Category Archives: Relationships

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David & Tamela Mann, Kim Fields, Towanda Braxton & More Star in TV One’s Christmas movie ‘Merry Wish-mas!’

Hello World,

Happy FriYAY! I know it’s a looong way from Christmas (and I’m ready to be done with cold weather), but I’ve found it’s always great when we can look forward to something in the future. So keep reading for something we can look forward to at Christmas time…

TV One has announced that production is underway in Atlanta for the new original holiday movie, MERRY WISH-MAS. This Christmas movie stars Tamela Mann (The Manns) as Keneisha ‘Kenni’ Wright, a single and successful Atlanta businesswoman who hasn’t returned home for the holidays in years, she plays opposite her creative and life partner, husband David Mann(The Manns) as Jessie Jenkins, an old high school friend. The two reunite at Jessie’s fledgling wellness facility, the Beverly Living Center, where Kenni is reminded of the transformational power of love, hope and faith, amplified by the spirit of the holidays. The Manns also serve as executive producers on the project, which will premiere this winter on TV One.

Directed by award-winning actress, director and producer Terri J. Vaughn, this feel-good romantic comedy revolves around Kenni, who has avoided the annual holiday trip to her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina for years. While she is hoping for the best, as with any family, there are unresolved issues lingering that could make the holiday not so bright. The movie also stars veteran actress Kim Fields(Living Single) as Celine, a regular at the center who loves seeing the new smile Kenni puts on Jessie’s face, but is protective about his feelings. Towanda Braxton (Braxton Family Values) plays the role of Natalie, the persistent local woman who has a crush on Jessie. Elizabeth Omilami (Madea’s Family Reunion) appears as Kenni’s matchmaker mom Regina, while Chrystale Wilson (The Player’s Club) steps into the role of Kenni’s sister and food truck entrepreneur Dionne, adding a high dose of sibling rivalry. Rap artist Yung Joc, best known for popular singles “It’s Goin’ Down” and “I Know You See It,” makes a cameo appearance.

I love a small church. This church had beautiful stained glass windows, but unfortunately, I didn’t quite capture them in this photo…But you can get a feel for the sanctuary though…

I got a chance to visit one of the set locations, a lovely, small stone church where the finale is being filmed, and interview Roger Bobb, whose company Bobbcat Films is executive producing the movie; Terri Vaughn and her Nina Holiday Entertainment partner Cas Sigers-Beedles, who wrote the film. In addition, I was also able to speak to Elizabeth Omilami  (the daughter of Hosea Williams from Hosea Feed the Hungry) and Chrystale Wilson.

Below are a few notable quotes:

On David & Tamela Mann:

Roger Bobb: I’ve known David and Tamela for ages. I love them as entertainers and as a family. The world will never have enough of David and Tamela.

Terri J. Vaughn: Everyone is used to Tamela being an anointed pillar of strength, but in this movie, the character that she is playing is a bit snooty. She thinks that she created a life that is better than what she experienced in her hometown. So you will see her in not the best light. David usually plays the comedic role, but he’s the straight man in this movie. He’s a strong, spiritual pillar.

On Favorite Scenes:

Terri Vaughn: One of my favorite scenes is a heated discussion between Tamela, her sister and her mom played by Elizabeth Omilami. Another one juicy scene happens between David and Tamela in a junkyard. They have a romantic moment in the middle of junk.

Roger Bobb: I can’t give it away but the finale of this film is amazing!

On Messages in ‘Merry Wish-Mas’:

Elizabeth Omilami: Forgiveness. Life is too short to not forgive. Even if you were right, go back and apologize.

Chrystale Wilson: We don’t respect the elderly like other cultures do.  The movie also touches on sibling rivalry and jealousy.

On Nina Holiday Entertainment:

Terri J. Vaughn: This is a divine working relationship and friendship. We’ve been through divorce, remarrying and kids. Cas is super talented, super creative and super smart. She is literally the person I talk to every day.

Cas Sigers-Beedles: (With laughter) We’re work wives! This is the first Christmas film I’ve written. I wanted to tell a story about a woman who is somewhat like me. She is career-driven but afraid of love but she wants to love.

Elizabeth Omilami: When you laugh out loud, you know you have yourself a good writer. My husband was like, ‘What are you reading?’ When you have a great script and the lines are poppin’, you want to do the work.

I filmed a brief video of Terri Vaughn and Cas Sigers-Beedles as they discussed their partnership. (Obviously, I have more to learn in this medium.) After The Altar Call was one of several media outlets invited to the set….

“Heartwarming stories like Merry Wish-Mas that bring families together and make us laugh are as much a part of the season as Christmas trees and Santa himself,” said Vaughn, who makes her TV One original film directorial debut. “And this movie, touching upon family conflicts, singlehood and love, money woes, and wishing for Christmas miracles, is set to become a highlight of the coming holidays.”

So are you looking forward to this new Christmas movie starring David and Tamela Mann?

Any thoughts?

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Check Out My Article in Christian Standard! (I Interviewed My Dad!)

Me and my family….

Hello World,

Since Black History Month, the shortest month of the year, is not over yet, check out an article I wrote about my personal Black History LOL for Christian Standard this month. I was blessed to be able to write about the ministry of my father Dr. Denzil D. Holness, who recently retired after 38 years serving as pastor of Central Christian Church in Southwest Atlanta. Although I lived with my father as I grew up and again for a few years after I graduated from college, I still discovered some things about him that I didn’t know. In fact, I think everyone should interview their parents beyond the day-to-day interactions because I’m sure you will gain a new perspective on the people whose genes you share…

Pastor Denzil Holness Spreads a Message of Racial Reconcilation…

Had Denzil D. Holness been hired as a pastor in Coward, South Carolina, or Peculiar, Missouri, or any other out-of-the-way American town or city, he may not have been led to take on racial reconciliation in the Christian church. However, since Holness was hired as the first black pastor at Central Christian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, “The City Too Busy to Hate,” it would seem tackling racial reconciliation was God’s plan for him all along.

Committed to Christian Church Principles

Holness became CCC’s pastor in September 1979 and in December 2017, he retired from ministry after 38 years serving that church. Holness began his journey with the Christian church when he was a teenager in his homeland of Jamaica, which boasts the motto, “Out of Many, One People.” Originally a member of the Anglican church, Holness was persuaded by a friend to join the Christian church because of its principles.

“The more I learned about the Christian church, the more I became committed,” Holness said. “For example, we believe that all Christians should be one. We don’t use denominational labels or names. If the world is to be won to Christ, then believers should bear witness to a visible unity in accordance with the Lord’s prayer in John 17.”

Just before Holness graduated from high school, Fred Kratt, a missionary from the United States, visited Jamaica one summer and was instrumental in arranging for the young man to receive a full scholarship to attend Minnesota Bible College, Kratt’s alma mater.

“Prior to receiving that scholarship, I had been under the conviction that the Lord was calling me to the ministry,” Holness said. Although he received a catalog about the school before he started there, he did not realize Minnesota was much colder than sunny Jamaica. “That first winter, it was so cold, I almost cried,” Holness said with a smile.

Fast forward from the 1960s to April 1979. By then, Holness was married to fellow Jamaican Alice May Holness, and they had a daughter, me, and a son, Delvall.

Read the rest of the story at christianstandard.com.

Any thoughts?

 

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Check Out My Article in Christianity Today!!!

Hello World,

My father introduced me to Christianity Today magazine as a child, and I became an avid reader because of the breadth of topics covered in its pages! That’s why I’m excited about my article being among its pages in the January/February issue of the publication. Check out it below:

A Member of the ‘Little Rock Nine’ Counts Her Blessings, One by One

“First appeared in the January/February issue of Christianity Today”

Melba Beals describes how faith helped her flourish amid many trials.

Melba Pattillo Beals received a Congressional Gold Medal for her part in the Little Rock Nine, the group of African American students who brought about the 1957 integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas—an experience recounted in her first memoir, Warriors Don’t Cry. She would go on to work in newspaper and television journalism, earn a doctorate in international multicultural education, and teach journalism at the college level. In her latest book, I Will Not Fear: My Story of a Lifetime of Building Faith under Fire, Beals credits God for guiding her through trying experiences in Arkansas and afterward. Atlanta-based journalist and blogger Jacqueline J. Holness spoke with Beals about the sustaining power of faith.

From the outset of I Will Not Fear, it’s clear that your grandmother, India Annette Payton, provided a strong spiritual foundation. How did her example encourage you as you endured angry white mobs and disapproval from black students at your old high school?

My grandmother always said, “Look, God is right there with you all the time.” To guide you in your thought, to guide you in your feeling, to guide you away from fearing. You have to be aware that you are filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and that will guide what you do. She would say, “God is as close as your skin. He is right there, every moment. So when you feel that something is going wrong, know that God is with you and it will be okay. You will learn a lesson. You will survive.”

To see the rest of the article, go to christianitytoday.com. 

Any thoughts?