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REV. DR. DORSEY ODELL BLAKE, Pastor

From the May/June 2008 Newsletter:

While preparing to participate in a Starr King Chapel Service, a student in my Howard Thurman class discovered the following quotation:

"This Sunday service is so designed to address itself to the deepest need and aspirations of the humanspirit. In doing so, it does not seek to undermine whatever may be the religious context which gives meaning and richness to your particular life, but rather to deepen the authentic lines along which your quest for spiritual reality has led you."

The statement was printed on the front cover of the bulletin of Boston University’s Marsh Chapel each Sunday. Upon reading it I re-visited our own service. The time we spend together is precious and limited. Yet, it is the time we have set aside to address our deepest needs and aspirations. Let us, therefore, consecrate ourselves to using our time wisely as an experience of spiritual growth.

Fifteen minutes prior to the service will be a time of meditation. This is a time for silence and music. Conversation should be deferred until after the service. After the prelude, we will go immediately into the worship service. A formal welcoming of visitors and announcements will occur after the offertory. Most of our standard announcements are printed in the bulletin. Therefore, there is no need to reiterate them unless there is something special that should come before the congregation. There will be plenty of time in Thurman Hall after the service to elaborate on announcements.

For the next two months I will be addressing the Relationship between Belonging to a Church and Worship. It is my prayer that each of us will sense a greater presence of the Divine through our journey together. Remember Jesus grew in wisdom... May we do likewise.

Excerpt from Dr. Blake’s sermon

April 22, 2007:

The songs that the Lucy Kinchen Chorale sang were the communal processing of pain, of sorrow, grief -- the internal struggle to maintain a sense of self, of dignity, of trust in Life, moving against that which conspired to rob the enslaved of any sense of worth. When community gathers to distill their pain, the pain is in trouble. Not that it necessarily goes away, but it loses its grip on the individual and community. Its primacy is undercut by the chorus of communal recognition. The pain that separates as private ache is absorbed in communal banding. And its dictatorial power is removed.

These slave singers knew something more convincingly than we seem to know and that was that God could provide for them better than master, better than the political leaders, better than the economic system, better than military might.

How do I (we) make this sustenance of God, this support of the Holy, this Presence -- All Pervading -- , visible, dynamic in this world, the world of Seung-Hui Cho, my world, your world. How do we through the way we live strengthen it as a response to collapsing our options and therefore our freedom under the pressure of this empire, these social arrangements that can only temporarily satisfy our desires and leave empty the hunger of our hearts.

It has to be clear to us that somewhere there has been failure – not only of Seung-Hui Cho, but of the leadership of our society, failure of ourselves to audaciously present an uplifting, enriching paradigm of right relations. It is not normal to go on a rampage like Seung-Hui Cho did. It is not normal for wife to slay husband, not normal to take hostages... not normal to gun down innocent people in Oakland, San Francisco, or anywhere else. Where is the disconnect or disconnections?

Systems/institutions are built on power – power of some over other. All of our systems are based on that: economic, political, educational, even religious.

To dislodge that power we have to have power (soul power), the power of that within us that is the potential power of God (Life) in us that seeks to become kinetic, moving, bringing energy, warmth, renewal, salvation, deliverance... connecting.

Not in the enslaved imaginations of our little human constructs, but as we image ourselves into, as we imagine ourselves in God -- our creator, sustainer, the author of our being and epilogue of our existence.

Annual Meeting (March 2007)

Dear Members and Friends:

Recently, I preached on the question: “What do I need in order to become my best self.” There is a companion question that is important for Fellowship Church. What does Fellowship Church need in order to become its best self? A correlative reflection is: “How am I willing to serve in order for Fellowship Church to become its best self? The success of any church is measured to a great extent by the commitment of its members to its ideals.

Over the years Fellowship Church has benefited immensely from the generosity of a core group of members. Today is no exception. Last year, 2006, was a strong one for this anointed congregation. I am grateful, immensely grateful, to those who have given so generously to increase the strength of our witness. I am especially heartened by Rev. Kathryn Benton, Assistant Minister and the Board of Trustees: Shirley Strong, Chair; Merti Walker, Vice Chair; Carol Verburg, Secretary; Bryan Caston, Treasurer; Robert Reece, Parliamentarian; Glenn Nance, Chair, Ministers’ Advisory Committee; Ken Knudsen, Chair, Facilities Committee; Shashi Dalal, Chair, Peace and Justice Committee; Kathleen Finnerty, Chair, Membership Committee. They have guided this vessel as it continues to determine its course.

We have been rewarded by the dedication and inspiration of our musicians: Lawrence Sumpter, Wendolyn Paris, Jacqueline Hairston, Carolyn Monk, Helen Hunt, Dorothy Person, Dr. Carl Blake, Valerie Brown and Dominion. Christy Witherspoon’s culinary delights have irreparably spoiled us. Dorothy Person’s floral contributions ground us. Bill Wade’s dependability in opening and closing the church for mid-week meetings and appointments maintains us. Our tech people, Dr. Steven Arnold, Courtney Brown, and Al Yates, have enriched the quality of our audio recordings and have us pod casting in cyber haven. Dr. Liza Rankow keeps the website current, attractive, user friendly and ever evolving.

This year has begun with the addition of three new members: Clara Allen, John Renesch, and Dr. Stephen Arnold. Add Gyretta Green from the end of last year to our growing edge. We are launching a quarterly forum through the Howard Thurman Center. The first forum will be June 17th featuring Dr. Matthew Fox. Dr. Fox will preach at the 11:00 service on” In Search of The Divine Masculine.” He will then join us in Thurman Hall at 2:00 P.M. for further discussion. The board has also been looking at ways to use our physical plant to enhance our financial base and ministry. More will be shared as more information comes forth.

As the church continues to be a beachhead of community, where will you serve?

Trusting,

Dr. Dorsey Odell Blake, Presiding Minister

Meditation by Dr. Dorsey Blake
(January / February 2007 Newsletter)

Invariably we arrive - at the border - of our new selves and new era and new creation - the Promised Reality - and we remember - duties, propriety, vulnerability, past mistakes and hurts, pessimism about life, fear of the uncharted, lack of trust in life and the giver and "giveness" of life.

Always we arrive - at the entrance. What must I do to enter, the young man of material wealth asks? The source of his being, the very ground of his existence responds: "Divest yourself of what possesses you, what entraps you, and incarcerates you and follow the divine that seeks to lead you."

Constantly, we journey to the threshold - wanting to be lifted and carried over to enter. "Behold," the word comes, "I stand at the door and knock." If you hear me calling your name - if you hear your calling and open to the Divine - the designer of all creatures and creation will come in to you and abide with you and live within you, providing all the nourishment you need to sustain yourself.

We arrive - at the frontier of what cries to be. We arrive anxious about what we shall eat and drink, what fine clothes we shall wear and what prestigious place to stay we need - about our security. And, we hear but don’t hear "Seek first the Divine’s Realm, God’s Kingdom, Cosmic Subversion, the Insurrection of Subjugated Truth, the Revolution of our impoverished existence and you will have what you need. It’s a law of the universe. An indelible moral principle."

We come to the edge and hear: "Take up your cross, carry the execution of all that entraps you, of all that denies my claim on you, of all that makes you hesitate and stumble, crucify it and enter life that has no end."

From the Presiding Minister, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(March/April 2006 Newsletter)

"People say, what is the sense of our small effort. They cannot see that we must lay one brick at a time, take one step at a time. A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that. No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There is too much work to do."
                     ~ Dorothy Day

Much work was done last year at Fellowship Church and we should be proud. It was a year of concentrating upon the fixed North Star and moving resolutely in the direction of growth, stability, and freedom. We just can’t keep it to ourselves what the Lord has done for us. To hear more about the year that has passed and the one before us, come to the annual meeting, Sunday, March 19, following the morning service. The ripples we are presently experiencing in our improved physical plant, finances, programming, and spiritual life are due to the faith and commitment of members and friends to realizing the ideal of Beloved Community.

We still need more resources and greater dedication to be the Church that the God of Life is calling us to be and the Church that the world sorely needs.

In consultations with other ministers I have learned that the most financially prosperous churches benefit handsomely from planned giving – estate planning, wills, trusts, etc. One pastor indicated that his church receives one million dollars annually from such gifts. While we have are nowhere near this figure, we did receive a magnanimous gift of $50,000 from Mr. Thomas Johnson and the estate of his beloved cousin Anne Livingston, who loved Fellowship Church so dearly. It is wonderful when love can also be translated into concrete blessings. Tithes and pledges also contribute greatly to the budgets of the most financially successful churches.

If you have attended services recently, I am sure you have noticed the warmth and spirit of unity and accomplishment that pervade our wonderful sanctuary and fellowship hall. The Annual meeting is a time for you to become more informed about what has happened and our plans for the future. It is also a time for you to renew your dedication to being part of this great movement known as Fellowship Church. “No one has a right to sit down and feel hopeless. There is too much work to do.”

Dear Members and Friends of Fellowship Church:

Gayle Orr-Smith will be honored at the social hour following the morning service, January 8, 2006.  Gayle is moving to the Detroit area.  Although a tremendous void will be created in the leadership and life of Fellowship Church, she will journey forth with us as an indelible presence in the future we create.

Gayle has served faithfully as a member.  She has shared generously of her time, talent, and financial resources.  She has participated in all aspects of the church.  Supportive and encouraging, her wonderful spirit and extensive contacts have helped expand our outreach to the larger community.  She has been a dynamic, visionary, and effective chair of the Board of Trustees and has cultivated a sense of unity. Through her leadership we established the 1st Sunday of each month as "Pray for Peace Sunday" and the 3rd Sunday as "Interfaith Sunday."  She has also been a guiding force behind our establishing the Howard Thurman Center for Spirituality and Social Justice.  Critical building repairs have been completed and renewed energy in the congregation is evident.

Gayle is a person who is serious about her religious commitment.  Possessed with a wonderful voice and deep spirit, she has graciously welcomed our visitors and consecrated our morning worship services.  She has been enormously helpful to me.  Indeed, her leaving is a profound personal loss to me; yet, I cherish having had the opportunity to merge our gifts in order that the God of Life would have a centered presence in The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples.

Please join us in expressing our gratitude to Gayle and wishing her well as she embarks upon different territory for her continued ministry.

10th Annual Howard Thurman Convocation

From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake

(September / October 2005)

We are proud to announce the upcoming 10th Annual Howard Thurman Convocation at Fellowship Church. This year’s event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 16, 2005 at 3:00 PM. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Fania Davis, who will speak on Restorative Justice. An issue of crucial importance, restorative justice seeks to introduce redemptive approaches into our own failing justice system. At a time of war fueled by revenge and greed, we have an urgent need for Dr. Davis’ message. This is also a message that could help us to address some of the issues raised about our prison system by the play, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train.

The Howard Thurman Award will be given to Thelton E. Henderson, United States District Judge. Mr. Henderson has worked tirelessly for social justice for many years. Jeannine Anderson will be our guest soloist and will be accompanied by Dr. Carl Blake on piano. Mr. Johnny Land and Mr. Lawrence Sumpter will also provide music for this important event.

We would like to stress the fact that your presence and participation are needed to make this event a success. We look forward to seeing you there. Please bring a friend.

Thank you and Blessings!
*

Dr. Blake’s Upcoming Activities:

September 1:  Annual Retreat, Religious Witness with Homeless People

September 7:  Rev. Blake will represent the San Francisco Interfaith Council as a member of a delegation to visit San Quentin State Prison. The delegation is sponsored by the California Catholic Conference. Mr. Shashi Dalal, Fellowship Church member, will also be a member of the delegation in his capacity as director of the California Interfaith Conference on Prison Reform.

The purpose of the delegation is to:

(1) Raise awareness of the religious and pastoral needs of the 5,607 men in general population and 560 on death row
(2) Generate greater awareness and interest in volunteer service opportunities
at San Quentin
(3) Become educated to the personal, religious and social needs of the
incarcerated so our programs in the community might be more effective.

September 8:  San Francisco Interfaith Council

October 2:  Guest Preacher, 10:30 a.m. Morning Service, United Church of Christ Suisun, The Rev. Jerry De Jong is the pastor.

October 14:  Invocation 50 Anniversary Celebration, African American Historical and Cultural Society

Mr. Johnny L. Land:

January 2, 1933 - October 23, 2005

Fellowship Church grieves the passing of beloved musicial director and member Mr. Johnny Land, who passed away on October 23, 2005. Services in his honor were held on October 28th and Nov. 1st. Mr. Land touched countless people with his musical gifts and warmth of spirit. His passing has left a very large empty space at the church. His friends and family remain in our prayers.

Building Beloved Community
(July/August 2005 Newsletter)

The Board of Trustees has adopted for the year the theme:  “Building Beloved Community.”  The term “Beloved Community” was first articulated in the beginning years of the last century by philosopher and theologian, Josiah Royce. When most of us hear the term, however, our thoughts turn to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who kept the idea and image before us with arresting clarity while allowing it to grow and deepen.

In general, King’s vision was of a commonwealth, a nation, a global community embodying the consensus that each human being is  entitled to a basic standard of living in which  poverty, homelessness, hunger are eradicated.  All people would be respected as offspring of the Creator of life and given the dignity that demanded.  Systemic oppression, because of gender, race, class, nationality, would be replaced by collective ingathering of efforts to nurture an all-inclusive local and global family.

It was not an idyllic community to be achieved only in dreams, but a workable reality based on nonviolence principles rooted in the present, contemporary world.  He did not project an idyllic setting where there was no conflict. Rather, inevitable conflict between individuals, groups, and nations would be resolved by embracing non-violent means with the goal, always, of reconciliation rather than conquest. War and military might would cease being a source of social and national security.  Peace resulting from justice relations would rule rather than a war machine.  Love, the disciplined giving of our resources -- particularly ourselves -- to care for the other, would dethrone fear and its progeny, hatred.

King understood that the mere tumbling of the walls of segregation was not enough. A new understanding of relationships, personal and social was required.  A new people with more compassionate relationships among themselves and a prophetic understanding of creative power needed to be born.

The Beloved Community is a spiritual movement that requires fidelity to God, the All Pervading Presence, the Great Spirit, Allah, or whatever term one may use to acknowledge and access the Source and Goal of our living, rather than nations and those that carry out national policy.  It requires high resolve to live, to incarnate our commitment to search for the common ground of our humanity and soul.

Because this theme resonates so much with legacy of Fellowship Church and the future we must create as a leading church in the community and nation, I will focus my sermons on this theme.  The theme will also be explored in our Howard Thurman Convocation, October 16, 2005, 3:00 P.M. by Dr. Fania Davis who will engage the idea of Restorative Justice.

Dr. Dorsey Blake serves as a member of the steering committee of Religious Witness with Homeless People. The steering committee meets the 1st Thursday of each month. In just the past year Religious Witness achieved the following:

• Played an important collaborative role in preventing the eviction of over 500 low-income Trinity Plaza Apartment tenants

• Gathered over 1,500 signatures opposing MUNI service/job cuts and fare hikes

• Worked with District Attorney Kamala Harris to win amnesty for thousands of homeless people from bench warrants resulting from ‘quality of life’ citations

• Worked through the Board of Supervisors to reinstate the Homeless Death Count as an ordinance, cosponsored by Supervisors Duffy and Daly

For more information about its 12 years of history and recent activities visit www.religiouswitnesshome.org

Dr. Blake has been appointed Visiting Professor for Spirituality and Prophetic Justice at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. It will entail being on campus approximately ten hours per week for counseling, nurturing students, attending chapel services, and teaching.

Notes From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(March/April 2005 Newsletter)

Standing before the commander of the Hutus, his own life and the lives of the Tutsis for whom he provided hope as well as physical sustenance at stake, Paul Rusesabagina, only a few moments from the imminent onslaught confronted the commander with the following: “We all have to face history.  And if you had to face history at this moment, is this the answer you would want to give?” Mr. Rusesabagina, upon whose life and deeds the movie “Hotel Rwanda” is based, shared this wisdom born in struggle at a presentation in Oakland.

The query is haunting and healthy for each of us to ponder especially during this Holy time of reflection upon death and resurrection, of sober assessment of where we have and have not been, of ignoble deeds and reconciling actions, of values we buried and visions needing to be born, born is us and in the world through us. What ethical principles guide our living? What moral commitments have we made?  How important is integrity to us?  In the words of Tolstoy, what do we live by?

Olive Schreiner wrote:

And then when he is dying, they gather round him, the things he might have incarnated and give life to – and would not.  All that might have lived, and now must never live for ever, look at him with their large reproachful eyes – his own dead visions reproaching him; “Was it worth it?  All the sense of duty you satisfied, the sense of necessity you labored under: should you not have violated it and given us birth?”

Tolstoy stated in What Men Live By:

And the angel said:

“I knew before that God gave life to men, and desired them to live; but now I know something above and beyond that.

“I have learned that God does not wish men to live each for himself, and therefore He has not revealed to them what they each need for themselves, but He wishes them to live in union, and therefore He has revealed to them what is necessary for each and for all together.

“I have now learned that it is only in appearance that they are kept alive through care for themselves, but that in reality they are kept alive through love.  He who dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him, for God is love.”

There are many “practical” issues with which we must deal as individuals and as a church.  And, in the process may we always remember that we are more than our past and present.  The hopefulness of the future depends on what we birth in our lifetimes: Its nobility depends upon our nobility; its strength on our confidence.

May we go forth in the days ahead with a sure sense of purpose and presence with love reigning in us as individuals and as The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples.

Search us, O God and know our hearts: try us and know our thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in us, and lead us in the way everlasting.

Starting Anew
From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(January/February 2005 Newsletter)

"We often deny by our way of attaining the goal the meaning of the goal. We strive for an ideal tomorrow by borrowing as the process of attaining it from the falsehood of yesterday. We do not put our faith in the irresistible and incorruptible strength of our principles until after we have made ourselves secure on the worldí s past falsehoods." - Victor Hugo

It is tragic that a future promising a New Heaven and a New Earth is often aborted because too many individuals and nations are entombed in the shackles of yesterday. The dawning of tomorrowís Beloved Community is eclipsed by despair and its offspring, hopelessness, callousness and greed. Many are immobilized by what appears to them principalities and rulers of darkness far too powerful to overcome. Yet, the darkness was overcome. That is part of the message of the Christmas season, the Season of Promise. A light came and still comes to illumine the darkness and show us patterns of peace.

There is continuity of creative energy and purpose that will sustain us in times like the present and open our imaginations to what could be and must be. This sustaining grace reality invites us to participate in a legacy of peoples, times and events to shape the fabric of our personal being and that of the world in which we live -- a world we co-create. This is the God idea, principle, concept ‚ the notion that there is something deeper, vaster, wiser and more constant than we that envelopes and sustains us in our quest for higher consciousness, inviolate conscience, heightened resolve, deeper spirituality, and unshakable confidence that flows from right relationships.

Continuity is important. We have been re-creating ourselves for years now. That is an essential ingredient to our perception of possibilities. Yet, we must also embrace each day as a new day: "Morning has broken like the first morning." Each new day then should be a refreshing "new start," a beginning again.

It is indicative of our depressed, belittled understanding of our own imagination and strength that too often we enter each day with little anticipation that it may be an extraordinary day. Each day bids us to resurrect and nurture our hopes even those withered by our duplicity with that which destroys or our alliances with that which stagnates our resolve and numbs our sense of expectation.

The Rt. Rev. Phillips Brooks stated: "The essential power of a new beginning is that it recalls and freshens the principle and fundamental motive under which a work is done, and so keeps it from degenerating into mechanical routine." He continued: " . . . when a person starts afresh, either with the newness of a new day, or with the stimulus of altered circumstances, or with the inspiration of a new work, what this new start ought to do for him (her) is to refresh the deepest principles by which he (she) lives . . . So in a new beginning people ought to feel, and in some way who they are and what great powers are at work upon them, as they do not ordinarily feel these things in common times."

So, are we called, dear ones, all called! You may call that drive within you God, Spirit, or some other name. But, somewhere there has been released in you energy, insight, commitment, talent, resolve and the wisdom that history is made by individuals who have been grasped by ideas and learn how to apply them with confidence that their freshness will be floated upon that stream of continuity, enlivening it, breathing into it melodies eternally new and bringing forth the New Heaven and New Earth, the new realm, the enlightened sovereignty, that welcomes all peoples as sister and brothers in a world community where justice rolls on like waters and righteousness like an ever flowing, mighty stream.

Dr. Blake's Activities

January 16 Panelist: 2:00 P.M. at the Oakland Museum. The focus of the panel is African American Churches during the Vietnam Era.
January 25 – 27 Pacific School of Religion’s Earl Lecturer, “ Sex and the City of God: Intimacy and Wholeness”
January 26 Panelist: The Iraq War and Conscription, Stanford University
February 14 -17 Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, “Justice is not an Option”, Atlanta, GA

60th Anniversary and 9th Annual Howard Thurman Convocation
From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(November/December 2004 Newsletter)

I give thanks for the seeds and sowers who have nurtured this great venture in interracial, interfaith, intercultural community called Fellowship Church. How inspired I was to see a full church and to sense the anticipation of those gathered that something significant, perhaps even momentous was about to occur in celebration of our 60th Anniversary and 9th Annual Howard Thurman Convocation. Even more pleased was I with the sense of community and comments expressed at the conclusion of the service. So many spoke with deep gratitude for being invited to experience the occasion. Unsolicited praise poured forth for Arleigh Prelow’s presentation of vignettes from her film in progress: Howard Thurman: In Search of Common Ground. Her film was characterized as a critical offering, deeply moving and penetrating, a profound and extraordinary gift, filling a tremendous vacuum in the story of this 20th century prophet, and something that must be completed.

Life is an adventure and adventure always demands insight and daring. We are often captivated by stories of adventure: danger on the high seas, rescues in treacherous terrain and inclement weather, deep sea diving, heretical defiance of long standing practices, and standing alone for ideals when compromise rules the day. Those who have engaged in such activities are called brave and daring. They are people who are faithful to the idea that their venture, their quest will find fulfillment, will be successful.

Arleigh Prelow has followed the calling in her soul to set sail on uncharted course of producing this documentary film. Her life, like that of Fellowship Church, has been a great adventure laced with uncertainty and insights with no foolproof certainty about what would happen in this awesome cosmos. Perhaps, she and we can related to Abraham’s living his familiar land of Ur for a strange land, “not knowing whither he went.” (Heb. 11:8). Or the Pilgrims hoping that what was on the other side of the Atlantic would be kinder and more compassionate than their native land, England. I give thanks for Arleigh’s commitment. What a testament to life’s creative energy she is!

I am now working with others to assist Arleigh in securing the funds, approximately $300,000, needed to complete the film. Contributions may to sent to:
Howard Thurman: In Search of Common Ground, c/o Arleigh Prelow,
2342 Shattuck Ave. #203, Berkeley, CA 94704

I also want to acknowledge the following for their special contributions to the convocation and anniversary celebration: Shashi Dalal, Bryan Caston, and Kathleen Prevost.

Prayerfully,

Dorsey Odell Blake

Assistant Minister speaks at Hindu Ashram

Assistant Minister, Rev. Kathryn Benton spoke at the Gandhi Peace Prayer Day on October 2nd at the Badarikashrama in San Leandro. Her topic was “Christianity and Nonviolence”. The founder and director of the Ashram will speak at Fellowship Church on November 21st at our Interfaith Worship Service.

Fellowship Church Turns Sixty
From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(September/October 2004 Newsletter)

Not in vain the distance beacons,
Forward, forward let us range.

Remarkably, Fellowship Church turns sixty in October. We give thanks for the vision, perseverance, creativity, sacrifices, and trust that have sustained a unique unfolding of the Spirit of God in this great, demanding venture in human and spiritual respect, cooperation, and enlightenment. Fellowship Church was a response to a call from Life itself to free the peoples of the world from self and externally imposed separation and incarceration; and, therefore, left God no choice but to applaud and support it. The legacies of Drs. Fisk and Thurman, the marvelous first members, and all who followed bear witness to this reality.

Ancient founts of inspiration
Well through all our fancies yet

This does not mean the congregation did not have and does not still have serious challenges. We need more: more love for humanity and our environment; more financial integrity to sustain our vision for uplifting our community and restoring our building; more participation from members and friends in our ongoing commitment to be faithful to the ideal that the unity that binds is more tenacious than the barriers that divide; and more belief that Life will continue to lead us into greater light and work.

See the vision of the world,
And, all the wonder that shall be

Even as we need more, we express thanksgiving to those faithful members and friends who enthusiastically devote resources of time, talent, money, labor, intellect, soul, commitment, vision, and resolve. If you are not one of them, “there’s plenty good room” on this great vessel charting new courses upon the sea of reconciliation. You are invited to get on board.

Now is the time! We’re going to celebrate our birthday throughout the month of October. The centerpiece is the Ninth Annual Howard Thurman Convocation, the fourth Sunday, October 24, 3:00 pm. Filmmaker Arleigh Prelow will present excerpts of the documentary film: Howard Thurman: In Search of Common Ground. You don’t want to miss this event.

From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(July/August 2004 Newsletter)

"Seeing my friends and relatives before me in a fighting spirit, I feel my body quivering and my mouth drying up - Of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness, or life itself when all those for whom we desire these are arrayed in a battlefield? When teachers, fathers, sons and grandsons, uncles, fathers-in-law, and grandfathers, and brothers-in-law are willing to give up their lives, how could I see them die and wish to survive myself? O Maintainer of living beings, I would not fight in exchange for worlds or planet earth."

- Bhagavad-gita 30, 32-35

It is appropriate that Fellowship Church will initiate our monthly first Sunday Pray for Peace Sunday on July 4, Independence Day. For we shall unashamedly declare our ìdependenceî on the Maintainer of loving beings and each other to make manifest a peaceful, just, and compassionate world community. We shall refresh our faith and renew our courage as harbingers of a world without war. If you have a prayer you would like to share during the worship service, please submit it to me prior to the first Sunday in each month.

Each third Sunday we hope to expand and deepen our understanding of varieties of sacred worldviews or religious/faith traditions. Mr. Philip Scott, Ancestral Voices, will be our guest Sunday, July18. Those of you who were present for the ordination of Rev. Kathryn Benton are already familiar with Mr. Scott's insightful mind and powerful presence.

It has been requested that I share with you some of the ways I am involved with the larger community. Here are some glimpses of my wanderings.

May 2-8 Doctor of Ministry Course, University of Creation Spirituality, Contemporary Mystics: Howard Thurman
May San Francisco Board of Rabbis
June 2 Open House, Central Center for Older Adults
June 10 Presentation of my Faith Journey, San Francisco Interfaith Council
June 15 California People of Faith Against the Death Penalty
June 15 San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting addressing Mental Health Issues
June 27 Honored by Friends of Negro Spirituals for work preserving Negro Spirituals
July 6 Guest presentation, Class on Howard Thurman, taught by Dr. Liza Rankow, East Bay Church of Religious Science
July 8 Negro Spirituals Illuminating, Sagrada Books, Oakland
August 22-27 Doctor of Ministry Course - Gandhi/King and the Search for Nonviolence and Social Justice

From the Pastor, Dr. Dorsey Blake
(March/April 2004 Newsletter)

Then the people of justice will answer, “Sir, when did we see you hungry and share our food, or thirsty and share our water? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or ragged and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in jail, and stand by you?” And the Leader of the Movement will reply, ‘When you did it to one of these humblest brothers/sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25: 37-40 (Cotton Patch Edition)

One of the strengths of Fellowship Church has been the dedication of members to apply deep spiritual insights to contemporary problems. A critical issue facing our society at large and Fellowship Church in particular is the issue of homelessness. Although created by society, its leaders certainly have not adequately addressed it. The city of St. Francis, the beggar, does not have adequate housing. The shelters do not come close to having enough beds. At the funeral service for Dr. Carlton Goodlett, Representative Ronald Dellums stated that Dr. Goodlett was ashamed that there were homeless people in his beloved city. For Dr. Goodlett it was a moral issue; and, for us it is a moral issue. We are called to moral leadership and example. Dr. Thurman stated:

“For me, it is a spiritual quality to feed a hungry person so that the hungry person knows that he is being addressed, not merely his hunger. … I have to feel that the person who is helping me knows that I am there. Not just my hunger is there; or my nakedness is there. But I am there. One must place over the head of the other a crown (discarded) that s/he will constantly seek to grow tall enough to wear.”

I am grateful to Ken Knudsen for creatively responding to the issue and reminding us that we are The Church for The Fellowship of “All” Peoples. That includes homeless ones. Ken has diligently worked to design an alternate sign to replace the one approved by the Board of Trustees. I feel his sign speaks to the concerns of Board members, neighbors, and other members of the church who have contacted me about their concern. It also requires the homeless to respect the church’s property, neighbors and anyone seeking to enter the church. The Minister’s Advisory Committee has recommended it to the Board and membership for adoption and is also recommending additional measures to develop a more comprehensive ministry in this area. I applaud Glenn Nance for his leadership of this vital committee.

Dr. Thurman Also wrote:
“Sincerity in human relations is equal to, and the same as, sincerity to God. If we accept this explanation as a clue to Jesus' meaning, we come upon the stark fact that the insistence of Jesus upon genuineness is absolute; humankind’s relation to man and man’s relation to God are one relation. ‘Thou has seen thy brother/sister, thou has seen thy God.’”

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From the Board of Trustees Chair

In May of this year Gayle Orr-Smith returned to the Bay Area after spending the past fifteen months in Detroit. Now that Gayle has returned she has agreed to become our publicist for the next twelve months. This is made possible by a generous gift from our treasurer Bryan Caston.

For years the board has lamented that these days Fellowship Church seems to be a well-kept secret. Whether it's people in the neighborhood that occasionally stop by and say "I didn't know this church was here" or people from around the Bay Area who say, "I didn't know the Thurman Church was still around". With Gayle's help we will let people know that we are still here and invite them to join us.

And we are still here in large part because of the love, commitment and generosity of members and friends like Bryan, John Renesch who is using his social network to create the Spiritual Visionaries Series, Christy Witherspoon who donates her skill and resources to prepare a gourmet buffet for us every third Sunday, Ken Knudsen who has worked very hard on our church building and all the others known and unknown too numerous to name here. These are just a few of the people whose contributions I have observed over the last three years since I have been a member.

Thanks to all of you named and unnamed who have done the large and small things that it takes to keep Fellowship Church going, we indeed are still here. And with your continued love and support we will remain not just a church here to preserve the Thurman legacy but a vital church for the present and future that focuses on building Beloved Community leading to inner and outer transformation.

Sincerely,

Shirley Strong
Chairperson, Board of Trustees
Fellowship Church

Annual Meeting

Shirley Strong , Chair, Board of Trustees

March 10, 2007

Dear Members and Friends of the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples,

The Board of Trustees would like to utilize our 2007 annual meeting as the starting point for an ongoing conversation about our future as a Fellowship Church Community. We have made steady progress throughout 2006 and early 2007 in addressing our more pressing short term needs. Ken Knudsen, through his leadership of the Facilities Committee has overseen the repairs to the roof, the remodeling of the conference room and the installation of a new sidewalk and front door that is wheel chair accessible. Also, a lot of excess furniture and equipment has been removed. We have done our very best to make the church facility as attractive as possible with the limited resources that we have available.

In addition to the repair and maintenance of the building, the board has worked extremely hard to create and sustain spiritually and socially relevant programming. The Fellowship Theater Guild produced another very successful play, Lady Day In Love, written and directed by Courtney Brown. Our Howard Thurman Convocation featured Rev. Nelson Johnson, a nationally known social/labor rights activist and we have presented numerous speakers and performances that have inspired and challenged us to continue the struggle for justice and human rights. Currently, we are working with John Renesch, one of our new members, to reach out to the wider community in the Bay Area and beyond through a Speakers Series.

We have done a lot with a little – money and people. However, we have come to a point where we need to be realistic about our next steps. We cannot continue to defer more extensive maintenance on the building nor can we simply rely on estate gifts for needed repairs and supplements to our operating budget.

Our next steps will require agreement on a collective vision for our future as a Fellowship Church community. In my year as board chair, I have begun to appreciate just how diverse we are racially, spiritually, politically, and culturally. We are an extremely unique community, which is both our strength and our weakness. In our effort to be deferential to all traditions, we often become scattered and unfocused. For example, we don’t embrace some of the more traditional functions of churches that promote sustainability like consistent appeals for financial contributions and church membership. We are rapidly approaching a crossroads in the life of our church and we will almost certainly have to make significant changes in order to survive over the next two decades and beyond. Fellowship Church has a great legacy to uphold and bring forward for future generations.

What is our collective vision for the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples over the next two decades and how will we accomplish it? No single one of us has the answer on our own. Yet it has often felt like we are operating individually and independently rather than collectively as a congregation and community. All of us sometimes prefer to “just do it” rather than take the time to build consensus. However, I believe our survival depends on our ability to work in an inclusive, interconnected way while reflecting our theme of Beloved Community. It’s clear we all love Fellowship Church. What’s not clear is whether we love it enough to let go of whatever is standing in the way of us embracing a collective vision for change.

Building the Beloved Community

Gayle Orr-Smith, Chair, Board of Trustees

(November / December 2005 Newsletter)

Beloved Friends:

It’s never easy to say goodbye to people and places that you love. But as long as memory serves, those loving people, places and experiences will last a lifetime.

I came to Fellowship Church almost seven years ago in search of “Beloved Community”, even before I knew what the term meant. What I found here challenged me mentally and spiritually to step beyond the narrow constraints of my Christian upbringing, and embrace a broader experience of fellowship under a philosophy of One God for all People without regard for circumstances. It resonated well with my soul, and continues to be a source of joy, inspiration and enfoldment for me. What a marvelous laboratory Fellowship Church is for such a grand experiment -- that of creating unconditional common ground for the Spirit.

I am truly humbled by the amazing history and legacy that Fellowship Church represents. I am equally awe struck by the incredible possibilities and opportunities that lay ahead of this Church. Our membership is growing. The energy and vitality of the Church is increasing. The generosity and involvement of our members is expanding --and a clear and focused vision for the future has been formed. The path before us is clear. Building the Beloved Community is not only what we’re doing, it must also be who we are. We must be a Faith community that reaches out to each member and visitor with love and welcome. We must be a force for peace and justice as an expression of our love and hope for all mankind. We must be a ministry that promotes forgiveness and reconciliation as stepping stones on the path to love.

Building the Beloved Community requires that we use our heads (intellect) and our hearts (spirit). This year the Board of Trustees has established The Howard Thurman Center for Spirituality and Social Justice, as a separate 501 (c) (3), to promote educational programs dealing with spiritual engagement, as wells as programs that promote spiritually base solutions for the many social injustices that plague our society. Through HTC we hope to partner and collaborate with many like minded organizations and engage in a variety of new programs and activities. Fundraising efforts to address ADA renovations will continue to be a priority, so that the Church will be fully accessible for disabled persons. The Board has also committed to promoting Rev. Blake’s sermons on Beloved Community over the radio, in booklet form and on the internet. We’re convinced that once people become aware of Dr. Blake’s outstanding message, and the mission of Fellowship Church, many will be drawn to join us.

Though I will be leaving San Francisco to return to the Detroit area, please know that I will always be a member of The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, a truly Beloved Community.

Much Love,
Gayle Orr-Smith

Building a Church with a Vision
Gerald Harris, Outgoing Chair, Board of Trustees
(March/April 2004 Newsletter)

Fellowship Church has such future potential. It has much more than its history, though it is a wonderful one that can be built on. Moving toward that future will demand some new thinking in order to understand the current situation better and anticipate future developments. The core ideas of Fellowship Church related to respecting all faiths and human diversity are as powerful and needed as they have ever been. However, moving them into the future will demand that we look at emerging issues. Among the most important is globalization of societies. Globalization is more than just a business and economic issue around production and trade flows. It is also about ideas and people having instantaneous access to information about almost anything at almost anytime.

Therefore, people will have access to different viewpoints about issues ranging from beliefs to values to cultural norms. This will challenge us in the progressive community to rethink how to apply interfaith principles in the global context. It will also challenge our notions of respecting racial and ethnic diversity. We will have to extend beyond the historical American context as we think of race and religious diversity. Fortunately, Fellowship Church has core values that resonate well with this.

However, as individuals we all face the personal challenges to make this growth real. Our own lack of knowledge, lack of openness and fears will have to be addressed within our own hearts and minds. From those individual victories the church can move ahead. Supporting each other in personal growth, member to member, will be a key part our success.

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Press Releases

Kathryn Benton to be Ordained in Interfaith Celebration

March 23, 2004

At a time of great tension among religions of the world, spiritual leaders of various faith traditions have been called together to celebrate the ordination of Kathryn Benton to the ministry. Benton, who currently serves as youth minister and secretary, will be ordained to the ministry Sunday, March 23, 3 p.m., at the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. Celebrants include Dr. Matthew Fox, theologian, author and president-founder of the University of Creation Spirituality; Luisah Teish, author and priestess; Dr. J. Alfred Smith Jr., pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, San Jose; Dr. Dharmanand, Hindu priest; Phillip Scott, Native American spiritual guide; and Dr. Dorsey Blake, pastor, Fellowship Church.

Ms. Benton’s journey to ministry has been a fruitful and creative one. For numerous years prior to joining Fellowship Church, she served in positions of trust and leadership in the Episcopal Church. She earned a master of liberal arts degree in creation spirituality from Naropa Institute, Oakland. She has completed her candidate review for the doctor of ministry degree at the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland.

Pastor Blake, who also served as her thesis advisor, stated: “The discernment to ordain Kathryn became clear to me as a result of extensive review of, reflection on, and prayer about her the wonderful, enriching gifts she had already graciously, abundantly and effectively shared with the Fellowship Church family. Her ordination affirms and celebrates her as a minister and gives her our blessing as her growing edge continues to witness to the mystery, grandeur and ‘cosmic companionship’ of life.”

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Press Links

San Francisco Chronicle

Profile of Fellowship Church (11/13/00)

San Francisco Bay View

Honoring our covenant of compassion with homeless people

www.sfbayview.com/020905/honoringourcovenant020905.shtml

Peace movement’s call for divestment

www.sfbayview.com/052103/peacemovements052103.shtml

Prison reform activists meet with religious leaders

www.sfbayview.com/123102/prisonreform123102.shtml

Prison reform coalition

www.sfbayview.com/012903/prisonreform012903.shtml

Howard Thurman convocation to examine media ethics

www.sfbayview.com/101503/howardthurman101503.shtml

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The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples was founded in 1944 by Dr. Howard Thurman and Dr. Alfred Fisk as the nation's first interracial interfaith congregation.