Many expected to celebrate King's life this Monday

WARWICK — While their new church is still under construction, the pastor and members of Union African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 21, at Warwick’s United Methodist Church. The church is located at the intersection of Forester Avenue and Galloway Road (Route 17A). Rev. Chris Yount, pastor of United Methodist Church, has offered to co-host this important interfaith event and he welcomes everyone to join in the celebration and services, which will begin promptly at 11 a.m. Although Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday is Jan. 15, Congress set aside the third Monday of January as the official federal holiday. King, born in 1929, would have been 79 years old this year had he lived. The civil rights activists and Nobel Peace Prize winner was assassinated April 4, 1968. He was 39. According to the Act, “The holiday should serve as a time for Americans to reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change espoused by Dr. King.” Monday’s event has been well planned and many dignitaries and representatives from other churches are expected to attend. In addition to music provided by the AME, the service will also include a musical selection by the Bellvale United Methodist Church Choir. “This will be one of the largest Martin Luther King celebrations we’ve ever held,” said Channabel Latham-Morris, who serves as the AME Church’s public relations director. The event, chaired by Brother Eddie Tucker of the Union African Methodist Episcopal Church, will feature an invocation by United Methodist Church Pastor Chris Yount followed by a reading by AME Pastor Vernon Peters. Local officials, judges and church leaders have also been invited to speak. They include, but are not limited to, Supervisor Michael Sweeton, Mayor Michael Newhard, Judges Peter Barlett and Nancy D’Angelo, Attorney Doug Stage, educators Samuel Tucker and Willie Carter and Rev. Patricia McCloud to name a few. The church has also invited U.S. Rep. John Hall, who recently expressed his interest to attend. Local radio and TV personality Dick Wells will be on hand to open the event by singing the National Anthem. He will then serve as emcee for WVT Communications, which will be on hand to televise the event and interview participants.