ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine Fall 2009

Worship Service 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Every Sunday

Teen Temple 11:15am Every 2nd & 4th Sunday

Sunday School After 7:30am Service every Sunday at the Forum

Children’s Church 11:15am Every Sunday

Tuesday Bible Study 7:30pm

Men’s Bible Study 9am 1st Saturday

Women’s Bible Study 10:15am 1st Saturday

Marriage Bible Study 11:30am 1st Saturday

Discipleship Building Class 9am -10:15am 3rd Saturday

Leadership Development 10:15am -11:15am 3rd Saturday

Empowermenttemple.org Every Service Live

BROADCAST SCHEDULE

SERVICE TIMES

WMAR TV 2 6:30am Sundays state of maryland

THE WORD NETWORK 10:30pm Sundays national

Streamingfaith.com 7:30am, 9:30am, 11:30am Sundays & 7:30pm Tuesdays international

Power Radio.com 12noon and 6pm Daily international

ORDER OF WORSHIP

Doxology

Opening Hymn

Litany

Prayer

Praise & Worship

Pastoral Remarks & Visitor Recognition

Offering

Sermonic Selection

Sermon

Invitation

Offering

Announcements

Benediction

POWER 4 LIFEBROADCAST SCHEDULE

FALL 2009 | ECHOES of Empowerment 03

A Letter from the Ceo & PubLisherrev. Dr. JAmAL-hArrison bryAnt

To the House of Empowerment,

It’s with great expectation and enthusiasm that I take this privilege to write you. When much of the world is in despair because of disparaging data, I yet have hope. To see how we mobilized around the issue of prayer speaks volumes about a people who still trust God and believe in Him for the extraordinary. After our prayer lock-in, fasting and consecration, it’s no surprise why our ministry remains blessed.

In this Men’s Season, expect to see the shift and manifestation of all the intercession that has been lifted. I am believing that 100 new men will join the ministry and enlarge the Kingdom. This month, prepare to see our men take the frontline as Christians, husbands, fathers, brothers and friends. Our theme this year is the Sleeping Giants Have Awakened! On Men’s Day, which is the last Sunday of October, bring every brother you can because the greatness in him will be awakened. Dr. P.M. Smith and Rev. Dr. Lance Watson have something serious to say! You don’t want to miss it.

I want to recommend that every man and woman in the house get a copy of my new book, World War Me: How to Win the War I Lost! It’s going to help guide you into making better decisions and choices.

In the natural this season is called Fall, but for those of us tapped into the supernatural, God is saying RISE!

Amazed by His grace,

Pastor Jamal-Harrison Bryant

Echoes of Empowerment Magazine

Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant Publisher & CEO

Candance L. Greene Editor-in-Chief

R e G u L A R C o n t R i B u to R s

Jan Austin Education & Political Contributor

J.t. Watson Financial, Political & Environmental Contributor

G u e s t C o n t R i B u to R s

Derrick D. Greene

Moneira Hawkins

Rev. Mark Wainwright

P H oto G R A P H y

Barry Davis

Franklin Fitzgerald

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

[email protected] and Rachel Eliza Griffithsrachelelizagriffiths.comCover Photo

Harbinger CommunicationsDianne Gardner-youngCopyeditor

Kerry DeBruce for KLAD Creativekladcreative.comArt Director

Attention Postmaster: Echoes of Empowerment Magazine is an empowerment temple AMe Church publication, which is a non-profit organization. To receive a copy of writer’s guidelines, contact echoes of empowerment at [email protected]. send comments and Letters to the editor to Echoes of Empowerment Magazine, 1505 eutaw Place, Baltimore, MD., 21217, or via email at [email protected]. Echoes of Empowerment Magazine is a quarterly publication

© 2009 by empowerment temple AMe Church. All rights reserved. All articles, except those identified as having their own authors, are property of echoes of empowerment Magazine and cannot be reproduced without written permission.

speakblackman

FALL 2009 | ECHOES of Empowerment04

COVER STORy

14 raising Giants: MOVE Celebrates Men’s Month

FEATURES09 Echoes Gives the reD APPLe AwArD to our Principals

16 Conversation with BET/CNN Correspondent Jeff Johnson

SPECIAL yOUTH SEgMEnT20 Youth Summer Highlights

21 Meet Tomorrow’s Leaders

In EVERy ISSUE02 Order of Worship/Broadcast Schedule/Service Times

03 Speak, Black Man: A Letter from CEO & Publisher, Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant

06 Litany

24 ET Remix

27 The Buzz


LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

your thoughts

the staff at EChOEs wants to thank all of our readers for their comments, and to congratulate issuu.com subscriber Carmen C. for her heartfelt Letter to the editor. As this issue’s Reader of the Month, she receives one of Dr. Bryant’s sermon cds!

true to the power behind the name of this magazine, I find that the approach to connecting Sunday worship to LIFE is explosive! Reading this magazine, I hear the echoes of worship in my daily walk. this empowers my day-to-day praise. Carmen C., Issuu.com subscriber

i just wanted to let you know i think the echoes of Empowerment is fabulous! I enjoyed reading the article on President Obama’s report card. I can’t wait until the next issue.Carlotta O. Empowerment Temple Member

This magazine is more than just a magazine. This specific issue is what is needed for men, in general! Devon H. Empowerment Temple Facebook Friend

C O n g R AT U L AT I O n S !

LETTER OF THE

MOnTH

ECHOES wants to hear from yOU!Have something to say about ECHOES? Send your Letters to the Editor to [email protected]

Interested in Advertising in ECHOES? Contact us at [email protected]

Are you a writer who wants to contribute to ECHOES? Email us at [email protected]

I am established in righteousness and oppression is far from me. No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against me in judgment will be condemned because I am part of a Holy nation.

The weapons of my warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. I take the shield of faith and I quench every fiery dart of the wicked. I am redeemed from the curse of the law. I am redeemed from poverty. I am redeemed from sickness. I am redeemed from spiritual death. I overcome all because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.

I stand in the evil day having my loins girded about with truth and I have the breastplate of righteousness. My feet are shod with the gospel of peace. I take the shield the faith. I am covered with the helmet of salvation and I use the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

I am delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of God’s dear son. I tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt me. I do not have the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

I am blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. I shall decree a thing and it shall be established in my life. Therefore, I am healed by the stripes of Jesus. I have favor with God and man. I am the head and not the tail. Wealth and riches are in my house. I will be satisfied with long life, and God will show me his salvation.

My inner man shall be strengthened by the might of the Spirit of the Lord. I am fortified by my relationship with God through prayer. I am anointed to prophesy, teach, and cast out devils because of the power of the blood of Jesus. I walk in the apostolic authority given to me by the Holy Ghost. Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I decree that it shall come to pass because all things are possible with God!

-From Apostle John Eckhardt’s book Prayers that Route Demons

LEADER

PEOPLE

LEADER

PEOPLE

LEADER

PEOPLE

litany



MuCH ADo ABout HEALTH CARE

WHY Do We Need Health Care Reform? Presently, over 46 million Americans live without health insurance. Under President Obama’s proposal, all U.S. citizens will have quality and affordable health insurance options. For those who presently have health insurance, the proposed health care reform bill will help make insurance more affordable and more secure. In addition, middle-class Americans will receive a health care tax credit, as well as be provided access to a market where they can easily compare health insurance options.

Nearly one-third of the uninsured are employees of small businesses. In the past two years, more than half of small business owners that offered coverage stated that, as a result of escalating premiums, they either replaced their coverage with a plan that offered fewer services or higher out-of-pocket costs, or they cut health benefits altogether. With the Obama Health Care Plan, small businesses throughout the country will also be aided by new tax benefits, which mean small business owners will no longer be penalized for providing health coverage for their employees and their families.

WHO Benefits from This New Health Care Plan?YOU. Health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000. High out-of-pocket costs affect millions of American families and impose a large financial burden across income categories. Not surprisingly, women, seniors and individuals with chronic health conditions are most likely to have the highest out-of-pocket expenses. Women are more vulnerable to high health care cost than men. One of the primary reasons is because a woman’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers. Deficient benefits and soaring costs make

women more likely than men to experience difficulty accessing health care.

Under the President’s health care reform proposal, insurance companies will no longer be able to place an arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage individuals can receive, or charge outrageous out-of-pocket expenses on top of consumer premiums. In addition, the President’s health care reform proposal requires insurance companies to cover routine checkups and preventive care.

WHAT Does Health Care Reform Look Like?A recent report found that more than 12 million Americans were discriminated against by insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition, a medical condition that existed before someone enrolls in or applies for a new health insurance policy. Insurance discrimination based on pre-existing conditions makes adequate health insurance unavailable to millions of Americans. The President’s health care reform bill will end this type of disparate treatment over the next decade by ending traditionally “big money” deals for insurance companies that do nothing to facilitate better health for anyone. Insurance companies will be required to renew policies as long as the policyholder pays their premiums in a timely fashion. Additionally, insurance companies will no longer be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick, or “water down” insurance coverage for those who are, or become ill. Equally important, insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing coverage because of someone’s medical history or proposed health risk.

Most of us would agree that health care reform is vital to the American people. From a historical standpoint, whenever America has moved forward on solving our difficult issues, there have always been those who have sought after the preservation of the status quo by causing the American people to panic. “These struggles have always boiled down to a contest between hope and fear,” says President Obama. “It was true when Social Security was born. It was true when Medicare was created and it still holds true now in the present debate.” Health care reform is no longer an option, it’s a necessity, and the time for action to provide this necessity to millions of American citizens is now.

By Jan Austin

Over 46 Million Americans are living without

Health Insurance

REfEREnCES:

ThE WhITE hOUsE,

Office of the Press Secretary

and www.healthreform.gov

After a summer of confusing news reports, misconstrued statements, protest marches, pickets and explosive town hall meetings, ECHOES wanted to give you the Who, What, and Whys of President Obama’s Health Care Reform Bill proposal to help you make your own informed decision.

With the election of Barack Obama, the country’s first African American President, many Whites think we have entered an era of a “post-racial” America, a period of time in which we have outgrown the gross injustices of our past, and have moved to a period where the playing field between the races is now leveled. Many of them have overlooked the existence of the structural, systemic, and institutionalized racism of the day that includes the disproportionate incarceration of Blacks and Latinos versus that of Whites, as well as the broad disparity, and ever-increasing divide, of wealth between these groups. They also overlook the double unemployment rate of Blacks and Latinos, and the impact of sub-prime lending practices in Black and Latino communities.

A practical example is the July 16th arrest of Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The issue was not whether Cambridge, MA Sgt. James Crowley was a racist, but whether he was a participant in the systemic racism often practiced by law enforcement. These practices give an indication as to why Sgt. Crowley felt the need to lie in his police report when he, in the infamous 911 call, characterized Dr. Gates as a “black male,” a characterization that the woman who called to report the suspicious behavior in her neighborhood did not use. It also feeds a legal system relative to who fits the “stereotype” of a criminal and criminal behavior, thus attempting to validate law enforcement’s egregiously unconstitutional behavior.

This same subversive racism can also be found in the confirmation hearings of now Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor. Leading up to and during Justice Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings, we found the media and members of the G.O.P. intently focused on her “wise Latina” comment. This comment was purposely taken out of context and was used as an attempt to label her as a racist. It was obvious that this argument overlooked the 3000 cases in which Justice Sotomayor consistently proved to be a “thorough and centrist” jurist.

Even more insidious is the degeneration of respect for the Office of the President. This door was opened in the mid-90s with the Newt Gingrich/Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinski/Ken Starr face-offs. The tone of politics shifted further with the Bush versus Gore 2000 Presidential election and subsequent Supreme Court decision that awarded George Bush the Presidency. Those seeds bore the fruit we see today with the blatant disrespect of the current President and his office. From Rep. Joe Wilson’s “you lie” outburst, to the nationwide tea parties, to former Alaska Governor

Sarah Palin and her supporters who are organizing to “take America back from those people,” to those involved with the Birther Movement—citizens who believe President Obama is not a United States citizen and is, therefore, not the legitimate president, White supremacists will always do what they can to de-legitimize people of color. Why are we so surprised when they do what they do?

Understanding that power concedes nothing, we cannot rest on our laurels now that a Black man is in the White House. We must remain ever-vigilant and endeavor to educate and empower ourselves and our children. We must

push our involvement past election day, and join our community associations, attend PTA and school board meetings, and hold our elected officials accountable. We must understand that racism has a new face. It is the thread that helped to perpetuate the collapse of the black family, the disintegration of self-respect that makes people think there is nothing wrong with seeing scantily-clad women of color on BET, urban school systems that are producing generations of children who cannot compete with children around the country and the world, young Black men who perpetuate more death than any klansman ever could, and a Black community that has access to more capital than ever before, but does not possess any more wealth today than we did in 1909. The honeymoon is over. We still have work to do.This isn’t post-racial America. This is our wake-up call.

References: The Michael Eric Dyson show August 12, 2009 “A Conversation on Race in the Summer of 2009”; The Root.com: A Summer of Race Talk Gone Bad by Univ. of Law Professor Sherrilyn Ifill, Renegade: The Making of a President by Richard Wolfe; GlenBeck.com The Glen Beck Program. Powernomics by Dr. Claude Anderson; Black Labor, White Wealth by Dr. Claude Anderson.

By J.T. Watson


The impulse may be to write a piece that says

Barack Obama represents “post-racial” politics.

That term I reject because it implies that somehow my campaign represents an easy shortcut to racial

reconciliation…issues [of race] aren’t solved by electing

a Black president.

Then Presidential candidate Obama during an interview at the outset of his Presidential

campaign in Iowa.


These are a few

adjectives that

describe school

Principals. These

fearless men

and women are

charged with

the hefty task

of motivating

their faculty and

staff, pressing

greatness out of

their students

and inspiring

parents to believe

in their goals for

the school year.

ECHOES took

time to sit down

with a few of

Empowerment

Temple’s own

principals who

were gracious

enough to share

their wisdom,

their pride about

the schools in

which they lead

and share insight

on why being a

principal is

their passion.

Turn the page to meet our 2009 Red Apple Award Winners.

By Candance L. Greeene


Carolyn SmithEmpowerment Academy

Principal Carolyn Smith is no stranger to education. She has been a teacher

and administrator for nearly four decades. In 2004, she came out of

semi-retirement to head Empowerment Academy. The school, which was

charted by Baltimore City Public School System under the direction of

Empowerment Temple Church, is one of the most successful schools in

the city.

Empowerment Academy’s Literacy Through the Arts program provides a

unique learning opportunity for students because it allows them to fuse skills

learned in the classroom with art, dance, drama, music and technology.

Principal Smith credits her staff for creating such a positive and interactive

learning environment. “My teachers are some of the best. They go above and

beyond to teach our kids in informative and creative ways.”

Empowerment Academy students have made many achievements since the

school was charted in 2001. In addition to making Annual Yearly Progress

(AYP) and scoring above state standards on Maryland State Assessments,

students have: won city-wide poetry contests, participated in leadership

programs in Washington, D.C., attended pre-college engineering fairs, won

a third place trophy for basketball, danced at the Kennedy Center and the

Maryland Charter School Conference, have appeared with weatherman Steve

Fertig on the FOX 45 Morning Show, performed at the Inner Harbor and

have been accepted in the Johns Hopkins Talent Development Program.

To receive an application for the 2010-2011 school year, or to find out

more information about Empowerment Academy, contact the school at

443.984.2381.

The Jamal-Harrison Bryant H.O.P.E. Academy

In February 2009, Pastor Bryant traveled to Monrovia Liberia

to visit our sister church, Empowerment Temple Liberia,

and to help Pastor Keturah Cooper break ground on the church’s

new elementary school, the Jamal-Harrison Bryant H.O.P.E. Academy.

On September 21st, Pastor Cooper, along with Principal Belinda S. Yahwon,

officially opened the doors to the school’s eleven students in PreK-1st

grade. Through the Off the Street Campaign, Pastor Cooper plans to offer

the families of over 60 prospective students financial assistance to meet

the cost of tuition for the next school year. “We see our first year as a

necessary pilot to help us sharpen our goals,” says Pastor Cooper, “and craft

a strategy for building a first-class educational institution.”

Learn more about Empowerment Temple Liberia and the Jamal Bryant

H.O.P.E. Academy when ECHOES talks to Pastor Keturah Cooper in our

next issue.


Beverly ManigoInner Harbor East Academy for Young Scholars

Steward Beverly Manigo has been an educator for 15 years. Before becoming a teacher and administrator in South Carolina, this Baltimore City Public Schools graduate spent 10 years in the United States Military. In 2006, Manigo returned to Baltimore and served as a coordinator for grades K-8 in the Baltimore City Public School System before she became principal of the Inner Harbor East Academy for Young Scholars.The Inner Harbor East Academy for Young Scholars was charted as a “collaborative partnership” between Sojourner Douglass College and the East Baltimore Community Corporation to provide “quality education” for children in the East Baltimore area. “We believe in a wholistic approach,” says Manigo, “one that incorporates caring for the mind, body and soul of the entire family.”

Parental involvement is a must at the PreK-12 school. In fact, it is not uncommon to find parents answering office phones, volunteering in classrooms or otherwise assisting Principal Manigo during the school day. Last year, parents at the Inner Harbor East were awarded the 2008-2009 Maryland State Parent-Teacher Association Award. Want to enroll your child at the Inner Harbor East Academy for Young Scholars? Call 410.537.5890 to learn how.

Principal Loren McCaskillDr. Bernard Hayes ElementaryLoren McCaskill’s road to becoming a principal was unique. Originally, the Empowerment Temple Steward was a banker with no desire to pursue education. A career shift to the classroom still did not cross her mind when she lost her banking job. It was not until she stood at the altar during one of Empowerment Temple’s services at Coppin State College that she realized God wanted her to change course. McCaskill tackled the task of becoming a teacher with grace and gusto. “I was never one to run from a challenge.” says Principal McCaskill. After teaching at Robert W. Coleman Elementary and serving as assistant principal at Brehms Lane Elementary, she became a fellow in the highly competitive New Leaders for New Schools program. Once completing the New Leaders for New School training, McCaskill was awarded principalship of Dr. Bernard Hayes Elementary. Dr. Bernard Hayes Elementary services over 570 Baltimore City students in Pre-K-5th grade. With a supportive faculty and staff, Principal Loren McCaskill is working to help create a generation of youth who “strive not to equal, but to excel.”For more information about Dr. Bernard Hayes Elementary School, please contact 410.396.6461.

Rev. Kevin A. Brooks

Success Academy

Rev. Kevin A. Brooks has always been a social activist and advocate for

education. The Memphis, TN native, and son of a hard-working, single

mother, learned early on that education was his passport not only to

literacy, but also to a better way of life. As a result, this avid reader and

scholar, was the only black male in his high school graduating class to

attend college. While at Grambling State, Rev. Brooks developed an affinity

for great African and African American leaders and literature. Marcus

Garvey, Paul Roberson, Carter G. Woodson, Malcolm X and Rev. Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr., all great men whom success was rooted in literacy and

education, educated Brooks and enabled him to create his life’s philosophy:

“Leadership starts with the individual.”

Upon completing college, Brooks went on to obtain secondary degrees, as

well as completed divinity school to become an ordained minister in the

African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Since moving to Baltimore, Rev. Brooks has served as either assistant or

head principal at North Bend Elementary School, Walbrook Sr. High School

and Maritime Academy. In 2008, Baltimore City School CEO Dr. Andreas

Alonso tapped Rev. Brooks to be the principal of Success Academy, an

alternative school for middle and high school students. Success Academy,

housed in the Baltimore City School headquarters, serves as Baltimore City’s

last resort for many students who are one-step from total expulsion.

Rev. Brooks is on a mission to “save the minds and transform the hearts”

of the students who attend Success Academy by embracing them with

“love and limits”. Many of the youth harbor wells of anger and bitterness

against family, their community and the situations in which they have found

themselves by the time they arrive at Success Academy. “Our job here

is to get to the core of the issue, “says Brooks, “in order to connect them

with their purpose. When they know their purpose, then they will begin

to understand how to use their power.” Brooks and his staff have worked

diligently to create a school environment where, once indoctrinated into

the program, the students become motivated to learn and lead. “I want

my kids to understand that, regardless of their mistakes, they do have

a responsibility to themselves, their families and their communities. We

expect success here. No exceptions.”


Rev. Brooks is the proud husband of Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Tamra Brooks,

and father of two beautiful daughters, K

ofi, 10 and Jua, 8. In September, he

was assigned to pastor Gethsemane AME Church in Baltimore, M

D.

To learn more about Success Academy, contact 443.642.2100.

13FALL 2009 | ECHOES of Empowerment

men. God placed them on earth to be protectors and providers. though some abandoned

their responsibilities, many other unsung heroes have been there, honoring God, loving their families and

building communities. these “shining princes” withstand criticism, humiliation, and being stereotyped. they

have been dehumanized by the media and made to be seen as monsters, brutes and animals who care only

for themselves. But, we know men who are quite the opposite. Men who love the Lord, give of themselves

and stand when it’s time.

ECHOES honors the Men of Empowerment Temple this Men’s Season, and we bring you growth with an

in-depth look at MOVE, Empowerment Temple’s Men’s Ministry, and their objectives for 2010. We bring

you healing from Rev. Mark Wainwright who wants to open the door to real relationships. And we seek to

inspire you through our conversation with Bet/Cnn, and former empowerment temple youth Minister,

Jeff Johnson.

it is time for us to show our men respect because by honoring them we, “honor the best in ourselves.”

*quotations from the eulogy of Malcolm X delivered by Ossie Davis. February 1965.

men’s seAson2009


MOVE: On a Mission to Raise Giants

For more information about move, contact Al watson at [email protected]

By Candance L. Greeene

There is no doubt that this initiative will help raise an army

of men who are ready to allow god to change their lives. There is also no doubt that the Men of Valor and Empowerment will be committed to helping their

brothers become better men, better fathers, and

better servants for Christ.

Under community leader and armor bearer Al Watson’s helm, MOVE has established

itself as a ministry with a heart for the community. The men work tirelessly conducting

outreach activities throughout Baltimore City, establishing partnerships with neighborhood

associations, providing learning opportunities for our youth, and honoring the women of

Empowerment Temple. However, MOVE has a new goal in mind for 2010. “Our mission,”

says Watson, “is to help men rebuild their lives so they will be more be productive Christian

citizens.” Watson plans to do this by initiating a three-step plan to help men eliminate the

obstacles that stop them from maximizing their potential.

STEP 1: ReconcileMOVE’s first goal is to help men reconcile with their pasts. Whether that be through a counselor or the

State’s Attorney’s office, they plan to help men deal with the issues from which they have been running.

“if we provide an opportunity for men to liberate themselves from past mistakes, then we help to create

men who are ready for growth.”

STEP 2: ReconnectTheir second objective is to reconnect men with their families, specifically their children. “The community

is always asked to create a mentorship program for youth to do the job their fathers should be doing.

By encouraging men to reconnect with their families, we are providing them an opportunity to step back

into their role,” restabilizing not only that father-child relationship, but the community, as well.

STEP 3: ReinventThe final goal is to provide opportunities for men to use education to reinvent themselves. By obtaining

a G.e.D., taking college courses or enrolling in a workforce development program, these men will be

empowered because they will make time to “create a variety of employment options for themselves which

will make them better providers for their families, and more productive members of society.”


buiLDinG reAL reLAtionshiPsRev. Mark Wainwright

Selah (sé-lah)“To pause and reflect” on the Word of God

while reading the 11 Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without by Leonard sweet, i realized the core issue that is destroying many of our men. the problem is the lack of real relationships. Men are created to be “builders, conquerors and hunters,” however, we fail to build on a firm foundation, conquer our demons, and hunt within self to get beyond meaningless fellowship. the lack of real relationship stunts our growth at all levels.

Leonard sweet argues that every human being needs eleven relationships in order to live a purpose-filled life. He uses biblical characters, along with the admirable qualities they possess, as examples to prove his relationship theory, including: nathan, an editor; Jonathan, a true friend; Jethro, a butt-kicker; timothy, a protégé; Barnabas, an encourager; Peter/Paul, a yoda; Deborah, a back-coverer; Zacchaeus, a reject; Rhoda, a “little one”; Lydia and Lazarus, the ViPs; and Jerusalem, which is a sacred place. sweet also includes the twelfth friend, the Holy spirit, without which nothing can be accomplished.

Most men’s relationships are linear and lack depth because we are afraid to dig deep. too often, we identify our friends as “my main man,” “my dog” or “my homie” because we consider that brother to be our “best friend,” but not necessarily a “true friend”. true friendship starts at the appearance level, then moves deeper to acquaintance, then to friendship, and finally to intimacy. As conquerors, we never tend to move to deeper levels of friendship because doing so places us in a vulnerable state. As long as we are on equal footing, we are able to see the surface issues, however, pain and dysfunction are not always seen. those wounds are quite often revealed by moving to a deeper level of friendship. We need “ride or die” friends, ones that do not mind sacrificing for our well-being, and ones for whom we are willing to sacrifice for theirs. We need healthy and holy relationships that establish depth and build upon it. More importantly, we need to be connected to

God, who is the only source that keeps us connected to the Holy of Holies.

Rev. Mark A. Wainwright is a husband, father, preacher, teacher and lecturer. He currently teaches the Ministers In Training II course at Empowerment Temple Church, is a member of the ministerial staff and the CEO of M.A.W. Ministries.

11 Indispensable Relationships You Can’t Be Without by Leonard Sweet


PAssPort to Power: Taking a Trip to

JeffJohnson’s

nAtionDerrick D. Greene

Perhaps you have seen his show

The Truth with Jeff Johnson on

BET, watched him on CNN or

listened to his commentary on the

Tom Joyner Morning Show. You

may have read his analysis on

TheRoot.com or in the Huffington

Post. Maybe he spoke on your

college campus, or, if you’re really

old school, you remember him

when he was the Youth Pastor at

Empowerment Temple Church.

Whether the topic is Hip-Hop,

politics or God, this sometimes

controversial social-activist,

author, CEO, husband and father

always leaves you informed.


ECHOES sat down with award-winning journalist, Jeff Johnson, to discuss how to develop a new generation of leaders, his work in Iraq, and his new book Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am: Discovering Your Personal Best.

eChoes: You have spoken on many occasions about leaders and leadership. You yourself were president of the student government in college, the National Director for the Youth & College Division of the NAACP, Senior Advisor for Media and Youth Outreach for People for the American Way, and the list goes on. Talk a little bit about the transition you made from being a college campus activist to being a leader and activist around the nation and the world.

Jeff Johnson: I think it’s interesting that people always try to put labels on activists. While what you mobilize for may change and evolve, at the end of the day, either you’re an activist or you’re not. I’m an activist. I believe, if we are going to be angry about something, that we have a responsibility to provide a solution on how it gets better, and I think that’s what activists believe. My activism has evolved from doing things on campus, to doing things in the community, to doing them on a national level, to doing them internationally. I hope that I continue to remain consistent, and identify and address the issue that I’m passionate about. I hope I am always able to provide or assist in providing some sort of practical, pragmatic solution-based activism as opposed to rhetorical activism.

eChoes: Your activism recently led you to travel to Iraq. Why did you have the urge to go, and what did you find when you got there?

Jeff Johnson: I was in Kurdistan, which is in the northern region of Iraq, but primarily in Arbil, which is the capital of Kurdistan, working on a documentary on the Iraqi Kurds. For those that don’t know, the Kurds were bombed and gassed by Saddam Hussein in 1991. Of 4,000 villages that the Kurds had, 3,500 of them were destroyed by Saddam. These were people that decided to fight him before we got there [for the first Gulf War], not necessarily to overthrow the government, but to

defend themselves. I think that as we attempt to remove ourselves from Iraq, we have to make sure the Kurds continue to be protected. They fought alongside American soldiers against Saddam [during Operation Desert Storm], and now have a more peaceful region of the country than the central government in Bagdad. I felt it was a story that needed to be told, and one I wanted to be responsible to help tell.

eChoes: I’ve heard you speak here at Empowerment Temple, and you always focus on solutions. How do we go about nurturing the youth of today to come into their own form of leadership?

Jeff Johnson: I think we must have a real firm definition of what leadership means and what it is. We’ve convinced, in some cases, a nation of young people that leadership means filling a position or holding a title, but leadership has nothing to do with that. First and foremost, we have to redefine for young people that leadership is not just those who give a speech. It’s those who are able to provide direction to a place that we need to go. And whether that means you have a thousand people following you or two people following you, it means that you have to be able to be connected to the people. You can’t provide leadership for people with which you don’t commune.

Leadership is about teaching people to be critical thinkers. And by that, teaching them to challenge even the ideas with which they agree. Teaching them to challenge even what makes sense to them, to dive beyond it so that when somebody asks them

why they believe that way, they can actually give a pragmatic, scientific answer, not just an emotional one. Critical thinking is one of the things that we are lacking most, and the reason, I believe, we don’t have a number of solutions. People feel a certain way, but they’re not trying and testing the things they believe. Those are skills I think we need to teach young people because they are necessary for them to become leaders.

eChoes: Your book, Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am: Discovering Your Personal Best was just published. What made you write on this particular topic?

Jeff Johnson: We are encouraged so often to only be our best in one area of our lives. What I’ve learned through my own experiences, and through my own mistakes, is we never become our personal best until we acknowledge our whole self. And so, who I am as a parent, as much as who I am as a journalist, as much as who I am as a son, as much as who I am as a friend all define me at my best. We see people all the time receiving these huge accolades and awards for stuff that they do, while other parts of their lives are an absolute mess. We won’t ever become our personal best until we acknowledge all of the parts of who we are and begin to create systems to address how to get better as a husband even as I am operating in my best as a journalist, or as preacher, or as a business person. Writing this book was as a result of me experiencing it myself, realizing that I was a horrible husband, that I wasn’t the father that I needed to be, and that my life wasn’t fulfilled. Becoming and discovering your personal best is a never-ending process, but if you don’t begin the process, you will never get to the place where you understand the fulfillment that comes with being a whole person.

To learn more about Jeff Johnson, read his blog or find out where to purchase his book, log on to www.jeffsnation.com.

Derrick D. greene is a political commentator and consultant. He is the former host of the internationally broadcasted Power Radio Week in Review.

Everything I’m Not Made Me Everything I Am: Discovering Your Personal Best By Jeff Johnson


PASTOR’S PICKSover the years, God has blessed me to have accumulated thousands of miles around the world

preaching the word of God. Along the way, I’ve come to depend on 10 things that must be with

me every time I step on a plane. For this Men’s Season, I wanted to share those things with you.

01nIV STUDy BIBLE“i never go anywhere without the NIV Study Bible!”Find it at any bookstore

02IPHOnEwww.apple.com/iphone/

03APPLE MAC COMPUTERwww.apple.com

04KInDLE ELECTROnIC BOOK“the Kindle electronic book is one of the best inventions of the 21st Century. i can have any book, magazine or newspaper sent to me wirelessly in less than 60 seconds!” www.amazon.com

05HEnRI BEnDEL VAnILLA BEAn CAnDLEwww.henribendel.com

06TOM FORD TOBACCO

VAnILLA COLOgnEFind it at any major department store

07gnC MEgA MEn VITAMInS

www.gnc.com

08THE PERFECT PUSHUP

“Create what works for you!”

09VALEO WEIgHTED JUMP ROPE

“the Valeo Weighted Jump Rope is just the tool i need to kick my on-the-road workouts to the

next level! Find one at any sporting goods store”

10AMERICAn ExPRESS

www.americanexpress.com


youth. 2009 has seen it’s share of turbulent events

for youth. in the winter, the incident between

R&B singers Chris Brown and Rihanna

brought the discussion of teen domestic

violence to the forefront, and in the fall, the

nation was stunned to learn of the brutal

death of Derrion Albert at the hands of his

peers. BUT Empowerment Temple’s youth

continue to be the beacon through with the

light of God shines.

in this special youtH section, ECHOES

highlights Empowerment Temple’s youth

including the lowdown on how our youth

spent the spring and summer, an architectural

engineer in the making, and a social-political

activist determined to heal the nation by

eradicating “n” word.

sPeCiALyouthseCtion


youth CongressThis year the 2009 AME Youth Congress was held in Hampton, VA. Empowerment Temple’s youth joined the over 1,500 young attendees. The four day Congress included various workshops, seminars and church ser-vices, as well as opportunities to sight-see. So many activities were offered that that youth had no time to be bored. -M. Hawkins

empowerment Liberia’s sisters with PowerThis summer marked the 3rd Annual Sisters with Power Rites of Passage Program (SWP) for girls at Empowerment Temple Liberia. Each year, the young ladies participate in programs that empower them spiritually, emotionally and physically. Each year, the girls crown one of their sisters Miss SWP.

southern states College tourThis spring, 30 Empowerment Temple youth traveled South for the Southern States Col-lege Tour. The youth visited several colleges and universities including Bethune-Cookmen University, Clark Atlanta University, Florida A&M University, Georgia State University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A & T State University and Spelman College. They also toured the MLK Center for Nonviolence and Social Change, as well as other Civil Rights historical sites.

youth explosionThe last Sunday is August, Empowerment youth showed up and showed out! Our youth welcomed the Holy Ghost through dance and song for the 9:30 and 11:30 services. If you missed it, don’t worry. They’re gonna do it again on Sunday, November 29th!

youth summer highlights

youth Congress

sisters with Power

southern states College tour

youth explosion

youth explosion


Tomorrow’s Leader:Kortneigh mcCoy

Kortneigh learned three very valuable lessons while participating in the engineering innovation’s program.

1. Procrastination is a self-hindrance that will steal time and progress from you if you allow it.

2. How to work as a team player with people who come from different cultures, social and economic environments who were all trying to reach the same goal that she was.

3. How to appreciate when her professor bluntly told the class, “If you choose not to complete an assignment, then you fail that assignment.” The reality of that statement made her appreciate when one of her high school teachers disciplined her after she failed to turn in a homework assignment. “This program made me aware that once I graduate from high school, the world will consider me to be an adult. I now understand that irresponsibility is not an option.”

One of Kortneigh’s Johns Hopkins professors is also her engineering Practicum instructor at Poly. she gathered esteem knowing that what she learned over the summer is paving the way for her future.

Kortneigh McCoy has dreams and goals to conquer and is determined to reach them. she plans to study to become an architectural engineer at either Philadelphia university or Appalachian state. she truly understands that failure is not an option, and that, with God, she will persevere.

Seventeen-year-old Kortneigh McCoy is one of Empowerment Temple’s brightest teens. While many of her peers were either traveling or hanging out over the summer, this Baltimore Polytechnic Institute senior participated in a summer internship at Johns Hopkins University where she studied Engineering Innovation. The course was a three-part college-level lecture that included the study of calculus, dimensional reasoning and physics. The Hopkins program hosted students from various backgrounds, and Kortneigh took pleasure in meeting many of them, including some foreign exchange students who traveled to the United States in order to take part in the program.

Moneira Hawkins is a creative writer as well as a public speaker who conducts a mentoring program for teen girls. she is also speaks monthly at local detention facilities. Moneira is an active member of the new Members Ministry.

By Moneira Hawkins

Tomorrow’s Leader:Jonathan mcCoy

WE understood the gravity of 11-year-old Jonathan McCoy’s speech “A new Petition” when we heard it during MOVE’s 2nd Annual Oratory Contest. He stood before us sharing the rich history of African Americans, and explained how many of us taint our own legacy by using the “n” word. Days later, he performed the speech again, this time before the 11:30 a.m. congregation and governor Martin O’Malley. That performance has since been viewed by over one million people on youTube.

Jonathan’s desire to eradicate the “n” word goes deeper than just words on paper. In February, he created a space online where people could actually go to sign his petition to end the use of the word. In September, Jonathan and his rousing speech were featured on Cnn with Don Lemon, The CBS Evening Show with Katie Couric, The Michael Baisden Show, AOL.com’s homepage, and countless other newspapers and online publications.

By Candance L. Greene

A new PetitionBy Jonathan E. McCoy

Negro, African American, Noir, Nero, Mahogany, Ebony, Nubian, Black. All of these words have the same meaning. Negro is a Spanish noun and descendant of the word ‘niger’ meaning -‘black’. Though somewhere in history it was translated “the ‘n’ word” by those who refer to us as economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised instead of the kings and queens, princes and princesses we really are.

We are descendants of the Continent of Africa. Countries like Niger and Nigeria hold our rich heritage. Unfortunately, this misinterpretation of

our heritage is perpetuated among our own race. Rather than obliterate this disrespectful term we have adapted it as a cultural phrase. You’ve heard it, “What’s up my ‘N’ word?” or maybe you’ve said it; “Get outta ma face

‘N’ word!” So why as a people do we use it in our everyday language to communicate to or about ourselves. Let me dispel the myth. As a people we are neither economically, politically, nor socially disenfranchised.

Fifty-six years after the Emancipation Proclamation there was an emergence of Blacks who capitalized on their God-given talents. Embodied with the character of self-dedication they were inspired to start this movement. It was termed the New Negro Movement to be exact. If that name doesn’t ring a bell then you might be more familiar with the Harlem Renaissance. A band of writers, artists, musicians, poets, and inventors came together for a new beginning. This explains Renaissance, which means reborn.

Jonathan McCoy granted EChOEs permission to reprint the speech for this special youth section. Don’t miss this opportunity to share it with others.



People like Jasbo Brown; the name synonymous with the introduction of jazz, Duke Ellington, a jazz musician, Marcus Garvey, a Civil Rights Activist and Langston Hughes, Poet Laureate. So who you calling the ‘N’ word?

We have held some of the most coveted offices, positions and jobs in the history of this nation and Affirmative Action had nothing to do with it. According to the definition, an ‘N’ word will never be a lawyer, a doctor or a teacher, yet many of us thrive in these industries. Neither can they hold such esteemed offices as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission like Michael Powell, Joint Chiefs of Staff like his father, Colin Powell, Secretary of State, like Condoleezza Rice and Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America like President Barack Obama. Oprah Winfrey would never have the success she’s experienced, or the distinction of being one of the richest women in America if she had allowed a termination from her job to economically disenfranchise her. Instead, her presence is requested in the most elite social and political domains.

So, I’m sending a message to everyone who knowingly or ignorantly uses that term to describe our people. Rather you’re a gangsta rapper who uses it to communicate with your boys, or someone who looks down on those of us who haven’t got a college education; whatever the case its time to discontinue

use of the word. It is implausible that 40 years after Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination that we still use a word that holds no worth in our lives, our families or our future. So I’m petitioning you to join me in deleting the ‘N’ word from our vocabulary as a people, as a nation, and the world.

I’d like to add a stanza to James Weldon Johnson’s

“Lift Every Voice”

Lift every voice and cry Till the ‘n’ word has died Let us cry out and proclaim our dignity Although we may be free, gloom still hangs over we Who use the word that made our fathers sigh Sing a song that doesn’t dishonor the mothers who bore us Sing a song absent of negative words in the chorus It’s now 2009, leave the ‘n’ word behind Choose words that speak, purpose and not defeat

My name is Jonathan Emile McCoy and I approve this message.

What can you do the help? Log on to www.petitionspot.com/endthenwordnow to sign Jonathan McCoy’s petition to stop the use of the “n” word and share this site with everyone you know.

Gov. O’Malley congratulates Jonathan McCoy. Jonathan reciting his speech during service.

The Power Summitthe Power summit was a three-day conference that set the spirit world ablaze. Dr. bryant invited some of the most dynamic speakers to empowerment temple who brought life-changing word to the body of Christ. but our baltimore congregation was not the only group to enjoy the conference. thousands of our cyber members participated with us by watching the streaming broadcast online.

1. empowerment Members and guests praise God during the Power summit.

2. Bishop McKissick, Bishop Paige and Dr. Bryant corral around Bishop George Bloomer during his teaching on spiritual warfare.

3. Pastor Bryant laying hands during his evening sermon.

4. Pastor Bryant preaching during Power summit.

5. Bishop Liston Paige gets during his session at the Power summit.

6. Pastor John Gunns preaching about authentic friendship.

7. Bishop Rudolph McKissick brings Pastor Bryant to his feet during his evening sermon.

2

3


et remix

1

4

6 75


july aug sept

1. Pastor and et youth strike a pose on Friends and Family Day.

2. Children enjoying the Moon Bouce.

3. Members happy to participate on Friends and Family.

1

2

3

1

2

1. Married couples enjoying the summer Marriage Ministry Cookout.

2. Wives still got it at the Marriage Ministry picnic.

3. Beyond the Walls work to recruit new members during the Ministry Pep Rally.

3

1

1. CoPs Ministry Annual Crab Feast.

2. youth line up to receive supplies from the Back to school store.

3. young member at the Back to school store. over 300 children received supplies.

3

2


memberspotlight

KwAme KuADey

You may have seen Empowerment Temple member Kwame Kuadey around church leading economic empowerment

courses, or teaching Parents on Wheels financial literacy classes, but what you may not know is that this Ghanaian native is a very successful businessman. This entrepreneur is the Founder and CEO of Giftcardrescue.com, an “online marketplace where visitors can buy, sell or exchange unused gift cards.” His company has been featured everything from the Wall Street Journal, to CNBC, to Forbes.com.

This past summer, Kuadey appeared as a contestant on the ABC reality show The Shark Tank, where he convinced a panel of five multi-millionaires to invest $200,000 into his company. Kuadey attributes his success on the show to hard work, preparation and sacrifice.

To learn more about Kwame Kuadey and his business, visit his website at

www.giftcardrescue.com

GreGADAms

In 2008, Greg Adams’s life fell apart. His 20-year marriage ended, the real estate industry, in which he had been highly successful, collapsed,

and his home was foreclosed. Depressed, he reached out to family who, instead of offering help, ridiculed him. The only thing Adams had was a journal in which he wrote his conversations with God. Soon, those discussions evolved into the book From Bankruptcy to Bounty. “This book was born out of my mess,” says Adams. “God needed me to be able to speak to people’s issues, but I had to be transparent enough to share my own with them first.”

Actually writing the book was difficult for Adams. Three editors told him to abandon the project, but he persevered. Through the writing process, God also revealed his secondary plan—motivational speaking. Adams plans to use From Bankruptcy to Bounty as a springboard to speaking with individuals and groups to help them find financial freedom, and relationship with God in the process. “God never abandoned me when things were rough. He just told me to keep on moving. Now, I can use those experiences to help other people understand that losing it all may not be a bad thing because God just may have a new, and more rewarding plan for their lives.”

To learn more about greg Adams’s book, visit www.frombank2bounty.com. To purchase a copy, contact him

at 443.829.8572.

By Candance L. Greene


LooK FoR tHe

WInTER ISSUE IN DECEMBER!

nOVEMBER1-December 13WAR Ministry Entertainment Book Fundraiser Contact [email protected] for more information.

253rd Annual give Love give Food Thanksgiving Food Market4217 Primrose AveBaltimore, MD 212159am-5pm*We need volunteers. Call 410.225.3494 for more information

26Thanksgiving Day Service4217 Primrose AveBaltimore, MD 2121510am

29youth Sunday4217 Primrose AveBaltimore, MD 212159:30am and 11:30am services

DECEMBER25Christmas Day Services4217 Primrose AveBaltimore, MD 2121510am

31 new year’s Eve Service4217 Primrose AveBaltimore, MD 212157pm and 10pm

Find out why you should care

about the 2010 Census.

A Conversation with Empowerment Temple

Liberia’s Pastor Keturah Cooper

ECHOES Cause of the year:

Christian Persecution.

It’s a celebration! EMPOWERMEnT

TEMPLE is turning 10!1

the buzz in thenext issue

Documents

ECHOES of Empowerment Magazine Fall 2009