Newspaper Page Text
16
AFKIL 17, 199/ AUGUSIA FOCUS
Churches launch national
effort to reclaim lost youth
The plan is to use black churches, often found within the nation’s most crime-ridden areas,
as around-the-clock sanctuaries for young people seeking refuge from street life.
BY PAUL SHEPARD
ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
WASHINGTON
A national coalition of black min
isters plans to fight black-on-black
crime and street drug-dealing by
expanding a church-based program
credited with helpingtolower crime
in Boston.
“We have a generation of de facto
orphans now drowningintheirown
blood,” said the Rev. Eugene F.
Rivers, a Boston pastor and co
founder of the new National Ten
Point Leadership Foundation. “We
must mobilize in defense of our own
future.”
At a news conference Tuesday,
Rivers joined with ministers from
Philadelphia, Louisville, Ky., and
New York to announce the expan
sion of the Boston project, which
Marianne Pogue to perform at Tabernacle
The April Birth Month Clubof Tab
ernacle Baptist Church will be spon
soring singer Marianne Brenda Gor
donPogueforaneveningperformance
on Sunday, April 20, at 6 p.m. Mrs.
Poguewillalsobesingingasoloduring
the 11 a.m. morning service.
Mrs. PoguewasborninOrangeburg,
S.C. She grew up in Lancaster, S.C.
andgraduated from Barr Street High
Schoolin 1967. She was a member of
theFirst Washington Baptist Church
where she served as pianist for the
Sunday School, the Baptist Training
Unionandchoirdirector. Shestudied
voice with Mrs. Shirley Scurry for six
years.
During her senior year in high
school, Mrs. Pogue was thefirst place
We Invite YouTo
BEULAH GROVE
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
Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Wednesdag,aand 9:30 a.m. Saturday
Prayer Service at 11:00 Saturday morning
Thirty-five Christian Ministries
All Services Are Bible-based and Holy Spirit-led
- O
wnn
wn
ooy
AUGUSTA’S GOSPEL ALIVE
Serving the CSRA with
Soul Stirring Gospel Power
AW Daw, Every Day !!1!!
includes 43 Boston-area churches.
The planis to use black churches,
oftenfound within the nation’s most
crime-ridden areas, as around-the
clock sanctuaries for young people
seeking refuge from street life, Riv
ers said. In addition, church volun
teers act as missionaries to show
drug dealers, gang members and
other wayward youth that options
exist, Rivers added.
The campaign, “Operation 2006,”
will mobilize 1,000 churches in 40
of the country’s most dangerous
neighborhoods to start or expand
anti-crime programs.
Rivers said he is seeking $25 mil
lion from publicand private sources
to help push the program beyond
its Boston base. The first cities for
expansion include Philadelphia;
Louisville, Ky.; Chester, Pa.; and
Tampa, Fla., Rivers said.
G SR V.g » \_
s %T‘»:'--,;; Yy
£ L a o
i L G
Marianne Pogue
Spirit
The project is modeled after
Boston’s Ten Point Coalition, which
began five years ago in response to
escalating black-on-black violence.
The coalition is a network of
churches that reaches out to vio
lent youths with mentors, counsel
ing, drop-in centers and work pro
grams. It works closely with city
and law enforcement officials and
businesses.
The project is credited with con
tributing to a 39 percent decrease
in Boston’s murder rate from 1995
to 1996 and bringing further
progress so far in 1997.
“We are about the business of
bringing the impossible into the
realm of possibility,” said the Rev.
Jeffrey Brown, a Boston minister
and coalition member.
Asked what happened to drug
selling young people confronted by
winner of the Sixth District of the
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Talent Unit.
Thishonorafforded heracashaward
and participation in a talent demon
stration at the Omega’s national con
clavein Boston, Massachusetts.
Mrs. Poguereceiveda B.A. degreein
psychology and a Masters of Social
Work degree, both from the Univer
sity of South Carolina. She studied
voice with Ms. Laury Christie for five
years and presently, she is studying
with Dr. Richard Conant.
She is a member of the First Cal
vary Baptist Church wheresheisvice
presidentand asopranowiththe Mad
rigals. She hassungwith the Colum
bia Choral Society, the Sing and Re
joice Chorale and the S.C. Philhar-
Bethel African Methodist
T Episcopal Church '.I.
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 Worsflip Service
the church workers, Rivers said
some continued to ply their trade at
different locations but added “some
got saved.”
The notion of church-based
projects to remodel urban America
has picked up steam recently.
In February, Christian Coalition
leader Ralph Reed announced an
urban outreach program called
“TheSamaritan Project.” The plan
would have volunteer families take
up residence in poor urban areas to
help people there.
Rivers said he was challenging
Reed and other white Christian
groups “to move beyond platitudes
and sound bites.”
“We need a new conversation,”
Rivers said. “We need them to put
material resources on the table to
help and move beyond the rheto
ric.”
monicChorus. Shehasbeenfeatured
in concert by the First Washington
Baptist, First Calvary Baptist,
Northminister Presbyterian, Ladson
Presbyterian, Mt. Zion Baptist, and
Sidney Park C.M.E. Churches, and
the Central Correctional Institution.
Shewasalsothefeatured soloistforthe
1990 Governor's Prayer Breakfast.
SheisemployedbytheS.C. Depart
ment of Juvenile Justice as facility
directorofthe Reception and Evalua
tion Center. She is married to David
E. Pogue and they have two sons:
Kevin D. Pogue of Atlanta, Ga. and
Joseph M. Young Jr., and his wife
Susan, of Columbia, S.C. Shealsohas
twogranddaughters, Sierraand Jor
dan.
Monument to burned
hlack churches erected
From page one
stillhere...and hatred hastoleave,”
said the Rev. Terrance Mackey of
Greeleyville’s Mount Zion AME
Church, which burned in 1995.
“People of goodwill must stand
uptoit... and faceit down,” he said.
Mackey’s congregation received
national attention when President
Clinton toured the site and the re
built church last summer. Two
white men were sentenced to prison
earlier this year for setting the fire.
“Sometimes enough is just
enough,” Mackey said. “People get
tired of hatred. I get tired of walk
ing across this nation and seeing
ashes where there used to be
churches.”
Pastors from Pennessee, Texas
and Georgia joined South Carolina
ministers in unveiling the monu
ment. It bearschurches’ namesand
the dates they were torched etched
inblack; an orange and black image
of a burning sanctuary is embla
zoned on the face.
T&fl)) ernac ]1 e
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 (WTHB 1550) * Nursery,
Kindergarten Open* Bible Study-Tues. 6 P.M.
Prayer Meeting Tues. 7 P.M.*Daily Kindergarten
Services 7 AM. to S PM.
;.3 Williams Memorial
&/ 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:
f 6:45 a.m. -5:30 p.m.
Universal Ministries
l Christian Fellowship
* A Dynamic Spirit Filled Church
* Positive & Practical Biblical Messages
* Uplifting Gospel Music
* Certified Bible Studies
* Ministerial opportunties for all members
i
* Sunpay WorsHip 10:45 .M.
® * BisLE STUDY, THUR. 7:00 P.M.
* WAAW -94.7 FM, SUNDAY 8 - 9 A.M.
\
‘ M
Services Hew Ar: Tobacco Rd. Elementary School Audiorium « 2397 Tobacco Rd.
Mail Address: P.O. Bx 1461 » Augusta, GA 30903-1461
Ph: 1(800)731-2310 = E-Mail: umin@csra.net
M
Focus your church news here on the
Spirit page. Mail us your information or
fax it in to the Augusta Focus
at 724-6969.
This weekend’s gathering of
church and community leaders, stu
dents and activists from across the
countrybrings “triumph out of trag
edy” after the string of arsons, one
official said earlier Friday.
“What has emerged from the
ashes of burned churches is new
leadership,” said Rose Johnson,
national program director of the
Atlanta-based Center For Demo
cratic Renewal. “It’s a model that
we can hold up to the world.”
Events culminated with a March
of Solidarity to Challenge Hate in
America later in the day.
The South Carolina Committee
for Racial Justice, the South Caro
lina Burned Church Restoration
Coalition and the Center for Demo
cratic Renewal sponsored the event.
Allen president — David T. Sh
annon — said he was honored to be
involved.
“We’ve come here to recognize,
affirm, celebrate and activate,” Sh
annon said. “Ideas without action
are hollow.”
l
Dr. REGINALD D, Simmons
Senior Paston