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Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints positioned to provide ‘something real’

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Poor people are just trying to survive. A church leader cannot openly abuse power and money while people are getting around on buses and bicycles,” Singleton said. “We offer assistance to our members in need. And after a while, they begin to see that it’s not the church that is assisting. It is God who gives the help. … If we do things God’s way, He will supply everything we need.”

Published

4 years ago

May 31, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dr. Sybil C. Mitchell, Special to the New Tri-State Defender

Two months in, Bishop Ivon Faulkner is certain that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will flourish in the Mid-South, especially in Memphis.

“I received a revelation from God that our church is the fulfillment of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream,” said Faulkner, now one of two African Americans heading the church’s congregations in Memphis.

“I was called to the decision at our Hickory Hill church (at 4520 Winchester Rd.). Full-time missionaries go door-to-door in twos. Church members are taught to witness anywhere they find themselves – at the grocery store, gas station, waiting in line – just wherever God opens a door. We are now the fastest growing church in the world.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, originally called the Mormon Church, has seven churches planted here in Memphis. It was formed in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who claims to have experienced a visitation of Jesus Christ and God, the Father, as a boy of only 12. Today’s Latter-Day Saints church has more than 16 million members.

The denomination asserts a steady rise in membership numbers throughout the Mid-South, particularly among African Americans. Much of the growth is attributed to outreach to address the needs of the poor, according to Bishop Faulkner.

“I believe that people are looking for something real,” he said.

“Lay ministers or pastors, and service workers, which are the church members, are all volunteers. We are 100 percent, non-paid by the church. So, we are not motivated by money. We are motivated to offer more services in the kingdom of God. There is nothing wrong with wealth. But is should be utilized to better people’s lives, not for leaders to flaunt what they have before those who don’t have.”

Bishop James Singleton, who leads a Frayser church (at 2450 St. Elmo), also believes that misuse of wealth by church leaders in other denominations has spawned rapid growth in Latter-Day Saints membership among African Americans.

“Poor people are just trying to survive. A church leader cannot openly abuse power and money while people are getting around on buses and bicycles,” Singleton said. “We offer assistance to our members in need. And after a while, they begin to see that it’s not the church that is assisting. It is God who gives the help. … If we do things God’s way, He will supply everything we need.”

Bishop Richard Floyd, public affairs representative in the Mid-South region, attributes the accelerated growth in the African-American community to the church’s approach to ministry.

“We have programs to assist in job preparation and placement, creating pathways to college, offering support for addiction, and other forms of assistance to address needs. There are 22,000 members in West Tennessee, Arkansas, and a little sliver of Mississippi. When new members fill out the membership form, there is one question that we don’t ask. And that is ethnicity.

“But depending on what area you are talking about, we are seeing varying degrees of growth among African Americans. When you’re talking about Frayser, 85 percent of new members are African American. If you’re looking at Germantown, it may be 10 or 15 percent.”

People of color are changing the face of the Latter-Day Saints both here and abroad.
“The continent of Africa is the fastest-growing in the world right now,” said Floyd. “We have 2,100 congregations there, and we try to keep membership to about 300. …There are no megachurches in the Latter-Day Saints church.”

Singleton was born in Brownsville, Tenn., and raised in St. Louis. He moved to Memphis in 1999. Faulkner is from Memphis.

It has only been within the last 40 years that an African American could be assigned to lead a congregation. The Proclamation of 1978 abolished discrimination in the church’s higher ranks.

“I read about the prophets, and the Heavenly Father gave me an understanding through the Holy Spirit,” said Faulkner. “My revelations came from God, Himself, who let me know that this was the true church that He ordains and supports. …I never believed in the racial discrimination of black men to the priesthood. God is no respecter of persons. So I knew that was wrong.”

Among the local members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is well-known Memphis attorney Dan Norwood, who notes its evolution from its discriminatory past.

“I grew up in Memphis where all white kids were racist because we were raised to believe that blacks were dirty and dumb,” said Norwood. “I found out that was not true when I participated in a summer program at Southwestern College, which is now Rhodes. I met Carl Johnson from Hamilton High School who was over this program. Black kids participated as well. And I will always be grateful to Carl Johnson who gently helped me see that we were wrong. …

“But the church restricted African Americans from holding leadership positions. God knew that this would be a huge problem for me. So this practice was eliminated in 1978.”

Faulkner was led to the church from his Baptist upbringing through a searching of the scriptures for himself in his early 20s.

“I had a relationship with God for myself,” he said. “I prayed for direct revelation from God, and He showed me that this was the true church. People come from all over. They have been a part of many faiths.

“We just try to tell others what we know of God and give our testimony,” Faulkner said. “When people have a certain feeling or impression about our church, I just tell them if they have a relationship with God, ask Him to show them that this is His church.”

Singleton grappled with a contradiction in his Baptist upbringing that was not resolved for him until he joined the Latter-Day Saints.

“My grandmother died when I was around 14, and I remembered her tender love. I began a quest, searching for the true gospel. It was hard to understand how a good and loving God could send people to hell if they were not baptized. I met the woman I would marry, and she was studying with missionaries. I joined her and learned about the baptism for the dead. Then, I knew I had found the true gospel.”

Latter-Day Saints trace their genealogies, and when a related ancestor is discovered, they perform a “baptism for the dead” so that the deceased can get into heaven.
For Faulkner, who has four sons and a daughter, the Latter-Day Saints Church is a family affair.

“Three of my sons have served in full-time missions for two years – in Paris, France, California and Utah. They each sacrificed two years of their life. My children are pioneers in the church. They each have their own testimony of what God has done in their lives.”

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WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Welcome to the NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception
The post WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 days ago

September 22, 2023

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The post WATCH LIVE! — NNPA 2023 National Leadership Awards Reception first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Just last month, FEMA announced nearly $3 billion in climate mitigation project selections nationwide to help communities build resilience through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) national competition and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. In total, more than 50% of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities, and in particular, 70% of BRIC projects will do the same.
The post OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 days ago

September 22, 2023

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By Erik A. Hooks, FEMA Deputy Administrator

We know that disasters do not discriminate. Yet, recovery from the same event can be uneven from community to community, perpetuating pre-existing inequalities. Recognizing these disparities, FEMA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have prioritized equity when it comes to accessing federal programs and resources.

The numbers tell the story.

Just last month, FEMA announced nearly $3 billion in climate mitigation project selections nationwide to help communities build resilience through its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) national competition and Flood Mitigation Assistance program. In total, more than 50% of these projects will benefit disadvantaged communities, and in particular, 70% of BRIC projects will do the same.

These selections further underscore the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to equity and reaffirm FEMA’s mission of helping people before, during and after disasters, delivering funding to the communities that need it most.

Building on this momentum and our people-first approach, FEMA recently announced the initial designation of nearly 500 census tracts, which will be eligible for increased federal support to become more resilient to natural hazards and extreme weather worsened by the climate crisis. FEMA will use “Community Disaster Resilience Zone” designations to direct and manage financial and technical assistance for resilience projects nationwide, targeting communities most at risk due to climate change. More Community Disaster Resilience Zone designations, including tribal lands and territories, are expected to be announced in the fall of 2023.

These types of investments have, and will yield a significant return on investment for communities nationwide.

For example, in my home state of North Carolina, the historic community of Princeville, founded by freed African American slaves, uses BRIC funding to move vulnerable homes and critical utilities out of flood-prone areas.

In East Harlem, BRIC dollars will provide nature-based flood control solutions to mitigate the impacts of extreme rainfall events in the Clinton low-income housing community.

While we are encouraged by these investments, we know more must be done.

Not every community has the personnel, the time or the resources to apply for these federal dollars. Fortunately, FEMA offers free, Direct Technical Assistance to help under-resourced communities navigate the grant application process and get connected with critical resources. Under the leadership of FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, this assistance has been a game-changer, reducing barriers and providing even more flexible, customer-focused, tailored support to communities interested in building and sustaining successful resilience programs.

In Eastwick, Philadelphia, FEMA’s dedicated support helped the city with outreach to multiple federal agencies. Together, we built a comprehensive community-led flood mitigation strategy. When applied and implemented, this will make this community more resilient to hazards like flooding, which was negatively affecting many neighborhood blocks.

In DePue, Illinois, we worked hand-in-hand with communities to improve their ability to submit high-quality funding applications for hazard mitigation projects. We are happy to share that DePue is the first Direct Technical Assistance community to be selected in the BRIC national competition. And, we know they will not be the last. Thanks to this assistance and their ambition, DePue was awarded more than $20 million to build a new wastewater treatment plant, which will reduce flooding and raw sewage back-up into the basements of homes.

In total, our agency is working with over 70 communities, including tribal nations, to increase access to funding for mitigation projects that will make communities more livable and resilient.

With extreme weather events becoming increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change, we must keep pressing forward and continue investing in ways to better protect ourselves and our neighbors. And we are encouraged that local officials are engaging with us to learn more about the benefits of the BRIC non-financial Direct Technical Assistance initiative—just last week, we saw hundreds of participants nationwide register for a recent webinar on this important topic.

We want to see even more communities take advantage of this initiative, and, ultimately, obtain grants for innovative and forward-looking resilience projects. To that end, FEMA recently published a blog with five steps to help local communities and tribal nations learn more about the benefits of this non-financial technical assistance to access federal funding. I hope your community will take action and submit a letter of interest for this exciting opportunity and increase meaningful mitigation work throughout the country.

With the pace of disasters accelerating, communities can utilize federal resources to reduce their risk and take action to save property and lives. FEMA stands ready to be a partner and collaborator with any community that is ready to implement creative mitigation strategies and help build our nation’s resilience.

The post OP-ED: Delivering Climate Resilience Funding to Communities that Need it the Most first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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Tale of Two Underground Railroad Communities

ARIZONA INFORMANT — Prior to the Civil War, many communities in the Ohio River Valley were a part of an elaborate system that provided resources and protection for enslaved persons from Southern states on their journey to freedom. Once someone crossed the Ohio River, they traveled along unknown terrain of trails to safe houses and hiding places that would become known as the Underground Railroad.
The post Tale of Two Underground Railroad Communities first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

5 days ago

September 20, 2023

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By Christopher J. Miller, Sr. Director of Education & Community Engagement, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Christopher J. Miller

September is International Underground Railroad Month.

This proclamation began in the State of Maryland in 2019, and now more than 11 States officially celebrate one of the most significant eras in U.S. history. With the signing of Ohio HB 340 in June 2022, Ohio became the 12^th state to designate September International Underground Railroad Month.

Many history enthusiasts and scholars hope the momentum of the proclamation spreads to other states so that all our forebears of freedom are remembered.

Examining this era, you find that the Ohio River Valley is instrumental in the many narratives of freedom seekers. These stories are critical to our understanding of race relations and civic responsibilities.

Before the Civil War, many communities in the Ohio River Valley were part of an elaborate system that provided resources and protection for enslaved persons from Southern states on their journey to freedom. Once someone crossed the Ohio River, they traveled along unknown terrain of trails to safe houses and hiding places that would become known as the Underground Railroad.

Gateway to Freedom sign

The Underground Railroad was comprised of courageous people who were held to a higher law that confronted the institution of slavery with acts of civil disobedience by helping freedom seekers elude enslavers and slave hunters and help them get to Canada.

Many communities were a force for freedom along the more than 900-mile stretch of the Ohio River Valley, but I would like to focus on two significant communities.

Southern Indiana was a major part of this history. It was originally believed that there were from Posey to South Bend, Corydon to Porter, and Madison to DeKalb County, with many stops in between.

In further examination, the Underground Railroad in Indiana was a web of trails through the forests, swamps, briars, and dirt roads. The city that is often overlooked in reflecting on the history of the Underground Railroad is New Albany, Indiana.

By 1850, New Albany was the largest city in Indiana, with a population of 8,632. Free Blacks accounted for 502 of that population. Across the river, Louisville was Kentucky’s largest city, with a population of 42,829. A quarter of the 6,687 Black population were free in Louisville.

Town Clock Church (aerial view)

Louisville and New Albany would grow to become a significant region for Underground Railroad activity. People like Henson McIntosh became a prominent community member and major Underground Railroad conductor. McIntosh was one of approximately ten Underground Railroad agents in New Albany who used their wealth and influence to impact the lives of freedom seekers crossing the Ohio River.

The Carnegie Center for Art & History is an outstanding resource that continues to preserve New Albany’s role during the Underground Railroad era. Approximately 104 miles east along the Ohio River is another institution that plays a critical role in elevating the profile of the Underground Railroad on a national scope.

Inside Town Clock Church New Albany Indiana safe house

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is located on the banks of the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio.

By 1850, Cincinnati would grow to be the 6^th largest city in the Union, with a sizable Black population.

The Freedom Center is prominently located in the heart of a historic Black community called Little Africa. Although the community no longer exists, its legacy lives on through the Freedom Center.

As with New Albany, the community that resided along the banks of the river served an important role in the story of the Underground Railroad. Little Africa was the gateway to freedom for thousands of freedom seekers escaping slavery.

Although there were Underground Railroad networks throughout the country, Ohio had the most active network of any other state, with approximately 3,000 miles of routes used by an estimated 40,000 freedom seekers that crossed through Little Africa.

Despite the growth of enslavement leading up to the Civil War, communities such as Little Africa and New Albany reveal the realities regarding race relations and a model for the dignity of human life through their respective efforts to be kind and resilient friends for the freedom seekers.

For More Information:

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center – https://freedomcenter.org/

Cincinnati Tourism – https://www.visitcincy.com/

Carnegie Center for Art & History – https://carnegiecenter.org/

Southern Indiana Tourism – https://www.gosoin.com/

The post Tale of Two Underground Railroad Communities first appeared on BlackPressUSA.