Our sister station Praise 103.9 is reporting that Courtney B. Vance, actor, author and husband of actress Angela Bassett will become a licensed minister in the Church of God in Christ, the fifth largest Protestant religious denomination in the United States, with churches in 60 countries worldwide and an estimated membership of nearly 6.5 million members.

This was announced during the 104th Annual Holy Convocation in St. Louis last night by COGIC’s Presiding Bishop, Charles Blake.

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Well this is well deserved!!

This thursday (Oct 20, 2011) The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will honor Gospel Music Legends BeBe & CeCe Winans with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Read More at Gospellyfe.com!

New audio tapes released by Caroline Kennedy reveal a different side of her mother.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has suggested that parents have their middle-school-aged daughters vaccinated against a sexually transmitted disease closely linked to cervical cancer.

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Make sure to watch:

New Book Tells Black Women:“Don’t Marry Down. Marry Out.”

First Look:Tyler Perry For Better Or Worse [TRAILER]

Check out Isreal Houghton preaching on “The Power of Yes” at Lakewood Church. What an inspirational sermon!

Via Eurweb.com:

Mark Jackson stands without a sound in the front left corner of his Southern California church, rocking from foot to foot with his eyes closed and his hands clasped behind his back, reports Fox Sports.
This dance lasts several seconds before he interrupts the silence with piercing claps and starts bellowing prayers in a distinctive, deep voice. This solo act lasts several minutes more before the congregation joins with vociferous offerings and more clapping.

Within 20 minutes, Jackson rallies a group of 50 people – varying in garb from three-piece suits to lint-covered sweat suits – into a collective eruption of praise. Different languages and prayers follow him into such a thunderous roar that the fortitude of the building comes into question.

This scene is from a summer Wednesday. It’s a perfect representation of Mark Jackson in any season, on any day. To know him as the new leader of the Golden State Warriors, you have to know him as the pastor of True Love Worship Center International.

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VIA PRAISECLEVELAND.com:

The date was set in consultation with the White House as President Barack Obama is expected to speak at the ceremony.

The dedication of the $120 million memorial was to coincide with the 48th anniversary of the historic March on Washington and King’s famed “I Have A Dream” speech on August 28. But while many of the weekend events went ahead, the centerpiece dedication was postponed as the East Coast hunkered down for the battering winds and rains of Hurricane Irene.

The memorial site, which features a striking 30-foot statue of King gazing out on the iconic Tidal Basin, lies between the Lincoln Memorial and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial on the National Mall. The statue, representing a “Stone of Hope,” sits forward from a “Mountain of Despair.”

Visitors pass through the mountain on their way to King’s statue and an expanse along the Basin rimmed with an inscription wall covered with stone carvings of some of his most famous quotes. The four-acre area will also feature the iconic cherry blossom trees that draw thousands of tourists to the Mall each spring.

article courtesy of CNN.com

(CNN) — The National September 11 Memorial opens to the public Monday — a decade and a day after terror attacks brought down the twin towers of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan.

The memorial opened a day early on Sunday only to victims’ family members and those attending the commemoration service at ground zero.

“We’re so proud of this memorial,” said Monica Iken, who lost her husband Michael in the attacks. “I can go see Michael. He’s home.”

Iken founded the group September’s Mission and has played an instrumental role in the construction of the site.

Iken said she comes to the site to connect with her husband. “Every time I come here, I feel the energy. It’s powerful,” she said.

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The announcement came after Chief Executive Brian Moynihan outlined the bank’s strategy at an investor conference in New York.

BofA has already disclosed plans to eliminate a total of 6,000 jobs this year. And it recently announced a management shakeup that effectively will split the bank into two units: one serving consumer and one serving commercial clients.
The bank said it expects a “significant portion” of the reduction in headcount to occur through attrition and the elimination of unfilled positions. BofA had a total of 287,000 employees as of June 30.

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VIA THEBUZZCINCY.com:

Quickly becoming one of America’s favorite new voices and one of Gospel music’s most underrated talents, Amber Bullock just took home the grand prize on Sunday evening’s two-hour, star-studded finale of the hit singing competition and worldwide franchise BET Sunday Best. Now headed toward it’s fifth consecutive season, the show takes the world’s best, brightest and unheard of voices in Gospel music and gives them the platform to sing everything from the classics to the contemporary tunes heard around the globe.

Tonight’s finale wouldn’t have been entirely complete without a plethora of guest appearances, special performances, musical tributes and on-air surprises. Opening the show with a bang, urban Gospel’s Lecrae gave the show street credibility with his current brand of “Holy Hip Hop.” Also appearing on stage were all three of the Sunday Best prior seasons’ winners – Crystal Aikin (Season I), Y’Anna Crawley (Season II) & LeAndria Johnson (Season III) – each of whom took on the massive musical tribute in the form of a stellar medley honoring Mahalia Jackson’s legacy. Following the new leading ladies of Gospel were legends Pastor Shirley Caesar plus Rance Allen & The Rance Allen Group. Former BET Sunday Best judge Yolanda Adams premiered her new single from her long-awaited new project and both VaShawn Mitchell and Trinitee 5:7 duo Chanel & Angel also performed. Surprise guest Angie Stone (R&B/soul singer/songwriter) was also given the mic for a brief moment to perform her hit “Brotha” dedicated to men of color everywhere.

Now, in the two-hour runtime of the Season IV finale, we really only heard Amber Bullock and runner-up Andrea Helms (37, of Dallas, TX) sing “live” three times before the end of the show. Each performed a medley of perfectly arranged songs of praise and worship. Early into Bullock’s opening set, which included the new worship anthem “How Great is Our God” and a stunning rendition of Kurt Carr’s choir classic “For Every Mountain,” many knew the competition was officially over. Helms’ featured set was full of the anointing as well, with “Because of Who You Are” and “The Heavens are Telling” shining throughout the medley. Coming together for one of the season’s only featured duets, the ladies gave an awesome acoustic and sonically superb performance of the contemporary Gospel hit “Moving Forward.”

Just before the big announcement came introspective interview segments featuring the touching testimony from LeAndria Johnson who later premiered the new single “Jesus” from her debut album “The Awakening of LeAndria Johnson” (in stores now). If you missed the interview, the testimony and the live performance, trust us when we say it ministered to millions and let us all know that even when we fall short of the glory of God, redemption and forgiveness is still possible even for those we lay claim to be “stars.”

BET Sunday Best judges (from left) Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin (host) and Tina & Erica Campbell (of MaryMary).

As for the big moment when Amber Bullock was announced as the winner, we reminded once again of the prizes including a national recording contract with Music World Gospel, a cash prize and a brand new Ford Explorer – North America’s car of the year. Congratulations once again to our new winner Amber Bullock (we can’t wait to hear your debut album) and to the other contestants who brought their “Sunday Best” all season long! See you next year!

So now that you know who the winner is, we’ve got a few questions to ask you.

• Did you vote at any point during Season IV of BET Sunday Best? If so, when and for whom? If not, why?
• Are you satisfied with the winner/finalists results?
• What was your favorite moment on the big finale show?
• Were you following BET Sunday Best on Twitter or Facebook during the show at any point for live commentary & fan updates?
• What did you think of this year’s surprise guests – Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Chrisette Michele, Kierra Sheard, Smokie Norful, etc.?
• What would you do differently in Season V?
• Will you or have you auditioned for the show?
• Do you plan to purchase or have you purchased any of the BET Sunday Best winners’ albums, including the forthcoming release from this year’s winner Amber Bullock?

Feel free to share your thoughts on any or all of these hot topics related to the BET Sunday Best show, finale and winners. Do so below on the message board using your Twitter or Facebook profile to log in and leave us a comment to get the discussions started.

OFFICIAL RELATED LINKS:

BET Sunday Best – Official Website

Follow Amber Bullock on Twitter – @singamber (click image or link)

Follow BET Sunday Best on Twitter – @BETSundayBest (click image or link)

SOURCE

Washington (CNN) — Heightened security was visible in New York City and Washington Friday, as intelligence officials worked to pin down information about a potential al Qaeda threat coinciding with the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Police checkpoints jammed Manhattan streets following reports of a potential vehicle-borne strike, causing traffic delays throughout the city.

“We have received credible information very recently about a possible plot directed at the homeland that seems to be focused on New York and Washington, D.C.,” a senior administration official told CNN.

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — President Obama unveiled a stimulus plan Thursday night that he says will boost hiring and provide a jolt to the stalled economy if it becomes law.
A mix of $253 billion in tax cuts and $194 billion in new spending, the total bill for the plan is $447 billion. Given staunch Republican opposition to most new spending, the measure has almost no chance of passing the House in its current form.

So what exactly does the president want Congress to do?

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(CNN) — Reese Witherspoon was struck by a car Wednesday while out for a run in Santa Monica, California, but was not seriously injured, a spokesperson for the actress confirmed.

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In a bombshell development, the disgraced golfer’s ex-wife ELIN NORDEGREN plans to wed her new boyfriend, financier JAMIE DINGMAN — and the two shared a sizzling night of love right under Tiger’s nose with a hot tryst in a secret Florida love nest.

The story also cites that Tiger is “bitter” about the relationship between his ex-wife and Jamie, because Jamie managed both Tiger and Elin’s finances while they were married.

We can’t confirm the National Enquirer’s story about the nuptials coming soon, but wouldn’t this be strangely odd if these two actually get married? Let us know what you think!