On the cool and sunny last day of winter in 2023, the Saint John Missionary Baptist Church at Mound (with several of our Christian friends) united together for the 23rd year appreciation for two very special people in my life. Who are they? They’re none other than my beloved parents – Pastor and Mother Edward Kline Jr. Their special guest for this year at St. John were Minister Chris Herring, the associate pastor of the Community Holiness Worship Hall uptown.
Their choir most definitely brought the anointing of the Holy Spirt with them as they sang as angels in Heaven above. Devotion was done beautifully by St. John’s very own Deacon Will Washington and Deacon Michael Barnett of Community Holiness. The service directress for the occasion was a virtuous woman from my block (the Middle Block) Sis. Versa Duncan of the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church on Highway 65 North. Wilma Coleman gave a sweet address. And Minister Tranerious Rogers responded to it very kindly. Sis. Susie Jasmine gave a powerful and heartfelt occasion in the fellowship that pastors and their wives everywhere would be thankful for.
Deacon Jimmy Carter Sr. gave pastor’s duties to our pastor as only my cousin “Big Jimmy” Carter can (a super job – and he tried to get out of it!). He described the Holy Bible as a deep freezer with 66 vegetables (or meats!). My other joked as our cousin Jimmy took his seat (“As much as you and my husband hunt, you two didn’t shoot any deer this past fall?”). Sis Herring rendered a powerful solo.
Minister Herring gave a powerful testimony of how a year ago, he was operated on (and how the creator is still blessing him to do His will!). Minister Herring spoke from Isaiah 52: 4-8 verses on the message, “I was built for this.” Had Minister Herring’s mother-in-law (Apostle Priscilla Williams) been in the midst, she’d been very proud of her son-in-law. A very beautiful job by Minister Herring (Who celebrated a birthday the day after!).
In her thanks, my mother thanked our St. John/Mound family (as well as our pastor) for the spiritual and financial support given to them. At this service (as well as Bethlehem on 5th Street in June) my mother would bless the guest minister with one of her so delicious caramel cakes (Sending one from here to Las Vegas, readers!). But, this go around (in Minister Herring’s case) she had to take a break (Minster Herring would keep it all for himself!).
Congratulations to my parents on 23 years with our beautiful and handsome sister church friends out on Highway 602. And may the Almighty God up above bless you both with many more to come in the years ahead!
