This weekend, the pastoral leaders and staff of MSMBC are together in downtown Los Angeles for our annual retreat. This is when we do the heavy lifting for our plans for the upcoming year. This is about this sixth year in a row we have met together in this way. And this is about the fourth year we have met at this hotel. We are finishing up dinner now. And we will take on work for a couple of more hours, before we quit for the night. We will start again early in the morning, and go through tomorrow afternoon....

Here is the book review I wrote about a month ago for our church newletter. Steve Brown introduces his book What Was I Thinking? with an illustration: “One Time Mark Twain’s wife got furious with him and did something she rarely, if ever, did. She started cursing. Twain started laughing, and that, of course, made her even angrier. She asked him what he thought was so funny. ‘My dear,’ he said through gales of laughter, ‘you know the words, but you don’t know the tune!’” This humorous story is Brown’s explanation of where he is in his walk with Christ...

I am in Louisville preaching the citywide revival through Wednesday night. Dr. Eric A. Johnson is the president of the citywide revival. And my friend, Dr. Derrick Miles, is the vice-president. The services are being held each evening at the Hill Street Baptist Church, where the Rev. Gregory Smith is the pastor. Please remember me and this meeting in your prayers.

Here are some recent pictures of my family. Crystal & NatalieCrystal, H.B. (III), Natalie, & meH.B., Natalie, and my mother, Ellen Charles

I am in Oakland. In the morning, I will be heading home from preaching at the Greater St. John Baptist Church here, where Gregory Payton is the pastor. Pastor Payton has been hosting St. John's "Empowering the City with a Word" conference, which started this past Sunday.There has been a "lecturer" and speaker each night. Clinton McFarland from Columbus (Miss), Brian Hunter from Berkeley, Melvin Wade from Los Angeles, and James Dixon from Houston have spoken this week. Tonight was the closing night. I gave the opening message. And Pastor Dennis Jones of the Gethsemane Baptist Church in Houston gave...

Please join us this week as we pray for those who have suffered loss in the multiple wildfires that have struck various parts of California this week.

Last week, as I preached for Pastor Reginald Terry and the Antioch Baptist Church, I was also able to attend several other services. Our services started at 6 pm and was over before 7:30. So the last two nights, we were able to attend several special events that were taking place across town. On Thursday, I was able to attend the closing night of Omaha's Citywide Revival. Dr. Frederick D. Sampson, from Houston, was the speaker. And it was fantastic. Dr. Sampson is a preaching legend. And it was great to get to here him for the first time. On...

Yesterday was a long, blessed day. I preached both of our morning services, and also led my small-group during the Sunday School hour. Then I had to preach two more times in the afternoon. At 3 pm, I preached the 14th pastoral anniversary for my longtime friend Reginald Payne at the Full Gospel Baptist Church. Reginald and I started preaching together at Mt. Sinai. And before he was called to serve his church, Reginald was my primary pastoral assistant. I am very proud of him and grateful to God for our friendship and the wonderful way the Lord is using...

I have returned to the scene of the crime (Don't ask. I will not explain. But if you get do it... pretty funny, huh?). I am in Omaha to preach for Pastor Reginald Terry at the Antioch Baptist Church. And I am having a blast. I really felt at home preaching to Antioch last night. Reginald Terry is an outstanding preacher and Bible teacher. And it's always good to be in a setting where the preaching of the word of God is the center-piece of the worship service - not an appendix added after a hundred non-essential things take place....

I am in Detroit preaching for Pastor Larry Walker and the Oakland Avenue Baptist Church. This is the third year I have done this meeting, so I think I know what to expect from them and they know what to expect from me. That always makes preaching a little bit easier. Again, for the third year, I am partnered with Dr. William Burwell, who lives and serves in Palm Springs California. Dr. B. is an itinerant preacher and Bible teacher, who travels the country speaking at churches and conferences. So each night Oakland Avenue takes Dr. B.'s best shot, then...

About 1,000 pastors, preachers and Bible teachers had converged on Los Angeles this week for the annual expository preaching conference sponsored by WHW Ministries. This group is led by Dr. R.A. Williams who serves the McCoy Memorial Baptist Church in Los Angeles and Dr. George Waddles who pastors in Chicago (They are the two "W" in the group's name, the "H" is for Pastor Larry Harris who passed away several years ago). The conference focuses, primarily, on word studies, grammar, context, and culture in the study of scripture. There are also other classes on various theological and pastoral subjects. And,...

Today is H.B. Charles III's 8th birthday. Happy birthday, son!!!