I came from Memphis Tennessee and the area that is now known as Orange mound and later was known as the Charjean neighborhood and I have always referred to it as the Airways neighborhood because of the junior high that brought my generation together. There was another force that brought a lot of us together for a cause of good and Christianity, so in this story I will refer to it as the Charjean neighborhood because it was a small neighborhood church that brought a lot of us together and saved us from a life that might have destroyed us. I'm sure even in the Charjean area there were other small churches that a lot of us clung to for spiritual nourishment, but Charjean was the one that I remember the fondest. I know that the elders of the church were not pleased with the influx of kids that were not financially supportive of the church as much as they would have been if our parents had been members of the church as well, but there was a group of us kids that became members of Charjean Baptist Church in spite of some of the elders and there were those elders of the church however that opened their arms to us and were like second, third or fourth parents to us. For all of those elders of the church that did welcome us I could never thank you enough for what you gave us. It seems that little church has passed into history but not from my memory. It gave us sanctuary in times of need and it also gave us friendship of the best people I ever knew. We grew up in a neighborhood that was made up of working-class people that were not always the kindest our best people you would want to hang around with, but when it came right down to it they were good people and without the guiding light of God that these small neighborhood churches like Charjean Baptist Church gave us, I ask you where would we be and who would we be and if we would even be? God gave me a mandate to love everyone, even though I try I just as many of you fail to follow in the footsteps of our Savior way too often, I still pray for the strength and wisdom that it takes to love everyone. I ask God to bless all of those who went or attended or were members of Charjean Baptist Church and all of the little neighborhood churches in the Charjean neighborhood with health, wealth, wisdom and love for everyone. I would like to remind you without God there would be no wisdom. I would like to remind you without God there would be no wealth. I would like to remind you without God there would be no love. But I would like to especially remind you without God there would be no you or me. Thank you Lord for the tiny little Charjean Baptist Church. Thank you Lord.
As a side note I googled Charjean Baptist Church looking for a picture of our church to post I did not find one I liked, but one picture stuck out above all the others it was a picture of Ramona Haney. I don't think any more needs to be said, When you look for a picture to restore your faith it will be given to you.