LOVE THE HATS—Gloria Brown, Ruthie King, Ruby Wade and Kwajalein Ratliff

April 27 was a beautiful day to put on a beautiful hat, grab your fan and gloves, and attend the Afternoon Tea hosted by the Homewood AMEZ Senior Missionary Society. Guests enjoyed uplifting musical selections by the J.B. Martin Singers and a humorous skit that centered on the beauty of wearing beautiful “crowns” and having hattitude while wearing them.

The skit incorporated a hat fashion show where models wore hats that had a history. Some of the hats belonged to family members and were passed along to the wearer; one hat was purchased in London and was brought all the way back to Pittsburgh.

This year’s tea pourers were Blanche Butler, Holiday Memorial in Braddock, and Lillie Matthews, St. Mark AME. The hat models were Kwajalein Ratliff, Gloria Brown, Ruthie King, Ruby Wade, Minnie Gardner, Doris Strothers, Sheila Johnson Lillie Matthews and Toni Phinisee. Homewood AMEZ Church First Lady Debra Dennison did a beautiful job of sharing the occasion and welcome.

Members say the Afternoon Tea has an 11 year history and they plan to continue on as long as they are blessed to do so.

GOOD FRIENDS--Brenda J. Simon and Wendy Dean

TABLE MATES--Jeanine Andrews, Dominique Berry and Sylvia Berry

STAR OF THE SKIT-- Sylvia Berry

BEAUTIFUL MOTHER AND DAUGHTER

TEA POURER-- Blanche Butler

TEA POURER-- Lillie Matthews

FAITHFUL SERVENTS-- Wayne Phinisee, Toni Phinisee, Debra Dennison and Reverend Stanley C. Dennison

(All Photos by Debbie Norrell)

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Spring Revival
    MAY 16—St. James AME Church, 444 Lincoln Ave., East Liberty, will host its Kingdom 1st Spring Revival at 7 p.m. The three-day revival will feature Rev. Dr. William Curtis, Rev. Dr. Darryl Canady, Rev. Michael Bell Jr., and a special guest. For more information, call 412-441-9706 or visit www.stjamesamepgh.org.

Women’s Conference
    MAY 17—Triedstone Baptist Church, 18 Harriet St., Rankin, will host its Women’s Conference. The theme is “Women Walking in Faith Weekend.” The conference, which will run through May 19, will feature guest preachers Rev. Linda Oliver, Rev. Nichele Nelson, Rev. Marilyn Black and more. Women’s Sunday will be held on May 19 at 11 a.m. with guest preacher Rev. Helen Jackson and at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. Brenda Gregg. For more information, call 412-271-3000.

Women’s Day Celebration
    MAY 18—Antioch Baptist Church, 332 Elizabeth St., Sewickley, will host their annual Women’s Day Celebration. The two-day event will include the “What It Takes to be Fit for the Kingdom” workshop, several guests speakers and a guest soloist. On May 19 at 10:45 a.m. there will be Morning Worship Service will feature guest speaker Rev. Wanda Sawyer-Flipping. For more information, call 412-741-7688 or visit www.antiochfwbaptistsewickley.org.

Saladarama
    MAY 18—The Women of the Word Ministry of St. Paul Baptist Church, 6701 Penn Ave., East Liberty, will host a Saladarama from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be a luncheon and women in the Bible Of…The Bible Pageant. For more information, call 412-362-4932.

Church Anniversary
    MAY 19—Morning Star Baptist Church, 812 Oak St., West Mifflin, will host their 68th Church Anniversary at 10: 30 a.m. The theme is “The Best Is Yet to Come.” The guest preacher will be Rev. Dr. J.V.A. Winsett, retired pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church. For more information, call 412-461-7861.

Church Anniversary
    MAY 19—Carrone Baptist Church, 7119 Frankstown Ave., Homewood, will host its 128th Church Anniversary Celebration at 10:45 a.m. Minister Charles Collier will be the guest speaker. There will also be an Anniversary Concert featuring Voices for Christ at 3:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call 412-687-1819.

May Celebration
    MAY 19—The Presbyterian Women of Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church, 100 Bryn Mawr Rd., Hill District, will host their Annual May Celebration at 11 a.m. For more information, call Joyce Matthews at 412-247-7630.

Women’s Day
    MAY 19—Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 36 Meade Ave., Bellevue, will host its Annual Women’s Day at 11 a.m. The theme will be “Do You Know Who Jesus Is?” The guest speaker will be Rev. Christine Portis. There will also be a 3:30 p.m. service with Rev. Debra L. Mason. Dinner will be served between the services. For more information, call 412-766-8382.

Women’s Day
    MAY 19—St. Stephens AME Church, 19 Oak St., Latrobe, will host Women’s Day 2013 at 4 p.m. The theme is “Celebrate the Holy Spirit.” There will be singing, praising and praying. The guest speaker will be Rev. Cheryl Ruffin, along with her choir and congregation. Women are asked to dress in red attire. For more information, call 724-532-0557.

Spring Revival
    MAY 21—Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 90 Port Perry Rd., North Versailles, will host its annual 2013 Spring Revival at 7 p.m. The three-day event will feature guest revivalist Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller. There will also be guest churches featured during the praise and worship. For more information, call 412-823-4049.
    (To have items listed on the Church Circuit, send information at least two weeks in advance to: 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219; Fax: 412-481-1360 or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)

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This type of show is right up my alley, a vest made from a mop head, a top made from backpack straps and a dress made from a twister game and CDs.

YOUTH LEADERS—Valerie Wimms and Min. TaNikka Shepherd, leaders of the Rodman Youth group. (Photos by Gail Manker)

 The East Liberty area of Pittsburgh provided the foundation for the 2013 Lott Carey Spring Missions Conference.  True to form, the Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, under the direction of Rev. Dr. Darryl T. Canady, took a leading role in reviewing new ways to “move outside the walls of the church.”   
‘The Street’ opened her doors and hearts as they played host to the compassionate leaders of the theological world.  Hailing from across the country, pastors and preachers, laypersons and missionaries, and committed Christians and volunteers travelled from the states of North Carolina, the District of Columbia, Maryland and New York, to name a few.  

From Thursday, April 18 through Saturday, April 20, members of the Lott Carey community gathered at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and the Rodman Street Church to fellowship, plan, discuss mission strategies, and review and promote critical issues facing local and international communities.  

Founded in 1897 by African-American Baptists, Lott Carey now encompasses an assembly committed to local and foreign mission, including the recent fellowship with the American Red Cross.  Rev. Lott Carey, one of the first missionaries to travel to West Africa, placed evangelism, education and health care at the forefront of the pioneering missionary team. To date, the objectives of the organization also include discipleship, leadership and development.   

“Taking Care of Your Pastoral Self” was the topic of Rev. Dr.  John Mendez, pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Winston-Salem, N.C.  Innovation provided the core for the educational lectures with discussions addressing issues that are not easily accepted.  The NAACP’s National Manager of Health Programs, Rev. Keron Sadler, candidly talked about “The Black Church and HIV.”  Another topic of great magnitude affecting the African-American community is the “Need for Pastors to End Mass Incarceration,” a session delivered by  Madeline McClenney-Sadler PhD, founder of the Exodus Foundation in Charlotte, N.C.

Reverend Dr. Gregory K. Moss is the esteemed president of the Baptist Foreign Missionary Convention.  Rev. Moss refers to himself as a “Servant Leader.”  The influential pastor of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte believes that the church needs to get “outside the walls in order to build relationships and go beyond.”  He emphasizes the necessity for a “beloved community,” stressing our need to “equip people to live out their dreams,” he said. “Lott Carey is the leading edge in raising the conversation and tackling difficult issues that face the church, as well as the community.”   
Empowered to empower women everywhere is the theme of  Antoinette W. Winslow, president of Women in Service Everywhere. A native of New York, Winslow tackles issues of physical and mental abuse among women.  The organization is also instrumental in their attempt to end the modern day slavery of human trafficking.  A devoted member of Lott Carey for more than 30 years, this amazing missionary travels to the far corners of the earth to touch the “least of these.” Winslow insists that although the women counseled are grateful, the women of WISE are the ones who return to their homes with a love and respect for those to whom they rendered help.  

Those affected by disaster are touched by people like Deacon Tony Taylor, a Short Term Missions Leader for the organization and a member of the Convent Avenue Baptist Church in Harlem, NY. Recently returning from Haiti, Taylor states that the experience has left him “very humble and blessed as an American.”  His pride is evident when he speaks of the Lambi Village in Haiti, where 38 of 56 homes under construction have been completed.  He recalls the “strong faith and lack of despair of the Haitian people” following the devastating earthquake and confidently states that “My faith reinforced the fact that God is still in charge.”  

The leaders of today are facing and dealing with a variety of issues that have become critical to the survival of the African-American community.  Nurturing pastors for today’s world, while developing a new generation of leaders for tomorrow, ensures effective leadership necessary for that survival.  
 Instrumental to the Lott Carey organization are the young people who have the tools and desire to train young men and women for the future. Passionate about equipping the leaders of tomorrow is the Rev. Dr. TaNikka Shepherd of Columbus, Ohio.

“Enraptured by the Lott Carey Youth Seminar at a very young age,” Shepherd’s desire is to “prepare, pray and inspire.” As she works to make her vision a reality, this young minister with a deep love and commitment for young people, believes that they will provide the anchor to change the world.   
Touching the lives of the “least of these,” the mission leaves an indelible mark on those who receive their services and also those who devote themselves to serving.

The work of the Lott Carey Mission continues throughout the world through the dedication and commitment of those who work to “transform love without boundaries.”

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