Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 9-23-16 Online Edition

Religious Event
Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church To Celebrate 108 Years
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Former Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Mt. Olive is the Sunday morning guest speaker
The Mount Olive African Methodist Episco- pal Church will celebrate its 108th anniversary this weekend, with a kick-off banquet on Satur- day, September 24th at 6 p. m. at the USF Sam Gibbons Alumni Building.
On Sunday morning, September 25th, 11 a. m., the anniversary celebration will continue with worship. The anniversary theme is “Not by Sight but by Faith, We’ve Come This Far.”
“Our existence of 108 years stems from a well-known scripture, 2 Corinthians 5:7, For we walk by faith, not by sight; thus derives our anniversary theme,” stated Ms. Candace Hobbs, anniversary co-chairperson. Ms. Brenda Streeter is the anniversary chairper- son. Rev. Gregory V. Gay, Sr. is the pastor.
The speaker Sunday morning will be Rev. Dr. Corliss D. Heath, former Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Mt. Olive.
The Atlanta, GA native is currently an Itiner- ant Elder serving as the Minister to Women at Mt. Calvary A. M. E. Church in Towson, MD. The Clark Atlanta University graduate holds degrees from Emory University and a Ph.D. degree in Ap- plied Anthropology from the University of South Florida.
Rev. Dr. Heath is also the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization, Shaping A Vision
through Empowerment (SAVE), Inc. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and currently serves as the clergy coordinator for the sorority’s National Chaplain’s Council.
It was in 1908 when a few God-fearing people in West Tampa came together to organize Mount Olive Church. A Sunday School class started the church in June, which became an independent church in October the same year with 12 mem- bers.
In 1909, the first building for worship was built. Later in the year, the membership sought entrance into the AME Church Connection. The church began to grow spiritually and economi- cally, and has continued down through the years.
Rev. Gregory V. Gay took the pulpit in De- cember 2010 and became the 39th pastor of Mt. Olive. Tremendous growth has continued under his tenure.
“As a pillar in the West Tampa area, we con- tinue to serve the community and surrounding neighborhoods,” Ms. Hobbs said.
REV. DR. CORLISS D. HEATH
REV. GREGORY V. GAY, SR.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-A