Bishop richard white conyers ga

Date of Original
1886/2019

Subject
African American men--History--20th century
African American women--History--20th century
African Americans--Funeral customs and rites--History--20th century
Funeral rites and ceremonies--History--20th century
Funeral service--History--20th century
Mourning customs--History--20th century
African American men--History--19th century
African American women--History--19th century
African Americans--Funeral customs and rites--History--19th century
Funeral rites and ceremonies--History--19th century
Funeral service--History--19th century
Mourning customs--History--19th century
African Americans--Genealogy

Location
United States, 39.76, -98.5
United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798

Medium
church records
programs (documents)

Type
Text

Description
Over 3300 funeral programs documenting the funeral services of Georgia residents, primarily from the Atlanta, Georgia area. Most of the programs are from services held during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. A majority of the programs are from churches in the Atlanta, Georgia area, with a few programs from other states such as South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York, among others. The programs typically contain a photograph of the deceased, an obituary, a list of surviving relatives, and the order of service. The collection provides extensive genealogical information about the deceased, including birth and death dates, maiden names, names of relatives, past residences, and place of burial. Alongside this genealogical information, the obituaries provide a rich source of local history.

The Atlanta Funeral Programs Collection is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia in association with the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History as part of Georgia HomePLACE. The project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museu

Bishop Jim Swilley founded Church in the Now, the massive, non-denominational congregation in Conyers, in 1985. But as the church grew over 25 years, and throughout his almost four decades of ministry, Swilley struggled with a secret that he hid from his congregation.

“I am approaching my 39th year in ministry — All I have ever done is preach the gospel,” Swilley told his congregation in an emotional sermon last month, noting that his parents tell stories of him preaching while still in diapers.

“There are two things in my life that are an absolute: I did not ask for either one of them, both of them were imposed upon me, I had no control over either of them,” Swilley said.

“One was the call of God in my life … the other thing, and I wouldn’t have known what to call it at the time, is my sexual orientation. I know a lot of straight people think that orientation is a choice, but I want to tell you that it definitely is not,” he said.

Swilley discounted rumors that he was cheating on his wife, who sat in the audience nodding her support, thanked his children and parents, and said that he was motivated to speak up by the recent rash of gay youth suicides, and by ongoing hate crimes targeting gay people.

“I can only hope that you hear me out and you hear me with an open mind,” Swilley said then.

The video of Swilley’s Oct. 13 coming out speech has gone viral with more than 50,000 views in three weeks. Jim Swilley, Debye Swilley and their son Judah Swilley spoke with the Georgia Voice about the experience.

GA Voice: Debye, people who watched that video really want to know if you support Jim. Can you speak to that?

Debye Swilley: I look at this as a real love story. I’ve always loved Jim and we learned to build a life around his sexual

• Mt. Lebanon Church, Chandler Mountain, Steele — 10 a.m. to noon today, a Women’s Conference will be held. Brenda Robinson and New Desire will be guests. There will be free lunch, and a nursery will be provided. Singing will be at 6 p.m. For information, call 205-594-5391.

• Victory Missionary Baptist Church, 106 Carman Ave., Gadsden — 3 p.m. Sunday, “The Body of Christ Program” will be presented. Guest speakers are Bro. Billy Warren, Bro. Willie Guyton, Dea. Cleveland Grey, Dea. George Sears, Dea. Mitchell Hammonds, Dea. Bruce Granger, Dea. Taylor Knowles. Guest choir is Mount Olive Baptist Church, Gadsden.

• Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, 408 N. Ninth St., Gadsden — 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Choir Day 2012 will be celebrated. Special guests will be on hand.

• North Glencoe Jubilee, North Glencoe Baptist Church, 1119 Chastain Blvd. E., Gadsden — Sunday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, with Rev. Richard White, Baton Rouge, La., bringing messages in both morning services. Anthony Evans will be in concert at 6 p.m. On Monday, Dr. Robert Smith Jr., teacher of preachers at Beeson School of Divinity, Samford University will be bringing the message. Special music will be by North Glencoe Choir. On Tuesday, Gold City will be in concert during the service, and Dr. Kevin Hamm from Gardendale Baptist Church, Birmingham, will bring the message. On Wednesday, Wilburn and Wilburn (Jonathan Wilburn, formerly with Gold City and his son, Jordan) will provide music, and Evangelist Junior Hill will be bringing the message.

• New Life Family Worship Center, 603 N. 10th St., Gadsden — 3 p.m. Sunday, the 14th anniversary of Bishop Tonya Latham will be celebrated. Guest preacher is Bishop Sherman Young of HighPointe Church in Conyers, Ga.

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• Bethel Baptist Church, 1010 Hoke St. — 3:30 p.m. Sunday, the ninth church anniversary will be celebrated. Guests will be Mount Cleveland Baptis