Miss Nicie — 100 Years and Counting

Celebration

Miss Nicie Lambeth is 100 years old — and her friends won’t let her forget it! Eager to show their love and appreciation, they gave her a grand Celebration/Roast this past Sunday, February 22, at Bethlehem AME Zion Church in Lewisville.

The church was filled with friends, church members, former church members and pastors who came to pay tribute to “Miss Nicie,” as they affectionately call her. They expressed their love in song, poem, recollections, Scripture and prayer. They praised her, thanked her, and laughed with her at some of their fondest memories of her.

Following the Celebration/Roast, Miss Nicie was treated to a warm reception in the Fellowship Hall.

Proclamation

Earlier, on February 12, the Town of Lewisville proclaimed the “Miss Nicie Ophelia Lambeth Day” and presented Miss Nicie with a plaque describing the proclamation:

Whereas: The Town of Lewisville wishes to recognize its senior citizens and the important role they serve in our society; and

Whereas: Miss Lambeth was born on February 18, 1909 in Pfafftown and has been a lifelong resident of the area; and

Whereas: Longevity of life is a blessing for an individual and for a community which benefits from the knowledge, creativity, and experiences this individual brings to all; and

Whereas: During a long, productive lifetime, Miss Lambeth has demonstrated her dedication to the welfare of others in countless ways and has earned the respect and affection of people from all walks of life and all ages; and

Whereas: Miss Lambeth has lived during the most eventful century of this world’s history;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Dan R. Pugh, Mayor of the Town of Lewisville, North Carolina, do hereby proclaim February 18, 2009, as Miss Nicie Ophelia Lambeth Day in the Town of Lewisville to recognize and acknowledge the one hundredth birthday of Miss Nicie O. Lambeth on the day of this occasion.

Miss Nicie, we wish you many more years, as fruitful as your first 100!

More Photos

To see more photos of Miss Nicie’s Celebration/Roast and Reception, please visit the Nicie Lambeth Celebration photo gallery.

NOTE: The 2/19/09 edition of the Winston-Salem Journal featured an article, titled 100th Birthday, by Lisa O’Donnell, describing various stages of Miss Nicie’s rich life. Be sure to check out that article, as well as an accompanying audio recording in which you can hear Miss Nicie recite from memory a portion of Longfellow’s A Psalm of Life.

UPDATE ON 11/4/09: Miss Nicie Lambeth passed away on Saturday, October 24, 2009. Loved ones spoke highly of her kind heart and her love for the Lord. The Winston-Salem Journal published a 10/29/09 article on Miss Nicie’s passing titled Vienna loses beloved historian.

Faith for the Future

New Hope AME Zion Church, in Lewisville, NC, celebrated its 125th Anniversary on Sunday, February 1. Members, friends and family, including Lewisville’s mayor and several town council members, came together to celebrate the church’s rich heritage.

The pastor, Rev. Louis Hunter, Jr. and his gracious wife, Patricia, have only been at New Hope for about six months. Yet in such a short time, they seem to have plunged into the life of the church with hearts eager to serve.

The Day Unfolded

From the moment I stepped through the front door of the church, I felt surrounded by warm and hospitable folks. I was there to photograph the day’s events — the Sunday morning service, the luncheon and the anniversary celebration that would follow the luncheon. I hoped to convey with my photos the faith and warmth of that very lovely church family.

Many of the women, as well as some of the men and children, had coordinated their outfits by wearing red and black. Some of the ladies also wore hats that were quite delightful.

Following the Sunday morning service, church members served up quite a feast. The food was simply delicious!

The Anniversary Celebration

With pastors from other churches among the many celebrants, the Anniversary program included district and regional church officers who participated in the service. The Presiding Elder of the Winston-Salem District of the AME Zion Church, Rev. Dr. Calvin L. Miller, introduced the Bishop, Rt. Rev. George W. C. Walker, Sr., who gave The Proclamation of God’s Word. The Bishop’s message encouraged the congregation to not only look back at how God had worked in their midst, but to continue to look forward in faith for what He will do in the future.

The Photos

I hope you’ll enjoy the photos of this special day. As you look through them, you’ll see moments of joy, love and laughter. You’ll also see moments of faith, reverence and supplication. (It’s too bad you can’t also hear the music that was provided by the Bethania AME Zion Church Choir — it was wonderful, too.)

Please visit the New Hope 125th Anniversary photo gallery to see photos of a very special day in the life of New Hope AME Zion Church. If any of the photos stir you, please share your thoughts by clicking on the Comment link below.

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Pointing the Way

The three wise men in the Live Nativity at Shiloh Lutheran Church look for the star leading them to the Baby Jesus.

Shiloh Lutheran Church presented its second annual Live Nativity this weekend, on Friday and Saturday evenings. Five stages of the Nativity, which included live animals, were depicted by actors and actresses of varying ages who played their roles with heartfelt enthusiasm, even as the night temperatures fell.

From the warmth and comfort of their vehicles, visitors driving along the Nativity route listened to a description of each stage from either a CD or tape player provided by the church. Each stage depicted a portion of the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

The first stage of the Nativity showed the archangel Gabriel announcing to Mary that she was with child by the Holy Spirit, followed by Joseph and Mary in the second stage looking for a room in the city of Bethlehem. Lowly shepherds were greeted by angels in stage three who were pronouncing the Messiah’s birth. In the fourth stage, the Baby Jesus was shown in a manger surrounded by Mary, Joseph and an angel. Finally, in stage five, the wise men were seeking the child King as they followed his star.

Upon completing the Nativity route, visitors were treated to hot cider, hot chocolate and baked goodies in the church’s fellowship hall.

Thank you to the members of Shiloh Lutheran Church for giving your time and talents to present the Live Nativity to the community.

To see photos of the various stages of the Live Nativity, please visit the Shiloh Lutheran Live Nativity photo gallery.

The Tie That Binds

Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.
— “Blest Be the Tie That Binds”

Three congregations came together Wednesday evening at Bethlehem AME Zion Church for a Community Thanksgiving Eve Service.

The visiting congregants came from Brookstown United Methodist Church and Olivet Moravian Church. Some of them became part of the combined choir, while others found their place of worship alongside each other in the pews.

Reverend Doug Rights, from Olivet, shared a scripture and the opening prayer; and Reverend Chip Webb, from Brookstown, gave the Thanksgiving Eve message. Administering communion was Bethlehem’s pastor, Reverend Beverly McMillian.

Across the congregation, the faces were black, white, young and not-so-young. Yet though diverse in many ways, they were united in worship, communion and fellowship.

To see more photos of the service, as well as a few photos taken in the fellowship hall, please visit the Bethlehem AME Zion Church photo gallery. At the end of the gallery, there’s a close-up of a very gracious lady, a member of Bethlehem AME Zion Church, who is 99 years old.

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