Brooklyn Baptist Banquet and Conference Center was the scene for the 40th Annual Legacy Awards Celebration of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), where two pastors of the Columbia area, Rev. Melissa S. Benton and Rev. Monica B. Branch were recognized for their lengthy history of service and contributions to their communities. These celebrated women were recipients of the Living the Legacy Awards on Saturday March 30, 2024. This prestigious award is given to persons who exemplify the legacies of the founder of NCNW, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and humanitarian, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rev. Melissa S. Benton is an Associate Pastor of Antioch AME Zion Church Eastover, SC where her husband Rev. Dr. Robert T. Benton serves as the Senior Pastor. Rev. Melissa has been passionately serving in numerous capacities throughout the state; Columbia, Blythewood, Chester and in Washington, DC. For more than 15 years she has coordinated the “Giving Hope to Families in collaboration with the Eastover Department of Social Services. This project has reached and provided aid to hundreds of children and adults with items such as; clothing, toys and basic household staples, and sometimes fur-
Rev. Melissa S. Benton (left) and Rev. Monica B. Branch niture to needy families award for her inspirain the Lower Richland tional and compassionate Community. She also has leadership and organizer spent countless volunteer in the Lower Richland hours traveling across the Community. She is the state presenting and facil- founder of the Antioch itating workshop ses- Women’s Ministry which sions on food, exercise has flourished for over 16 and aerobics, nutrition, years in the Community. diabetes and dementia, This ministry was estabteen pregnancy, STD’s, lished to provide a spiri-HIV-AIDS to schools, tual pathway for growth churches, community and development by and civic organizations. creating an environment Much of her life has been where women can find dedicated to service to her love, sisterhood, accepchurch and the commu- tance and encouragenity. She has been gifted ment. With a loving and with many talents and is caring heart, she lends always willing to share herself to feeding and her time and resources clothing the needy in the to improve the lives of Hopkins, Gadsden and others. Rev. Melissa Ben- Eastover communities. ton’s Philosophy of Life In addition to collecting is, “If you can dream it, clothing, shoes, sweater you can do it”. and coats, Rev. Branch Rev. Monica B. collects and distributes Branch is a recipient of needed household item the Faith Community for families. Recently, she embarked upon an Cakie S cholarship endeavor to give 100 gift cards to students at South nd Carolina State Universityand Claflin in Orange-Inc. The scholarship Inc．Thescholarship burg, SC. Because this event takes place every year on the first Friday event takes place every mission was so success-ful, she has pledged to double her efforts and year on the first Friday in April to commemo- in April to commemo- level of giving to the rate the anniversary of rate the anniversary of students at both Colmy daughter, Sanaa’s mydaughter, Sanaa’s leges. While Rev. Branch untimely death. Each untimely death．Each embodies the spirit of Dr. year, funds are raised year,funds are raised Martin Luther King, Jr. to send young people to to send young people to and Dr. Mary McLeod trade/technical schools trade/technicalschools Bethune, she believes in on full annual scholar- on full annual scholar- the teachings and preships. All proceeds from ships.All proceeds from cepts of Christ who said, this event will go to this this event will go to this “For I was hungry and cause. Also, to com- cause．Also，to com- you gave me something memorate the 3rd year of memorate the 3rd year of to eat, I needed clothes Sanaa’s death this year, a Sanaa’s death this year,a and you clothed me”.
Reverend Johnny C. Bush
Rev. Johnny Bush will be installed as the pastor of Gunter Chapel Baptist Church on Sunday, April 28,
The Reverend Johnny Clay Bush is native of Columbia, South Carolina and a resident of the Stamford Connecticut community. He is married to the former Ms. Carolyn Fields of Darlington, South Carolina. Reverend and Mrs. Bush are blessed as parents of three, Joseph Henry, Chyna Camille, and Christopher Hayes.
Reverend Bush is an ’83 Graduate of Eau Claire High School, an’87 Graduate of Newberry College receiving the B.A. degree in Religion/ Philosophy, and a ‘90 Graduate of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary of Columbia earning the Masters of Divinity degree. His post graduate work was taken in the supervisory certification process of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (ACPE): The Standard for Spiritual Care and Education. He was fully certified as an ACPE Certified Educator in 2003. As a professional, he is both the Pastoral Clinician and CPE Educator and is one of three African-American men in the state of South Carolina practicing at this level of certification. ACPE is a multi-cultural, multi-faith organization devoted to providing theological education and improving the quality of ministry and pastoral care offered by pastors, chaplains, other clergy and lay persons utilizing clinical methodology.
For more than 15 years Reverend Bush was a Consulting Clinician and Educator with the Healthcare Chaplaincy Network of New York City. He served as the Program Coordinator and Educator for Clinical Pastoral Education at the Riverside Church of New York City for 10 years under the pastoral leadership of the Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes. For the past 8 years he served as Director for Spiritual Health and CPE at Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY. He is the National Convenor for the Racial Ethnic Multicultural Community of Practice in ACPE. He serves ACPE’s Leadership as a National Commissioner for Certification of ACPE Educators.
He was called at age 19 to serve as Senior Pastor to the Friendship Baptist Church of Hopkins, South Carolina for over 11 years. He is recently celebrated and retired the longest-serving, Sr. Pastor of 27 years of the Greater Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church of Stamford, Connecticut. In April of 2023, Reverend Bush was called to succeed his
Father in Ministry, Founder and Pastor – The Reverend Lewis Gunter of the Gunter’s Chapel Baptist Church in Columbia, to be its 2nd Senior Pastor. He recently returned home in October, 2023. Licensed into the Gospel Ministry at age 17 while a senior in high school, Reverend Bush has now proclaimed the message, “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” for more than 40 years.
Reverend Bush is a former Vice President of the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention, the past Founding-Moderator of the Judah Baptist Association of Lower Fairfield County division of churches, and past Secretary for the Interdenominational Ministers and Pastors
Coalition and the Concern Clergy Coalition. He served on the Board of Directors for the Council of Churches and Synagogues of Western Connecticut. For more than a decade he served as Chairperson for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Planning Committee for the city of Stamford and was recently honored with the Eleanor-Parks Davis Civil Rights Award by the NAACP of Stamford.
Reverend Bush’s “motto in life” may be found recorded in the Book of Proverbs, the 22nd chapter, and 29th verse (paraphrased): “Can you find a man who is skilled in his work? He will be in the presence of kings; you will not find him in company with unstable persons…”
