Faith & Clergy

Elder Rasband Returns to Missionary Roots, Calls Harlem ‘a very special place’

Published

7 years ago

November 11, 2017

Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles greets a member in Harlem, N.Y., after a meeting marking the 20th anniversary of the first branch in the area on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017. Photo by Joel Richards.

By Sarah Jane Weaver, Deseret News

Elder Ronald A. Rasband exited the Church’s prominent 33,000-square-foot meetinghouse located in the heart of Harlem, New York, on Sunday, Oct. 22, and walked one block down the street. There he looked in the windows of the iconic Sylvia’s Restaurant where, two decades earlier, the first church of Latter Day Saints branch met in Harlem.

Recalling the birth of the Church in the historic northern Manhattan community, Elder Rasband, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who served as a full-time missionary and then mission president in New York, thought: “This is what it is all about.”
“A piece of my heart and a piece of my testimony exists here in Harlem,” said Elder Rasband, who was in Harlem to participate in the 20th anniversary celebration of the Church that is located on Malcolm X boulevard.
It was while Elder Rasband was serving as president of the New York, New York, North Mission from 1996 to 1999 that it became apparent that members and missionaries needed a place to meet in Harlem.

Congregations from numerous denominations were gathering on nearly every corner in Harlem; Latter-day Saint converts also wanted to worship in their community.

“We were having a very difficult time finding a place to lease,” said Elder Rasband. Then Van Woods, an LDS convert, offered Elder Rasband and the Church his famous soul food restaurant.

Thinking of all the storefront churches in New York City, Elder Rasband thought, “Why can’t we meet in a restaurant on Sunday mornings?”
Church leaders formed the Manhattan 9th Branch, better known as the “Harlem Branch,” in 1997. Members met in the iconic Sylvia’s Restaurant. As the Church was welcomed into the prominent business, the way the community perceived the Church changed, recalled Elder Rasband.

Church membership thrived in Harlem, and the Latter-day Saints soon outgrew Sylvia’s. Construction on the first Church-built meetinghouse in Harlem began several days before the dedication of the Manhattan New York Temple in 2004. Today the five-floor meetinghouse on Lenox Avenue and 128th Street stands in the heart of Harlem. Three wards meet in the building.

Elder Rasband said he knew as a mission president that great things were in store for Harlem. He quoted from the biblical verse in Proverbs 29, “where there is no vision the people perish.”

“The Harlem Branch, now three wards, is an example of people having vision,” he siad. “Look what has now happened in Harlem. Dream big.”

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U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Remembers Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School Lessons

Barbara Lee said she still treasures her CD Sunday school lessons that she participated in as a visitor to Jimmy Carter’s Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. She told The Post that she attended gospel concerts at the Carter White House as the staff aide for the late Congressman Ron Dellums.

Published

1 week ago

January 7, 2025

Oakland Post

Congressperson Barbara Lee invited her fellow members of Congress and their key staff to visit Jimmy Carter’s Sunday School lessons.

By Paul Cobb

“I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of President Jimmy Carter,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “President Carter displayed a lifelong commitment to global peace, justice, and human rights. He inspired me and countless others.”

“I send my condolences to his family, his loved ones, and all who loved him. May he now Rest in Peace with his wife, Rosalynn,”. Lee continued.

“I also invited congressional staff to visit his Sunday school teachings. He taught us lessons on how to apply our faith to our policy work in government and in our respective communities. He practiced what he preached and represented a change in social and racial advancements.”

Barbara Lee with PresidentCarter and First Lady Rosalyn.
Lee has treasured the CD’s and
notes of his Sunday School Bible
lessons through the years. Photos
courtesy of Rep. Lee’s office.

Barbara Lee with President Carter and First Lady Rosalyn. Lee has treasured the Carters and notes of his Sunday School Bible lessons through the years. Photos courtesy of Rep. Lee’s office.

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Activism

Port of Oakland to Host January Meeting for Interfaith Council of Alameda County

State, county, and city officials have been invited to join ICAC board members and the community to explore effective strategies for addressing these interconnected challenges across Alameda County, including ICAC’s Safe Car Park program expansion and efforts to convert trailers into shelter for the unhoused.

Published

1 week ago

January 6, 2025

Oakland Post

The Port of Oakland. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

The Interfaith Council of Alameda County (ICAC) will hold its first meeting of 2025 on Thursday, Jan. 9, at the Port of Oakland, located at 530 Water St. Hosted by the president of the Port of Oakland, the meeting will run from 1-2:30 p.m. and will focus on pressing community issues including environmental justice, housing solutions, and crime and safety.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend and contribute to this important discussion. For more information, visit interfaithAC.org.

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Activism

Oakland Trybe Hosts Community Christmas Wonderland

According to the Oakland Trybe Clinton Park Site Director, Chien Nguyen, Oakland Trybe serves the community every Sunday afternoon. “Today has extra fanfare because it’s Christmas and the end of the year, but we feed and build community here every week throughout the year,” said Nguyen.

Published

2 weeks ago

December 29, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Trybe Hosts Christmas Celebration at San Antonio Park. (L-R:) Oakland Trybe Clinton Park Site Director Chien Nguyen and Oakland Trybe Executive Director, Pastor Andrew Park. Photo by Carla Thomas

By Carla Thomas

On Dec. 22, at the corner of 18th and Foothill in Oakland, San Antonio Park was transformed into a winter wonderland, courtesy of the non-profit Oakland Trybe.

The festiveness of the holiday was in full effect with children reaching for snow flurries as an artificial snow machine sprayed snowflakes from the park’s hillside. Nearby, about a dozen kids jumping up and down in an extra-large bounce house added more cheer to the atmosphere.

Gospel music filled the air. Children built gingerbread houses and designed homemade tree ornaments at the crafts table while others lined up for Christmas gifts and photos with Santa Claus.

A Black Santa Claus portrayed by Oakland Trybe staffer,” Isaiah Jackson, was seated beside the Christmas tree filled with personalized ornaments as children received gifts. “It’s fun to interact with the community and provide activities and a space for the kids to let loose in a safe environment,” said Jackson who serves as Oakland Trybe’s Operations Outreach Specialist.

Below, at the food court that Ngyuen says was built by staff, volunteers, and organization interns, kids played soccer on the two newly resurfaced playgrounds.

Parents lined up with their little ones for a plate of smoked chicken, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and salad. Ladies serving the food wore festive Christmas aprons bearing a customized spin on the Heinz catsup logo: “Catch Up With Jesus. Lettuce Praise and Relish Him, Cuz He Loves Me From My Head To ma toes.”

“It’s nice to serve and see everyone so happy,” said Mei Fu,” who is also an Oakland Trybe Operations and Outreach Specialist.

“Oakland Trybe is the largest distributor of food in Oakland from the Alameda County Food Bank,” said Nguyen. “Today, we served about 500 meals.”

Executive Director of Oakland Trybe Andrew Park, who is a pastor, said, in addition to providing food and entertainment, he and a small group were praying for guests who were ill. “We are community-based and welcome all, but we also know the power of prayer,” said Park. “By meeting the community’s needs and bringing them together, we can combat hate and racism at its core.”

With a rise in racism and hate in the world, Oakland Trybe considers its mission as a community builder combatting racism and other forms of hate by fostering programming that meets the needs of the community.

“Our organization was built with the need to support the community and bring people together,” said Park. “Together, with common goals, we can ensure people get to know one another and that breaks down cultural and racial barriers.”

According to Nguyen, Park does not pastor at a church. However, through his faith, he serves the larger community. “This is his church, and I appreciate him as a mentor,” said Ngyuen who is Buddhist. “This is how you reach the community, build community, and heal.”