Dear Reconciler Family,

It’s always a thrill to get feedback on changed or changing lives. We at the ORM headquarters feel we’re on target in fulfilling our mission when we receive such good news.  One such example that came to us recently was from James and Joyce Scales.  Here’s what they wrote:

“Joyce and I really appreciate ORM.  Growing up in the South, we remember thinking we weren’t prejudiced against any other races.  Now we know better.  So now we are working with God and ministries like ORM to root out those wrong thoughts against other races.  Thanks again for what you and others are doing.  We are pleased to make a small donation.”

James Scales

James is a co-pastor in his 80’s.  He’s still leading and teaching others to change and become more Christ-like.  And he’s still changing, even in his 80’s.  What a marvelous example!  Thank you, James and Joyce, for stirring others toward good works.

And I realize that there are many examples of changed lives out there and we applaud each one.  Because that’s what it’s all about!  Thank you for your fine examples of living out the Ministry of Reconciliation.

Many opportunities are opening up as we are well into the first quarter of the year 2010.

Your prayers and loyal support are deeply appreciated.

In His service,

Curtis May

Director, ORM

PS:  The interview of me by Jan Markowitz of Moody Radio aired on Monday, February 8^th.  You can listen to it online by going to www.Moodyradiocleveland.fm .  Click on “God at Work,” go to “past programs,” click on the date Feb. 8.  Then click on “part 1” or “part 2.”  It will be posted for 1 year.

Dear Reconciler Family,

Seems like we just began our new year and we’re already into the second month!  I have had such a frenzy of activities so far that my January calendar looks like a cross-word puzzle.  I’m sure many of you “share my pain.”

Among my activities was an interview by Moody Radio Cleveland on “What God Is Doing” in my life and in reconciliation.  It’s scheduled to be aired this month – Black History Month.

Part of my outreach to neighbors and others includes two memorial services, another way to share the love of Jesus and promote diversity.

Here are some upcoming events and opportunities for 2010 so far.  Others are yet to be confirmed:

• Continue to lead a search committee for an Executive Director for African Enterprise Ministry.  It’s a great ministry.  You may want to take a look at its website (AfricanEnterprise.org).  I’m U.S. Board Vice-Chair.

• Feb. 13, Glendora, CA:  Black History Month presentation.  (Already gave a presentation in Beaumont, CA on January 23.)

• March 14, Cincinnati, OH:  Presentation on reconciliation

• April 15-17, Boston, MA:  Attend 10^th Annual Ethnic Ministries Summit, presented in conjunction with the Billy Graham Center.

• May 4-6, Dallas, TX:  Meeting with the Ministerial Association and possible radio interviews to promote the community outreach conference on reconciliation in August.

• July 11, Atlanta, GA:  Presentation on reconciliation at Light of the World Christian Ministries.

• August 7-8, Dallas, TX:  Community outreach conference, “A Time to Reconcile: Building Bridges Together.”  It will involve a number of churches, pastors, city leaders, police, businesses and others.

• October 8-10, Miami, FL:  Ministry Development Conference on reconciliation and conflict resolution.

I’m sure more will be added as we proceed through the coming months.

Thank you so much for being part of this vibrant ministry.  Lives are being changed.  Your prayers and donations help to make it happen.

In His service,

Curtis May

Director, ORM

Dear Reconciler Family,

Wow!  It’s 2010!  And as we launch into our 15^th year of serving God in Reconciliation Ministry, I would like to congratulate you and thank you for answering the call to help.  You have been and continue to be a vital part of it, and I thank God for you and want you to know that you are making a difference in the lives of others.

Listen to the responses of some whose lives have been touched and changed by your support:

“Thank you for the newsletter update.  It ministered to my spirit.  Recently I, being a black man, recognized my prejudice, and     having my own business had to ask forgiveness for my racism.  Your ministry has given me hope, eased my anger and has identified racism and prejudice on a spiritual level.  God bless you and your family and your ministry.”

Michael Bradford

“We received the fall issues of Reconcile, and the article that I submitted from our Common Ground Group presentation was well received, exciting and encouraging to all who have read it so far.  My focus with our group training was ‘The Power of Intentionality,’ and Bernadette (our group presenter) says that she sees God in it!”

Leigh Sniffen

“I want to commend you on the fine work you have done since the inception of this ministry.  You have continued to allow God to direct you and inspire you and the fruits are evident.  ORM continues to expand its positive influence around the globe.

Enclosed is our Missions gift of… for 2009.  It isn’t much but hopefully placed with other gifts it will help make a difference.  May God richly bless you and your small staff.”

Willard High

Recently my wife, Jannice, and I attended the wedding of a friend.  The officiating pastor took a somewhat different approach and began to tell the story of a man who wrote a letter to his son saying how he felt about him.  He complimented him on his good qualities, his value as a person and things that he loved and liked about him.  He mentioned the obvious impact that it had on him.

I did the same for our two children which they deeply appreciated.  And I wanted all of you to know how much you mean to the Ministry of Reconciliation and most of all to God who gave it to us.

God bless you as we take on the challenges and costs of another year of life-changing and exciting ministry!

In His service,

Curtis May

Director, ORM

Dear Reconciler Family,

On Sunday evening, November 1, 2009, I was flying from Denver, Colorado, to Palm Springs, California.  A gentleman from Toronto sitting next to me asked me what I do.  I said I direct a ministry of reconciliation, conflict resolution and ministry development.  He was amused and said, “I’m a businessman, but you have the tough work.”  Then, after much discussion, he asked what example of success I have had that stands out.  I told him about a workshop in West Virginia in which a man stood up and confessed that as a church deacon and board member he has just come to realize how prejudiced he was and he deeply apologized.  A woman then stood and made a similar confession.  The gentleman insisted on being my driver back to the airport, two hours away.  He talked non-stop the whole trip!  He felt liberated, rejuvenated, a changed man!

I would like to share with you a few other examples for your information as supporters of the ministry – some recent and some previous:

“I owe you an apology.  I was one of those people who, when I knew you were coming to speak, thought to myself, ‘Oh, brother, I hope he doesn’t speak about racial reconciliation.  My pastor has already covered that material and we don’t need to hear it AGAIN.’  I was wrong.  I did need to hear it again.  It was shocking to me to hear your stories of prejudice and discrimination still going on today.  And while I tend to think of myself as a prejudice-free person, when I dig deep and look closely, I have to admit that there are remnants of cultural conditioning still dormant in my psyche.  And it’s good to be reminded of it, to root it out.”  J.A., Providence, RI

“This was a most empowering, uplifting and motivational reconciling adventure.  My eyes were opened as well as my heart and a healing occurred for me as a young Africa-American woman.  God bless this work and all of its undertaking in the future.” Y.P., Detroit, MI

When asked at a recent workshop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina last October, “What did you like most about it?” some responses were:

“Hearing the personal stories/experiences of the presenters; having the psychological basis of prejudice and racism defined and explained; receiving some concrete, practical steps to put into practice to foster reconciliation and alleviate conflict.”

“It helped me to understand the situation a lot better including myself.”

“The main thing that I picked up was the involvement of Christ in this process.”

And this message came from Pastor Mark Stapleton of San Diego, CA following a training session on November 15^th:

Curtis May with Mark Stapleton, Virginia and Al Liburd and their granddaughter, Genesis.

“It was wonderful having you and Jannice at Cornerstone [Church] for our worship gathering and the Reconciliation Workshop.  You do an excellent job – God has the right man in the right place.  The info you provided will serve as a foundation for our outreach and work in reconciliation.”

It’s hard to believe as I reflect on the coming New Year that January 2010 will mark the beginning of our 15^th year as a ministry.

Thank you for standing with us in prayer and financial support as God continues to change lives through your backing of this ministry.

Sincerely yours,

Curtis May

Thank you so much for your heartfelt prayers about our reconciliation event in Cincinnati, Ohio last week. ORM was represented by Pastor/Chapter Leader George Hart, member Sandra Hamilton and myself. God answered your prayers in powerful ways. It was like a spiritual retreat/college intensive all rolled into one with the Holy Spirit leading!

The name of the event was Joseph Dream. It was based on the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt by his brothers. The Founder/CEO of Joseph Dream Inc., Rev. Valdasia Merrick, invited me to serve as facilitator of the entire event on Thursday night, Friday night and all day Saturday which included Prayers of Repentance, Forgiveness and Affirmation, two communion services and the Homily at the end of the event.

The focus was to bring Africans and African Americans into a better understanding of each other and thus a better relationship. As pointed out by the presenters (college professors, bishops, pastors and other prominent leaders from Africa and America) we need to better understand the cultural differences and how they affect our relationships. We need to reject much of the media influence that helps perpetuate stereo-types that we believe about each other. We also emphasized the need to build a better bond with each other through personal contact which includes worshipping together at times—emphasizing the words of Jesus that there’s One Lord, One Faith and One Baptism.

Scholars made powerful presentations on the history, culture, languages and worship styles of the two groups and how they have led to divisions in our two communities. We explored ways to remove the walls and build bridges of understanding and oneness so the Holy Spirit may use us more powerfully in preaching the gospel to others.

One of the scholars Dr. Funso Oluyitan, a Nigerian, is a local TV host of a religious program. He plans to continue to support our efforts on his program.

Pastor George Hart took care of the technical aspects of the conference. He will present in the next round of workshops where issues between Black and White Americas, Native Americans, and other groups will be addressed. John 4 and John 17 were the main passages for the reconciliation messages.

On Sunday, Rev. Merrick attended Christ Community Church along with her assistant. They loved the worship service. She commented on the friendliness of the members. One member said she would pass on a tape of the message on “The Purpose of the Church” to a member who has stopped attending.

Thanks again prayer partners, your prayers move mountains,

Curtis

PS: I thought I’d share a picture with you. Left to right are: Yours truly, Valdasia, Sandra Hamilton, Vickie and George Hart.

Hearing the personal stories/experiences of the presenters; having the psychological basis of prejudice and racism defined and explained; receiving some concrete, practical steps to put into practice to foster reconciliation and alleviate conflict.

Stories of real time occurrences.  Presentations of other enthusiastic [participants].

The orderly flow of factual information.  It was well presented and on time.  Thank you very much for your love for God and obviously your love for your neighbor.

It helped me to understand the situation a lot better including myself.

The main thing that I picked up was the involvement of Christ in this process.

Speakers.

I think the complete class was very informative.

The knowledge and information.

What suggestions do you have, if any, that might improve the workshop?

It needs to be longer – I felt like trying to squeeze it into two hours did not give the presenters enough time to fully cover their material and did not allow the audience a time for Q & A.

Provide handouts of the items covered.  More stories from the audience.

I don’t have any.  Our prayers are forever with you in your ministry.  May Almighty God continue to lead and you follow Him all the days of your life.  Thank you, YBIC/YSIC.

I think it could have been earlier and more classes on the subject.

More recommended reading on ethnic history.

Other Comments

Wonderful.

Gave needed information.

Otherwise, well done!!

Dear Reconciler Family,

Thank you so much for being such a close knit and supportive group.  Since my last letter I attended a conference in Chicago on evangelism with an emphasis on youth and conducted a reconciliation workshop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, assisted by John Connors.  We received positive feedback from the group.  Some requested a follow-up session.

Since we flew into Charleston, South Carolina, we spent a couple of days touring some of the amazing history there.  Much of it has to do with the transatlantic slave trade.  We toured some of the mansions, slave quarters and cabins that have been well preserved.  The tour guide gave fascinating narration on this remarkable history.

Tour guide shows Gullah basket weaving.

One very interesting bit of history is that of the Gullah/Geechee people brought there as slaves from West Central Africa around the Sierra Leone/Gambia coastline.  They have their own language, culture and queen – Queen Quet.  She is Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation according to their official website.  They brought rice planting and harvesting to America which gave the economy a huge boost in South Carolina and Georgia.  As a result, rice is now also grown in Arkansas and central California, according to local historians.

I met the queen of the Gullah/Geechee people in London, England at their 200^th Anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade.  They live mostly along the coastline of South Carolina and Georgia.

Another interesting bit of their history is African American blacksmith Philip Simmons who was honored as a living treasure by the Smithsonian Institution.  He died last June at the age of 97.  His ironworks can be found in the Smithsonian Museum, the Charleston Airport and all over town.  President Reagan even invited him to the White House.  Mr. Simmons supported many charities during his lifetime.

In closing, we have begun to set up reconciliation events for the year 2010.  Our aim is to use all our knowledge of history and the present and resources to help build bridges of unity among people of broken relationships, to the glory of God.

Also I wanted to share with our reconciliation family our budget projections for 2010.  The costs for professional fees, part-time secretary, postage, transportation, meals, contracted services and supplies came to $49,720.91 in 2008.  It will be about the same by the end of 2009, and we project about the same or a bit more in 2010.  I wanted to take the time and space to keep you abreast of how we’re doing.

I can’t thank you enough for your faithfulness in standing with us in the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In His service,

Curtis May

Director, ORM

Dear Reconciler Family,

As we move into the final quarter of 2009 I thought I’d pause and as my custom is, update you on some of our activities and accomplishments for the year so far and to let you know what’s scheduled for the rest of the year.

Some of our major accomplishments this year through September are:

• Conducted a Reconciliation Seminar for leaders in the community at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, on January 24.
• February 7 – Black History Month presentation in our Glendora, California congregation.
• March 15 – Black History Month presentation at Desert Oasis congregation in Lancaster, CA.
• Conducted a workshop and was a keynote speaker at the Beaumont, California 9^th Annual Faith and Justice Summit on March 19.  *Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition received from Jerry Lewis, member of Congress.
• Gave a building presentation to the Cincinnati, Ohio chapter/congregation on March 29.
• Conducted a workshop in Greensboro, North Carolina, along with Chapter Leader George Hart and assistant Erin Hart on April 4-5.
• Held a weekend mentoring session which included a reconciliation sermon in our St. Louis, Missouri chapter, led by Chapter Leader Pam Harris, on May 2 and 3.
• Led a seminar for the Newark, New Jersey chapter headed by Jesse Vereen.  Staff member John Connors joined us for the two-day event on June 6-7.
• Conducted a Ministry Development Training session in Jacksonville, Florida, June 25-29.
• Last, but not least, Jannice and I became a Grandma and Grandpa of Jaden Elizabeth May on September 8.

Major activities on the schedule for the fourth quarter of 2009:

• Will attend Sonlife Classic Seminar in Chicago, Illinois, for training in evangelism and outreach with a focus on youth on October 4-6.
• A conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to conduct a seminar and give a message on October 8-11, assisted by John Connors.
• A seminar in Cincinnati, Ohio, for church and community leaders.  Will help lead the sessions on October 29-31.  Chapter Leader George Hart is part of the planning committee.
• A reconciliation training seminar in San Diego, California, on November 15.

Lives have been transformed and hearts have been changed through our efforts through Christ.  Thank you for being such a vital part of this ministry in helping to advance the kingdom of God.  Your prayers and financial support are much appreciated.

Love to all,

Curtis May

Dear Reconciler Family,

We have all seen our country and the world grow more and more divided in the last decade or so. And from time to time people have asked for my opinion on how we should think about what’s going on.  I have often responded with “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), or “Let’s all pray for our leaders” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

I think ORM Chapter Leader Richard Parker also points us to the Scriptures with a very mature approach. In the Office of Reconciliation we don’t take sides.  We look to Christ for guidance.  I’d like to share Richard’s recent post on his blog called Thoughts 871 – Which Political Party Does God Like Best?

Greetings to you all!

Humanly, we like to take sides.  We have our favorite sports team, our favorite city or state, our favorite political party, and the list goes on.  We invest these favorites with our favor and even feel that God just might support our favorites as well.  For instance, we pray for our favorite team to win, and/or thank God for His favor on that team when it does win.  But does God have a favorite team, city, party, etc.?  Well, no. 

You see, God is not into taking sides as humans do.  As Paul says in his confronting of both Jews and Gentiles with this issue: “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11, NIV).

In fact, the judgment from God is the same on all: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).

The fact is that we humans flop around in great darkness on so many levels.  As we do, we embrace parts of our darkness and give them special favor—not realizing that those parts will one day fail just like all darkness fails.

However, God is in a position to grant special favor to all humans, and this favor is His mercy through Jesus Christ.  As Paul further says to the Romans: “For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all” (Romans 11:32).

The point to remember is that God stands above human favoritism.  One day, all will be shown this reality, and hopefully, most, if not all, will accept the God of all people through belief in the name of Jesus Christ.

Until next time, may you always see Jesus living in you!  Richard
My blog site: http://justmorereligiousthoughts.blogspot.com/

May God continue to bless and keep you all as we go through political, economic and other struggles.  Keep the faith, stay focused and stay the course.  Jesus said he will be with us always, even to the end of the age.

Thank you so much for your faithful support, prayerfully and financially.

Love always,

Curtis May

Director, ORM