Celebration event is Monday

Staff report

Youngstown

The Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Youngstown & Vicinity and the Baptist Pastors’ Council will host the annual community Emancipation Proclamation Services at 10 a.m. Monday at Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church, 1210 Himrod Ave.

This annual event, the longest continuous African-American community’s celebration in the Valley, recognizes the commemorative signing by President Abraham Lincoln of the document that abolished slavery in the United States. The theme “We’re Better Together!” will provide an examination, reflection and challenge to build community via collaboration of the African American community’s collective leadership.

Keynote speaker will be the Rev. William Bunton, lead pastor of Mount Olive/Kingdom Church Partnership in Akron. He has served as the senior pastor of several churches, prior to his current ministry charge.

The fourth annual Rev. Elizabeth Powell Heritage Award will be presented to the Rev. Dr. Lewis W. Macklin II for community service. The Rev. Dr. Macklin serves as lead pastor of Holy Trinity Missionary Baptist Church.

Among his past and current activities are Associated Neighborhood Centers, Goodwill Industries, Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, American Red Cross and the Youngstown City Health Board. He also is a former member of the Youngstown board of education.

He is chairman of Mahoning County Children Services Board and is the Martin Luther King Planning Committee convener. A volunteer since 1980 for the Vindicator Spelling Bee, he is now the head judge of the annual event.

The IMA and BPC share similar missions, which are to promote ecumenical fellowship in a united effort for the good of human welfare; promote pastoral dignity and ethical fellowship with one another; cultivate and advance faith principles and values among people of all ages; direct available resources toward relevant social issues and causes; to establishes partnerships with faith based and community organizations that work toward eradication of racial and social justices issue. The organizations have been sponsoring agents and founders of the area’s first faith-based credit union.

The service will conclude with an installation and commissioning service of officers of faith and community organizations, which will include the newly elected members of the Youngstown Board of Education, IMA, BPC, the Community Mobilization Committee, the Junior Civic League, Greater Youngstown-Warren Urban League, Youngstown Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Youngstown-Warren Black Caucus, The 100 Black Men Youngstown Warren Chapter and the A. Phillip Randolph Institute. The installation will showcase black community leadership.

The Rev. Rosalyne Mitchell-Martin of Price Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Rev. Henry McNeil of Elizabeth Baptist are presidents of the sponsoring organizations.