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�By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.

Pastor Resigns!from New York’s

most famous pulpitAt the height of the Great Depression in 1929, millionaire, John D.

Rockefeller, endowed and helped to build Riverside Church as the prime example of the Protestant liberal

tradition. Operating between Columbia University on its one side and the widely respected Union Theological

Seminary on the other, the church has long been home to such pulpiteers as Harry Emerson Fosdick, William

Sloan Coffin and James Forbes. The church has been used by notables like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson

Mandela as platforms for major policy speeches that they made.

Now the church is at the center of much controversy as Rev. Brad Braxton, the recently elected pastor of the

church, announced his resignation and decision to leave the church. “it has become virtually impossible to

establish a fruitful covenant with the congregation,” said Pastor Braxton.

Over the years, Riverside Church has long established a reputation for addressing such thorny social issues as

gay rights, “deed versus creed” and Anti-Apartheid.

Trouble in the church began to brew not long after Rev. Braxton’s arrival when some in the congregation took

offense with his “evangelical” style. Complaints about him conducting “altar calls” and emphasizing personal

salvation over social justice was heard with greater frequency.

When it was learned that the compensation package for the pastor exceeded 600K annually, a small group of

members within the church went to court to block his installation as pastor; the effort received little traction and

the judge sided with the church’s board and pastor.

Just when it seemed that the matter was resolved, emails were circulated throughout the congregation

attacking the pastor and his style. The New York Daily News began to refer to Pastor Braxton as the “600k Pastor”.

According to Ari L. Goldman, Pastor Braxton soon began to feel that he had become the embodiment of a conflict.

“Pastor Braxton told me that he felt that he needed to leave so that healing could take place within the

congregation.” reports Goldman.

In an article issued by BCNN, “Jean Schmidt, the chairwoman of the church council and a supporter of Mr.

Braxton, expressed the hope that Riverside will learn a lesson from this period of adversity. This is a time, she said,

for “deep soul-searching” that will ultimately “allow us to move forward as a stronger and more unified

congregation.”

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Albertina Walker to Celebrate 80 Years of Life!

A regal celebration is being planned for the “Queen of Gospel” in her hometown of Chicago, IL. Guests for the

special even will include Yolanda Adams, Lady Tramaine Hawkins, Joe Ligon, Ami Rushes, Percy Gray, and of course,

the Caravans!

The event will be held on August 29th. See announcement below for more details.

�By Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.

Before Tiger Woods came to dominate the

world of golf; before Oprah Winfrey redefined

the role of women in television; and before the

Williams sisters became the marvel of tennis;

Michael Jackson was known as the “Jackie

Robinson” of the music industry. His record-

breaking crossover appeal dismantled the

barriers that restricted Black musicians from

MTV.

Man in the Mirrora fond farewell...to the

The same weekend that Farrah Fawcett surrendered to

anal cancer and Ed McMahon succumbed to old age;

and the governor of South Carolina confessed to an

extra-marital affair, the news of Michael Jackson’s

sudden heart attack pushed every other story out of the

news cycle in a matter of minutes.

Michael Jackson is an artist that America watched

as he grew up. From his debut hit, “I Want You Back” to

his landmark “Thriller” album, Jackson has redefined

music and the music industry in ways that no one ever

had before, or since. His career began as a cute pre-

adolescent that wooed cameras and microphones while

he stood alongside his four brothers, who together

made up the Jackson Five.

At some point all of us have imitated or admired

Michael Jackson—whether it was his famous moonwalk,

the trademark one white glove or the short military

jackets that became a fashion statement of pop culture.

When he emerged as a solo artist, Jackson

experimented with and expanded styles and formats

that revolutionized music and the world of “Pop.”

Tragically, the latter part of his life was filled with

pain and anguish as he defended himself from all sorts

of accusations; ranging from allegations of child

molestation to a series of cosmetic surgeries that left

him somewhat disfigured.

When the Rev. Al Sharpton was asked how Michael

Jackson will be remembered, he replied, “Time will tell.

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But it is important that the media and history

use the same measurement and judgement that they

used in the wake of Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.”

There is no doubt Jackson’s name conjures up

images of controversy, making it difficult to separate

the man from his music.

In an article that appeared in the LA Times on

Friday, Zarina Henderson drew a contrast between

Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley writing that ‘while

Elvis was the king of Rock and Roll, Jackson was

responsible for bringing more people together from

different backgrounds.’

“Michael is the major legend, he’s a real legend,

he’s a true legend, he broke the color barrier in

music, and touched people of all ages,” Henderson

wrote.

While it is true that time will be the final judge of

Michael Jackson’s legacy; no one can deny that all of

us will be walking around the house, office and in our

cars for next several days enjoying the opportunity to

listen to so much of his music.

Jackson, cont. from p. 4

The nation's oldest African American newspaper, thePhiladelphia Tribune, is celebrating its 125th anniversary.Robert W. Bogle, is the publisher.

Nashville, TN- Former NFL quarterbackSteve McNair, whose most noted drivewas the final one of the 2000 Super Bowl,was found dead with a gunshot wound tothe head Saturday afternoon in adowntown condominium. Police said awoman was also shot dead.

Vibe magazine, the urban-music magazine founded in1993 by Quincy Jones, is the latest victim of the mediarecession. Multiple sources both within and outside themagazine confirmed that it is shutting down. However, musicproducer and media mogul Quincy Jones is not happy aboutthe shutdown. He says he's going to resurrect therevolutionary hip-hop mag he founded in 1993.

This week in the news...

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The most fertile soil

for evangelism may not

be the bowels of urban

cities or the suburban

malls that have become

the target of most

marketeers.

In a recent report by Crusade

for Christ International there are

over two million people

searching for God on the

internet everyday. “The number

is staggering,” said Mark

Weimer, a self-described “techie

evangelist” whose ministry has

tapped the Internet to capture

those looking for spiritual

answers.

“One of the great things about

being on the Internet is you feel [more]

comfortable sharing things you might

not otherwise [share],” said Michelle

Diedrich, communication director for

Global Media. “It’s anonymous

intimacy.”

According to the Pew Internet and

American Life Project more “religious

surfers” are turning to the Internet.

With that being said, efforts to use the

internet more creatively seem to be on

the rise. A new type of minister is

appearing on the scene called “internet

evangelist” who while not credentialed

in the traditional sense of the word, has

taken to the internet with passion—to

use it as a tool to witness for Christ and

point individuals in a spiritual direction.

Social networks and video

streaming sites are increasing at a

notable rate as this new crop of God-

inspired individuals see their mission

and assignment being that of using the

internet to connect with people and

spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

While “seeker services” have grown

in popularity over recent years, it

seems that texting, twittering, emails

and social blogs have become major

instruments of evangelism in the digital

world that the church now operates in.

“It’s the future of the church, and

it’s fun to be a part of it,” said Joel

Hunter, pastor of Northland, in

Longwood, FL. “I love it because they

ask me really basic questions. ‘Is there

really a God?’ In church, people’s eyes

start to get glossed over, but when you

do the basics with people it takes me

back to why I got into this; and it’s very

invigorating.”

So, as pastors and church

congregations plan upcoming

evangelistic efforts inclusive of a rented

tent on an empty lot; perhaps

consideration should be given to the

creation of a “virtual revival tent”

online, where the world can take part,

rather than a local audience.

Evangelism Takes on a New Face...

by Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min.

Jesus on the Internet