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Several weeks ago, one church from Georgia made their way to Alabama to see and understand the African-American history that lies within the cities of Marion and Selma.

Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral of Austell, Georgia, and its members embarked on their educational road trip to Marion and Selma in late February on the behalf of most of their members being born and raised in the south. 

With the known background of many members attending colleges and universities, even retiring from professional careers in the south, President and leader Lynda Steaple-Lundy of the church said, “It is that shared experience and background that we plan, visit, make donations to and discuss our black American history. Selma, with other cities along the civil rights trail, was chosen to be included in our educational road trips, for our ‘education,’ ‘mostly with gaps’ about what our journey was, and remains to this day. Selma is woven into this significant tapestry, as is Atlanta, with most of our civil rights leaders’ connection to the city.”

Steaple-Lundy said Bishop Dale C. Bronner, founder and senior Pastor of Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, started his calling in ministry as a teenager. 

“He started bible study in his home when he was 14 from the years of 1976 to 1989, where he started the ‘Praise the Lord Club’ at his school when he was 15. His hunger for God was evident, and his ministry grew rapidly,” according to the church’s website.

Steaple-Lundy said the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral mission is to experience God, grow together and change the lives through their worship service, where they engage in corporate praise and worship, experience God’s power through prophecy, healing, deliverance and prayer. They also receive the word through pastors and teachers as well. 

 “The Mission of the Seasoned Saints Ministry of Word of Faith is to follow God’s Word, abide in it, assist in achieving Pastor Bronner’s vision for the Word of Faith Family Community, and support its fulfillment. The ministry is, named for the ‘baby boomers’ comprising its Cathedral and now 29 years later, remains the same,” Steaple-Lundy said.

“During our trip in February, we began with a stop in Marion, Alabama, where we were personally greeted by two-term Mayor Dexter Hinton, who is the nephew of one of our members. Mayor Hinton gave our group a very detailed account of the history of Selma, detailing the march from Selma to Montgomery, leading the SNCC and SCLC organizations and another activist who was there to register voters. He shared how Jimmie Lee Jackson, a 26-year-old deacon from Marion, was shot and later died while his colleagues, Hosea Williams of SCLC and John Lewis, SNCC leader, led the march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. In Mayor Hinton’s detailed account of Selma’s role in the movement, he said his family, uncles, and others, were present in planning and conducting the march. Afterward, we were escorted by Chief Howell, of Marion’s police department, to the childhood home of Coretta Scott King, for more detail of her family and their place in history. From there, we traveled to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, walking across and singing ‘We Shall Overcome’ while feeling the spirit of those before and their suffering for the cause.” 

Steaple-Lundy said another member of their ministry named Mildred Coats was a retired math teacher, whose sister was the secretary to the SCLC.  She also mentioned another member of their sister church, Word of Faith Love Center, who had a family member who taught in the public schools in Selma and took off that day to join the march.  

Steaple-Lundy said the family member’s daughter that she mentioned wrote a book detailing her father’s experience. 

Steaple-Lundy told the Selma Times Journal of the church’s past visits which includes the Civil Rights Memorial Center, The Legacy Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and the Tubman Museum.

 “As the leader of this ministry,” said Steaple-Lundy. “Live experiences visiting museums, parks, and attending plays are one facet of the activities we sponsor and partake in. We have recently been recognized as a Partner in the Cobb County School Social Worker Department for support of the schools in south Cobb where our church sits. We feed and clothe the homeless, support ministries within our church such as the Prison Ministry, and go wherever and whenever we are needed. As our T-shirt logo says… ‘God is still writing our story.’”

Steaple-Lundy said next year, the church group plans to circle back to the city of Selma and partake within Selma’s 61st Bridge Crossing Jubilee.