FLYERS

2008

“LET US GO INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD”

From The Pastor’s Desk:

This is a season of high profile political interest in the greater Springfield community. With that in mind, let me state straight forward the A.M.E. Church, Trinity, and my position on our policies in reference to political candidates running for public office. Trinity corporately or me personally as the leader will never endorse candidates or issues from the pulpit, with the aim of influencing the congregation under my charge how to vote.

The Trinity Church bulletin on Sunday February 17^th had a picture of United States Senator Barrack Obama Democrat from, Illinois, who is also a candidate to represent the Democratic Party as their candidate for President of the United States. It is historically significant that Obama as a person of color has won Democratic state caucuses and primary elections in his bid to be the Democratic Presidential nominee for President in 2008. That bulletin was not an endorsement from Trinity, but rather lifting up a historical event during Black History Month. A better context would have been to include others who have made credible runs for president, including but inclusive to, Shirley Chrisom, Jesse Jackson and Alan Keyes.

While corporately Trinity will not endorse, I will encourage individuals to exercise their right to vote, and become active civic affairs of our community; The A.M.E. Church requires pastors to report the number of registered voters in our charge.

Everyone is welcome to our worship service, including candidates for public office. Anyone who is breathing is a candidate fore the Gospel. If however a candidate wants to greet/speak to the congregation that must be done in the undercroft, after worship service.

Trinity is striving to be a true community church, which means we must make our presence known outside the church walls. That is why we welcome the Selma Avenue Neighborhood Associate to meet in our undercroft. They have invited candidates for public office to speak to the Association, without endorsement, but for education. And really that is the policy for any politically connected endeavor: education and not endorsement.

MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

PASTOR DWIGHT SMITH

937-215-0296

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2009

Coincidence or Fulfilled Prophecy



            January 20^th, 2009 Barrack Obama becomes the 44^th President of the United States. Is it possible that the election that occurred November 4^th, 2008 was just a coincidence of a perfect storm of a charismatic candidate used advanced technology and an emerging generation of young people to pull off an improbable victory? Or was this election ordained by a Higher Power to fulfill a prophecy?

            A Biblical generation is forty years. Moses led the Hebrew people to freedom across the Red Sea. The people wandered forty years in the wilderness before going to the Promised Land. Moses was denied seeing the land of milk and honey, but he knew his people would get there.

            April 3, 1968 the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior gave a stirring message in Memphis Tennessee, urging American people of color to not give up in the face of what would seem insurmountable opposition to receive full civil rights as outlined in the Constitution of the United States. In what would become his final words, Dr. King said we will get to the Promised Land, but I may not get there with you, but we will get there. The next day, April 4^th, Dr. King was gunned down.

             A biblical generation is forty years.   Barrack Obama‘s father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, raised in Hawaii by his white grandparents. He gets an Ivy League education and his fist job out of college is a community organizer. In his run for the United States Senate the opposition candidate drops out of the race and essentially leaves Obama unopposed.

             Coincidence or Biblical prophecy fulfilled. A junior senator who is 88 among the 100 senators in seniority runs for president against a political machine that had claimed victory before the first primary vote was caste.

              Iowa caucuses in January gives Obama the nod, showing the nation that Barrack Obama can be a president for all the people, not just the black people.

              After the two political parties nominate their candidates, the election campaign is even, and then the American economy goes into a free fall.   People who would never consider voting for a black man, now sense almost any change is needed.

              Coincidence or Biblical Prophecy fulfilled. In terms of African American History this is the most significant event in our lifetime and probably ranks with the Emancipation Proclamation as a significant of all time.

              And to quote Cornel West in his new book titled Hope On A Tight Rope, hope maybe fragile but it is still alive. America and the world will see that all Black people are not in jail or drugs or have separated families. They will see in the First Family, what we in our community already know, that we have traditional values, and our dreams are the American dreams, and just like Joseph’s dreams in the bible, dreams do come true.

              Coincidence or Biblical prophecy? On election night many people cried, however I did not shed tears that night although during the primary campaign I cried many times. No on this election night election, I praised God because for me this was no Coincidence but a Biblical prophecy fulfilled!

             My message for you as we celebrate Black History is to be encouraged, because God is still in control.

            Pastor Dwight Smith

Trinity A.M.E. Church

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Trinity A.M.E. Church 127th Anniversary

Pastor’s Greeting

It is my honor and privilege to welcome you to the Trinity African Methodist Church.127^th Anniversary Celebration. Over several generations Trinity has been serving the Springfield community sharing the Gospel and being a voice for social justice.

Today we consider ourselves a community church open to anyone, regardless of race creed, color or social economic standing. It is our aim to like the church at Antioch as described in the 13^th chapter of Acts of the Apostles.

It is with pride that I represent this loving congregation and follow in the path of a long legacy of outstanding pastors. We thank you, the public for your support and we solicit your prayers as we continue to do God’s work at the corner of Homeview Ave. and Selma Road. “To God be the Glory”.

Yours, in His Service.

Rev. Dwight E. Smith, Pastor

Trinity A.M.E Church

Psalm 37A:25