WS Chronicle

‘Praying will not be the last resort anymore.’

Although there are few weeks left in 2020, the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity (MCWSV) is already laying the groundwork for 2021. At the end of each term the president of the Minsters’ Conference is required to provide a report looking back at some of the accomplishments of the organization, and on Tuesday, Dec. 15, Pastor Tembila Covington gave her report and discussed the future of the organization. 

Covington, who will be serving her second term as president, is the founder and senior pastor of Crossing Red Sea Ministries in Rockingham, N.C. In her first term Covington said her focus was to build unity and strengthen collaborations with the community. 

“Coming in I shared that I hoped that we worked together as a unified front and I said that envisioned faith leaders engaged in friendly and productive associations, collaborating and working together,” Covington said. And in her second term she’s looking to build on that success.

Under her leadership, along with a host of other accomplishments, the Ministers’ Conference helped raise more than $28,000 in scholarships for local students, established the Julius Sampson scholarship, partnered with local organizations on the #BLM street mural, hosted voter registration drives, community prayer events, established community gardens, and much more. The Conference also gained its highest number of paid members in nearly a decade. 

Moving forward, Covington said, “I envision faith leaders, laypersons, and people of all age groups working together engaged in productive collaborations and harnessing resources. … strengthening relationships, communication, and partnerships with local, state, and national agencies, community stakeholders and nonprofits.” 

Covington also discussed a ‘three-tiered approach’ to reaching their goal that is guided by faith. She said as faith leaders, the conference has to remember to put God first. 

“We have gone through some trying times in 2020 with this pandemic and one thing it has made me to realize is that we need to remember as faith leaders to put God first,” she continued. “This is not a political organization, it is about justice. It is about faith and we need to ensure we’re putting all of our efforts, our outreach, our missions, our events on the forefront as faith leaders to make sure we’re always representing the type of organization that we are. … What does that mean? More teaching, more preaching, more theological reflections. Praying will not be the last resort anymore.” 

Others elected to the conference’s cabinet include: Dr. Keith Vereen, 1st vice president, Rev. Dr. Charolette Leach, 2nd vice president, Elder Reginald McCaskill, parliamentarian, Rev. Angela Brown, secretary, Minister Eddie Moser, assistant recording secretary, Rev. Constance Lowery, chaplain, and Rev. Dr. Dennis Leach Sr., treasurer. 

The ecumenical membership of the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem & Vicinity consists of leaders of faith-based organizations in the Piedmont Triad area and vicinity. These faith leaders represent Christian churches, Jewish synagogues, and faith-based societies in our community. Our mission is to promote fellowship across denominations, cultures, races and socioeconomic classes, and to work toward justice for all. We unite in the belief that as we work together, we can make a difference in our community and in the world that matters. Our planning and activities as expressed in our various focus committees aim to promote social, economic, and education change in our communities. In the Piedmont Triad area we have become a recognized voice for the oppressed and a valuable change agent for the greater good. 

For more information on the Ministers’ Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity visit https://www.ministersconferencewsv.org/.