Ezana was the ruler of the kingdom of Aksum. an ancient kingdom centred in what is now Ertres and the Tigray Region of northern Ethiopia. Ezana was the first monarch of the kingdom of Aksum to embrace Christianity. Ezana is regarded as saint by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church with a feast day of 1st October. Sources Helbrunn Timeline of Art History Wikipedia

Olaudah Equiano, known for most of his life as Gustavus Vassa, He was probably born in the Eboe region of the kingdom of Benin province, in the area that is now southern Nigeria. ( He twice listed his birthplace in the Americas) Most of what he wrote in his book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa (published in 1789)can be verified. ( See Amazon notes) As a child he was kidnapped with his sister, aged about 11, and sold to local slave traders and shipped across the Atlantic to Barbados and then Virginia. In Virginia he was sold to a Royal Naval officer, Lieutenant Michael Pascal. Pascal renamed him Gustavus Vassa - the name of a 16th century Swedish king ( he had already been called Michael and Jacob). He travelled the oceans with Pascal for 8 years. In his book he give eye witness accounts of the Seven Years War with France. Pascal favoured him by sending him to his sister-in-law so that he could attend school and learn to read and write. Olaudah was converted to Christianity and was baptised at St. Margaret’s Westminster on 9th February, 1759 Pascal then sold him to Captain James Doran of the Charming Sally at gravesend, from where he was transported to the Caribbean. Doran sent him to Montserrat where he was sold to Robert King, a prominent American Quaker merchant from Philadelphia who traded in the Caribbean. He worked as a deckhand, barber and valet for King. He earned enough money over 3 years, by trading on the side, to buy his freedom. He then spent the next 20 years travelling the world. He made trips to Turkey and the Arctic. He took care not to be captured and sold again as a slave. In 1786 he came to London, He became involved in the movement to abolish slavery and joined the Sons of Africa - a group of 12 black African men. (See notes) In 1789 he published his book. which depicted the horrors of slavery. he spent many months speaking in public about his life. It went through 9 editions in his lifetime and helped gain passage of the British Slave Trade Act of 1807 On 7th April 1792 he married Susannah Cullen, an English woman. They married in Soham, Cambridge and settled there. They had 2 daughters -Anna Maria and Joanna Susannah died in February 1796 Olaudah Equiano aged 52, died on 31st March 1797 just over a year later. The register reads Gustus Vasa, 52 years, St Mary Le Bone He was buried at Whitefield’s Tabernacle on 6th April. (burial place now lost). Anna Maria died in 1797 aged just 4 Joanna went on to marry Revd. Henry Bromley Amazon Timelines from Black History BBC History

Sojourner Truth was born Isabella Bomfree. She was a slave, born in 1797 in Dutch speaking Ulster County, New York. She was bought and sold 4 times. In her teens (1815) she was united with another slave and they had 5 children. In 1827, the year before New York’s law freeing slaves was to take effect, she ran away with her infant Sophia. She ran to the nearby abolitionist family, the Van Wageners. For $20 they bought her freedom. In 1928 she began to work for a local minister. By the early 1830s she was participating in the religious revivals that were sweeping the state and she became a charismatic speaker and itinerant preacher. In 1943 she declared the Spirit called on her to preach the truth- renaming herself Sojourner Truth. Abolitionists, William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass, encouraged her to give speeches about the evils of slavery. She never learned to read or write. In 1950 she dictated her autobiography The narrative of Sojourner Truth to Oliver Gilbert, who also helped publish the book. The book brought her national recognition and she survived on the sales of the book. She met women’s rights activists,including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, plus temperance advocates, and quickly championed both causes. In 1851 she delivered her famous Ain’t I a Woman speech at the women’s conference on Akron, Ohio. She challenged the prevailing notions of racial and gender inferiority and inequality by reminding her listeners of her combined strength - she was nearly 6 feet tall and had female status. ( See Speech) She eventually split from Douglass because he believed enslaved men should should come before women’s suffrage. She believed they should occur simultaneously. In the 1950s she moved to Battle Creek where 3 of her daughters lived. She continued to speak nationally and to help slaves escape to freedom. During the Civil War she encouraged young men to join the Union cause and organized supplies for black troops. After the war, in 1864, she was invited to the White House by President Abraham Lincoln and became involved with the Freedmen’s Bureau - helping freed slaves find work and build new lives. In the mid 1860s a street conductor violently tried to block her from riding. In court she won her case. In the late 1860’s she collected 1000s of signatures on a petition to provide former slave with land - Congress never took action. In her final years she became nearly blind and deaf. She spent her final years in Michigan and died in 1883. Sources National Women’s History Museum Ain’t I a Woman transcript

Jupiter Hammon is known as the founder of African - American literature. His poem An Evening Thought;Salvation by Christ, with Penitential Cries (EVSCPC), published in 1761, was the first by an African-American in North America. (Read copy of poem) Born into slavery he became a devoted Christian evangelist preacher. He was also a commercial clerk on long island. New York. He was a slave of the Lloyd family. He was born at the Lloyd Manor (now Lloyd Harbor). He served 4 generations of the Lloyd family for his entire life Like the Lloyds family Jupiter was a fervent Christian. Aged 22 he bought a bible from his master for 7 shillings and 6 pence. His writings reflected his spirituality. I Jupiter received rudimentary education through the Anglican Church’s Society of the Gospel in Foreign parts system. His ability to read and write aided the Lloyds in their commercial businesses and helped him exhibit a level of intellectual awareness through literature. EVSCPC was his first published poem. Composed on 25th December, Christmas day 1760 it appeared as a 'broadside in 1761. An Address to Miss Phillis Wheatley, 18 years later, was his second work to appear in print. The dedicated poem, to a fellow black slave, contained 21 rhyming quatrains (4 lines) , each accompanied by a Biblical verse -thinking it would help her Christian journey. On 24th September 1786, aged 76, and still a slave, Jupiter said this famous quote during his speech at the inaugural meeting of the African Society in New York City , If we should get to heaven, we shall find nobody to reproach us for being black, or for being slaves. He knew that slavery was deeply entrenched in American society and that immediate emancipation of all slaves would be difficult to achieve, The exact year of Jupiter Hammon’s death is unknown but it is believed he died in 1806. He ranked 327 in the top 500 poets. Sources All poetry Wikipedia

Harriet Jacobs was convinced, by friends, to write an autobiography of her life as a slave. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl(1861) was the book and it is one of the first open discussions about the sexual harassment and abuse endured by a slave woman - a topic that even made abolitionists feel uncomfortable. The story tells of how, eventually after many years as a slave, Harriet was able to escape the continual sexual harassment of her slave owner and become a free woman. In her autobiography Harriet’s says her childhood was a happy one. Though we were slaves, I was fondly shielded that I never dreamed that I was a piece of merchandise. But on the death of her benevolent mistress, when she was 12, everything changed. Her ownership transfered to her mistress’s niece who was only 3 years old. Harriet’s actual new master was the niece’s father - Dr James Norcom. He would cause her a great deal of pain. When she was 15 Norcom began his relentless efforts to bend the slave girl’s will. He would whisper ‘foul words’ in her ear. His wife became suspicious so he built Harriet a cottage 4 miles from town. She asked if she could marry a free black man, Norcom violently refused. She had a plan. She became friendly with a caring white, unmarried lawyer. They had a child, She expected the infuriated Norcom to sell her and her child.- he didn’t. She bore the lawyer a second child. She heard Norcom was preparing to get the children to work as plantation slaves. In June 1835, after 7 rears of mistreatment, she ’ escaped’ and stayed with neighbours, black and white. The lawyer had bought her grandmother and uncle’s house. She found a tiny crawl space above the porch just big enough to hid in (9x7x3 feet). This tiny hiding place is where she stayed for the next 7 years- she could see her children through a peep hole. At night she would briefly exercise. In 1842 she escaped to freedom. She sailed to Philadelphia and then to New York by train. She was reunited with her children Joseph and Louisa Matilda and eventually her brother, John J. Jacobs… She fled to Massachusetts to again escape from Norcom. She found work as a nanny for the Children of Nathaniel Parker Willis. Harriet eventually became legally free when Mrs Willis, arranged her purchase. She made contact with abolitionists and feminist reformers. She was actively involved with the abolition movement before the launch of the Civil War. During the war she helped raise money for black refugees. After the war she worked to improve the conditions of th e recently freed slaves. She went with her daughter to the Union occupied parts of the South to help organize and found 2 schools for fugitives and freed slaves. She died in 7th March 1897, aged 84, a free woman. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is now considered an ‘American classic’ Sources Africans in America Amazon National Archives Penquin Classics

Rebecca Lee Crumpler (nee Davis) was an American physician and author. She initially trained as a nurse but in 1864 she became the first African-American female doctor of medicine in the USA. She was the only female physician author in the 19th century A Book of Medical Discourses (1883) She dedicated herself to treating women an children who lived in poverty. Rebecca treated patients regardless of their ability to pay and often took no money for her work As a child she excelled in mathematics. In the 1870s she attended the elite West newton English and Classical School in Massachusetts. She taught in Wilmington beginning in 1874 and in New Castle, Delaware beginning in 1876 She married Wyatt Lee, a Virginia native and former slave in 1852. This was his second marriage and his son Albert dies aged just 7. This tragedy motivated her to become a nurse. She studied nursing for the next 8 years( 1855-64). The doctors and nurses are impressed with her knowledge and skills and encourage her to enroll in medical college. In 1860 she wins a scholarship to train as a doctor at the New England Female Medical College, Boston. She was the first and only African=American physician in her class. (Read Education -Nursing and medical school) In 1864 she become the first African- American woman to earn a medical degree. That year, because of the US Civil War (1861-5), she lost her funding and then her husband to tuberculosis . On 24th May 1865 she marries Arthur Crumpler a former fugitive slave. They are both active members of the Twelfth Baptist church where Arthur is a trustee. They move to Richmond , Virginia. She helps slaves rebuild their lives after slavery. She treated patients who otherwise would not have received medical care. She was subject to ‘intense racism’ and sexism while practicing medicine. She is shunned by fellow doctors and has problems getting the medication required. They return to Boston ((1869) where she sets up a medical clinic in a mainly African- American community of Beacon Hill. She treats women and children for free, if they are unable to pay. They stay there until 1880 11 years. By 1883 they are now living in Hyde Park, New York. She writes her medical journal * A Book of Medical Discourses*(BofMD) it was dedicated to nurses and mothers and focused on the medical care of women and children.(Read BofMD) Rebecca died in 9th March 1895, aged 64. She overcame a number of obstacles. She was the first African- American to become a doctor in the USA. She was the first African- American to publish a medical book. She is an inspiration for those who follow in her footsteps. On 16thJuly, 2020 a gravestone, following a ceremony, was finally installed at Fairview Cemetery to mark where Rebecca and Arthur were buried. Sources Amazon Timelines from Black History

John Warwick Montgomery is a lawyer, professor, Lutherian theologian and author. He is chiefly noted for his major contributions as a writer, lecturer and public debater in the field of Christian apologetics -the branch of theology concerned with the defence and rational justification of Christianity. He is director of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. He is also editor of the online *Journal Global Journal of Classical Theology. * He was born in Warsaw, New York, USA on 18th October 1931. John became a Christian in 1949 as an undergraduate majoring in the classics and philosophy at Cornell University. He earned 10 degrees in multiple disciplines including philosophy, librarianship , theology and law. Ph.D, Th.D and LLD,. ( See ‘Education’ for detail) In 1959/60 he served as principle librarian in the Divinity school’s library at the University of Chicago He then served as Chairman of the Department of History at Wifrid Laurier University in Canada In 1964 having completed his Th.D. he became Professor of church history at Trinity Evangelical School in Deerfield, Illinois ( 1964-74). While there he became a regular columnist with *Christianity Today * (1965-83). He became involved within theological controversies with his denomination, the Lutheran church concerning Biblical inerrancy and higher criticism. He wrote 3 books opposing Liberal Christianity and radical theologies. Since 1965 he has been an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod His role as an apologist for Christianity extended to debates with atheists, ethicists and humanists. In th e 1970s he began training in law with the twin aims of reintegrating Christian foundations into jurisprudence and to integrate insights from legal theory and doctrines of proof relevant to furthering Christian evidential apologetics In 1970, after 2 years research, he wrote The Quest for Noah’s Ark In 1980 he established the Simon Greenleaf School of Law in California (now Trinity Law School. He was dean and professor there from 1980-89. He resigned under a cloud of controversy In 1991 became a Barrister-at- law in London. In 2009 passed the French bar examinations. From 1995 to 2007 he was Professor in Law and Humanities at the University of Bedfordshire, . From 2007 to 2014 he was Research Professor of Philosophy and Christian Thought at Patrick Henry College in Virginia USA. He remains Emeritus professor at the University of Bedfordshire. He now lives in France, England and the USA with his second wife Lanalee de Kant, a professional harpist. He is considered to be one of the foremost living apologists for classical biblical Christianity. Prof. J, W. Montgomery Apologetics

Miroslav Volf is a Croatian Protestant theologian and Henry B. Wright Professor of Theology at Yale University. He is the founder and director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture at Yale Divinity School (YCFC) (2003-2020). He previously taught at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in his native Osijek, Croatia (1979-80), (1983-90) where he served as Professor of Systematic Theology. At Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California (1990-1998) he was an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology. He had an outstanding university education. He received 2 advanced degrees under the German theologian Jurgen Moltmann. (Read Early influences and education) Family and early life (read notes) Miroslave began preaching before he was 18. While living in Croatia he taught in church and for a short time was an interim pastor of a church in Zagreb. In the USA he continued to preach and teach in churches as well as appearing on Christian radio and TV programs. While in Croatia he worked for the Christian monthlyIvori He was the magazine’s co-editor (1979-84) and editor (1984-89). He re-designed/branded the magazine his father published. He regularly wrote editorials and feature articles. In the USA he also wrote for church audiences. He has been described as a ‘theological bridge builder’. The main thrust of the theology of this incredibly learned/decorated man ( See list of honors) is to bring Christian theology to bear on various realms of public life, such as culture, politics and economics. He often explores the dialogues between groups in the world. The systematic contours of his theology are most clearly noticeable in his book Free of Charge. The immediate themes are giving and forgiving as 2 chief modes of grace Miroslav is probably best known for Exclusion and Embrace(1996). His task was to reflect theologically about the Yugoslav Wars, marked by ethnic cleansing that was raging in his home country of Croatia at the time. It won the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for religion in 2002 Christianity Today included it in the top 100 most influential books of the 20th century. In 2003 he founded YCFC at Yale Divinity School. The goal of the center, which he still directs, is to promote the practice of faith in all spheres through theological research and leadership development. He has served as an advisor for the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. He is a frequent commentator on the media talking about religious and cultural issues. In his teens he had a quiet conversion. In high school in Croatia he was the only openly Christian student. He had to explain why and how the Christian faith makes sense intellectually and is a salutary way of life. This was the beginning of his journey as a theologian. Miroslav Volf has to be one of the most outstanding Christian theologians of the late 20th/early 21st century. Sources Wikipedia -only some of the notes

William Miller was an American baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid 19th century religious movement called Millerism. William was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on 15th February 1792. in 1796 the family t moved to Low Hampton. New York.His mother educated him at home until he was 9. He then attended East Poultney District school. He is not known to have further education after he was 18, but he continued to read widely. He had access to several private libraries In 1803 he married Lucy Smith and moved to Poultney where he took up farming. In1809 he was elected to the office of deputy sheriff and later elected to be the Justice of the Peace Shortly after arriving he rejected his Baptist heritage and became a Deist ( a belief in the existence of God based solely on natural reason, without reference to revelation). At the outbreak of war in 1812 he raised a company of local men and acted as a recruiter. In 1814 promoted of captain. He had a miraculous escape when a bomb exploded killing one soldier. injuring 3 others and he survived without a scratch. On discharge from the army in 1815 he moved his family back to Low Hampton. He took tentative steps to regain his Baptist faith. With the minister away he was asked to read the sermon. (Read his conversion comment in Religious Life.) His Diest friends challenged him to justify his new faith. He started at Genesis 1 v1 - not moving until he felt the meaning was clear. He became convinced that post-millennialism ( the doctrine or belief that the second coming of Christ would be preceded by the millennium) was unbiblical and that Christ’s Second Coming was revealed in Bible prophecy. He based his calculations on Daniel 8 v 14 Unto twp thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed starting date 457 BC the year Artaxerxes I of Persia allowed the rebuilding of Jerusalem A day represented a year. 2,300 Year of Second Coming 2300 - 457 = 1843 on/before (See charts) October 22, 1844 became known as *The Great Disappointment * William apparently never personally set an exact date for the Second Coming. Millerism from 1840 was transformed from an 'obscure, regional movement into a national campaign. A key figure was Joshua Vaughan Himes, an able and experienced published who printed the 24 issues of*Signs of the Times from March 1840. (See sheet) William died on 20th December 1849 convinced the Second Coming was imminent, Christians await the day 09/12/2020 Legacy William Miller’s Home is a registered a National Historic Landmark and preserved as museum Estimate number of followers 50,000- 500,000 After his death new heirs to his message emerged Advent Christian Church 61,000 Seventh-day Adventists Church 19,000,000 Sources used Logos Bible Software Wikipedia

James Porter Moreland ( born 9th March 1948), better known as J.P. Moreland, is an American philosopher, theologian and Christian apologist - a person concerned with the defence and rational justification of Christianity. He currently serves as a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in La Mirada, California, He specializes in metaphysics - the system of first principles and assumptions underlying an inquiry or philosophical theory, philosophy of mind and Christian philosophy. Degrees He received a B.S. in physical chemistry from the University of Missouri. M.A. in Philosophy from the University of California, Riverside Th.M in Theology form Dallas Theological Seminary Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Southern California 1985 For 10 years he served with the Campus Crusade. He planted 2 Campus Crusade works and planted 2 churches James has spoken on over 200 college campuses and in 100s of churches. He has authored, edited, or contributed papers to 95 books. ( See ‘Works’ and ‘Amazon’) James has also published close to 90 articles He has had his work published in journals such as *Metaphilosophy and American Philosophically Quarterly. * He regularly contributes articles to Christianity Today, Faith and Philosophy, Philosophia Christi, and Philosophy Phenomenological Research. James has been a frequent guest on the PBS television series Closer to Truth. ( See sheet on ‘Closer to Truth’) He is a member of the Board of Advisers for the Center on Cultural and Civil Society (CCCS) at the Independent Institute. The purpose of CCCS is to bring together top scholars in their various fields to produce books, events and media programs for all to use. ( See notes on CCCS) James has received many awards and honors ( See ‘Awards and honors’} In 2016 J. P. Moreland was recognized by The Best Schools as being one of the 50 most influential living philosophers. A recognition well deserved. Sources Biola University Discovery Institute The Independent Institute TV Episodes/ Closer to Truth Wikipedia

Thomas Clark Oden was an American Methodist theologian and religious author. He is often regarded as the father of the paleo (variant)-orthodox theological movement. He was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004, He remained faculty emeritus until he died. Thomas was born on 21st of October 1931 in Altus, Oklahoma. He was the son of an attorney and a music teacher. As a youth he considered two vocations - lawyer or Methodist minister. Aged 10 the family moved to Oklahoma City, In 1945 they moved back to Atlus. In High school he began his vocation of writing and speaking. Thomas married Edrita Pokorny on 10th August 1952. They had 3 children. Degrees BA from the University of Oklahoma 1953 BD from Southern Methodist University 1956 MA from Yale University 1958 Ph.D. from ‘’ ‘’ 1960 Thomas lectured at a number of universities - Yale, Southern Methodist, Heidelberg, Lomonosov and Pontifical Gregorian in Rome, plus Princeton Theological Seminary. In his writings he became a supporter of paleo-orthodoxy - an approach which relies on the writings of the early church. In the early 1970s he was influenced by his Jewish colleague, Will Herberg, He discovered an ecumenical orthodoxy interpretation of the New Testament which is universal and accepted by most Christian faiths. Thomas suggested that Christians need to *rely upon the wisdom of the historical/early church, rather than on modern scholarship and theology which he thought was tainted by political agendas. * He said his mission was to prepare the third millennium for the *careful study and respectful following of the central tradition of classical Christianity. * Thomas was active in the Confessing Movement in America. He served on the board of the Institute on Religion and Democracy. He had an Arminian theology which means he believes in the Christian Protestant doctrines of Jacobus Arminus (1560-1609)- the Dutch theologian. He wrote *The Transforming Power of Grace * which according to Roger E. Olson ’ is one of the best expositions of Arminian theology '* * He wrote and edited many book, articles ,essays and speeches on a range of topics. He served as the architect and general editor of Ancient Christian Commentary on Scriptures(ACCS) which is a massive 30 volume series. He was general editor of the Ancient Doctrine series and Ancient Christian devotionals. He was consulting editor of the Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity ( See ‘Works’ for list of books and Amazon notes on ACCS). Thomas died , aged 85, on 8th December 2016. He is considered to be one of the most influential theologians of the late 20th/early 21st century. He had* A Life time of Pioneering Theological Scholarship*. Sources used InterVasity press Wikipedia

Richard Longeneck is a prominent New Testament scholar. For many years he taught at Wycliffe College University of Toronto., He was formerly Distinguished Professor of New Testament at McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, Ontario. He is now retired. He received a B.A. (1953) and M.A. (19560 from Wheaton College He received a Ph.D from new College , University of Edinburgh Wycliffe College honored him with a D.D. He developed an international reputation teaching in several theological colleges for 40 years. He also lectured widely in North America. He is the author of numerous books and published over 50 articles in scholarly and professional journals. (See 'Works for long list of books published over 45 years). in 1994 a Festschrift (a collection of essays and learned papers) were published in his honor. In 2016 his commentary on the epistle to Romans was published by Eerdmans in the *New International Greek Testament Commentary *series. He has given significant contributions to the Institute for Biblical Research (IBR).Established in 1973 its vision is *to foster excellence in the pursuit of Biblical Studies within a faith environment. * (See notes on IBR) Richard has also given outstanding leadership serving as president of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC). Founded in 1964 It publishes *Faith Today which is a major evangelical magazine in Canada ( See notes on EFC) Richard was born on 21st July 1930 which means he is now 90. The Epistle to the Romans was published when he was 86 - what an achievement. I am lost for words. Sources used Theopedia Wikipedia

Mark Dever is the senior pastor of the Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) in Washington D.C. He is the co-founder and president of 9Mark which was created to build biblically faithful churches in America. He earned a B.A. at Duke University, a M.A. in Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a M.A, in Theology form Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Dr of Philosophy from Cambridge University. Mark grew up in rural Kentucky and was an avid reader, reading sections from encyclopedias by the age of 10. Based on his reading and thoughts he considered himself an agnostic. Later he reread the Gospel and seeing the change in the life of Jesus’ disciples led him to becoming a Christian. In 1994 he became the senior pastor of CHBC. CHBC is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Mark believes that Baptist churches should be led by a plurality of congregational elders as opposed to a single elder. In 1998 Mark founded The Center for Church Reform which eventually became*9Mark The aim of 9Mark is to help Bible believing churches become more healthy by recovering a Biblical view of the church. The 9 marks are:- Expositional preaching Biblical Theology '' understanding of the gospel '' '' '' '' conversion '' '' '' '' evangelism '' '' '' '' membership '' church discipline Promotion of Christian discipleship and growth 9 .Biblical Understanding of church leadership ( See About 9Mark) Mark and CHBC also train church leaders an a small scale. Every year 12 interns pass through the church’s internship program that centers around ecclesiology. (See Notes for definition) He is a member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals (ACE) where he leads the Alliance Forum. The ACE promotes the traditional doctrines of the Protestant Reformation especially Calvinism. (See Notes for more ACE info.) Mark has become more widely recognized among conservative evangelicals as he has appeared at large nationwide conferences. He co-founded the Together for the Gospel conference. Notes on Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals Ecclesiology - definition of Sources Wikipedia

Moises Siva is a Cuban born American biblical scholar, minister, author, translator and editor. He is an ordained minister of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. He has served as a translator of several Bibles. He is also a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society (1997) Moises was born in Havana, Cuba on 4th September 1925 and has lived in the USA since 1960. He earned the following degrees BA Bob Jones University 1966 BD Westminster Theological Seminary 1969 ThM ‘’ ‘’ ‘’ 1971 Phd University of Manchester 1972 He taught Biblical Studies at Westminster College (1972-1981), Westminster Theological Seminary (1981-1996), and Godon Conewll Theological Seminary (1996-2000) where he was Mary French Rockerfeller Distinguished Professor of New Testament until he retired. He has been involved as a translator in the New American Standard Bible the *New Living Translation and the recent English Standard Version. He has also been consultant for Eugene Peterson’s The Message . Moises is the editor of the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis . He was also editor of both the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, and the Westminster Journal. Moises’ Biblical Words and Their Meaning (1983, 2nd ed.1994) challenged many common linguistic fallacies in biblical interpretation. He has also found time to author or co-author several books and articles. His commentary on Philippians was highly acclalmed. (See list of ‘Works’) Moises Siva currently lives in Litchfield, Michigan where he continues to work as an author and editor. Sources Wikipedia

Nancey Murphy (born 12th June 1951) is an American philosopher and theologian who is Senior Professor of Christian Philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary (FTS), Pasadena, CA . She is a member( and former chair) of the Board of Directors of the Center for Theology and National Science (CTNS) . She is also a member of the American Philosophical Association (APA) and the Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP). She was an advisor to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and serves on the planning committee of the Vatican Observatory. (See notes on all 5) Nancey is an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren. Her first book *Theology in the Age of Scientific Reasoning * (1990) won the American Academy of Religion award for excellence. Degrees B.A. Philosophy and Psychology from Creighton University (CU) in 1973 Ph.D. Philosophy and Science from University of California in 1980 Th.D. Theology from Graduate Theology Union (GTU) in 1987 Recognition 1998 Alumnus of the year for C U 1999 J.K. Russel Fellow at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences 2006 Alumnus of the year for GTU Nancey joined the faculty at FTS in 1989. She is still there over 30 years later. ( See notes on FTS) Nancey’s research interests focus on the role of modern and postmodern philosophy in shaping Christian Theology on relations between theology and science, and relations among neuroscience, philosophy of mind and Christian anthropology. She is a prolific writer. She has written 10 books and co-authored 11 volumes. She has written chapters for books and articles for Journals and magazines. ( See ‘Among her many publication are’, ‘Bio’, ‘Career’ and ‘Books’ plus Amazon) Nancey also serves as an editorial advisor for numerous publishers and journals. Nancey is highly sought after as a speaker at inter/national conferences on philosophy and the relationship between theology and science. In 2007 the * Los Angeles Magazine* include her in the list of *100 most influential people. Sources AAAS Amazon Center for Theology and the natural Science Fuller seminary Wikipedia

William Wells Brown was a prominent African- American abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright and historian. His novel Clotel; or the President’s Daughter (1853) considered to be the first novel written by an African- American - published in London, England. In 1867 he published the first history by an African- American *The Negro in the American Revolution . * George Higgins,his father, was a white plantation owner; his mother was a black slave named Elizabeth. She had 7 children all by different men. His father treated him like a house slave: his mother was a field slave. Together they were hired out to Major Freeland- a drunkard who kept a public house. William complained back to his father who was only interested in the money he was paid for his slaves - so after 6 months he escaped only to be caught. He was whipped and smoked (twice) and sent back to work. ( Read first set of notes ) He was also hired out to work on steamboats on the Missouri River. His work allowed to him to travel to see many new places. In 1833 he and his mother escaped across the river but were captured in Illinois. In 1834 they successfully slipped away from a steamboat when it docked in Cincinnati, Ohio They escaped to Dayton. The elderly Quaker, Wells Brown, helped him recover from a fever. When asked if he had another name than William he decided to adopt this kind gentleman’s name - William Wells Brown. He learned to read and write and eagerly sought more education. In 1834 he married Elizabeth Schooner. They had 2 daughters Clarissa and Josephine. ( Later they became estranged she died in 1851) He was hired by Elijah P. Lovejoy, the famed abolitionist and publisher of the St. Louis Times. He enjoyed working for him. From 1836- 1845? he made his home in Buffalo new York. He became a conductor on the Underground Railroad and worked on a Lake Erie steamer ferrying slaves to freedom in Canada. He became active in the abolitionist movement by joining several anti-slavery societies which included public speaking and music. He traveled with a slavery -themed traveling panorama He also organized a Temperance society. In 1947 published his memoir. -The Narrative of WWB , a Fugitive Slave, Written by Himself. ( See ‘Literary Works’) In 1949 he traveled to the U.K. to lecture on slavery. Represents US at the International Peace Congress in Paris. 1950 Fugitive Slave Act in the US - decided to stay in Europe. 1853Clotel published in London 1854 Richardson family buy his freedom. Returns to US to rejoin the anti-slavery lecture circuit. 1861-5 American Civil War- recruits blacks for the Union. 1880 last book published 6th November, 1884 William dies , aged 70, in Chelsea, Massachusetts . In 2013 he was among the first writers inducted to the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame He was the first African- American novelist & historian.

Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly, was the first African-American author of a published book of poems - Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. Phillis was born in West Africa, probably present day Gambia or Senegal. She was sold into slavery aged 7 or 8 and transported to North America. She arrived in Boston, in the British Colony of Massachusetts, on 11th July 1761. She was enslaved by the Wheatley family of Boston. She was named Phillis after the name of the ship which transported her The Phillis. She was given the last name of Wheatley since it was common custom, if any surname was used, for enslaved people. The Wheatleys gave her the opportunity to learn to read and write and encouraged her talent for writing poetry. Their daughter Mary was her first tutor in reading and writing. Their son Nathaniel also helped. By the age of 12 she was reading Greek and Latin classics in their original language In 1770 she wrote a tribute to the evangelist George Whitefield. Many of her poems expressed Christian themes and many were dedicated to famous figures. In 1772 she successfully defended her authorship in court. The signed attestation is included in the preface to her book ( See ‘Poetry’) In 1773, aged 20, she made a trip to London, with her master’s son,seeking to find publication of her work. It was also thought it would help her health - she suffered from chronic asthma. Phillis met prominent people who became patrons. She had an audience with the Lord mayor of London, Frederick Bull. Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntington, subsidized volumes of her poems. Selina became ill so they never actually met. Poems on various subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London on 1st September 1773. It brought her fame in both England and the American colonies. She met George Washington in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1776. Jupiter Hammon praised her work in a poem. She *became the most famous African on the face of the earth *Voltaire. Phillis was emancipated (set free from slavery in November 1773 by the Wheatleys. But she soon lost the support of the Wheatleys, Susanna diedi n 1774, and John in 1778. She met and married John Peters, a free black grocer. They struggled with poor living conditions. They lost 2 babies. In 1784 he was imprisoned. Phillis went o work as a scullery maid in a boarding house. She became ill and died on th 5th December 1784. Her infant son soon after. Despite her early fame Phillis died in poverty and obscurity at the age of just 31. She is honored as the first African -American to publish a book of poetry and the first to make a living from her writings. 2002 Molefi Kete Asante listed her as one of his 100 greatest African- Americans For more ‘Legacy and Honors’ read notes. Sources Amazon Timelines from bBack History Wikipedia

Sarah Jane Woodson Early, nee Sarah Jane Woodson, was an American educator, black nationalist, temperance activist and author. In 1858 she became the first black woman college instructor. She was also the first black African- American (A-A) to teach at a university-Historically Black College or University (HBCU) before the Civil War (1861-5) Sarah was the fifth and youngest daughter of 11. Her parents were Thomas Woodson and Jemima (nee Riddle) . She was born FREE in Chillicothe, Ohio on 15th November 1825 (In 1820 her father had paid $900 for the family’s freedom whilst living in Greenbrier County, Virginia. There were only 1 of 2 free black families in the entire county so they moved to the free state of Ohio. ) The Woodsons founded the first black methodist church west of the Alleghenies mountain range. In 1830 they were among the founders of a separate black farming community called Berlin Crossroad which became a prominent spot on the ’ Underground Rail Road’- an escape route for slaves. By 1840 nearly 2 dozen families had established a school, stores and churches. Her father and some of her brothers became black nationalists. Sarah showed an interest in education at a very early age. By the age of 3 should memorize hymns sung by her family. By the age of 5 she was able to memorize lengthy passages of the Bible. In 1839 she joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) where 2 of her brothers were ministers. In 1852 along with her sister, Hannah, she enrolled at the Oberin College. In 1856 she was one of the first African-American (A-A) women to graduate with a degree in Classical Studies. After graduation she taught in the black community schools in Ohio for several years. She was the first principal at a public school in Xenia, Ohio. In 1858 she joined Wilberforce University and became the first A-A woman college instructor She taught at HBCU where her brother Rev. Lewis Woodson was the founder and a trustee . HBCU closed during the war. In 1863 bought by AME and re-opened as first A-A college to be owned and operated. In 1868 she began teaching in a new school for black girls established by the Freedmen’s Bureau in Hillsboro. North Carolina. On 24th September, aged 42, she married Rev. Jordan Winston Early - an AME minister and former slave. They moved to Tennessee where she became principal of schools in 4 cities. From 1868-88) - 20 years, she helped her husband with his ministries until he retired. She taught school for nearly 40 years. She believed education was critical for the advancement of the race. 1888-92 she was national superintendent of the black division of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and gave 100 lectures across 5 states. Sarah wrote her husband’s biography and his rise from slavery - it is included among postwar narratives. Sarah’s career ended with her death. She died on 15th August 1907, aged 82. Sources PRO WCofRW WCTU Wikipedia

Hidden Figures: The story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race is the true story of how 3 black African-American (A-A) women helped NASA win the Space Race to the Moon. It was adapted as a biographical film of the same name and released in 2016 . It is a film and not a documentary. It looked at the lives of three black (A-A) women who made major contributions to the orbital mission of the moon by John Glenn during the space race. Wonderful, feel-good drama about the black female engineers and mathematicians who worked behind the scenes at a segregated NASA during the tense and ground breaking 1960s space race. Daily Mail- weekend Segregation was made obvious. Jim Crow laws meant A-A women had to have separate dining room and bathroom facilities Katherine’s boss eventually became curious about her ‘absences’ - eventually he ’ ceremonially’ pulled down the ‘Whites only’ sign. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1958 became the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All three ladies started work at NACA, Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Katherine Johnson (1918-2020), A-A, started to work for NACA in 1953. She was a human calculator - she was simply brilliant at mathematics. Her mental maths calculations were phenomenal. The new IBM computers had been programed with the orbital equations to control the trajectory of the capsule in Glenn’s Friendship 7 mission, but were prone to errors! Before his flight, as part of the preflight checklist,Glenn said 'Get that girl (Katherine 0 If she says they’re good then I’m ready to go. He wanted human confirmation that the figures were correct. Katherine was handed the data. She confirmed the calculations by running the numbers through by hand on her desktop mechanical calculating machine. Numbers confirmed Glenn had a successful mission, Dorothy Vaughan (1910-2008), A-A ,started work at NACA in 1943. She was a mathematician and human calculator. She eventually became the first African=American to supervise a group of A-A staff at NASA’s Research Center in Hampton. She was in charge of the West Area Computers. She prepared for the the introduction of the IBM machine computers by teaching first herself and then her staff the programming language of Fortran. Mary Jackson (nee Winston)(1921-2005), A-A, was a mathematician and aerospace engineer. She started as a human computer at N A C A in 1951. Kazimierz Czarnecki, her boss, encouraged her to qualify as an engineer but she needed a degree. To do this she had to attend a night program at an all white school- Hampton High. After completing the course in 1958 she was promoted to aerospace engineer - the first black female NASA engineer. By 1979 she was the senior engineer. She retrained for Equal Opportunities . Retired from NASA 1985. All 3 of them were reward numerous awards and honors. In 2020 two had a satellite named after them.

Cathay Williams was an African-American (A-A) soldier who enlisted in the US Army under the pseudonym William Cathay. She was the first black woman to enlist, and the only documented woman to serve in the US Army posing as a man. Despite the fact that it was prohibited for a woman to join the army she managed to enlist under the name William Cathay. Only her cousin and a friend, who were fellow soldiers in her regiment, knew the truth about the deception… She, some how, managed to pass a medical examination - very cursory- and she was registered to the 38th United States Infantry Regiment. Cathay was the child of a free man and a woman in slavery which made her legal status to be a slave. Shortly after her enlistment she caught smallpox and was hospitalized. She rejoined her unit which was posted to new Mexico. After years of marching and the after effects of smallpox she was often hospitalized. The post surgeon discovered she was a woman. Her commanding officer, Captain Charles E. Clarke discharged her on 14th the October 1868. 20 plus years later (1889) she applied for a disability pension based on her military service . Following a medical examination in September 1893 her application was rejected although she suffered from neuralgia and diabetes, all her toes had been amputated and she walked with a crutch. The actual date of her death -probably late 1893 and her place of burial, are unknown. In 2016 a small bust of Cathay Williams, with a small rose garden, was unveiled outside the Richard Allen Cultural Center in Leavenworth, Kansas. in 2018 a Private Cathay Williams monument bench was unveiled on the Walk of Honor at the National Infantry Museum. Sources Remembering Remarkable Firsts During Black History Month Wikipedia