inspirations


By Derek Smith Genesis 3:6: “And when


the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.”


A popular afternoon radio


program recently posed the very interesting question of whether a woman would date her girlfriend if she were transformed into a man while retaining what she knew about the woman when they were girlfriends.


To my amazement not one


woman said she would. Each lady gave a personal “low- down” on why her girlfriend wasn’t fit for a decent man. Manipulative, self-centered, confrontational and control- ling were but a few adjectives used.


I couldn’t help thinking


it’s about time a few ladies fi- nally stood up to say, “Hey, it’s not always the guy’s fault,” be- cause to hear most women tell it, there’s no way the things


THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE Not all his fault


Black man — has an increasing need to feel relevant at least in his own home. A woman who satisfies this need by making her man feel like Superman instead of Clark Kent will usu- ally get much more out of the deal, too.


Much of this battle of the Derek Smith


that go wrong in a relationship could ever be of their doing.


The iconic Pam Grier re-


cently said in Jet magazine that one reason continuous problems exist in relation- ships is that women today simply don’t listen to their man. You can bet many a brother (including me) echoes Grier’s sentiments.


In a world


where the message is increas- ingly conveyed that we don’t matter, a man — especially a


sexes comes down to a fight over who’s really in charge. Biblically speaking, godly men are ordained to lead the home and godly women are called to assist. Now that’s not to say there isn’t a sharing of the leadership role that must occur in order for a relation- ship to prosper. Yet and still, there cannot be two drivers. One must relinquish the wheel and ride “shotgun” if both are to ride together, lest they find themselves in separate cars headed in opposite directions. Sadly, this is what happens in too many relationships today.


Sometimes the woman can


— and should — lead, but most times it should be the man. Christian women especially seem to flinch when asked to accept this godly principle. They proclaim faith in the


Bishop P.A. Brooks celebrates 35 years as jurisdictional bishop


By Niketa Woodley A Civic and Ecumenical


Tribute Brunch celebrating Bishop P.A. Brook’s 35 years as a jurisdictional bishop, ap- ostolic leader and visionary will be held in the Stafford Hall of the Cathedral Confer- ence Center on July 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.


It was 1975 when the late


Presiding Bishop J.O. Pat- terson consecrated Bishop P.A. Brooks as jurisdictional bishop over what is now called Michigan’s Historic First Ju- risdiction, Northeast. Since that time, Bishop P.A. Brooks has become known as a trust- ed and respected ecclesiasti- cal voice of influence around the world.


When he was consecrat-


ed as jurisdictional bishop, Bishop Brooks was the found- er and pastor of New St. Paul Tabernacle, Church of God in Christ. As the pastor of New St. Paul Tabernacle, he has led with integrity and gentle- ness, making himself available and approachable to all of his members. Fulfilling the great commission of Christ and equipping the people of God to aim higher in their faith is and has always been his main goal. His induction to the office of bishop intensified his apos- tolic mission, allowing him to connect to thousands of souls in the ministry.


Bishop Brooks. He is a source of so much counsel, so much wisdom, so much maturity,” said the presiding bishop during a visit in 2008 to De- troit for the Northeast Michi- gan State Holy Convocation.


As a visionary, Bishop Bishop P.A. Brooks His faithfulness to God and


the ministry was hard not to notice. In 1984, just nine years after his ascension to bishop, He was elected a member of the General Board, the govern- ing board of the Churches of God in Christ, Internationally. He is the second longest serv- ing member to date.


In 2008, Bishop Brooks was


chosen by Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake to serve as first assistant presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ International. This esteemed honor made Bishop Brooks the vice president to the presiding bishop.


“Of the decisions that I


made as presiding bishop, one of the wisest and best was the decision to appoint


Brooks organized a coalition of Episcopal leaders called the Michigan Canadian Coun- cil of Bishops to support the office of the presiding bishop. Throughout the tenure of his bishopric, he has established churches, appointed and trained many great leaders, including bishops. He is en- trusted to handle some of the most sensitive matters and travels to some of the most significant places throughout the Churches of God in Christ worldwide. Of the 102 years of the institution of the Church of God in Christ, Bishop P.A. Brooks has faithfully served 35 of those years.


A tribute book marking


Bishop Brooks’ beginnings from a young superintendent eager to serve in ministry to the first assistant presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, International will be available to the guests who attend the brunch.


Visit www.nspt.com for


further information regarding this celebration.


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19th Annual Brown Bomber Jacket Award Ceremony


Legendary tight end snares another honor: NFL Hall of Famer and former Detroit Lions standout Charlie Sand- ers admires his Brown Bomber jacket, received during a ceremony at the Charles H. Wright Museum of Afri- can American History. The 19th annual Brown Bomber Jacket Award Ceremony, presented by award-winning journalist Ted Talbert, executive director of the Joe Louis Video Memorial Room, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the community. In addition to Sanders, the 2010 Brown Bomber Jacket honorees included Edward Deeb, co-founder and chair- man of Metro Detroit Youth Day; Dr. Curtis Ivery, Wayne County Community College District chancellor; Dr. Stuart Kirschenbaum, former Michigan boxing commissioner; and Samuel Logan, publisher of the Michigan Chronicle.


City, county, clergy wrap up successful demolition campaign The abandoned apartment


“There were a lot of murders


building was known in the neighborhood as “The Carter” from the1991 crime thriller movie New Jack City.


Like “The Carter,” the empty


and blighted 30,000-square- foot apartment building in the 12000 block of Dexter, on Detroit’s northwest side, was rife in its last days with drugs, gangs and violence.


there,” said Mac Thomas, 42, owner of Revelation’s Barber & Braids, at 12174 Dexter. “A lot of drug trafficking there.”


Thomas, who said he had


a family member murdered in the building, was glad to see the city and county tearing it down: “It’s time for that build- ing to go,” he said.


Flanked by clergy and com-


munity leaders, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano told a large gathering at the July 20 event that the demolition was a successful culmination of a month and a half long cam- paign.


“Over 400 abandoned and


dangerous structures were de- molished in close to 50 days,” Ficano said. “As former sher- iff, I can tell you these kinds of structures are beds for crime and illegal activities.”


Wayne County, in partner-


AN EXCAVATOR tears into the derelict apartment com- plex July 20 on the 12000 block of Dexter. County and city officials along with the faith-based community were there to celebrate their demo- lition partnership.


ship with the City of Detroit and faith-based groups, target- ed 450 structures for demoli- tion throughout the city. The county allocated $4.5 million for the effort. The campaign began in May.


The City of Detroit wants


to tear down 3,000 structures in the next two years. The 450 houses targeted by Wayne County are among the 3,000 on Detroit’s demo list.


MAC THOMAS, owner of Revelation’s Barber and Braids, looks at the blighted apartment building, which was demolished July 20, where a family member was murdered in the 1990s.


Faith-based groups picked


the houses to be demolished, targeting ones that were par- ticularly dangerous to com- munities and families.


“This is an exciting moment


in our city and our communi- ty,” said Bishop P.A. Brooks of New St. Paul Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.


The money used for this


partnership is part of Wayne County’s $25.9 million Neigh- borhood Stabilization Program (NSP) allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.


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Lord, yet discard His wisdom when the subject turns to her yielding to the man. Ladies, as long as he’s yielding to God, and keeping your inter- ests first, rarely should this be a problem.


A well known female pastor


once said that it’s not that she isn’t a good leader or that she can’t decide how to best get things done, but that because she made a conscious deci- sion to become one with her man, she must allow him to lead in most instances. She knew her failure to commit to God’s relationship hierar- chy would end up crushing her man’s spirit and dooming their relationship. Now this was a wise woman indeed! All this got me to thinking: Adam may very well have warned Eve against eating the forbidden fruit. Could be that Eve just didn’t listen.


Derek Smith is a Chris-


tian freelance writer, author, speaker and columnist. He can be reached at divine. connection@yahoo.com, or P.O. Box 312296, Detroit, MI 48231.


Birthday


celebration, gospel prayer brunch The Christian Broadcast


Committee Network will present “The Electrifying” Missionary Georgia Jackson’s Annual Birthday Celebra- tion & Gospel Prayer Brunch For Youth and Families on Sat- urday, July 31, at Second Ebenezer Church (High Tech Conference Room, 2nd Floor), 14601 Dequindre. The festivi- ties start at 11 a.m.


Georgia Jackson Music will be provided by


the anointed Men of Standard and the dynamic Englcia Reid. (Proceeds benefit the scholar- ship fund). Come claim your miracle and enjoy the musical harvest. Tickets: $20.


For information, call (734) 287-1949. www.michronicle.com


July 28 - Aug. 3, 2010


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