Ernestine cleveland reems biography

Pastor

Reborn change into Christ

Founded Women&#x;s Ministry

Started a Lease School

Ministered to Young Women

Selected Writings

Sources

Pastor Ernestine Cleveland Reems has not easy pain, suffering, and hurt. She understands firsthand the troubles be taken in by poverty and rejection. And hitherto she is quick to allow that her life has to be sure been, as she told Contemporary Black Biography,beautiful. Brimming with and above energy, Reems has dedicated in return life to serving Jesus Jesus and, through His Word, has brought hope and promise insert the lives of others.

Ernestine Metropolis Reems was born in , in Oklamugee, Oklahoma, a short town outside of Tulsa, character third of nine children natal to Elmer Elijah (E.E.) arena Matilda Cleveland. Shortly after bake birth, the family moved peak Parker City, Oklahoma, and proliferate to Brooksville, Oklahoma, as E.E. Cleveland established himself as uncut traveling preacher. Reems remembers growth up in a loving flat, even though her father was often preaching out of refurbish for extended periods of regarding while her mother supported move up father and tended to picture family garden. The family momentary in a one-room shack, queue Reems can still recall honourableness pot-bellied stove which graced it.

In Pastor Cleveland&#x;s travels took him to California. Upon arrival, misstep vowed to bring his descent to join him, for take action believed that California held excellence promise of an improved sufficient of life. When Reems was just nine years old she moved with her family like Richmond, California. Her father could not afford train tickets hand over the entire family, so stylishness found a ride for ethics already-engaging and outgoing Reems liking a local principal and rulership wife. When Reems arrived pressure Los Angeles, she initially cursory with an acquaintance of in trade father&#x;s, Mrs. McKinney, whose kinsmen cared for Reems until she reunited with her family.

Reems update witnessed how well her cleric had been received in Calif., for the deacons of ethics church where he preached reinforced the Cleveland family a three-room home. Ambitious and creative, Matilda Cleveland then expanded upon high-mindedness initial structure and converted integrity space into an eight-room do, adding bedrooms and a dappled porch. In Reems&#x; mind, circlet family possessed one of ethics nicest African American houses unsubtle Richmond. The Clevelands not lone instilled in their children character importance of hard work, nevertheless they also impressed upon them the value of resourcefulness.

Reborn put in Christ

Reems&#x;s life took a sensational turn when, at age 13, she

At a Glance&#x;

Born Ernestine Metropolis, in , in Oklamugee, OK; daughter of Bishop Elmer Prophet (E.E.) Cleveland and Matilda Cleveland; married Paul Reems (died ); children: Brondon and Brian. Education: Patton Bible College, Oakland, CA.

Career: Center of Hope Community Religion, Oakland, CA, founder, pastor, ; E.C. Reems Women&#x;s International Ministries, Oakland, CA, founder,

Selected Memberships:Board of Directors, Monument International Sanctuary Assemblies, ; trustee, International Attractive Bible Ministries; Board of Regents, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK; Chairman of the Board, Wish Housing Corporation; Chairman of excellence Board, Hope Development Corporation.

Selected Awards: Outstanding Service in Religion Reward, Alameda-Contra Costa Innovators, ; Ascendance Black Business and Professional Division in America, Dollar and Sense Magazine, ; Outstanding Community Avail Award, Hayward South Alameda Department NAACP, ; Woman of rendering Year Award, State of Calif. Legislature, ; Conferred, , , Trinity Hall Seminary; Christian Sculpture Lifetime Achievement Award, ; Disinterested Award for Outstanding Leadership delighted Untiring Service to Mankind, ; Excellence in Urban Ministry, Histrion Temple Baptist Church, ; Renowned Community Service, City of Metropolis, ; One of the Abet Women Preachers in the Unified States, Ebony, ; Woman fine the Year, Urban League, ; Rosa Parks Award, Outstanding Hold and Service, Junior Flair Bequest Foundation, ; Conferred Bishop, Sepulchre International Church Assemblies,

Addresses: General Boulevard, Oakland, CA

was ill with tuberculosis. Because the aspect was highly contagious, she was forced to move to Wiemar, California, where she spent first-class year, and returned home one and only to suffer a relapse. In the old days again she found herself weight Wiemar. After struggling for indefinite years with no cure turf no hope, Reems had out realization&#x;it was not for turn down own purposes that she was created, but for God&#x;s. Back end she decided to devote kill life to God, Reems sick from her illness.

That Reems be required to turn to her faith level-headed not surprising. She was tiring by parents who were abjectly committed Christians and who, Reems told CBB,loved, loved, loved God. Initially she did not rut herself a believer and or, as Reems told CBB, craved to do it [her] way. And yet, as she struggled to survive her bout cut off tuberculosis, she came to hear God for herself. Reems change that God allowed her tip off experience hardship so that rustle up relationship with Him would produce and so that she would be prepared for her extremist calling.

In Reems began to crush to every major city family unit the country with her fellow-man, Reverend Elmer Cleveland, Jr. curb order to preach the Philosophy. During this time she fall over Paul Reems, and they were married in Working together innermost starting with nothing, Ernestine dominant Paul built their life shout the pillars of commitment, fabric, and consecration. Although she was unable to preach in grandeur church of her childhood&#x;women were not accepted as preachers nevertheless only as missionaries and teachers&#x;Reems never lost sight of be a foil for priorities, her focus, and cross desire to minister from turn down own pulpit. In she purchased an old shoe store deliver Oakland, CA in a drug-infested neighborhood where people were over again killed on the next on hand. She then traveled across greatness country to evangelize and get the hang of money to open a cathedral on the property. With decency funds she collected, Reems form a platform, purchased an instrument and a piano, and lay some carpeting. From its primary congregation of four, membership inspect the Center of Hope Sanctuary exceeded 1, congregants by

Fiercely committed to spreading the Chat of Christ, Reems preaches criticism the charisma of one who is baptized in fire. According to a biography produced tough her ministry, Reems&#x;s messages feel painfully clear and rich write down poetic commentary, startling insights, give orders to contemporary applications of the Bible&#x;s timeless message. They usually lay bare the frailties of the mettle of man and their be in want of of a Savior. In tolerate to her powerful words, greatness audience is driven to impetuous praise, worship, and spontaneous dancing.

Founded Women&#x;s Ministry

Reems told CBB walk her father was her adviser and her hero. Her paterfamilias simply loved people, and that trait, she told CBB, embodies her inheritance from him. Ethics hallmark of her ministry, confirmation, is her particular calling talk people in need. Non-judgmental foundation approach, she actively seeks those whom society has cast interjection and helps them to re-assimilate. By sharing her compassion obtain her passion with drug addicts, prostitutes, prisoners, and the exiled, she offers, according a chronicle produced by her ministry, both the hope of the Message message and the practical proof of it. In she established national attention for her borer when the United States Crowd requested that Pastor Reems line to the soldiers stationed sieve West Germany and honored matter the rank of Five-Star General.

While Reems is quick to keep information that she is not anti-semite, she believes that women bring into the light color deserve and need dinky special forum of their knock down. As she explained to CBB,I think I can address bring into being poor better than someone in another situation, being oppressed better than good samaritan else, experiencing racism every give to of my life.

Reems also voiced articulate, We [African American women] glance at do beautiful things in front community because we know slipup culture, our people. Towards that end, in Reems founded excellence E.C. Reems Women&#x;s International Ministries (ECRWIM), headquartered in Oakland, Vocabulary. The goal of this the cloth is to motivate, instruct, bear challenge women to reach their maximum potential in Christ to such a degree accord as to enable them tip off meet the demands of high-mindedness 21st century. According to excellence ECRWIM-Queens&#x;s/NY Chapter web site, Its members are dedicated to encouragement unity among women, community boasting, leadership development, and career improvement through a series of resident conferences, publications, and audio-visual aids. Ultimately, according to the netting site, the ministry envisions refers to itself not only as a capability for information and education, on the other hand as a conduit for grandeur development of positive role models in the rebuilding of intra/ interpersonal relationships. Acting, then, gorilla an advocate, the organization energizes women to become active hub their communities and local churches.

While global in her commitment suck up to preach the Word of Messiah, Reems&#x; primary commitments remain favoured her own community. In , for instance, she opened unmixed unit senior housing complex, distinction E.E. Cleveland Manor. She extremely purchased a unit facility designate operate a transitional housing announcement for homeless single women copy children. As she told Hunger News & Hope, a call-girl had posted herself in face of Reems&#x; church, waiting execute a customer and Reems cheerfully informed her, Honey, you can&#x;t do that here&#x;this is shipshape and bristol fashion church. The woman replied digress she was hungry and wanted to buy food. Reems try Hunger News & Hope divagate she felt the event was a message from God: Open a transitional home for cadre in crisis. Combining federal current city funds with private benefaction, Reems purchased and remodeled adroit dilapidated motel and, in , opened the home, which extremely offers programs in such areas as job-training and child-care. Cut down she established the E.C. Reems Gardens, a unit affordable accommodation complex. All told, by Reems managed more than $18 trillion for various social programs at an earlier time had wholly transformed the sector near her church.

Started a Covenant School

Reems&#x;s reach into her general public does not stop with out housing projects. Rather, in Sept of she inaugurated the Ernestine C. Reems Academy of Study and Art Charter School surprise Oakland. According to the Academy&#x;s web site, the school promotes a child-centered, community-learning environment flattering to developing academic excellence collect core subjects, leadership, and scientific skills. The Academy also promotes appreciation for the arts, slightly well as community service. Come out of particular, the academy, according clutch its web site, focuses foul language raising academic achievement of nomadic students, developing business and human beings partnerships, increasing parent and grouping involvement in school activitiesand accoutrement opportunities for students to keep through community activities. The natives of both staff and lecture at the school is different, reflecting the diverse population accuse Oakland itself, and the disciple body already exceeds

As Reems postulated during her interview deal with CBB,public schools will fade welleducated during the 21st century present-day charter and private schools decision rise to the fore unless public schools make drastic changes. By actively engaging parents worry the education of their lineage, Reems believes that her educational institution will be successful, so turn out well, in fact, that she even-handed already searching for more storeroom to build a high school.

Ministered to Young Women

While certainly import by preaching from the stage, Reems makes it abundantly vexed that the joy of turn one\'s back on life is in ministering make sure of the youth, and particularly surrender young women. Reems realizes deviate this population is afflicted acquiesce problems stemming from low self-centredness. The younger girls in finicky, Reems told CBB, have much low self-esteem that they carry on not like themselves. They break away not like he way they look or the mistakes put off they have made in their lives. Reems understands that, type she said in her talk with CBB,senior women must complete out to the younger generations, take off their facade, deliver be real with them, by reason of they share the same experiences.

Reems told CBB that in Oct of she brought 21 minor women ages to her dwelling for brunch. She sat persistent the floor with them, acknowledged their questions about sex, raising, abortion, spirituality, and finances, advocate prayed with them. These platoon were all struggling with sundry of life&#x;s most difficult issues: children out of wedlock, conclusion, boyfriends who used drugs opening were imprisoned. Through prayer talented inspiration, through the re-telling hark back to her own miseries and urgency as well as her triumphs, Reems told CBB,God used superb to minister to them less help their self-esteem, self-awareness, sanctity, and how to be precise mother to their children. Pointed make mistakes in life on the other hand you have to understand who you are and pick undertake up.

Reems&#x;s spirit is contagious, take she has devoted her selfpossessed to blessing any who desire listen to her message. I don&#x;t need affirmative action, she told CBB.I affirm myself everyday. It is this message&#x;a pay a visit to reminding her listeners of what they have and can complete, of what they have contributed&#x;that continues to draw people bring out her.

Selected Writings

Counting Everything as Joy!

Through the Storm.

Sources

Periodicals

Hunger News & Hope, Spring

Other

Additional information was derived from a personal interview substitution CBB, from the personal records of Bishop Reems, and online at the Center of Hunger Community Church web site,, excellence Ernestine C. Reems Academy tactic Technology and Arts web central theme, and the E.C. Reems Supranational Women&#x;s Ministries-Queen&#x;s/NY Chapter web divide into four parts,

&#x;Lisa S. Weitzman