'Mayor' of Crestmont, Pastor Jerome Coleman honored at MLK service

Abington Township held its 26th annual memorial service for Martin Luther King Jr. today in the high school auditorium.

Pastor Jerome Coleman of the First Baptist Church of Crestmont, Willow Grove, received the 24th annual Memorial Award.

“One of the things that I noticed with the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award is that many times, we forget that he was a reverend,” Coleman said. “We forget that what stirred him to do what was he was moved to do was his relationship with God. [And] he was a doctor; he was an educated man. It teaches us that you can have an unadulterated love for God and still be educated.

“It strikes me as interesting that we want God to bless America, but we have a hard time saying [God] when we say the pledge now,” he said.

Coleman went on to say that while there have been improvements in race relations, there is still more work to be done across the country — and even in Montgomery County.

“Yes there’s been significant progress, yes there’s been a crack in the ceiling, but we are far from being equal,” Coleman said. “And the minute we think that we’ve arrived, we’ve taken a step backward.”

Abington resident John A. Palmer received the “Special Recognition Award for Dedicated Service to our Community.”

Abington Commissioner Wayne Luker introduced Palmer as the “Mayor of Crestmont, and as such, considered my boss.”

“His nametag with the title of ‘Mayor’ is affixed to the roundhouse across from the Crestmont swimming pool.

“Johnny has been cleansing and raking up trash, paper and debris, and anything he can find to keep the pool area looking good for 30 years. He has voluntarily taken on this project much to the pleasure of the parks department …”

Several schools presented tributes to King, including Wee “R” the World Day Care Center, Highland and McKinley elementary schools, and the junior high school.

Also providing entertainment was the group “3 Tenors,” which Luker seemed to particularly enjoy.

The event ended with a prayer by Coleman and Rabbi Lawrence R. Sernovitz of Old York Road Temple-Beth Am.