JLWilliams.org

THE HELP

November 24, 2011

Dear ND Alumni,

I am writing this quick email to you on this Thanksgiving Day morning. I seldom have or take time to go to movies, but last night Patt and I went to see the movie, "The Help." I had started watching it on my flight home last week from Asia but the sound was so bad that I had to stop watching it. However, I saw enough to want to clearly hear and see the whole story in a theatre when I got back. Patt readily agreed to go with me even though she had already seen it with our daughter, daughters-in-law and friends. It was showing at the Graham Cinema -- where all movies are just $3.00 and popcorn comes with free refills! What a deal!

For me it was a powerful, painful and poignant movie! It was like stepping in a time machine and going back to the early days of The New Directions. As a ministry, we were born in those tumultuous days of segregation and integration. Some of our earlier ND members came out of the kinds of homes that were reflected in 'The Help.' Some were from more privileged 'white homes' that had 'domestic help' as the norm. Others came from the 'colored homes' of those same domestic workers. Both our Black and White members had grown up in largely segregated communities and spent most of their earlier education in racially segregated schools. So for us to be working together -- singing together…praying together...traveling together…witnessing together...eating together -- was radical!

Because of our interracial profile, we were thrust into the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement in Alamance County -- and everywhere we traveled with our "Action Experience in Christian Love!" We were just naively seeking to be a positive incarnation and demonstration of the reconciliation that we were finding in the Lord Jesus. We believed and taught that "Racism is not a skin problem -- but a sin problem!" And only the Lord Jesus could forgive the sin and transform the heart to the degree that racism and prejudices could be laid aside for authentic reconciliation in Christ!

As I watched the domestic workers in the movie get on and off their buses that were taking them 'across town' to the 'other side of the tracks,' I could not help but reflect on our weekly bus trips -- first on the old YMCA bus, then later, on our refurbished Greyhound bus. But we didn't get on and off the bus as a segregated group. Nor did our Black members ride on the 'back of the bus!' We traveled together as an enthusiastic group of young people who were on a journey of falling in love with the Lord Jesus and with each other! And most of those covenant interracial friendships exist to this very day and hour!

We musically invaded every venue that would open its doors to us from 'Maine to Miami!" We traveled and ministered in all of the bastions of racial segregation from West Point, Mississippi…to Charleston…to Myrtle Beach…Lynchburg, Virginia. We also penetrated the ghettos and inner cities of the North. In most places we traveled and ministered, we were the very first integrated group to ever be in that town…church…school…prison…mall. Frankly, it is a wonder that we did not get arrested or killed! God was gracious beyond our comprehension -- even to this very day!

So as Patt and I watched 'The Help,' we did so with both pain and praise. We still are pained by the lingering scars of those awful decades of prejudice and segregation. In those earlier days, none of us fully realized just how radical and revolutionary we were! We were definitely 'ahead of the times' we were living in. As such, we often found ourselves out-of-step with parents, siblings, friends and church members -- Black and White. But we were in-step with a great spiritual and cultural wave of the Holy Spirit!

So if you haven't seen 'The Help.' I hope you will do so. And while the language is very raw at times, I would recommend that you take your teenage children to see it for their edification. Sadly, their generation is almost totally ignorant of the horrible realities of that era in American history. And as we often preached: "He who is not aware of his history is condemned to relive it." Because millions of Americans today have still not honestly dealt with their racial prejudice, our nation still struggles with the legacy of latent racism -- always lurking just beneath the surface and ready to raise its ugly head of hate! And it seems to especially do so during times of political activity leading toward congressional and presidential elections.

Finally, watching the movie only strengthened my desire and resolve to try and capture some of the history of our ministry. It is not 'my story' -- but 'our story.' Each of you wrote significant chapters through your months or years of involvement in the NDs. So if you have not sent in your 'ND Memories,' please do so. We have already received so many encouraging ones that have blessed our hearts. And we want 'His Story' through 'your story' to be written down for others to read, be blessed by and learn from.

Thanksgiving Blessings to each of you for being on the 'cutting edge' of interracial reconciliation…JL & Patt

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70th Birthday Invitation

October 31, 2011

Dear ND Alumni,

Loving greetings in Christ to each of you! I just got home last night from Sudan and Ethiopia and leave a week from today for India and Nepal. Then in December I have one more trip to Kenya -- which will end my year of travel. So I am really enjoying my laid-back-slowed-down-easy-going-retirement! NOT! So thanks for your prayers during this past year of travel and ministry! My schedule has been just like some of our old "ND Tours" -- packed to the gills!

I am shooting this quick email to EVERYONE we have on our ND Alumni Email List as a follow-up to my most recent email to you. As a result of that last mailing, Patt and I have gotten some encouraging responses. Some had apparently not gotten my earlier emails and letters about this…some had procrastinated…others had thought it was too late to respond! Regardless, I hope that any of you who have still not responded will do so ASAP. To that end, I hope you will send us your latest "family picture" to post with your memories -- just like this great one from Steve "Fuji" Allen, who was in the original NDs!

So please follow his example and get us your memories ASAP!

Thanks…JL & Patt

PS: As many of you know, I will turn the "Big 70" this year! So by God's grace I am moving toward the "4 score and 10" the Bible talks about (Ps. 90:10). So if any of you are in town on Dec. 31st, Patt and I would love to have you drop by to help me celebrate! To that end, I am attaching the invitation below.

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Alumni Reunion Follow Up

September 22, 2008

“It was a great joy to reconnect with Rev. Don Lloyd and Mollie at our recent “40th Anniversary Celebration.” They are now pastoring the Centenary UMC in Greensboro, so we hope to see much more of them in the months ahead. Don was the drummer for NDI and Mollie was a singer and soloist. We rejoice in their faithfulness to the Lord and to His church locally and globally.”

JL & Patt

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40th Anniversary Celebration Reflections

August 11, 2008

Patt and I want to thank each of you who made the effort to be with us for this historic “40th Anniversary Celebration.” For those who could not make it, I hope these pictures (40th Anniversary Celebration Pictures) give you some of the highlights of the weekend. They are located under the “Alumni” tab. Also, be sure to place your cursor on the pictures to read the accompanying captions (unfortunately we did not get pictures of the following alumni: Alicia Timmons, Danny and Heather Bunzey, Wally Kernodle, Donnie Lloyd, Dick Orcutt, Teresa Billings, Kathy Fuqua and Martha Denny).

We also hope you will join us for our next BIG celebration on November 22nd—our delicious feast and time of thanksgiving for all God has done for us, and for where we believe He is leading us.

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2007 Alumni Christmas Report

January 19, 2008

Dear NDI Alumni,

Hello to everyone! J.L. is presently in Africa (Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia), so I get to invade his space! We wanted to thank all of you who sent Christmas cards, letters and pictures. They brought us many smiles to see how nicely everyone is aging ...was that tactful enough? Soon, with the help of alumnus, Randy Durham, and his son, Caleb, you will be able to insert updated pictures and information on J.L.‘s blog.