Many Gather to Celebrate MLK Day

Springfield Baptist Church was filled to capacity Monday for a special Martin Luther King, Jr. service, with Rev. Phillip Marks featured speaker.

The service began at noon after several people had marched through Monticello stopping at St. John and St. James churches before completing the march at Springfield.

Among those in attendance were ministers from numerous churches in Jasper County, most of whom took part in some way.

Special music was provided by the MLK Combined Choir, by Sardis C.M.E. Pastor Carla Hill, Ella Heath and the group Upsitter from Sparta. In addition, the congregation joined in many of the songs.
A special tribute was offered by the dancers of the Monticello Get Ahead House, first with an all male group, then with a female quartet.

Minister Joyce Felton was mistress of ceremonies.
Several community leaders made remarks during the service. Juanita Davis, director of the jasper County Community Food Bank invited everyone to the grand opening scheduled for Tuesday. She said that since last May 6,000 people had been fed through the food bank. She said five churches took part in getting the food bank off the ground, and now there are 15. More than 100 volunteers have spent more than 5,000 volunteer hours to account for the success of the food bank.
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Monticello City Councilman Bryan Standifer said God Bless you on behalf of all of the city council, and commented on what a great American holiday was being observed.

A gentleman who has served as president of the National Association for the advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Clayton County gave a little history of the NAACP, and said why it was needed still. He said it was founded more than 100 years ago by black and white people with the mission to stop the lynching of black people.
The association expanded its mission, working toe eradicate the day-to-day indignities imposed on the black person. Now serving as a watchdog organization, most recently the NAACP called out the tea party activities for rascist poison.

Monticello Police Chief and School Board member Bobby Norris read the statement that was on the program, appreciating what it said.
“A person heart should be so hidden in Christ that he/she should want to seek Him first. When we say We are a Christian, We’re not claiming to be perfect. We’re just a simple sinner who received God’s grace and mercy!”

He stressed the importance of education.
State Representative Susan Holmes of Monticello said it was an honor and privilege to be there. She talked about the King celebration she attended at the state capitol last week. She reiterated some of the remarks she heard at that, and said that we have a wonderful community and we must work together. She said we have a better America because of MLK.

Rev. Phillip Marks, a native of Jasper County who now pastors Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in St. Paul, N.C. then spoke to those gathered. He opened his remarks by reading from the Bible, a passage from Genesis, chapter 37. His topic was “When Dreams Don’t Make Sense.”

He said Martin Luther King’s dream did not fit the current condition, and may not have made sense to some. He told how Joseph’s dream (Genesis) did not fit the current condition.
He talked about his drive home from North Carolina and said you have to cross Murder creek between Shady Dale and Monticello. He said the creek got its name as it was the scene of 30 lynchings in Jasper County in the 1920s and 1930s.

He told of googling his hometown and finding a story in the New York Times where an entire family was lynched, one by one, on January 16, 1915.

He said “black people shed blood and died so you could vote.”
Then he remarked on the voter I.D. law and the objection to it. He said, “take your I.D. and go vote.”

He talked about the gains that had been made by the black people but that MLK’s dream has not come to full fruition. He said, “We’ve accomplished much, but we’ve got a long way to go.”
He said when the Lord blesses you, you must bless Him and bless others.

He urged those present when the get up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, “mediocrity is not for me.” He aid the worst racism is black on black racism.

He talked about the difficulties in bringing the dream to full fruition, and called them “birthing pains.”
He stressed that all should tell God thank you.

Rev. Marks will be back in Jasper County on January 30, when he will preach at Greenwood Baptist Church in Shady Dale at a special service at 3 p.m. He has also committed to preaching revival at Springfield this summer.