News From The Pews

Love March Sparks Civil Rights Revelation

by | Jan 15, 2024 3:24 pm | Comments (26)

Jamil Ragland Photo

At the MLK Love March Monday in the Goatville neighborhood.

As a practicing agnostic, I’ve often wondered why the Civil Rights Movement began in the church. Christianity has always seemed antithetical to Black liberation to me. After all, this is the white man’s religion, with a white Jesus foisted upon our people during the degradation of slavery. I’ve resented my people’s devotion to a God we wouldn’t even know if not for our conquest. 

This question was cycling through my mind when I stepped off with the members and supporters of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church for their 54th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Love March through the streets of East Rock, the state’s longest-running celebration of Dr. King’s life and achievements.

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Newhallville Church's Roof Repairs Celebrated

by | Nov 13, 2023 9:05 am | Comments (1)

Christopher Wigren, Stacy and Frankie Vairo, Jane Montanaro, Lady Shalene McClam, Pastor Darrell McClam, and Mother Helen Jean Carr on Sunday.

The congregants of Pitts Chapel United Free Will Baptist Church are not only raising their historic sanctuary’s roof in dancing, singing, and exuberant prayer as they do every Sunday — now they are also able to fix it.

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“Radiant” Church Honors Its Pastors

by | Oct 31, 2022 11:08 am | Comments (2)

Allan Appel photo

Congregant Josue Ortiz shows how it's done.

Josue Ortiz sounded the shofar, but it wasn’t the Jewish Day of Atonement. He wasn’t even in a synagogue.

The site was the Estrella Resplandeciente de Jacob, the Radiant Star of Jacob Church in Fair Haven, where the spirit and service of long-time pastors Javier and Shari Diaz were trumpeted, along with the help of an official certificate presented by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

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Clergy Amp Up Urgency On Reading Crisis

by | Aug 3, 2022 5:10 pm | Comments (35)

Maya McFadden photo / Thomas Breen file photo

Rev Kimber: New leadership needed. Mayor Elicker: More funding needed.

New Haven needs a new plan — and new leadership — in order to improve abysmal student reading levels.

The Greater New Haven Clergy Association issued that plea Wednesday during a press conference at which Newhallville pastors laid into the Board of Education, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) administrators, and the mayor after a recent report showed that 84 percent of third-graders are reading below grade level.

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Dixwell UCC Marks Bicentennial

by | Aug 1, 2022 9:36 am | Comments (1)

Maya McFadden Photo

Dixwell UCC bicentennial planning committee members Joy W. Donaldson, Antonie Thorp, Estelle Whitfield Simpson, Clifton Graves Jr., Althea Musgrove Norcott, Helena Rogers, and Cheryl Gray.

The nation’s oldest African American United Congregational Church is celebrating 200 years of being rooted in community service, social justice, and humanitarian efforts. 

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A "Rock" Rolls Forward

by | Jun 7, 2022 1:36 pm | Comments (2)

Lisa Reisman Photo

Sunday at Upon This Rock.

Pastor Christine Perry offered the assembled some advice that also described a journey she was launching at the pulpit.

There may be a little turbulence,” she told them. But if there is, just hold onto your seat, because we’re definitely going to get there.”

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Spring Glen Marks 25 "Open & Affirming" Years

by | May 9, 2022 8:41 am | Comments (3)

Allan Appel Photo

Pastor Jack Perkins Davidson in the tree in front of Spring Glen Church.

With kids in colorful masks and skirts, praise of God as the womb of life and source of being,” and a pastor high up in a sugar maple helping to secure a long gauzy rainbow banner, Spring Glen Church marked both Mother’s Day and the 25th anniversary of becoming an open and affirming” congregation within the United Church of Christ (UCC) denomination.


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Bishop Davis Leaves His Mark

by | Sep 20, 2021 8:20 am | Comments (2)

Maya McFadden Photos

Elijah Davis Jr. leads final service as pastor: God needs fishers of men.

New sign revealed.

En route to leading his last service as pastor of Pitts Chapel Unified Free Will Church, Elijah Davis Jr. accidentally left his bible in the limo. So he ditched his planned sermon and preached a word about fishermen and loyalty.

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Hope Kept Alive, Online

by | Mar 22, 2020 10:59 pm | Comments (0)

Facebook

Agape Minister Jeremy McKain sings while Senior Pastor Willa Moody bobs on the dance floor.

The congregation of Agape Christian Center joined together in song as usual on Sunday morning. Instead of repeating after the pastor in person, however, many of the voices chimed in through Facebook Live.

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Hamden Church Celebrates Eight Years Of Dollar Dinners

by and | Jul 5, 2019 8:52 am | Comments (2)

Almost every Friday evening, the Grace and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 2927 Dixwell Ave. gives back to the Hamden community by hosting Dinner for a Dollar.” The tradition has been going on for eight years and is aimed at helping people get a nutritious, cheap and good tasting meal.

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Elicker Preaches: “We Must Rise Above”

by | Jun 30, 2019 4:53 pm | Comments (40)

Paul Bass Photos

Elicker (above) addresses Bethel congregants (below).

Days after an opposing campaign attacked his wife and her fellow federal prosecutors as Trump co-conspirators, mayoral candidate Justin Elicker took to the pulpit Sunday to urge New Haveners to transcend political rhetoric” and come together as a city.”

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