Sis. Edie Way
Sis. Edie Way believes one of the blessings of St. Matthew A.M.E. Church for her is "that it is a very nonjudgmental church. You come as you are" and you are accepted.
And it is that feeling that has kept her coming since 1995.
Sis. Way and her husband, Carlton, were married at St. Matthew in 2014. They have known each other since middle school and reconnected at St. Matthew. Their blended family includes her daughter, Jae, and his sons, Jajuan and Jamir.
She first attended St. Matthew because the person she was seeing at that time was bringing his daughter to the youth choir practice. Her daughter Jae wanted to join, so soon both girls were attending.
Then Sis. Way started singing and getting more involved with the church, and eventually joined the Inspirational Choir. "I tried to fight it but I gave up and threw in the white flag. I actually joined a year later (1996) and have been here ever since."
Sis. Way said she has stayed at St. Matthew "because I love my church family and they helped me raise my daughter as a single parent."
She was a youth choir mom for about 10 years and has been in the Inspirational Choir for 15 years. In addition to her work as a legal assistant in New York, Sis. Way likes to write poetry.
"I'm a gatherer of people. I like to live in a world where people can come together no matter who or where they are."
She is also a member of the John Wesley Jackson Black History Committee and the Greeters Ministry. Sis. Way has two favorite Bible verses that she finds inspiring: the story about the woman who had an issue with blood for 12 years, found in Mark 5:25-34 and Luke 8:43-48.
She said she is thankful her daughter, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is thriving and doing well. "I am grateful God continues to look after her with her being so far away," Sis. Way said.
Some of Sis. Way's favorite memories at St. Matthew are of the old church before the building was expanded and "the youth choir anniversaries; of us going to Livingston Mall and the kids lining the steps. Youth choir members were always my babies."
By Sandra Long Weaver