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tv   Politics Public Policy Today  CSPAN  June 29, 2015 9:00am-11:01am EDT

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captioning performed by vitac and certainly as the conclusion to this life has come i'm sure those words are applicable to his life and i can hear reverend pinckney using those words and para phrasing them. good lord i done done. i done done what you told me to do. you told me to preach. and i done that too. you told me to care for the under privileged and i done that
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too. you told me to be a good family man, you told me to stand up and fight for justice and equality of all people and i done that too. good lord i done done. i done done what you told me to do. and now reverend pinckney to sent you to done what the lord told you to do. i want you to know that the lord has done what he told you he would do. [ applause ] he promised that he would be with us always to the end of the world. so he's going to take care of that wonderful wife and those wonderful daughters. he told you, he's going to be our bread in starving land. he's going to be our shelter in the tidal storm. so therefore my brother, you've
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done your work. go on and take your rest and servient of god well done, rest from thy loved employee the battle fought, victory won enter into the masses. [ applause ] >> to our bishop of the church and to all of us to mrs. pinckney and this family, over the last few days the department of global witness and
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ministry of of the african methodist episcopal received many condolences and comforting thoughts on behalf of this family and the emanuel church community. from our partners in mission as well as from the communions of faith and colleagues around the world, they asked that we convey our prayerful support and their deepest condolences. in his brief but impacting life my university alum brother, the honorable reverend clementa pinckney upheld and lived out the guiding principles of our
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great school as he taught through his presets and examples reminded people to think the hands of people to work and the hearts of people to love. i met this young brilliant tall all-star as he me trick lated at allen university he came from a good start. his mother and i were classmates. and his uncle, the reverend laverne stevenson was my grandmother's pastor in columbia. reverend pinckney's great love for humanity and his passion for
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the kingdom of god moved him to use his natural talents and his spiritual giftedness to raise the moral of consciousness of his congressional colleagues as well as faith communities. his unique calling emphasized the awareness of the injustices, not only in the city of charleston but in the state of south carolina, the nation and the world. his message was one of liberation and love for all people. his persona was soothing to the cries and concerns of the least of them and to our children as well as our elders. his powerful voice was a voice
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of reason for the o pressed and the hopeless as well as the discouraged and the disappointing. he spoke up and spoke for those who could not speak for themselves as he recognized that they had no seat at the table. he had a genuine love for god and for helping people no matter their gender, their race, religion or their belief. ethics and excellence intertwined his christian witness. what a wonderful gift of affirmation shared with us by our late comrade and brother. the honorable clementa pinckney was committed to the cause of african methodism, taking full
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use of the authority given him in order to prophetically shepherd congregations and in order to make and grow disciples of jesus christ and in order to teach the word of god and in order to love one's enemies as one's self. his ministry embodied the scripture which reminds us that when we entertain strangers, we may very well be entertaining angels unawares. we are grateful for the hope that reverend pinckney had for all african methodism, as well as christian faith community. we shall be remembered -- he shall be remembered today and in the days ahead for his quick wit, his giant smile and his
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enormous heart. so we miss his priceless spirit his unfailing presence his fateful witness. i'm convinced that his spirit will live on in all of the goodness and all of the laughter and all of the support that he has given to his family and friends and colleagues to african methodism and to the christian faith community. and as the song writer says bless be the tie that binds. our hearts in christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds is liked to that above. when we are apart it gives us
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inward pain but we shall still be joined in heart and hope to meet again. we'll see you in the morning. [ applause ] >> thank you so much as we continue to celebrate this life we will have now the resolution and tribute from mother emanuel. aim ame church here in charleston south carolina as sister jones comes to read this, i'll ask every member of mother emanuel when they begins to read, would you please stand. followed by a selection of
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mother emanuel choir entitled "going up yonder." >> here reads the resolution from mother emanuel african methodist episcopal church, 110 calhoun street, charleston south carolina 29401. june 26th 2015, according to his tender mercy god who is infinite in his wisdom has seen fit to move from our midst. our beloved pastor, reverend clementa pinckney in christ by means of death on the 17th day
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of june, 2015, whereas we the ministerial staff, the senior board of stew ards, the senior board of trustees and the members of mother emanuel ame church express our condolences and love to the family during this joyous celebration of a life well lived. whereas reverend clementa pinckney was the beloved paster of mother emanuel since 2010. whereas reverend clementa pinckney was a kind and gentle soul that led his church with a quiet strength.
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whereas with his commanding voice he provided weekly sermons that left you inspired hopeful, and feeling closer to god. whereas under his leadership, reverend pinckney remained focused on the members by merging our two services creating what he described as one service, one family, one church. he also instituted annual health fairs and organized member retreats for the renewal of members. whereas with his relationship, he created good will good will
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in the community and businesses. and whereas under his leadership, the churches passage, properties, number nine henryiettea street, 106 calhoun were renovated. the congregation achieve our long time dream to install an elevator. he was passionate about this project because he wanted our elderly members to enjoy service in the sanctuary. be it resolved that we the members of mother emanuel ame church offer our heart felt sympathy to the family of our pastor reverend clementa pinckney on the loss of their
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dear loved one. we will miss him but his contributions to our church will remain forever in our hearts be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be given to the family and a copy kept in the mother emanuel church historical archives. humbly submitted reverend w.goff presiding elder of the district ministerial staff, the senior board of stewards and senior board of trustees and the members of emanuel ame church. [ applause ]
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♪ ♪
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♪ if you want to know where i'm going ♪ ♪ where i'm going soon ♪ ♪ if anybody asks you ♪ ♪ where i'm going ♪ ♪ where i'm going soon ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ >> i'm going up yonder ♪
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♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ ♪ if anybody asks you where i'm going ♪ ♪ where i'm going ♪ ♪ where i'm going soon ♪ ♪ if anybody wants to know ♪ ♪ if anybody asks you ♪ ♪ if anybody asks you where i'm going ♪ ♪ where i'm going soon ♪ ♪ i'm going yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪
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♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ ♪ i can take the pain ♪ ♪ the heart aches they bring ♪ ♪ the comforts in knowing i'll soon be gone ♪ ♪ ♪ as long as we grace i'll run this race ♪ ♪ until i see my savior ♪
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♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder to be with my lord ♪ ♪ yes i am ♪
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♪ going up yonder ♪ ♪ i'm going up yonder ♪ ♪ to be with my lord ♪ >> hallelujah. >> we come now to have our -- we ask you now that we come and listen to the acknowledgement of civic and he religious leaders.
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we ask that the ushers now as we continue in worship, we know that some may have to be excused for a moment and come back. but most certainly not in mass. proverbs 18 and 24 states a man that has friends must show himself friendly. and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. the honorable reverend clementa carlos pinckney has definitely
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been a great friend pastor and colleague and confidant to many. we saw this through the many cards, e-mails and text messages flowers, other means of social media, and other expressions of love that has been showered on the pinckney family during this time of we reefment but yet a time of celebration. his loyalty and love for people is proven through the many faces with see here today. this speaks to the character of who clementa was and is a true testament of his love for people. today shows that he was a man who was a minister, who impacted
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the religious community as well as the political arena as a senator. what skills and balances that must take since we always say we must separate church and state. today once again, clementa has shown that balance where he has brought together both the political and religious leaders. [ applause ] we thank all of you, all of you, who are government officials on all levels to our religious leaders on all levels for the love and support that you have shown our family. we ask that we continue to bind together both church and state to continue with his legacy.
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god bless you. [ applause ] >> as we come now with a musical tribute, dr. greg mcpherson will ask that you come and following that please those who are listed for reflections from the friends, the church and the family, please come into order in which you are listed. thank you. >> good morning. dr. greg mcpherson here. i wanted to say we're indeed delighted to have this opportunity to present this piece. it is an original composition and you will see the opening lyric says permit now oh, lord my soul to enter.
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i was a young professor when reverend pinckney was ordained and witnessed some remarkable things in his ministry and his effort to unite all of us. i'm very delighted to have in presenting this work this morning with me several extraordinary musicians, some of whom are local and some are global. mr. gregset from alabama on sax on monica hargrave, the principle harpist for the symphony george spike neely, percussionist. mr. dr. peter felder the current director of choreal activities. dr. angela blalock professor of voice at benedict college,
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mr. -- i'm sorry, ms. jan marie christie joyce viola from charleston symphony orchestra. ms. key annie richardson soprano and becker, the charleston symphony orchestra. we're presenting this from our heart to yours. [ applause ] ♪
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[ applause ] how good and pleasant it is for brothering to dwell together in unity. pinckney as i will call him, we met back at at the university in '91. he came in as a freshman and i was a junior.
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one of our friends said -- one of the professors said chris there's this young gentleman that i want you to meet. i tell him i said okay. and we set up a time and place and when i looked up i saw this tall skinny dark gentleman come walking around the corner. he looked at me with the deep voice and said, i'm clementa pinckney and i say, i'm chris farmer. and from that day forward, we started building a relationship. everywhere you saw one, you saw the other because we was tight and hung out. late one night i tell him let's go to ihop get something to
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eat. and i say on the way there we're going to stop by usc and see some friends of mine. he said, okay. let's go. we went by and saw some friends and lo and behold jennifer benjamin was there. as me and charlene brown stood up there and talked together, we looked at each other and i said is he going to ask for for her number? i'm like, come on. you hanging with upper classmen ask for the number. so he finally he asked for the number. i say, there you go. that's my boy. that's my boy. and the rest is history. [ applause ] before there was the house,
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before there was the senate me and pinckney hung out together. he loved emanuel ame church before all the capital improvements began. he talked to me and we talked how he wanted to do things and put the elevator in and restore the house. we talked in detail and extended periods of time about this. sometime i felt as though i was in a meeting with everybody else. but we would talk for hours at the time. that was our love. we loved the church. we loved people. and i can honestly say out of the 24 years that i've known him, i've never saw him mad not one time. oh, i've tried to push his buttons a couple of times
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because you know we all have that one crazy friend and that was me. i will saulz always say something or do something man, you know you're crazy. we had already pledged. we was practicing for a step show. normally practice outside but it was cold and rainy. i said why don't we go into the auditorium. we walked to the auditorium and it was locked. i looked around. i said, well, pinckney, come on and go with me. where are you going? i said i'm going to the president's house. he said you can't go to the president's house this time of the night. i said yes i can. man, don't go over there. man, come on. i walked over to the president's house, knocks on his door. he comes to the door he said,
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yes, sir we're trying to practice for a step show, can you unlock the auditorium for us? he looks at me. he said mr. vaughn, since you have mr. pinckney with you, i'll call security and let them unlock the auditorium. we walk off an he looked at me and said man, you know you're crazey crazy. i said it's all right, we got what we needed. come on, let's go practice. we had a good time. i say all of that to say this he was more than a friend to me. he was -- he was like a brother. i told myself i was not going to cry anymore. but sometimes myself does not
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listen to me. and the other day i was sitting there and this is the time of year we would get together and we would always sit down and go out to eat -- we loved to eat. and i turn around the other day to pick up the phone to call him. and realized that he was not here. but i looked at myself and i told myself, that i was not going to allow the pain of yesterday to steal my joy for today. i don't know about you but i still got a praise on the inside of me. i don't know about you, but the pain still lingers on but i still got a praise. i don't know about you, but i'm going to continue to lift up in the name of jesus. when we lift up the name in
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jesus, he draw me and women unto him. sleep on, brother pinckney, because for later on, we'll all be where you are today. thank you. [ applause ] >> wrong church, wrong people, wrong day. soon will be done the trouble of this world. soon will be done the trouble of this world. no more weeping or wailing. soon will be done the trouble of this world.
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i met reverend pinckney when he first came in. he came in with prayers, a plan a policy and projects. he worked us hard folks. but on behalf of our church, our hard working church and we're just on adrenalin right now, folks, we want to thank the world, we want to thank our first family, and our first lady for her elegance for her grace, and her dignity in a time of trouble. [ applause ]
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and personally i want to thank you for this opportunity for you know our relationship very well. it is very, very important for me to acknowledge probably the eldest of the oldest person of this room and that is our member 104-year-old miss michelle. ms. margaret michelle. [ applause ] i quo also like to take this opportunity on behalf of the members of mother emanuel to
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thank presiding elder goss for he has been chosen to lead the flock on this world stage. and for that we will be eternally grateful the membership thanks him as he pastors us on this world stage. history will serve him well. i'd also like to thank on behalf of mother emanuel our city for our city has stepped up to the plate. we are truly one charleston. [ applause ] when a young 35-year-old came and said that he was going to head mother emanuel with ipads
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texting, he was the modern pastor. i kind of felt for him because half of the congregation was probably old enough to be his parents. but he came forward with that prayer and with that plan and he raised the kind of capital for us to invest over a half million dollars over the last five years to complete our projects. [ applause ] he came and he assessed every single building that we owned. so we weren't flying blindly. and he found creative ways to get the resources to make it happen. i learned a lot of lessons from
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my dear friend, reverend pinckney. i called him rev. because when evil lurked, couple of wednesdays ago, evil thought that this was evil's harvest. evil thought that this was the harvest of humanity but evil did not know that he was being bamboozled and hoodwinked for this was god's harvest of the ripest nine berries on the vine. they may not have been ready, dr. nelson, but they were
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prepared. [ applause ] mother lost nine of her children yet mother forgives. she must forgive because with us is god emanuel emanuel. emanuel. repeat after me emanuel emanuel. emanuel. god is with us. some -- and i wish my friend was here today -- because some talk about divine order. the methological harmonious
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arrangement of things i miss my friend because we would have been having this discussion. but i want to hear one of the last discussions we had and that discussion was about hope. because we are a hopeful church because living without hope is like living in continuous darkness. but hope peers through the darkness sees the light and waits until morning. good morning america. [ applause ] >> mother church say amen. say amen again. mother church say amen one more
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time. >> amen. >> this is truly a sanctuary, why don't you put your hands together and give god a praise because god is still worthy to be praised. now chris vaughn is a baptist, but i was pinckney's crazy ame friend. amen. and we have been brothers for more than 30 plus years. there is really no reason why clementa carlos pinckney and kylon jerome middleton should be friends. he came from jasper county, i came from charleston county. amen. we did not go to the same grade schools, nor did we grow up in
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the same area geographically. but it was through our connection in the african methodist episcopal church area geographyicalgeographically. but it was through our connection through the african american episcopal church, where somehow in the carolinas, we were both members of the ypd. back then ypds were fired up. so it was when our ypd leaders would take us to our conference meetings, in the south carolina annual conference, in the low country. there came a collision, between jasper county and charleston county. there used to be a time where people thought we were the same people. amen. we were both tall, we were both
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skinny, and we were both dark. amen. and so it was we were at allen university at a meeting and he was a ypd leader and i was a ypd leader, and mother james came to us because i was a little rambunctious, from charleston county, you know, and pinckney was very subdued. but he would do things to get me in trouble and i would be the one who took the blame for it. and so it was that he was wreaking havoc, and mother james came and pinched me. i went over to him and said, who are you?! and he told me his name. i said i don't like that name. [laughter] he said what is your name.
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i told him what my name was. he said i don't like your name? from that day to this day, to awkward individuals with a very strange sounding names became not only friends, we became brothers. pinckney, when we graduated from high school, he was in jasper county and i was in charleston county, we started preaching very early. when we graduated from high school he started talking, he said man, go to allen university. go to allen university. i said, pinckney, you go to allen university, i'm going to the college of charleston. pitching any went to allen university. i came to the college of charleston. as it was, he says we were friends, i would make the trip up i-26, to columbia, south carolina, for all those years to
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be with my friend on the campus of allen university. that is where i met crazy chris vaughn. after we graduated from college, the way things happened, god ordained it. i became the first black minority recruiter for the college of charleston and somehow god orchestrated that he became a recruiter for allen university. and so it was that we were together again on the road to conferences and high schools in the state of south carolina. i would set up my college of charleston table and before i could put the college of charleston sign out good, i had a thousand people in my line. he was there at the allen university table, and he barely had one. i said, pinckney, what i'm going to do, i'm going to set up my table next to your table and so
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it will be that when an individual comes to my table, i'm going to push them over to the allen university table. he loved allen university. when we taught, the college of charleston gave me an american express card and they would put me up in hotels and i had a per diem every day to eat. my good friend pinckney worked for allen university -- [laughter] --he worked for allen university, and they did not give him an american express but they did give him a corsica. he had to drive the vehicle back and forth from columbia to wherever we were geographically in the state. we could be in greenville,
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charleston, jasper, berkeley, buford, hampton and he would have to go back to columbia. i started to get two beds. for years, pinckney lived off me and the college of charleston. [ laughter ] glory be to god. they can order the books today i don't know, i'll pay them what i owe but me and pinckney lived good off the college of charleston. amen. so it is that we've moved away from the recruiting scene and started concentrating heavily on
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the church scene. we had ambition. we started calling one another, i never really knew how to pronounce his name so we had to phonetically -- i said that my name was kylon, like nylon. he said my name is clement-ay, not clement-ah. amen. i'm just going to call you ping any. i'm just going to call you middleton. in public, i said i would call you by your whole name. he said why? i said because one day you were going to be someone and i want someone to know not only your first name, but like the bishops of the churches in which he strived and aspired to be, we are going to call your whole name wherever you go. that is how people start to learn his name was carlos, amen. that was a good laugh. [laughter] during the days before the church required theological education, i became a student at
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the lutheran theological southern seminary in south carolina and graduated and reached back and said to my friend, pinckney, you need a seminary education. we study the church, even though it was not denominational he mandated, i said the way things are looking, we are going to need this to be equipped as pastors in the ame church. so it was, he decided to sign up to go to lutheran theological southern seminary. i had already graduated. they had me teaching new testament greek. i said, i'm am going to be your teacher. and so it was. he said, you are going to make sure i pass greek. i said, don't play that game, because i am pretty tough. so it was that he was in the class and he was not being
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studious and i would take him aside and i said, pinckney, you need to spend more time. then we would go over and i would give him private tutorials and he would not put the time in and i said you see me next summer. amen. amen. but from that time, the seminary, because of pinckney, they changed the whole roles. you no longer have to go to the summer intensive. they offered all year. he had a passion for educational excellence which pushed them through to go through to wesley theological seminary, where he will posthumously earn a doctor of ministry degree. [applause] his parents were my parents. his mom, mother akins, he called me one day and said, middleton, where are you?
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it just so happened i was in charleston that day. he said i need you to go to red lobster and get a table together because i'm going bring my mom there and she received so very bad news from the doctor. i don't want you to say nothing. i want you to cheer her up. he knew that i was that way. and so it was when she came we talked and laughed and we began to cheer her up, not knowing she only had a few weeks to live. he loved his father. when they were traveling, he would say middleton, we are coming through north carolina, have a bed ready for me and dad. and so it was, i had a bed ready for him and dad. when we went up and when they came back. he called me one day and said, middleton, he is having problems with one of those boys. i need you to take him, because your son is like a soldier.
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i told him that if anybody can do something with him, middleton can do it. we met in a parking lot in columbia, south carolina and he packed him up and i took him home. amen. our children were tied together just that way. jennifer belonged to both of us. pinckney would call up and he would say jennifer is having a conference in myrtle beach. i want you to take her out every day, to the conference and i will join you at the end of the week and vacation at your house. [laughter] i took jennifer every day to her conference and he didn't know that i was cooking for her because he did not realize i could and we ate good. and when he came, we went out. amen. [laughter] i was staying upstairs and i gave him the master bedroom downstairs.
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he came to the bottom of the step and he said middleton, middleton, i said what is the matter? he said, jennifer is pregnant! and i said, i did not do it. [ laughter ] because she was staying with me all day week long. he said, i know. and he gave me a stick and i said what is this, and it was wet. [laughter] she found out she was pregnant in my house. jennifer belonged to both of us. that is why it was no secret that when eliana was born and he was saying push, i was saying push too. amen. we were there together. it was not a secret or strange when she called me that wednesday night, when i was stepping out of bible study, and
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understand what she was saying, but she said one thing i could understand what she was saying, i need you to get to charleston right now. and because jennifer called and said those words, i don't know how i got from georgetown to charleston, i broke every speed law, but the lord held back every state trooper -- [laughter] -- but we are able to get together and we have been taking care of them ever since. he took great care, even when it was time to name his children. he said he wanted eliana to be eliana evette. it had a particular meaning. he loved to eat. we had movie nights, had a movie night schedule. he was a man of purpose, a man of compassion, conviction, a man of god.
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he has shown you oh mortal what is good and what does the lord require of you? to act justly and to love mercy and walk humbly with your god. as i take my seat, i am here to let you know, that my brother loved god, acted justly, loved mercy, and continued to walk humbly with god until his last day, amen. [applause] >> and the people of god shall say amen. we thank those who have come this far and the two remaining
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reflections, we ask that you come now and share with us as we continue in this ongoing celebration and worship experience. let us hear. >> i would like to say good day to all. i'm here to say a few words of remembrance concerning my cousin, brother clementa pinckney. when i first looked at the program, i looked down and heard all the speakers, and i said to myself, why did they put all these preachers ahead of me. and my wife looked and said,
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you're a deacon. and i said, i'm baptist, these are ame. i got consolation in knowing after they were saying so many good things about him, and what he meant to them. then i started to think, they got clementa pinckney when he was ripe. we had him when he was raw. we saw him grow in to what he became. and we love him dearly. we will never forget that beautiful smile he had. he got that smile from his mother and that heavy voice from his dad. you know, as he was growing, i remembered him as a little baby and his mother used to sing lullabies to him to put him to
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sleep. he didn't cry much or anything like that, he just looked around at his environment as if he was trying to say, who am i and where did i come from and where and who are all of these people. when he was just a little toddler lying quietly on his mother's chest, all of us would gather at grandma's house and as we sat around the kitchen table, waiting for whatever she pulled off the stove or out of the oven she turned to his mother and said, that is a fine baby, and he is such a good child. then grandma began to sing a song that seemed to define his life. she would sing this song so
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eloquently. i want to live so god can use me. anywhere, any place, any time. i want to live so god can use me anyplace, anytime. as he began to grow, his voice would change and we teased him because it sounded like he swallowed an owl or a grand piano or electric guitar. when we gathered for family reunions, his cousins would concentrate on playing, he would concentrate on praying before our meals. around the age of 13, we heard he was called to the ministry.
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for some strange reason, none of us were surprised. clementa pinckney got called into the ministry and we said we are not surprised because it was in him. at age 18, he began to pastor. at age 23 he was elected to the state house of representatives. it seemed as if god had anointed him to be a server and appointed him to be a server to man. from the church house to the state house, he responded to his calling, working diligently, doing his duty as god gave him life to see those duties. so often he would come home to take care of business for his grandmother. he would stop by and say, cousin, i only have got a minute. i have got to get back to bible study, i have to get back for church service, i have to go back to meet with constituents.
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he got to go over some things because we have a lot to cover. we would look at each other and say, love you bro. i would always tell him be safe and he would say thank you, bro. even at the statehouse, you do not have to be black, you did not have to be a democrat. he was not a radical. he wasn't even pro-black. but if you approached him with the wrong you wanted to make it right he went to work for you until it was made right. that is the kind of man that he was. you see, god knew that just completing a task was not enough. whatever he did, he stayed within the will of god.
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he knew that freedom was something given to all men and not for some men to try to take it away, because he knew that freedom and certain rights came with a price. you have to stand up for something. he even knew that you may have to die. like denmark ceci. he knew that if he did not stand up, others would fall. he stood up in the church house as well as the state house. he believed in the gospel of jesus. that is the kind of man that he was. as i prepared to take my seat, i can see the pain that you have for my family and those other families who have suffered a great loss. we thank you, but i would like to echo the words of my pastor
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down in friendship missionary baptist church. he would say that when we are faced with problems like these, i don't know what the future holds, but i know who holds the future. he holds the future, he holds the future, he holds our hand, we should not worry about anything. and if we trust him, he will not leave us nor forsake us. don't hold onto your pain too long. tell your tears to dry up. tell your hurt to go away and your pain to stop bothering me. if you don't, you may miss the joy of the lord at work and we believe he is working it out as we speak. when we leave this place and go back home and go to work, and that is what he would want you to do, go home, go to work, and
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go to church, help a friend, he strong and help your family, because this is what god wants us all to do. and in closing, don't worry about clementa pinckney. because he is in god's hands and if he could come back right now, and stand up here and tell you, he knew his history, it started from a slave man by the name of jack in merrin county, little place we call st. james, south carolina. a lot of you know it as
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something else, we know it as st. james. if he could come back here, he would tell you how the history is passed down and we believe in hard work and education and fairness. if he could come back here now, he would tell you these things but since he can't so i will tell you for him. he would tell you, we have seen too many victories to let defeat have the last word. i think i need to say it one more time. we have seen too many victories to let defeat have the last word. [applause] >> and the people of god will say amen. let us follow these instructions. i am between two rocks and two
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hard places. but most certainly, we want to respect the wishes of the family and jennifer, but we have waiting at this very moment to come in our presence, our president of the united states. [applause] i need your help right now. we have one more cousin that needs to come. [laughter] no, listen to me. if you can feel my spirit, i would like cousin to at least take a minute and say something to us because we have extended the time. i want you to know that our focus is on the family.
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[applause] we recognize house speaker boehner, he is here. could you please stand. [applause] and the archbishop of the greek orthodox church. [applause] he marched with dr. martin luther king jr. [applause] so now, i know everybody's pulling me and say i've got to get this going on and shut it down. but if the cousin would come, i believe that the spirit of the living god -- i believe because i think i should give at least a
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minute because now after that is really, we have to move along. so please say something to us for 60 seconds. no, no. i want the brother -- i want everybody to understand. i'm doing that because i know, been there. i would not want this opportunity to miss you, but i promise you, if you just say one minute as i get another chance to have you to say something not only to the family, but to this community, i promise you, you will have that chance. and as a matter of fact, when we come to mother emanuel a few weeks from now, i will allow you come have marks on behalf of the family front and center. bless your heart. [ applause ]
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>> we thank you. we're going to try our best to stay within that minute. that will cut off a whole lot of things that i would like to address you all. but on behalf of the family we thank you for your love, we thank you for your prayers we thank you for your support. we thank you for your words of encouragement. and we want to say unto you all that i stand before you as one who is elated that the honorable reverend clementa pinckney had more friends than he had enemies. through mistaken identity, if you all look at me you see that he had much of my features. [ laughter ] i have gone across the state and received hugs, i received
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smiles i received hand shakes because of mistaken identity. also through mistaken identity i have received the wrath of those who were enemies of reverend pinckney. but on a most serious note i want to say unto all of you that are here that reverend pinckney our senator, he was first and foremost a preacher of the gospel of jesus christ. he was one, my brothers and sisters, that preached about the blood of jesus christ and the sacrifice that jesus christ made for our justification. he preached about the sacrifice that the lamb made for our
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atonement. i say unto you my brothers and sisters, this family say unto you that are in the sanctuary and those of you watching by television, this family say unto you, let us remember not just senator pinckney and his family but let us remember the sacrifice of the nine. let us remember the sacrifice of the nine that moved to put our governor and cabinet member to remove the confederate flag from the state house ground. leapt us remember the sacrifice of the nine. that brought our president of the united states of america to charleston, south carolina. let us remember the sacrifice of the nine, my brothers and sisters, that says unto the
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family members that are here and all others to remember the words of jesus christ on calvary hill when he said forgive them for they know not what they are doing. forgive them! for they know not know what they are doing. on behalf of the family we say unto you, thank you. on behalf of the family, may god bless you and may god, forever, keep you. [ applause ] >> thank you. >> he was every bit of 59 seconds. [ laughter ] we want to thank you all of those who had an opportunity to speak. come low country voices and begin to sing. we prepare our hearts and minds
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to continue on this journey for this day. ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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>> put you hands together for the spirit of christ. we're going to thank him. on behalf of the national urban league and the mayor of new orleans, thank you. [ applause ] reverend al sharpton. [ applause ] . the president of the national naacp, cornell brooks. and of course, the legacy continues with the king family. why don't you stand, please. [ applause ] bless your heart. now, reverend randolph miller -- reverend jesse jackson, where are you? stand up. i didn't see him.
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[ applause ] i thought you and reverend sharpton were joined at the hip. i thought you always sat together. [ laughter ] reverend randolph miller commented the musical selection and it's called "the old ship of zion." we ask that the choir will join in because it's landed a many a thousand and king jesus is our captain. turn to somebody and say get on board. come on, reverend miller. ♪ >> can somebody put your hands together because you got high praise up in here. come on let me hear you shout hallelujah. let me hear you shout glory.
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now clap your hands and tell the lord thank you. well if clementa could speak right now he's over there with jesus and he told me if you want to see him you got to get on board. can i get a witness? ♪ championship of zion ♪ ♪ ship of zion ♪ ♪ i know it's on board ♪ ♪ ship of zion ♪
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♪ get on board ♪ ♪ if you want to see ♪ ♪ oh come on get on ♪ ♪ follow me ♪ ♪ let me tell you something ♪ ♪ there's no danger ♪ ♪ while my god is watching ♪ ♪ oh there's no danger no danger no danger ♪ ♪ if my god watch us ♪ ♪ and i know there's no danger ♪ ♪ and my god is watching ♪ ♪ tell you neighbor ♪
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♪ get on board ♪ ♪ if you want to see ♪ ♪ oh come on board ♪ ♪ and follow me ♪ ♪ come on help yourself ♪ ♪ it has landed ♪ ♪ many a thousand ♪ ♪ it has landed ♪ ♪ many a thousand ♪ ♪ oh i know he has landed ♪ ♪ many many a thousand ♪ ♪ tell your neighbor get on board ♪
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♪ if you want to see ♪ ♪ oh come on board ♪ ♪ and follow me ♪ ♪ now here's the message ♪ ♪ can jesus ♪ ♪ he's the captain ♪ ♪ oh captain jesus ♪ ♪ he is ♪ ♪ he is the captain ♪ ♪ oh i know it's jesus ♪ ♪ he is the captain ♪ ♪ 0 get on board ♪ ♪ if you want to see ♪
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♪ come on board ♪ ♪ and follow me ♪ ♪ the last time ♪ ♪ oh jesus ♪ ♪ he is the captain ♪ ♪ oh captain jesus ♪ ♪ he is the captain ♪ ♪ oh i know jesus ♪ ♪ he is the captain ♪ ♪ oh get on board ♪ ♪ if you want to see ♪ ♪ yeah yes ♪ ♪ get on board ♪
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♪ follow me ♪ ♪ last time ♪ ♪ last time ♪ ♪ ship of zion ♪ ♪ get on board ♪ ♪ ship of zion ♪ ♪ get on board ♪ ♪ ship of zion ♪ ♪ everybody get on board ♪ ♪ if you want to see ♪ ♪ yeah. ♪ ♪ get on board and follow me ♪
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♪ [ applause ] >> the people of god shall say amen. >> and the people of god shall say amen. let somebody say hallelujah. somebody say praise the lord. we come now, reverend dr. charles watson will come and give a word of comfort followed by the invocation by the presiding elder of the mount pleasant district, the reverend dr. janelle keith and the scripture lesson will be given instead by the reverend joseph
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postel of the lancaster district. >> however comfort it is well. a hymn acknowledges peace like a river tended my way. like sorrows like sea billows rose, whatever my life has taught me to say it is well with my soul. though satan should buff me, should trials come let bless assurance control that christ have regarded my helpless estate and has shed his own blood for my soul. it is well with my soul. it is well, it is well.
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with my soul. i would ask all but the family to stand to your feet while they sing this great song of the church. "it is well." ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪ ♪
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♪ let me invite all of our pastors across this faith community to pray with us and with this family. god of our solid tears you have
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brought us this far on faith, thou who has by the night led us into the light keep us forever in thine path we pray leftst our feet stray from the place where we might be. god to the great and supreme architect of the universe to the one and only true god, the eternal father and his son jesus christ and in the holy ghost we pray. we gather this day symbolic of being knee bound and body bent before the throne of grace it
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is this day that we bow our hearts beneath our knees and our knees in some lonesome valley. we gathered for this home going celebration, like an empty picture to a full fountain. no america of our own, oh, god open up the window of heaven and pour blessings on this awaiting congregation. lead us far over the embattlements of glory and hear our sincere prayers. lord have mercy upon our souls. with the forgiveness of our sins bless our gathering on this day. ride by this morning mount up on your milky white horse and in your ride ride to save us from our sins and to create within us a clean heart.
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oh lord bless our president, the president of these united states of america, president barack and first lady. pin his ears to the wisdom post and intended to make his words as sledge hammers of truth. put his eyes to the telescope of eternity and let him look upon the paper walls of time turpentine his imagination, put perpetual motion in his arm, fill him full of dynamite of power, anoint him all over with the all of salvation, and let his tongue be that of fire. bless our bishop and supervisor norris and all the bishops of zion and the visiting bishops.
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bless our congress, our senate, our governor, our mayor, our elected officials and all clergy across the ecumenical community and their spouses and this be bereaved family. and oh lord when we have drunk our last cup of sorrow and we have been called everything but a child of god, when we have done traveling up the rough side of the mountain, oh, mary's baby jesus, stand by us. we'll start it down the steep and slippery steps of death and when the old world begins to rock beneath our feet lower us to the dusty grave in peace to await for that great morning meet us jesus, that our souls would rest in peace.
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hallelujah, amen, amen, amen. . . . ♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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♪ our old testament scripture comes from the 40th chapter of isaiah beginning at verse 18. to whom then would you liken god
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or what likeness compare with him, an idol a i workman castest and a goldsmith overlayeth it with gold and casteth it with chains. one chooses marbury woods to set up an image that will not topple. have you not known, have you not heard, hat it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundation of the earth, it is he who sits above the circle of the earth and his inhabitants are like grasshoppers who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spread them like a tent to live in, who brings princes to naught and make the rulers of the earth as nothing. scarcely are the planets scarily sown.
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scarcely has it taken root in the earth when it blows upon him. to whom then will you compare me? who is my equal says the holy one? lift up your eyes on high and see. who created thee? he, who brings out the host an numbers them, calling them all by names, because he is great in strength mighty in power? not one is missing. why do you say, oh jacob and speak, oh israel? my way is hidden and my right is disregarded by my god. have you not known? have you not heard? the lord is the everlasting god the creator of the ends of the earth. his powers give to the faint and strength then the powerless. even youth will be weary and the young will fall exhausteded but
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those who wait for the lord shall renew their strength. they shall mount up with wings like eagles. they run and not be weary. they shall walk and not faint. the wore of god. >> the reading of the epistle lifted up from paul's first letter to the church in core inth the 15th chapter. begin reading in verse 50. now, this i say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of god. behold, a mystery. we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed, in a
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moment in the twinklin gi of an eye. the dead shall be raised incorruptin incorruptible. so when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. oh, death, where is your sting? oh, grave, where is your victory? the sting of death is sin and the strength of the sin is law. thanks be to god who gives us the victory through our lord jesus christ. therefore, my beloved brethren be steadfast immoveable, always abounding in the work of the lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the lord. the word of god for the people of god.
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>> the gospel reading comes from the fourth gospel, the gospel of john according to the fourth chapter, the 16th verse. god gave his one and only son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life. god did not send his son to condemn the world but to safe the world through him. whoever believeth in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned because he has not believed in the name of god's one and only son. this is the verdict. light has come into the world but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds
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will be exposed. whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through jesus, the christ. amen. >> and the people of god shall say amen. >> amen. >> at this time, it's my opportunity to present to this bereaved family and this entire gathering the presiding seventh district of the african methodist church, the chief pastor, the reverend richard franklin norris. except for the family, we relax in in his presence. all others please rise and receive him.
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>> thank you. to all of the established protocol of this day, stretching across every segment of this nation and of our government, i rise on behalf of the seventh episcopal district of the african methodist episcopal church to express my thanks and appreciation to each of you for your support your encouragement and your undergirding of the family during this time of sorrow and loss. we come not as those that have no hope but we comriee reassured that nothing separates us from the love of god. therefore, we press on to do those things which are acceptable in th

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