#VISION OF A CHURCH USHER SERIES#

Graves, a member of Perkins Square Baptist Church and 17-year ushering veteran. Prayer, our heads are bowed but we keep our eyes open,' says Sylvia One that unfolded in Charleston, S.C., last month when a man entered a blackĬhurch during a Bible study and shot nine people to death. Invade the world of worship, from petty thefts to stunning tragedies like the The job carries additional weight in an era when crime can God even created the first usher organization, she adds,Ĭhoosing one tribe, the Levites, to care for the tabernacles of Moses' day. Men, just as John the Baptist ushered in Jesus' ministry.' The children of Israel out of Egypt? And the star of Bethlehem guided the wise 'Didn't he usher in light and call it day? Didn't Moses usher 'We consider God the first usher in the universe,' Several framed portraits of the founders, reeling off the men's beliefs as Reservoir Hill, Lucas recently met with fellow usher Sandra Arnette below Running through the Old and New Testaments: ushering.Īt the Baltimore unit headquarters, a brownstone in Seeking common ground, they settled on a theme they saw Sorrell, found themselves wrestling with a question: Why did the majorĪfrican-American Christian denominations have so little to do with each other? That, in the late 1800s, three devout men from this region chose to reachĮlijah Hamilton and Charles Dorsey, African MethodistĮpiscopalians from Philadelphia, and a friend, a Baltimore Baptist named Henry Segregated hour in America is 11 o'clock on Sunday morning. The lead usher takes a position up front and places a fistĪt the small of her back. Worshipers' needs throughout the service so can focus on God's word.Īt Grace one recent Sunday, Lucas and five others greetĪrriving worshipers with hugs and 'good mornings.' As gospel musicīegins to resound, they create a line and march down an aisle, leading the 'They set a tone of reverence with their friendliness.

'Ushers are the 'doorkeepers' Scripture tells us about,' Those who work with members say that at a time when church attendance isĭeclining in the U.S., its mission retains a powerful resonance. The Maryland chapter, one of 28 in America, turns 100 this To manage crowd movement, or even indicate an emergency in the making. Ushers association and school - one that still grills its students onĮverything from greeting techniques to a complex set of hand signals with which Where three African-American churches set aside their differences to create an The organization has its roots in early-1900s Baltimore, Has preserved and passed along a 'universal method' of church

Nation who have been trained and certified by the National United Church UshersĪssociation of America, a historically black education and service group that … “one of about 400 people in Maryland and 15,000 in the Thanks to the publisher of this embedded YouTube video.Ĭlick the 'Black Church Procession' tag for more pancocojams posts on this subject.įrom 'Ushers History: Ushers serve as 'doorkeepers' to worship' by Jonathan M. The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.Īll copyrights remain with their owners. That article excerpt also includes a section on the ushers' Grand March. Part III showcases a video of a Church Ushers Grand March and showcases an article excerpt about the roles of the Black Church ushers. Part II presents theories about why African American ushers wear gloves as part of their usher attire.Ĭlick for Part III of this pancocojams series. This post showcases a video of Black church ushers and presents excerpts from three articles about African American church ushers.Ĭlick for Part II of this pancocojams series.

#VISION OF A CHURCH USHER SERIES#

This is Part I of a pancocojams series on African American church ushers. Heights, Maryland help create the mood for worship. The menĪnd women who serve as ushers at Hemingway Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church in District Some highly trained ushers who are much more than church doorkeepers. We provide an inside look at the spirit and discipline of Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, April 11, 2016

Vision of a church usher