Local Pastor Attacked On Church Grounds

On Monday, June 28th, Tabernacle of Faith Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Reginald M. Leffall was brutally attacked in the parking lot of his Watts church while returning from running an errand.

Leffall had walked down to a local convenience store to cash a check. Upon leaving the store, the 69-year old pastor was followed by a man asking him for money. Though Leffall declined the man's requests, the suspect continued to follow the pastor, jumping him as he attempted to enter the church.

A secretary in the church building at the time was unable to hear the attack.

“He was out there needing help and there was no way to know anything had happened to him,” said Jackolyn King, the chair of the board at the church. “He was at the door when it happened.”

Even after the attack, Leffall did not immediately seek help.

“According to the secretary, he came in and went into the bathroom in her office. She was working and didn't pay him attention,” said King. “When he came out he told her he just got attacked. She looked up and said “Oh my God.” By then the police were at the door because a witness had called them.”

The beating left the pastor hospitalized with numerous injuries. Since his release, he has been recuperating from his injuries at home. It is unknown when Leffall will be able to return to the pulpit.

he injured pastor has seen an outpouring of support from both church members and Leffall's peers across the country.

“A lot of folks have been praying for him,” said church assistant Al King. “A lot of folks call to check up on him. There's always somebody calling, not just from our church. A lot of folks have heard about it throughout the country.”

There has also been support for the surrounding community, which has benefitted from the philanthropy of Rev. Leffall during his 14 year tenure at the church.   

“People in the community aren't happy about it,” said Al King. “This church does a lot for Watts. It has done a lot for Watts during the 65 years that this church has been here. So nobody is pleased about it.”

No arrests have been made in the case as of yet.
    

Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Names First Female Bishop

The Rev. Dr. Teresa Snorton became the first female bishop elected by the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in its 139-year history when she was selected during the denomination's thirty-seventh General Conference meeting. Bishop Snorton was one of five new bishops elected at the gathering, which was held last month in Mobile, Alabama.

Bishop Snorton, a fourth generation CME who lives in Atlanta, is the Executive Director of the national Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and was previously Executive Director of the Emory Center for Pastoral Services and Director of Pastoral Services at Crawford Long Hospital. Snorton has Masters degrees in both Theology and Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Locally, the second annual Long Beach Gospel Fest and Downtown Worship Experience, held Sunday July 11th, brought an estimated 6,000 people to Downtown Long Beach, about double the crowd from last year's event.

The day-long concert, co-sponsored by Pastor Wayne Cheney of Antioch Baptist Church and Long Beach City Councilman Dee Andrews, featured choirs from 35 churches and recording artists such as Dietrick and Damita Haddon and Kiki Sheard. Organizers hope that the event, which closed a block-long stretch of Pine Avenue, will become a premier gospel event in Southern California.