Religion

Pope: ‘Inhuman’ Conditions for Migrants on US-Mexico Border

Published

10 years ago

February 6, 2015

Pope Francis gives his speech in the Synod hall on the occasion of the closing ceremony of the IV Scholas Occurrentes World Educational Congress, at the Vatican, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has decried the “inhuman” conditions facing migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and has encouraged communities there not to judge people by stereotypes but welcome migrants and work to end discrimination.

Francis made the appeal in a letter to a Jesuit priest who helps organize Catholic teens in Nogales, Arizona, to support the Kino Border Initiative, which advocates a more humane solution to migration. The letter was dated Dec. 19 but was made public on Kino’s website recently.

“These young people — who have come to learn how to strive against the propagation of stereotypes, from people who only see in immigration a source of illegality, social conflict and violence — can contribute much to show the world a church without borders,” Francis wrote.

Rev. Sean Carroll, executive director of Kino Border Initiative, said student were very excited and very touched after receiving the letter from Francis.

“They cross the border every day to serve meals to the migrants,” said Carroll, who wrote the cover letter to accompany the teens’ messages to the Pope. “I think receiving this letter affirms the work they are doing.”

Lucy Howell, a board member of Kino Border Initiative, said the letter was share at a recent board member. “We’re ecstatic,” Howell said. “We’re all touched.”

Francis has made migration one of the priorities of his pontificate and will likely raise the issue when he visits the U.S. in September. On Thursday, U.S. officials confirmed he would address Congress on Sept. 24, the first pope to do so.

Francis has said he would have loved to have entered the U.S. via the Mexican border in a “beautiful … sign of brotherhood and of help to the immigrants.” But he said the trip’s itinerary was too tight to let him visit the border.

Carroll said a papal visit to the border would be a “transformative event” that might change minds of certain U.S. residents on the issue of immigration. “It would help people reflect deeply on the issue of migration,” Carroll said. “I think his visit would have a significant impact.”

In his letter, Francis praised migrant initiatives in cities like Nogales “which live daily with the phenomenon of immigration, and the ensuing inhuman situations of all type that it creates.” He urged the Kino supporters to “never tire of working to build fraternity and welcome against discrimination and exclusion.”

Arizona in 2010 passed tough legislation cracking down on illegal immigration, although much of the law was eventually gutted.

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Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

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Associated Press Writers Russell Contreras in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.

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Faith Tabernacle A.O.H. Church Welcomes New Assistant Overseer Edmund A. Singleton

The Faith Tabernacle A.O.H. Church of God in Richmond announced last week that it is honored to welcome Assistant Overseer Edmund A. Singleton II as our new Pastor and to introduce him to the Richmond community. At the 108th A.O.H National Pentecostal services on June 10, 2024, Asst. Overseer Singleton was appointed Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle A.O.H. Church by the National Presider, Bishop Lawrence Williams.

Published

8 months ago

October 2, 2024

Oakland Post

Faith Tabernacle A.O.H. Church New Assistant Overseer Edmund A. Singleton. Courtesy of Faith Tabernacle A.O.H. Church.

By Pamela Carter

When Jesus sent out his twelve disciples to minister the gospel he told them how they should conduct themselves as kingdom servants (Matt. 10:5–15). But he also spoke of the responsibility of the people to receive these ministers as his official representatives. Jesus insists that the way people receive his ministers reflects their relationship with God (Matt. 10:40). He invites God’s people to welcome “a prophet in the name of a prophet” and “to receive a righteous man’s reward” (v. 41).

At the 108^th A.O.H National Pentecostal services on June 10, 2024, Asst. Overseer Singleton was appointed Pastor of the Faith Tabernacle A.O.H. Church by the National Presider, Bishop Lawrence Williams.

His official installation services will be on Oct. 19, 2024, at 6 p.m. PT. Pastor Singleton will be the 3^rd Shepard appointed to this ministry over its 69-years of existence.

Singleton, originally united with the Faith Tabernacle church in 1993, under the leadership of Bishop George and Elder Verley Ayers. He served diligently on various ministries, including Youth Department, Deacons, Ushers, an the Choir.

In 2001, the Lord called him to the ecclesiastic ministry. He began his studies and tutelage to receive his Reverend licenses in 2003. At the request of Bishop Ayers, he studied and passed his Elder’s exam and was ordained an Elder at the 90^th Pentecostal meeting in 2006. In 2021, he was elevated to Assistant Overseer of the Western Region Diocese by Bishop Lawrence Williams.

In 2020, Pastor Singleton founded the Jehu Unchained Podcast, a Christian show to help individuals discover who God is and the benefits of being a born-again believer. His listenership continues to grow and has spread worldwide. In 2021, he launched the Jehu Unchained non-profit organization, geared to encouraging and supporting the youth in our community.

Pastor Singleton is a native of Oakland and a graduate of Kennedy High School in Richmond. He attended Contra Costa college and has worked in the construction industry for over 30-years.

Pastor Singleton is blessed to be married to his wife, Sister Kristie Palmer, for 27 years. They have two children, Edmund, III and Kayla.

As a husband and father, he brings a bit of wisdom, a sense of humor and a love for God’s people. He as a passion for the youth and witnessing the transformation of souls by the power of God.

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COMMENTARY: Prayer is Your Power

Published

2 years ago

February 6, 2023

Oakland Post

Prayer is about faith. It is believing that God hears us.

Faithful Utterances

By Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew | Texas Metro News

This week, a friend informed me that she was following the ambulance to the hospital with her husband. Her husband was going through a major health crisis. She wasn’t the only one who reached out—a friend’s mother had unexplained pain and another friend contacted me about her friend’s son who was hospitalized with pneumonia. Each of them asked that I pray for them.

I consider it an honor to pray for others. Prayer is powerful and I love that I have a group of friends who I can turn to that I call the “prayer warriors” that when I send a text to lift up the concerns and issues of others before God, they go into battle mode.

Prayer is a weapon and I think many of us don’t understand its power until we need it. For many of us, it’s a routine, something that’s more about religion than it is about relationship. We have gotten prayer twisted as some exchange solely for stuff. God is not a celestial Santa Claus dropping off gifts. Prayer is an opportunity to go before to God sincerely in relationship. “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.

Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” (Matthew 6:5–8)

Prayer is about faith. It is believing that God hears us. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) I realize that my prayers are even more powerful when I am in relationship with others seeking God: “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). It’s dangerous when we see prayer as a way to manipulate God into doing what we want. There is nothing wrong with bringing your requests before God but it’s important to check our motivation and intention. It’s also important to know that just because God doesn’t answer our prayers in the way that we want does not mean that God doesn’t love us.

It doesn’t mean that God does not hear us. It does not negate the omnipotence or goodness of God, either. We must believe that God is able. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) It’s easy to blame God when things don’t go the way we want them to—”the rain falls on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).

Terrible things happen to good people often. We live in an unjust world with people making decisions that are informed more by profit than people. We cannot take those principles into our relationship with God. We must believe that “… all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) …. God is concerned with our hearts, with people and cares for us even when things don’t go the way we’d like. I can report that all of the individuals we prayed for had excellent results.

God is good! Yet, I realize that this isn’t always the case. Prayer is powerful. God wants us to have this daily form of communication. 1 John 5:14, tells us: “And this is the boldness we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Don’t use prayer just when you need something. Just as all relationships require consistent communication for growth and results, the same is even more important in our relationship with God. Prayer is a powerful partnership with God that can move mountains when we believe!

Dr. Froswa’ Booker-Drew is the host of the Tapestry Podcast and the author of three books for women. She is also the Vice President of Community Affairs for the State Fair of Texas. To learn more, visit drfroswa.com.

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Black History

AFRICAN-ISH: The First Christmas Story

Both Joseph and Mary were of the lineage of David, Joseph descended from David’s son Solomon (and Bathsheba), and Mary extended from another son Nathan. Therefore, they were required to go to the little town of Bethlehem, in Judea and there, in a cattle shed Jesus was born. (Bethlehem is 70 miles south of Nazareth and 5 miles southwest of Jerusalem).

Published

2 years ago

December 26, 2022

Oakland Post

The four Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John chronicled the full theme of Christ as the universal Savior.

By Simon Burris

The narrative of Jesus’ birth and proof of his Hamitic (Black) African bloodline* began in the Old Testament in the book of Genesis chapter 10, in the Land of Ham, located in southwest Asia and Africa. Three most prominent Hamitic personalities: Abraham, Isaiah and David.

People and places of Hamitic origins are underlined.

(1) Abraham the patriarch was Babylonian (Ethnic Ethiopian). Gen. 11:31; (2) Isaiah a prophet lived 750 years before Christ, predicted the virgin birth was a nephew of Amaziah a Judahite (Canaanite) king; and (3) David the great king of Israel was a descendant of Abraham, also of Tamar and Rahab (Canaanites).

The (Hamitic) Genealogy of Jesus Christ: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-34

The Birth of Jesus: (about 6-4 BC)

Mary the virgin mother of Jesus and her husband Joseph the “foster” father of Jesus, a carpenter, lived in Nazareth, a town in northern Palestine.

At this time Emperor Augustus of the Roman Empire decreed that a census would be taken. Everyone in his domain had to go to his or her hometown to register. He probably ordered Cyrenius ( Quirinius ) the Afro Roman governor of Syria / Judeadistrict to take charge and supervise the mandate.

A short time later shepherds from the countryside as well as Wise Men (Magi) from neighboring countries Arabia, Babylonia,and Persia traveled to the nativity site, paid homage and worshiped the infant-Savior.

Now Joseph was warned by the Lord in a dream that Herod the Edomite king of Judea was plotting the murder of the child, fled with his family to Egypt, returning to Nazareth after the death of Herod.

Jesus had siblings, brothers Joseph, Simon, Epistle writers James, Jude, and several sisters. The last mention of Joseph occurs in the Gospel of Luke when he and Mary take the 12-year-old Jesus to Jerusalem. Mary played a vital role all through Jesus’ life, from the day He was born till the time of the crucifixion.

Conclusion: The four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John chronicled the full theme of Christ as the universal Savior. *Descendants of Ham’s sons Cush (Ethiopia), Mizraim (Egypt), Put (Libya) and Canaan (Ancient Palestine/Israel). Genesis 10: 6-20

Footnotes: Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25?

The ancient Romans celebrated the winter solstice on December 25 as the birthday of the SUN; the Babylonians and Persians -SON of the SUN. Some 300 plus years after Jesus’ earthly demise, Roman Emperor Constantine in 336 legalized this date as the birthday of the SON of GOD – JESUS the CHRIST! Originally: Christ’s Mass.

Eurocentric racism: Pope Julius II in 1508 commissioned Michelangelo, Raphael and other Renaissance artists and church scholars to portray and depict almost all major biblical characters as Europeans (Caucasians), save servants and slaves.