Page 4 - Bethel Annual 2019 Report

The Pastor’s

T MESSAGE

o Bishop Adam Jefferson
and Mrs. Connie
Speights Richardson, Jr.,
Presiding Elders and
their spouses, compo- Center. Still, the pages herein paint a glorious picture to
nent leaders, clergy, the glory of God that Bethel still praises God! Relevant
delegates, laity and visi- preaching, spirit-filled worship music, and loving fellow-
tors of the 154th Session ship all coalesce to lift high the name of Jesus and make
of the Florida Annual the Holy Spirit welcome in this place.
Conference:
I would like to express my appreciation to Bishop Adam
Richardson and Mrs. Connie Richardson for their many
acts of kindness to me and my family. I am grateful to
Deana and I are elated and humbled to submit our have an episcopate and episcopal supervisor who have a
eleventh report following our twelfth appointment shepherd’s heart. Their love and commitment to God’s
to serve the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal work are truly beyond mere words. Thank you again for
Church, Tallahassee, Florida! This Annual Report is the opportunity to serve the church that you all built,
a compilation of all the enormous work the men, served with grace, and elevated to the episcopacy in 1996.
women and families of our ecclesial family have ac- Your prayers, commitment, and vision for God’s people
complished during the 2018-2019 Conference Year.
have changed the trajectory of the pathway of Bethel. I
would like to thank Presiding Elder Carlton and Mrs.
This conference year has provided meaningful Taylor for their unwavering commitment to the work of
opportunities for worship, reflection, rejuvenation, God on the Tallahassee District.
and encouragement for the faithful men and women
who work endlessly proclaiming the Word of God I am grateful for the people of Bethel who have cosigned
and serving an amazing Savior. As we celebrated time and time again dreams and visions that God contin-
our faith, which is salvific and redemptive, it has ues to give me. I know that the best hasn’t been seen yet.
given us an opportunity to reach the loss, encourage I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. Barbara Cotton.
the broken hearted, feed the hungry, and give hope She spent numerous hours in making this document a
to those on the verge of giving up. Yes, we can say reality. I will always be grateful for her devoted and
without provocation that God has blessed our steadfast service to her God, church, family, and to the
collective efforts this conference year. As a people work in the life of our community.
with enduring faith, we have blended our voices,
unified our efforts and have sung melodiously with Lastly, I would like to thank God for my wife of twenty-
new meaning week end and week out to collaborate three years, Deana Young McAllister. Deana’s contribu-
with our God to do His work exceedingly, abun- tion is enormous as she serves in various leadership roles
dantly, above all that we could ask or think accord- in the life of our church and reformation. We are blessed
ing to the power that works in us. to share in the responsibility of parenting our three sons,
Julius III, (a junior at Morehouse College), Colin
Inside the following pages, you will see God at McKinley Young, (a ninth grade student), and Dylan
work in the lives of our church family through vari- David Jeremiah (a sixth grade student). They individual-
ous ministries. You will see Bethel used as an ly and collectively give us joy and happiness as their
instrument of God to serve the homeless; to provide parents and we know the eyes have not seen, ears have
shelter and relief for families affected by Hurricane not heart, minds have not conceived what God will do in
Michael; to provide for needy families during the their lives.
Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays; and assist-
ing men and women to overcome their addiction to In His Name because of Christ and Calvary,
drugs and alcohol through our A Life Recovery Julius Harrison McAllister, Jr.,
Julius Harrison McAllister, Jr., D. Min., Senior Minister

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