î,!ï’^lortlanb (©bseruer September 21, 2005 R eligion Page B3 The reason so few people are successful is no one has yet found a way fo r someone to sit down and slide uphill. — W. Clement Stone (submitted by BluejayS 16) Churches Reach Hurricane Survivors Nationwide response to displacement overwhelming (A P) - A black church in D ecatur, Ga. quickly raises an average o f $85 from each of its 70 m em bers to feed hungry hurricane evacuees. A cross town, a black church pas tor takes 10 fam ilies into his home. A nother black church turns its sanctuary into a w are house packed with donated clothes, to ilet ries and hope. Black churches nationw ide have stepped up to provide aid to m any o f H urricane K atrina’s victim s, in response to the o v er w helm ing num ber o f A frican-A m erican evacuees who are seeking their help, partly out o f frustration with the bureaucracy of governm ent agencies and other charities. “T h ey ’re trying to find fam iliar faces, fa m iliar settings, when everything fam iliar has been wiped out,” said Bishop Eddie L. Long, senior pastor o f New Birth M issionary Bap tist Church in Lithonia, one o f the n atio n ’s largest black churches with more than 25,000 members. The Rev. W illiam J. Shaw o f Philadelphia, president o f the National B aptist C onven tion USA, Inc., said the hurricane “exposed a lack o f caring to adequately respond to the most vulnerable.” During a forum at the annual m eeting of S h aw ’s group in A tlanta, m em bers were urged to prepare to make the black evacu e e s’ needs heard in next y e a r’s co n g res sional elections. “H urricane K atrina is ju st the latest ex am ple of the poor functioning o f our g ov ernm ent,” said the Rev. W endell G riffen, parlim entarian for the National Baptist C on vention, USA. Black congregations have been provid ing social services since they w ere founded, with help ranging from food pantries to Church Fashion Show Hosted Spirit of Fashions is the theme of a fashion show by the Comer Stone Community Church held Saturday, Sept. 24 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Matt Dishman Community Center. 77 N.E. Knott St. Donations o f $10 for ages 13 to adult; $5 for youth ages 7-12; and free forchildren with a paid adult are requested. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call Regena Williams at 503-249-3283 or Laverne Davis at 503-891-5812. Gospel Music Fellowship The Gospel M usic A ssociation o f A m erica invites area residents to join their fellow ship by learning the g ro u p ’s past, present and future. The P o rtlan d and V anco u v er c h a p te r o f the asso ciatio n w ill host a com m unity g a th ering on S atu rd ay , Sept. 24 from 2 p.m . to 4 p.m. at G enesis C om m unity Fellow ship, 5425 N.E. 2 7 ,h Ave. The theme is “Only What You Do for Christ Will Last.” For more information, call 503-249- 1870or 360-695-7605. » ,» : va- Dillon Nelly w aits for a m e a l with his father a t a food distribution s ite organized by th e Main S tr e e t M issionary Church in Biloxi, M iss. photo by M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver Portland African Am erican leaders are rallying relief to p e o p le d isplaced by Hurricane Katrina through local churches. Pictured a t a recent g o sp e l concert to raise d o nations for victim s (from left) are Eli Hardy, Rev. M att H e n n e sse e , Rev. R obert K em p and Rev. W.G. Hardy Jr. clothing closets, said M ichael A. Battle, president o f the Interdenom inational T heo logical C enter in A tlanta, which trains m in isters for predom inantly black churches. “The black church has always had this netw ork o f person-to-person contacts. And most of the people affected were black church m em bers and pastors them selves,” he said. Some Red Cross chapters admit they have been overw helm ed at times and d id n ’t have grassroots contact with many faith-based organizations, but many say they are estab lishing those links as they work to help as many evacuees as possible. N ationally, the African M ethodist E pis copal Church has offered all o f its sanctuar- An Evening of Eighty-Eight Keys Dedication planned for Mahalia Jackson Hall On Saturday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., the Eighty- Eight Keys Foundation will host its 13th annual music benefit concert and awards ceremony at the Christian Performing Arts Center, 8131 N. Denver. A rea residents are invited to come out and be part of history and experience the dedication of the M ahalia Jackson Perfor mance Hall. Jackson is viewed by many as the pinnacle of gospel music. Her singing began at the age of four in her church, the Plymouth Rock Baptist Church in New Orleans. Her early style blended the freedom and power of gos pel with the stricter style of the Baptist church. As 'a teenager, through her cousin’s aid, Mahalia was influenced by such famous sing ers as Bessie Smith, Ida Cox, Enrico Caruso and Ma Rainey. At this year’s event, you will hear per- form ers from all over the Northwest in cluding: T rustzetter Shaw Jackson, niece to the late great M ahaila Jackson, Ms. W illa D orsey, Apostle M ondaine- and Belief, G enesis choir, the 25lh Hour band and much more. The vision o f Eighty- Eight Keys is to recognize and honor church m usicians, perform ers and educa tors in the arena o f sacred music. This is a black tie affair and is free to the public while seats are available. The Eighty-Eight Keys Foundation and Celebration Tabernacle is also celebrating another milestone with the addition of Cel ebration Academy of the Performing Arts, a first through eight grade private school. The academy is in its second year and has already grown to 18 students. Foundation leaders said say this is the time in our city’s history where we really need to support one another, citing the recent disaster in New Orleans as more apparent than ever that we cannot depend on the government. STATE FARM INSURANCE COMPANIES OFF.: (503)286-1103 FAX: (503)286-1146 HOME OFFICES: BLOOMINGTON. ies to operate as shelters for evacuees. The four largest black religious organizations — the N ational Baptist C onvention USA, the Progressive N ational Baptist C onvention, the N ational M issionary B aptist C onven tion o f A m erica and the N ational Baptist C o n v e n tio n o f A m e ric a , Inc. — have partnered with the N A ACP to match victim s with housing assistance. At Green Pastures C hristian M inistries in D ecatur, the pew s and aisles are filled with donated clothes. The pulpit is stacked with toothpaste, toilet tissue, blankets and shoes. “W e’ve got to be w hat the people need, so w e’re gonna feed the hungry and clothe the naked,” said the Rev. C ollette G unby, the ch urch’s pastor. “W e d o n ’t have to depend on somebody else. We have power in the church.” Loving Memoriesof You Sunrise: Jan. 2, 1971 Sunset: Sept. 24, 2004 Life gives brief moments with one another. But sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a lifetime. We look back on the times you laughed and shared your beautiful smile. We look back on the times you would play jokes on us all. We will always remember the love you shared and gave to us. We cannot say goodbye to those M oham ed Kali fa Jabbie whom we have grown to love, for the memories we have made will last a lifetime and never know a goodbye. We will always keep the memories of you in our hearts forever Mohamed Kalifa Jabbie. Allah! There is no God but He - the Living. The self-subsisting, eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in his presence except as he permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to his creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of his knowledge except at he willeth. His throne doth extend over the heavens and on earth. And he feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. For he is the "Most High," The Supreme (in glory). From your dad. 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