Local Churches, Temple Hold Joint Services:

The congregations of Calvary Baptist Church, Beth Shir Shalom Temple, and the First A.M.E. Church celebrated the accomplishments and honored the legacy  of Martin Luther King Day in a pair of  interfaith services over the weekend. The celebration began Friday evening when Calvary and First A,M.E. church members and friends were special guests at services at Beth Shir Sholom led by Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels. The three congregations’ choirs and musicians performed in the tribute to the late civil rights leader and 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner. On Sunday, the celebration of Dr. King’s legacy  continued with Rabbi Leonard Beerman of Beth Shir Sholom speaking at Calvary. A close friend of Dr. King’s,  Rev. James Lawson of Holman United Methodist Church in Los Angeles and Calvary Baptist’s Rev. Herman Kemp also spoke. Rev. Reuben W. Ford, and the members of First A.M.E. Church and temple members joined the Calvary congregation for the services. Rev. Kemp has been instrumental in bringing about  positive change in this community and across the country.  During Sunday’s services, Calvary contributed musical instruments that will be sent to schools in the Gulf region that were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.   The two churches and the temple believe, as Rev. Kemp has said, that people learn and grow together by living together in the light of fellowship and by laboring together in a ministry of love.