People Profile: Rev. Dr. Elaine Flake

Long recognized as a powerful preacher, teacher and role model with a gift for reaching worshippers of all ages, the Reverend Margaret Elaine M. Flake has been impacting the many lives she touches at The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral (GAC) and throughout the country. She has dedicated her life to the betterment of others by leading Christian education, evangelistic and outreach ministries.

Fondly called Reverend Elaine by the GAC congregation, she was instrumental in developing the Allen Women's Resource Center which houses women who are victims of domestic violence; the Allen Prison Ministry, and many other of the 102 ministries at the GAC that serve both church and community. She acts as Advisor to the Missionary Department and as Advisor/Coordinator of the Allen Women's Ministry Department. Each year over 1,000 women from across the country and the Caribbean attend the retreats she hosts. Reverend Elaine has played a crucial role in increasing the membership of The Greater Allen A.M.E Cathedral to 20,000+. She mentors many prominent leaders in the New York City area and is frequently invited to speak throughout the country.

Dr. Flake is the author of the popular book, "God In Her Midst: Preaching Healing to Hurting Women" and has contributed to the "Women of Color Study Bible" and "Souls of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, Tell Their Stories, and Heal Their Spirits." She and her husband, the Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake authored two books, "Practical Virtues: Everyday Values and Devotions for African American Families Learning to Live With All Our Souls" published in 2003 by Harper Collins and "African American Church Management Handbook," published in 2005 by Judson Press.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Flake earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. She received a Master of Arts Degree in English from Boston University and a Master of Divinity Degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She was awarded the Doctor of Ministry Degree from United Theological Seminary of Dayton, Ohio as well as numerous citations and awards. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; The Links, Incorporated; and the National Council of Negro Women.
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Dr. Elaine Flake will be having a Women's Conference in Philadelphia April 17-19th. The following interview will help shed additional light on that conference, Dr. Flake, and her ministry to hurting women. Dr. Flake will be speaking this weekend in Louisville at the St. Stephen Church Women of Wisdom Conference along with Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook and Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart. Win tickets with Bill Price tomorrow morning 6A-9A, and Min. Angela Lee Price Friday morning on the Bill Price Morning Show on 1350 WLOU, Louisville's Praise and Worship Station!

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!

Barack Obama Chasing History

Rev. Angela Lee Price

How can we reflect on black history and those who have sacrificed so much for us, even their very lives in the pursuit of justice and equality without stopping to recognize that we are witnessing history in the making? It would be an unjust and unrighteous thing to do in my opinion.

I happened to be watching music mogul Jay-Z, of all people, being interviewed by Charlie Rose one night, and I heard him describe himself as a person "chasing history." He said in effect that he's sold enough albums, gotten enough awards, and has made enough money to last a lifetime. He is strategizing now in such a way as to leave a lasting, history-making impression on this generation and generations to come. He is chasing history.

As I watched Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton debate in Texas last week, I reflected on Senator Obama's recent consecutive string of victories, I had to say that, he too, is chasing history. In fact, I would say that not only is he chasing history, he has caught a piece of it and is becoming history personified before our very eyes. In him is now being made manifest the substance of the prayers of our forefathers and mothers, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Here is a classic moment from the Texas Democratic debates.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!

Michael Eric Dyson On Barack As President At State of Black Union 08

St. Stephen Church: On the Grow, Equipping New Members

By: Rev. Angela Lee Price

St. Stephen Church is experiencing phenomenal growth. The year 2006 was a record year in the growth of St. Stephen Church as 735 new members of all ages gave the preacher their hand and Jesus their heart. In 2007, 659 new members experienced life-a new, walking with Jesus as He continued to add to the church at a near record pace.

Life- A New is the St. Stephen Church adult new member orientation class. It is designed to fully equip new members to “stay connected” through magnification, membership, Christian maturity, ministry, and missions.

“Last year was an expansion year for Life -A New, our adult new member ministry,” states Member Services Director Rev. Angela Lee Price. In 2006, 453 adults joined St. Stephen, but only 159 or 35% attended new member orientation. Consequently, we had to expand Life- A New from one class offering per month on the Louisville campus in 2006 to more than eight class offerings at all three locations in 2007. We recruited additional gifted instructors and volunteers who love serving the Lord and equipping new members for service,” Rev. Angela stated.

“In 2007, our church was truly blessed. Approximately 139 youth accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We saw an increase in the number of adults joining the church over the previous year as 520 either committed or re-committed their lives to Jesus Christ. Of that number, 300 attended new member's classes. We experienced a significant turn-around in attendance over the previous year, too. Our attendance rate grew from a 35% in 2006, to a 66.61% in Louisville, and 45.84% in Indiana in 2007. St. Stephen Church is a church 'on the grow,' and the Lord is equipping new members through our new member process which includes attending Life-A New and Spiritual Gifts classes,” Rev. Angela stated.

Life-A New sessions are offered to new members on Saturdays, 12 Noon-4:00 PM on the Louisville campus, 2nd & 4th Saturdays from 10:00 AM– 2:00 PM on the Indiana campus, and lst Saturdays from 2:00-3:30 PM at St. Stephen East, Dosker Manor. Sessions are also held twice monthly on Monday evenings from 7:00-9:00 PM by appointment only. To enroll in an upcoming Life-A New class, call Member Services Asst. Director Rev. Ton’ya Triplett, 502-583-6798, ext. 6852. For information on youth new member assimilation, contact Rev. Jamel Armstrong, Youth Ministry Director at ext. 6877.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!

Are You in the Bible?

By: Rev. Angela Lee Price

Quick, can you name three black people in the Bible? Are You in the Bible? You will never know if you are not in it daily - reading it, that is. Exploring the Black presence in the Bible is important today like never before. Many African Americans don’t know the truth of their heritage. They think the Bible is a “white man’s book” due primarily to erroneous all-white depictions of Bible stories in some Bibles, and on television, and our failure to counter those errors with the truth of Scripture.

The Lord says my people perish for lack of knowledge. Far too many African Americans are perishing because they do not know who they are and from whence they came. They don’t know that the origins of civilization began in Africa, that Egypt is in Africa, and that science, geometry, and astronomy originated in Africa. Many people believe Jesus was a white man with blue eyes and long, blond hair. A pervasive lack of knowledge about self, heritage and history, is having an extremely damaging psychological impact upon the psyche of our people.

While the goal should not to romanticize the black presence in the Bible, I believe exploring the black presence in the Word of God to be of paramount importance to the spiritual well being of people of color. It helps us in our quest to grow in spiritual maturity and learn about Jesus. It helps us to better relate to Africans from the Motherland and become more sensitive to the plight of people of African descent. It helps us explain with dignity our heritage to other cultures of the world. Finally, it gives us life more abundantly.

In the pictures seated from left to right is the leadership team of my Sunday school class, Learning About Jesus. Seated from left to right: Sylvia Harper, the Missions/Ministry Coordinator; Marilyn Swinney, Class Administrator; Mattie Smith, Evangelism Coordinator; and standing left to right: me, Teacher; Karen Martin, Co-teacher; and Adrianne Braxton, Activities Coordinator, and Cozett Benson-Curry, Prayer Leader (not pictured). We cordially invite you to attend our class. Bring your Bibles and break the Bread of Life with us as we learn about Jesus, share testimonies, and grow in the Christian faith Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. at St. Stephen Church, 1018 South 15th Street, Louisville, KY.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!

Tavis Smiley Presents State of the Black Union This Weekend

State of the Black Union Brings Influential Thinkers, Entertainers and Political Leaders to Educate, Enlighten and Empower the African-American Community

UnitedHealthcare Supports This Two-Day Event and "SOBU Builds" Day of Service to Help Rebuild Parts of New Orleans Devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

WHAT: Some of the most influential thinkers, entertainers and political leaders gather each year to discuss the State of the Black Union during Black History Month. Presented annually in February -- Black History Month -- by Tavis Smiley Presents, the symposium was created to educate, enlighten and empower America by bringing people together and engaging them in thoughtful dialogue, leading the way to constructive action. Smiley will host a panel discussion with noted politicians, social scientists, business leaders and clergy on "Reclaiming our Democracy, Deciding our Future" on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

This year's event also includes SOBU Builds, an all-day event with volunteers working at six community-service projects simultaneously on Friday, Feb. 22, in the Upper Ninth Ward, the Lower Ninth Ward, Central City, Hollygrove, New Orleans East and Broadmoor. SOBU Builds lead partners include Habitat for Humanity; Trinity Christian Community, Xavier University and others. To date, nearly 2,000 volunteers have signed up to participate!

UnitedHealthcare's Generations of Wellness, which serves the health needs of African Americans, is one of the sponsors of SOBU Builds, and will help to clean up the surrounding residential community of Xavier University. In addition, UnitedHealthcare will provide free health screenings during the symposium's intermission for those in attendance.

-- Participation in the service project and attendance at the panel discussion is free and open to the public. Advanced free registration is required at http://tavistalks.erban.com/sobu2008/

WHO: A partial list of symposium panelists include:
* Rev. Al Sharpton
* Rev. Jesse Jackson
* New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin
* Donna Brazile* Sr.
*Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu
* Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker
* Norman Francis, president of Xavier University, AND MORE

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, Feb. 22: SOBU Builds 7 a.m.-3 p.m* Busing to the SOBU Builds sites to depart from Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Saturday, Feb. 23: Symposium 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.* Health screenings by UnitedHealthcare 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center900 Convention Center Blvd.,New Orleans, La., 70130(504) 582-3023

To register, contact Vanesse Lloyd-Sgambati at 215-877-2012 or (fax) 215-877-4846, or log on to www.tavistalks.com/events/signatureevents/press/

CONTACT: For the Tavis Smiley Presents:Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati(215) 877-2012Vlloydsgam@aol.com

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Note: The State of the Black Union usually airs on C-Span. Check your local listing for times and dates.

March Jesus Saves Newsletter to Feature St. Stephen Church Authors

By: Rev. Angela Lee Price

The Jesus Saves Newsletter features contributing writers, pastors and preachers, addressing important topics like the presidential election, Hurricane Katrina, voting rights, predatory lending, health, wealth and prosperity, cults and the occult, economic empowerment and issues of importance to African Americans and the Black Church. The Jesus Saves Newsletter is distributed locally and nationally to churches, ministries, schools, organizations, businesses and civic groups, by e-mail and U.S. mail.

The March Jesus Saves Newsletter will feature books by authors, Rev. Dr. Kevin Cosby, Rev. Syvoskia Bray, Rev. Lonnie Clinkscale, Karen O'Bannon, Julia Royston, Betty Baye, and Dea. DeVone Holt. We will be blessing subscribers with autographed copies of their books.

Additionally, we will be featuring Louisville psalmists Barbara Ice Trammell and Julia Royston and blessing subscribers with their new CDs, New Day and A New Season in Word and Song..."

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!

Charles Drew Blood Drive At Bates Memorial Church This Weekend

A Mama's Prayer

Rev. Angela Lee Price

Heavenly Father,

Lord, we love You and adore You. Forgive our sins and those of our children. I come to you on behalf of mamas, and grandmamas, everywhere, women of God submitted to Your way, Your will, and Your Word.

Father, give them knowledge, wisdom and understanding to face life’s parenting challenges with dignity and discernment. Lord, when the load seems too heavy, help them remember that You are the burden bearer, that with You all things are possible.

Abba, when mamas, grandmamas, and great grandmamas cry out to You in the midnight hour on behalf of their children, help them recall the work of our ancestors, the strength of womanhood from previous generations, and the godly women You've given as examples in Your Word.

Help them remember, Lord that African American women endured unjust and inhumane treatment and extreme hardships in this nation's history to protect and rear their children. Help them remember, Lord the unfeigned faith of Timothy’s grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, women who instilled a steadfast faith in the young preacher Timothy. It was a faith that caused Paul to declare to in 2 Timothy 1:5,"I am persuaded that it is in thee also.”

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!

W.O.W. Conference Features Nation's Best Women Preachers

By: Rev. Angela Lee Price

Don't miss the Women of Wisdom W.O.W. Conference, Saturday, March 1st at St. Stephen Church. This year's theme is "Christian Women Predestined to be Powerful! Making Things Happen!" Don't miss three of the nation's best preaching women of God, Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson-Cook, Pastor, The Bronx Christian Church, Bronx, New York; Rev. Dr. Elaine Flake, Co-Pastor, Greater Allen A.M.E. Catheral, New York; and Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart , Pastor, Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis, TN. Visit the St. Stephen Church website, http://www.ssclive.org/ for details.

Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook gave the annual MLK's commemorative lecture at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library. She told the audience to recall the "Spirit of Liberation," legacy won my MLK and the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Cooks says everyone needs to do their part, "to make a difference,' and "to be strengthened by our struggle."



On Friday, February 22nd, our gift will be Sister to Sister Devotions to and from African American Women, Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson-Cook, Editor. Small enough to fit in your purse, yet powerful enough to have you shoutin', this book contains devotions from Dr. Carolyn Knight, Dr. Ann Lightner Fuller, Rev. Delores H. Carpenter, Rev. Yolanda King, Rev. Alicia Byrd, Rev. Cheryl Sanders and many more women of God.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!