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10BODYOFCHRISTNEWSOCTOBER2013PastorApostleLeonEmersoncreditshisparentsReverendFlozellandGracieLeeEmersonfromCaruthersvilleMissouriforgivinghimstability.HesaysMydadwasanAMEpreacherfor45yearsandmymotherwasaCOGICmissionary.Theytaughtmethewaysofholinessandhowtorespectpeople.IdidntgetsaveduntilIcametoDenver.WhenIdidgetsavedmypastordidnthaveanyproblemswithmebecausemyparentshadtaughtmehowtoberespectfulfaithfultogotochurchandtotithe.Ilovedmychurchpas-torandGod.IamalsogratefulfortheministryofPastorApostleRubenBeechumwhomentoredYvonneandmeshowingusthewayofholinessinlifestyleandhowtoloveandtreatthepeopleofGod.SaysPastorApostleLeonEmersonHetaughtmehowtobeanhonestmanandhowtowalkbeforethepeoplesothepeoplewillappreciatetheGodthatisinyou.EvangelistMotherLoisWilliamsisalsosomeonewhomadeamajorimpactuponmyspiritualgrowth.ThesepeopleallhavepouredintomylifeandIappreciatethem.PastorYvonneEmersonsaysIhavetosaythepeoplewhoimpactedmethemostweremyparentsWillieMayandPhilmorePeteCornelius.welivedinIndianapolisIndiana.Mymotherwaskindandfriendlyandshewasapeopleperson.Mydaddyshowedrespectforotherpeopleandhedemandedrespectforhimself.Myfatherwasakindlyandgivingmanandamanofhisword.Ifhesaidityoucouldtakeittothebank.Whenyouregrowingupthosethingsareimportant.Thereasonwhysomeoftodaysyoungpeopledonthaveconfidenceintheolderpeopleisbecausewedontkeepourword.Butmyfathertoldmeifyousaythatyouregoingtodosomethingyouhadbettermakesurethatyoudoit.Becausetheonethingthatcameoutofhismouthwasamanswordishisbond.AtthetimeIdidntknowwhatthatmeantbutasIgrewolderIrealizedthatpeopleexpectyoutocarryoutwhatyousay.Andbeingfriendlyandbeingapeoplepersonpeopleinourneighborhoodcametoourhousesatonourporchtalkedtoourmotherandfather.AnybodywhopassedbyonthestreetmymotherwouldbeoutontheporchsayingheyhowareyoudoingAndthosethingsareimpor-tantitmakespeoplefeelliketheyaresomebody.ReflectingonthebeginningoftheirministryPastorYvonneEmersonsaysIremembermyhus-bandcominghomeonedaysayinghewasgoingtostartachurch.Hehadbeenprayingaboutsomethingsandherearrangedourbasementat3531EudoraStreetandmadeitintoachurch.Iwenttobedonenightwithabasementthathadapooltableandatelevisionandwokeupthenextmorn-ingandtherewasacathedralinthebasementofourhouse.Soithasbeenquitearollercoasterridebutaverygoodandexcitingone.Shesaysmanythingshavechangedovertheyearsnotingthatinyearsbackyoungfolkswerelimitedtobeinginthechoirorusheringinthechurchesandparticipat-inginChildrensDay.Nowadaystheyareabletoexpressthemselvesindanceandbemoreofanintegralpartofchurchlife.PastorApostleLeonEmersonnotestheincreaseinviolenceandthatkidsarerestless.Hebelievesparentsaremainlyresponsibleforthat.IntimespastyouthweretaughttorespectthehouseoftheLordthemanofGodandadultsingeneral.Nowthereisalackofaccountabilitywhichisaresultofparentsnottakingresponsibilityfortrainingtheirchildren.SisterYvonnesaysIbelieveitisoktoplay.Wecangivethechildrenthingstoentertainthembutwealsohavetocouplethatwithprayer.Youcanplayandpray.Childrenandteensneedsomeonewhoisabletoseebeyondwhattheythemselvesseeandprovideguidance.ItisgoodifsomeonecomesdowntoplaybasketballorpoolwiththekidsbuttheyalsoneedsomeonewhoisspirituallymindedtointroducethemtotheGodthatweserve.Imtalk-ingtothechurchnowweneedtoentertainthembutwealsoneedtoprayforthemandwiththemandteachthemhowtoprayteachthemhowtoberesponsibleandtogetaholdofGodforthemselves.PastorApostleLeonEmersonwasoneofthefirstpastorstocallforunityandsummitstoaddressviolencewithinourcommunity.HesaysOneofthethingsIhavefeltovertheyearsisthatwehavebecomeselfishandlockedinonourownonelittleitem.WegivetheimpressionthatthisiswhatIwanttodoandthisismeinthiscornerandthisishowImgoingtodomine.AnditsalmostlikeIamgoingtodomythingandIdonthaveanytimeorplaceforanybodyelsetohookupwithme.AndbecausewevebeensodividedandsosplitupalotofthingswecouldhavedonewecantdobecausewedidnthavethecohesivenessthatweneedwithinthebodyofChristorwithinourcommunity.Iamafirmbelieverthattheleadersofourcom-munitythepastorsandthosewhoareinthepoliti-calarenaneedtostepupandtaketheirresponsibil-itycontinuesPastorApostleEmersonIamthefirsttoadmitthatsometimesthechurchhasgottentoobusytakingcareofchurchbusinessthattheyhaveforgottentotakecareofthebusinessofthechurch.ThebusinessofthechurchistowinsoulsandbringpeopletoChrist.IbuiltmychurchonthefoundationofIsaiah611TheSpiritoftheLordGODisuponmebecausetheLORDhathanointedmetopreachgoodtidingsuntothemeekhehathsentmetobindupthebroken-heartedtoproclaimlibertytothecap-tivesandtheopeningoftheprisontothemthatareboundsaysPastorEmersonInfactIaskedaguytopaintthescriptureontothewallsofourchurchwhenwewerelocatedintheDahliaShoppingCenter.IwouldquotethatscriptureeverytimeIgotuptopreachbecauseGodtoldmethatiswhatHehadcalledustodotobreaktheyokestosetthepeoplefree.AndIbelievethatiswhatweneednow.Weneedayoke-breakingmoveofGodinthelivesofallofusnotjustthekids.Ifthefathersnotrightthemothersnotgoingtoberight.Andifthemothersnotrightthenthechildrenwontberight.Soasgoesthefathersogoesthemothersandsogothechildren.Andasgothechildrensogoesoursociety.Untilthoseyokesarebrokenoffthelivesofpeoplewewillstillbebound.WhenApostleEmersonwasPresidentoftheMinisterialAlliancehewasabletogatherpastorsacrossdenominationallinestoworktogetherandbelievesthenewpresidentPastorGolsonisdoingagreatjobandthetwoareworkingtogethertobringmorecohesivenessintothecommunity.ApostleEmersonsaysIdontwanttoputalltheresponsibilityontheAlliance.Eachpresidenthashisownvision.PastorGolsonsvisionispreachersfirstremindingusthatwearepreachersfirst.Minewasgettinginvolvedinthecommunityandcommunityprojects.PastorEmersonacknowledgesTheMinisterialAlliancecantdoitallbuttherearepreachersthatcancometogetherandbringtogethertypesoffellowshipssowecanworktogeth-ertogetsomethingsaccomplished.Irecentlyreceivedane-mailfromRedeemerTempleonthewestsideamostlySpanishchurch.Theywanttoputtogetheramonthlybreakfasttofocusontheircommunitysneeds.Therearethingsthatwecandotobringourchurch-estogetheraswellwithouttakingawayfromwhattheMinisterialAlliancedoesbutrathertoenhancewhatisalreadyworkingwithinourcommunity.Wecanbringtogetherthebrotherhoodofchurchesandalsoincludethegrowingnumberofsisterswhoarepastorsandleaderswithinthecommunity.Wejustneedtodeterminetodoitandthenfollowthrough.PastorYvonneEmersonaddsWeneedtohaveaconcertedeffortindealingwithourcommunity.Nooneparticularprogramorsummitisgoingtosolvealltheissues.Weneedeveryoneworkingtogetherforonemainpurposeandthatistoseeourchil-drensavedandtokeepviolenceoffofourstreets.Itsnotjustyoungpeoplewhoaredoingthingsthereisviolencealloverandwithpeopleacrossraciallines.Weneedtorallytogether.Anybodywhocanhelpandwantstohelp--weneedtosolicitthathelpinordertostopsomeofthenegativeactionsthataregoingon.PastorLeonEmersonagreesAsSisterEmersonsaidwehavetohaveallpeoplewithonemind.TheBiblesaidtheyhadamindtoworkandIbelieveaswestandupandwebegintocallourbrothersandsistersintoactionnotjustthepreachersweneedthecommunityworkersandpoliticianspolicemenprincipalstheparents--weneedeveryonetocometogether.WhenIwasthepresidentoftheMinisterialAlliancewecametogetherwith5sectorsthepreacherprincipalpolicepoliticianandthepeople.Ifyougetthemworkingtogetherthenwecanbeeffectiveinourcommunity.JamalBryantsaidthatmanyoutsideourcom-Celebrating30YearsofMinistryIamafirmbelieverthattheleadersofourcommunitythepastorsandthosewhoareinthepoliticalarenaneedtostepupandtaketheirresponsibilityIamthefirsttoadmitthatsometimesthechurchhasgottentoobusytakingcareofchurchbusinessthattheyhaveforgottentotakecareofthebusinessofthechurch.ThebusinessofthechurchistowinsoulsandbringpeopletoChrist.COMMUNITYContinuedonPage15