A Salvation Army leader is likely to be terminated after he announced his engagement to a woman who is not affiliated with the organization.

Capt. Johnny Harsh, a leader for the Oshkosh Salvation Army in Wisconisn, was suspended this week for violating a rule that requires officers to marry only from within The Salvation Army.

The suspension and expected termination did not come as a surprise to Harsh as he was aware of the rule when he joined the Christian aid agency. But he still feels it is unfair.

"I knew the rule and that this was coming and that I would be let go," said Harsh, according to The Northwestern. "But for The Salvation Army to let me go because I will marry outside of the Army, I think is wrong. I pray that people will write letters and call the Salvation Army to change this ruling. It wouldn't be for my benefit, but for future officers."

The marriage rule has been in place almost since the founding of The Salvation Army in 1865 by Methodist minister William Booth. Booth and his wife, Catherine, determined in those early years that married couples who function together in The Salvation Army are far more effective than having one spouse who was committed to the ministry while the other was committed elsewhere, according to Major George Hood, national community relations secretary for The Salvation Army.

The requirement, still in place today, is that both the man and the woman be ordained ministers within the organization, Hood explained.

"The rationality is that it's a joint ministry … a team ministry. And both the husband and wife work together in all their assignments," said Hood, whose wife works alongside him in Alexandria, Va.

"For us, it has always been a policy and anyone who applies to be trained and ordained knows this up front," he added, noting that the policy is extremely effective and strengthens the mission of the ministry.

There have been marriages in The Salvation Army that failed, Hood acknowledged. Those who divorce are forced to resign from their positions. If, however, there is clear indication of a non-guilty party, that party is allowed to continue in the ministry.

The marriage policy is unique to The Salvation Army, Hood commented. But no one is taken by surprise by it, he added.

Hood declined commenting on Harsh's case, saying it is a personal matter between the family and the administration.

Harsh had been married to Capt. Yalanda "Yoley" Harsh but she died unexpectedly of complications from a heart attack in June.

"Yoley's death was completely unforeseen," he said, according to The Northwestern. "It's been hard on my daughters, myself and our Salvation Army family."

A final decision on Harsh's position is expected next week at a Salvation Army Territorial Officers Board meeting.

In a sermon delivered Sunday at his old stomping ground, Barack Obama's former pastor Jeremiah Wright referred to one of his harshest critics, Elisabeth Hasselbeck of ABC's "The View," as "that dumb broad."

      Speaking at Trinity United Church of Christ for its 47th anniversary, Rev. Wright included his trademark array of history lessons, mimicry and singing, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. His ire, however, was saved for Hasselbeck, who Wright twice referred to as a "broad," including once as "that dumb broad."

       Wright expressed pride in Obama's longtime association with Trinity United Church of Christ, where he recently retired after serving 36 years as senior pastor.        

       "The hatred of the media and the haters in politics may have caused him to distance himself from us, but the love of Christ will never allow me to distance myself from him,' Wright said of Obama. "I can no more disown him than I can disown any other child of mine who makes [a] bad decision. He made a bad decision, but he's still my child."      

       Wright and his sermons became controversial during the presidential race, particularly one in which he said "God damn America." Obama subsequently cut ties with Wright and the church where he was married and where his children were baptized.

      Also at Trinity on Sunday was the Rev. Michael Pfleger, whom Wright called "my main man." Pfleger drew heat with criticism of then-candidate Hillary Clinton last spring.

With a bevy of accolades – multiple Grammy and Stellar award nominations; Nesby is one of music’s elite and the singer that American Idol’s Randy Jackson called “one of the best singers in the world!”

     Now comes a special moment in Tyscot Records’ 30-plus year history, it has signed the Grammy Award winning urban/Gospel singing veteran and her new CD will hit stores in the spring, 2009.

     Nesby’s returned to the studio to craft her new Gospel release “The Lula Lee Project” and her third full Gospel/Inspirational album within her solo repertoire. Working with an array of musical geniuses such as Gospel music maverick Tonex (John P. Kee, Tarralyn Ramsey, Montell Jordan); Herb Middleton (SWV, Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige); J. Isaac (James Grear & Company, Juelz Santana), and Debra Killings (TLC).

     “The Lula Lee Project” marks her third full length Gospel/Inspirational solo album following her acclaimed 2003 “Make Me Better” and her 2006 “In the Spirit” albums and is her sixth solo album since her departure from The Sounds of Blackness.

     “Lula Lee is the real Ann Nesby, she is who my family and husband sees on a daily basis,” says Nesby who adds, “Lula Lee is who I am personally outside the glitz and glamour associated with my ‘Ann Nesby’ persona.”

      “We are thrilled to partner with Ann Nesby in presenting the ‘Lula Lee Project,’” says Bryant Scott – Tyscot Records President. “We are looking forward to a lasting relationship. Ann Nesby is one of a kind.”

     “This project is a reminder that God is still in control,” explains Nesby who admits that the world has changed dramatically since her 1996 debut. “I always sing from the heart, and I believe that whatever is sung from the heart will reach the heart of the listener.”

Pastor Dr. Frederick K.C Price, founder of the Crenshaw Christian Center (CCC) passed the baton to his son, Pastor Frederick Price Jr., recently during the church's 35th anniversary celebration. Pastor Price, Jr. will be installed as pastor of the 22,000 member mega-church on Sunday, March 15, 2009, his 30th birthday.

"Fred will start his public ministry at the same age Jesus did. That is prophetic," said the Elder Dr. Price who will be 77 next year. "I will still be around as your Apostle and working with the board of directors, but it's time for Pastor Price, Jr. to get into the driver's seat. I will still mentor him."   

Although both men were humorous during the announcement (a family trait of infusing humor and playfulness into the service), the gravity of the moment was overwhelming as the young Pastor Price, Jr. took in the view of the nearly 5,000 guests and members in the congregation who would become his flock.  Many of whom knew him as a child.          

"Becoming Pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center is an honor of high esteem," said Pastor Price, Jr. "To follow in the footsteps of my father, the Apostle of Faith, is a privilege and a challenge I look forward to taking on."

Pastor Frederick Price Jr. was ordained on February 9, 2003.  In tune with his generation, he created a special Sunday service called Hip-Hop Sunday to attract younger church-goers. Believed to be the first church to fuse Hip-Hop with Faith, the service is now called The BluePrint. The young Pastor Price, Jr. would regularly minister on Sundays when the elder Dr. Price was away on speaking trips.

On Sunday, November 30th at 9:30 AM, Pastor Price, Jr. will hold this year's last The BluePrint service in the FaithDome, the church's sanctuary located at 7901 S. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles between Manchester Boulevard and Florence Avenue. All ages are welcome and casual attire is encouraged.  A holy Hip-Hop celebration, the services will feature rapping, dancing, krumping.

"I will still uphold the same high standards of teaching and excellence my father brought to the pulpit" said Pastor Price Jr.

A trailblazer in his own right, Dr. Price Sr. is one of the first African-American ministers to have a mega-church and an evangelical broadcast on television, which reaches over 15 million households each week.  He is also known for his candid teachings such as his controversial "Race, Religion and Racism" series which took him three years to complete. Dr. Price has authored over 50 books and has mentored many highly recognized ministers influencing the church today. But one of his most treasured achievements is watching his son succeed him.

Source: EUR Web

Attending a weekly religious service, regardless of your faith, may lower your risk of death by 20 percent compared to people who don't attend services, researchers are reporting.

"Religion is always a hot topic, but particularly now, when people are perhaps in fear because of the recession and the threat of terrorism, people are looking for stability, and religion is something we find people reach out to for that stability. And, we see some health benefits here," said the study's lead author, Eliezer Schnall, a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Yeshiva College at Yeshiva University in New York City.

"Maybe it's the sense of community, or the support, or maybe people are less depressed when they join in religious services," he said, adding that the researchers tried to control the data to account for many of these factors, but "we have not completely explained it all."

Results of the study were published in the current issue of the journal Psychology and Health.

The study participants came from the large Women's Health Initiative observational study, and included nearly 95,000 women from all over the United States. The women were all between 50 and 79 years old at the start of the study.

When the study began, each woman filled out extensive questionnaires regarding health history, health behaviors, psychosocial factors, demographics and religion. Medical information was obtained yearly for each study volunteer, and the average follow-up time was 7.7 years.

Before adjusting the data, there was no significant difference in the risk of death between regular religious service attendees and those who chose not to attend. Schnall noted that there were many reasons why this could be so. But the main reason, he said, could be that people who go to religious services every week may be in better physical shape. "Maybe they're just healthy enough to go to services," he said.

When the researchers adjusted the data to account for physical health, age, ethnicity, income, education, social support, important life events and life satisfaction, they found that weekly religious service attendance was responsible for a 20 reduction in the risk of death. Attending less than once a week was responsible for a 15 percent drop in the risk of death.

But, attending religious services didn't improve the risk of death from cardiovascular disease or improve heart outcomes, the study found.

Although the study noted a decreased risk of death, Schnall wouldn't say that the prescription for good health is to attend religious services regularly.

"I'm not saying our study yields such a prescription, but our findings are intriguing and we do at least have some ideas of why there is a benefit, but we have not completely explained it all," he said.

Dr. Harold G. Koenig, founder and co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health at Duke University Medical Center, called the new research "a very well-done study that provides good, well-controlled evidence that religious attendance is related to lower mortality."

"And, they [the researchers] show it's not just the social factor, it's not just the behavioral factors, and it's not just that some people might be too sick to be able to go to church. The researchers controlled well for these, though they still don't explain it all at the end," said Koenig.

"But," he added, "that doesn't mean there are supernatural effects, just that we don't fully understand the mechanism by which religion does this yet."

source: Health Day News

BMI will honor Gospel artists CeCe Winans, Donald Lawrence and Twinkie Clark at its 10th Annual Trailblazer of Gospel Music Awards Luncheon on Friday, January 16 2009. The invitation only ceremony will take place at Rocketown in Nashville.

     CeCe Winans’ career has generated a trove of top-shelf industry accolades comprising numerous Grammy, Stellar and Dove Awards. Her work with her brother as the duo BeBe & CeCe Winans expanded the boundaries of Gospel music and welcomed new listeners into its fold.

     Her solo projects reintroduced her as an artist comfortable with the spotlight. CeCe has been a BMI songwriter for more than 20 years. Her catalog of compositions including the BMI Christian Award winning song “Say a Prayer,” as well as “Addictive Love,” “Well Alright,” and “Pray.”  Her gold and platinum selling albums fill her resume and her latest effort “Thy Will Be Done” promises more acclaim.

     Donald Lawrence is a producer and BMI songwriter, choir director and singer whose major influences on contemporary Gospel music is unparalleled.

     His original work with the multiple awards winning Tri-City Singers revealed a rare and innovative artist capable of musical brilliance and authentic Christian praise, while his work as a producer embodied projects by Gospel icons including fellow honoree Twinkie Clark, Kirk Franklin and Karen Clark Sheard.  Lawrence has also penned songs for The Clark Sisters, the Tri-City Singers, his own well-received solo projects, and more. His growing catalog includes the 2007 BMI Christian Award winning “Blessing of Abraham” and “Encourage Yourself.”

     Elbernita “Twinkie” Clark has enthralled listeners for decades, both through her acclaimed solo work and leadership of Gospel’s royal family The Clark Sisters.

     A skilled musician dubbed “Queen of the B3 Hammond Organ,” Clark also wields aerobatic vocals only matched by her sublime knack for composition. Clark has two Grammy Awards and has penned songs for The Clark Sisters, Rev. James Cleveland, Al Green, Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers, Esther Smith, James Moss, Dave Hollister, Xscape and Mary J Blige. The legendary BMI Gospel songwriter, Twinkie Clark, has recently recognized alongside her sisters at the 2007 Stellar Awards, where the influential group received the award for Most Noted Achievement.

     BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is an America performing right organization that represents more than 375,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI’s latest financial results, $901 million for its 2008 fiscal year, are he highest performing right collections for any copyright organization I the world.

 
At the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, hosted by Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain were asked nearly identical questions on stewardship, leadership, worldview and America’s role in the world. According to Saddleback pastor Rick Warren, who was the sole interviewer throughout the two-hour event, the goal of the civil forum was to “restore civility in our civil discourse.”

“Now, we believe in the separation of church and state,” Warren said in his introduction before heading into the first round of questions with Obama, “but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics because faith is just a world view and everybody has some kind of world view.”

“And it’s important to know what they are,” he told the packed crowd of over 6,500 in Saddleback’s worship center, reiterating statements made prior to the forum.

Starting with Obama – who was selected to go first by a coin toss, Warren sat down for a one-hour interview with each of the presidential hopefuls, both of whom the megachurch pastor identified as friends, patriots, and “people who both care deeply about America.”

Warren’s questions – which were drawn from the input of pastors and church leaders throughout America and a team of experts on issues such as religious persecution and AIDS – ranged from personal questions on the candidate’s greatest moral failures and most gut-wrenching decisions they've had to make to “values” questions on issues such as abortion, marriage and stem cells.

While the responses from Obama and McCain contrasted on a number of issues, as expected, such as their opinions of the present Supreme Court justices, the two senators notably agreed on what America’s great moral failure is – the lack of selflessness.

“I think America’s greatest moral failure in my lifetime is that we still don’t abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me,” responded Obama during his session with Warren as McCain waited in “a cone of silence.”

“There is a pervasive sense, I think, that this country is wealthy and powerful as we still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of these,” he added.

McCain, in his response, said America’s greatest moral failure “has been throughout our existence, perhaps that we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our self interest although we’ve been at the best at it of anybody in the world.”

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee urged for greater American participation in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, the military, and faith-based and volunteer organizations.

“The first words of your very successful book is ‘This is not about you,’” McCain said, citing from Warren’s best-selling “Purpose Driven Life.”

“And you know that really also means, serve a cause greater than your self interest,” he added.

Aside from America’s greatest moral failure and the belief that marriage is a union between a man and a woman, responses from the two presidential contenders were largely divergent.

When the issue of abortion was brought up, McCain succinctly replied that babies are entitled to human rights at the moment of conception and pointed out his 25-year pro-life record in the Congress and the Senate. Obama, on the other hand, stood by his pro-choice platform but reiterated that he is not pro-abortion.

“I don’t think women make these decisions casually,” he explained. “They wrestle with these things in profound ways – in consultation with their pastors or spouses or their doctors and their family members.”

Obama suggested that there were other ways to lower the abortion rate, including the reduction of the number of unwanted pregnancies and the providing of resources that allow women to make the choice to keep a child.

The democratic senator was also put on the spot when asked about his thoughts on faith-based organizations, struggling to answer directly Warren’s question on whether faith-based organizations should forfeit the right to access federal funds due to their policy on hiring people based on faith.

“Generally speaking, faith-based organizations should not be advantaged or disadvantaged when it comes to getting federal funds by virtue of the fact that they are faith-based organizations,” he said.

McCain also had his share of awkward moments.

Most notably, when asked what it means to be a follower of Christ and how faith works out in his life on a daily basis, McCain replied that he’s saved and forgiven and quickly went into telling the story of his run-in with a Vietnamese Christian soldier during his time as a POW.

“I’ll never forget that moment,” McCain said after recalling the moments of solidarity he shared with the Vietnamese Christian soldier.

On the other hand, Obama – who has been noted as more spiritual, though liberal, than McCain – replied clearly that Christ “is a source of strength and sustenance on a daily basis.”

“I know that I don’t walk alone, and I know that if I can get myself out of the way, that I can maybe carry out in some small way what He intends,” he said.

In their conclusions, both candidates claimed their ability to reach across the table as a strength that they would offer to America as the nation’s next president.

“I have a record of reaching across the aisle and working with the other party, and I want to do that and I believe, as I said, that Americans feel it’s time for us to put our country first,” said McCain during his one-minute summary on why he wants to be president.

In addition to his “ability to build bridges across partisan lines, racial, regional lines,” Obama said he feels like the American dream “is slipping away.”

“I think we are at a critical juncture economically; I think we are at a critical juncture internationally,” he added.

On Sunday, Warren was scheduled to deliver a special sermon, entitled “Making Up You Mind: Questions to Consider before the Election," which will be streamed live on the church Web site – www.saddleback.com. The sermon will be delivered twice – first during Saddleback’s 9 a.m. PT service and then again during the church’s 11:15 a.m. PT service.

 
The first picture of the Rev. Timothy Wright taken after he was critically injured in a car accident shows the famed Brooklyn pastor's resolve during a rehab session.

The "Godfather of gospel" still cannot breathe, eat or walk on his own, more than a month after the horrific crash that killed his wife and grandson.

Still, in the most dire period of his life, Wright, 61, wants nothing more than to get back in the pulpit, preaching to his loving congregation.
"Can I go to church?" Wright asked his son Tuesday inside his hospital room at a New Jersey rehabilitation center. "He says that all the time," David Wright, 30, told the Daily News as he stroked his father's shoulder. Wright has been incapacitated since the July 4 accident that took the life of Betty Wright and his 14-year-old grandson, D.J.

Wright, the founder of Grace Tabernacle Christian Center in Crown Heights, suffered a severe spinal cord injury, a broken jaw, broken ribs and multiple fractures in his legs. The
Grammy Award-nominated pastor was moved to the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange on Thursday, but his veterans insurance doesn't cover the $4,033-a-day treatment he needs. His family, joined by the Rev. Al Sharpton, are asking for donations to continue Wright's rehabilitation.

"He was always the one to help everybody else," Sharpton, a decades-long friend of the Wrights, said during a visit yesterday. "Now, it's time for everybody to help the Godfather." Sharpton said his goal is to raise at least $100,000 by week's end, noting that Wright's care at Kessler is likely to end up costing about half a million dollars. "The insurance that he had covered him as far is it could," Sharpton said. "Now, he must depend on the insurance of his friends and his supporters."
The Wrights were returning to the city from a church conference in Detroit when a drunken driver heading the wrong way on a Pennsylvania highway hit their car head-on.

The driver, John Pick, 44, was killed in the crash. Wright has recently regained feeling in his shoulders and is expected to be taken off of a respirator in six weeks, family friend
Laurie Schneider said. Schneider said she has been stunned by Wright's strength and devotion to his church despite his heartbreaking ordeal.

"He was asking to put a tent on the parking lot, so he can hold his services outside here," Schneider added. "That's all he's praying for – to give a service."

BY RICH SCHAPIRO
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

For a small but increasing number of Americans, the song “Pull Your Pants Up!” by Gospel rap artist Dooney “Da Priest” is not just a song. “It’s a movement,” as the rapper told the Jackson Clarion Ledger of Mississippi last week after his album “Pull Your Pants Up!” released.

And with new laws recently passed or being considered in a handful of U.S. cities, it might be.

In the south Chicago suburb of Lynwood, village leaders have passed an ordinance that would levy $25 fines against anyone showing three inches or more of their underwear in public.

In Flint, Mich., the city’s police chief has directed his officers to arrest people wearing pants or shorts below their waists or buttocks, and issue misdemeanors, citing the city's disorderly conduct and indecent exposure laws.

And in Riviera Beach, Fla., local police are now able to act on the so-called "saggy pants" law that was put on the books in March after a legal glitch was fixed Wednesday night.

The southeast Florida city had adopted the controversial ordinance just months after nearby Opa-locka became one of the first U.S. cities to ban saggy pants in certain public facilities.

"It's going to be a new day, a great day," Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas Masters told WPTV-Ch. 5. "We hope our young people have gotten the message loud and clear that it is against the law in this city to walk around indecently."

Some – such as the Rev. Jerry Young of New Hope Baptist Church in Jackson, Miss., where an ordinance has been proposed to make it illegal to wear pants below the waistline "as to expose one's underwear" – say it’s a matter of morality.

"It's indecent and improper and our wives, mothers, daughters and sisters in the community don't want to see it," he told the Clarion Ledger.

City Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who proposed the sagging ban in Jackson after talking with Young, further told the newspaper: "Young people are emulating the dope boys, gang bangers and criminals they see and the community doesn't want them to go down that road."

There are some, however, who oppose the “movement.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, for example, said the new policy in Flint gives police authority to conduct unconstitutional searches and seizures, promotes racial profiling, violates due process and interferes with individuals' freedom to express themselves in their appearance.

"Given that Flint has one of the highest crime rates in the country, you would think the police chief would be fighting crime instead of the latest fashion fad," said Michael J. Steinberg, legal director of the state ACLU, according to the Detroit Free Press.

In Jackson, high school senior Greg Sims told the local newspaper he thinks it is “foolish” that the city council is even considering the ban.

Bryan Collins, a sophomore at Holmes Community College in Jackson, also said he didn’t support the ban, though he agrees that those who “get outrageous with sagging” deserve to be fined.

Despite protests and opposition, radio personality Torrez Harris of Hallelujah 95.5 FM in Jackson, one of several radio stations across the nation that plays Dooney’s song, claims support for the “Pull Your Pants Up” movement is strong.

"For every negative person that calls in about the 'Pull Your Pants Up' song, at least 20 positive people call in support of the song and its message," he told the Clarion Ledger.

In South Carolina, the Jasper County Council's proposed sagging pants ban will be up for public discussion Monday during a public hearing and second reading.

The proposed ordinance would ban anyone from wearing their pants more than 3 inches below their hips "and thereby exposing his or her skin or intimate clothing."

The ordinance carries a maximum penalty of $500 and 30 days in jail, reported county attorney Marvin Jones, according to the local Beaufort Gazette.

 
New York, NY — On the group’s sophomore CD, 21:03 continues to demonstrate their musical prowess, which spans the gamut from traditional Gospel melodies to R&B and Hip Hop infused rhythms that garnered the trio a 2008 Stellar Award for Rap/Hip Hop Gospel CD of the year.

On TOTAL ATTENTION the group shows considerable growth and proves that they have staying power and appeal that crosses all generations.  Comprised of Evan Martin, Torrence Green and Jor’el Quinn, 21:03 has a robust signature sound that not only gets bodies moving, but that appeals to the hearts and minds of listeners.   

Replete with production from exceptional mainstays PAJAM, TOTAL ATTENTION includes the powerful first single “Cover Me” that features vocals from Smokie Norful and Fred Hammond.  The fervent ballad is a powerful intercessory anthem which has been an early favorite at radio and has achieved #1 most added status for more than three weeks.

The electrifying “You” has been the #1 digitally downloaded single on iTunes and Napster and its accompanying video can currently be seen on the Gospel Music Channel as well as BET and other outlets around the country.  Additionally, 21:03 was Gospel Music Channel’s “Listen Up” artist of the month.  “21:03’s music, talent, style and grace broadly appeals to the Gospel, R&B, Christian, and POP music fans, while maintaining the integrity of the message.   21:03 is a true definition of Gospel Music Channel’s ListenUp! Artist on the Rise!!” says Alvin Williams, Senior Director, Music Industry Development, Gospel Music Channel.

With styles to suit a variety of musical tastes, TOTAL ATTENTION also includes the hip hop inflected  “Talkin Bout” and the remarkably soulful “Now” and “You Got Me Through,” both which can give any current R&B hit a run for its money.  “Riverside” and “The Power of Christ” find the group at its best with a cappella performances that put their extraordinary vocals front and center.

 Reviving the boy band with a positive message of hope and salvation, 21:03 has the whole package.  “It’s not boring to be a Christian,” Torrence says.  “To be a Christian isn’t wack, it’s an exciting experience when you walk with Christ.  We get so easily distracted by things around us, but God wants your total attention. This is the time to stay focused.”