Lay Day Service on the Wilmington District

Presiding Elder Alexander Jones, Sr. and WDLC President William Evans congratulates the 13 newly stolled Life members,

The Wilmington District gathered at Johnson Chapel AME Zion Church for the 2022 Lay Day Service in anticipation of celebrating the new Life Members to be stolled. The district was called to worship by the Host Pastor, Rev. Dr. Henry Young and welcomed by the Host President, Bro. Darryl Dyson. The Meditation was given by Reverend Elijah Coleman, St. Phillip AME Zion Church, Wilmington, NC. Rev. Coleman used as the spiritual focus Romans 8:38-39 to anchor the topic ‘God is Greater. The meditation lifted the ‘Serving Our Flock’ theme to show that regardless of one’s current, previous, or future economic, social, or educational status, God is Greater because God’s desire is to have all his children with Him; God can change even our name; and give us victory when we follow His directives.

13 of the 15 newly stolled Life members

The WDLC celebrated 15 new Life Members in a stolling service led by WDLC President William Evans and Presiding Elder Alexander Jones, Sr.! The new Life Members are: Helen Freeman, Evergreen AME Zion Church, Delco, NC; Henry B. Robbins, Albert L. Robbins, Brenda Grady, and Charles Grady of Summerville AME Zion Church, Leland, NC; Darryl Dyson, Sr., LaShonna Dyson, Ingrid Oliver, Michael Oliver, Jewel M. Patterson, Alfonso Beatty, Claude Robinson, Sr. Rev. Dr. Henry J. Young of Johnson Chapel AME Zion Church, Leland, NC; and Thomas Bellamy and Emma Bellamy of Christian Chapel AME Zion Church, Winnabow, NC.

Lavonia Lewis, Lay Day Presenter

The Lay Day Academy presenter, Lavonia Lewis is the 2022 Wilmington District Lay Person of the Year. Lavonia shared ways to increase our efficiency and effectiveness in serving our flock by networking and establishing partnerships. Lavonia is employed by Men and Women United for Youth Families through the NC Department of Health and Human Services. The MWUYF is located in Columbus County. Through her work as the Food and Nutrition Manager and Youth Programs Coordinator she forms partnerships with faith-based communities to best utilize the resources she has available to meet the needs of her clients. How does this partnership work? The faith- based community can get the information to the communities it serves; the faith based communities my be able to combine their resources with those available through her organization; the faith-based community may not have information to deter fraud; faith based organizations can encourage its underserved populations to trust the resources that can help them; if the issues extend beyond what either of the organizations can handle, either may be able to refer the client to other resources. One such program is the Cape Fear Healthy Opportunities Project (HOP). This project helps residents in Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow or Pender County who are receiving Medicaid Managed Care and are having problems with enough food, safe or affordable housing, problems driving or finding a ride, or feeling safe. MWUYF provides 10 programs and services under one umbrella for the four counties of Columbus, Bladen, New Hanover, and Bladen counties. These ten programs range from disaster relief to workforce development to a youth-led, peer to peer leadership known as Youth Ambassadors for a Better Community. The key is being available to serve.

The WDLC has partnered with the NAACP/Voter Education Coordinator, Delores Riley, to meet the objective of Project 100, the AME Zion Church’s effort to get 100 percent of its membership to get registered and to vote. Each of the 22 churches received a sample packet containing a poster of voting times and locations, sample ballots, registration forms, absentee ballot request forms, and information on voting in North Carolina. The churches were encouraged to utilize ‘Souls to the Polls’ on the Sunday selected by their county board of elections.

Presiding Elder Jones, Sr., encourages WDLC

Presiding Elder Alexander Jones, Sr. congratulated the new Life Members and admonished them that the work of the Lay Council is important to the life of the church, especially getting information to the district that can impact their planning and executing ministries that are vital to a population that needs the service(s) that ministry is offering. He sited the content of the Lay Day Program as a prime example.

Reverend Jones, Sr. noted that Reverend Coleman though “he has been doing ministry a long time, has not lost his zeal to do the Lord’s work as we have witnessed today”.

Photos by Mr. David Cheek