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Neglected and Forgotten Church Members
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Many senior citizens through¬
out middle Georgia towns,
whose ages range from the mid-
80s to the late 90s, are being
neglected by their churches.
Some are struggling to live
at home, some live in nursing
homes, and others in assisted
care facilities. Most of these
people, when they were younger
and healthier, were prominent
citizens in their communities,
who took active roles in their
churches. Some were deacons,
stewards, Sunday school teach¬
ers, and held various offices in
the church. Because of illness,
physical limitation, or other dis¬
abilities, they can no longer
attend church. Practically all
of these individuals have lost
a spouse and live alone, being
virtual shut-ins who depend on
others for transportation, food,
and other basic essentials. The
sad part of all this is their
parent churches have forgotten
Designed for Destiny Ministry
Apostle Kelcey R. Johnson
“Before I formed you in the
womb 1 knew you. Before you
were born I set you apart. I
appointed you as a prophet to
the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
Equipped with the talent of
empowering, comforting, and
encouraging young adults,
men, and women to continue to
have hope in these dark times,
tasked with the responsibility to
motivate all who are designed
for destiny, gifted with a pro¬
found array of musical genius
since age 4 as a drummer and
keyboarder at age 13, having
preached his first sermon and
presided over the youth of James
Temple Miracle Center at age
9, Apostle Kelcey Johnson has
been called by God to conquer
a “lost but chosen generation.”
Though he achieved great
honors in football, God showed
Apostle Johnson a new plan
that was different from foot¬
ball. He was established as the
Minister of Music for James
Temple Miracle Center. He
served in this capacity for
13 years and his innovative
approach to the music ministry
allowed him to record his first
CD, “Take the City” in the year
2004. Additionally, he served
as one of the Associate Pastors
of the church, under the leader¬
ship of chief Apostle, Juanita
Johnson and overseer, Bishop
J.L. Johnson.
Moreover, he provided teach¬
ing and guidance to the College
Ministry at Fort Valley State
University. Under his direc¬
tion, the Baptist Student Union
campus-wide bible study grew
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them. Pastors and the leaders
of the churches (hey attend
ed and supported decades ago
never call, much less pay them
a visit or provide for their spiri
tuai needs.
Perry’s First Baptist Church
in Perry, Georgia, has in full
operation an enviable pastoral
visitation and ministry program
that is worthy of emulation.
It is spearheaded by Horace
Woodruff. From 9-5 every day,
Horace is busy on the road,
visiting the elderly, the shut
ins, the sick, and the dying. He
averages 2,000 personal con¬
tacts every three months, which
by outreach standards is phe¬
nomenal. Many churches could
profit by adopting a similar
pastoral ministry. Horace is
doing exactly what the early
Christian church did—minis
tering to aged widows and wid¬
owers, and praying with those
who are suffering, depressed,
and bereaved.
Leaders of the early Christian
church learned early on that
they were so busy evangelizing
and spreading the good news
that they had failed to ensure
that the widows and widow
ers among them were receiving
adequate food and other neces
sities. Jn order not to deter the
preaching of the gospel, they
created a council of seven men
devoted exclusively to distribut¬
ing food to the underprivileged
to its first ever 100 plus atten¬
dance.
While the campus ministry
proved to be a movement of
God’s glory, Apostle Johnson’s
dedication and commitment
did not stop at the school
campus. He also found himself
in the community and civil
rights arenas. He was recent¬
ly installed as the youngest
Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC) .chapter
president. Within weeks of his
installation, he found himself
taking on the highly debated
Peach County Hospital issue.
Additionally, he has joined the
fight in saving the young men in
Fort Valley by hosting the first
ever “100+ Man March—The
Rise of The Men of Integrity,”
to help develop boys in to men.
He has also been recognized
by organizations in the com¬
munity as a positive role model
and has been asked to speak
at special events for different
clubs in the community. He has
had the opportunity to attend
the 50th Anniversary of SCLC
Celebration in Atlanta, Georgia
and marched with other civil
rights leaders around the globe.
Apostle Johnson has proven
himself to be a mentor and
an inspirational mouth-piece
for the young men and women
in his community and in sur¬
rounding counties.
No stranger to the laborer
God needs his followers to be.
Apostle Johnson comes with
the foundation necessary to
enhance the lives of a “lost but
chosen generation” striving for
and attending to their needs
Like the early church, are the
priorities of today’s church mis
placed? Are churches so pre
occupied with preaching the
gospel and supporting foreign
missions that the elderly in their
midst are being overlooked?
The Apostle Peter chastised
the elders in the early church
for neglecting the elderly and
the disadvantaged, saying: “I
appeal as fellow elders, wit¬
nesses of Christ’s sufferings
and those who will share in
the glory ty be revealed: Be
shepherds of God’s flock that
is under your care, serving as
overseers—not because you
must, but because you are
willing, as God wants you to
be; not greedy for money, but
eager to serve; not lording it
over those entrusted to you, but
being examples to the flock.
And when the Chief Shepherd
appears, you will receive the
crown of glory that will never
fade away.”
The Apostle Paul directed
this exhortation to the elders at
Ephesus, a message with equal
application today: “Take heed
to yourselves and to all the
flock, in which the Holy Spirit
has made you overseers, to care
for the church of God which
He obtained with the blood of
His Son.”
a better life, who are in despair
because of how man has ridi¬
culed them. He has impacted
the lives of thousands and has
provided the roadmap, named
God, for many who were
troubled, doubtful, resentful,
angered and searching for a
better tomorrow. God has given
him a word for these individu¬
als and his story is unique like
that of Moses and Apostle Paul.
These were men of God who
did not-want to speak to the
crowdiTBut were forced to do
GodPs Will. '
Apostle Johnson is a native
of Fort Valley, Georgia and he
graduated from Peach County
Georgia. High School He in received Fort Valley, his
Associate Bachelor’s degree
from InterFaith University in
Macon, Georgia and is plan¬
ning to pursue further semi¬
nary studies. Currently, he is
employed as a “Sales Trainer” at
G.E.I.C.O. in Macon, Georgia.
Additionally, he has distin¬
guished himself with notable
achievements, of which include
playing football for Peach
County High School, Tennessee
State University, Valdosta State
University and as a free agent
for the Dallas Cowboys. He is a
man with a mission to empower
lives for a “lost but chosen gen¬
eration.”
“No one lights a lamp and
hides it in a jar or puts it under
a bed. Instead, he puts it on a
stand, so that those who come
in can see the light.” (Luke
8:16)
Violent Kids Are Often Victims Of Abuse
foewt on th# family
Dr. James
Dobson
* m Columnist
4
QUESTION: I keep hearing
about children and teens
being involved in shootings,
stabbings and the like. What
has caused many members of
the younger generation to be
so violent?
DR. DOBSON: Hundreds of
millions of dollars have been
invested in research to answer
that question. The findings are
startling. In addition to the vio¬
lence children have seen on tele¬
vision and in the movies, and
apart from the drug wars they
have witnessed, the tendency
toward violence is a function of
the neglect and abuse so many
have experienced. That is espe¬
cially true of those raised in the
inner city.
What has been learned is that
millions of children, many of
them bom to drug- and alcohol
dependent parents, have been
subjected to unimaginable
deprivation. They were left in
cribs for days with dirty diapers
burning their buttocks and legs.
Some were hit repeatedly, or
they were scalded or starved.
Others simply had no one to
love and hold them when they
were frightened. Many were
sexually exploited from their
Church Announcements
New Smyrna Baptist Church To Celebrate Family and Friends’ Day
The New Smyrna Baptist
Church will celebrate Family
and Friends’ Day on Sunday,
May 31, 2009 at 3:00 PM. The
Reverend Curtis Raines, Sr.,
Pastor of New Pilgrim Baptist
Church, Macon. Georgia will
be the guest preacher. Reverend
Raines is also the Vice-President
Horton Chapel Missiopgm 139m CthRevival/Anniversary
Horton Chapel Missionary
Baptist Church will have its
Revival and 125th Church
Anniversary Celebration at 7:30
p.m. each night June 1-5, 2009.
The week-long Revival will be
led by Apostle Kelcey Johnson.
Horton Chapel Missionary
St. Peter’s YPD
A full day of exciting
activities were held for the
Young People’s and Children
Division at the 126th Session
of the Macon Georgia Annual
Conference held May 9-14,2009
at Greater Turner Tabernacle
AME Church, Macon, Georgia.
Rev. Ernest Gordon Host
Pastor. Rev. Alan H. Wicker,
Host Presiding Elder, Dr. Pam
DeVeaux, Episcopal Supervisor
and Bishop William P. DeVeaux,
Presiding Prelate.
The children, youth and young
adults had their special day of
participation on Saturday, May
Church Of God By Faith Vacation Bible School
Church of God By Faith will have its Vacation Bible School, June 8-10, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
for ages 6-12.
Peach Christian
Crisis Intervention
(FREE Counseling
for Drug
Addiction, Al¬
coholics, Snkht
als, Battered
Women/Children,
Financial/Spiritual
Problems)
_
Don * Chodipe IMIyn By Appointment
Direeiors/Counselors Only
Old Byron School
(Mailing: P.O. Box 2211) Byion, GA 31008
784-9875 • 212-7844
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earliest days - some even in
infancy. If they survived, they
grew up on the streets with no
adult guidance and care. At
night, they slept in bathtubs to
avoid bullets sprayed by drive
by shootings. If this descrip¬
tion sounds exaggerated, talk
to social workers or police offi¬
cers who work every day in the
slums of large cities. ,
What does it do to a child to
experience intense pain, fear
and deprivation at a very early
age? The answers are begin¬
ning to come in. What has been
learned is that kids who go
through these traumas in the
first year or two of life produce
high levels of stress hormones -
notably cortisol and adrenaline.
Those substances put the body
in an “alarm reaction state” in
order to cope with the crisis at
hand. But in a small child, the
brain is a vacuum cleaner for
stress-related hormones. The
human neurological apparatus
is bombarded with chemicals
that shouldn’t be there in a child
that age. The result is impair¬
ment of the boy of girl’s think¬
ing apparatus and emotional
development. Specifically, the
“firing mechanism” of certain
portions of the brain is rendered
inoperable.
What I’m saying is that many
of today’s abused kids can kill
and destroy without pangs of
conscience because they are
literally brain damaged. They
don’t feel what you and I feel.
They can’t empathize with
helpless victims the way they
should, because the emotion of
of the General Missionary
Baptist Convention of the State
of Georgia. Reverend Raines
has preached at New Smyrna
previously for revivals and other
celebrations. This years Family
and Day Celebration will culmi
nate with a family feast served
in the fellowship hall following
125th Church Anniversary
Celebration will be held on
Sunday, June 7th at 11:30 AM
with dinner served immediately
after worship.
Horton Chapel Missionary
Baptist Church will be delight
ed and blessed to have you join
9. St. Peter youth were well
represented in every facet of
the “Green and White” activi¬
ties to include workshops and
Hip-Hop Worship Experience.
Charleston Lyons gave the
Invocation. Brother Gerald
Lee, Director and Organist.
The afternoon session was held
at Central City Park for the
food, recreation games and fel¬
lowship activities.
Congratulations to three
young adults of St. Peter
A.M.E. Church who were
elected as Macon Georgia
Conference Young People’s
& BAHA’I FAITH
"So powerful is the light of
unity that it can illuminate
the whole earth."
Baha'u'Uah
www.bahai.us 1-800-22-UNITE
Prayer meetings on Fridays
7:30 - 8:00 p.m. All welcome.
Call 825-3542 for directions.
THE LEADER TRIBUNE
compassion flows from cogni¬
tive functions that no longer
operate. Some of them are,
at that point, potential killers
waiting for the time and place
to shoot or stab or bludgeon.
I am not excusing their
violent behavior, of course, and
society can't afford to tolerate
it. But this explains some of the
mayhem occurring day after
day in inner cities.
The bottom line is this: We
are paying a terrible price for
the disintegration of the family
and for the victimization of chil¬
dren. Any society that doesn’t
protect the most vulnerable in
their midst can expect to suffer
at the hands of those abused
individuals when they get old
enough to strike back.
So lock your doors and avoid
eye contact when you drive
through certain sections of your
city. There are kids there who
would just as soon kill you as
look at you.
**
QUESTION: My thirteen
year-old daughter is still built
like a boy, but she is inski mg
that I buy her a bra. Believe
me, she has no need for it and
the only reason she wants one
is because most of her friends
do. Should I give in?
DR. DOBSON: Your straight
and-narrow daughter needs a
bra to be like her friends, to
compete, to avoid ridicule and
to feel like a woman. Those are
excellent reasons. 1 think you
should buy her a bra today.
**
COPYRIGHT 2009
the service. New Smyrna real
izes the necessity of strengthen
ing the bonds of the family and
this service aims to strengthen
the bonds of the church family.
Pastor Stanley Kimble and the
New Smyrna Baptist Church
Family encourages everyone to
attend this service.
us as we lift up the name of
Jesus at these special events.
Your participation and support
are greatly appreciated. Please
call (478) 825-8920 if you need
to contact us.
Division Officers for 2009-10
Conference Year.
The elected officers are:
Bianco Ballard: First Vice
President
Brittany Brown:
Parliamentarian
Breon Smith: Praise and
Worship Leader
Bianco Ballard is the daugh¬
ter of Mrs. Keathea Ballard,
Brittany Brown is the daughter
of Mr. and Dr. Ruben Brown
and Breon Smith, the grandson
of Mrs. Willie Bell Turner.
Mrs. Roselind Parker served
as St. Peter’s YPD Advisor.
All en
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