Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 12-1-15 Edition

Features
Renowned Bishop To Deliver Keynote Address At TOBA Breakfast
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
This year, member of the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs (TOBA) will host its 36th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Leadership Breakfast on January 18, 2016. The breakfast will take place at the Hilton Hotel, 211 N. Tampa Street, in down- town Tampa, beginning at 6:45 a.m.
The TOBA Breakfast Com- mittee members have chosen the renowned Bishop A. J. Richardson, Jr., 115th Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, to deliver the keynote ad- dress.
A Tampa native, Bishop Richardson attended the public schools of Hillsbor- ough County, graduating from Middleton High School. He continued his education at Florida A & M University, where he served as Head Drum Major for the famous “Marching 100” Band.
BISHOP A . J. RICHARDSON, JR.
He continued his educa- tion at Turner Seminary at the Interdenominational Theo- logical Center, where he re- ceived his Master of Divinity degree. Bishop Richard- son earned his Doctor of Sa- cred Theology degree at the ITC through the Atlanta The- ological Association.
Bishop Richardson
served as the Senior Minister
of the Bethel AME Church in Tallahassee for 18 years. His ministry has also included teaching at the ITC and Mor- ris Brown College, and Ad- junct Professor at Florida A & M University.
He was elected and conse- crated as the 115th Bishop in the African Methodist Episco- pal Church in 1996. Bishop Richardson has served in several areas including 6 countries in West Africa.
In 2004, he was chosen as the Presiding Bishop of the Second Episcopal District. He was elected President of the General Board in 2012, and assigned to the Eleventh Epis- copal District, which includes Tampa.
Bishop Richardson is an accomplished and pub- lished author of several books and several instructional manuals for discipleship and spiritual formation.
Bishop Richardson is married to Dr. Connie Speights, and they are the parents of two adult children.
East Tampa Family Loses Everything In House Fire
Carlton “C. J.” Alexander, his fiancée, Ms. Tahesha Shank, her daughter, Elautra, and granddaughter, Taelar, lost all of their pos- sessions in a house fire.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
During the early morning hours of November 16th, an East Tampa family awoke to smoke filling their home. The fire claimed all of their worldly possessions and they are trying to rebuild their lives.
Carlton “C. J.” Alexan- der, his fiancée, Ms. Tehe- sha Shanks, her daughter, Ms. Elautra Shanks, 19, and her 3-month-old granddaugh- ter, Taelar Shanks, lived at 4413 N. 48th Street in Northview Hills. The family was renting the home and did not have any insurance.
Alexander said, “Elautra discovered the fire around 5:30 a.m., that morning and tried to extinguish it. We all went out- side because the house was full of smoke. But, then it blazed up
and spread all over the house. We lost everything.”
The Tampa Fire Depart- ment responded to the home and successfully extinguished the blaze. The cause of the fire was attributed to an electrical failure of a multi-plug adapter, officials said.
Alexander is employed at Taco Bell, and Ms. Shanks works for a Speedway Gas Sta- tion. He said they lost all of their clothing and all of their other possessions. The family is currently residing at a motel.
In addition to obtaining clothing and household items, Alexander, 29, hopes to ob- tain the necessary funding to restore the home that is owned by a family member.
Anyone interested in help- ing the family or making a do- nation can reach Alexander at (813) 401-5603.
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