June 4, 2023

I address you as Paul addressed the believers in Christ at Philippi. “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. Always in every prayer of mine for you, all making request with joy. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:2-5.

I appreciate your patience and perseverance as we continue to be committed and faithful despite the inconvenience of finding alternative places for in-person worship until our sacred space is habitable again. It will not be as long as it has been. We will have an update at our mid-year church meeting in July. Thank you for continuing to give commensurate with your capacity to support the work of this fellowship of faith. Commendations go to each of you for all that you do in your respective roles, whether in leadership, fellowship, or service with your skill set to maintain our connectivity as a congregation; for your cooperation, camaraderie, and consecration.   

At our mid-year church meeting, on July 16, 2023, at noon, the trustees will share an update on the construction at the church building, with an estimated time of completion and also an opportunity we have to utilize the Henderson Community property. We will keep you posted as we continue to move forward. Again, thanks for your patience and understanding as we face the challenges we are confronting.   

While we will continue to record the Radio Broadcast as we have been doing since the pandemic, we are planning in-person services for those who desire to attend. We are also making preparations about how we will return to our facility when the structural damage is completed.  

Following are the special days this month:

Sunday, June 11, 2023, is observed as Children's Day. Psalm 127:3 reminds us that "Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." Our children will be leading in worship for the broadcast. 

Our graduates at all levels will be remembered with a gift card from the church, and their acknowledgment and picture is be available in this newsletter. 

Sunday, June 18, 2023, is Father’s Day and Juneteenth will also be observed. Our fathers will be leading us in worship for the broadcast and there will be an announcement about Juneteenth. The American Civil War ended in 1865. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the Southern states back in 1863, but it took until the end of the war to turn the words into law.

The end of slavery in America is still celebrated today in the form of the Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth is an American Holiday that commemorates the June 19, 1865 announcement of the abolition of slavery in the state of Texas and more generally the emancipation of enslaved African Americans throughout the former Confederate States of America. The name is a portmanteau, (port-man-teau), which is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," the date of its celebration.  Juneteenth is recognized as a state holiday or special day of observance in forty-five states.  Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

Sunday, June 25, 2023, is observed as Youth Emphasis Sunday at Second Baptist. Our youth will be leading in worship. The broadcast message will be brought by Rev. Brandon C. Harris, the Associate Dean of the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at USC. We are reaching out to reestablish our connection with USC and its student body. You may remember that we would have the choir from USC sing during our 11:00 AM service. The choir is being reorganized as they were suspended during COVID-19.

June is my birth month and this is my 78th year. Thank you for your expressions of best wishes through the past 35 years as your pastor.  

Love and peace beloved,

-Pastor   

Dr. William S. Epps, Senior Pastor