African Orthodox Church, ‘born out of racism,’ prepares to celebrate its centennial | Opinion

It is fitting that The African Orthodox Church, Inc. is celebrating its 100th anniversary during Black History Month. For it was because of the oppression of racism that the church was born on Sept. 2, 1921, in New York City as the combined work of George Alexander McGuire and Marcus Garvey. McGuire later became the church’s first bishop and patriarch. The church’s official 100th birthday was in 2021. But because of COVID-19, St. Peter’s African Orthodox Cathedral here in Miami celebrated virtually.

“This year we will have an in-person celebration, complete with special services and a celebration luncheon,” said Tangela Griffin, a spokesperson for the church.

According to the church’s history, it was “… Born out of racism and brought into ecclesiastical freedom for all people of the African Diaspora. Today, people of all colors and ethnicities are accepted as members.”

The denomination includes the word “African” in its name because of its special mission is to the African race. It is governed entirely by persons of African descent and is Orthodox because it conforms to faith with the Orthodox Eastern Churches from which its episcopate is derived. It is the first Afro-American Apostolic Church in the western hemisphere and traces its Apostolic Succession back to St. Peter at Antioch.

The African Orthodox Church in the South was initiated by 12 laymen, who petitioned McGuire for the services of a priest. The Rev. Ernest Leopold Peterson was sent from New York to lead Miami’s St. Peter’s African Orthodox Church, then new in Miami. The church’s original home was at Northwest Third Avenue and 17th Street in Overtown. It remained at that site until 1968, when like many other Black churches, business and homes, the church was displaced by Miami’s Urban Renewal initiative. The congregation then moved to its present home, a modified office building at 4841 NW Second Ave. in 1968. The sanctuary was renovated in 1988 and is now the denomination’s Mother Church.

The long-awaited centennial celebration will include the Centennial Luncheon at 11 a.m. Saturday (Feb. 19) at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Miami Airport & Convention Center, 711 NW 72nd Ave., and the Centennial Divine Liturgy Celebration at 10 a.m. Sunday (Feb. 20) at St. Peter’s African Orthodox Cathedral, 4841 NW Second Ave. For luncheon tickets call Dianne Hicks Rolle, Chairperson, at 305-923-2533.

‘No More Broken Hearts’ event to combat domestic abuse

It hardly seems like 22 years have passed since Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall started the “No More Broken Hearts” annual symposium to focus on the perils of domestic abuse. But on Feb. 19, Bendross-Mindingall, will once again present the all-day event with the hope that anyone who is still struggling in a violent domestic relationship will garner up enough nerve to make his or her escape.

A Miami-Dade County School Board member, Bendross-Mindingall has always had as one of her many priorities, helping others to have a better quality of life. Before entering politics, she was an elementary school principal, who often found work in her school for mothers who were on public assistance, as an incentive to encouraged them to return to school to prepare them for a good job. Some of the mothers followed her advice and went from being on welfare, to becoming schoolteachers.

This year’s speakers at No More Broken Hearts will include Dr. Lita Thompson, moderator, Rene Gordon, Esq., Christina Mills, Therese Holmer, Cynthia Stafford, Esq., Judge Gonzalez-Paulson, Melbas Person, Esq., and Ivon Mesa; the speakers for the Youth Workshop will be Judge Orlando Prescott and Michelle Prescott.

The virtual event will be on Zoom and will start at 9 a.m. It’s free but registration is required. To register go to: 2022nomorebrokenhearts.Eventbrite.com, or call Ketoe Tate at 305-995-2311.

A dear friend has passed

On Jan. 16, I wrote a column about friendship and what my friends mean to me. In that column, I mentioned Ruth Davis-Beaman, a friend of over 50 years. On Jan. 30, two weeks after that column was published, my dear friend Ruth died.

In her obituary in the funeral program, I wrote that she was a songbird; she loved to sing — in the church choir, in community choirs and as a soloist. It is hard for me to face the reality that Ruth’s voice is now stilled here on earth. I can yet see her laughing at my lame jokes. And flashes of our time together keep coming to my mind.

For example, Ruth and I enjoyed going to the box store Sam’s, for lunch. I would do my bulk shopping and then I would stand in line for our favorite Sam’s meal — a hotdog and cold drink. Once I loaded my things in the trunk of my car, I would drive through the parking lot to find a nice shade tree to park the car under. We would sit there, talking and laughing and enjoying our lunch. It was a simple, but sweet time spent with my friend.

Ruth and I met around 1974 at The Miami Herald. She was what we called an OCR typist, whose job it was to put enter the reporters’ stories into the computer system, in the days before reporters got their own personal computers. I was drawn to her friendly smile right away and it wasn’t too long before we became best friends. We liked a lot of the same things — like going to church, singing, cooking, sewing, and traveling. She never had children of her own, but she loved my sons and so many other children. We didn’t attend the same church, but we often visited each other’s church.

In her last days, Ruth was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. She didn’t want me to know it, and struggled. When she repeated herself, I tried to pretend it was the first time I heard the story. She lived alone and I enjoyed calling her to see if she wanted to “ride with me” somewhere, anywhere. She loved those outings; I did, too. She was my co-pilot — my riding partner. When her doctor advised her to stop cooking, I, and her neighbor Dana Taber, took her favorite meals to her.

To say that our friendship was without struggles, would not be the truth. Sometimes Ruth tried my last nerve. But she was my friend and friends forgive friends. I just prayed for the Lord to give me patience with her. He did.

It’s been two weeks since Ruth made her transition. She is survived by her sister Wauna Sorey-White and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and godchildren. Earth seems a little lonelier without her.

Bea Hines can be reached at bea.hines@gmail.com