Hello World,

I was already a bit of a germaphobe anyway, but I felt kind of bad about the fact that I generally don’t like to touch people’s hands unless I know them like that. But now, I don’t care if we’re in church, I’m waving “Hey” from a safe distance and blowing air-kisses. And on top of that, I’m putting on hand sanitizer like it’s lotion.  Finally, if you look like you may be sick with anything, I’m giving you the screw face and heading in the opposite direction. Don’t judge me unless you’re Jesus. This  coronavirus is something serious – so serious that President Trump jammed up already heavy traffic on a Friday afternoon no less here in the A to meet with Centers of Disease Control (CDC) officials to discuss the outbreak.

And likewise, churches, one of the many places where large numbers of people gather on a regular basis, are responding as they should. According to The Christian Post, local pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church recently met with his church about how they are responding to the issue.

“You’ll notice that we have, proactively here at your church, as of Sunday we now have at every exit, every entrance, we now have hand sanitizing stations because we want to be mindful and we want to be proactive,” he said.

The megachurch pastor also urged his church to start checking more frequently on their older adult family members since they are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus.

“This is where we have to start functioning and operating as family,” he told his church.

Read more HERE. 

Catholic churches in Atlanta are changing the way they conduct communion. According to CBS46, this statement below came from the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Given the ongoing concern over COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, we have decided to suspend distribution of the Precious Blood for the time being. We feel we would eventually have to take this action and hope that taking it early will allay any fears people have now and demonstrate our concern for the health and safety of our congregations.

Individual pastors can decide whether or not to suspend the exchange of peace. Many pastors have already taken these precautions to prevent the spread of flu in their communities.

Read more HERE.

And finally if you want to just stay home and not even go to church, that’s an option for some churches…Pastor Andy Stanley, who leads North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, Browns Bridge Church, Gwinnett Church, Woodstock City Church, and Decatur City Church, disseminated a letter titled “Permission to stay home!” to his members, according to WSB-TV.

“If you’ve been exposed to a person with the coronavirus or the flu or have recently traveled to a CDC Level 2 or 3 country (China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, Hong Kong, or Japan), please take a couple of Sundays off. If you or your family members are experiencing or have recently experienced symptoms associated with the flu or the common cold (fever, persistent cough, headache, chills, or unexplained rash), we ask that you take a couple of Sundays off as well,” Stanley said in his email.

Read more HERE.

And on the other hand, some religious leaders have taken a bizarre approach to the coronavirus issue…Reportedly, former televangelist Jim Bakker is selling a fake coronavirus cure…SMHH (Shake My Holy Head)….From The Huffington Post, check out this headline — “New York AG Warns Televangelist Jim Bakker To Stop Selling Fake Coronavirus Cure.” An article excerpt is below.

How do you feel about these churches’ responses to coronavirus? (I’m not even getting into what Jim Bakker is doing…Wow…)  How are you changing your behavior? (This is some Walking Dead stuff, right?)

Any thoughts?

The post New Birth Missionary Baptist Church & Other Churches Change Practices, Educate Due to Coronavirus… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day holiday weekend with your family and friends. I also celebrated my birthday yesterday, September 7, so this weekend was particularly fun! But now it’s time to get back to work and more serious topics. One serious topic that I want to address today on this blog is the intersection of mental health and ministry. If you are interested in these topics and live in the metro Atlanta area, “Pain in the Pews,” a conference dedicated to these topics, is a must-do event, and it is free! The conference will be held at Vision For Souls Family Worship Center Cathedral, 6519 Factory Shoals Road, Mableton, GA 30126 THIS Saturday, Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please see my interview with Chelsealya Payne, who is the founder of PAYNE & Glory Inc., the organization that is hosting the conference.

1. What is the “Pain in the Pews” Conference about, and why did you decide to host it?

Simply, it is about topics that we want to discuss in our local churches, but often don’t get the opportunity to do so. It’s about opening up the dialogue that fuses together our faith in God and putting that faith in action to pursue help in a particular area. This is our 3rd PITP Conference. It is in no way “church bashing,” but rather showing how we can use our faith to overcome the “pain in the pews.”

2. Dr. Alduan Tartt, a noted psychologist, and Dr. LaTonya Powers, a noted pastor, are the featured speakers. What will each of them speak about during the conference?

Dr. Tartt will speak about “Letting Go of Relationship Pain.” Very important – so many people suffer from emotional and mental challenges that stem from their inability to know how to fully let go. Dr. Tartt is EXCELLENT in this area, and will give the participants a lot of “aha” moments. Pastor Powers will speak about “Pain in the Pews.” We often carry the same issue back home with us that we carried to church – the same mental challenges, the same emotional weight, the same guilt, shame and feeling of being stigmatized if I talk about “this.” Pastor Powers provides a down-to-earth spiritual wisdom that is sure to uplift us all. So, the two speakers together will do a dynamic job of showing how the spiritual and professional side are needed for complete healing – mind and spirit.

3. What do you hope people will receive from the conference?

One word – “Hope.” A small word with a powerful impact. I want people to walk away with a sense of hope that they can overcome and be healed from their issues. To have a understanding that hope is still there, waiting and available for them, and that someone really does care about them and what they are going through. Hope.

4. What is your own background in mental health and ministry, and how did you get involved in these two areas?

I have been wanting to host this for quite some time now. I’ve been in the church my entire life and have worked in some capacity or another most of my life. Over the years, I have come across many people that love the Lord, work in ministry but suffer from depression, anxiety, emotional distress, eating disorders, etc. Many of these people were people that were close to me, some were people that I admired in ministry, while others I heard or read about (after something tragic had happened as a result of their mental/emotional anguish). I wanted to create a platform where this topic is not stigmatized. Mental illness is just as important and should be addressed as fervently as any physical illness.

Yes, I actually do have my own personal testimony regarding mental health…but I won’t be sharing that until the conference.

5. Do you feel like the church, specifically the Black Church, has appropriately addressed mental health and ministry? Please explain your answer.

No, I don’t think so. I think that historically, we have been taught just to “pray about it” – which, I agree wholeheartedly that we should pray about everything. However, it cannot stop there. If Sister Mary comes and says that she is suffering from depression and having suicidal thoughts, prayer along with ensuring that Sister Mary gets professional help is what is going to help to heal her. If someone says I have a tightness in my chest and my left arm is going numb, we are certainly going to pray, but someone is going to/should say “you need to go see a doctor.” The same advice given to someone with a physical ailment should be given when someone has a mental or emotional issue. That is not always the case in the Black Church.

6. Tell me more about your non-profit organization PAYNE & Glory and its mission.

Our organization is designed to empower the total woman – mind, body and spirit. We host live and virtual events on topics from domestic violence awareness and prevention to health and wellness. Twice a year, we offer events that specific to teen young ladies. Our mission is to empower you to impact your future.

7. I read in your bio on your website that you are legally blind. How have you used your disability to inspire your ministry?

When people meet me, until I tell them, no one knows that I have a disability. I use it mainly to let people know that they do not have to allow their circumstances dictate who they are. I do a lot of what I do, like drive, because growing up, my parents didn’t put limitations or labels on me – so I adapted my life what I was taught (in a productive way) – instead of adjusted my life to fit my challenges.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

We want people to come to this conference and receive every ounce of healing, strength, empowerment, inspiration and hope that they can carry with them!

Although the conference is free, advance registration is recommended as refreshments for attendees will be provided. Please register by clicking this link: eventbrite.com.

Any thoughts?

The post ‘Pain in the Pews’ Conference Highlights Mental Health & Ministry This Saturday! appeared first on After the Altar Call.

I know I haven’t written about it yet, but I am well aware that God has blessed us to see a New Year – 2014...It takes me a month of prayer and meditation to discern what resolutions and or goals that God wants to help me reach for this year so I’m not quite ready to write a New Year’s Goals or Resolutions post yet…but I found this great blog post by (the recently married Congrats!) Valorie Burton, a life coach and author, that I interviewed in my book “After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God.” Enjoy….

What is it Finally Time for You To Do?

The post A NEW YEAR IS HERE…And what are you gonna do about it? appeared first on After the Altar Call.