ACLC Clergy Hold First Monthly Prayer Breakfasts of 2016
A monthly tradition of the American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) is the prayer breakfast, an event that brings local clergy of all faiths under the same roof to pray together, share messages and, of course, enjoy breakfast and fellowship. Here are the highlights of the first prayer breakfasts to take place this year in Chicago and Atlanta.
Chicago ACLC Clergy Discuss Revolutionizing Ministry
ACLC Chicago enjoys a 13-year breakfast tradition.
The first monthly ACLC Prayer Breakfast of 2016 in Chicago was held on Tuesday, January 19. The program was hosted at the Cosmopolitan Community Church, where Dr. Henry O. Hardy is the pastor emeritus. The featured speaker was Pastor Cornelius Clark, the pastor of Jacob’s House Church in Chicago. About 140 clergy attended the program.
Raised in a musically gifted family, Pastor Clark has a special calling. Not only does he lead a powerful worship of God, but also he also inspires believers to walk in the Principles of Truth and to cultivate their own personal relationship with the Lord. His vocal talents secured him a role in the 1992 motion picture Leap of Faith, starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger, and he has been the featured vocalist on several gospel music projects, including programs with Edwin Hawkins, Bishop Larry Trotter and Bishop T.D. Jakes.
Pastor Clark brings a fresh wind of preaching and teaching to the Body of Christ, helping to change the face of what the traditional church calls “ministry.” His message on Tuesday was well received, and the audience thoroughly enjoyed the program and fellowship.
Starting in 2003, the ACLC of Illinois has held a Prayer Breakfast every month, not missing a single month in thirteen years. These dynamic gatherings, hosted by a different church each month, are now averaging 200 participants per breakfast.
The ACLC Prayer Breakfast in Chicago affords an opportunity for prayer, fellowship and receiving God’s word from leading spiritual leaders from Chicago and from around the country. Keynote speakers have included Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, Archbishop George Augustus Stallings, Dr. Michael W. Jenkins, Dr. Clay Evans, Pastor T.L. Barrett Jr., Dr. Stephen J. Thurston, Rev. Leroy Elliot, Bishop Larry D. Trotter, Bishop W. James Campbell, Minister Louis Farrakhan, Rev. Otis Moss III, Dr. Robert M. Waterman (Brooklyn, NY), Bishop Jesse Edwards (Philadelphia, PA), and many others.
Dr. Willie Weston Sr. is the co-chairman of the ACLC of Illinois, and Pastor T.L. Barrett Jr. is the chairman of the ACLC National Founding Committee. Every month, they meet with their Prayer Breakfast organizing committee to plan the next event.
During the organizing committee meetings at the end of 2015, the team discussed how ACLC could bring new hope to Christianity. The Prayer Breakfast began as a fellowship gathering, but now the committee is trying to find ways to add other values to it. Pastor Clark was the one who led these discussions, and the organizing committee decided that he should be the keynote speaker for the first Prayer Breakfast in 2016.
The ACLC of Chicago also holds a Pastors Forum every Tuesday. Currently around a dozen pastors attend these interactive Bible studies. Not only are there clergy who attend regularly, but they also are inviting other pastors to join the study.
Dr. Willie Weston and Rev. Ken Murray facilitate these study forums. Dr. Weston has a profound understanding of the Divine Principle, and has a gift for teaching from a biblical perspective. These studies are received with surprising enthusiasm from the ministers, and no one wants to leave at the conclusion of the lessons. Once a month the Pastors Forum teaches directly from Divine Principle PowerPoints, with a strong emphasis upon the Bible.
Contributed by Rev. Kunihiro Sagisaka and Rev. Ken Murray
Atlanta ACLC Clergy Brave Ice and Snow to Attend Prayer Breakfast
ACLC Atlanta gathers despite a winter storm.
On a cold and blustery morning in Atlanta, fifteen people braved the icy roads to participate in the monthly ACLC Prayer Breakfast. The event was held on Saturday, January 23, during Winter Storm Jonas. Fortunately, there was very little snow accumulation in the Atlanta metro area. The Prayer Breakfast took place in Ellenwood, Georgia, at the Atlanta Family Church. The host pastor was Rev. Haruki Kimura. Dr. Sinclair Grey, the keynote speaker, addressed the topic “Rebuilding the Family.” Rev. Samuel Mosteller, the Georgia president of the Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC), was the master of ceremonies.
Dr. Grey is a motivational speaker and first met the ACLC when he was the pastor of a church in Washington, D.C. In 2015 he moved to Social Circle, Georgia, and is now active in the Atlanta chapter of ACLC.
In his interactive presentation Dr. Grey discussed the Three Great Blessings that people struggle to fulfill today: to be fruitful, to multiply and to have dominion. The discussion included such topics as creating your happiness, praying and meditating on God daily, building true friendships, liking yourself and naturally caring for others, reaching out to relatives, friends and neighbors, and ruling and managing in good character.
Dr. Grey also provided key points for families to work on, including better communication, our spiritual relationship with God, and our physical, mental and emotional health and well-being.
One of the participants was Apostle Willie Malcolm, the past presiding apostle of the Triumph the Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, who currently serves as the overseer of 10 churches in the Southeast. He invited Dr. Grey to visit his churches to teach the “Rebuilding the Family” series to members of his congregation.
In addition to Dr. Grey’s presentation, a young adult, Miss Miambi Koko from the Atlanta Family Church, gave a presentation from the C.L.U.E. (Creating Love and Uplifting Esteem) curriculum. This is an abstinence-based character education program, and Miss Koko gave a short PowerPoint presentation entitled “Love, Sex and Dating.” The presentation emphasized marriage preparation and waiting until marriage before having intimate relationships. A student from Georgia State University who attended the Prayer Breakfast said he was impressed by the overall program and indicated that he would attend future programs.
The Atlanta chapter of the ACLC was founded in 2001. Over the years meetings have been held frequently. In 2015, two programs were held every month, a Prayer Breakfast and an “Honest Conversation to Bridge the Racial Gap.”
Contributed by Mrs. Susie Davis.