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The Monroe County Reporter • April 18, 2018
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PASTOR’S CORNER by Father Theophan Buck
Gods will is paramount,
even in doing good deeds
T here are multitudes of differ
ent types of Christian churches
throughout Monroe County.
Most of our churches have min
istries which seek to help our surrounding
society in some way. Some communities
focus on serving, clothing, sheltering or
feeding the poor.
Other churches minister in prisons or
work with inner city youth. Most commu
nities equip their congregations to be good
earthly and Heavenly citizens.
In general, Christians have
always been a force for good in
society.
In noting all of the good
things that Christian churches
do in our area and around the
country, one could generalize
that Christianity itself is about
doing good things. It may be
hard to believe, but the truth is
that the Christian faith is not
about doing good works. It is
true that followers of Christ will
do good works as the natural
fruit of the living Christian faith. However,
the goal in following Christ is not about
doing good works.
There is a pressure in modern Christi
anity to justify our existence by creating
“helpful” ministries. Many well-inten
tioned ministries are completely founded
on the egos of a few persons or on a few
people who are driven by their incessant
need to feel helpful.
When I have declined to give certain per
sons in need charity, I have been accused
of not being a good Christian. A prison
chaplain once told me that many church
group volunteers were motivated to preach
in prison because it improved their website
or resume. Read the first part of Matthew 6
and ask yourself, is there charitable action
that my parish is doing secretly?
Jesus is always our example of how the
Christian faith should be lived. Jesus was
surrounded by a sea of human need. He
healed many, cast out many demons, and
worked on the hearts of the Jewish au
thorities. In the synagogue, Jesus described
His ministry using Isaiahs words that the
Spirit anointed Him to “preach the gospel
to the poor.. .to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and re
covery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed; to proclaim the
acceptable year of the Lord.”
The works and wonders that Jesus did
were the evidence of His Messiahship.
“The same works that I do, bear witness
of Me that the Father hath sent Me.” (John
5:36)
However, there were a lot of works and
wonders that Jesus did not do. He did not
heal everyone, he did not raise all the dead,
he did not cure world poverty,
he did not liberate the Israelites
from Roman dominance, and
he did not cast out all demons.
Our Lord could have cured
these besetting problems quick
ly and easily, but He didn’t.
What was Jesus’s motiva
tion for helping some and not
others? In John 5:19 He tells
us, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, the Son can do nothing
of Himself, but what He sees
the Father do; for whatever He
does, the Son also does in like
manner.” In John 12:49 He states, “For I
have not spoken on My own authority; but
the Father who sent Me gave Me a com
mand, what I should say and what I should
speak.” Jesus’s primary motivation for
healing, teaching, working miracles, and
rebuking the religious authorities of His
time was always obedience to His Heav
enly Father.
Christians are not called to be indiscrim
inate do-gooders who make everyone feel
better. We don’t imitate Christ when we
indiscriminately work for the betterment
of society. We truly follow Christ when we
prayerfully look to God to guide us in ev
ery word and deed. The task of a Christian
is to be obedient to the direction of the
Holy Spirit in all of our words and works.
The truth is that without God’s blessing,
even our goodness is not truly good.
Rev. Theophan Buck is the rector of St. In
nocent Orthodox Christian Church, 7301
Rivoli Road, Bolingbroke. The Pastors
Corner is sponsored by the Monroe County
Ministerial Association, which meets on the
second Thursday of each month at 8 a.m. at
The Pickled Okra, 33 W. Johnston St. on the
Square.
FATHER THEOPHAN
BUCK
Pictured, left to right: (back) DAR members Phyllis Jackson, Tina Parks, Becky Patton,
Haleigh Herring, Denise Herring, Echo Burrell, Virginia Funderburke, Barbara Howell,
Amanda Garnett, Myrna Findlay, Lynn Stokes; (front) Essay winners Alanna Wood, Emma
Mcleod, Lew Story
DAR honors historical essay winners
By Amanda Garnett
The Lt. James Monroe
Chapter of the National
Society Daughters of the
American Revolution
honored the winners of
the DAR Historical Essay
Contest at a patriotic recep
tion in the Conley Build
ing on March 27. Monroe
County Middle School
students competed in an
American History essay
contest for fifth through
eighth grade. The winners
of the essay contest are Lew
Story-eighth grade; Emma
Mcleod-seventh grade; and
Alanna Wood, sixth grade.
For the DAR Essay
contest, students are invited
to submit essays through
their school or homeschool
program. One student is
selected from each grade
level as the chapter win
ners.
They are judged on his
torical accuracy, originality,
adherence to topic, organi
zation of material, interest,
spelling, grammar, punc
tuation and neatness.
The title of the essay this
year was: “World War I:
Remembering the War to
End All Wars”. Each win
ner received a certificate,
a monetary award, and
an Easter goody bag. The
students were presented
with Certificates of Aca
demic Excellence from the
Ocmulgee Chapter SAR.
The DAR thanks local res
taurants Jonah’s, Minori’s,
and Subway for their gener
ous donations of gift cards
to the students for their
academic achievement.
CHURCH CALENDAR
Email church calendar news to Diane Glidewell at
news@mymcr.net by Monday at 10 a.m.
Church information is published free of charge as space permits.
April 19-22
Powerhouse Apostolic
Church has Appreciation
Services
Powerhouse Apostol
ic Church of Promise, 3659
Brownlee Road, Forsyth invites
everyone to the Appreciation
Services for its Pastor, Bishop
Robert H. Jackson, and First
Lady, Josephine Jackson, on,
April 19 at 8 p.m., April 20
at 7:30 p.m., April 21 at 2:30
p.m. and April 22 at 4 p.m.
April 21
Shiloh Baptist WMU has
Annual Lady Que
Shiloh Baptist Baptist Church
Women’s Missionary Union
will have its Annual Lady Que
on Saturday, April 21 from
9 a.m.-l p.m. at the Forsyth
Train Depot on Adams Street,
t will feature pulled pork,
chips, slaw and pound cake.
Tickets are $8 each. Call
Elizabeth at 478-342-4866
for more information and
tickets!
Rocky Creek Baptist has
yard sale
Rocky Creek Baptist Church
is holding a yard sale at the
Forsyth Depot on Saturday,
April 21 from 8 a.m.-l p.m. All
proceeds will go to the Build
ing and Grounds Fund for
repairs and improvements.
April 22
St. James Baptist
celebrates 152nd
Anniversary
St James Baptist Church,
110 James St., Forsyth will
celebrate its 152nd Church
Anniversary on Sunday, April
22. Worship begins at 11 a.m.
The guest speaker will be Dr.
Ankoma Anderson of Welfare
Baptist Church, Belton, S.C.
Lunch will be provided.
Parker's Chapel A.M.E.
celebrates 152nd Anni
versary
Rev. Clinton Brown and the
members of Parker's Cha
pel A.M.E. Church, 5744
Highway 83 South, Culloden,
invite everyone to its 152nd
Church Anniversary Celebra
tion on Sunday, April 22 at
2:30 p.m. Pastor Neisha Davis
of St. Mary's A.M.E. Church
will be the guest speaker.
There will be enjoyment,
praise, worship and fellow
ship.
St. Phillip A.M.E.
celebrates Pastor & First
Lady's 10th Anniversary
St. Phillip A.M.E. Church in
Culloden will celebrate the
Pastor and First Lady's 10th
Anniversary on Sunday, April
22 at 11:30 a.m. The speaker
will be Bishop LaDamiun
Raines, Pastor of Shekinah
Glory Everlasting Ministries
in Barnesville. All are invited
to celebrate this special day
for our Pastor and First Lady,
Rev. Michael Davis and Sister
Andrea Davis. 478-885-2510
St. Paul Missionary
Baptist honors Rev. Reid
The St. Paul Missionary
Baptist Church family invites
everyone to celebrate an
appreciation program in
honor of Assistant Pastor Rev.
Barbara Reid for 20 years of
service on Sunday, April 22
at 2 p.m. The guest speaker
will be Rev. David Blalock
along with Mt. Pleasant
Baptist Church family from
Barnesville as special guest.
St. Paul Baptist Church is
located at 591 Elbert Jackson
Road, Forsyth. Rev. Rufus J.
Whatley, pastor.
Piney Grove Baptist has
Pastor’s Anniversary
The Piney Grove Baptist
Church family, 98 Joe Cham
bers Rd., Forsyth, invites other
pastors and church families
to share in the celebration of
Rev. Robert Walker ll's 7th An
niversary on Sunday, April 22
at 2:30 p.m. Guests will be
Rev. Respress and Welcome
Grove Baptist Church of
Griffin.
April 22-23
Dames Ferry Baptist
has Sunday lunch, hosts
Kimball Assoc. Brother
hood
Dames Ferry Baptist Church,
208 Old Dames Ferry Rd,
Juliette, will have its fourth
Sunday lunch on Sunday,
April 22 after the morning
service. Come worship, then
enjoy fellowship over lunch.
On Monday, April 23 Dames
Ferry Baptist will host the
Kimball Association Brother
hood Meeting at 7p.m. A
meal will be provided before
the meeting.
April 29
Pine Grove C.M.E.
celebrates Missionary
Anniversary
Pine Grove C.M.E. Church
of Culloden will celebrate its
Missionary Anniversary on
Sunday, April 29 at 11 a.m.
Rev. Jarvis Barron of Brown's
Chapel Baptist Church of
Juliette will be the guest
speaker. Everyone is invited.
Rock Springs in Forsyth
has Worship & Fellow
ship Sunday
Rock Springs Church, 1278
Juliette Road, Forsyth will
have Worship, Fellowship &
Fun on Sunday, April 29. The
11 a.m. worship service will
be followed by a covered
dish luncheon with a time
of fellowship and singing
afterwards. Bring a covered
dish (with something in it) and
your best singing voice or
instrument.
May 5
Maynard Baptist hosts
Women's Conference
Maynard Baptist Church,
1195 Juliette Rd., Forsyth, will
host a Women's Conference
prayer retreat, “May Day:
Hear and Be Heard," on Sat
urday, May 5 from 9:30 a.m.-
3 p.m. There is no charge to
attend, and lunch is provided.
Childcare is available upon
reguest. Come hear how one
church has been transformed
by the power of intentional
prayer. Register online at
MaynardBC.com/events or
call 478-994-2120 by April
28.
Supreme Court Justice Benham
to speak at Hubbard Banquet
By Diane Glidewell
news@mymcr.net
The Annual Hubbard Alumni Cel
ebration is a highlight of each Spring in
Monroe County, the Hubbard Alumni
Banquet is a high point of the Celebra
tion and the keynote speaker at the
banquet is always highly anticipated.
The speaker for 2018 is no exception. It
will be Georgia Supreme Court Justice
Robert Benham.
Benham is currently the longest
serving member of the Supreme Court
of Georgia, having been appointed in
December 1989, won statewide election
in July 1990 and having been re-elected
every six years since. He became Chief
Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court
in 1995, elected by his peers, and held
that position until 2001. He was the first
African-American to serve on the Court
in its more than 140-year history.
Benham is a lifelong resident of
Georgia, born in Cartersville. He earned
a Bachelor’s degree in political science
from Tuskegee University in 1967, his Ju
ris Doctorate from University of Georgia
in 1970 and his Master of Law from the
University of Virginia in 1989. He was
the second African American graduate
of the UGA school of law. He was in pri
vate practice for 15 years before entering
the judiciary.
During his tenure as Chief Justice,
the American Bar Association Journal
listed the Supreme Court of Georgia
as one of the most progressive in the
nation. Benham was named one of the
100 Most Influential Georgians for six
years in Georgia Trend Magazine and as
one of the 100 Most Influential Blacks in
America for three years by Ebony Maga
zine. He has served on numerous social,
civic, professional, fraternal and business
organization boards and has garnered
numerous awards.
Benham was instrumental in creating
Georgia’s Indigent Defense Program and
in creating Georgia’s first Drug Courts.
The State Bar of Georgia Community
Service Award is named after Benham
as is the first Law Camp for high school
students.
He has served as chairman of the
Coosa Valley Area Planning and Devel
opment Commission, Bartow County
Development Authority and is the Geor
gia Supreme Court liaison for the Fulton
County Business Court. Benham is a
Mason, Shriner and Elk. He is a member
of the Deacons Board of the Greater Mt.
Olive Baptist Church. He and his wife,
Nell, have two sons and four grandchil
dren. He enjoys woodworking, including
making toys and music boxes.
The catered banquet will be at the
Monroe County Conference Center this
See BENHAM . Page 7C
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