Saving our Children by Teaching to Swim!
By Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr., Contributing Writer
This week has been a wonderful experience for ministry. A few years ago, I was challenged by God to make a difference regarding swimming for African American youth. More African American youth drown as compared to automobile accidents in this country.
I am an advocate of teaching swimming lessons and breaking the phobia of fear of the water. This week, I watched African American youth get exposed to swimming through the James Haines Community Swimming Ministry of Bethel AME Church. I was almost brought to tears because we are saving our children. We surely need to fight violence in our streets but we also need to fight the violence of fearing water. Let us save our children.
Ministry is a wholistic endeavor. How can we preach salvation when our children are being lost to drowning each year? Let us preach and teach water safety and swimming as a long-term fitness experience. I thank God for parents who encouraged us to learn to swim at Washington Heights Swimming Pool in Jacksonville, Florida. The teachers were kind and understanding and they worked to help us learn to swim. That same kindness and legacy are now pouring in my spirit.
Dr. Herman O. Kelly, Jr. is the pastor Bethel AME Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Morehouse College, Springfield College (M.Ed.), Boston University School of Theology (M.Div.), and the Memphis Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He is an adjunct professor at Louisiana State University in the African and African-American Studies Program and the School of Education.
