Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious entities working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Mahak Rajwani
Waco has many places of worship, and the Islamic Center of Waco holds a special story. The Center was established in 1987 and is still led by Afzal Siddiq.
Siddiq dedicates an immense amount of time and effort serving as president of the center, as well as pursuing other professional endeavors.
“Our community is 100% unique and is very welcoming of diversity,” Siddiq said. “I want to encourage the idea of learning about other cultures and creators.”
As different as varied religions may seem, Siddiq said they often intertwine and are based off of each other. Christianity and Islam are actually very similar at their core, he said, and it adds to a sense of unity within the communities.
The Islamic Center hosts a dinner for church leaders in Waco during Ramadan to promote good relations. This speaks volumes about their character because of the effort they’re willing to dedicate to supporting the local community and what they stand for.
Community involvement is visibly important to them, and they put time and effort into serving people in a multitude of ways.
“We like to work with Habitat for Humanity consistently, and I have become a board member for that, as well. We are also closely associated with the Waco Interfaith Conference,” Siddiq said.
Islamic Center leadership consists of the president and about five or six board members, but it’s an open environment where members can provide input or feedback at any time. There is no general hierarchy within the Islamic Center.
“I’ve seen this place grow over the years. People come and go, but the values remain the same,” Siddiq said.
In the Islamic faith it is integral to pray five times a day, and on Fridays they have special ceremonies for what is known as “Jumma.” The mosque is open throughout the day for any members who choose to use it for daily prayers.
Afzal Siddiq, his wife, and their two sons all like to be involved and as a whole are all very committed to the center.
“My wife generally cooks food for the community on Fridays. She likes to contribute in her own way,” Siddiq said.
The Islamic Center of Waco demonstrates what it means to embody love for one’s faith, community, and the world around them. “I want to express how important it is for me that we are good representatives of the Islamic faith,” Siddiq said.
Mahak Rajwani is a student at Baylor University who is originally from California. She is a second-year business major concentrating in professional sales and marketing, with a minor in public relations journalism.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious groups working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Rachel Hemphill
Cars line up in rows across a church parking lot. A pastor rises on a lift as the sound of honking fills the air. He welcomes the congregation, and the horns intensify as he begins preaching the message.
For Toliver Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, this was what a typical Sunday morning service looked like in the spring. Finding a creative way to continue meeting was just one of the many ways the church provided for its community during the pandemic.
“We’ve not been in our sanctuary for worshiping for over a year,” Dr. Jimmy Hunter, head pastor of Toliver Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, said. “We have drive-in worship so everyone drives in and parks in the same direction, and I go up in the air on a lift.” (Toliver Chapel has recently reopened their sanctuary for worship. This article was written in the spring.)
The church has been a part of the Waco community for 127 years. According to the Texas Historical Markers web page, the congregation grew out of a Sunday school class led by Rev. L. Toliver in July 1895. The East Waco church eventually moved to a Price Street location, then expanded in 1917 with a new sanctuary at its current location on Elm Avenue.
“We try to be visible in the community,” Hunter said. “Wherever we find a need or whatever kind of deal, we’re pretty off into those kinds of things.”
The church has many programs, including working with the Central Texas Food Bank to host food drives, partnering with J.H. Hines Elementary School, and working with senior citizens.
“We’ve tried, like everyone else, to maintain our service until everything goes back to normal,” Hunter said. “I do think, however, that once we are re-engaged, we’ll still have work in the community. But I think the church overall has thrust into new ways of ministry.”
Toliver has been available to the community, even amidst regulations during the pandemic. They have come up with creative ways of being an outreach center, which includes hosting COVID-19 testing and immunizations.
“COVID has been a challenge because it has stagnated us to a certain degree because there is only so much we could do,” Hunter said. “We couldn’t have the types of contacts that we were accustomed to having.”
Despite the difficulties faced with protocols, Toliver has managed to stay connected with the congregation. They have hosted Bible study by way of a conference call and prayer time on Wednesday. COVID-19 moved Toliver to launch new ways of reaching the community.
“Since I’ve had to go that direction it has opened us up,” Hunter said. “I mean, we’ve had people watching us from London. So, it really has pushed the church beyond the walls, and moved our whole mindset up into the times we are in.”
When an opportunity to help the community becomes available, the congregation of Toliver doesn’t miss a chance to serve. Even during the winter storms, the church passed out water and Hunter individually called to check on his members.
“I think historically, persons within the community have kind of looked at our church as one that casts into the forefront of things,” Hunter said. “The church has always been a church that’s community-oriented.”
Rachel Hemphill is from Texarkana, Texas, and Baylor freshman majoring in business marketing and minoring in advertising.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco is sharing a series of blog posts — Faith Doing Good — about local religious entities working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Lexi Masarweh
Father Eduardo Jazo is passionate about future plans and how St. Francis on the Brazos Catholic Church currently helps the community.
“I find joy. I find happiness in serving my community,” Jazo said. “It’s because it is a gift of God.”
Jazo said it is his vocation and he is just answering God’s calling. Jazo said he is happy serving others and will continue to do so until he does not “feel fulfillment from it anymore.”
St. Francis on the Brazos had a food pantry to help those in need of groceries, but the church had to suspend the pantry due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of people in need of it were elderly and stopped coming to the church due to the pandemic.
“The pandemic stops everything. . . . It was very difficult because we depend on the people who attend mass, and the attendance of mass dropped really, really hard,” Jazo said.
The pandemic hit many churches hard. Before COVID, 400 people attended mass each week, and now 100 people are attending. “In this moment we are trying to survive as a church, and we are trying to do the best,” Jazo said.
According to the St. Francis on the Brazos Church website, the food pantry was established by the Franciscan Nun, Sister Francis. The food pantry operated since 1992. The church is dedicated to helping the elderly and those in need by providing food and clothing regardless of faith or status.
Jazo said the food pantry was working well. However, he thinks the church needs to do more. Jazo is looking for programs offering legal advice since many people in the parish are immigrants.
The church will host a vaccination clinic 9 a.m.-1 p.m. July 11.
Even though they do not currently have a pantry, Jazo said the church provides groceries for those in desperate need. When the pantry restarts the main difference will be that the church has stopped working with the Central Texas Food Bank. The church can freely pass out food to whomever they want to and whenever.
The church receives donations of clothing and other items. Jazo said the church works with Catholic Charities of Texas and the Diocese of Austin. This helps the community as well. Jazo said, for example, the church received 800 boxes of diapers.
“The things we receive as donations we give,” Jazo said. “We find someone who needs it.”
Jazo said the church tries “to help in a spiritual way.” This is essential, especially during hard times. Jazo and the church tries to give hope to those who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jazo said they reassure others that they have a family within the church. The church lifts those up and they come together to pray for those who are sick and in need of spiritual guidance.
Lexi Masarweh is a sophomore at Baylor University. She is a corporate communications major and a minor in public relations. Lexi is from Pleasant Hill, Calif., which is close to San Francisco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Ferrell Foster
Independence Day is always special, but this year it is even more treasured. On July 4, 1776, the founders of this nation laid down some principles that would shape this people for generations. Now that we have added Juneteenth as a federal holiday, we can see more clearly that bringing those first principles to fruition is a process.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (U.S. Declaration of Independence).
Let’s put those words in chronological context:
1776 – The authors didn’t really mean “all men” and, of course, not women. Slaveholders were among the signers.
1861 – That disconnect eventually led to a Civil War, the most deadly war for Americans in their history.
1862 – President Lincoln started broadening freedom with the Emancipation Proclamation.
1865 – Slaves in Galveston learned of their freedom — Juneteenth.
That’s 89 years from the signing of the Declaration to Juneteenth. Countless people suffered and died to make that progress.
But any student of history knows that only chattel slavery (humans as owned property) ended in 1865; a new type of slavery emerged eventually grouped under the term of Jim Crow laws — varied rules that sought to keep African Americans in a subservient position.
1954 – The U.S. Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, ruled that state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional.
1955 – Rosa Parks says “no” to sitting at the back of a bus in Montgomery, Ala., and local pastor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., emerges as the bus boycott’s voice and eventually the nation’s.
1964 – In the wake of the assassination of President John Kennedy, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
1965 – Congress passed and President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 prohibiting racial discrimination in voting.
That’s 100 years between the first Juneteenth and the Voting Rights Act.
The words of the Declaration of Independence did not free slaves; those words laid the philosophical and national foundations by which people could work to wrest their freedom from the power of oppressors.
On July 4 we do not celebrate freedom achieved; we celebrate freedom made possible. And in doing so we remember the long years of struggle from Independence Day to Juneteenth and then to the Voting Rights Act.
And this freedom is not a liberty to do whatever an individual wants; it is a freedom to enjoy the God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And, since all people are of equal value, we pursue those three things in consideration of the same pursuit by others.
All people (Black, Hispanic, Asian, White … any gender … from any nation) . . .
. . . are created equal (no group is superior) . . .
. . . they are endowed by their Creator (this isn’t something a few people just made up) . . .
. . . with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
We celebrate 1776 and 1865 and 1965, but we know there is still more to be done, and that includes right here in Waco.
Ferrell Foster is acting executive director of Act Locally Waco and is senior content specialist for care and communition with Prosper Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
Editor: Act Locally Waco begins a new series of blog posts today — Faith Doing Good — about local religious entities working in the community. These pieces were written by Baylor University students from the Department of Journalism, Public Relations, and New Media.
By Dane Valdez
Acts Church Waco is a small, Baptist-affiliated place of worship embedded in an underserved neighborhood. David Booker and his wife, Kim, have been serving as lead pastors since they planted the church in 2007. Although the church’s congregation is small when compared to other popular churches in Waco, Acts Church is committed to using their resources to show God’s grace throughout the community.
The church has launched multiple initiatives to help those in need of financial assistance. The church runs a food pantry, operates an after-school children’s program, and even raises funds to buy vehicles and put down payments on homes for struggling members of the congregation.
“We feel that the Bible teaches that the church needs to be a light, especially with all the chaos and hate going on, the church needs to practice love in our own neighborhood and community,” David said. “If we are loving on people, hopefully they will be more willing to hear what we have to say. We are called to love on our community, to be the city on the hill, a place that people can run to for help.”
With over a quarter of Waco falling below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Acts Church’s mission to allocate a large portion of its financial resources to the community surrounding them shows their commitment to showing God’s love through acts of service. On their website, the church describes evangelism not as a ministry, but a way of life.
“I always just have to remember that God has unlimited resources and that anytime he wants to give us money to finish our building he’s fully capable of it,” Booker said. “So I think if we view man as our supplier, then we will start to see these gifts as sacrifices. But if we view God as our supplier, then we will keep it correct.”
Because Booker views giving to those in need as a biblical obligation, the church specifically designates funds to better the community and assist members of the church. Once a month, a “special offering” takes place. The money raised in these services is directed particularly to an act of service by the church, whether it be helping fund mission trips or supporting a church member in need.
“We are limited in our resources. We can’t help everyone, but I think again that’s why we try to really work with people and help them. And God is pretty faithful to provide in those types of ways,” Booker said.
Acts Church seeks to practice what it preaches by using its resources to bless others, which can be attributed not only to the church’s leadership, but also to the generosity of the congregation.
Dane Valdez is a Galveston freshman at Baylor University studying political science and journalism.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Katy Durham
After days of rain, the skies over Panther Stadium cleared just in time for 630 Midway High School seniors to walk across the stage and receive their much-anticipated diplomas.
Family members, friends, teachers, and administrators were eager to share in the excitement of recognizing the Class of 2021 as they crossed the finish line and graduated high school on the evening of Friday, May 28.
“These students have been dedicated and persisted through tough times,” Midway High School Principal Alison Smith said. “I have enjoyed watching them grow to become strong young adults that are ready to take on the world.”
After Midway ISD was able to hold in-person classes and keep its doors open throughout the entire school year, many of the students who spoke during the ceremony expressed how meaningful it was to gather as a class one final time in celebration of their achievement and the past 13 years of hard work.
“Tonight is a fantastic evening to have the entire Class of 2021 back together for this finale of their high school careers,” Smith said. “We just thought that the Class of 2020 would be the only group affected by the worldwide pandemic, but I truly feel like the Class of 2021 has persevered through much more.”
After an unpredictable year, the dedication and determination displayed by this year’s group of graduating seniors was highlighted in multiple speeches.
“Life has thrown so much at us so quickly,” Midway High School Valedictorian David Park said as he addressed his classmates. “But that diploma isn’t just validation of your hard work and efforts. It’s also a tremendous testament to your character.”
Midway High School Salutatorian Avery Hammond also reflected on how navigating high school through a pandemic was no small feat.
“As a class, we learned to be flexible, to be resilient, and to appreciate each moment spent together,” Hammond said. “Although this was not the senior year we expected, it most definitely was a senior year worthwhile.”
Midway ISD Superintendent Dr. George Kazanas noted in his speech that when the Class of 2021 first began high school, no one had any idea they would have to walk through such a historical event during some of their most formative years.
“But I think because of the pandemic, the class of 2021 is more prepared for life than any class that came before them,” Kazanas said. “You are more encouraging, more imaginative, compassionate, and more resilient. This journey has grown and stretched you, and you will not be defined by COVID-19, but you will be known for what you gained from it.”
There was also no shortage of gratitude from the student speakers, who each took time on behalf of their class to express appreciation for the faculty and staff at Midway who supported them throughout their education.
“As we prepare to leave, let us take a moment to remember what Midway has given us,” fifth-ranked graduating senior Walker Pierce said. “From the custodians, to the administrators, to everyone in between, these people have spent their lives in dedication to us and our future success.”
“Our administrators, counselors, teachers, custodians, and guardians have worked harder than ever to accommodate both in-person and virtual students this year,” Park said.
The graduation ceremony concluded with a fireworks display in celebration of Midway High School’s newest graduates and their well-deserved success.
“This senior class has provided Panther Nation with so many reasons to be proud,” Smith said.
Katy Durham is a senior journalism student at Baylor University and a communications intern for Midway ISD.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Jeremy Rhodes
My family and I are trying to buy a house here in Waco. In case you haven’t heard, that’s hard to do right now. Luckily, we have some generous friends who are allowing us to crash at their place for a few weeks while we get things ironed out.
We have made an offer on seven houses. (I think?… My wife would know for sure.) For at least two of the houses, we know we were the highest bid, but we lost out to some cash offers.
The recent decision of our city council to limit short-term rentals should help the supply of housing for sale, but the impact of that change might not be felt for a while. For now, we are left at the mercy of sellers who we can only hope will see some value in our offers and take mercy on a family trying to finance their home.
Increasing home prices can have ripple effects on rental prices, as well. As my wife and I consider the possibility that we may have to rent for a few months and try to ride out this real estate wave, we are realizing that the cost of renting is rising along with the cost of buying. In some cases, the cost of renting is as high as the cost of a mortgage, but without the benefit of building equity on an asset.
I imagine this squeeze is being felt especially hard for first-time home buyers, especially those who are looking for low-cost homes to buy. About once or twice a week, I hear rumors of West-Coast investors paying cash to snatch up homes to flip, but I’m not sure how or whether those rumors can be verified. The current difficulty of our housing market has more to do with the current low supply of homes for sale than with a surplus of potential buyers.
So please sell me your house, but only if it’s a house I’ll like. We’re not currently in the market for houses we don’t like.
Jeremy Rhodes is director of research and community impact for Prosper Waco.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Josh Wucher
South Waco Elementary School is welcoming Lauren Frasure as its newest principal. Frasure is currently an assistant principal at Cesar Chavez Middle School, where she has worked for nine years.
“I’m looking forward to continuing the rich history established at South Waco,” Frasure said. “I am eager to help our staff be the best versions of themselves in order to help our Spartans grow academically, socially, and emotionally in the coming school years.”
Frasure has served in a number of roles at Cesar Chavez including teacher, instructional specialist, dean, and assistant principal. She taught sixth-grade math in Killeen ISD before joining Waco ISD.
“While at Cesar Chavez, Lauren has spent almost a decade building relationships with students who attended South Waco Elementary,” Dr. Susan Kincannon, Waco ISD superintendent said. “These strong connections, along with the knowledge and skills that she has developed to analyze student achievement data and coach for effective instruction, will serve Lauren well as she leads the South Waco Elementary campus.”
Frasure received a bachelor of science in education with a specialization in middle school mathematics from Baylor University and a master’s degree in education from Lamar University. Recently, she was part of the inaugural group of Waco ISD’s Academy for Aspiring School Leaders, a professional development program launched in February to recruit, train, support and retain high-quality leaders.
Joshua Wucher is Waco ISD’s executive director for communications.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Dexter Hall
Definition of divergent
1a: moving or extending in different directions from a common point: diverging from each other divergent paths.
Definition of convergent
1: tending to move toward one point or to approach each other: CONVERGING convergent lines
I have been on a personal journey with family and friends, as well as friends of friends, to ensure they have received their COVID-19 vaccination. I have shared with many that I am “2-Shots In” referring to the Moderna vaccination.
More importantly, I have shared how this is helping me to move past the pandemic, while still using safe protocols. I’m beginning to do the things I enjoy most — things I have been inhibited from doing during the pandemic, such as travel, gatherings, concerts, and many more.
As we all move forward, I ponder which way our community will go and what will be left behind. Are we diverging or converging post-pandemic? Which path will we take?
Financially, each path carries its own weight of issues — some with good prospects and some with not-so-good prospects.
COVID-19 forced us all to work together, to converge, if we were to survive the health and economic apocalypse that could have engulfed us. We worked together for the greater good. During this convergence, COVID-19 helped uncover mass amounts of disparity in our community regarding health, education, and financial and economic security. Some of us were not surprised at all by these disparities because this is and has been our lived experience via work, life, or in my case both.
As these long-held disparities in financial and economic security were displayed openly for all to see, there was a movement or convergence of government, community, nonprofits, business leaders, and others. They came together to develop many initiatives, in some cases first-of-their-kind programming to help the LMI (low-to-moderate income) members of our community. These safety nets ensured the bottom didn’t drop out of our economic floor, which would have been catastrophic for all, including the “haves.”
COVID-19 put us all on a converging path of economic survivability and showed how working together provides a brighter path for our most vulnerable community members and also works for ALL Wacoans.
As we resume our pre-pandemic normal, we tend to diverge, to move away from working together, back to our corners, and away from our common goal of fighting COVID-19. I wonder what will be lost that was gained during our fight. And, as in any war, what will the spoils be?
Will we forget the financial and economic disparities that were put on display as many in our minority communities lost their jobs with no economic safety net?
Will we forget the struggles of our minority small business owners who lacked access to capital prior to COVID-19 and saw greater losses during the pandemic than their counterparts?
Will we forget how they asked for and still need “Targeted Technical Assistance” that works for them and not for the provider?
Will we forget the housing needs of our marginalized community as prices of goods to build housing have soared almost three times their pre-pandemic levels and which will ultimately widen the already wide Black/White housing and wealth gap and also lead to an “affordable rental” issue in our community?
I ask, are we on a path of converging or diverging post-pandemic?
Let us stay the course and “LIVE” like the pandemic is behind us but continuing to “WORK TOGETHER” as if the pandemic was still in front of us. Let us converge, not diverge, in our viewpoints on the economic security for all Wacoans.
At Prosper Waco we are working to address the financial and economic security for our marginalized communities in Waco. We invite you to join us in this fight that ultimately impacts all Wacoans. Please contact me at [email protected] for information on how you can be involved as we are converging together through the “City of Waco Financial Empowerment Blueprint.”
One for all and all for one.
Dexter Hall is chief of staff and senior content specialist for financial security with Prosper Waco. For more information on financial security contact Hall at [email protected].
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].
By Terry Roller
Following a successful first Golden Oldies Edition at the Waco Hippodrome in June, the Stars Over Texas Jamboree will present its first Legends of Country Edition at the historic downtown theatre, 724 Austin Ave. on Tuesday, July 8. Pre-show begins at 6:45 p.m., and showtime is 7 p.m.
Special guests include Danny Ragland as Willie Nelson, Bridgett Huffhines as Patsy Cline, and Jamboree partner Johnnie Bradshaw as Jim Reeves, along with the Jamboree partners, band, and cast.
Tickets are assigned seating. Seats are $20, $16, $14, and $12 (balcony) plus sales tax and a small processing fee. Tickets are available on the Hippodrome website and at the door on the night of the show, though by that time the remaining seats may most likely be balcony seats. Limited $16 (plus tax and processing) advance tickets will also be available at Lone Star Music, 929 Lake Air Dr. Ample parking is available within a block of the Hippodrome including on and off-street parking.
The Hippodrome location provides visitors the opportunity purchase a selection of adult beverages, water, and soft drinks while watching the show.
Shows will follow all current CDC and government mandates and Hippodrome policies regarding masking and social distancing at the time of the show. Check the Hippodrome website and Facebook page and the Stars Over Texas Jamboree Facebook page for changes or updates. Should there be another shutdown, this show will be rescheduled at the earliest possible date.
Terry Roller is a retired graphic design professor from Baylor, having taught there for 33 years in addition to 6 years at Eastern Illinois University and 4 years as a teaching assistant at the University of Tennessee where he holds a BFA and MFA in design. He is also a partner in the Stars Over Texas Jamboree. He acts as vocalist, designer, roadie, and occasional emcee and comic.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email Ferrell Foster at [email protected].