St. John AME Church, 1117 W. Pullen St., will present its annual Men’s Day Worship and Praise Services weekend.
On Aug. 23 from 8-10 a.m., the men of St. John will host their annual prayer breakfast. Dr. Clifford Flowers is the chairman.
On Aug. 24, Men’s Day will begin at 9:45 a.m. with regular worship and praise service featuring Xavier Wynn as the speaker. Church School will follow at noon.
On Aug. 24 at 3 p.m., the annual Men’s Day Worship and Praise Celebration will feature the Rev. Roderick Dwayne Belin as its guest speaker.
The Rev. Silvester S. Beaman, bishop of the 12th District of the AME Church, will introduce the speaker, according to a news release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Belin has more than 35 years of service in Christian ministry and is the president and publisher of the AME Sunday School Union.
An alumnus of Morehouse College, Belin furthered his studies with a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a Doctor of Ministry degree in adaptive leadershipfrom Payne Theological Seminary.
He spent time at Greater Allen AME Cathedral in Jamaica, N.Y., under the Rev. Floyd H. Flake.
His leadership has been pivotal in various capacities from planning the Kairos Community AME Church in Nashville, Tenn., to overseeing the growth of Williams Chapel AME Church in South Carolina.
At Lee Chapel AME Church in North Nashville, he orchestrated the planning and construction of a 15,550 square foot edifice with a sanctuary that seats more than 500 people.
Recognizing the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic, he advanced his mission, connecting the community through “Virtual Grace.” This digital sanctuary was specifically designed for the spiritual well-being of African American seniors.
In the realm of publishing, Belin has pioneered several landmark initiatives including the translation of the 2016 Book of Discipline into Spanish and the digital transition of essential AME resources.
Under his guidance, an award-winning 38,000 square foot site for the AME Publishing House was erected.
During St. John’s Men’s Day celebration, the Southeast Arkansas Male Chorus will provide the music under the direction of Clancy White.
The Rev. Charlene N. Boone is the pastor. The Rev. David Vaughn Jr. is this year’s Men’s Day chairman and Victor McQuire is the co-chairman.
The public is invited to attend these services in person or virtually at https://www.facebook.com/St.JohnPineBluff/.