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.”
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
Persuading African Americans to complete the 2020 Census, especially in the midst of COVID-19, is no easy task, but several faith-based organizations are taking on the challenge. According to the Rev. Edward “Eddie” Anderson, pastor of McCarty Memorial Christian Church in Los Angeles, “Scripture reminds us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because of the census. The census is important, my friends, because it says that I matter, my community matters and my Black life counts!” The Rev. Dr. Michael J.T. Fisher, pastor of Greater Zion Church Family in Compton and president of the Pastors of Compton; and the Rev.
As the celebration of the birth of Christ nears, the Sentinel surveyed several local clergy for their replies to the question: What are one-to-two Christmas wishes that you would extend to the L.A.-area African American community and why? The following are the responses that we received. Pastor Mary S. Minor, Brookins-Kirkland Community AME Church: “During the season of Christmas, Christians recant the night when Jesus was born. There was no room in the inn. He was born homeless. Today, many persons (including children) know firsthand what it means to be homeless. “My wish is that the county and city of
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