Writing for those who believe that life has many choices, McLachlan reminds us that how we live our lives determines where we will spend eternity. Choices made today will not only have an impact on our lives, but also on the lives of our children.

His uniquely personal and thought-provoking statement covers a range of issues including:

• A review of the origin, doctrines, and beliefs of the Church of God in Christ

• The relevance of religion in a contemporary world and the need for human commitment to religion

• Appreciating various theological beliefs and basic religious teachings

• Instructing adolescents about ethical values

• Rediscovering the importance of role models, caretakers and guardians as we seek answers to life's challenging questions

EXCERPT FROM ASTON P. MCLACHLAN'S LOOKING OVER MY FATHER'S SHOULDERS

RELOCATING THE FAMILY-FROM JAMAICA TO ENGLAND

In the late 1940s through mid 1950s traveling from Jamaica to England presented many challenges that required courage on the part of my entire family. We all experienced tremendous sadness when we left other family members and our home, and leaving had a feeling of permanence that was painful to us all.

At this time, World War II ended and throughout the English Channel there were undetected, unexploded German-laid mines leading to England's major shipping ports. These mines were a constant threat to my family as we began to make our way to England. A second travel option would have been by commercial airline, but at the time this mode of transport was not only dangerous, but was generally reserved for the wealthy. Therefore, my family's only option was by ship, which took from two to four weeks to travel from Jamaica to England.

When most Jamaicans traveled to England they carried such household items as beds, dressers tables and chairs, and other items that may be considered impractical to transport over such distance but, many of these items were handmade by neighborhood people and thus became both functional and a sentimental attachment to the place the immigrants called home. I believe that within each immigrant was an understanding of the reality that leaving Jamaica also included the possibility of not ever returning or seeing your loved ones again -- the only difference between leaving and dying was that when you were leaving you took furniture with you.

My sister Marjorie reminded me that the custom of traveling with such large amounts of personal items could have been a unique custom of our mother and in retrospect my sister was probably correct. I recall many years ago, on one of my mother's trips between Los Angeles, and Kingston, Jamaica, she had a total of thirteen large suitcases and it was not unusual that the cost of excess bags would exceed the original cost of her airline ticket. I also recall that my mother particularly enjoyed carrying children's clothing with her from America to Jamaica and at least seven of those thirteen large suitcases where filled with clothing for people that were less fortunate than we were.

In 1947, when the first half of the McLachlan family arrived in England, many items that would be considered essentials today, such as a telephone, were not available and it was not until three years after moving into our home (about 1953) that we had a telephone installed. I remember coming home from school only to find my mother very distraught and weeping while holding a letter that she received from her sister in Jamaica advising her that their mother had died and was buried about three weeks before the letter was received by my mother in England. This kind of sadness was experienced among many of the early immigrants where the separation from home and family also meant minimal and untimely communication with your loved ones elsewhere in the world. Therefore many immigrants established new family ties with others that shared their same predicament.

As more immigrants began arriving in England (between 1948 through 1955) many were met with resentment and open bigotry toward West Indians and people of color. When they were looking for somewhere to rent or purchase there were signs on buildings that read "No Jews, Dogs, or West Indians."

Coming from the West Indies such bigotry was extremely hurtful and difficult to believe because in school we were taught that England was our "mother country." There was a tremendous need to belong, which fostered many closely-knit communities of West Indians in several sections of London. This need for companionship was coupled with a need for spiritual expression that was constant among the religious individuals arriving in England. Religious fellowship became a major priority because it offered the opportunity to thank God for the privilege of employment that was available in England, which, in turn, gave people the opportunity to support themselves and their families.

Religion among the immigrants also provided strength, companionship, and an outlet to meet with others and jointly seek God's help in overcoming the bigotry and many other problems that were encountered in England. After establishing the first church location in Camden Town in 1952 (other than our home) during the following years several other church locations were established with growing West Indian membership while other locations were being rapidly planned and added intermittently. In 1957 my father was ordained to the ministry of the Church of God in Christ with World Headquarters located at 938 Mason Street, Memphis, Tennessee.

Bishop Charles H. Mason, founder of the Church of God in Christ (who I had the pleasure of meeting when I was thirteen years old) was a very kind, gentle, and powerful gift from God. The headquarters known as Mason Temple carries the bishop's name, and he will always be remembered lovingly by thousands of people. The Mason Temple is an historic church that was built in 1940 during World War II with a seating capacity of 7,500. The creation of this temple was a major benchmark effort for a relatively small group of Black Americans. Construction materials, especially steel, were extremely hard to get and expensive; nevertheless, the task was completed, making it the largest black-owned church auditorium in America for several years. The Mason Temple has been a focal point for many dignitaries including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who gave his final "Mountain Top" speech from the pulpit of Mason Temple.

I currently live in Northern California and have made four trips to the Church of God in Christ headquarters and there is no other church building in America quite like the Mason Temple with all its historical significance. However, today in Memphis, Tennessee, there are several other beautiful Church of God in Christ locations. The Angeles Cathedral Church of God in Christ located in Los Angeles, California has literally taken the scriptures at its word "...the house to be built to the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent; famous and glorious throughout all countries" (First Chronicles 22:5).

My personal opinion is that even though this is an amazing building where wonderful things are done, I am not convinced that God wants this lavishness while so many of His children are in crisis with serious needs. My view also extends outside the Church of God in Christ and would also include the lavishness and lack of practicality of what is commonly known as "The Crystal Cathedral" located in Garden Grove, California.

In 1957, after my father was appointed bishop and given his jurisdictional responsibilities work within the churches in England increased rapidly to meet the needs of its growing membership. By the end of 1958 there were twenty-one well established Church of God in Christ locations that originated from the work that started in Bishop L. O. McLachlan's home. With all of my father's hard work came four very difficult challenges that were constant, time consuming, and complicated regarding "the custody of the churches" from their initial conception, development, doctrine consistency, and organizational control up to and including the churches on-going weekly activities.

The first challenge relates to the fact that during 1952 when my father arrived in London, England was still recovering from the Second World War and most homes, including ours, were not centrally heated and poorly insulated which made them continually damp and cold. Therefore the harsh English winters became unbearable after the initial enjoyment of seeing snow for the first time. This was an even greater problem for my father because during this period a tremendous amount of work was being done to establish new church locations in London. My father was accustomed to the climate of Jamaica with an average temperature of eighty-five degrees, and was in his sixties at the time which only added to the challenge of the English winters.

Price: $12.95

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