Editor’s note: This article has been corrected.
CORRECTION
The Unity Church Service scheduled at 11 a.m. Jan. 21 as a precursor to Black History Month Columbus will be held at The Commons, 300 Washington St. in downtown Columbus. A story on Page D1 of Saturday’s Republic listed the wrong venue.
STORY
Pastor Frank Griffin holds especially to one bedrock belief in February being Black History Month: unity among the local African American community.
Therein lies the impetus for last year’s inaugural Unity Church Service that attracted an estimated 250 people of all races and backgrounds at Calvary Community Church that he leads in downtown Columbus.
The idea: to have the area’s predominantly Black churches — Calvary, Dayspring Church of God Apostolic, Faith Ministries, Second Baptist, Faith Hope and Love Church of God In Christ, and Golden Harvest Community and Second United Methodist in North Vernon — gather for a strong show of togetherness just days before the monthlong celebration.
This year’s faith-based gathering open to all will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 21 at The Commons, 300 Washington St., in downtown Columbus. Bishop Johnnie Edwards, who lives in Columbus and now pastors the Abundant Harvest Ministries, 1531B Cottage Ave., will be the featured speaker. He also is president of the Columbus/Bartholomew County Area Branch of the NAACP and a member of the local African American Pastors Alliance that has been an influencer of everything from education to media in Bartholomew County.
In that role and others, Edwards regularly has spoken on a theme of unity locally and nationally, touching on its spiritual and social importance.
“This country is still somewhat divided,” Griffin said. “A lot of that is based upon political lines and racial lines. So, in this community, we just want to show that we all still can come together and unify. This is a kickoff to Black History Month.”
The city’s diversity demands that people learn to appreciate others’ uniqueness and differences, as Griffin sees it. He was happy to see last year’s Black History Month filled with probably more events and programs perhaps than ever before, plus an extensive website.
“Look at just Columbus itself, for starters,” Griffin said. “It’s probably one of the most ethnically diverse towns in the tri-state area if you look at the all the demographics, with probably at least a dozen different, distinct nationalities here, right?
“So we wanted to do something significant with Black History Month. We’re just trying to continue that momentum (from last year) and make that momentum sustainable.”
The popular local African American Community Choir, led by Rosslyn King, will lead the music at the service.
With Black History Month coming shortly after this service, organizer Whittney Gaines already is excited about myriad offerings in February, including highlighting everything from book discussions to health care.
“We are back and even better,” Gaines posted on Facebook recently. “Black History Month Columbus 2024 is going to be epic.”
