Everyone that comes into the doors of the church is not necessarily saved. You have to get a little scripture in you to deal with roadblocks, obstacles and people. When you want to become a certified usher, you first are taught the basics, that includes hand signals. “All persons within the church come into contact first with the usher,” said Brass, “so we have to make sure we have the right attitude, spirit and a big smile.”Īccording to Brass, “The significance of wearing the white gloves in the church is visibility - for ushers’ hand signals to be seen. Their responsibilities encompass a variety of duties that prepare churchgoers for the day’s service. Always recognizable with their matching uniforms and trademark white gloves, ushers are an integral part of the black church. The church usher is, for many, the first person a visitor sees upon entering the church house. “All of these … organizations are under the umbrella of the National United Church Ushers Association of America Incorporated.” “The conference will consist of ushers from five states that include Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington,” said Brass, who is president of the ushers ministry at Victory Missionary Baptist Church. While many ushers are older church members, many of those practicing Saturday were children and teenagers.īrittney Spurlock, 17, has been ushering for about five years.Headed by president Lena Brass, the 40-member Silver State Ushers are set to host the second annual Western Region Ushers Conference April 14-16 at the Sunset Station hotel and casino. Sylvia Graves, a member of Perkins Square Baptist Church who has been ushering nearly 20 years, said people who are struggling will often seek out a church for comfort or aid. She said she pulled him into the foyer and quickly got the minister. She recalled the time when a man showed up at her church asking for someone to pray for him. “You don’t know what problems or concerns people have coming through that door,” said Vanessa W. Often, ushers are the first face to greet those with serious issues. A bad first impression, they say, can quickly turn people off. The ushers take their jobs seriously because, they say, they are often the first connection people have with a church. On Saturday, they practiced proper procedures for signs and signals service and prayer positions ushering in the aisles how to collect the offering and duties and responsibilities of positions like the “doorkeeper” and “usher-in-charge.” There are about 400 people in Maryland and 15,000 in the nation who have been trained and certified by the National United Church Ushers Association. She was among several dozen ushers from African-American churches across Maryland who came early Saturday morning to the Huber Community Life Center on Loch Raven Boulevard in Northeast Baltimore to practice their skills. “We’re the ones who control the atmosphere of the church,” said Sandy Arnette. The 20-some gestures are painstakingly learned and practiced by ushers to communicate without causing distractions during services. The signals are used to communicate with one another as they quietly and discreetly direct crowds from the doors and into the pews. The group - the women all wearing white dresses, the men in black blazers, all of them wearing white gloves - was practicing the standardized signals ushers use at church services. The session was part of the Interdenominational Church Ushers Association of Maryland’s 67th annual convention being held this weekend. “Can I get a signal for ushers to take their stations?” McCorvey asked, prompting the group to make another gesture - brushing their faces with their right hands. Ladies, you have to pretend you have a tie,” she said, as members of the group clutched their right hands at the neck. “When you’re getting attention, grab the knot of your tie. Colette McCorvey called out commands as she led a group of church ushers through their paces.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |