African Methodist Episcopal

The African Methodist Episcopal Church is a denomination that grew out of the Free African Society (FAS) which was a group in the late 1700's that protested slavery in the United States. The AME church, "rejected the negative theological interpretations which rendered persons of African descent second class citizens. Theirs was a theological declaration that God is God all the time and for every body." 

The name of the AME church was derived from the following:

• African - because the church was organized by people of African descent and heritage. 

• Methodist - The church’s roots and gospel were derived from the family of Methodist churches. 

• Episcopal - Refers to the church's government structure - the church is governed by bishops. 

The church welcomes all, not just persons of African descent.

I visited Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church at their 11am Sunday service.

WHERE YOU GO TO GET YOUR PRAISE ON!

The service started out fairly regularly with some singing and praying. There was a call to Worship, scripture reading, and they recited the Apostle's Creed, during the call for prayer - people called out the names of those in need of prayer. 

As a first time guest; they recognized me, had me stand, and gave me a prayer. They told me that I would only be a stranger once at Grant Chapel :) 

There was a male elder of the church who sang a solo, it was truly delightful. 

Reverend Dr. John Hill is the minister and facilitated the service but the sermon was given by a guest Reverend, the Presiding Elder of the 5th District of their church, Reverend Dr. Charles Wharry. Reverend Wharry sermon was about How Not to Sell Out. He talked about the numerous people in the Bible that sold out but there were also many that did not like Joshua. He talked about how Temptation is an attempt to get you to sell out your Birthright. He advised First you must Put God as your Priority and Secondly You must live a life with Godly Principles. Lastly make sure you Ally yourself with the right people who will not deter you from path of God. 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. ~ Matthew 6:33

The offering was given by members of the church going up to front of the sanctuary and putting it in baskets. Then there was an altar communion, which is the first Sunday of every month. Both men and women were part of the pastoral team. 

There were several aspects of the service that I really liked - the members of the pastoral team prayed before they started service, the congregation held hands and formed a Unity circle and prayed together, the congregation prayed for the Reverend before he gave his sermon. 

                    They were a very friendly group. 

THANK YOU Grant Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church for welcoming me into the Family for the day. 
Post Script I would like to express my deepest sorrow and condolences regarding the tragedy at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. church in June of 2015. May God be with you all and with your beloved families. 

All Nations Assembly of God

Assemblies of God were first part of the revival Pentecostal movement. In the early 1900's, tent revivals sprang up all over parts of the U.S. as a way to breathe life into stale Christian worship. The Assembly of God denomination came about in 1914, when people from the movement sought to organize the revivals into the structure of a permanent church community. Evangelism and missions are at the foundation of the Assembly of God Church.

The Assemblies of God have a four-fold Mission:

1. Evangelize the lost.
2. Worship God.
3. Disciple believers.
4. Show Compassion.

I attended the Sunday evening 6:30 service of All Nations Assembly of God. A small chapel, within a block of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. All Nations is a church dedicated to evangelizing the gospel to people of all the tribal nations.  

ALL ARE WELCOME IN GOD'S HOUSE

It was a small group but a big and powerful message. Pastor Marleen Mercer has been preaching the word of God amongst the Native Cultures for almost 40 years. It opened with a prayer and songs. People shared their praises and a young woman recited John 3:16 in Navajo ~ it was very meaningful and touching. 

Pastor Mercer gave a powerful and moving sermon. She spoke of our Spiritual Body Armour - Armour of God that helps us withstand in the battles against evil and self destruction. She made the illustration that negative thoughts are like runaway wild horses and God is what you must use to reign them in. When we are clothed in the breastplate of Jesus, we are righteous. It is difficult to allow ourselves to believe that we are righteous because we judge ourselves on our own actions and our limitations. We are righteous, however because it is Jesus that is righteous for us. This she affirmed, is the armour that will defend you against the World and allow you to shine God's love. 

Shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ. ~ Romans 5:17

We closed the service with a prayer circle. We joined hands and prayed out loud for the person on either side of us, for the group, the community...The room was truly filled with the Holy Spirit. It was an amazingly uplifting service to be a part of. I now know why they call them Revivals!

THANK YOU All Nations Assembly of God for showing me that we are all part of God's Tribe. 

Praising God with the Baptists

Baptists first came about in England in the 17th century as part of the separation of Protestants during the reform movement in the Church of England. One of the congregations that split off only accepted "believers" and they would baptize the converts as a symbol of their commitment of faith. Their opponents thus nicknamed them "Baptists," and the name stayed with them. (BHHS)

According to the National Baptist Convention, a Gospel Church is a "congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ"

Today I attended the 11am Sunday service at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. Mt Olive is a 115 year old church in the heart of Albuquerque. It has been a vibrant part of Albuquerque's past and present. Although Mt. Olive has historically been an African American congregation, they are completely welcoming to all of God's children. Musical ministry is a large part of this church community, with solos and a choir being an integral part of the worship service. 

Before service, the ministerial team prepared themselves by forming a prayer circle with a private prayer. 

The service began with an uplifting prayer then the spirited musical worship began. The choir and musicians praised God in a joyous and wonderful way and the congregation joined in, singing and clapping.   

Their LOVE for The Lord was contagious

The congregation then greeted each other.  Members came up to me and greeted me with a handshake or a hug. They were very friendly and welcoming to me as a newcomer. 

Reverend Michael Sumbry preached the Gospel. His sermon spoke of the harmony of God's Law and the Gospel. He talked of the purpose of God's law including - how God's law exposes our faults such as pride or a mean spirit; how it teaches us our utter helplessness without God; and serves as a vehicle to Christ. 

For Christ is the end of the law. 
                           Romans 10:4
            For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
                                                                                                                  Romans 6:14

What God's law cannot give us, Jesus Christ does ~ Rev. Mike

After the sermon, he summoned all the people who serve as leaders (deacon, Sunday school, etc.) in the church to the front of the church. He had the congregation bless them for the New Year and then he washed their feet. He said the feet washing served not only as an expression of love for them but also a reminder that we all are here to be of service to one another. 

Communion was then shared, followed by fellowship after service. 

It was a great service - If you have never Praised and Worshiped God in such a glorious way, you are truly missing out on an amazing experience. 

THANK YOU Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church for welcoming me into your home to praise the Lord!