One of Smoketown’s Oldest Congregations Celebrates Their Pastor & First Lady’s First Anniversary

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Their move to Mt. Olive was ‘Approved by God.’

(Louisville, KY) The Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church will be celebrating the first year of Rev. Jeremiah Johns Sr. and First Lady Michelle Johns as pastor of our historic church. On Sunday, August 25th, the anniversary committee have planned a day of appreciation and thanks for Pastor Johns’ spiritual leadership. 

The committee centered the program around the theme “Approved by God.’  Inspired by the bible scripture found in 1 Thessalonians 2:4. 

We invite you to Sunday School at 9:30 am followed by morning service at 11 am.  Our special guest will be Rev. Dr. Jeremiah L. Parks of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Owensboro, Ky.   

Please announce and/or post on your calendars.  If you would like to setup an interview with Pastor Johns, please contact us at 502-585-2022 and/or the information below.  Rev. Johns can talk about his plans, the church’s rich history and the Smoketown neighborhood where the church is located.

Mt. Olive has a rich history which dates back 124 years.  The founders of this great church wanted to worship together so they gathered in a small house.  Today, Mt. Olive is located on several acres on East Kentucky which also houses our family life center. 

Come worship and fellowship with us on Sunday, August 25th starting at 9:30 am. Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church is located at 443 E. Kentucky Street, Louisville, Ky 40203. 

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***Proclaiming and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ***

WHO:              Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church

WHAT:             Celebrating Rev. Jeremiah Johns and First Lady Michelle Johns

WHEN:             Sunday, August 25, 2024

WHERE:           443 E. Kentucky Street, Louisville, KY 40203

WHY:               One year anniversary for the Johns’ ministry at the church

TIME:               9:30 am Sunday School & 11 am morning service

Media Inquiries: Andrea Breckenridge andreabreckenridge5969@gmail.com or Sherlene Shanklin sshanklin@vippcommunications.com 

The General Association of Baptists of Kentucky clergy and constituents will gather in the capitol rotunda for Operation Good Friday

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(Frankfort, Kentucky) On Friday, March 29th from 9:00 am to 10:30am (EDT) the General Association of Baptists in Kentucky (GABKY) will gather to voice their concern about bills that will ‘crucify’ our communities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. 

This is a call to action for all GABKY clergy and our constituents.  We are calling March 29th Operation Good Friday.  That is the day we chose to signify the importance of having our voices heard as voters of this state.  Operation Good Friday will be held in the Capitol Rotunda, 700 Capital Avenue, Frankfort, Ky. 

There are several bills that GABKY have sincere concern that could hurt, hinder and/or isolate groups of people and/or counties all across the state.  Clergy will converge on the capitol to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves.  GABKY leadership will be on site to give additional information and to conduct media interviews. 

We represent approximately five hundred Baptists churches across the state of Kentucky, and we want our voices to be heard to lawmakers we put in office.  This is not the time to be ignored but the time for us to give input on bills that affect Kentuckians who attend our churches. 

To setup an interview via phone and/or zoom after Operation Good Friday, contact at VIPP Communications at info@vippcommunications.com. 

To learn more about the General Association of Baptists on Kentucky go to https://www.gabky.com/

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KCAAH unveils a portrait of the man behind the name of Louisville’s only HBCU

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Unveiling of the William J. Simmons Portrait

at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage

The Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (Heritage Center), in partnership with Simmons College of Kentucky, invites the press and public to the unveiling of the William J. Simmons portrait on Monday, June 26, 2023, at 10 a.m. at 1701 West Muhammad Ali Blvd., Louisville, Kentucky. Simmons’ portrait will be a permanent installation joining other life-sized portraits in the Heritage Center’s Brown-Forman Great Hall Gallery, depicting African American leaders in the arts, civil rights, education, innovation, media, military, and sports. 

Dr. Rev. William J. Simmons (June 29, 1849 – October 30, 1890) went from enslavement to becoming Simmons College of Kentucky’s second president from 1880–1890, for whom the school was eventually named. Simmons College was the first school for higher education established for African Americans in Kentucky. The college was the vision of 12 formerly enslaved Africans who were members of the General Association of Baptists within the state. Their tenacity was fueled by their understanding of the importance of education for the sons and daughters who were formerly enslaved. 

Simmons developed multiple programs, including the teacher education program and one of the few Black medical schools at a Black college. Additionally, Simmons produced Kentucky’s first black medical doctor, Artishia Gilbert. In addition, he was a writer, journalist, and educator. In 1886 he became President of the American National Baptist Convention, one of the organizations that would merge to form the National Baptist Convention, USA. He was elected President of the Colored Press Association for his work as editor of the American Baptist, a newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky.

Simmons is best known for his 1887 work, Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive, and Rising. The book compiled brief biographies of one hundred seventy-seven prominent African American men across the United States. Men of Mark was a best seller and the most extensive collection of African American biographies.

Aukram Burton, Executive Director at the Heritage Center, says:

“The time is overdue for Dr. Rev. William J. Simmons’ portrait to be a permanent installation at the Heritage Center to ensure that visitors will learn about Simmons’ accomplishments as a transformational leader who built a rigorous and inclusive learning environment that promoted academic excellence during an era that denied African Americans the liberties they should have enjoyed as U.S. citizens.

Media inquiries: VIPP Communications at info at vippcommunications dot com or by calling KCAAH at 502-583-4100.

The VIPP Report: Louisville church surpasses the silver and gold anniversaries and now Mount Olive hits a historic number of 119 years

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Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church 

(Louisville, KY) There’s only been three pastors who’ve served at the helm of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church.  On Sunday, February 24, 2019 the church will celebrate it’s 119th anniversary.

The anniversary will begin at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday School, followed by morning worship at 11:00 a.m. featuring the Anniversary Reunion Choir and Rev. Chris Hagan, pastor of Second Baptist Church of Owenton, Ky.

Dinner will be served. Following dinner, members and guests will return to the sanctuary at 3:00 p.m. for a special tribute for our retiring pastor Rev. Shanklin.

Shanklin, only the third pastor after 119 years has served 35 years as pastor and on Easter Sunday he will preach his last sermon at Mt. Olive.

The church along with our family life center is located on several acres on East Kentucky Street.

Please post and/or announce Mount Olive’s 119th Church Anniversary.  We also invite you to come worship and fellowship with us on Sunday, February 24th.

We will also update you closer to Easter Sunday plans for Rev. Alex Shanklin’s retirement.  If you would like to setup an interview with Rev. Shanklin and/or some of their members, please contact Sis. Barbara Leavell and/or Sherlene Shanklin at VIPP Communications by email at info@vippcommunications.com.

If you have a story idea, send it to thevippreport@vippcommunications.com.  Follow us on Twitter @thevippreport @vippcomm and Instagram @vippcommunications.

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