everyone who stayed home from church yesterday—for every mom of a special needs kid, every survivor of sexual assault, every black or brown body in a predominantly white community, every son or daughter of an immigrant, every defender of the marginalized who just couldn’t bring yourself to stand and sing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” alongside the people you feel sold you out this week, the Christians who supported Donald Trump. Read the rest at: rachelheldevans.com.

May you be rejoicing in Heaven on high, Rachel while those below lament your death…

Any thoughts?

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 2, 2019

Hope Carpenter, former First Lady of Pastor John Gray’s Relentless Church, Threatens Greenville News With a Knife, Saying ‘I Cut People!’

Hello World,

Pastor Hope Carpenter aine no Beyoncé or Hillary Clinton for matter. There is no hot sauce in her bag. On Sunday, the former First Lady and co-founder (along her with her husband Pastor Ron Carpenter) of Redemption World Outreach Center in Greenville, South Carolina, returned to her church renamed Relentless Church under Pastor John Gray and told the congregation, “I cut people. I got a knife right there in that pocketbook. Greenville News, come on.” That’s right Greenville News, pull up on the pastor if you want to…(I can only imagine the discussions taking place in the newsroom about this…)

If you don’t believe me, see for yourselves…Go to about :35…

Her sharp (LOL) words were part of an overall public show of support for Pastor John and his wife Aventer Gray, who took over the church after the Carpenters left. As you probably know, the Grays have been really going through some thangs in terms of the all of the media coverage they have garnered. She told the Grays, “I love you, Pastor John and Pastor Aventer. I believe in you. I’m praying for you. I’m rooting for you.”

As far as The Greenville News is concerned, the media outlet recently ran this story: John Gray asks Relentless Church members to give $250K to help pay for church roof. Daniel J. Gross reported that, “Redemption had accrued substantial debt that Relentless has had to assume responsibility for when Gray took over. ‘(Ron Carpenter) handed us keys. The keys were not to a paid off building, the keys were to an opportunity, an opportunity to continue the work,’ Gray said. “Nothing you see is paid off. It wasn’t paid off when we got here.'”

The article ended with this paragraph: “Gray and Relentless Church came back into the spotlight in January when The Greenville News reported that Gray was living in a $1.8 million home in Simpsonville that was funded by the church. Church leaders said the particular parsonage is what was needed to entice a pastor of Gray’s ‘caliber’ to Greenville.

As a journalist with a journalism degree and over 20 years of experience, I will say this: journalists don’t make the news, they simply report it. Sometimes, people will like how they are covered by the media and many times, they will not. (Thus the term “fake news.” Anything that you don’t like is fake…SMH…) That is price of being in the public eye. What you do will be reported and as a result, you will be praised and or criticized. That being said, there are many people (notice I didn’t say journalists) “reporting” on the news and various issues who seem to not want to present facts or even fairly presented opinions, they seem to want to tear people down. As a Christian first and as a journalist second, I will not do that. Yes, my critiques (and I have critiqued many on this blog) may not always be liked but no one can claim that I called them everything but a child of God or that I tried to send them to hell with my words.

As THE Word says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) While this verse applies to spoken words, I think it can be applied to written words as well.

As far as Pastor Hope Carpenter’s words are concerned, a Relentless Church spokesman Holly Baird told this to The Greenville News the following day:

“While we believe Pastor Hope was joking, we completely understand how her comments could be received in today’s climate,” said spokeswoman Holly Baird, in a written statement. “Neither our pastors or anyone in our leadership would agree with any type of communication that would encourage or incite violence against another individual or entity.”

Ultimately, I believe Pastor Hope Carpenter was joking as well, but with the way the media is being attacked right now, this needed to be said…

So what do you think about Pastor Hope Carpenter at Relentless Church this past Sunday?

Any thoughts?