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14A JULY 31,1997 AUGUSTA FOCUS e Spirit SCLC’s Lowery honored as he announces retirement ! ATLANTA + (AP) The Rev. Joseph Lowery, , whoissteppingdown after 20 years ‘as head of the Southern Christian 1 Leadership Conference, received , praise from President Clinton and 'civil rights leaders during a spe -Icial tribute banquet to kick off the jorganization’s 40th Anniversary | Convention. i+ “I want to thank you for a life .time of inspiring me, and all of us, 'to live closer to the ideals of our great democracy,” Clinton said in .videotaped comments shown Sun 'day at the beginning of tl.e black 'tie dinner at the Hyatt Regency 'Hotel. - Lowery, 74, joined the Revs. ‘Martin Luther King Jr. and Ralph .David Abernathy Sr. and other Southern clergymen to start the SCLC in 1957. The Rev. Jesse Jackson said much of the glory went to King, but that Lowery was an under recognized achiever who advanced 'the movement after King’s assas Embattied minister’s son serving prison : ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. . (AP) Rev. Henry Lyons, under fire after his wife set fire to a water [front home he owns with another 'woman, has an adult son servinga ;prison sentence in North Florida, a ‘newspaper reported Wednesday. ‘ Martin Lyons, 30, was first ar rested at age eight and has spent .most of his adult life behind bars, ‘The Tampa Tribune reported. He .currently is serving a 10-year sen .tence, the newspaper said. ' Henry Lyons did not return sev ‘eral telephone calls for comment. Bethel African Methodist .T. Episcopal Church ,T. 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 7IAUGUSTA'S BERT IiflSPEI . i A Sonshine 16 o ?{%;: ‘' A ‘ z K | 5 Love You Can Listen To (706) 738-9191 Business | P.O. Box 1454 (706) 738-0044 Request Augusta, Georgia 30903 (706) 733-0044 Request sination in 1968. “Moses got the lion’s share of publicity but it was Joshua who marched on Jericho, who kept the troops moving,” Jackson, who be gan his career with King and the SCLC, said before the reception and dinner for 1,500 guests. “In his 40 years of consistency, we have won every battle,” Jack son said, recounting successes from the 1955 Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott to the end of apartheid in South Africa. Lowery said he leaves the SCLC presidency with mixed emotions. “It’s been a great journey,” he said just before the SIOO-a-plate dinner began. “The old spiritural says, ‘I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey now.’ But I’m not leav ing the movement. I want to make that clear. I intend to raise hell. “One thing I would hope people would say is that I did cry in the wilderness,” Lowery said. “I hope people remember the moral con His lawyer and spokesman, Grady Irvin, said he was out of town. “Dr. Lyons is not going to com ment about hisfamily and children. Tocast him asbeinganythingother than agood parent iswrongand it’s unfair,” Irvin said. Therevelation is the latest devel opment about Lyons, head of the 8.5 million-member National Bap tist Convention USA Inc., based in Nashville, Tenn. His troubles began earlier this month after his wife was arrested and charged with burglary and ar £t 3 '{§ The Rev. Joseph Lowery text in which I tried to address the issues.” He said the solution to many national problems lies with the same principle that was behind the formation of the SCLC — “to apply the moralimperatives of the faith to political and economic and social issues.” The tribute to Lowery was em son. She was accused of setting fire to a $700,000 home Lyons had bought with Bernice Edwards, a public relations specialist. Lyons has three grown children with his wife of 25 years, Deborah. He has not spoken publicly about Martin Lyons, born out of wedlock shortly after Lyons was ordained a minister. Martin Lyons’ rap sheet includes convictions for kidnapping, robbery and aggravated assault. He first got intotrouble when he was eight, and had nine felony chargesand several Christian Fellowship * A Dynamic Spirit Filled Church * Positive & Practical Biblical Messages * Uplifting Gospel Music * Certified Bible Studies * Ministerial opportunties for all members W * Sunpay WorsHIP 10:45 A.Mm. ® * BiBLE STUDY, THUR. 7:00 P.M. ‘ * WAAW - 94.7 FM, SunpAY 8 - 9 A.Mm. Services HeLp At: Tobacco Rd. Elementary School Audiorium 2397 Tobacco Rd. Mail Address: P.O. Bx 1461 * Augusta, GA 30903-1461 G Ph: 1(800) 731-2310 * E-Mail: umin@csra.net _ ceed by actor Ossie Davis, and the guests included former U.N. Am bassador Andrew Young, come dian Dick Gregory and King’s widow, Coretta Scott King. The conventionagendaincluded discussions on economicissuesand Clinton’s initiative on race rela tions, as well as the selection of a new president to replace Lowery. On Feb. 14, 1957, the SCLC was formed with King as president. Abernathy took over when King 'was assassinated in 1968 but re isigned in 1977. Lowery had served as vice presi dent and chairman of the board. He guided the SCLC on a course embracing mainstream social and economicissuesin addition tocivil rights. Today, that includes pro grams such as promoting affirma tive action and increasing black entrepreneurship, curbing black on-black violence, AIDS education and a focus on human rights in Africa. misdemeanors by the time he was 16, court records show. Henry Lyons never married his son’s mother, the daughter of a pastor. She said she met Henry Lyonsin Gainesville, where he grew up. She raised Martin Lyons alone. “Iloved Henry,” shetold the news paper, which did not publish her name, but said she is 62-years-old and livesinasubsidized publichous ing project in St. Petersburg. “He had a beautiful relationship with me,” she said, “and still has.” . AR fi : + | Dr. REGINALD D. SiMMONS SENIOR PASTOR e B 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 Centerin White Oak, S.C. The conference will be “Twelve Steps to a Dynamic Christian Single Life.” Call (706) 724- 1720 for information or registration for either the workshop or conference. B Springfield Baptist Church announces the 210th anniversary celebration of the historic Springfield Baptist Church on Sunday, ‘August 10, at 11:15a.m. and 4:00 p.m. The Rev. Alfred Walker of the Liberty Baptist Church will bring the message for the memorial worship service at 11:15a.m. Dr. Thurmond Tillman, pastor of First African Baptist Church of Savannah, Georgia will bring the message at 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Rev. E.T. Martin is the pastor. B Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church announces the trial sermon of Sharon Childs Caldwell for Exhorter’s License with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The sermon is scheduled for Sunday, August 10,at4 p.m. at the Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, 1237 Summer Street. The Rev. C.J. Shuford Jr. is the pastor. B The Second Mt. Moriah Baptist Church F.D. Shaw choir invites the public to come and share in their choir anniversary on Sunday, August 3, at 3 p.m. The church is located at 1404 Brown Street. Rev. Andy Thornton is the pastor. B The Second Providence Baptist Church, 1643 Summerhill Road in North Augusta, announces their Annual Homecoming and Summer Revival beginning on Sunday, August 10, at 11 a.m. The summer revival will begin Sunday evening at 7 p.m. and continue nightly through Wednesday, August 13. The Rev. Frederick Patter son, pastor of Truevine Baptist Church, will be the guest evangelist for the week. The Rev. Dr. Albert M. James is pastor. M Trinity-On-The-Hill United Methodist Church, 1330 Monte Sano Avenue, will present singing star and recording artist Bobby Michaels on Sunday, August 10, at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary. The concert is free and the public is cordially invited. A freewill offering will be received to help defray concert expenses. Call 738- 8822 for further information. B 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). B 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. B Maranatha Christian Center, 400 Warren Rd. ,offersanßa.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 always provided. Whole Life Campus Christian Life School of Theology ‘ “Where Knowledge Comes To Life.” Associate, Bachelor and Master's Degree in Theology Curriculum includes Old and New Testament, Biblical, Practical and Historical Theology Accredited by the Southern Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges Classes Offered Monthly Next Class Aug. 7 -9, 1997 Call Shirley Ledbetter, Academic Dean Whole Life Ministries 2621 Washington Road, Augusta, GA 30904 (706) 737-4530 : FOCUS your special luncheons or dinners in a fine restaurant. Visit BL’s Restaurant, 1117 Laney-Walker Blvd. Call (706) 722-4222 for more info.