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2009 UPDATE

About the Ministry

Church Purpose: Celebrate St. Paul AME Church’s 75th Anniversary and implement an outreach program consistent with the congregation’s strategic planning initiatives and the spiritual journey. Since the organization of the St. Paul AME Church 75th Anniversary Steering Committee in June 2007, we have successfully implemented the on-going one year celebration of the church’s anniversary.

The steering committee’s plans were officially approved by the Official Board on January 29, 2008. We hosted two kick-off receptions on Sunday, February 10, 2008. We began assembling subcommittees at that time. On June 24, 2008 the steering committee hosted a congregational planning meeting to further organize our subcommittees.

Our gala concert, under the direction of guest artist, Everett P. Williams, Jr. and lead musician, Teri Simmons, was held on Saturday, November 22, 2008 to tremendous acclaim. We were blessed to provide dinner for the final three rehearsals. Our concert consisted of a sixty plus voice community choir organized primarily by Teri. We raised $11,129.67 largely through the generosity of our membership and friends of St. Paul. Our fundraiser was a souvenir book, coordinated by Madyé Seymour, and love offerings. Our expenses totaled $8,344.68. Our net income was $2,534.99. We received commendations from the California State Senate and the California Legislature.

As plans for our gala progressed, the steering committee expanded the scope of its activities to include outreach. Theresa Bennett-Wilkes and Carolyn Henry-Golphin met with 3rd District Councilmember, Max Anderson on July 24, 2008 to discuss the 75th celebration and our church’s desire to reach a broader segment of the community through our strategic planning initiatives. This meeting led to our first partners meeting on September 30, 2008 at St. Paul. Our partners:

City of Berkeley Fire Department                                          
Debra Pryor, Chief

City of Berkeley Department of Health & Human Services
Janet Berreman, MD, MPH, Deputy Health Officer

City of Berkeley Housing Department
Jane Micallef, Acting Director

City of Berkeley Police Department
Doug Hambleton, Chief

Cooperative Center Federal Credit Union
Gary Bell, President & CEO

Operation Hope
Tyrone Cosey, Vice President

St. Paul and its partners will provide a range of services to the city of Berkeley, generally, and the 3rd district, specifically, that include, but are not limited to:

• First time homebuyers workshops
• Foreclosure prevention and assistance to renters
• Financial literacy
• Entrepreneurship workshops
• Credit management workshops
  
  
  Our first partners meeting provided our partners the opportunity to see our weekly feeding program in action, tour our facilities as well as meet and interact with each other. At our second meeting, January 15, 2009, we discussed programs, projects and activities for joint sponsorship and introduced our partners to the various 75th anniversary committees.

Our next partners meeting will be April 30, 2009. The steering committee hosts each of these luncheon meetings with support from our hospitality and public relations subcommittees. The cost of each luncheon is paid for by the steering committee.

The 75th Anniversary Steering Committee proudly acknowledges that our church family has warmly embraced the celebration of St. Paul’s 75 years of Christian service in Berkeley and the greater East Bay. We are grateful for this wonderful opportunity to share the goodness of God through the loving labors of our congregation over the past 75 years. We are excited about the partnerships we are building with the city, the credit union and Operation Hope. Each one offers St. Paul more opportunities to spread the good news of the Gospel while serving as an energized hub of dynamic ministries serving the needs of people throughout our community

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