St. Paul in Jacksonville, FL is on “LOC!”
By Dr. Brenda R. Simmons-Hutchins, 11th Episcopal
While many across the country were enjoying romantic dinners on Valentine’s Day, St. Paul AME Church’s leadership expressed love in a singularly, extra special manner. The Church had the community on “LOC,” Pastor Marvin C. Zanders, II’s acronym for Loving Our Community!
Love was articulated. On Friday, February 12, the membership, led by the pastor, participated in the Founder’s Day Virtual Birthday Celebration for Bishop Richard Allen, sponsored by Senior Bishop Adam Jefferson Richardson, the presiding prelate of the 11th Episcopal District. The Founder’s Day Symposium brought together church and professional luminaries such as the Rev. Teresa Fry Brown, the Reve. William H. Lamar, IV, the Rev. Elliott Robinson, the Rev. Roslyn M. Satchel, the Rev. Dr. Michael Waters, and Ms. Cheryl Dozier for a day of information, revelation, and restoration.
Love was activated. The weekend continued with an act of love in the form of sustentation through a Food Giveaway on St. Paul’s campus, addressing the neighborhood food desert and the ever-growing need for healthy fruits, vegetables, and other foodstuffs for the most vulnerable citizens in our community.
Saturday’s activities were not lost on the youth of the church who participated in the Historic 1st Virtual and 34th Annual Black Heritage Weekend Competitions sponsored by the YPD of the 11th Episcopal District. The highlight for the East Conference was the Black Heritage Brain Bowl winner, Master Joseph Dorsey, one of St. Paul’s dedicated YPDers as one of the team members.
Love was applied. The greatest and most impactful act of love occurred on Sunday, February 14, with the Church’s participation as a Faith-Based Community Site for the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution. The medical team administered more than 500 shots in the arms of community members 65 and older as the first step at eradicating the dreaded virus and making steps toward restoring health to the community.
The Acts of Love that had the local community on LOC during the weekend of universal love were far from random. They were a targeted, strategic, and deliberate carriage of the commission ordered by God to care for the people. St. Paul, under the leadership of Pastor Zanders, once again, demonstrated that even the pandemic cannot stop it from being a place where God is seen, love is felt, and lives are changed. Session two of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution will resume on March 14, 2021.
