POST CHARLOTIE, N. C.

. APR-2 9-8 2

MRS. MATTIE MOORE {RIGHT) .... With her pastor Rev. L.D. Parker

t, Luke Baptist Church Honors Ms. Mattie Moore

By Teresa Burns Post Managing Editor When Rev. L. D. Parker sked Mattie Moore to ome down to the front of St. Luke Baptist Church Sunday, she may have had an inkling that members were about to honor her 80th birthday. What she didn't expect,

however, was a long line of family members who marched down the church aisle. Each child, grand­ child, great-grand and in-law gave her a kiss and wished her a joyous birth­ day. There were even gifts being presented. Mrs. Moore is the

"Mother of the Church" at St. Luke Baptist and is one of the chartered members of the 32 year-old body. She recalls when s~e and

her late husband, Aaron Moore, attended the "church in the tent" with about 24 other members. The Moore couple also helped organize the church with Rev. Watt as the pastor. (After 21/2 years the church was blessed with their present pastor, Rev.

· L. D. Parker.) "Joining St. Luke was

the biggest change in my life," Mrs. Moore confided. "I never did do things that weren't right, but after I joined I started reading the Bible a Jot. I realized God can do everything and that . the Bible is the guide to your life." Mrs. Moore feels the

Bible is one reason her life span has exceeded the norm. "The Bible says to be obedient to your parents and you'll have a long life ... I never sassw my pa­ rents."

Other keys include activ­ ity, working in the soil and relieving tension. "I am active and I get out and work in the soil with my gardens or flowers. This is the only year I haven't been able to do that like I'd like to. But if I got offended I would go look at my flowers and if that didn't work I would go look at my garden." Eighty years is a Jong time in our human time frame. So the knowledge Mrs. Moore has obtained and her experiences can be greatly beneficial to young­ er generations. Mrs. Moore lived during

the depression. But even before then times were rough, when she was a · little girl the economy was shaky, but her family pulled through and re­ ceived the blessing of own­ ing a farm. At the age of 21 she

married and before she was 30 birthed four lovely children: Elijah, James E., Wilhelmenia (Moore) Sim­ mons and Lillie (Moore) Simmons.

Mrs. Moore called upon . God and her past experi­ ence as a child and the family survived the depres­ sion. Today harder times

seem to be approaching fast. Mrs. Moore's advice is to take advantage of our voting rights. "Be sure you know what and who you are voting for. And remember what the Bible teaches ... God never leaves you."

It may be because oi the 1957 baby boom but today there is a rash of mar­ riages. But on the other side there are the divorces. Mrs. Moore's advice is

reasonable and entails one aspect. . .love. "Love your mate. Love

from both sides can soothe all misery and hard feel­ ings. And it is important to be kind, pray and talk Christian talk, instead of mean talk," she continued. As "The Mother of St.

Luke Baptist Church" Mrs. Moore has set many fine examples for younger church members. She has offered the advice from her years of knowledge and has helped many with Christ­ ian solutions. She is past president of

the Senior Missionary De­ partment; retired member of the Senior Musical Choir; she presently teach-

Monetary affairs ran smoothly. Mrs. Moore could even make money as a seamstress. But by the time her oldest child was about 10 years of age, the entire country began to feel the spurious effects of the Hoover Administration. es Sunday School in the "Even work didn't mean Senior Department; and is

anything during the time of · an overall blessing to the President Hoover," Mrs. congregation of St. Luke Moore. reminisced. "You Baptist Church, pastored would JUSt have to work for by Rev. L.D. Parker. nothing. My husband would work all day in a textile mill for $11 a week. Then he got a job workin~ in a mine for $6 a day." ")

With four children Mrs. Moore now has 25 grand­ children and 15 great­ grands. fl

/

CLIPPING SERVICE 1115 HILLSBORO

RALEIGH, NC 27603 (!; TEL. (919) 833-2079

POST CHAR;;DTTE, N;C.

Parker is preacher's preacher 1-~/ .

By Jeri Young THE CHARLOTTE POST

b~rs of the community to pro­ vide a place of worship for African Americans in the Statesville Avenue area, the congregation has grown from 100 members to more than 1500. Parker believes that his suc­

cess in maintaining his mem­ bership is attributable to his ability to "say what I have to say and sit down." "One thing I don't do, is pro­

long services. Now if the spirit gets in, I don't try to stop any­

When Hawthorne speaks of one. But I don't keep on Parker he chooses his words preaching to try to get some- thoughtfully. one to shout." Hawthorne said he had trou- Parker also attributes his

ble committing himself to the longevity to gaining the confi­ ministry, but Parker's encour- dence of his parishoners. "If agement and kindness they have confidence in you enabled him to accept his call. they follow you." ' "I went back to him with

tears streaming down my Parker says the way to gain face," says Hawthorne. "He respect and confidence in listened and he ....--------- church is the same helped me." as in marriage, by When Parker always being truth-

celebrates his ful and approach- 43rd anniversary able. as pastor of St. "Lies are only a Luke, he can look trap. After you tell back on a career one, you have to tell filled with sue- another. It kills the cesses. whole situation." The church has

relocated from its original building on Statesville Avenue to a state­ of-the-art sanctu­ ary around the corner. He has been married for 41 years to his wife Helen and successfully reared four children. And, including Hawthorne

Parker has licensed 14 mor~ ministers. A feat unmatched by many ministers.

"Sometimes we encounter people in life who bring out thin~s that need to be brought out, said the Rev. James Hawthorne. Hawthorne, pastor of First

Mt. Calvary Baptist Church, used these words to describe his mentor, the Rev. L.D Parker of St. CukeJraptist Church.

Hawthorne

But, Parker does not believe in boasting of his achieve­ ments. He says he has always been the type of person not to brag. He has "always felt insufficient." Rather he focus­ es on how far his church and family has come. "I grew up on a farm, in

Matthews," said Parker. "We grew cotton, corn, peas and potatoes. We didn't grow tobacco. It wasn't raised too much here." From the farm,

Parker came to St. Luke in the early 50s, shortly after the church formed, to serve as choir director.

"It's kind of funny ... me ending up a preacher," Parker said. "It just kinda hap­ pened. I was the associate minister til '53." Parker remem­

bers well his early .._.'--- days at St. Luke. James He was paid $10 a Sunday. That increased to $12 a Sunday after he had been there a year.

From the early days, St. Luke has grown tremendous­ ly. Originally formed by mem-

Members of Parker's congrega­ tion said Parker is very approachable. "He's really easy

to talk to," said member Gwen James. "He tries to please, and he puts

you at ease."

James had visited several churches before she decided to settle at St. Luke, where she has been a member for almost three years. She likes the way Parker always tells a story in his sermon. "It is usually something from

his childhood," she said. "It opens the doors to under­ standing. It helps you to visu­ alize what he's saying." As to his success with other

ministers, Parker is much more reticent.

"I really don't know what it is," he said. "They call me a preacher's preacher. I try to preach to show people how dif­

ficult the ministry is." According to

Hawthorne, Parker's success might be attribut­ able to the exam- ple he sets. According to Hawthorne, minis­ ters must have certain qualities that range from patience to tender­ ness. To him, Parker embodies them all.

But especially heartening is

Parker's humility. "He has achieved many lev­

els of success," said Hawthorne. "He is the best known evangelist in the city. Yet he is still humble."

PHOTO/SUE ANN JOHNSON

Rev ', L. D. Parker credits. his wife and children with helping sustain him during his 43 years of service to St. Luke Baptist Church and the Charlotte community. Parker, in robe, surrounded by wife, Helen, beside him, and children, (I. tor.) Mary Carrie and Mitzy, plus sons Charles and Leon.

Parker says that humility comes naturally to him. He credits God and the support of his wife and their four chil­ dren, Leon, Charles, Valdis, now deceased, and Mitzy for his success. '

Interested in going? Rev. Parker's anniversary begins Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m., with the Rev. Clinton Caesar, Shiloh Institutional Baptist Church, as featured speaker. «On Friday, Aug. 23, Rev. James Hawthorne, First Mt. Calvary, will speak.

«Arid on Sunday, Aug. 25, at 3 p.m., Rev. W.W. Williams, Ebenezer Baptist Church, of Wadesboro, will be the speak­ er.

"The Lord doesn't have to have me," he said. "There is no use for me to try to get beside myself."

· The public is cordially invited to attend all services, which will be held at the church at 1600 Norris Ave., j