The King Summit Preview

You can feel it when a community moment is bigger than a flyer. Josiellia Williams sits down with Bishop Michael Blue for a special Native Drums conversation that starts with a full preview of CCFM’s King Summit at the Florence Center in Florence, South Carolina, then goes deeper into what churches actually need to navigate right now. We walk through the schedule, the worship nights, the morning glory gatherings, and why bringing influential voices into the region can strengthen what local pastors and leaders already pour into their people.

We also spend real time on the practical breakout sessions that make this event more than a service. Mental health support, worship and arts, media training, financial legacy building, and especially church security take center stage. Bishop Blue explains why “Who’s watching while we’re praying?” is not a slogan but a necessary question in a world that has shifted, and why best practices matter so safety stays wise, calm, and intentional.

Then the conversation turns to youth in the church after COVID, and it gets honest. We talk about being deliberate, creating communities young people want to return to, and helping them build a faith that can think as well as believe through apologetics and open dialogue. If you care about church leadership, community empowerment, and youth ministry that lasts, this one will stay with you. Subscribe, share this with a friend in ministry, and leave a review so more people can find the conversation.

Transcript

Welcome And Bishop Blue Reunion

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Hello, everyone, and welcome to Native Drums. I'm Jocelia Williams, your host for today. And I have with me on this special edition our dear friend, oh my goodness, Bishop Blue, Bishop Michael Blue. Hello, Bishop Blue. God bless you. How are you doing? Sister Wave. It's always a joy to see you. It's always a joy to see you and to talk with you and spend time with you. You know how I feel about you. Oh, thank you. Because you have poured into my life for years. I met Bishop Blue at French Marion University whenever I was working with Young Gifted and blessed now. Gospel choiring. He was there and he was our accompanist and he's ministering and just look, you drug us. We would go to cellars whenever you, you know, uh initially began ministry. And um the Lord has blessed and touched, and um everything is just blown up worldwide. And so we're ever so proud of you. Thank you, ma'am. And ever so grateful to God for you. Grateful to God. And as well as you're an educator as well. Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am. Yes, yes. So uh it's it's just a blessing, just a blessing.

King Summit Dates And Headliners

SPEAKER_00 1:13

But we're here to talk about CCFM, the King Summit, taking place on uh kicking off on the 24th this Wednesday. That's right. So let's talk about that and what's about to happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Well, first, thank you, and thanks to this great body, the uh Savannah Grove uh Missionary Baptist Church and all that it represents in our region, Dr. Canty, living legend, and all of that. Seriously. And um it's an honor to be here. I'm sorry I'm not dressed better. Uh I've been at the Florence Center literally. You're perfectly helping to get ready. But um, yes, Wednesday, uh June 24th through Saturday, June 27 uh 7th, and then of course, a little extra on Sunday, June 28th. But um, we'll be welcoming some of the tremendous uh voices. God, God is not a respect of persons, and so every person is of equal worth in the sight of God. But even though we're all of equal worth, we're all called to distinct works, and the Bible tells us to esteem one another very highly in love for their works' sake. So sometimes somebody says, Well, this one's just as good as that one. Good. Oh, yes, we're all we're all born in sin, shaping in iniquity, and we all need the grace of God.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

But God gives various ones of us various gifts, and he gives us various graces for various seasons. And I believe that these brothers and sisters that are coming to share with us have been graceful this season. And uh on that Wednesday, I'll begin with the evenings. Wednesday evening, uh, Pastor John F. Hannah of the Greater Chicago Land Area.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Very influential in terms of preaching, in terms of ministering prayer, and also a very powerful community builder and influencer. He's doing a great work there in uh Greater Chicago. And the singer that night will be uh psalmist Lillian Lloyd. Um, she's best known, at least best known to me for her uh I'm sorry, tenure with uh brother Ricky Dillard and um New G. One more chance and victory. Yes, yes. And so she's going to be there uh on Wednesday evening, Thursday evening. Yours truly, I have the privilege of sharing. And uh Pastor Smokey Norfel is going to be in the psalmist. And of course, we all love Brother Smokey. Yes. And then Friday evening, Apostle Joshua Giles, another young man who has had somewhat of a meteoric rise and is doing great things. He has a conference called Mantles that has been has drawn thousands, um, and he seems to really be a young man of integrity. And then uh the uh psalmist that night, I'm really excited, Sister Naomi Rain, uh, one of the great soloists with Maverick City. That's right.

Morning Glory And Breakout Tracks

SPEAKER_01 4:02

And um, and then uh going back to the days, there will be uh both morning glory session and uh our breakout sessions, the classes and all of that will take place beginning on Wednesday. Our morning glory speaker will be Pastor Urtha Edwards, who is of Marion. Uh, and then our breakouts include everything from mental health, uh empowerment along those lines to church security.

SPEAKER_00 4:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Uh to, of course, the worship and arts media. So uh uh a diverse array of seminars will be administered during

Why Church Security Matters Now

SPEAKER_01 4:40

that time as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

Let's stop right there for a minute. You said church security. That's a new one, isn't it? That you have now, yeah. So let's talk about that a little bit because um I know that there's some churches that may not have that um as part of their ministry. Right.

SPEAKER_01 4:55

Well, it isn't it is new in the emphasis. We've had we're blessed to have had search church security for many years. But with the emphasis being heightened because our world has shifted so drastically and the minds and hearts of people have twisted so drastically that we cannot afford, no ministry can be without affords, uh can afford to be without some level of security, intentional security. And uh what we're trying to provide through the agency that will be coming in is a heightened set of principles and best practices so that we don't have people just kind of taking things into their own hands because then we can become dangerous to ourselves. Of course. But on the other hand, we cannot afford to have this public setting in which we, by definition, invite everybody and not have some means by which we can keep vigilance. I never shall forget uh Bishop Jakes had a uh a security conference some years ago, and the theme of it was who's watching while they're praying? While we're doing all those things that we do, singing and preaching and so forth, who's keeping watch over that? That's right. When the preacher says let's all close our eyes and bow our heads, who is assigned to keep his eyes open? Still praying, but keep your eyes open. And of course, you know, this is the season, the sad season, uh, when the Emmanuel 9 uh incident took place. And uh I happened to be in Charleston teaching on uh that that day uh before um and then the day of when that had taken place. I had no idea what had taken place, but the minister at the church where I was, I heard him say he was leaving, going downtown, something had happened. Wow and it was amazing just how these things occur. So we can't afford to be without security. That's my point.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

That's right, that's right, that's right. So um I'm definitely um glad that that particular class, because it is a ministry that is needed. It's needed. It is, it is. And I like what you said, Bishop Jackson. Who's watching while we're praying? Amen. Yes, yes. So um that was on, that takes place on Wednesday and Wednesday and Thursday.

Mental Health And Financial Legacy

SPEAKER_01 7:11

There will actually be two of those security sessions. Okay. Um also on um Wednesday day, our Bishop Melvin Lambert will give the midday session, midday service. He is our second vice presiding prelate. On Thursday day, we will be back in uh, of course, prayer and then the breakouts. And and and on Thursday, we will um shift a little bit and and there will be continuation of the mental health, of the security, of the worship arts, of the media. But there will also be uh a session uh on the building one's financial legacy and securing one's financial legacy. And uh all of these are totally free of charge. All people need to do is just show up. And that's um that's one of the great joys that we have to be able to offer to our brothers and sisters these resources that can cause them to be empowered in their personal lives, not only in the quote, spiritual, all things are ultimately spiritual, but not only in the religiously oriented, but also in those practical-oriented aspects of life as well. And then Thursday, uh, we talked about this yesterday. Yes, uh, Pastor T Renee. On Thursday, and it will be a women's empowerment session as well. So um it's going to be wonderful. And then on Friday in the daytime, we have an ordination service that takes place at 11. The speaker there will be our own Bishop Bobby Hilton of Cincinnati, Ohio, who is the vice presiding prelate of our um fellowship. And then on Saturday, and we're really excited about him, a gentleman whose ministry is in uh Atlanta and in, I forget the city in New Jersey, but uh Dr. Darius Daniels. He is a phenomenal preacher, teacher, businessman, entrepreneur, and he has um a youthful appeal, um not because he's a neophyte, not because he's just getting started, but because God has just blessed him in so many different areas. And so he can preach, but he can also teach with all of many young people having aspiration for entrepreneurship and going forward in business. He is an expert in all those areas.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:29

And so he'll be with us and um singing that day or that evening rather afternoon, excuse me, will be our own pastor Wendy Wyatt, who is just such a gifted psalmist and anointed woman of God. And then those who are traveling and and even those who have early services, if you'd like to join us on Sunday, we will be there from 10 to 11. There will be a continental breakfast, snack time, a fellowship, and then at 11, we will go into, we're going to import Marion to Florence. All right. And the door of hope's morning worship will happen at the Florence Center.

SPEAKER_00 10:02

Awesome. That's a power pack. I wanted to say week, but we're doing all this beginning Wednesday on through Sunday. Yes. Oh, wow. But um, this is great. You always have um the those uh ministers or pastors or evangelists, just everyone that um may be noted that have uh that to come and and to share here in Little Florence, South Carolina. But Florence is now moving. Yes. It's growing tremendously. It's growing, it's growing. And so we just um appreciate you for bringing all those wonderful ministers and um pastors here to our area. Because, you know, sometimes we don't get that exposure that we need. That's true. That we need. Um, and I can say that for myself until I um till I left Florence, I was able to see what is happening in other places. And and um just to be exposed is um is a mighty thing. And here's something else, if I may say so.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

Hey, and yes, ma'am, not meaning to cut you off. No, no, no. But may I say that in saying that, that's not to demean or to put down what we have. In many cases, what we find is that those brothers and sisters come and confirm what your pastor has been talking about.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 11:21

And what your uh leaders have been sharing. Yes, exactly. So it becomes confirmation, so much so that if you can't accept it from mother and father, go outside and find somebody telling you the same thing that they told you at home.

SPEAKER_00 11:33

You are so right. Because it happened to me. Yes. That's what I'm saying, you know. That's exactly right. Um, sometimes um we take it better from others. That's it, exactly. And that's the same thing with our children. Exactly. Well, that's the whole metaphor right there.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Whether they go out and the coach or the teacher or the whomever tells them the exact same thing that their parents have been trying to tell them all along.

SPEAKER_00 11:58

Yes, yes. Well, I tell you, we um we really just appreciate that. And because you do so many um the conference, you've got the the King's Summit, then you have the one that you do with the arts. Yes, yes, ma'am. And uh what are some of the other um conferences that that take place over the

Leadership And Arts Conferences Yearly

SPEAKER_00 12:15

year? Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

In October, we have what is actually our longest-running conference, uh our leadership conference. Um, and it's designed because as soon as people, some people, as soon as they hear the term leader, they turn it off. So I'm not a I'm not a politician, I'm not um, I'm not an attorney, I'm not a counsel person, so I'm not a leader, I'm not a preacher. No, leader is the destiny of every human being. Some of us lead from in front, some lead from beside, some even lead from behind. But all of us, John Maxwell defines leadership as influence. And all of us are called by God to exercise positive influence in some sphere of existence. And so what we're trying to get people to understand is that whatever gifting, whatever aptitude, whatever talent, whatever skill that God has deposited within you, that is the leveraging for your leading. And so that uh meeting in October is always a blessing. Then in the spring, you know, resurrection comes at different times. So we have to kind of juggle with that. But um, that uh meeting that you referred to, Kingdom of the Arts and Media Festival, um, it's an opportunity for those who already sing and play and draw and dance. Your daughter is such an asset in that area of dance. And um, but to be able to come and have those gifts heightened and celebrated so that they go back to their local churches empowered, and not only local churches, but these skills are transferable into the marketplace and um people who use them well can end up making a livelihood of those resources and of those gifts. And um, that's a part of why God gave them to us. And one of the things, um, Sister William, that's always a blessing to us, is that we try to always make what we do as accessible as possible. And so there is no admission fee. There is no cost to enter and to participate in what takes place. Right. And um, we have voluntary registration, just like this meeting that we have going on now. We encourage people to register because to underwrite it, to sponsor it, it costs, it costs significantly. But in terms of that being the determiner as to whether you can participate and partake, we never want it to be the case because I've said it before and I'll continue to say it. Sometimes the person who needs it the most can afford it the least. And I've been that person. And I want to make sure that when it comes to getting closer to God and getting fulfilled in terms of a sense of destiny and purpose, that you always have that kind of access if we're responsible.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

Amen. Amen. That's wonderful. That is so

New Music And Recording The Gift

SPEAKER_00 15:01

wonderful. Now, you are a musician within your own right, because like I said, that's when I met you. That's that was the relationship that you and I had. And um, but you've got a new single coming out. Well, you know, it it's it's floating around a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Um, yes, I give you all the praise, is is the one that has um it's it's it's been out a little while. It has been out a little while. And um We don't have it. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. We'll make a remedy that. Please.

SPEAKER_00 15:37

We're still playing breakthrough. Oh wow!

SPEAKER_01 15:40

No, we we've done a little more since then. For real, you have it. And so um, but yes, uh some of the young people from the ministry. Well, first of all, our choir and praise and worship. I thank God for them. God has given me the opportunity to help train them and prepare them, but also to experiment in terms of, you know, I get a chance to hear how the song sounds within, yeah. And uh, and they've been so gracious. And then uh the production was also done by um some of the young people um that are in the ministry there. Brother Jamar Brown, his wife, Swana Brown. They are very gifted young people, and and uh they love that particular song, and and and we thought, let's let's do something else with it. And so we did. And uh uh we uh we are anticipating doing a full project um somewhere either end of this year, first or next. Great. But um, you know, there's so much music and um so many wonderful utterances from God that we need to make sure we lock them down so that they last beyond us.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Um, even in writing and those other things that we do. Um it's not a matter of trying to be uh famous or popular, it's a it's it's about being faithful. And anything that God entrusts to us, we wouldn't have a Bible if somebody hadn't recorded what God gave them in the ways that they could record. And so, even so, we're being less than faithful if we don't make sure there is a permanent record of what God has given us.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Oh, wonderful, wonderful, that's right.

Getting Young People Back To Church

SPEAKER_00 17:15

So I'm gonna go off the beaten pathway here and ask you about youth in the church and youth ministry, because we know like during COVID, our youth began to, the situation with our youth in churches began to minimize. And um and it it's happen it it has been happening all over. I've heard several um ministries talk about the the how the the numbers have dropped when it comes to our young people. So let's talk about that and um and that situation and how we can possibly remedy that, or is there some strategy, or what is it that we need to do from your perspective in order to get our youth back into the church?

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Thank you, ma'am. I think that um the fact that we are having this conversation and others are having the conversation is a major step um to acknowledge the fact that all is not well when it comes to the population of young people in our in our ministries. Um for so many years we were not deliberate about making sure they knew they were included. We weren't as deliberate as we should have been. We took for granted that they would just assimilate uh in and have a sense of loyalty, maybe based on the fact that their parents, grandparents were part of the ministry and so forth. But the world around us and around them has changed so drastically that where there used to be certain expectations, those expectations are no longer there. Not only that, but our people are more transient and mobile than they've ever been. There was a time that people grew up in a neighborhood, married in that neighborhood, reared children in that neighborhood, died in that neighborhood. But now with easy access to other regions and other locales, um and with the downturn in many of our rural areas of our economies, our children haven't had the opportunities in our areas. Some things are changing. Like we said, uh Florence is expanding and uh Myrtle Beach is expanding, but but in many of our rural areas, uh the opportunities to excel um financially, materially haven't been there. And so here's what I see as a as a tragic irony that many times in the rural areas, we raise our children, we train our children, we discipline our children, we send them to university and pay for it uh if if they don't have enough scholarship to pay for it. And then we end up exporting them to make another city great, Atlanta or or Baltimore or BMV. And and nothing wrong with those cities, but if we could retain the genius and the talent that we generate, you know, because when you see them coming back, they're coming back from uh this city, that Nashville, wherever you, and they are using those talents to enrich and enhance those cultures. And so even our city elders, our gatekeepers, we haven't done enough to think as a community, what could we do to retain these children, to regain so that when we send them away for four years, six years, eight years, we give them a sense of mission to come back. And in many cases, but and no disrespect to any other ethnicity, but particularly among us as Africans, we haven't had much to invite them to come back to. If attorney uh, I'm just gonna use Jones, if attorney Jones's um uh child is sent away to learn law, then it's it he's gonna come back to Jones and it's gonna become Jones and Jones. Or if it was grandpa Jones and Jones and Jones. We haven't always had that kind of uh economic legacy to impart to our children to give them a reason to come back. Now, from a strictly faith perspective, sometimes when it comes to our faith, uh not always, but I was talking to our congregation about this just Sunday. Sometimes we have taught our children to believe, but we haven't taught them to think. So we believe our faith based on maybe experiential kinds of things, but we don't have a rationale to go along with that. And so when they go into a setting that challenges their faith. With regard to reason, they assume that there is no reasoning for our faith, and therefore many of them end up skeptic, cynic, even atheist, because there was not a rational or reasonable basis for our faith. And what I found is that we need to be intentional about teaching them that field of theology called apologetics. Apologetics is not apologizing, I'm sorry. Um the word apologia, apologia, and the Greek in the scripture means a reason, an answer. Um the Bible says that uh Peter said in 1 Peter 3.15, he said, but sanctify the Lord always in your hearts and be ready to give an answer. There it is, apologia to every man who asks a reason of the hope that lies in you. And so, you know, why do you believe that we have a creator as opposed to Darwinian evolution? Why do you believe that we have purpose as opposed to random chance and all of that? Well, there are answers beside what for the Bible tells me so. That's good. That's very good. But but why should I even believe that what the Bible tells me so is accurate?

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Yeah, they're saying that.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Instead of running from those hard questions, we need to invite them to those hard questions, give them the answers we have, and be honest about the answers that we don't have. Many times people just respect the fact that you can admit some things I don't know yet. Right. I'm still learning, I'm still a student. And um, so that then along with that, um, Sister Williams, I think one of the great things is that we need to lead our children to an encounter with God that goes beyond the superficial. In other words, yes, we want you on the usher board, yes, we won't want you on the choir, but if God is who we say he is, then we must each have an encounter with him that causes us to know within our spirit nature, we're tripartite being spirit, soul, body, and he is spirit, and he invites us into a spirit-to-spirit relationship with him. That's one of the reasons why we hear on many of the college campuses, these revival moves that are taking place and hundreds of young people being turned to God because in many cases what they had was superficial. You know, they just they functioned, they went to Sunday school. But in terms of having their own personal encounter, I can't get that from what mama had, background for mama, but I got to know in for myself. And sometimes we haven't been intentional enough to make sure we're evangelizing our own children and grandchildren and so forth. So those elements are critical. Being intentional, um, making sure that even from a community that we are uh trying to create a society that would attract them back. Uh thirdly, giving reason for what we believe, and then fourthly, inviting them to a dynamic encounter with God Himself, not just religiosity, but a living relationship with God.

SPEAKER_00 25:08

Amen, amen, amen. Thank you for that.

unknown 25:12

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

Thank you for that. I um I just happened to, I watch a lot of YouTube, um, and I just happened to run upon that movie from back in the day about the Jesus movement.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

Yes, yes, yes, yes, Jesus Revolution.

SPEAKER_00 25:28

Yes, that was it. That was it. And then that just, I'm like, God, are you showing me this for a reason? He's gonna do it again. Yes. He's gonna do it again. He's gonna do it again. Amen. Amen. I look forward to that. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

And may I insert one more thing?

SPEAKER_00 25:43

Please forgive me for cutting ahead.

SPEAKER_01 25:44

But uh, I'm trying to get my thought out before I lose. That's quiet. All right, but no, seriously, another of the great challenges with our children is that we haven't been the adults that we need to have been for our children. Many times um I've heard it said from educators and from just people in general. You know, the children aren't what they used to be. But you know, the parents, we aren't what we used to be or what they used to be. The ones who raised us, the way they raised us, and I'm talking about the good things. Yes, they made mistakes, but the values and the consistency and the dependability, they stayed in situations, many times where they weren't, they weren't always the most joyous about it, but because they were committed to giving that child a stable setting, if if it was a single parent, they carried themselves respectfully. Amen. You know, so those children didn't wonder about what the lines are of respectability. And so I think that that one of the great challenges with our children is that we haven't been the examples to them that we really need to have been. And sometimes we've let them see us be one thing at home, another thing at the church. And we didn't have the nerve to call that out when we were children. You're right. But this group will call it out. They sure will. And so they need their families. One of the things that we we have allowed the enemy to devastate us in our homes. And don't get me wrong, um, all of us are fault, all of us are challenged. But I have to remember that my son is watching me. Uh, my daughter is watching me.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

And and and not just those natural sons and daughters, but those spiritual sons and daughters all over. People that you think not, they're watching you. And so many times the great problem with the children of this generation are the adults of this generation. And if we ourselves were more character-oriented and more God-fearing and God-honoring, that by itself would set a precedent that our young people could follow. Because they tend to emulate what they think they see.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

Amen. Thank you for that. Yes, ma'am. I went off the beaten path, but I tell you, I needed to do that. Because um I I felt that you, you know, you know how we go. I tell you, you were important. You made me, no, you didn't make me. You inspired me. Just throw my dream book away. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Yes, we had that conversation. You remember? Yes, I do.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

We had that conversation. We were at Wilson Senior High School. Yes, yes, yes. And uh, we had that conversation and you inspired me to do that. And um, I have not looked back. That was decades ago. My God. God has really given me visions and dreams, and he has interpreted them for me. And I'm hey.

SPEAKER_01 29:01

As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. When you know you've been led by the Spirit, you don't need all that superficial.

SPEAKER_00 29:10

You don't, you don't, you don't. I tell you I can talk, we can talk all day. But I know our time has uh is limited, but we're ever so glad to have you here with us uh today.

Schedule Details And Free Registration

SPEAKER_00 29:23

And everyone, we want you to remember CCFM begins on this Wednesday. Yes, it does, yes, the 24th. What's the um what time?

SPEAKER_01 29:30

Uh well the the day sessions begin with prayer, early morning, eight o'clock prayer. But the um uh breakouts will begin at 1015, and the midday service will begin at 12, 1230, and then the evenings begin at 7.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Okay. All right, and that's from the 24th through the 27th. Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_01 29:50

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_00 29:51

All right, so you've heard it here at Native Drums. CCFM is about to kick off on Wednesday, so make sure you uh and it's uh free admission. Absolutely. They would love for you to register, yes, yes. Definitely, but it is free. So everyone come come on out to the Florence Center. Amen. Thank you. Thank you, Bishop Blue, for joining us here. My honor. My honor. All right, everyone. Thank you for uh viewing Native Drums on today on this special edition, and we look forward to seeing you on our next show. Have a great week.