Wednesday, December 26, 2012


MS. DORIS ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
(AUNT LIZ)
HOMEGOING CELEBRATION ARRANGEMENTS:


Friday, December 28th, 2012:
(Visitation/Wake) 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Jefferson Mortuary Funeral Home
7788 Church Street
Millington, Tennessee 38053
Phone: 901-872-8800

Saturday, December 29th, 2012:
(Funeral)  11 a.m.

Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church
70 North Bellevue Boulevard
Memphis, Tennessee 38104
Phone: 901-729-6222

****Repast following Burial 

Upper Canaan Church
9090 Highway 51 North
Millington, Tennessee 38053
Phone: 901-872-6919



Wednesday, November 21, 2012

GIFTS OF LIFE YARD SALE FUNDRAISER


YARD SALE/
SERVING LUNCH 
GIFTS OF LIFE MINISTRIES

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2012
7 A.M. TO 2 P.M.
$25.00 BOOTH FEE 

BOOTH SET UP: 6:30 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
LUNCH: 10 A.M. TO 2 P.M. 
MENU: RIBS, HAMBURGER, SMOKED SAUSAGES, PULL PORK, AND MUCH MORE!



1542 JACKSON AVENUE
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38107

FOR MORE INFO or to get a BOOTH, CALL (901) 272-7337!!











Soup and Sandwich Ministry: Thanksgiving Day Meal

Today marked the annual Thanksgiving Day Meal for the Soup and Sandwich Ministry here at Gifts of Life Ministries. Guests, members and friends enjoyed turkey and dressing, sweet potatoes  okra, potato salad, collard greens, hot watered cornbread, scallop potatoes, cucumber salad, and an assortment of cakes. We thank the Soup and Sandwich ministry for providing and cooking the meal and members of Fusion for helping serve.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

EUR Book Look: 'Unfinished Business: Black Women, the Black Church and the Struggle to Thrive in America'

By Keri Day


“This book explores the Black Church as a black religious site that can offer not only hope and cultural flourishing for poor black women but can also participate in a project of economic justice toward their well-being… Their spirituality is both a catalyst for social interactions and an interpretive lens used in formulating responses to their harsh political and economic conditions…

While capitalist institutions and systems perpetuate impoverishment for so many black women and their children, poverty deeply affects their human personality… Hopelessness within poor black communities is often left unaddressed as poor blacks are blamed for their own poverty…

Poverty is produced and reproduced when the poor are locked out of America’s wealth-producing structures… My overall goal is to evaluate the social implications of black women’s poverty in this country and offer an understanding of thriving that can address their suffering and alienation.” — Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 3, 4, 8 & 10).

*In this age of mega-churches and prosperity theology, it is natural to wonder how many members of the black clergy even bother to minister to the needs of the least of the their brethren anymore. That question came to intrigue Professor Keri Day, Director of Black Church Studies at Brite Divinity School, after noting that Christianity is now a very different experience for sisters, depending on their social class.

While many black females have been fortunate enough to make the leap to the middle and upper-classes, the bulk remain poor with less and less hope for deliverance from their plight. In her book, Unfinished Business, Dr. Day outlines a plan to return to the times when poverty was a primary concern of the Black Church.

Read more here:

God will cause 'complete economic collapse' because Obama won -- Rev. Franklin Graham

By Herbert Dyer, Jr.


The Rev. Franklin Graham is the son of the world-renowned 94-year-old Rev. Billy Graham. Like his father, Franklin is a Republican, an “evangelical,” and a leader of the “religious right” of America. Franklin, therefore, views the American political landscape through the prism of religion. His post-election analysis is simple and straight forward, if not simplistic.

In a Newsmax TV interview, Graham declared that President Obama was re-elected despite the country’s “deep economic quagmire” because as a country “we have turned our backs on God.”

“The more we turn our backs on God, the bigger our problem becomes. I didn’t hear any of the candidates say that we needed to call our nation to prayer. I didn’t hear any of the candidates say that we needed to ask God for help.

“We still think that we can work our way out of this problem – and I don’t think we can,” Graham added. “I don’t have confidence in the Republican Party right now, and I don’t have confidence in the Democratic Party.

“I don’t believe there is leadership in Washington that can solve this problem. We just deal with it as issues for the day, and it kicks the can further and further down the road. We need God’s help to solve this problem – we can’t go without God.”

According to Graham, then, America’s re-election of Obama was confirmation that America is doomed. She has been damned by God himself to skip happily along the “path of destruction,” Graham said.

“There is no question that America has been a nation that has been blessed by almighty God. There is no other nation in the history of mankind that has done what his nation has done – and it’s because of God’s hand and his blessing.

“In the last four years, we have begun to turn our backs on God. We have taken God out of our education system. We have taken him out of government. You have lawyers that sue you every time you mention the name of Jesus Christ in any public forum.

“What has happened is we have allowed ourselves to take God out everything that we do – and I believe that God will judge our nation one day.”

But, for me, here is the meat of Graham’s complaint, which borders on treason: “[M]aybe God will have to bring our nation to our knees – to where that we just have a complete economic collapse. Maybe at that point, people will again call upon the name of almighty God.”

Interestingly, Rev. Franklin Graham is the president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The Internal Revenue Service is investigating the Association for violations of it tax-exempt status. The investigation was prompted by complaints from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. They aver that Graham’s group supports advertisements which urged people to “vote biblical values” throughout this election cycle, thereby contravening IRS rules covering religious groups and political campaigning. Rev. Graham’s response to both Freedom From Religion and the IRS?

“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “The African-American churches do this all the time. Candidates go to their churches and stand in the pulpits and give political messages and sermons. Why can’t we do the same?

“We didn’t tell anybody how to vote for a candidate. We told them how to choose candidates – and made that plural – who backed biblical principles. There are a lot of Republicans, Tea Party people, Democrats that we focused these ads on.

“We wanted people to remember that, as they were going into the voting booth, that there were political decisions, no question, but there also were moral issues. At every level, we need to think about who we are voting for and encourage Christians, especially, to vote for candidates who support biblical values.

“They want to shut the mouths of evangelicals. They want to shut the mouths of Christians.

“One hundred years ago, political leaders in every community were the pastors. They were the voices that were heard. They were the voices that had the influence. Politicians know that and the government knows that – and they are trying to shut the mouths of especially evangelicals.

“I’m going to continue to speak out,” Graham vowed. “I’m not afraid. I’m not worried.”

Opinion:
Because of space limits, I’ll only address one aspect of Rev. Graham’s diatribe:
America’s modern civil rights movement began in the black church because the church was the only place black people could gather in significant numbers – usually – unmolested by bosses and government authorities. It was within the sanctity of the church that blacks could meet, strategize, complain and develop the methods and means of defeating Old Jim Crow. Thus, Rev. Graham’s assertion that black churches “do this [politics] all the time” assumes that there is, and always has been, a “level playing field” for the conduct of political activity between white and black churches. He ignores the 400-year history of repression of black political conduct. He pretends to not know this history, this restriction of black politics to one, and only one, area of socio-political life.

Finally, I travel to Ghana on Africa’s West Coast every year. On my first trip in 1998, I toured the dungeons where captured Africans were held before being shipped to “The New World.” I walked across the cold stone floors of these deep pits of pain and agony. At the very deepest, darkest point of the Cape Coast dungeon, our tour guide, using only candle light, pointed upwards toward the ceiling. He then said, “Just above you, ladies and gentlemen, sits the very first Catholic Church built in the whole continent of Africa in 1482.” That’s all he said.

He left it to us to ponder what must have been going through the minds of those earnest Catholics so long ago as they sat in comfort atop thousands of suffering and dying people.

Monday, October 29, 2012

EUR BOOK LOOK: 'THE BLACK CHURCH: WHERE WOMEN PRAY AND MEN PREY"

BOOK REVIEW BY KAM WILLIAMS



“If you are a single black woman regularly attending church and tithing, or you are a woman with children that accompany you to church, please open your mind to the expressed dangers within the walls of your house of worship, because far too often, black women go to church to pray to God, and black men are there to game on, feed on and prey on them like predators…

The ills suffered by women in black churches under patriarchal philosophies of male superiority are shocking. Throughout the pages of this book are real stories about churches and the pastors that run them.

These are true accounts of men charged with spiritual enrichment and development of communities—behaving in damaging, abusive ways toward women and children… My goal always has and always will be to expose uncomfortable truths in black culture in relationships.” — Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. xvi-xviii).

*It’s hard to imagine that whoever coined the phrase, “The closer to church, the further from God,” could possibly have had as long a laundry list of complaints about Christianity as disbeliever Deborrah Cooper. Actually, Ms. Cooper’s issues are mostly with the black males in the Black Church, whether in the pulpits or the pews.

This fearless feminist levels so many accusations against brothers it’s frightening. But she does make a persuasive case by way of a compelling mix of statistics and anecdotal evidence.
She chides black females for being the most religious demographic in the country, since they’re getting little out of religion besides pie-in-the-sky promises. Meanwhile, their pastors are pressuring them to tithe 10%, even though such a directive is apparently nowhere to be found in the bible.

The author further alleges that an unholy arrangement exists whereby African-American women are basically being exploited by pimps posing as preachers. She says that these ruthless exploiters zero-in on the vulnerable and lonely with low self-esteem, make them dependent, promise them riches, and use a combination of seduction and intimidation to keep them under control.

Her incendiary verbiage will undoubtedly strike most folks as extreme, but Cooper sees stirring up controversy as her only hope of shaking sisters out of the doldrums. That’s why she summarizes by saying, “As long as black women allow themselves to be dazzled by fast-talking black men and their weapons of religion, we will always be at the bottom… Church leaders have proven themselves to be undeserving of your devotion or of your respect, and most certainly undeserving of your money.”

A damning indictment of black ministers as little more than predators in cleric’s clothing.

Read more here:

Atheists Behind the Black Church Veil

By Eric Redmond



Statistics on the religious beliefs of African Americans are part of Western cultural literacy. Many are familiar with the findings that reveal African Americans to be among the most religious ethnic group in America, largely holding a particular Christian expression of belief. In 2009, the Barna Group found that "blacks were the group most likely to be born again Christians (59 percent, compared to a national average of 46 percent) and were the ethnic segment most likely to consider themselves to be Christian (92 percent did so, versus 85 percent nationally)."

Similarly, in 2011, Barna examined 15 years of religious beliefs among Americans and found that African Americans are "the segment that possesses beliefs most likely to align with those taught in the Bible." Specifically, African Americans were more likely than other segments to say that they believe that God is "the all-knowing, all-powerful, and perfect Creator of the universe who still rules the world today," and were the most likely to engage in church-centric activities, and to read the Bible other than at church events during a typical week. According to Barna's research, African Americans are only half as likely as either whites or Hispanics to be unchurched. Therefore, the announcement of the report justifiably noted, "From the earliest days of America's history, a deep-rooted spirituality has been one of the hallmarks of the black population in the country. . . [and] the passage of time has not diminished the importance of faith in the lives of African Americans.



Saturday, October 6, 2012

Voter Registration Day at G'Life

G'Lifers Ebony Jackson, Marcisha Bradley, First Lady Lisa Jones Johnson
On Saturday October 7, Gifts of Life Ministries hosted a voter registration day at the church and reminded people about the upcoming election and the Voter ID law that will take effect this November. Between the hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, music and fun, the church informed people on the importance of voting and help people understand the voter ID laws. In addition, Pastor Johnson offered a critique of the upcoming presidential election and the importance of down ballot voting--voting for the races that are down on the ballot.

Voter Registration Day was part of an ongoing project the church sponsored by the Survivor Power Hour (Sunday School) and Social Justice Ministry and the Class of G'Life.

G'Lifers getting the attention of motorists for voter registration day
Ivory Bryant engages with a resident about voting














G'Lifers Keanna Thomas and Rev. Alma Brown

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Hope House Christian Counseling Center Will Host Forgiveness Series

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Rev. Dr. JoAnn Nickleberry
In your own personal life, do you have a tendency to genuinely forgive from the heart or do you allow yourself to hold onto a grudge? Looking back on past experiences, have your reactions affected you positively or negatively? Do not allow others wrongdoings to take you captive and burden your heart! It is important to understand that when we are unable to forgive others, we are living in bondage to the one we are unable to forgive.

“To not forgive, to hold on to a grudge, to hold on to a spirit of unforgiveness is like taking poison and expecting it to kill the other person.”

Hope House Christian Center and will begin its Fresh Start Recover Series by hosting a 6-week series focused on Forgiveness. Titled Forgiveness: Getting Beyond Your Past, the Rev. Dr. JoAnn Nickleberry will help participants address major issues and hurdles in forgiveness, while assisting them in dealing with the pain of hurt. The series goal is to led people on the path of forgiveness so they can recognize and realize what God has in store for them. The series starts Friday October 12 and meets every Friday until November 16. Below are the dates for the series. If you will be attending or have any questions concerning this Series please respond by emailing me Janberry1@msn.com or calling 901-496-4443 (asap). This will reserve your seat and insure the correct amount of workbooks and study material is provided for everyone.

1st. Session: Forgiveness - Friday October 12, 2012 @ 6:30 pm.
2nd. Session: Forgiving Others – Friday, October 19, 2012 @ 6:30pm
3rd. Session: Forgiving Ourselves – Friday, October 26, 2012 @ 6:30pm
4th. Session: When You Can’t Forgive – Friday, November 2, 2012 @ 6:30pm
5th. Session: Forgiving Our Families – Friday, November 9, 2012 @ 6:30pm
6th. Session: Reconciliation and New Life – Friday, November 16, 2012 @ 6:00 pm

Hope House
2399 LaRose Ave.
Memphis, Tenn. 38114

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

GRAND OPENING OF THE HOPE CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CENTER

MINISTER JOANN NICKELBERRY is having a"GRAND OPENING" of :


THE HOPE CHRISTIAN COUNSELING CENTER
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2012
HOURS: 10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
2399 LaROSE STREET
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38114


*Come out and support Min. Nickelberry.... take a tour and have any questions you may have  about the center answered!!!!!


Saturday, September 15, 2012

The DNC & the Black Church: Passivity vs. Protest!"

On the eve of the Democratic National Covention (DNC), the black church is looming once again in the background trying to select which voice it will use for the confluence of the world to see.

Will the church rise from the ashes of passivity and demand that the political leadership address the escalating problems of urban violence, poverty, unemployment, rising healthcare costs, affordable housing and the national debt?...or;

Will the church gather together and sing hymns and pray and hold hands preaching fire and brimestone from the pulpits but never step one foot outside of the church walls to declare war on the paradigms of darkness in the marketplace?
Read and hear the rest here

Tupac’s ‘Thug Life’, white -washed Jesus and the black church

Growing up in an era when “thug life” dominated DC’s youth culture, Tupac Shakur’s music impacted every facet of my teenage years. The 1990s were a dark period in the city’s history and the late rapper’s persona reflected the anger and rebellion of a generation. Tupac felt like a familiar friend.

But Christ was foreign to us. Back then I knew more about Tupac’s life story than I did about Christ’s ministry. I had memorized more lines from songs like “Life Goes On” and “Krazy” than verses in the Bible.

Sixteen years after Tupac’s death, I’m left thinking about the resonance we found in a self-proclaimed thug and why it was so difficult to relate to scripture and the teachings of the church. The answer is clear: Much of the black church has lost it’s ability to relate to a younger generation. It must reclaim the white washed passive Christ that has become the dominant image and replace it with an image much more suited to the lives of young people in search of another rebellious hero.

Indeed, when “Makaveli - The Don Killuminati: The Seven Day Theory” was released two months after his 1996 death, I was more concerned with decoding the “Suge shot me” myth than I was about Tupac’s blasphemous crucifixion depiction as shown on the cover of the album. Our love for Pac was so strong that months (and for some years) after his death, we lived in hope that he wasn’t dead. We wanted desperately to believe he was hiding out overseas releasing albums that gave clues into his assassination attempt.
Read the rest here

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Fusion Host Dedication Service

The new Youth and Young Adult Ministry at G'Life, Fusion, will host its dedication service on Sunday October 21st at 3:00pm at Gifts of Life Ministries located at 1542 Jackson Ave. The service of dedication will call forth the youth, young adults, and ministry leaders of the ministry who will commit to Fusion's vision of committed service to our young people.  More information will come later as invited churches and ministries confirm their attendance.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

New Ministry Starts

Saturday September 1, 2012 marked a new beginning here at the Urban Oasis. We had a good first meeting with the new Youth and Young Adult ministry Fusion. We prayed and talked about some events and programs we would like to do. We also canvassed the neighborhood with flyers inviting people to come and join us in what we are doing. Pastor Johnson would like to thank all the adults and youth for coming out today and helping this ministry get off the ground. If you would like to be a part of Fusion as either a youth, young adult, or elder, please see Pastor Johnson or call him at 901-272-7337.

New Ministry Coming at G'Life

A New Youth and Young Adult Ministry

Coming Soon to G'Life


Friday, August 10, 2012

"You Can't Equate Your Sin With My Skin" Will the National Organization for Marriage's plan to pit blacks versus gays work?

By Adam Serwer


The parishioners at Bishop Harry Jackson Jr.'s Hope Christian Church in Prince George's County, Maryland, are an eclectic mix. Some are in formal church garb; others wear sullen faces and casual dress, as though they would not be here but for sins committed the night before. Ushers shepherd elderly congregants to their seats as dancers in beige tunics and multicolored sashes dance feverishly to the congregation's singing.

An associate preacher takes the stage and turns to Jackson. "Thank you for having clean hands, thank you for having a clean heart, thank you for not propping up your image," she says. "Thank you for not trying to make a name for yourself." Collapsing into Jackson's and his wife's arms, her voice fills with the choking sound of tears. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Read more about NOM and the Mormon Church's crusade against gay marriage.
She then recounts how she accidentally stumbled upon a gay-pride parade the day before. A parishioner sitting next to me spits the word "pride" and shakes her head. The preacher describes a pregnant woman she saw at the event. "She had an entire belly exposed, and she had a rainbow painted on the belly," the preacher says, her face wrenching in disgust. The congregation gasps. "Brought this thing on the unborn baby."

As Maryland has become ground zero in the culture war, Jackson is on the front lines. In February, the state legalized same-sex marriage. Now a ballot initiative to overturn that law awaits voters in November, and activists led by the National Organization for Marriage believe they can prevail by appealing to African Americans, particularly socially conservative churchgoers. Some of the biggest mega-churches in the country are in Maryland, notes Derek McCoy, an associate pastor at Jackson's church and the director of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, an umbrella group bankrolled in part by NOM. "The difference is they're African American."

Read more here:

Is Notorious Anti-Gay Group Behind Effort to Sabotage Obama's African-American Support?

By Alvin McEwen

Last week, a group of African-American pastors held a press conference announcing that they are starting a campaign to get black voters to withhold their votes from President Obama until he no longer supports marriage equality. Led by its president, Rev. William Owens, the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP) claims that President Obama is turning his back on the black community to garner the support of gays.

According to CNN, during a press conference at the National Press Club, Owens called out President Obama, disputed the notion that gay rights and African-American civil rights are the same, and also made some pointed comments (which he later retracted) comparing gays with pedophiles. Owens also claims that CAAP has over 3,000 pastors ready to begin the campaign.

On the surface this sounds like trouble for the Obama campaign, but there is more to the story. As it turns out, CAAP's actions may not be a genuine protest stemming from anger from the African-American community but an astroturfed effort by the National Organization for Marriage, the anti-gay group dedicated to eliminating marriage equality. William Owens, the leader of CAAP, has worked with NOM before. In fact, NOM has described him as its "liaison to the Black Church." Owens even participated in a 2011 NOM-produced video entitled "Will the Black Church Rise Up in New York For Marriage?"


Read more here:

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Pastor hopes program will aid faithful, church by fixing personal debt problems

By Lindsey O’Donnell SPECIAL TO THE TELEGRAM & GAZETTE


Churches are spiritual centers, places where people can commune with a higher power.

But they are also essentially small businesses, with a budget, salaries, and a need for money to fill the oil tank and replace the windows.

With the country’s tough economy, many people are hesitant to donate their money to their church.

The Rev. Clyde D. Talley, the pastor at the Belmont African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in Worcester, said one of the biggest obstacles to people donating is their debt load.

“Without the problem of debt in our congregation, we can focus entirely on the ministry,” Rev. Talley said. “Parishioners will be able to donate more money to the church, and then we will be able to reach out more to help the overall community. That’s our long-term goal.”

To reach his long-term goal, Rev. Talley has recently adopted a program called “Momentum.” This initiative aims to guide congregants to financial stability in their personal lives, and to increase parishioners’ fiscal generosity to their churches.

Read more here:

Democratic Party Poised to Support Gay Marriage on Platform

The Democratic party is following the example of its leader, President Obama, and is about to endorse same-sex marriage as part of its party platform. Since Obama in May became the first sitting president to declare that gays and lesbians should be able to marry, he put the issue squarely on the national agenda, prompting debate and soul searching across the country, from suburban households to the pulpit of the black church.

According to the New York Times, Democrats held a platform-drafting meeting over the weekend in Minneapolis and approved the first step to amend their platform, placing the amendment on track for adoption. In two weeks, the entire platform committee will vote at a meeting scheduled in Detroit. Then, if approved as expected, it would go before convention delegates in Charlotte, N.C., for final passage in early September.According to Democrats who were briefed on the vote in Minneapolis, there was no objection when the issue came up. Though the language that was voted on could still be revised, party officials do not anticipate any major obstacles going forward.Not only did the platform committee approve the same-sex marriage language, they also reiterated the party’s disapproval of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing legal same-sex marriages. The 2008 platform had a similar section.The Democrats would become the first major party to embrace same-sex marriage. But as historic as the platform would be, the president’s position makes it a bit less controversial.

Gay rights supporters praised the Democratic Party’s move.

Read more here:

Mississippi Church That Refused to Wed Black Couple Criticized by Baptist Leaders

By Alon Harish


Southern Baptist leaders on Monday urged a Mississippi church that refused to wed a black couple to reject racial discrimination.

Just one day before Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson were set to be married at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Miss., the pastor there told them they would have to find another venue because congregants were uncomfortable with a black wedding ceremony.

After outrage mounted locally and the Wilsons' story went viral online over the weekend, officials at the Mississippi Baptist Convention chastised the Crystal Springs church for its refusal to marry the pair.

"Our entire country, and especially here in Mississippi, has been on a long journey for right racial relationships," said Mississippi Baptist Convention Board executive director Jim Futral in a statement.

City officials in Crystal Springs are planning a rally for racial unity in the town Monday evening, according to The Associated Press.

Read more here:

Thursday, July 26, 2012

REVEREND R. JANAE PITTS-MURDOCK TO PREACH AT THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING FESTIVAL



Profile Picture          Reverend R. Janae Pitts-Murdock will preach July 26, 2012 at the last Foolishness of Preaching Festival of the summer at 7 p.m. at Gifts of Life Ministries located at 1542 Jackson Avenue.  Rev. R. Janae Pitts-Murdock, a native of Detroit, Michigan, was reared at New Bethel Baptist Church under the pastorate of Rev. Robert Smith, Jr. It was at New Bethel that Rev. Janae was trained in Youth Ministry and Music Ministry providing leadership at the age of 15. She was ordained into the preaching ministry at New Bethel Baptist Church under the pastorate of Rev. Robert Smith, Jr. Rev. Janae has achieved much educationally. She received her B.A. in Communication Studies at The University of Michigan - Ann Arbor in 1998 and her Master of Science in Public Policy and Management in 2000 from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She also received a Master of Divinity in 2003 from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH and is working on an M.B.A at The University of Memphis. Rev. Janae accepted the call into full-time ministry and has completed a Master of Divinity degree at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She serves as Lead Pastor at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church under Pastor Frank A. Thomas. She gives leadership to ministries that impact the spiritual maturity of believers. While at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, she has charismatically led transformation focused ministries into new models of ministry and is spearheading the church’s satellite campus launch. She continues to preach and teach throughout the nation for individuals seeking to grow closer to God. Her motto: "Excellence Honors God and Anything Less is Unacceptable." 

          Rev. Janae is united in holy matrimony to the one she calls "God's revelation of divine love", Rev. Jeffrey Allen Murdock, Jr. They are the parents of a Jeffrey Allen Murdock, III, affectionately called "Third".

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

GIFTS OF LIFE MINISTRIES SUMMER CAMP 2012 ANNUAL PROGRAM

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

5:30 P.M.

THEME: 
"THE WORLD'S GREATEST!!!!!"
With Special Guest Appearances

1542 Jackson Avenue
Memphis, TN. 38107
(901) 272-7337

Psalms 24: 1.....The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it!!!!!


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

MS. MARYLAND HARRISON'S FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT INFORMATION



MS. MARYLAND HARRISON'S FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS:


VISITATION:     Friday, July 20, 2012
                            Friendship Baptist Church
                           1355 Vollintine Avenue
                           Memphis, TN. 38107
                           (901) 272-5990
                           Time:     5 P.M. to 8 P.M.


FUNERAL SERVICE:     Saturday, July 21, 2012
                                           Golden Gate Cathedral 
                                           3240 James Road
                                           Memphis, TN. 38128
                                           Time:     11:00 A.M.

INTERMENT:     Forest Hill East Cemetery 
                              2440 Whitten Road
                              Memphis, TN.  38123

*REPAST AT FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH


MR. MAJOR ROBINSON'S FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT INFORMATION



Mr. Major Robinson's Funeral Arrangements:

VISITATION:      Friday, July 20, 2012
                              MJ Edwards Funeral Home
                              1165 Airways Boulevard
                              Memphis, TN. 38114
                              (901) 327-9360
                              Time:  5 P.M. to 8 P.M.

FUNERAL:          Saturday, July 21, 2012
                              Gifts of Life Ministries
                              1542 Jackson Avenue
                              Memphis, TN. 38107
                              (901) 272-7337
                              Time:   12:00 P.M.


* THE REPAST WILL BE AT GIFTS OF LIFE MINISTRIES!!!!



REVEREND JOHN W. BROWN, III TO PREACH AT THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING FESTIVAL















Reverend John W. Brown, III will preach July 19, 2012 at the Foolishness of Preaching Festival at 7 p.m. at Gifts of Life Ministries located at 1542 Jackson Avenue. John W. Brown, III is the eldest of two sons born to the union of the late John Brown, Jr., and Thelma Peay Brown, of Columbia, South Carolina.  He was reared in Columbia, South Carolina, where he attended the city’s public schools.  He furthered his undergraduate and graduate education at Dartmouth College, the University of Virginia, and the University of South Carolina.  Rev. Brown is a graduate of the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, and the 122nd session of the FBI National Academy. 
      He is married to the former Cynthia L. Sims, and they are the proud parents of three adult children: John W. Brown IV, Ronald E. Brown, and Katharine E. Brown.
      Upon his confession of faith, he was baptized and given the right hand of fellowship into the Saint John Baptist Church, Columbia, South Carolina under the pastorate of the late Reverend Roscoe C. Wilson, Sr. He was an active member of several auxiliaries at Saint John Baptist Church, and served as a trustee for several years until relocating to Houston, Texas.  While residing in Houston, TX he joined the Yale Street Baptist Church, under the pastorate of Reverend J. T. Holcombe.  Upon relocating to Virginia he joined the Mount Olive Baptist Church, Woodbridge, Virginia, under the pastorate of the late Reverend Frederick L. Ray. It was under the auspices of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church and the tutelage of Rev. Ray, that he was licensed and later ordained to the Gospel Ministry in June 1989.  Rev. Brown is currently a member of the Greater Middle Baptist Church, 4982 Knight Arnold Road, Memphis, TN under the pastorate of Reverend Benjamin L. Hooks, where he serves as an Associate Minister.  
     He holds membership in the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the NAACP, and the Prince Hall Masonic family.
     Rev. Brown served eleven years with the Columbia, South Carolina Police Department, where he held the rank of Commander and headed the Criminal Investigative Bureau of the department as the “Chief of Detectives” prior to receiving an appointment as a Special Agent of the FBI in 1982. 
     Following graduation from New Agents’ Training in 1983, he has served in the Columbia, S.C., Houston, TX, and Washington Field Offices of the FBI prior to being promoted in 1989 to Supervisory Special Agent and assigned to FBI Headquarters, Washington, D.C. SSA Brown was transferred to the Memphis Division in 1992 and supervised squads which handled all the investigative programs of the FBI.  He retired on June 30, 2008 with 25 ½ years of service to the FBI.  

Thursday, July 12, 2012

LUNCH PLATE TUESDAY'S FUNDRAISER JULY 17, 2012

LUNCH PLATES
 
TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012
11 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.

$8.00

THIS WEEK’S MENU:

BRAISED PORK RIBS OR BAKED COUNTRY HAM
MASHED POTATOES W/GRAVY
GREEN BEANS
WHOLE KERNEL CORN
SAUTED BROCCOLI 
BEVERAGE
DESSERT


GIFTS OF LIFE MINISTRIES
1542 JACKSON AVENUE
MEMPHIS, TN.  38107
*CALL IN ORDERS: (901)-272-7337
WALK-INS WELCOME!!!!

*PROCEEDS TO SUPPORT GLIFE’S SUMMER CAMP!!!!

REVEREND JAMES JOHNSON TO PREACH AT THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING FESTIVAL

James JohnsonReverend James Johnson will preach July 12, 2012 at the Foolishness of Preaching Festival starting at 7 p.m. at Gifts of Life Ministries located at 1542 Jackson Avenue. Reverend James Johnson was born on July 10, 1973 to James and Lottie Johnson in Mason, Tennessee. Reverend Johnson was licensed and ordained in ministry at the age of 23 years old at First Emmanuel Baptist Church in Brownsville, Tennessee under the leadership of Pastor Joseph Darby.
            With a firm belief that “Understanding breeds Application”, Reverend Johnson attended American Baptist College-Jackson Extension in Jackson, Tennessee where he received a Diploma in Theology with honors in 2008 and a Bachelor of Arts degree from American Baptist College in Nashville, Tennessee, Summa Cum Laude in 2010. Reverend Johnson completed a Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counseling at Memphis Theological Seminary and currently working towards a Master of Divinity degree at Memphis Theological Seminary.
            Reverend Johnson is the pastor of Wortham Chapel Baptist Church in Alamo, Tennessee where his focus is building a bridge between community and church. Under his leadership, Wortham Chapel Baptist Church has experienced tremendous growth built on a fundamental facet of love and compassion.
Reverend Johnson is married to Monica Claybrook Johnson and has two daughters, Jaslyn and Mariah.


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

THE FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING FESTIVAL CONTINUES THIS WEEK



Gifts of Life Ministries is pleased to announce "Foolishness of Preaching" Festival will continue this week on Thursday night, July 12, 2012 at 7:00pm. Mr. James Johnson has agreed to preach on this night. We will also serve dinner 5:30 p.m. Dinner ($3.00 Donation)/6:30 p.m. Prayer/Praise Service/ 7:00 p.m. Worship Service. Please come out and support!!!!!!

Detroit Pastor says police impostors invaded his home: Does God Want Revivals in the Black Church

This is the second pastor in Detroit that has been robbed, except Pastor Steve Arthur in the above photo was tied up in his home.  However, whether you are robbed outside like Pastor Marvin Winans or robbed in your own home like Pastor Arthur and his wife, both cases are very bad.

When Pastor Arthur spoke on the below video, we noticed he mentioned the mayor and city council members need to do something about these criminals and get them off the streets.   We know once anyone is robbed they will say anything about the situation out of frustration.  However, we know Pastor Steve Arthur…Read full article, here.

This is a preview of Detroit Pastor says police impostors invaded his home: Does God Want Revivals in the Black Church?.

Read more here:


How to Know if Your Church Leader is a Pastor or Pimp?

Well guys, as you well know, we, Black folk, take our religion seriously.

That is why when we hear about church leaders acting far-less-than-holy, it causes such a stir… Case in point: A Houston pastor and his wife were recently arrested and charged with conning their former congregation at Bethel Institutional Missionary Baptist Church out of $430,000 in church funds, using them for gambling trips to Louisiana…

Now that’s a problem!

But, the good news is a pastor and Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Naropa University in Boulder, Co has come up with a way of separating good pastors from questionable ones.

The Reverend Dr. Donald H. Matthews, author of the upcoming book, Sexual Abuse in the Black Church, recently developed a litmus test called, “How to tell if your Minister is a Pastor or a Pimp.” That’s right, and if you answer yes to at least 5 of these questions, then according to Dr. Matthews, your pastor just might be a pimp… Here we go:

1-Does your minister care more about visiting the sisters than visiting the sick?

2- Does your minister care more about his clothing than about clothing the poor?

3-Does your minister care more about hooking up at the convention than helping the elderly keep their gas and electric hooked up?

4-Does your minister care more about his first lady’s appearance than he does about appearing at the prison to visit the inmates?

5-Does your minister spend more on cars and bling than feeding the hungry?

6-Does your minister have more groupies than Denzel Washington?

7-Does your minister care more about Preaching than he does about Pastoring?

8-Does your minister have a bigger house than the homeless shelter?

9-Does your minister give out more hugs to the women in the church than the church gives scholarships to young people?

10-Does your minister condemn gay folks so you won’t notice his and his fellow ministers’ male and female lovers?

However we feel about this test, it certainly makes us think about who we are actually supporting when it comes to our religious leaders, and encourages us to see our faith as a sacred relationship with God, and not with some flawed human being playing God while pimpin’ us to fulfill their earthly desires and I don’t want to hear about any church leaders getting mad at me for bringing this subject up because, if you are truly a person of God and not a pimp, then you have nothing to worry about.

You can view the actual Pastor or Pimp test by going toFacebook.com/pastororpimp

I’ll leave you with this scripture verse from Matthew 7:15:“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

By; Stephanie Robinson

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Minister Carolyn Meriwether to Preach at the Foolishness of Preaching Festival

Minister Carolyn Meriwether will preach June 28, 2012 at the Foolishness of Preaching Festival starting 7 p.m. at Gifts of Life Ministries located at 1542 Jackson Avenue. Minister Carolyn Meriwether is a native Memphian. She is a member of Mount Moriah-East Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Melvin Charles Smith. She serves as Director of Evangelism and Discipleship, a core member of the Women’s Ministry and as instructor for the New Members Orientation course concerning Spiritual Gifts.


Minister Meriwether has a genuine concern for God’s people. In her professional career, Minister Meriwether has been employed at FedEx for the past 29 years. She is currently a Sales Executive. Minister Meriwether earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Management from Crichton College and a MBA degree from the University of Phoenix.

Minister Meriwether is married to Rev. Winston Meriwether, Jr., an Associate Minister at Mount Moriah-East Baptist Church, an anointed psalmist with a beautiful tenor voice, and an accomplished bass guitarist.      

We will serve dinner at 5:30pm and prayer/praise service starts at 6:30pm. The host pastor is Rev. Dr. Andre Johnson.