Over the years TOMHEM has provided counseling and encouragement to aspiring students both on an individual basis and through seminars and the dissemination of information.By JAMES W. WADE III
Staff Reporter
Olivet Institutional Baptist Church held their inaugural Scholarship Luncheon this month. The luncheon was held at Landerhaven with guest speaker Minister Allison Colvin, first lady of the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church. Cleveland School of the Arts provided a great dance.
Leslie Dickerson sung “The Greatest Love of All” before Rev. Monica Morris gave the invocation. Sarah Kisner read the history of the O. M. Hoover Education Ministry.
The O. M. Hoover Education Ministry (TOMHEM) was founded in 1975 under the visionary leadership of Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., Pastor Emeritus as he accepted the call to pastor Olivet Institutional Baptist Church.
Rev. Moss felt strongly about creating a way to carry on the legacy of Rev. O. M. Hoover and his commitment to fully educating young people. What better way to do this than to establish the O.M. Hoover Education Ministry. Rev. Hoover a supporter of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, embodied what Dr. King felt about education, "we must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.
The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate. The broad education will, therefore, transmit to one not only the accumulated knowledge of the race but also the accumulated experience of social living."
Some of the founding members were the late Sister Earlie M. Golden, Brother Arnold Pinkney, Sister Carole Hoover, Sister Ernestine Brown and Sister Rosa Taylor.
Pastor Moss felt the need to establish a ministry which would primarily and continually promote excellence in advanced academic training as a means of career advancement and greater stewardship "along life's Christian journey." TOMHEM set out to meet these noble Christ-centered objectives in several ways.
Over the years TOMHEM has provided counseling and encouragement to aspiring students both on an individual basis and through seminars and the dissemination of information. TOMHEM continues to recognize and celebrate academic achievement. Annually TOMHEM plans and hosts the graduate recognition observance in which all members achieving degree attainment at various levels are honored. TOMHEM also hosts the annual high school and college students' luncheon. There college students gather to encourage high school students to definitely pursue advanced training beyond high school and to further uplift and encourage our students.
Rev. Jawanza Colvin, pastor of Olivet presented the graduates to the public. Ethel Hill talked about the Award Criteria as pastor Colvin and Scholarship Chair Monica Hubbard pasted out the awards. The program ended with remarks from the James E. Davis Jr. who serves as President of the O. M. Hoover education Ministry.
