On this Homecoming Sunday, we welcome to
our pulpit Dr. William S. Epps, honored and
esteemed Pastor of Second Baptist Church of
Los Angeles, California. Dr. Epps is a long
time friend of Shiloh, and over the years
has blessed us with his powerful, insightful
sermons. We look forward to hearing from
this anointed preacher.
Homecoming has a rich
tradition among many African American
churches. During the great migrations of
Blacks from the South to the North in the
early 20th Century, Homecomings were the
occasions when people reconnected with their
rural roots. Those who were new to cities
like Chicago, New York or Philadelphia,
reunited with family and loved ones in such
ancestral homes as Georgia, Alabama or
Virginia. Many little churches in out of
the way places loved cooking enough fried
chicken and sweet potato pie to feed an
army. The returning Northerners relished
driving back home and showing off their
brand new Buicks, Chevies or Cadillacs.
These were great joyous, celebrative
functions filled with nostalgia and the
triumphant feeling of a family's success and
upward mobility.
Although the great
migrations ended decades ago and a reverse
trend of Northerners returning to the
quieter places of the South is a growing
phenomenon. Homecoming for many churches
remains a time of family reunion and
reconnection. With many factors separating
and dividing African Americans, Homecoming
is a time to commemorate the wonderful
traditions of African American families,
shared by many.
We thank God for this year's
Homecoming Committee and we thank them for
all the efforts that went into making this
year's event a tremendous success.
