Newspaper Page Text
4B
JULY 24,1997 AUGUSTA FOCUS
Ben Chavis visits Augusta to
rall againSt wave of violence
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Minister Benjamin Muhammad, formerly known as Ben Chavis, addresses a crowd of some
200 community leaders and activists on Tuesday. Min. Muhammad unveiled plans for Million
Man March activities through the year 2000.
Dr. Ben Muhammad, formerly
known as Ben Chavis addressed com
munity leaders and activists at Mt. Zion
A.M.E. Zion Church on Tuesday. Min
ister Muhammad’s visit coincided with
one of the most violent period’s in the
city’s history.
M
Baptist leader’s problems may
affect lucrative business arrngement
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
(AP) The embattled leader of
the nation’s largest black denomi
nation may be re-thinking a busi
ness arrangement that angered
black funeral home operators.
Two years ago, National Baptist
- Convention USA president Henry
Lyons signed a'deal with Loewen
Group Inc., which owns and oper
ates about 1,000 funeral homes
and 400 cemeteries.
The Nashville-based denomina-,
tion representing 33,000 black
churches endorsed Loewen as its
“death care provider of choice.” In
exchange, Loewen agreed to con
tribute 11 percent of net sales to
the denomination every time one
of its members buys a “pre-need”
funeral plot at a Loewen cemetery.
Loewen also agreed to train two
people from each National Baptist
Convention congregation to be
Loewen salespeopie and to give a
discount to all customers who are
members of those churches.
Black funeral home operators
say the deal is unfair competition,
a sellout to big business and dam
aging to the black community.
“There is no question that by
doing this, the National Baptist
Convention aided Loewen in de
stroying the black funeral service
SIAUGUSTA'S B A
Sonshine 16 @
~ Love You Can Listen To
(706) 738-9191 Business
P.O. Box 1454 (706) 738-0044 Request
Augusta, Georgia 30903 (706) 733-0044 Request
For most Augustans, it was the first
opportunity to hear and see the former
Christian minister who had been the
head of the NAACP before being
ousted a couple of years ago. Mr.
Muhammad’s visit was significant for
a number of reasons, local observers
R oA R A A YBD e A A A VS BTR S
market,” said A. Brandon Starks,
manager of Scales Funeral Home.
The arrangement is being tried
onatrial basisin WashingtonD.C.,
Detroit and St. Petersburg, Fla.
Financial analysts have praised
the idea as an innovative way for
the company to penetrate a mar
ket that was almost entirely shut
out to outsiders.
In published reports, the Rev.
Lyons defended the arrangement
as one that provides good jobs for
blacks. He also said it would help
the denomination to develop an
ownership in the cemetery busi
ness and raise new revenues.
Lyons also is facing accusations
of marital and financial mischief.
Lyons wife, Deborah, is charged
with setting fires at at $700,000
Florida home earlier this month
after learning her husband bought
it with Bernice Edwards, the
convention’s public relations di
rector.
Last Friday, the St. Petersburg
Times reported questions have
been raised concerning a second
woman, Brenda Harris, a conven
tion planner whom Lyons re
cruited in San Diego for a job in
Nashville.
At asocial gathering this year at
the Harris home in an upscale
Spirit
noted.
“It was the first time in Augusta that
a Christian church hosted an event by
the Nation of Islam,” said Terence
Dicks, of the One In A Million, Inc./
Million Man March.
Minister Chavis called for unity.
subdivision south of Nashville, the
hosts introduced themselves as
Brenda and Henry Harris, neigh
bors told reporters.
They said Harris looked strik
ingly like Rev. Henry Lyons, ac
cording to the Times. :
Fred and Phyllis Vogt, who live.
across the street from the $340,000
house, said Brenda told them
Henry was her finance and that
they happened to share the same
surname _ something that drew
them together in the first place,
Lyons strongly denied any ro
mantic relationship with Brenda
Harris in an interview with the
Times.
Concerning the business deal,
Lyonsisapparently rethinking the
arrangement with Loewen.
The Tennessean newspaper re
ported Saturday that at a private
meeting with denomination lead
ers last week, Lyons said he would
get out of the funeral business.
Richard Lewis, owner of Lewis
and Wright Funeral Directors,
would like to see the convention’s
relationship with Loewen end, but
he’d be surprised if it happens any
time soon.
“You had better believe there is
a financial gain, both for the
churches and for the individuals
involved,” Lewis said.
Loewen, which is based in Brit
ish Columbia but gets about 90
percent of its revenue in the United
States, says the deal is philan
thropic.
“This arrangement gives money
(back to members of the church.
community and to the church it
self,” says Loewen spokesman
Dave Laundy.
But he conceded that Loewen,
the second largest North Ameri
can operator in the death-care in
dustry, is currently reviewing the
program.
“We are currently determining
whether this is something we
should be in for a long-term ba
sis,” he said.
When members of the
convention’s board emerged from
their meeting with Lyons, they
declined to discuss details except
to say they are enthusiastically
supportive of him.
He had called the meeting to tell
denomination leaders his side of
the story about his wife’s arrest.
Mrs. Lyons initially said
Edwards was her husband’s mis
tress. But the next day she said the
fires were accidental and her hus
band and Edwards have only a
professional relationship.
e —
B Teenage Spiritual Awareness (TSA) announces its 1997
retreat. TSA '97 will be held at Paine College July 29 - August 1.
Biblical sessions include, such topics as “Dating God’s Way,” “How to
Pray,” and “Who Do I Talk to When I Can’t Talk to My Parents?”
Activities include gospel music workshops, bowling, basketball tour
naments and a gospel concert. Registration is S4O for all four days.
For more information call 790-3212 or 792-1039.
B Fielding Spring Missionary Baptist Church, 4440 Old
Savannah Rd., will celebrate their 117th church anniversary on
Sunday, July 27, at 2:30 p.m. Special speaker will be Rev. ThomasE.
Sapp Jr. of the Fairview Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Gilbert
Howard is pastor.
B Thankful Grove Baptist of Windsor, S.C. will hold Women’s
Day on Saturday, July 26, at 5 p.m. Sister Blanch Wimbley will be the
speaker. Sermon will be by Rosa Williams of Augusta, Ga. Rev.
Freddie Bush is pastor.
@ The Family Enrichment Ministries of Augusta is holding
free registration for their co-parenting workshop entitled, “Families
Apart — Ten Keys to Successful Co-Parenting.” The workshop will
be held on Monday, August 18, at 7 p.m. at the Greater Young Zion
Baptist Church, 516 Forsythe St. Also open is registration for the
Annual Singles Retreat Conference to be held August 26 - 30 at the
White Oak Conference Center in White Oak, S.C. The conference will
be “Twelve Steps to a Dynamic Christian Single Life.” Call (706)
72401720 for information or registration for either the workshop or
conference.
B Green Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 1692 Old Savan
nah Rd. in Augusta, will be holding a Family & Friends Day Celebra
tionon Sunday, July 27,at 11 a.m. Rev. Dr. George Weaver of Atlanta
will be the speaker. Rev. Lessel Leonard is pastor. .
B Thankful Baptist Church, Third and Walker 2
Streets, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of their
Senior Mission on Sunday, July 27, at 11 a.m. Dr. Eva x:
Curry Wanton, dean of the school of General Studies at T
Florida A&M University, is a native Georgian and a 5
graduate of Savannah State University. She will be the
guest speaker for this occasion. Dr. Wanton will also be the workshop
leader for a Saturday Missionary Workshop and Luncheon on July
26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. .
B Second Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 1404 Brown St. of
Augusta, will celebrate their Annual Men’s Day Program on Sunday,
July 27, at 3 p.m. The speaker on this great occasion is Rev. James
Wright, pastor of Union Point Baptist Church. Rev. Andy Thornton
is pastor.
_H Noah’s Ark Missionary Baptist Church, Noah’s Ark Rd. in
Keysville, Ga., will be holding a revival from July 28 - August 1 a 4 7
'p.m. nightly. Discipleship class will be held7-7:25 p.m., Services will
begin at 7:30 p.m. The teacher and evangelist will be Rev. Jimmy
McCullough 111, pastor of Way’s Grove Baptist Church in Wrens, Ga.
Rev. Karlton L. Howard is pastor.
M First Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 2040 Martin Luther King
Jr. Blvd. will host an appreciation time for Sister Mary A. Kingcannon
on Saturday, July 26, at 6 p.m. Special guests will include Kenny
Eldrige of the Jesus Celebration Mass Choir, Rev. Steven Nelson and
the Voices of Love and the Augusta chapter of the Gospel Music
Workshop of America. Tickets will be $lO and available for sale at
BL’s Restaurant, Tina’s Shoe Gallery, Howard’s Upholstery, Glory &
Glamour Beauty Salon and Pyramid stores on Broad Street and
Gordon Hwy. For more information, call 560-0981.
@ Macedonia Baptist Church, 1828 Wrightsboro Rd., has free
clothing for those in need. The Clothes Closet hours of operation are
11 am. - 1 p.m. on Saturdays. For additional information, please
contact Ms. Candy Katz at 737-6834 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday
and Saturday).
8 The Friendly Church of God in Christ, 1115 Carrie St., will
be serving a weekly meal to anyone in the Laney-Walker Blvd. area
who is hungry. The church will serve meals every Wednesday from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Elder Leroy James is pastor.
EMaranatha Christian Center, 400 Warren Rd., offersan Ba.m.
communion service, 9 and 10:30 a.m. early worship services, a 12:15
a.m. gospel “camp meeting” service, a 5 p.m. school of the Holy Spirit
and a 7 p.m. arts and drama in worship service. A nursery is alwaxa
provided. -
T&HDBTM&C][B
Baptist Church
1223 Laney-Walker Bivd. :
Augusta, Ga. 30901 :
Tl e
Ki * Bible Study-Tues. 6 PM.
Pryer Mg Toce.7 BAL - Dal Kinderprin
FOCUS your church luncheons or
dinners in a fine restaurant. Visit
BL’s Restaurant at 1117 Laney-Walker:
Blvd. or call (706) 828-7799 to 1
arrange your church
celebrations.