Despite how complex we try to make things, it’s really quite simple:
Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as every you can.
-John Wesley
Kelly and Lilly Mack, two members of the San Mateo community who were among the first builders and organizes of the St. James A. M. E. Zion Church 100 years ago.
Kelly Mack, who was born February 12, 1898, came to San Mateo with his wife Lilly and their two children, Kellmar and Oswald, from Eutaw in Green county Alabama. The decision to relocate came at the urging of his brother, after a white street car conductor put a gun to his head for sitting in the “ wrong section of a streetcar.” Ironically, it was at that time, Corporal Kelly Mack had just returned home from serving his country in the Signal Corp during World War I. He had been stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii where black men were typically assigned since the U.S. of America did not want non-whites in direct combat against a white enemy.
After moving to San Mateo, Kelly Mack did part time work at Noah William’s restaurant which was called Noah’s Ark, located on the corner of San Mateo Drive and 3rd avenue where this cater corned edifice reportedly still stands today. During that time, Black men, who came to San Mateo, were typically hired to work as waiters and busboys at Noah Williams’ cafeteria style restaurant that was known for unusually delicious ham. The Mack family lived, for a time, in a house on the corner of Fremont at 803 Mt. Diablo Avenue. This house was next door to the original location of St James A.M.E. Zion Church in the parking lot of what is now the Martin Luther King Center.
During the depression, the Mack family grew, with the addition of Audrey and Edwin. Although jobs were not plentiful Kelly Mack was resourceful. He began a cleaning business at new housing development sites. During those days, new plumbing fixtures came wrapped in newspaper that was glued to porcelain and was very difficult to remove. Fortunately, Kelly Mack was resourceful. He was able to invent new ways of effectively removing glued paper from porcelain fixtures, as well as paint, cement and putty splashes from windows, tile floors, walls other surfaces. The Kelly Mack’s House Cleaning Service business thrived as he branched out from just cleaning at new construction sites to include cleaning older homes as well. Because of the popularity and effectiveness of his House Cleaning business at construction sites, he was able to influence those in the construction industry to donate building materials, scaffolding, lumber, plumbing supplies, paint and mortar that were all needed during both the initial construction of the first St. James church sanctuary and years later for repairs after the arsonist fire in 1967. In fact, the entire construction community responded to Mr. Mack’s requests after the arson fire, an occurrence which was considered to be a blot on the entire city.
Whenever the church doors were opened it seems as though both Kelly and Lilly, who was a class leader and a member of the Trustee Board, were there to answer the call. Kelly Mack hammered, nailed, painted and sanded along with the best of them to keep St. James in good shape.
The Mack family began their membership during the tenure of Reverend Kinnard, the first Pastor of record to be appointed to St. James. Their active membership continued to include the subsequent administrations of 14 other ministers appointed to lead the St. James congregation. Reverend Rufus A. Cooper, who served two separate appointments as Pastor of St. James, fondly described Kelly Mack, during his funeral, as one who was either going 100 miles an hour or he was at a dead stop. There was no in between speed when it came to getting the work done. We pay tribute, as a part of this year long 100th anniversary observance, to Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Mack for their tireless devotion as two of the early builders of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church.
Submitted by: Sis. Sylvia Baker
Drawing on the ancient practice of setting aside Lent as a period of study and preparation for living as a Christian disciple, we are pleased to present weekly teachings from Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent.
We do not live in a culture that encourages REST. All too often, we are forced to work harder and longer hours, and it shows in our health. Yet, from the beginning, God – who rested on the seventh day of creation – set rest into the pattern of all life. Truly practicing the Way of Love means spending time with God in sabbath rest. Not everyone has the luxury of long breaks and vacations, or even days off. Still, we can help each other find ways internally to pause and receive the gift of sabbath. The act of rest and restoration is a part of the cycle of rebirth that is God’s hope for us and gift to us.
In the exciting story of the Valley of the Dry Bones, we hear the way God sent God’s breath, the Holy Spirit, onto a field of bones. That very breath was enough to reanimate them and bring them back to fullness of life. Making sabbath rest has the same impact. Sabbath rest provides the opportunity for God to refresh us, to breathe new life into us. When we neglect sabbath time with God, we can begin to feel withered and tired, just like those dry bones. This is no coincidence. When we constantly run from activity to activity without breathing and returning to God, we become depleted and dry.
The gospels record numerous times when Jesus retreated to a place of sabbath to reconnect with God and to receive the strength he needed to continue his ministry. In Luke 5 when the news about Jesus spread and crowds gathered around him, Jesus withdrew and prayed. Studies have shown that people who take regular breaks from work have higher rates of creativity and productivity. It should come as no surprise that the ritual of baptism follows the pattern of death into life – that is the sabbath cycle in action.
REFLECT: It has been said that we don’t take a sabbath, but rather make sabbath. Rest is an intentional act. Do you currently have a practice of reserving a block of time each day, week, or month for sabbath rest? If so, how does it restore you? If not, what has the effect of that lack felt like? Lent is a chance to reevaluate our patterns of living. Is God calling you to explore the gift of sabbath this Lent?
Submitted by: Sis. Rhonda Smith
Join us for our 100th Church Anniversary Celebration February 22 – 24 2019.
St. James AME Zion Church has been selected for the 2018 Best of San Mateo Award in the Methodist Church category by the San Mateo Award Program. Each year, the San Mateo Award Program identifies organizations that achieve success in their local community category. These exceptional organizations help make the San Mateo area a great place to live, work and play.
The San Mateo Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local organizations throughout the San Mateo area. Recognition is given to those organizations that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate long-term value.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2018 San Mateo Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the San Mateo Award Program and data provided by third parties.