Konstantin Vengerowsky/Clarendon Citizen
Ebenezer Baptist teaches about Manhood/Womanhood
More than 24 million children in the United States grow up without a father in the home. That is why one church in Manning has been trying to combat the problem for the last 22 years.
Every June, on Father’s Day Weekend, volunteers from the Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church gather for a two-day event at Manning High School with children and young adults, ages 10 and up. They have special presentations on gang violence, HIV and AIDS Awareness, parenting skills, health and nutrition, stress management and interview techniques from different experts in those fields.
“We want to reach out to young people, give them some sense of direction, and try to teach them how to achieve their goals,” said Shirley Keels, a volunteer and member of the church.
For the past two decades dozens of students from Clarendon and other counties have come to Manning High School for the two-day event.
“We usually have an overnight stay at the high school, this year, however, we went back to where the program first started, at the church,” Keels said.
The Manhood/Womanhood training was initiated by Rev. George Windley, minister of Ebenezer, in 1988. In 1989 Windley became a chaplin with the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
“My first day on the job, I saw a huge array of young inmates,” he said. “After speaking with them, I found out that most grew up in a home without a biological father.”
Windley said that this was the dilemma before him, and that he wanted to do something about it. Growing up without a father himself, and being the second oldest child in his family, Windley said he had to grow up fast.
“My father died when I was seven-years-old and I always had that sense of emptiness,” he said. “I could relate and reach out to others who were in similar situations.”
Windley recruited various positive father figures including doctors, state troopers, principals, teachers, coaches, pastors, ministers and even the superintendent of Clarendon School District 2 to come to speak at his events. The program was originally designed for young men, but soon included young ladies as well.
“We noticed that those boys who really misbehaved all of a sudden changed their attitude with girls around,” he said.
Windley’s friend, Dr. O’Neal Small, University of South Carolina law professor, wrote a book called Manhood Training Manual for Boys 11-14, and that is where the name for the program originated. Windley said that he uses material from the book for the program.
Annualy about 30 children and young adults go through this program, and so far more than 3,200 have completed it between 11 churches throughout South and North Carolina.
“We’ve had people come to our church for this program from Myrtle Beach and North Carolina,” Windley said.
Several law enforcement organizations including speakers from the Richland County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit and the South Carolina Department of Corrections were present to talk about recognizing gang activity and prevention of crime.
“I’m here for the young people,” said Elbert Pearson, an investigator with the SCDC. “Many of them don’t have positive role models. I believe that if you talk to a child at a young age, you will be able to make an impact that will prevent them from committing crime in the future.”
