Local pastor participates in LR Convention & Visitors Bureau project
The pastor of the local Calvary Church of God in Christ, Bishop Robert G. Rudolph, Jr., recently took part in a project launched by the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau that shines a light on the capital city’s Black history and culture, in celebration of Black History Month.
The “Experience Little Rock in Color” interactive video series features over 30 central Arkansas Black business and community leaders that comment on Black history, culture, notable community members, and the Black experience in Little Rock.
“Our new interactive video series shines a spotlight on Little Rock’s amazing Black experiences.
By connecting us to all the culture and flavor of the city’s unique and diverse offerings, ‘Experience Little Rock in Color’ helps viewers and new travelers explore a city that’s not only beautiful but brimming with possibilities for meaningful experiences,” as stated on the LRCVB website.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Black History Month with the launch of our new video series,” said President/ceo of the LRCVB, Gina Gemberling. “Little Rock is a dynamic and diverse community that pairs different cultures with world-class attractions, restaurants and experiences. We are proud to spotlight our city’s rich Black history and culture and look forward to expanding our video series to connect with more diverse communities that make our city a unique, must-see destination for visitors and locals alike.”
Bishop Rudolph is featured in the series as he gives a moving testimonial concerning his cohort, Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, former Little Rock resident and founder of the Church of God in Christ, a Holiness-pentecostal Christian denomination whose members are predominantly African-american.
Mason was born in Tennessee in 1864 to former slaves and worked as a sharecropper with his family before going on to preach after reaching adulthood. He enrolled at Arkansas Baptist College in 1893 and transferred shortly thereafter to the Minister’s Institute, graduating in 1895.
“In 1895, Mason met Charles Price Jones, a popular Baptist preacher from Mississippi.
Mason and Jones soon began preaching the doctrine of holiness and sanctification in the local Baptist churches, which led to their expulsion from the Baptist Convention,” according to www.cogic.org.
Mason collaborated with Jones to form the Church of God in Christ in 1897.
Mason named the church as such to distinguish it from countless other religious groups forming at the time, and because of a Godly revelation he received while strolling the city streets near the corner of 8th and Gaines.
“He was walking along a street in Little Rock,” Rudolph said in the filming, “and it was revealed to him that he was going to name the new movement, or the new church organization that the Lord had placed in his heart, was going to be named the Church of God in Christ.”
The name was taken from 1 Thessalonians 2:14, which states, “For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews.”
“Church of God in Christ is a 6.5 million-member denomination. We are in every state in the Union, as well as about 120 countries, so we are all over the world,” Rudolph said. “All of that is just a powerful history, and it started here in Little Rock.”
The “Experience Little Rock in Color” video serice can be viewed through links on the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, or by going directly to Youtube. For more information, call the LRCVB at 501-376-4781 or 1-800-844-4781.
The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Little Rock, charged with marketing and selling the city as a meeting, sports, and leisure travel destination.
The Bureau also manages Statehouse Convention Center, Robinson Center, River Market Ottenheimer Hall and outdoor pavilions, First Security Amphitheater, and multiple parking facilities. The LRCVB is primarily funded by lodging and prepared foods tax. Learn more at Littlerock. com.