Come support the premier Goodwin Choir

On Wednesday July 2nd at 6:30pm the Goodwin Memorial AME Zion Church choir will be performing at the Porter Phelps Huntington Museum as part of their Wednesday Folk Traditions. Please come and support the choir and receive a musical blessing.

My report of the conference to Goodwin Memorial AME Zion church

The spirit of the conference was alive and well in Middletown, Connecticut!!

Humbly submitted by Sister Tracy Sutherland (Delegate)

Sunday Service and Reading of the Appointments 6/08/2008 ~ AMEN

Service was held at the Faith Seventh Day Adventist Church – 500 Woodland Street in Hartford, CT

The Rev. Moses Harvill, Presiding

Sermon: Bishop James E. McCoy – Presiding Prelate of the Alabama -Florida Episcopal District

Pastor Alfred L. Johnson appointed to Goodwin Memorial AME Zion Church!

So as we embark on this 2008-2009 conference year, let us remember to:

· serve the people

· stand for what is right

· seek the good of others

· be committed to ministry

· rely on God for help and power

· lead others toward God

· teach God’s people by word and example

New England Conference Home Missions Banquet 6/07/2008

Honoring Committed Men of Zion Dedicated to the Work

Rev. Floyd Williams is our Honoree!

Biography:

Reverend Dr. Floyd Williams was raised in extreme poverty in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother told him not to complain about their situation but to have faith in God and work hard. Early in his life Reverend Williams had not thought of going to college until his last week in high school when he was offered a music scholarship at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. While studying there he became side-tracked by Mathematics and Physics thus resulting in an MS and a Ph.D from Washington University. His area of study is Homological Algebra & Lie Groups.

He has felt the sting of discrimination during his career, but has overcome and been soothed by supportive teachers, colleagues and his church family. He believes he has an obligation as a role model for helping young minorities enter science and engineering and has helped to set up programs that allow pre-college students and undergraduates to meet and talk with mathematicians, scientists and engineers. Rev. Williams held the positions of Associate Instructor at the University of California/Irvine, Instructor at (MIT) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. At the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Rev. Williams has been an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and currently is Professor Emeritus in the Mathematics and Statistics Department. He has also worked in New York, Tokyo, Russia and Brazil. He has authored 75 published works including 6 books. He is a Christian minister ordained in 1990 at his home church in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a pianist, composer former band leader performing in the U.S., France, Argentina, India, Russia and Japan.

There are quite a few well established Black mathematicians who are internationally known as leaders in their respective fields and Rev. Williams is one of them. Besides these outstanding accomplishments it is evident that Reverend Williams knows it is a great privilege to serve the Lord by serving with joy when and where he can, looking for nothing in return.

Rev. Williams’ ministry and outreach extends through decades of dedication, love and faith. He organized the Goodwin Sunday School program in 1977 serving as the superintendent the first 10 year and is still involved as a teacher there today. He was also the pianist at Goodwin for 15 years and served as the assistant/associate minister for 6 years. He has worked with men, women and youth in Greenfield, Northampton, Ludlow, Westfield and Springfield’s prison and youth detention facilities, giving follow-up ministry after their release. He is involved with seven nursing homes providing visitation, preaching, piano playing and more. The main part of Rev. Williams’s family outreach has been supporting families spiritually, emotionally and financially. He is especially involved with single parent families usually headed by women whose children lack so many resources. Other ministries Rev. Williams is involved in or supports are Food for the Poor, Christian Children’s fund, Care for the Child, Prison Fellowship and the Angel Tree, Gospel Association for the Blind, Habitat for Humanity, Jesus Film Project, Campus Crusade for Christ to name a few. His personal trips to meet missionaries around the world include trips to Argentina, Brazil and Singapore and a meeting with Mother Theresa in 1979.

Rev. Williams acts in no way contrary to that of fullest humility, thanksgiving and praise dutifully following as best he can the sterling example of Christ by being a good and faithful servant to all. Join me in honoring, thanking and celebrating Reverend Dr. Floyd L. Williams.

St. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Saturday Morning Service and Reports 6/07/2008

Theme: Kingdom Building

10am The Call to Worship

The Rev. Patricia Washington Rice.

No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is made complete in us. We are confinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t and life can’t. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.

The Responsive Reading: Rev. Dawn Mays- Hardy

Sermon: Rev. Kenneth I. Lewis

Jeremiah 18:1-6

Theme: Christians in the Hand of a Loving God

Think of yourselfl as a piece of playdough in the hands of a loving God. We are under construction not all that we should be but not what we used to be. The one who crafts the vessel has a vision. Remember who is at the control of the potters wheel. God will spin you to use you. For every blesssing there is a spin. While we are spinning we must realize that the hand of God is there. You don’t have to stay in the shape that you are in. “God at Work: Under Construction”

Friday Evening Missionary Candlelight Service 6/06/2008

This was a beautiful stoling ceremony and service. 14 Goodwin members were stoled. Purple is for life time members, red is for missionary members. What a marvelous sight!! Mrs. Iris Miller Battle, Presiding.

Friday Morning Women’s Home & Overseas Missionary Society Prayer Breakfast 6/06/2008

African Attire was worn this day. I missed the morning missionary convocation because I had a phone interview. I purchased some coffee from the coffee project to help support the cause. I was able to hear the sermon given by Rev. W. Darin Moore Pastor of Greater Centennial, New York and Presiding Elder Nassau District-Bahama Islands Conference.

Theme: Watch Your Mouth

Exodus 14: 10-16 “Don’t be scared” concentration on verse 14

I would prefer a cancellation rather than a delay with my travel agent of glory. The process of getting us to where we want to be can be long and there will be delays. The delay is there to protect us. Delays are there to ensure our deliverance.

~When people begin to talk about the good ol days they are sending you back. Be careful of listening to the chorus of negativity in your life. What good ol day are they referring to when black were being lynched? The good ol days weren’t good they are just old. When you think of this in terms of preachers. When you get a new preacher and the other one leaves everyone is now saying that was the best preacher we ever had but they neglected to treat him better when he was there.

The very thing you are complaining about God will use to deliver you and use against your enemies. Watch your mouth stop complaining and go forward. You had to go through it. But when you come out on the other side you will be delivered. Plan your work and work your plan.

Thursday Morning Service of the Annual Conference 6/05/2008

Teaching Ministry: Rev. Dr. G. Ray Coleman pastor of St. Mark AME Zion Church

Theme: Dealing with the matter of the Kingdom of God

Hard to define and describe the Kingdom of God

Something we have to ascent to.

You have to beg God for the power. The Kingdom of God and Discipleship

LUKE 14:25-33

Pre-requisites for having in concept of the Kingdom of God forsaking everything – ordinary disciple brings 3 contingencies

• Fulfilled by their affliction.
• How to climb out of your humanness and into your spiritual-ness.
• Those who can’t stand to be challenged can not walk with God.

God FIRST!

If you’ve got life in you live it to the fullest. The repentant life is discipleship.

Change your mind and change the ill core of your being. How you think or feel about persons or things is important. It is impossible to break free of your additions until you have changed your mind. Until you repent you are still in recovery. Repent and then be baptized not the other way around. You can not love anyone or anything else greater than God not even your life. You are not disciple worthy until suffering and rejection has occured.

We are just dusk, just a spec. Redemption by something that has been used and lost its value. The maker pays more than what it is worth to get it back. Your father in heaven is willing to pay more than what your worth to get you back. Men are frightened of solitude when they become aware of responsibilities and duties.

Your love for Christ is more powerful than this world.

Reports of the delegates, pastors, evangelist and super numerary Evangelism and other business.

Presiding Elder’s Report : Rev. Lawson

Hebrews 11:1-10

Theme: Daring now to walk by faith in God

Rev. Wittiger >Pittsfield. Online Bible Study

Psalms 34

Sermon: Rev. Darin Moore

Iron Man – Misinterpreted Iron Man’s strength and where it came from . It came from his heart. The real measure is in their heart.

Ezekiel 47:1-7/ 12

Theme: Get into the Flood

Afternoon Service: Get into the Flow

When the church is at its best we are flowing out into the community. To offer job training opportunities. Worship as priest, witness as prophets. Prophets work in the street. It starts with a prophetic source but will always be a progressive course. There are some that go to the beach and never step in the water. There are some who go to the church they are even church experts but they never become members or get out of their seats. They sit back and watch all the time. We can move through our troubles. Look at the Cedar creek bridge. When you are in up over your head as the water rises lean back. Thank you God for the Atlantic, the Chesapeake, the James River, Cedar Creek, Stone bridge, AME Zion Bishop Battle, Elder Pastor, lay people….. let it over flow and GIVE him praise.

Wednesday Evening Service Annual Conference 6/04/2008

The evening service was a delight and a true blessing. The sermon was given by the Reverend Lloyd McKenzie from the Eastern District (Boston).

Evening Service @ 7:30pm

Kings I (17: 1-7)

Don’t Panic Wait for the Rain

What do you do when you go the brook and it is dry? When we take God out everything dries up. For those who seek the will of the Lord sometimes obedience gets you in trouble. If you find that nothing puts a smile on your face anymore, your brook has dried up. If Sunday after Sunday gets repetitive your brook has dried up. God does provide a hiding place for you. It was God who gave you the brook in the first place so don’t leave it just because its dried up. We worry when it gets cloudy but don’t worry ….wait on the rain.

Wednesday Morning Service Annual Conference 6/04/2008

I arrived yesterday morning late….. Getting lost about 3 times but with God all things are possible he got me here and back with my internal compass. Here are some pictures of the awesome church in Middletown, CT Cross Street Church.

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

North Eastern Espiscopal District ~ New England Conference

Theme: Seek Ye first the Kingom of God…Matthew 6:33