Dad, thanks for loving me.
Like the Sun you never had.
Like for me you would die.
Dad, thanks for making me smile,
When you wanted to cry.
Thanks for all your dedication and commitment.
Thanks for being my foundation.
After you and Mom failed to see eye to eye.
Thanks for standing by me.
You gave me footprints of example;
You proof to me everyday
That there is no failure if I try.
You’re my role model.
A treasure box in my life.
Dad, thanks.
You'll always be
Apart of my journey; apart of me.
For you’re. My Dad. My Hero.
TMcLaren (c)
Inspires by: Responsible fathers around the world.
This is it!
We're coming down to the final stretch and Barack Obama needs your help now, more than ever before!
Please bring your cell phone, a charger and a few fun friends who care about change and join with thousands of your neighbors in the largest ever-attempted phone bank effort in New York state history. The Obama campaign is hosting several of these "mega call centers" all over New York, so invite your friends and family to make calls to voters in key battleground states and change America for years to come.
Visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nylastcall to find a location near you.
Hello everyone!
Welcome to my blog! This is my first blog in general, and yes, my first Barack Obama blog entry.
I just hosted a debate watch party the other night and it was such a great experience that I thought I should share it with the Barack webosphere (is that a good made up word??)
My wife and I have hosted a few political themed parties in the past, and they have been fun - I usually go all-out with red white and blue decorations (balloons and streamers, mostly...), and I can do baloon animals, so I made blue "donkeys" (which look like dogs, but you have to use the power of suggestion) and red "elephants" (which are like dogs but with long noses).
This time, due to a crazy week, the decorations were a bit less festive, but the event itself was terrific! With the help of the Neighbor to Neighbor section of the MYBO site, I created the event and posted it. While I had very few of my classmates/friends from school come, I had two neighbors from my building, as well as three other groups of people.
Based on the variety of people, and their interesting backgrounds, I think my little post may encourage people to try hosting a party/event of any type. When you make it "official" and it gets posted to local e=mail groups, then you get this kind of great mix:
Omar: An older African American gentleman. He grew up in Harlem, has seen lots of changes in America and in NYC, and is worried about how this administration has "been destroying America." He sees hope in an Obama white house.
Junko - a Japanese lady, recently naturalized (hooray! new voters!). Since coming here 8 years ago, she "has seen the country decline" and "wants a change."
Hunkar - a Turkish fellow. Concerned about peace, and wants an end to the war in Iraq. Also hopes that Obama will "reign in the excesses of capitalism."
Sandra - a 20-something African American woman from East Harlem. She likes how "Obama doesn't use the word 'change' loosely. McCain does, she thinks. "Barack Obama will give us real change."
Wendy - also a 20-something African American woman, she was "never into politics before - But this year I am getting involved...I can relate to him...He's genuine."
Elana - (my wife, lives with me in Manhattan Valley (106th St.)). She wants Obama to repair relations with the world. She also said that she likes the fact that Obama is brilliant, professorial and, yes, possibly "elitist." She says that these are good things to have in a president - we want the best and the brightist to lead us, especially after 8 years of anti-intellectualism coming from the Bush White House.
Karen - our neighbor, a 20-something white lady from Ohio? She was just glad to be there and support us/Barack.
Phil - a 50-something? white man from across the hall, he wore a button that said "unapologetic Liberal" and made the most groans during McCain's various responses.
As you can read from these mini-descriptions, we Obama supporters represent people of all ages and races, and we support this great man for many reasons.
While it was certainly fun on previous occasions to invite only my friends and classmates, the Neighbor to Neighbor tool made possible this amazing mix of neighbors whom I'd never before met. I made a brief speech as to why I support Obama (peace, hope, education, etc.) and I asked them why they support him. (Their answers are woven into the descriptions I typed above).
Finally, I wrapped up the evening by sharing information about the Neighbor to Neighbor campaign tools, and encouraged everyone to help by doing any or all of the following:
- Getting a MYBO account
- Fundraising
- Making calls from home or phone banking events
- Traveling to PA (our nearest battleground state).
- Speaking with friends/relatives (especially aunts/uncles/grandparents of an older generation) to encourage them to change their vote.
So, to sum it up: Be brave and open your home to other Obama supporters - you'll have fun, meet interesting new people, and help build the campaign, whether you are in a battleground state or not. If you'd asked me some months ago if I'd be working for Obama in MANHATTAN, one of the most blue locales in the country, I might've thought that would be silly....Instead, it's been a great experience and I want to build on it in the remaining weeks of the election!
Go OBAMA!
http://ny.barackobama.com/NYlastcall
Here is a wonderfully inspiring video. This video should open even blind eyes. Watch and Share!
http://www.vimeo.com/1742831#success
Have Joy Prayer Warriors! GOD is still on the Throne!! We pray hard. We seek the Lord diligently. We persevere in prayer. Join us as and log on to our Obama Convention Bump event.
We're giving $28 on August 28th, the night of Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, to give him an uproariously overwhelming show of support on line - as well as in the stadium.
"A garden of divided dreams once before, now a garden of converged dreams, of individual stories coming together, of the conviction of what is possible, hammered into the language of our souls, that cannot be stopped, that cannot be denied, paddling ourselves in the present, now the future already in the past, their sounds echo in the hearts of the listerners, yet inspite all, a humility that we must pass on, a humility that sky is the limit. " Tocar y Luchar's Claudio Abado.
"Rhythm is the internal pulse of the soul, invisibly transmitted to others, the art of making will, to generate a message, to generate a value, an elevation that God reveals something, not penetrated by rationality, but to recognize ourselves in the essence, in the being, a bearer of beauty, truth." Tocar y Lucha's Claudio Abado.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Fast forward 8 years later, after Obama/Biden has been elected into office with landslides unheard of in America's prior presidential elections. Yet, it is not their ascendancy into power, but it is how their human harmony has been personified in how they operate, as if synchronized duets of an orchestra, filling in the gaps for one another, yet standing firm in their individual strengths, and recapturing what were once elusive dreams, to now America's realities, not ever imagined as possible.
After watching them speak of the character strengths of one another and how intimately they know of the struggles their parents and grandparents went through, I knew then that America has started to change for the better. For it is in their human stories harmonized, reflecting what is not just the best about America: the pursuit of what is possible, projecting the future into the present as probable, but transforming adversity into its opposite, giving us more hope.
It was not just their human harmonies personified, but of how together they imagined a new future for our children. That created such excitement for me, for it was no longer about how tough enough they both are, or of how they have testosterone exponential to the nth power, as a team capable of nuking other nations, to stand them down and heed America' s leadership, but of how both truly cared and connected with our children, with what they need, with how they felt, and with what ordinary middle class working families are going through whether here in America or overseas. This is the team that I believe will carry a remarkable fingerprint in eternity that we will be so proud of, for we were, or better yet, we are part of a movement of change they led with and for us!
America will soon be the birthplace of something more remarkable than we can even imagine possible, all because we transformed what was once America's dark soul into a much brighter soul and where racism is no longer in our genes being passed down to the next generation, but in 2008, in November 4, America chose to reverse its intergenerational legacy of divisions along race, politics, gender, religion and sexual orientation, and instead relayed the foundation of its new legacy of including, of opening up, of being transparent with its national governance policies and practices and unified "its red and blue states into one United States of America".
America's moment has arrived, it is now healing the dark aspects of its soul and humanizing itself from the inside out, and its federal government is leading practices not just in green energies, but wholesome trade with equal partner-nations, and diplomacy its preferred mode of engagement with other countries. This is why I got so excited at these prospects after watching the Obama/Biden team tonight.
Have Joy Prayerful People. GOD is still on the Throne!! We pray hard. We seek the Lord diligently. We persevere in prayer. Join us and log on to our Obama Convention Bump event. We're giving $28 on August 28th, the night of Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention to give an uproariously overwhelming show of support on line - as well as in the stadium.
from the July 29, 2008 edition
From the get-go, Barack Obama has tried to transcend race in his presidential campaign. Like Tiger Woods, he'd like the public to focus more on his swing than his color. But too many voters aren't willing to let him out of this sand trap.
Polls indicate race as an influence in voter decisionmaking, and not always in Mr. Obama's favor. While an overwhelming majority of blacks support him, a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll taken in mid-July shows he may be in trouble with a small but significant percentage of whites.
Of white voters surveyed, 8 percent said race is the most important factor in choosing a candidate – up from 6 percent a month ago. In the Democratic primaries, exit polling in swing state Pennsylvania showed race mattered to 12 percent of voters. A quarter of that percentage backed Obama, but the rest backed Hillary Clinton.
On the other end of the spectrum, select criticism can be heard within the black community that Obama is not paying enough attention to it. Black DJs would like to host him more often on their shows, while Jesse Jackson accuses the candidate of "talking down to black people."
Racial and ethnic minorities in America want him on board with their specific concerns. He fielded questions about some of these issues at a July 27 conference of minority journalists in Chicago. If he were president, for instance, would the federal government apologize for the treatment of native Americans? What about reparations for slavery? Does he support affirmative action at a time when the push is on for ballot measures to ban racial and gender preferences (measures that Republican hopeful John McCain now appears to endorse)?
His answers showed a sensitivity to minority causes, but he also moved quickly to rhetoric that rose above their specificity. He is more concerned about "delivering a better life" to native Americans than a government apology, for example. Likewise, the best reparations for descendents of slaves would be the opportunity for a decent job and quality education.
And, Obama said, he supports affirmative action "when it is properly structured" so that race is one factor among others such as class – a position in line with the Supreme Court, at least regarding public school admissions. Wealthier African-American children shouldn't get more breaks than poor white kids, he says.
These answers tend toward a tide-that-lifts-all-boats strategy – ideas that could just as easily have been uttered by Bill Clinton as Obama.
They also echoed Obama's speech earlier this month to the NAACP – an audience which might have expected him to don the mantle of civil-rights icons.
But Obama's bottom-line message was that it doesn't matter how many government programs are launched if "we don't seize more responsibility in our own lives" – as parents, as young people, as members of a community. "We all have to do our part," he said.
In a landscape as culturally and ethnically diverse as America, no other message, really, can work for Obama. He cannot speak for just the black community, just as John F. Kennedy couldn't run solely as the Catholic candidate.
Being inclusive is the only way for Obama to keep black support, and fight back that lingering racism among a small minority of white voters.
5/8/08
Rochester Faith Community For Obama just signed up for Faith – Action – Change, People of Faith for Barack Obama. Real change in Washington, DC comes from all of us working together in our communities, towns and families. Barack Obama is a person of faith and is committed to bringing people together to put their faith into action to change our country for the better. That is why RFCFO has signed up for Faith – Action – Change, People of Faith for Barack Obama.
As a supporter of Rochester New York Faith Community For Obama, please also sign up personally and join this new AMERICAN VALUES CAMPAIGN at:
http://faith.barackobama.com
Our RFCFO Group "officially" endorsed Senator Barack Obama For President at our OBAMA ENDORSEMENT NEWS CONFERENCE on March 31, 2008.
***** PERSONAL QUOTES FROM RFCFO CO-CHAIRS AND GROUP LIAISON/ADMINISTRATOR *****
"All of us collectively serve a constituency that Senator Barack Obama has touched with his plan for this country. We all are engaged with them in the challenges that Americans face including health care, jobs, economic justice, education, social justice. and other crucial issues. We believe that Barack Obama brings some resolve to these issues. We also believe that Barack Obama has the insight, the tools, the desire and the ability to include the traditionally excluded without excluding the traditionally included. We believe that he is the best person to bring this country together." (Bishop Ronald J. Hoston, Co-Chair RFCFO) **********************
"Senator Obama stands out as the best candidate for President, most importantly for his own personal faith beliefs. We support Barack Obama's proposed policies that address the important concerns that are on the minds and in the hearts of American citizens and we support the ideals of his "Movement For Change" in America. We are calling on the Rochester Inter-Faith Community to pray fervently for Senator Obama's continued Divine Protection, Inspiration and Direction." (Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin, Co-Chair RFCFO) ************************
Barack Obama's "Message of Hope" aligns with Romans 9:24-25/KJV: "For we are saved by hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man (woman) seeth, why doth he (she) yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." I wholeheartedly believe that GOD has empowered and anointed Barack Obama to serve HIS people at such a time as this, to serve as a powerful and much needed "change-agent" to transform America. Like so many Obama Supporters, I stand excited, ready, willing and able to work closely with the Co-Chairs of our Rochester Faith Community For Obama Group and with those Faith Partners who will join with us to do the hard work ahead that is crucial to help Barack not only win the Democratic nomination, but also the 2008 Office of President of our United States of America. (Rev. Gwendolyn Dorsey) *****************************
As the Faith-Believing Organizers of the RFCFO Group, we believe in the key core values professed by Barack Obama with regard to faith, appreciation of diverse cultures and respect for diverse religions. Like Barack, we too believe in "FAITH AS A SOURCE OF ACTION FOR JUSTICE", and we also believe in the "summmoning of a Higher Truth to inspire what seems impossible, moving America to embrace a common destiny." Like Barack, we too are grounded in the conviction that "we should never forget that GOD granted us the power to reason so that we would do HIS work here on earth". Barack Obama truly understands as we do that "government alone cannot solve all our problems -- we have an individual responsibility to be our brother's keeper and our sister's keepers". Indeed, "each of us, in our own lives, will have to accept responsibility for instilling an ethic of achievement in our children, for adapting to a more competitive economy, for strengthening our communities, and for sharing some measure of sacrifice". (Barack Obama) *****
*****
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ! *****
ISSUES:
EQUALITY, CIVIL RIGHTS, CIVIL LIBERTIES, PEACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC FAIRNESS, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, SECURITY, FOREIGN POLICY, PRIVACY, ETHICS, GOOD GOVERNMENT, ELECTORAL REFORM. MINISTRY IN GOVERNMENT ***** RECONCILING FAITH WITH POLITICS
***** UNITED CHURCHES FOR FAITH - ACTION - CHANGE*****
NEWS RELEASE
American Values Campaign
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, May 9, 2008
For More Information Contact:
RFCFO Co-Chair: Bishop Ronald J. Hoston (585) 546-6067
RFCFO Co-Chair: Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin (585) 527-8135
RFCFO Group Liaison: Rev. Gwendolyn Dorsey (585) 733-7506
OBAMA Campaign HQ Director of Religious Affairs, Joshua Dubois (312) 819-2575
*********************************************************************************************
May 9, 2008 Rochester, New York. AMERICAN VALUES CAMPAIGN PRESS CONFERENCE - 6:00 PM - MONDAY, MAY 12, 2008, Memorial AME Zion Church located at 49 Clarissa Street in the Corn Hill area, prior to the ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO) KICK-OFF INTER-FAITH PRAYER & WORSHIP SERVICE / INSPIRATIONAL CALL-TO-POLITICAL ACTION RALLY scheduled to start at 6:30 PM. In support of the Obama 50-State Nationwide VOTE-FOR-CHANGE National Voter Registration & Mobilization Drive, RFCFO will also have Voter Registration Forms available to sign-up non-registered attendees.
ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO) was launched at the Group’s Obama Endorsement News Conference on March 31, 2008. The primary "mission" of RFCFO is to help our Rochester people of faith become more aware, more knowledgeable and more informed about Senator Obama's steadfast belief in the ability to "unite" people around a "politics of purpose" and not a "politics of fear"-- a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain.
“The AMERICAN VALUES CAMPAIGN is about people of faith standing up to support Barack Obama and coming together around our common values (Joshua DuBois) .” Barack is seeking to reclaim the values debate and bring Americans of all moral traditions together to, in his words, “reconcile the beliefs of each…with the good of all.”
RFCFO is partnering with Churches and Faith Leaders throughout our Rochester community who are ready to “reconcile faith with political action to effect positive change“, not only for our own community, but change that will also have a positive impact for America.
Over the next 6 months, RFCFO Partners will continue to sponsor on-going INTERFAITH PRAYER & WORSHIP SERVICES / INSPIRATIONAL CALL-TO-POLITICAL ACTION RALLIES, in addition to facilitating "call-to-political action" dialog within our local Inter-Faith community that will promote the safe sharing of honest exchanges of diverse viewpoints pertaining to the roles that faith, values, culture, politics, and good government should play in addressing some of our most crucial and urgent issues of the 21st Century. Particular emphasis will be placed on issues concerned with health care, education, jobs, economic justice, social justice, energy and our environment, ending the war in Iraq, and empowerment through voter registration.
We invite more Churches and other Interfaith organizations throughout Rochester to join with RFCFO in supporting the AMERICAN VALUES CAMPAIGN.
R F C F O P.O. Box 88073 Rochester, New York 14618
WELCOME TO THE ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO) BLOG.
Ministry-In-Government: Reconciling Faith With Politics
City-Wide Inter-Faith Community Prayer For Obama
& Inspirational Call-To-Political Action Rally
*** VOTE-FOR-CHANGE *** --- RFCFO Group Voter Registration Forms Available At This Event ---
Monday, May 12, 2008
6:30PM
Host Church: Memorial AME Zion Church ***** Host Pastor: Dr. Kenneth Q. James
549 Clarissa Street
Rochester, New York
Get Ready - Get Ready - Get Ready
Make sure you are registered and ready to cast your vote this November !!
RFCFO GROUP CO-CHAIRS:
Bishop Ronald J. Hoston (585) 546-6067 Jurisdictional Prelate, New York Central Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Pastor, Greater Bethesda COGIC, 120 St. Bridgets Drive, Rochester, NY 14605
Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin (585) 527-8135 Jurisdictional Prelate Rwanda, East Africa Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Pastor, Power House Kingdom Cathedral COGIC, 48 Clifton Street, Rochester, NY 14608
TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE, PLEASE SIGN-IN ON THE RFCFO EVENTS PAGE:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/myevents
RFCFO Group Liaison/Events -Blog - Fundraising Administrator:
Rev. Gwendolyn Dorsey (585) 733-7506 Group E-Mail: RFCFO@Rochester.rr.com
RFCFO Group Coordinators:
Pamela Monroe (585) 527-8135
Rev. Wanda Wilson (585) 957-6827
"YES WE CAN" ***** ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO) ***** MINISTRY IN GOVERNMENT ***** RECONCILING FAITH WITH POLITICS ***** "UNITED CHURCHES FOR FAITH - ACTION - CHANGE" *****
Our RFCFO Group "officially" endorsed Senator Barack Obama For President at our OBAMA ENDORSEMENT NEWS CONFERENCE on March 31, 2008. ***** PERSONAL QUOTES FROM RFCFO CO-CHAIRS AND GROUP LIAISON/ADMINISTRATOR ***** "All of us collectively serve a constituency that Senator Barack Obama has touched with his plan for this country. We all are engaged with them in the challenges that Americans face including health care, jobs, economic justice, education, social justice. and other crucial issues. We believe that Barack Obama brings some resolve to these issues. We also believe that Barack Obama has the insight, the tools, the desire and the ability to include the traditionally excluded without excluding the traditionally included. We believe that he is the best person to bring this country together." (Bishop Ronald J. Hoston, Co-Chair RFCFO) ********************** "Senator Obama stands out as the best candidate for President, most importantly for his own personal faith beliefs. We support Barack Obama's proposed policies that address the important concerns that are on the minds and in the hearts of American citizens and we support the ideals of his "Movement For Change" in America. We are calling on the Rochester Inter-Faith Community to pray fervently for Senator Obama's continued Divine Protection, Inspiration and Direction." (Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin, Co-Chair RFCFO) ************************ Barack Obama's "Message of Hope" aligns with Romans 9:24-25/KJV: "For we are saved by hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man (woman) seeth, why doth he (she) yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." I wholeheartedly believe that GOD has empowered and anointed Barack Obama to serve HIS people at such a time as this, to serve as a powerful and much needed "change-agent" to transform America. Like so many Obama Supporters, I stand excited, ready, willing and able to work closely with the Co-Chairs of our Rochester Faith Community For Obama Group and with those Faith Partners who will join with us to do the hard work ahead that is crucial to help Barack not only win the Democratic nomination, but also the 2008 Office of President of our United States of America. (Rev. Gwendolyn Dorsey) ***************************** As the Faith-Believing Organizers of the RFCFO Group, we believe in the key core values professed by Barack Obama with regard to faith, appreciation of diverse cultures and respect for diverse religions. Like Barack, we too believe in "FAITH AS A SOURCE OF ACTION FOR JUSTICE", and we also believe in the "summmoning of a Higher Truth to inspire what seems impossible, moving America to embrace a common destiny." Like Barack, we too are grounded in the conviction that "we should never forget that GOD granted us the power to reason so that we would do HIS work here on earth". Barack Obama truly understands as we do that "government alone cannot solve all our problems -- we have an individual responsibility to be our brother's keeper and our sister's keepers". Indeed, "each of us, in our own lives, will have to accept responsibility for instilling an ethic of achievement in our children, for adapting to a more competitive economy, for strengthening our communities, and for sharing some measure of sacrifice". (Barack Obama) *****
***** TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY ! *****
ISSUES: EQUALITY, CIVIL RIGHTS, CIVIL LIBERTIES, PEACE, SOCIAL JUSTICE, ECONOMIC FAIRNESS, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, SECURITY, FOREIGN POLICY, PRIVACY, ETHICS, GOOD GOVERNMENT, ELECTORAL REFORM.
MINISTRY IN GOVERNMENT ***** RECONCILING FAITH WITH POLITICS ***** UNITED CHURCHES FOR FAITH - ACTION - CHANGE
Invocation by the Rev. Dr. R. William Franklin of the American Academy in Rome at the One Voice for Change rally in Rome, Italy on April 12, 2008.
We gather together today at this ancient public square, in the shadow of the Roman Forum, to answer the call of our country, the United States of America, to exercise our right as a free people to choose the next American President. This is an historic moment of opportunity for the American people. And it is an honor today to be joined by our Italian friends as they in these days choose a new government for their nation. This Forum is hallowed ground for both Italians and Americans. For us as Americans, the Forum is hallowed because the framers of our American constitution looked back to the ancient Roman Republic which inspired some of the most advanced thinking of our Founding Fathers and Mothers.
Even the Roman Emperors, one of whom is commemorated by this Trajan’s Column, invoked the spirit of the Roman people to lend legitimacy to their rule, and we in a more democratic age, as the American people, answer the call for new leadership, not an emperor or a tyrant, but rather one who will give new life to the spirit of our venerable constitutional democracy. In this 2008 election season we see living signs emerging once again of the self-confidence and optimism that marked the birth of our American nation, of that revolutionary generation’s bold assurance, in tough times, in looking to the future, based on the best traditions of our past embodied in a place like this Roman Forum, and in the spirit of “We the People.”
We are here today because we have dedicated ourselves to that democratic ideal by supporting Senator Barack Obama in his campaign for the White House, to follow him all the way to his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States.
We do this because we believe Barack Obama exhibits the bold assurance of our American Founders, that he is a great soul, strong to live, as well as to think. We do this because in this primary campaign he has rejected cynicism and the politics of the past, and instead he has made a fresh new connection to America’s sources of idealism which go all the way back to ancient Rome. We answer the call because Barack Obama has re-ignited hope.
Senator Obama has said that in recent years Americans have lost a uniting spiritual purpose, a narrative arc of purpose that unites all our citizens across the narrow divides of denomination, class, race, and ethnicity. He says that each day thousands of our people go about their daily routines, dropping off their kids, driving to the office, trying to stay on their diets. But work, possessions, busyness are not enough. Something more is required. And so today we invoke that great uniting spiritual purpose of our people that Barack Obama has reminded us of in this campaign.
We have answered the call and are here today because Senator Obama offers to us the kind of leadership in the office of the President that will create a more perfect union of common purpose, that will advance the profound aspirations of the American people, and that will once again give space to an American community of love, made up of believers and non-believers, of old and young, of red and blue.
We answer the call because we believe Barack Obama will open the way for the American people to draw on the authentic elements, not the cynical and self-serving elements, of our tradition, finding in him an inspiring source of strength and confidence for all citizens. And so this afternoon I invoke that still vital spirit of the American people that it will inspire us in this presidential campaign, that it will propel us now to go all the way to victory, and to vindicate the idealism which has been so fundamental in our country’s past.
Thank you.
“UNITED CHURCHES FOR FAITH - ACTION - CHANGE”
ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY LEADERS
Rochester Bishops, Pastors, Ministers, Elders and Superintendents
We are pleased and proud to announce that ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO) has officially launced this "grass-roots" Inter-faith Group by "officially" endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President of our United States of America.
The united support of Rochester Pastors and other Faith Community Leaders in this Inter-Faith Presidential initiative is extremely significant in helping to bring in the votes that will Senator Obama, not only the Democratic nomination, but most importantly, the Presidency in the upcoming November 2008 General Election.
RFCFO invites you to join us in partnership to host the First RFCFO-sponsored Event:
CITY-WIDE INTER-FAITH PRAYER FOR OBAMA & INSPIRATION-TO-ACTION RALLY
DATE: MONDAY EVENING MAY 12, 2008
TIME: 6:30PM
PLACE: MEMORIAL AME ZION CHURCH
549 Clarissa Street 546-5997
RFCFO RATIONALE FOR ENDORSING AND SUPPORTING OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT
"RECONCILING FAITH IN POLITICS"
BETTER GOVERNMENT - SOCIAL JUSTICE - ECONOMIC JUSTICE
RFCFO is dedicated and committed to better prepare our Inter-Faith Community to participate in this 2008 election process and significantly impact voter registration for the November General Election.
"All of us collectively serve a constituency that Senator Barack Obama has touched with his plan for this country. We all are engaged with them in the social challenges that they face including health care, jobs, our economy and education. We believe that Barack Obama brings some resolve to those issues. We also believe that Barack Obama has the tools, the desire and the ability to include the traditionally excluded without excluding the traditionally included. We believe that he is the best person to bring this country together." (Bishop Ronald J. Hoston, Co-Chair RFCFO)
"Senator Obama stands out as the best candidate for President, most importantly for his own personal religious beliefs. We support Barack Obama's proposed policies and his "movement for change" in America. We are calling on the Rochester Inter-Faith community to pray for Senator Obama's divine protection, inspiration and direction." (Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin, Co-Chair RFCFO)
RFCFO is committed to helping our Rochester Inter-Faith Community become more aware, more knowledgeable and more informed about Senator Obama's steadfast belief in the ability to "unite" people around a "politics of purpose" and not a "politics of fear"-- a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain.
BENEFITS OF INTER-FAITH PARTNERSHIP WITH RFCFO
Voter Registration leverage -- “power in numbers” by increasing Inter-Faith participation and enlarging our voting block here in Rochester through the unified efforts of this RFCFO Group. Solidarity and strength in unified Rochester Inter-Faith Community partnership and opportunity for potential faith-based partnerships with City of Rochester, Monroe County and New York State. Availability of RFCFO Group Fundraising Website to generate significant RFCFO Group Contributions to the Obama Presidential Campaign throughout the duration of the 2008 Presidential Campaign. A strong RFCFO Group showing would provide an “ear for us in the White House” once Barack Obama is elected as President of our United States of America. We would have an "after-election” voice to champion Rochester Faith-based Community Funding Initiatives aligned with the current "Compassion Capital" criteria. Potential for a Rochester Faith Community Leader to be designated as our local representative appointed to oversee government faith-based funding allocated for our community. RFCFO STRATEGY SESSIONS (First Monday of Each Month - 2:00PM)
RFCFO also invites you to participate in the Group’s Once-A-Month Strategy Sessions to help broaden our united Inter-Faith presence in the Rochester community to strengthen the impact of Senator Obama's presidential campaign's “grass-roots initiatives”. Our next session is scheduled for
God Bless You,
Your Brothers In Christ,
Bishop Hoston and Bishop Melvin
Please feel free to contact us for more information.
FCFO contact information is listed below.
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT ROCHESTER FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO)
RFCFO Group Co-Chairs:
Bishop Ronald J. Hoston (585) 546-6067 Pastor, Greater Bethesda COGIC, 120 St. Bridgets Drive, Rochester, NY 14605
Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin (585) 527-8135 Pastor, Power House Kingdom Cathedral, 48 Clifton Street, Rochester, NY 14608
Group Liaison/Administrator: Rev. Gwendolyn Dorsey (585) 733-7506 Group E-Mail: RFCFOGroup@Rochester.rr.com; RevGwen7@Rochester.rr.comROCHESTER
FAITH COMMUNITY FOR OBAMA (RFCFO)
"UNITED CHURCHES FOR FAITH - ACTION - CHANGE”
P.O. Box 88073 Rochester, NY 14618
3/15/08 GROUP NEWS / UPDATE **** 2008 CALL TO ACTION FOR "CHANGE" IN AMERICA ***** ROCHESTER, NEW YORK OBAMA SUPPORTERS & CONCERNED CITIZENS ***** ROCHESTER, NY FAITH COMMUNITY FOR BARACK GROUP ***** "RECONCILING FAITH IN POLITICS" ***** SENATOR BARACK OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT ***** FAITH - ACTION - CHANGE ***** "PROTECTING OUR CONSTITUTION -- ELIMINATING THE POLITICS OF FEAR " *****
Through an unprecedented "grass-roots" effort, the OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN is working with millions of Americans like us to build an America rooted in compassion and a government that, in Barack's words, "reconciles the beliefs of each with the good of all." Like many other Christians around the world, Senator Barack Obama and Michelle proudly acknowledge that they are committed Christians and also profess openly their belief that people of "all faiths" have a place in American public life.
On behalf of the Rochester, NY Faith Community For Barack Group, we encourage you to take more initiative to learn even more about Barack's policy positions and the important issues that will define America in the 21st Century. Visit frequently these Obama Websites: http://my.barackobama.com and http://faith.barackobama.com -- and make a firm personal commitment to become even more aware, knowledgeable and informed about Senator Obama's steadfast belief in the ability to "unite" people around a "politics of purpose" and NOT a "politics of fear" -- a politics that puts solving the challenges of everyday Americans ahead of partisan calculation and political gain.
PRAY for Barack, Michelle, their children and their families -- PRAY for their Campaign Team -- PRAY for all of our Families -- PRAY for the other Presidential Candidates, their Campaign Teams and their Families. PRAY for our Churches and our Church Leadership -- PRAY for our Neighborhoods, our Cities, our Counties, our States, our beloved Country-the United States of America, and PRAY for the other nations throughout our Global World. PRAY for God to continue to intervene in "such a time as this". *****
IN THIS CRUCIAL 2008 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL ELECTION PROCESS -- LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AND MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT! *****
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OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT
ROCHESTER, NY FAITH COMMUNITY
FOR BARACK
SUPPORTERS ENDORSEMENT NEWS
CONFERENCE & START-UP ORGANIZATION /
VOLUNTEERS BRIEFING
TO BE CONVENED BY:
GROUP CO-CHAIRS (Bishop Ronald J. Hoston and Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin)
DATE - TIME - LOCATION
(TO BE CONFIRMED AND ANNOUNCED SHORTLY)
IF YOUR SCHEDULE PERMITS,
PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND
as a "FAITH PARTNER" in making the
"OBAMA AMERICAN CHANGE MISSION"
TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!
City-Wide Obama For President Group Invitation Mailing to go out soon to: Rochester Faith Community Concerned Citizens & Supporters [Church Leaders (all faiths/all denominations welcome) --Bishops, Pastors, Elders, Ministers, Lay-Clergy / Elected Officials, Community Leaders, Individuals, Families, Youth, Seniors and Friends]. *****
We will soon need VOLUNTEERS to assist in various areas with the Start-Up Phase of the Group and beyond. Some of you have already agreed to help - - we thank you and will be in touch with you shortly. If others of you can spare some free time, please let me know.
Feel free to pass this information on to others who might be interested and let me know if you would like me to have other persons added to our Group E-Mail Distribution List. ***** Please join us in making a financial commitment to donate monthly to our Group's Obama For President Fundraising Goal either On-Line on our Group Fundraising Page via:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/RochesterNYFaithCommunityForBarack
OR --- Donations can also be made By Mail: Make all checks/money orders payable to: Obama for America and mail directly to: Obama For America, P.O. Box 8022798, Chicago, IL 60680. *****Thanks much. *****
Group AdministratorRochester, NY Faith Community for Barack GroupRev. Gwendolyn ("gwen") Dorsey Phone: (585) 733-7506
E-Mail: RevGwen7@Rochester.rr.com
PROFILE, BLOG, and UPCOMING EVENTS -- ROCHESTER, NY FAITH COMMUNITY FOR BARACK GROUP
Keep Track of "WHAT'S GOING ON" daily in the Obama For President Campaig -- and keep abreast of our Group's Activity and Fundraising Progress by viewing our "Group BLOG" HIGHLIGHTS and the following barackobama.com Website "URL" Links:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/RochesterNYFaithCommunityForBarack (Our Group Page)
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/ (Group "BLOG" Page)
http://my.barack.obama.com/page/event/detail/4xr9 (Group Events Page)
http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/RochesterNYFaithCommunityForBarack (Group Fundraising Page)
http://my.barackobama.com
GROUP FUNDRAISING REMINDER:
Please join us in making a commitment to donate monthly to our Group's Obama For President Fundraising Goal either:
On-Line on our Group Fundraising Page via: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/maingroup/RochesterNYFaithCommunityForBarack
OR --- Donations can also be made By Mail: Make all checks/money orders payable to: Obama for America and mail directly to: Obama For America, P.O. Box 8022798, Chicago, IL 60680.
IN THIS CRUCIAL 2008 PRESIDENTIAL GENERAL
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD AND MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING SENATOR BARACK
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT !!
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- STAY TUNED - -
MORE "OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT" ROCHESTER, NY UPDATES
TO COME - -
***** ROCHESTER, NY FAITH COMMUNITY FOR BARACK *****
Group Co-Chair: Bishop Ronald J. Hoston, Pastor, Greater Bethesda COGIC - 120 St. Bridgets Drive - Rochester, NY 14605 - Phone: (585) 546-6067 - E-Mail: rjhoston@greaterbethesda.org *****and*****
Group Co-Chair: Bishop Jeffrey L. Melvin, Pastor, Power House COGIC - 48 Clifton Street - Rochester, NY 14608 - Phone: (585) 527-8135 - E-Mail: Pastorjlmelvin@aol.com *****
Group Administrator - Rev. Gwendolyn ("gwen") Dorsey - Phone: (585) 733-7506 - E-Mail: RevGwen7@Rochester.rr.com *****
RNYFCFB News/Update:GroupAdmin-gd/3-14-08
"CITY-WIDE / STATE-WIDE / NATION-WIDE PRAYER WARRIORS / PRAYER INTECESSORS CIRCLE" ---- THE OBAMA PRAYER SUPPORT FACTOR":
LET’S PUT A “HEDGE OF PROTECTION” AROUND BARACK
In addition to the Rochester,NY Faith Community For Barack Volunteer and Fundraising Support we are initiating here locally, we are also initiating another very important "spiritually-centered" component of this 2008 Presidential "mission" -- "The Barack Prayer Support Factor" -- A City-wide, State-wide, Nation-wide Prayer Warriors / Prayer Intecessors Circle. What Can you Do As A Prayer Warrior/Intecessor?
(1) Make an earnest commitment to pray at least 10-15 minutes each day and each night for Senator Barack, Michelle and their families, for their Campaign Staff and their families. These "fervent" prayers will put an impenetrable "hedge of protection" around Senator Barack and Michelle, the Obama Campaign Team -- and everyone close to them working hard to get Barack elected as our next President.
(2) Commit also to praying individually on a regular committed basis also for our other hopeful Presidential Candidates and their teams and families, for ourselves, our families, our friends, for Rochester, our Local Government and Local Officials, for our Churches and Church Leaders, for America, for our Global World Nations and International Leaders and even for our enemies.
(3) Take the initiative as Faith Leaders/Pastors/Minister, or as Faith Believers seek approval from your Pastors/Ministers, for your Church to "PRAY COLLECTIVELY” as a Congregation for Senator Barack and all of our Presidential Candidates every Sunday at the time designated for prayer during your weekly Sunday Worship Services, from now until the end of the Presidential Campaign, as well as PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY -- pray fervently for Almighty God to help every Presidential Candidate say and do the “righteous” things expected by God and pray for every American Citizen to choose the "right" Presidential Candidate and cast the "right" vote in the November 2008 Election!! Pray for the Elected President to "listen for and to the voice of God" to unite America by implementing and executing action plans and policies that will foster "positive change" over time and move the country forward and upward. Pray for God to continue to bless America!
I've come to learn from my own personal reading research that Barack and Michelle Obama believe with unwavering conviction, like me and so many other Americans and other people in other parts of our world, that "we should never forget that God has granted to all of us the power to reason so that we would do His Will here on Earth." I believe wholeheartedly that God has truly blessed and empowered "this anointed team" for "SUCH A TIME AS THIS"! Barack and Michelle understand "faith as a source of action for justice" and believe in the summoning of a "Higher Truth" to inspire what seems impossible, moving the nation to embrace a common destiny. OUR NEXT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA is courageously "calling every American to action" and challenging each of us to share the responsibility for producing the long overdue change that is so desperately needed to ensure a prosperous future for our families, friends and our next generations. Michelle and Barack have acknowledged and accepted their "God-given spiritual political mission" to serve as our "Anointed Change-Agents" best qualified to spearhead the "Presidential Leadership Initiative To Transform and Change America". I think that you will agree that both Barack and Michelle have been delivering a very powerful, consistent and compelling "message"--summed up in the words: "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN" and "YES WE CAN" all over this country and transmitting that same message throughout the global world. Together the Obama's are a "supernaturally endowed powerful force to be reckoned with".
We all know that the POWER OF PRAYER can work wonders and I am convinced that OUR COLLECTIVE PRAYERS will reach the open ears of God and will prove to be an extremely significant factor for the positive outcome of the upcoming Primaries and Caucuses still to be conducted around the country, from now until the actual November 2008 Presidential Election. SO, with these UNIVERSAL PRAYER COMMITMENTS and with encouraging other Believers everywhere within your reach to do the same, I am fully persuaded that OUR MIGHTY GOD WILLL BLESS SENATOR OBAMA AND THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN to reap the GREAT REWARDS that GOD has in store for our UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and GREAT REWARDS for our GLOBAL WORLD! PRAY - PRAY - PRAY - PRAY !!
