Bishop Daniel Payne's 200th Birthday fast approaching!

In a few short months, we will begin our official celebration of the 250th birthday of our illustrious founder, Bishop Richard Allen. In fact, in Philadelphia, several pre-events have already occurred or will soon happen (Mother Bethel at St. George's, Dr. James Cone preaches at Mother Bethel, Drs. Cornell West and Molefi Asante will discuss Allen on Dec. 16). The year will literally fly by as we rightfully celebrate Allen's lasting legacy.

However, as a denomination, we should be thinking and planning right now for the proper way to remember Bishop Daniel Alexander Payne's 200th birthday on February 24, 2011. After Bishop Allen, no other person has had such an impact on the shape and direction of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) than Bishop Payne. Bishop Payne was the longest serving bishop in our history, serving as an active bishop literally 1/2 of his 82 years (elected and consecrated in 1852).

During his lifetime, he led the fight for an educated ministry, he purchased Wilberforce University on behalf of the AMEC, and he was the central figure in the expansion of the AMEC into the south in the days after the Civil War. On the flip side, he was largely responsible for defeating the efforts of those who sought inclusion of women into the ranks of ministry and he led the crusade to erase what many today view as valuable aspects of Black Christian worship.

Payne was a controversial figure, to be certain, and his legacy needs to be better understood by a contemporary audience in that much of what we know today to be "AME" had to do with his policies and practices. A proper celebration of his life should in the very least include voices from Charleston, SC; Wilberforce, OH; Gettysburg, PA; Troy, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, DC; and Baltimore, MD. This list is not exhaustive, but just highlights those places where he lived and worked. Clearly, there are others who should be included.

Perhaps one area of concern we can all agree on doing together is repairing the head stone at his last resting place. As you can see in the picture above, Payne's monument is in disrepair. In fact, Bishop Alexander Wayman's (Payne's son in the episcopacy) monument sits next to his and is also broken down. Both are at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Baltimore, MD. They were moved to the current location in the mid 1900s after the original location (Laurel Cemetery) was swindled away by unscrupulous Baltimore city council members and turned into a shopping mall. Prior to this act, Laurel Cemetery was a "who's who" for Baltimore African Americans. The AMEC was fortunate for the action of the Baltimore Annual Conference in saving the monuments and remains of Bishops Payne and Wayman, in that many others were simply covered with asphalt to make a parking lot.

Let's not let the remains of Bishop Payne go through disrespect for a second time. Like we care for the remains of Bishop Richard Allen, Mother Sarah Allen, and Bishop Morris Brown, in the tomb at Mother Bethel, some small fund or stipend should be put in place to care for the site of one of the giants of African Methodism.

If there are interested persons who would like to begin discussing how we best honor the life and legacy of Bishop Payne in 2011, please reach me via email at markkellytyler@gmail.com. Also, add a comment here so that others might be inspired to think about ways we can commemorate this milestone of 200 years!

Blood is thicker than water...

For me, the day was best summed up by one of our members who approached me after service saying how upset she was that she only had one Kleenex for the day. It was truly a tear jerker for many of the 400 to 500 worshipers on yesterday at Historic St. George's United Methodist Church as Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church returned home for worship. Although there have been gatherings of the 2 congregations over the past 200 plus years, this is the first time that both churches have worshiped together at the 11am hour. This is an important point to remember, for the walk out of Richard Allen and Absalom Jones was not an event between 2 denominations, but it was a tearing apart of one congregation. And I must say, it felt good be back.

The service was highlighted by serving Holy Communion with a chalice presented to St. George's in 1785 by Methodist founder, John Wesley. Adding to the significance was Wesley Chapel in London, England (John Wesley's church) singing the same hymns as our service at their morning worship as a sign of solidarity. Keeping in the spirit of pan-Methodism, we were joined in worship by the spouse of Bishop Jeffery N. Leath, Dr. Susan Leath, Episcopal Supervisor of the 19th Episcopal District (South Africa); a caravan of worshipers from Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore, MD, (which stands side-by-side with Mother Bethel in it's important historical role in the founding of the AMEC); Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, the National Cathedral of African Methodism, in Washington, DC; and Hemmingway African Methodist Episcopal Church in Maryland; along with a host of other UMCs and AMEs from the local and regional area.

The day was capped off for me when I received a hand made cross from Rev. Fred Day (pastor of St. George's) that was crafted from nails used to build the balcony in which Richard Allen was pulled up from his knees in prayer. Nails, which once symbolized segregation and division, had now been turned into a symbol of God's redemptive power. The nails remind us that in spite of all that divides us, we are united by the blood. It is the blood of Jesus, shed for our sins, which unites us and brings us to a place where we recognize that blood is thicker than water!

In an effort to share the many different faces and voices from the day, here are links to news stories done by CBS, ABC, the Philadelphia Inquirer, KYW News, and photos taken by a reporter with the UMC News. Enjoy!

http://cbs3.com/video/?id=90085@kyw.dayport.com

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=7082155

http://www.kyw1060.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=4111418

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5259669&ct=7612683&tr=y&auid=5516658

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_region/20091026_Methodist_congregation__split_by_racism_200_years_ago__unites.html

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20091101_Editorial__Segregated_Sundays.html

http://picasaweb.google.com/EPAConference/StGeorgeSAndMotherBethelWorship#

http://picasaweb.google.com/lhs1967/StGeorgeSUnitedMethodist?authkey=Gv1sRgCJWLyeGqgP-B0gE&feat=email#

http://picasaweb.google.com/lhs1967/MotherBethelAMEChurch2009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMDxh42p1fjK0wE&feat=email#

Change we can believe in? A few thoughts from W.E.B. DuBois

Much has been written and said about the recent inauguration of our 44th president, Barak Obama. At the swearing in ceremony, my camera caught the image of the Black National flag in the foreground with the American flags in the background. For some reason, this picture has been on my mind since Tuesday. I think I finally understand why it has been with me. It is related to the words spoken by W.E.B. DuBois over 100 years ago in his classic work, The Souls of Black Folk:

"One ever feels his two-ness,--an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.

The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife,--this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self. In this merging he wishes neither of the older selves to be lost. He would not Africanize America; for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face."

President Obama's sudden rise to power provides an excellent opportunity for us to reexamine the words of DuBois and once again ask the age old question: What does it mean to be Black and American? Can these "unreconciled strivings" ever be reconciled? Can these 2 "warring ideals" be held in check without tearing one asunder? Can you have one service with 2 preachers, Rick Warren and Joseph Lowry, both offering prayers and not lose your mind in the process?

What does the "age of Obama" mean for the question of DuBois? Has the rule about race in America changed, or is he only another in a long list of exceptions to the rule? Only time will tell. But for now, we pray for the day when we no longer have anything to reconcile. We pray for a day when our Blackness is not viewed as being at war with our American-ness. We pray for a day when others will value (and not despise) the unique gifts and perspective that comes from being Black in America. Let's hope that this will also be a part of the change we can believe in.