First in Future: Conetoe Chapel Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Rev. Richard Joyner

Summary:

It is the middle of August, and ridiculously hot these days. It’s the time of year Reverend Richard Joyner hated, growing up in Pitt County. For him and his 12 brothers and sisters, it meant another back-breaking day after another, in the fields with his sharecropping parents. The only thing he was sure of then was that he would never be in the fields when he grew up. Nowadays, he runs an award-winning ministry based in the fields – and loves every minute of it. As you listen to this week’s interview, I hope you’ll think of something you may have been considering doing, but avoiding. It could be just the thing you were called to do.

Rev. Joyner is the pastor at Conetone Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and founder of Conetone Family Center.

This installment of First in Future is part of a special TV series produced in collaboration with UNC-TV, and recorded in UNC-TV’s Legislative Studio in downtown Raleigh. Taped segments will air on the North Carolina Channel. Visit www.ncchannel.org/schedule/ for specific air dates. Watch the UNC-TV broadcast version via online streaming here!

Excerpts:  “There’s no way that I could be there on Sunday, but be disconnected from the members Monday through Saturday.” (Rev. Joyner on connecting both spiritual and nutritional health in his community.)

Book recommendations:  The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein

What do we need to be working on now to make North Carolina a better place to live and work?   Equal access to services, healthcare, sustainable jobs, opportunity and education.

What do we need to be doing now to get ready for the next 20 years?  We need to focus on the “spirit of excellence” – whatever we produce in this world, no one can produce better than North Carolina.

Listen to the podcast:

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