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September 26, 1996 AUGUSTA FOCUS
Church, Business & Ethics sy rev. ichos! W. Newton
Another pastor, another scam
And many false prophets shall
rise, and shall deceive many.
Matt. 24:11
What'’s going on that pastor
after pastor is involved in some
type of scam, and all for money?
This time a Fayetteville minis
ter has been sentenced to 57
months in federal prison for his
roleinaninternational scamthat
cheated several eastern North
Carolina residents out of
$700,000.
The Rev. James Franklin But
ler, former pastor of Calvary Hill
Missionary Baptist Church,
Fayetteville, pleaded guilty to
wire fraud. He was sentenced in
U.S. District Court in Raleigh,
N.C. Another man charged in
the case, Frank Cridi Nweke,
was sentenced to 15 months in
prison.
The U.S. Secret Service and
the North Carolina State Bureau
of Investigation atrested Butler
and Nweke in January 1996 in
an investigation that began in
1994 after Scotland Yard uncov
ered part of the illegal operation
in London. The swindle became
known among international en-
Addressing the image we project
Remember this? Mirror, mir
ror on the wall, who’s the fairest
of them all? Remember? In the
fairy tale Snow White, the step
mother looks into the mirror and
asks this question time and time
again. She is preoccupied with
what others see.
The funny thing is that, even
though she is staring at herself in
a mirror, she never sees her own
reflection — that which earned
her the story-book name “wicked
stepmother.” Because she project
ed this powerful, unfeeling image
to the people around her, that is
what she saw in others as well.
Girlfriend’s mirror was dirty and
she didn’t even know.
Had she taken the time and
looked closer at her own reflec
tion — her image — she would
have had an answer to her ques
tion. No one is fairer than the
man — Jesus.
How often do we speak lowly of
We Invite You To
BAPTIST CHURCH
Dr. Sam Davis, pastor
1434 POPLAR STREET
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA 30901
TELEPHONE: (706) 724-1086
Sunday Services at 7:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 7:30 p.m.
Baptist Training Union (BTU) at 6:00 p.m. Sunday
Sunday School at 9:30 Sunday morning
Prayer Service at 11:00 Saturday morning
Thirty-five Christian Ministries
All Services Are Bible-based and Holy Spirit-led
]I &]}D ernac ]l ©
Baptist Church
Dr. C.S. Hamilton, Minister
1223 Laney-Walker Blvd.
Augusta, Ga. 30901
Church School 9:30 A.M.* Morning Worship 11
A.M. Broadcast Hour &Vfl' HB 155912 * Nursery,
Kindergarten Open « Bible Study-Tues. 6 P.M.
Prayer Nfeaeting Tfies. 7 PM.- Daif;' Kindergarten
Services 7 A.M. to 5 P.M.
The Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 5:5 states that the
church should expose persistent and unrepented
wrongdoing, especidlly if it is of a sexual nature, But
do we do that? No! Instead, we wink at it. And in
doing so, we become dllies with Satan.
forcement agencies as the “Nige
rian Scam.” Several Nigerians
were arrested in London and
have been imprisoned.
The Carolina authorities re
ported that several Fayetteville
area residents invested large
amounts of money in the scam
after being told by Rev. Butler
the money was to be used to pay
taxes on huge amounts of cash
being held by the Nigerian gov
ernment. Rev. Butler, who also
owned a Fayetteville hair prod
ucts company known as JFB, told
his victims he had multi-million
dollar contracts with the Nigeri
an government. He told them
the government was ready to
release the money if he could pay
taxes due on the contracts. He
promised his victims they would
our fellow man out of nothing
more than envy? How often do
we greet as friend the very peo
ple we lambast? What does ridi
culing someone really say about
you? Here is a piece of wisdom:
Whomever you associate — we
associate with — is a direct re
flection of who we really are. If
you openly accept behavior you
secretly despise, then your “mir
ror” needs a good cleaning. You
have become a “sell-out.” Like
the fictitious vampire, you have
no reflection, no faith. It has be
come obsolete. Go on — take a
closer look. What image are you
projecting, or reflecting, to the
world? Who are you ... really?
Historically speaking, glass
mirrors were introduced in the
first century A.D. Whether they
were metal or glass, these mir
rors never gave a perfect reflec
tion. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says:
For now we see through a glass,
Spirit
receive from two to seven times
the amount of money they gave
to help pay the taxes. An under
cover state agent, Sam Bogue,
was solicited by Butler, and the
agent said he was promised
$300,000 profit for his invest
ment of $22,500, according to a
document filed in the case. Au
thorities say they located vic
tims in Fayetteville, Winston-
Salem, Rowland and Conway,
S.C. There are no known Geor
gia victims.
The only good thing that can
be said about Butler and his co
conspirators is that they got
caught. But only after Butler
used his position as a pastor and
the church as a cloak, to gain
people’s confidence and deceive
them. It is not an uncommon
darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall 1
know even as also I am known.
II Corinthians 3:18:
But we all, with open face be
longing as in a glass the glory of
the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord.
In this passage, Paul’s idea is
most likely that, not only do we
see a reflection, but that we also
reflect. James 1:22-25 cautions us:
But beyedoersoftheword, and
not hearers only, deceiving your
own selves. Forif any be a hearer
of the word and not a doer, he is
like unto a man beholding his
own natural face in a glass. For
he beholdeth himself, and goeth
his way, and straightway
forgetteth what manner of man
he was. ...
Verses 25-27 go on to express
that whoever looks into a mirror,
or himself, and' examines his
Bethel African Methodist
..1.. Episcopal Church ..1..
623 Crawford Avenue
Augusta, Georgia 30904
Rev. Larry W. Hudson, Sr. Pastor
Office: (706) 736-4060
Sunday Wednesday
9:30 Sunday School 7:00 Bible Study
11:00 Worship Service
5, Williams Memorial
U 2 I
&2/ C.M.E. Church
' Rev. Alex R. King
1630 Fifteenth St. Augusta, GA 30901
(706) 733-9430
Sunday: Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Ist Sunday Evening 6:30 p.m.
Wed: Praise Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
Thurs: Senior Services 10:00 a.m.
Day Care
Center: 6:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Church News
story. As I have done my re
search for this column, I have
discovered numerous incidents
of pastors, clergymen, ministers
and bishops who are guilty of
fraud and sexual crimes while
active in their church positions.
Inevery case, they have used the
pulpit to shield their illegal and
immoral activities. Again, they
were not caught until the vic
tims had the courage to come
forth and reveal the truth. The
Apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 5:5 states
that the church should expose
persistent and unrepented
wrongdoing, especially ifitis ofa
sexual nature. Butdowedothat?
No! Instead, we wink at it. And
in doing so, we become allies with
Satan.
Rev. Michael W. Newton, of
National Church Consultants,
4546 Anderson Court, Evans, GA
30809, assistschurches and min
istries in becoming incorporated
and obtainingtheir 501(c)(3) non
profit, tax-exempt determination
letter.
You can contact him at (706)
855-8925. E-mail:
Newton42@csra.net
image, and doesn’t forget who he
is and who He is, will be blessed.
So, what do you see when you
take a look in the mirror?
Okay ... Try to look past the
bumps and the blemishes. What
does your image reflect? Does
your mirror need a cleaning or
does it need to be replaced? Let
us examine ourselves and be
come truereflections of each oth
er and mirror theimage of Christ
through his teachings, so that
we become transformed by the
renewing of our minds that we
may prove what is good, accept
able, and the perfect will of God.
Mirror, mirror in my hand,
reproduce in my visage my
God’s plan —
A plan that’ll be seen by all to
view,
one to be reflected from me to
you — VAB 9/96
These have been Words to the
Wise. See you next time.
Minister of the Week -
. By V. Alicia Butler '
|
: 2
W% ¥ | Minister: lad
P Reverend Dr. Paul James:
BGy :;%::M ; “S/ Ma I‘tin = ‘,»'.,
T 4 Church: ol
- Not presently affiliated X 9
L — i Denomination: i 19
: A . Inter-denominational s
Experience: aod
e Two years iry
Personal philosophy: “Don’t let your attitude hinder your.n
altitude.” : ash
Education: Patterson High, Baltimore, Md.; undergradu
ate degree from Lincoln University in Pa.; graduate degree,-
from University of Lowel, Mass.; Temple University School of; ;
Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa. i
Goals: “To pastor here in the CSRA and hopefully to one day
have a Christian school that is part of the outreach ministry.-.
I believe that, in order to reach today’s youth, one cannot;
allow the opportunity for compromise, but rather be able to.:
show them the joys of Christianity, the joys of salvationyi:
holiness, righteousness. I've also come to find that many-!
young people don’t understand the empowerment of the Holy: -
Ghost and therefore cannot accept the baptism. The only way 1
that our youth will hunger for the joys of salvation is if we as,.
adults become less hypocritical in our walk with Christ, sos |
we find in the Book of Proverbs that it is our responsibility to™
train a child up in the way that he should go. The Bible doeg}.
not make reference to us providing our youth with a gun and =
no bullets, but rather [that we should] equip [them] with the
word and the full armor of God. OF
“I believe that oft’times we find ourselves playing church =
and not having church. The church establishment of today
has become like the temple in that we've begun to compro
mise with the ways of the world. We find things not associated’
with scripture, ways not associated with Christ, business:
being conducted without the guidance of the Holy Spirit <dod
but yet we yearn to be blessed. We have to die daily in ordezs
to be blessed.” {1 9
el P s e ee LT
B Macedonia Baptist Church, 1828 Wrightsboro Rd., ha_'sf.'fr"'%e
clothing for those in need. The Clothes Closet hours of operation are
11 am. - 1 p.m. on Saturdays. For additional information, pleage
contact Ms. Candy Katz at 737-6834 (Monday, Wednesday, F;fé@y
and Saturday). Pl
B Christ Church Unity, 2301 Central Ave., is sponsoring Haifia
Yoga classes. Beginner classes are taught Tuesday evenings at the
YWCA and Thursday mornings at the Unity Church. Call 733-6494
for more information. Intermediate yoga classes are held Mdiioé{fi’y
evenings at the church. Please call Donna Calhoun, church secre
tary, at 738-2458. ol
B Historic Springfield Baptist Church, 114 12th St., will'héld
the Annual Fall Revival Worship Sept. 30 - Oct. 4, at 7 p.m. éach
evening. Rev. Peter Evans, pastor of Shalom Baptist Church in
Newport News, Va., will be the guest evangelist. Rev. E.T. Martin
is pastor. -
) AIC
M Voices For Christ, 205 Broad St., will hold their Annual
Revival services from Sept. 25 - 27 at 7 p.m. nightly at the Gospel
Water Branch Baptist Church in Evans, Ga. Rev. Benjamin Hiniton
of Gastonia, N.C. will be the speaker. Fred Lockhart is musici%fi/
founder/director of Voices For Christ. s
B The Home and Foreign Mission Department of the New Life
Church of God in Christ, 1017 Bth Avenue, will sponsor “Orie
Hundred Women in Hats” on Sunday, September 29, at 6 p.m. “The
speaker for the occasion will be Evangelist Mariela Larry, a “woman
of God with a now word for this generation.” Prizes will be awarded
for the lady adorned with the most beautiful hat. Claude and Regina
T. Harris are pastors. !
B Crawford Missionary Baptist Church, 955 Florence St., will
hold their communion services on Sunday, October 6, 1996 at 7 p.m.
Guest minister for the occasion will be the Rev. Owen Jessie, pastor
ofthe Silver Bluff Baptist Church of Beech Island, S.C. Rev. Charles
Dent is pastor,
B Mount Tabor A.M.E. Church of Keysville, Ga. will hold its
annual camp meeting revival Oct. 9,10, and 11 at 7:30 p.m. nightly.
Rev. Howard Harden of Spring Grove Baptist Church of Blythe, Ga.
will speak on Wednesday. Rev. Gary T. Reese of Spring Hill Baptist
Church on Grand Blvd. in Augusta will talk on Thursday. Rev. Gary
Kerr of First Baptist Church in Keysville will speak on Friday. Rev.
Mildred Brown is pastor. ;
B Moses Baptist Church will present a banquet for Rev. Dr.
Milton Key on Friday, October 11, at 7 p.m. at the North Augusta
Community Center, 495 Brookside Ave. Donation: sls. Fortickets
and information, call 724-4450.
M Walker Baptist Association and the 10th District of the
General Missionary Baptist Convention will present an Annu
al Ministers Conference on Saturday, October 12. Registration will
be at 8:30 a.m. with a cost of $25 which includes lunch. Rev. J. S.
Wright will be moderator, Rev. W. B. Blount will be vice moderator.
The theme of the conference will be “growing the local church
through administration.”
Focus your church news here on the
Spirit page. Mail us your information or
fax it in to the Augusta Focus
at (706) 724-6969.