Williams Tabernacle to observe 72nd Annual Mammoth Tea

Kevin Hall, The Moultrie Observer, Ga.
·2 min read

Oct. 22—MOULTRIE — The pastor, officers, and members of Williams Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal Church will celebrate their 72nd Annual Mammoth Tea at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29.

The speaker for this momentous occasion will be Bishop Thomas L. Brown Sr., presiding prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. The Anointed Voices of McRae, Georgia, will render the music.

This year's theme is "A Vision for the Future."

The Mammoth Tea Program was created and organized under the dynamic leadership of the late Rev. Maceo C. Pettigrew. This special occasion promotes a cultural and religious campaign in the church and community, Williams Tabernacle CME Church said in a press release. It also gives the members the opportunity to fellowship and partner with other people in the Moultrie-Colquitt County community.

The Mammoth Tea speaker, Bishop Thomas L. Brown Sr., was born in Oakland, Mississippi. He is the eighth child of the late Stephen and Lillie H. Brown.

In 1969, Brown graduated as the valedictorian of Walker High School in Oakland, Mississippi. He attended Northwest Junior College in Senatobia, Mississippi, and earned the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mississippi in 1973. He matriculated at The Phillips School of Theology at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He also earned the Master of Divinity degree with honors in 1976. Brown earned, with honors, the Doctor of Theology degree in Pastoral Counseling from the Interdenominational Theological Center.

Brown's ministry began during his junior year at Ole Miss when he answered the call to Christian ministry. In 1975 and 1976 respectively, Bishop Joseph C. Coles Jr. ordained Brown as deacon and elder and admitted him into full connection in the Georgia Annual Conference. On June 28, 2006, in Memphis, Tennessee, Brown was elected the 54th bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

Brown's itinerant ministry in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church has been extensive and thorough. He is a noted scholar, lecturer, and preacher. He is one of the founding members of Concerned Black Clergy of Atlanta and an advocate for the homeless and persons on death row. His civic participation includes the NAACP, SCLC, and the Urban League.

Brown is married to Dr. Louise Baker Brown. They are the parents of Charisa Nicole Brown-Jefferson and Thomas L. Brown Jr.

The public is cordially invited to attend the Mammoth Tea.