VC Deltas Host Ecumenical Prayer Breakfast

The Ventura County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will host its second annual ecumenical, community Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 9 a.m. at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Oxnard.

 The event, which is themed “Inspiring Our Community Servants to Build a Stronger Ventura County: The Fruits of the Spirit,” will feature keynote speaker Pastor Andrea Humphrey of H.O.P.E.’s House Christian Ministries in the San Fernando Valley and some of Ventura County’s most anointed spiritual leaders. These “prayer warriors” will come together to pray for the leadership of our country, military, community and family.

 Tickets are $30 and includes breakfast. Vendors will be available on-site before the breakfast begins and afterwards.

 Guests also will be treated to the music ministry of Pastor Michael McCurtis and DaLoria Smith-Mondesir, stars of the musical comedy and stage play “Celebrate Mama!” Other spiritual leaders participating in the event include Oxnard Police Chief the Rev. Jeri Williams, Pastor Emma Waits of Evangel Christian Fellowship, Pastor Helen Amaro of Living Waters Ministry and Rev. Anna Lee Mulford of St. Paul United Methodist Church.

 The First Ladies of churches from throughout Ventura County will lead the prayers including Pastor Tammie Allen of Evangelistic Missionary Baptist Church, Lé Shune Clark of St. Paul AME Church of Santa Barbara, Denise Cox of Bethel A.M.E. Church, Ethel Gray of Simi Valley Second Missionary Baptist Church, Robin Martin of Church of the Foothills United Church of Christ Congregational and First Lady-Elect Leola Samuel of St. Paul Baptist Church.

 “Great things happen when people who love God come together in the spirit of unity and love for each other,” said Shanté Morgan-Durisseau, president of VCAC. “Our goal is to inspire community servants to continue their mission, despite the financial and moral challenges faced in today’s world.”

 She said the Ventura chapter has been committed to providing service to the community through programs like the prayer breakfast for more than 30 years. The chapter provides support to the youth in the community through scholarships to college-bound students, self-esteem and cultural workshops for girls and teens through the Delta Academy and G.E.M.S and boys in the EMBODI program. VCAC also offers support for mental and physical health to the community through its HIV/AIDS  Awareness, breast cancer and diabetes support programs.

Pastor Humphrey has known she was called to preach Gods Word since the age of 17. While a student at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) she ministered Gods Word to the hearing-impaired by using American Sign Language (ASL). She also taught teen church and ministered at the juvenile hall in East Los Angeles. She later began ministering the Word at a CSUN bible study where she and her husband, Charles, had first met in 1982. Both served in leadership at the campus ministry for over 15 years.

In September 2001, Humphrey, her husband and another pastor started H.O.P.E. Fellowship at CSUN with the intent on expressing a practical application of their faith so both saved and unsaved students could know that there was Hope, Opportunity, Purpose and Encouragement in Jesus Christ. Both she and her husband were ordained and licensed as ministers of the Gospel in August 2001. They have been married since 1988 and together they bring a fresh, team-oriented perspective to ministry  

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization founded on Christian principles whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. A sisterhood of more than 200,000 predominately Black college educated women, the Sorority currently has more 900 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Republic of Korea. All funds raised will support the chapter’s scholarships and community service programs.

To purchase tickets, find out more information about vendor opportunities or sponsorships, visit www.dstvcac.org or email events@dstvcac.org.