Pastor Virzola Law, Pastor Shonda Reynolds Christian and Roberta Edwards, missionary

Hello World,

I’m back with another list of  interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) Let me know if you like my list! Enjoy…

1. “1st Sermon for Lindenwood Christian Church’s First Black, Female Pastor” by WMCActionNews5.com Staff

Excerpt: Pastor Virzola Law had been a guest speaker at Lindenwood on several occasions before she was voted in as pastor in June of 2015. In her first sermon, Pastor Law focused on unity. “I’m just amazed you called somebody as tanned and beautiful as I am to be your pastor,” Law said. See more at: wmcactionnews5.com.

2. “Tenn. Assoc. Disfellowships Church With Female Pastor” by David Roach

Excerpt: After Greater Tabernacle called Shonda Reynolds Christian as pastor in June, “we asked them to reconsider,” Lawrence Association director of missions Mike Kemper told BP. “They took two weeks, and they called us back and said, ‘We have decided to keep our woman pastor.’ So really, they made their own decision about that, knowing the consequences and knowing what would come.” See more at: bpnews.net.

3.“For Brown Girls Who Considered Leaving the Church When the Sexism Was Too Much” by The Churched Feminist

Excerpt: Let’s break that down even further: single Black women are a large percentage of black church membership. But I have not encountered many single Black female Christians who were happy and content with the so-called “singles’ ministries” of the churches they attend. The lack of attention to this large segment of the church renders them invisible. Add to that the erasing effect stereotypes have upon Black female humanity and I think becomes clear why some brown girls have considered leaving the church when the sexism got to be too much. See more at: thechurchedfeminist.com.

4. ”Roberta’s Mission: Decatur Men Carrying on Work of American Missionary Killed in Haiti” by Catherine Godbey

Excerpt: JoJo is one of the tens of thousands of women and children Edwards reached through her 19 years of mission work in Haiti. While her children’s home housed 20 orphans, the 55-year-old Tennessee woman ran a nutrition center that fed 160 children twice a day, oversaw a sewing program for women, managed the chicken coop and distributed food to three orphanages.In a country with an illiteracy rate of 52 percent, Edwards demanded the children at SonLight learn how to read. Encouraged by Edwards’ efforts, a girl, who at one time lived on the streets, received admission into Freed-Hardeman University. Held accountable by the woman he called “mom,” a boy attended and graduated from medical school. See more at: decaturdaily.com.

5. “Pentecostal Minister Rev. Leah Daughtry Is 2016 Democratic National Convention CEO” by Faithfully Magazine Staff

Excerpt: Daughtry, 52, grew up in Brooklyn steeped in political and civil-rights activism. She’s the eldest child of the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, pastor of the House of the Lord Church, whose ministry mixes the all-in fervor of Pentecostal Christianity with doses of black liberation theology. Leah Daughtry followed in the family tradition. She is an ordained Pentecostal minister with a small congregation in Southwest Washington, a member of the fifth generation of pastors in her family. See more at: faithfullymagazine.com.

6. “Susanna Wesley, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks and Other Ordinary-Extraordinary Women God Used to Change the World” by Nicola Menzie

Excerpt: In Seven Women, author Eric Metaxas offers up little-known details about the inspiring lives of seven women, including Susanna Wesley, mother of vastly influential Christian ministers John and Charles Wesley; Joan of Arc, the teen martyr who changed the course of a war with claims of being guided by “voices;” and Rosa Parks, whose decision to say “no” led to her becoming the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” See more at: christianpost.com.

7. What Leaders Can Learn From Black Churches About Keeping Team Members Engaged” by Tara-Nicholle Nelson

Excerpt: Black churches have their own issues, to be sure. But one thing many of them do well is foster a culture of conversation. Here’s an anthropological experiment for you: If you’ve never attended a black church, take two hours this Sunday and do so. You’ll learn, quickly, that a black church service is not a spectator sport. Black pastors are notorious for engaging their audiences in a two-way conversation. They look for, expect and sometimes flat out demand audience participation from the first note of the first song to the closing benediction. It’s not for nothing that the saying “Can I get an amen?” has penetrated the larger lexicon. See more at: entrepreneur.com.

8. “‘Salt’: New Talk Show For Black Christian Millennials Hits YouTube” by Hello Beautiful Staff

Excerpt: Hosted by Michelle Jenkins, Yeira De Leon, J. Jones, and L.A. Bonds, Salt will engage in no-holds-barred conversations ranging from news of the day to beauty, fashion and colorism in the Black community. The four outspoken women will also keep it real about their own personal relationships. Whether married, single or somewhere in between (think Netflix and Chill), Salt wants to add its flavor to your Sundays. With a focus on faith and Christianity, Salt’s goal is not just to entertain. According to a statement released exclusively to Newsone, the women also want to “win back the lost.” See more at: hellobeautiful.com.

9.”Joy105.com CEO Crystal Smith on the Black church and Min. Farrakhan” by Mo Barnes

Excerpt: Is there room for his message in the Black church? This is a decision that lies on every pastor individually. I have known of Minister Farrakhan speaking in churches and I have heard leaders state they would never have him in their church. I often shake at the phrase “black church.” I am a firm believer in the Holy Bible and it speaks in Eph. 5:27 of a “glorious church” that God is coming back for. I didn’t see a color associated with it; therefore, I choose to be a part of the one He is coming back for. Minister Farrakhan is a voice to the Black community, like him or not. See more at: rollingout.com.

10. ”Empire’ Takes Spiritual Warfare Of Good Versus Evil To New Level by Oretha Winston

Excerpt: Andre chose to be baptized and invited his father. Luscious showed up, but was repulsed by the scene as it forced him to recall ugly memories. This is a classic case of  evil co-opting a good experience and tainting it. Luscious could not see the beauty of his son’s redemption because it was ruined by the memory of abuse.  He is one of the-nonbelievers in our spaces who can drag spiritual baggage into your presence. Many who  are dragging spiritual baggage are left in bondage. Luscious is left chained. The writers chose to dive deeply into the theological realm of walking demons. You saw  the spirit of sensuality, seduction, selfishness and arrogance all make an appearance. Romans 12:21 Paul tells us to defeat evil with good.  It is the fulfilling of  ‘You reap that which you sow.’ See more at: elev8.hellobeautiful.com.

These pieces didn’t make my “Top 10” list, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Honorable Mentions:

“Black-ish Recap: Say Yes to the Blessed” by Nichole Perkins

Excerpt: Although Bow and Dre decide that neither church is the one for them, they both agree they like attending some kind of service, and decide to look for something that suits them and their family. Bow reveals she likes being connected to something bigger than herself. There are jokes about the length of service and about how many people end up on the “sick and shut-in” list, but there is also recognition of the significance of black churches in America. Dre points out how instrumental black churches have been as places of community and solidarity, from slavery through the civil-rights movement and beyond. See more at: vulture.com.

“York churches celebrate merger 50 years later” by Caitlin Kerfin

Excerpt: Fifty years ago this December, Faith Presbyterian and First Presbyterian churches in York merged. It was one of a few such religious mergings of its kind in the country, with a white and black church coming together, congregation member Virginia Hunter said. She was born and raised in the Faith Presbyterian Church. John Noble, Hunter’s great-grandfather, was one of the founders of Faith Presbyterian in the 1890s. In the 1960s, the congregation was predominately African-American with less than 100 members. Their building was small and in need of some repairs, but the church wasn’t in a very good financial situation. They weren’t able to support a full-time minister. See more at: ydr.com.

So how did you like my best articles and blog posts for black Christian women October roundup? Did I miss anything?

Any thoughts?