THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 23, 1995 TAG: 9502230125
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Religion
SOURCE: BY TRUDY CUTHRELL, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Long : 109 lines
EPISCOPAL CHURCHES from several areas on Sunday will commemorate the life and ministry of the Rev. Absalom Jones, the first black man ordained as an Episcopal priest in America.
Jones, who lived from 1740 to 1818, traditionally is honored by the Episcopal Church with a Feast Day on Feb. 13. In ``The Black 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential African-Americans, Past and Present,'' author Columbus Salley places Jones, along with Richard Allen, at No. 6.
The ranking was based on contributions to blacks' political, economic and social equality and influencing whites to permit blacks to reach the goals.
The Rev. Vaughan Booker of Philadelphia, whose spiritual pilgrimage has taken him from imprisoned murderer to Episcopal priesthood, will be keynote speaker. Booker recently published a book about his dramatic transformation, ``From Prison to Pulpit.''
The Rev. Wayne Hodge, rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Suffolk, will be master of ceremonies and a 100-voice combined choir directed by St. Mark's Choirmaster Clinton Wilson, will perform. The worship service begins at 5 p.m. at Nansemond River High School.
Hodge, who has known Booker for four years, said, ``The thing that struck me about him most is that he makes the issue of redemption so alive.''
Sunday's gathering, Wilson said, is a celebration of the history of black people in America.
``From the very early days of slaves, most black people were baptized and married in the Episcopal Church,'' he said.
Hodge said, ``We know we are different culturally from the Anglican Church that came out of England, but we try to hold together a unity within our diversity.''
Hodge points to the ``differentness'' of worship at St. Mark's. ``We might mix in Negro Spirituals with 14th- and 16th-century music. . . . We use the Prayer Book, and our worship is quite orderly.''
He said the Episcopal Church ``looks more towards the beauty of the service in order and ritual quietness.''
The choir, accompanied by Leslie Jackson of St. James Episcopal Church in Portsmouth, will present a medley of Negro Spirituals and Black Gospel, as well as two selections from ``Black Mass'' by Robert Ray. Sacred selections from a new Episcopal hymnal, ``Lift Every Voice and Sing,'' also will be featured.
``I think this service is very important,'' Wilson said, ``and it's an honor for us to be selected to do something of this magnitude.''
In his book, Booker tells how he murdered his wife in their apartment bedroom in October 1967. In a drunken stupor and believing his wife to have been unfaithful, Booker killed her. He was sentenced to life in prison.
But while serving seven years in a Pennsylvania maximum-security prison, Booker says he rediscovered the God he had known as a young altar boy.
That spiritual rebirth helped reduce Booker's prison sentence and launched him on a quest to help others to find forgiveness and salvation.
In a recent interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network's ``700 Club,'' Booker noted how he had to overcome tremendous guilt and despair over what he had done.
While in prison, Booker became a deacon of the Episcopal Church and began a prison ministry. He also began work toward a bachelor's degree through a correspondence course.
After his release, Booker graduated from Villanova University, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. From 1981 to 1986, he worked as a salesman for Xerox, earning awards and trips for his sales achievements.
Eventually Booker responded to a spiritual calling to prepare for the priesthood and enrolled in Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Today, he serves as rector of Meade Memorial Episcopal Church in Alexandria.
The entire diocese is invited to participate in Sunday's Holy Eucharist Mass.
The public is invited to the service. Nansemond River High School is at 3301 Nansemond Parkway. MEMO: More about Absalom Jones
The Rev. Absalom Jones was born into slavery in Delaware in 1740. He
taught himself to read using the New Testament.
Jones attended a night school for black people run by the Quakers
and, at age 20, married and purchased freedom for himself and his wife.
He was instrumental in increasing the black membership in his church,
so the white membership decided to send the blacks to the gallery for
worship services. Being offended, the black membership left the church
and formed the Free African Society. This group applied for membership
in the Episcopal Diocese in Pennsylvania.
Absalom Jones was ordained as the minister of this congregation,
which became the St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. He was the first
black man ordained as an Episcopalian priest in America.
HONORING JONES
St. Mark's of Suffolk
St. Paul's of Suffolk
St.John's of Driver
Glebe Church of Chuckatuck
St. Stephen's of Petersburg
St. James of Portsmouth
Grace Church of Norfolk
St. Augustine of Newport News
Mecklenburg Cure of South Hill
Meade Memorial of Alexandria
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
The Rev. Wayne Hodge, rector of St. Mark's Episcopal in downtown
Suffolk prepares for the Sunday worship service at Nansemond River
High.
by CNB