Enlarge Eric Davis congratulates Amelia Stinson-Wesley. Photo: Charlotte Observer

Posted: January 11th, 2012 Lee Howard

A dark horse emerged from the gloom last week to fill the vacant District 6 Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board seat. The relatively unknown Rev. Amelia Stinson-Wesley was appointed over 12 contending for the spot left open after board member Tim Morgan won an at-large position in the last election. PTA mom Stinson-Wesley beat out more familiar names, including Wilhelmenia Rembert, who once chaired the school board.

Begging after dark is forbidden in Charlotte. It’s also against the law to panhandle near an ATM, bus stop or restaurant. While one might argue the local rules are impossible to enforce, Raleigh police in 2011 handed out more than 400 citations for begging without a permit.

The Democratic National Convention Committee last week announced it had invested convention funds in two N.C. minority controlled lenders. The committee deposited $2 million each in non-interest bearing accounts with Durham-based Mechanics & Farmers Bank, an African-American owned bank, and the Latino Community Credit Union.

These people meet via Twitter and social media channels. Then they hit the basketball court. Now, they've launched a commununity service effort off-the-court and offline. They call themselves #SCLThoops.

Posted: January 9th, 2012 Ken Garfield

Xchange Sermons, the faith community’s grand crusade to bring us together, begins again Friday, Jan. 13, in and around Charlotte.

The concept is simple, yet soaring: Clergy of different faiths, backgrounds and color swap pulpits one or more times, showing by their words and deed that God loves us all, equally. This collaboration of Crossroads Charlotte, Mecklenburg Ministries and Temple Beth El is open to every imam, pastor and rabbi willing to take a stand for reconciliation. More than 40 congregations participated last year. In a city, and world, that seems to grow more fractured each day, the hope is that far more will get involved this time around. Clergy wanting to preach someplace new and different – and laity wanting to support the effort by worshiping at a house of worship other than their own – can visit the Xchange Sermons site. The program runs through May.

What an appropriate kickoff: The third season of Xchange Sermons begins at 7 p.m. Friday (Jan. 13) at Temple Beth El at 5101 Providence Road, as the Reform Jewish congregation holds its annual Sabbath service celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Praise Team from Charlotte’s multiracial Briar Creek Community Church will sing. Briar Creek pastor Dennis Hall will share a prayer for peace. Kevin Vandiver, 24, an African American in his first year at Duke Divinity School in Durham, will implore all to commune with God, together.

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Posted: January 9th, 2012 Ken Garfield

Xchange Sermons, the faith community’s grand crusade to bring us together, begins again Friday, Jan. 13, in and around Charlotte.

The concept is simple, yet soaring: Clergy of different faiths, backgrounds and color swap pulpits one or more times, showing by their words and deed that God loves us all, equally. This collaboration of Crossroads Charlotte, Mecklenburg Ministries and Temple Beth El is open to every imam, pastor and rabbi willing to take a stand for reconciliation. More than 40 congregations participated last year. In a city, and world, that seems to grow more fractured each day, the hope is that far more will get involved this time around. Clergy wanting to preach someplace new and different – and laity wanting to support the effort by worshiping at a house of worship other than their own – can visit the Xchange Sermons site. The program runs through May.

What an appropriate kickoff: The third season of Xchange Sermons begins at 7 p.m. Friday (Jan. 13) at Temple Beth El at 5101 Providence Road, as the Reform Jewish congregation holds its annual Sabbath service celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Praise Team from Charlotte’s multiracial Briar Creek Community Church will sing. Briar Creek pastor Dennis Hall will share a prayer for peace. Kevin Vandiver, 24, an African American in his first year at Duke Divinity School in Durham, will implore all to commune with God, together.

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Posted: January 8th, 2012 Amanda Pagliarini

On Jan. 3, Mayor Foxx proclaimed 2012 to be “The Year of Our Neighbors”. The team behind Souls of Our Neighbors (SOON) is treating the mayor's proclamation as a directive. 

The mayor made this announcement on the first day back to work in the new year, as over 300 people gathered to screen “Souls of Our Neighbors”, a documentary on affordable housing. With a 60% local increase in homeless families since 2009, the immediacy of this call to action seems justifiable.

The initiatives SOON has already outlined for the year show an authenticity to the program's name. Rather than look to local government or big corporations, the impetus is being placed on the community; starting with our congregations. (Click here for SOON's website.)

Launching in February,“Beyond Casseroles” will recruit congregations to donate the $3,600 cost to assign a social worker to assist a homeless family. Eight local agencies engaged in homelessness or affordable housing advocacy came together to form the “Beyond Casseroles” coalition. The name came from the hope that our congregations would move beyond food donation to actual real investments that will help to prevent and end homelessness.

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