With the departure of November and the arrival of December we find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season that is bracketed by Thanksgiving and the one end and Christmas on the other. It is with that in mind that I take this time wish all of you Happy Holidays on the behalf of the Ministerial Alliance of North Amityville and Vicinity.

So many times when we talk about MANA we reflect upon the circumstances that brought us together as ministers nearly 40 years ago. And yes, it was the crack epidemic on the corners of Great Neck Road and Albany Avenue that launched our coming together initially, it was also the void of fellowship that existed among ministers on Long Island that also brought us together. While nearly all of our churches had a rich fellowship with the members of their denomination, at the time, there was no organization that effectively reached across denominational lines that brought us together as ministers. I salute Bishop Walter Willie, Dr. Patricia Rickenback and Overseer Robert Burgess, who were founding members of MANA and yet remain with us today to remind us of our roots and history.

In this issue of the Gospel Express you will find announcements about upcoming events like our Annual Holiday Fellowship Dinner being hosted this year by Pastor Elena Mayfield and the Tabernacle of Praise Church here in Amityville or the Installation of Officers that will take place on Martin Luther King’s Birthday at Bethel African Methodist Church in Copiague, hosted by Pastor Keith Hayward. We also have included in this issue the first in a series of history videos, the first by Overseer Robert Burgess. I also want to mention a review of the latest book by Dr. Vernon Shelton and a wellness workshop that was hosted by Bishop Walter Willie at the Prayer Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in Amityville. These are but a few of the items that we are excited about sharing with you. So please, take a moment to read our digital newspaper and be sure to pass it along to your family and friends. Our newspaper is FREE and we encourage you to subscribe so that future issues can come directly to you.