L.A.-area ministers are unanimous in their opinion that believers can have joy at Christmas. These spiritual leaders remind Christians that “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
: Council Districts (CDs) 8, 9 and 10 saw minimal changes in the final draft map to be submitted to the Los Angeles City Council by the Redistricting Commission. The adopted draft map, which passed by a 15-6 vote, featured adjustments to the three CDs with the city’s highest numbers of voting age African Americans. Most notably, Exposition Park is now located in CD 8.
Pastor Edward “Eddie” Anderson and the members of McCarty Memorial Christian Church are the latest members of the faith community to assist with the COVID-19 testing and the distribution of the vaccines. The church partnered with Inclusive Action and the L.A. Street Vending Campaign to host a vaccination site. On March 29, more than 500 street vendors and community members received the Moderna vaccine during a day-long event at the historic church in the West Adams district. “We did it because Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves,” explained Pastor Anderson. “The church is the trusted
Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” The Sunday before New Year’s, I sat with my father engaging in one of our typical bonding activities – watching football on the television. Two playoff competitive teams were playing under the cloak of night and snow. One team, the Green Bay Packers, was from the land of the frozen tundra and the other was not so much, but they were Titans. While taking in the competition
First AME Church – L.A. holds their annual Christmas Giveaway on Dec. 21, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., at 2270 S. Harvard Blvd., in Los Angeles, said Pastor J. Edgar Boyd. Gently used coats, jackets, sweaters, hats, gloves and scarves will be distributed. For information, call (323) 735-1251. Grant AME Church sponsors their 11th annual Toys, Clothes and Food Giveaway on Dec. 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 10435 S. Central Ave., in Los Angeles, said Pastor J. Arthur Rumph. Also, on Dec. 22, at 9:30 a.m., the Christmas Music and Arts Worship Service takes place in the
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church plans the 5th Annual Jingle Jam Toy Giveaway on Dec. 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2009 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in Los Angeles, said Bishop Sylvester Washington, pastor. In partnership with Ella’s Foundation, 400+children will receive toy bags and bikes. Also, music, food, games, a VIP Pamper Pop Up, interactive Christmas stories will be offered. For details, call (323) 293-6448. First AME Church – L.A. presents a Christmas musical, “Straight Outta Bethlehem,” on Dec. 15, at 4 p.m., at 2270 S. Harvard Blvd., in Los Angeles, said Pastor J. Edgar Boyd. The Sunday
Crenshaw United Methodist Church and Delta Sigma Theta L.A. Alumnae Chapter host a free Legal Aid Fair on Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 3740 Don Felipe Dr., in Los Angeles, said Pastor Royce Porter Sr. and Annette Mosley Gibson, chapter president. Law professionals will address expungements, child support enforcement, estate planning, reverse mortgages, restraining orders and other topics. To register, visit dstlachapter.com/events. Salvation Army Compton Corps presents musician and composer Charles Barnes in concert at 736 E. Compton Blvd., in Compton. He just released a new CD, “You’re So Good Thank You Lord.” He will perform
Scripture – Matthew 5:38-41 America is, in many respects, at an impasse. Time itself has found itself at the burgeoning of a new precipice. And if I was a philosopher like Hegel, I might summarize looking at the times that a new dialectic is emerging. If I was a philosophic critic like Derrida interpreting the signs of the times, I might postulate that what we see on display today is simply the falling away of modernity and the emergence of post-modernity. And beloved if I was a theologian like Karl Barth, I might describe our time as God breaking into
Love has come to the Rev. Edward “Eddie” Anderson, pastor of McCarty Memorial Christian Church in South Los Angeles. He recently announced his engagement to Clare Fox and set a wedding date for early 2020. “I’m very excited about being married. I’m curious about what God is going to bring about and I think it will affect my ministry in a very good way. It will provide balance in my life period,” said Anderson, who has served at McCarty since 2016. “My fiancée works as well and we can channel that into the community. We share love for one another.
Religious leaders of every faith united in extending prayers of sympathy along with condemning the shocking killings of 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27. The murders occurred three days after a White man shot two African Americans in Jeffersontown, Kentucky on Oct. 24, after unsuccessfully attempting to enter a nearby Black church. The appalling hate crimes stirred memories of the mass murders of 26 people at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas in Nov. 2017, nine people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015, and the four
McCarty Memorial Christian Church is no stranger to radical and courageous leaders. In fact, the West Adams ministry attracted national attention when it integrated in the 1950s. Taking a bold stance by recruiting Black members, then-Pastor Kring Allen flatly stated, “Integration is basic to the Gospel…there can be no more segregated churches. The whole movement of history is against it.” Fast-forward to 2018 and find a similar commitment to a multicultural Gospel in the Rev. Edward “Eddie” Anderson, the current pastor of McCarty Memorial. At 28-years-old, the young spiritual leader is determined to cultivate a contemporary ministry that reflects the
Rep. Alcee Hastings Rabbi Joel Simonds Rabbi Morley Feinstein Black and Jewish teens discuss social justice with Rep. Alcee Hastings Teens of varying faiths and races will discuss social change opportunities between the black and Jewish community with Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) as part of an area-wide effort to connect youth on shared issues of justice. The dialogue is sponsored by the Jewish Center for Justice (JCJ) and their Teen Leadership Initiative and co-hosted by Ward AME Church and McCarty Memorial Church on Sunday, August 28 at 9:30 a.m., at Ward, 1177 W. 25th St., in Los Angeles. An
As trauma, paralysis and anguish envelope some people upset by the election of President Donald Trump, three ministers offer advice to believers to overcome feelings of helplessness. The Rev. Kelvin Sauls, pastor of Holman United Methodist Church; the Rev. Eddie Anderson, pastor of McCarty Memorial Christian Church; and the Rev. Dr. Anthony B. Pinn, professor of religion at Rice University in Houston, Texas recently shared their thoughts on the role of the church in the era of Trump. While all agreed that the people’s anxieties are understandable and should be listened to, the preachers were united in recommending prayer and