Under the leadership of Presiding Elder Rev. Dr. Grant Harrison, the 17 churches of the Sensational Salisbury District hosted its last Fifth Sunday Fellowship of the conference year, Sunday April 30, at Moore’s Chapel AME Zion Church, where Rev. Robert N. Kelley serves as the pastor.

The invocation was led by Rev. Dr. Derrick Anderson of Soldier’s Memorial whereas the congregation followed in a collective hymn of praise, What A Fellowship. The worship experience continued with program highlights from Revs. Martha Greene, Thomas D. Lee, Bobbie Samuels and Tamica Robinson. The Salisbury District Choir and the Sills Creek AME Zion Church Choir added to the worship experience in song and praise.

Rev. Raymondo Brady, pastor of Sills Creek,  spoke on “Resecuring the Fortress” from Nehemiah 2:11. “You look good, but you look tired,” Brady opened to attendees. “After a long conference year — death, family, trials and tribulations, senseless shootings in communities … I looked over my city and my city was in ruins,” he continued. Brady discussed the etymology of the word Salisbury meaning “fortress” and shared the historical functions of a fortress.

He added, in Salisbury there are 159 churches and considering the area’s square mileage, citizens or visitors are sure to encounter at minimum seven churches in travel distances to destinations. He alluded to the recent community chaos in Rowan County and cautioned, “We cannot be comfortable sitting inside buildings when we have a community that is in shambles and insecure.” he said. “We have lay folks who can turn the community upside down. Stop looking at others and do what you’ve been called to do.” Brady continued with three points; God gives people in the pews vision, come together to listen with discerning ears, and act as there’s victory in doing good work. Overall, the district was charged to take inventory and make community changes in efforts to live up to its name origins to be a fortress and function as a defense. Brady concluded, “We’re sensational but we must be secure.”

The Invitation to Christian Discipleship was led Rev. Dr. Tajuan Kyles of St. John’s AME Zion Church.

With the benediction,  Brady reiterated, “We must come together and act to regain our security and uplift the God we serve.”