Reflections On Gullah: The Legacy Of A Pastor On St. Helena lsland S.C

By Dr. Dolores Bost

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It is interesting to know that sometimes Gullah is called Geechee or Sea Island Creole. Having reviewed research conducted on the language of Gullah speakers, I focused on a St. Helena Island, South Carolina pastor. He became an exemplary leader, not only in the church but also in the community. I have provided an overview of his life and a presentation and analysis of one of his Sunday morning sermons. Many features of traditional Gullah are manifested in this inspirational sermon.

-Dolores Bost, EdD, PhD

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638443193

Book preview

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Reflections On Gullah

The Legacy Of A Pastor On St. Helena lsland S.C

Dr. Dolores Bost

ISBN 978-1-63844-318-6 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63844-319-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Dr. Dolores Bost

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Introduction

The Sea Islands (map)

Chapter 1

Prayer Trio

Penn School (marker)

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Sunday School

Dr. Jon Yasin

Rev. Earl Heyward

Croft Praise (Prayer) House

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

References

Copyright © 2001 by Dr. Dolores Bost

In loving memory of my daughter, Joy Bost Jones Coleman, and Community Leader, Jacqueline Jackie Badger.

About the Author

Dr. Dolores Bost retired from the College of New Rochelle in New York after twenty-two years of teaching and counseling. She is grateful to God for the opportunity years ago to organize Campus Ministry for the students.

She has an EdD in Curriculum and Instruction from Columbia University, Teachers College in New York. Dr. Bost is a former director of two Early Childhood and After School Centers. She has a PhD in Clinical Christian Counseling and license from the National Christian Counselors Association. She is a Chaplain, ordained clergy, and Reverend for Prison Ministry in New York and has state certification from the United Chaplains State of New York.

Dr. Bost is an abstinence educator with the National Abstinence Clearinghouse in South Dakota. She is also a prayer coordinator for the First Coast Women's Services in Orange Park, Florida.

The enslaved African population came from a multiplicity of religious backgrounds that included traditional West African religions, Christianity and Islam.

Professor M. Fraser-Rahim

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

I am thankful to God for the encouragement I received from Elsie Holmes Mollison, Janie Singleton, and some of the other residents in St. Helena Island, South Carolina. Love to Dajour, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Kareem (Calvin), Jason (S. K.), Jeff, Gloria, Sheila, Shaun, Alecia, Shanice, Jason (A.), Angelia, Javon (J.), Mary, Castella and Alvin.

I will be ever grateful to Professor Clifford Hill, the former Chair of the Applied Linguistics Department, and to my former Professors, Jo Ann Kleifen and Hope Jensen Leichter, at Columbia University, Teachers College in New York.

Words cannot express my thankfulness for the support and technical assistance from two linguists, Dr. Jon Yasin and Dr. Charles Coleman. They were supportive from the beginning to the end.

Thanks to the late Pat and Claude Sharpe, linguists with the Wycliffe Bible Translators and Sea Island Translation Team in St. Helena Island.

Special thanks for inspiration from Pastor Kenyon Thompson, Charles Badger, MD, and the late Pastor Lew Bachus.

My deepest appreciation goes to the late Reverend Earl Heyward, Pastor of First African Baptist Church, who granted me the pleasure and privilege of documenting his life.

Introduction

The information in this book is excerpted from the research for my doctoral dissertation at Columbia University, Teachers College in New York. My first visit to St. Helena Island was in 1988. I was fortunate to meet