December 5th, 2005

Dear Pastor or Christian Leader:

I want to take this opportunity to invite you to be a part of a truly historic event involving thousands of people in Huntsville, Alabama. This event, on the basis of what Jesus taught in John 17, has the potential to bring great blessing to multiple local churches, our city, and this region. I want to invite you to the upcoming Area-Wide Martin Luther King Emancipation Proclamation Celebration that will occur in the Von Braun Center on January 15th.

This vibrant gathering is sponsored by the Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship. Dr. Oscar Montgomery, acting on behalf of GHIMF and in serving as its President, has graciously extended an invitation to all the churches of the Greater Huntsville region to gather at the Von Braun Center on Sunday January 15th at 4:00 p.m.

In Dr. Montgomery’s words, “You are invited to participate in the procession of Pastors and Ministers into the Hall at the beginning of the service. Dark attire is to be worn for this event. Your choir is invited to participate in the City-Wide Celebration Mass Choir under the direction of Dr. Janette Kotey.” I encourage you to explore www.GHIMF.org for more information.

As pastor-theologian John Piper once asked, “Are our churches thermometers registering the racial attitudes and actions of the world; or are they thermostats raising the warmth of commitment to racial understanding and love and demonstrable harmony?” It is our hope that the pastors and Christian influencers of this region will serve as thermostats in raising the temperature of God’s love, favor, and unity through the person of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

Allow me to encourage you to make the Area-Wide Martin Luther King Emancipation Proclamation Celebration a priority on January 15th, 2006. Your leadership is needed at this time. I hope you will make plans to be present. I hope you will encourage your choir to be a part of the City-Wide Mass Choir being assimilated in preparation for this historic night. I hope you will encourage the congregation you serve to be present as well.

For the sake of God’s shalom and favor over our city and region,

Paul Lawler
Torchbearer, Greater Huntsville Pastors’ Prayer Summit

 

9 November 2005

TO: All Area Ministers of Music, Choir Directors, Music Directors

SUBJECT: Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship (GHIMF)
Emancipation Proclamation – Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration

In preparation for the subject event which is scheduled for January 15, 2006 at
4:00 p.m., I will be scheduling a series of meetings/rehearsals for the 1,000 voice
choir who will be providing the music for this event and I am requesting your
presence/participation.

The first meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 14, 2005 at 11:30 a.m.
at the First Missionary Baptist Church located at 3509 Blue Springs Road NW.

Additional information relative to this overall Observance may be found at the
GHIMF website – www.ghimf.org.

Any questions or comments relative to the music preparation for this event may
be directed to either Elder A. D. Moore at 536-9578, elderadmoore@msn.com or
the undersigned at 852-4318x231, jkotey@fmbc.org.

Thanking you in advance for your support as we seek to honor God through glorious
songs of praise!!

Dr. Janette Kotey, MLK, Jr, Music Coordinator

 

November 11th, 2005

Dear Pastor or Christian Leader:

It is with great excitement that we anticipate the City-Wide Emancipation Proclamation – Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at the Von Braun Center on January 15th at 4:00 p.m. You have probably already received a letter concerning this event from Dr. Oscar Montgomery, President of the Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship, inviting you to this gathering.

As we make city-wide preparations, the leadership of GHIMF has cast vision for a City-Wide Mass Choir involving combined church choirs and praise teams from all over the region as a part of this great celebration. As we move toward the culmination of this great gathering, there will be a meeting this Monday at 11:30 a.m. (11/14) at First Missionary Baptist Church for all worship leaders and choir directors from around the greater Huntsville region. The City-Wide Mass Choir will be under the direction of Dr. Janette Kotey, who serves as the Choir Director at First Missionary Baptist Church.

I hope you will seek to communicate this very important information to your choir director or worship leader. For more information you may go to www.GHIMF.org.

In the meantime, may we each pray and anticipate the great things God has in store as we embrace His preferred future for our city and this region.

For God’s glory,

Paul Lawler
Torchbearer, Greater Huntsville Pastors’ Prayer Summit

“The issue of racial prejudice and snubbing and suspicion and mistreatment is not a social issue; it is a blood of Jesus issue.” Rev. John Piper

 

December 21st, 2005

TO ALL YOUTH PASTORS, MINISTERS AND ADVISORS,

First of all thanks for stating your interest in participating in the MLK Celebration. This will be the first event of this kind to be held in this area and you are a part of it. Attached is a Vision Document which contains most of the information you need in order to have your youth participate. I"m asking you to distribute this document to all of your fellow churches in your denomination or worship area. We need everyone's help.

I know there will be other questions so I'm asking you to email those to me and I will distribute the questions and answers to everyone. One of the questions that I know will be asked is about Church Banners. You will be allowed to carry your church or denomination banner in the procession. We are asking that the banners be no larger than (8'x2'). Exceptions will be considered for those who already have banners larger than this size but must be approved in advance.

Please send all emails to me at lcole@hiwaay.net

Thanks in advance for your participation,
Pastor Leroy R. Cole
Hopewell MBC

 

December 7th, 2005

TO: All Area GHIMF Members and Leadership

SUBJECT: USHER TEAMS, GHIMF Emancipation Proclamation – Martin Luther King, Jr Celebration

Dear GHIMF leadership,

Please communicate the following information to any possible area usher team volunteers as soon as possible!

Mark you calendars! The MLK usher planning team would like to meet with you on Monday, December 12th at noon at the Madison Baptist Association building ( 2318 Whitesburg Dr S, phone: 256.536.0015, web: www.macobaassn.com). Please have a list of the number of ushers (with contact info listing if possible) you will be able to commit to serve during the MLK celebration, and bring a sack lunch with you, if you desire.

This meeting will be essential for the usher team to plan and coordinate the details of our portion of the event. We thank you for serving along side us, and we look forward to seeing you on Monday!

In Christ,

MLK Area Usher Team Coordinators:
Priscilla Montgomery (pmontg8@aol.com)
Jennifer Devlin (Jennifer.Devlin@MissionHuntsville.org)