THE Rev. Dr. Arthur S. Jones, who until retirement a few months ago was pastor of the historic Third Street Bethel AME Church in Richmond, Virginia, has been reconnecting during the past week with his old congregation at Allen Temple Church in Somerset.

Accompanying him were his wife Erma and friends, Dianne Small and Gayle Scarborough. The four are pictured at right at Allen Temple AME Church, Somerset.

The Joneses indelibly wrote their names in the pages of Allen Temple's history nearly 50 years ago when they pastored the church, and built its two-storey community centre. It was the first such facility at a local church, and was opened with some fanfare by the Governor of the day. Similarly, at Third Street Bethel Church, Dr. Jones built a multi-million-dollar community centre during his just ended eight-year tenure there.

Aside from the bricks and mortar aspects of their tenure in Somerset from 1957 to 1961, the Joneses had a dynamic youth programme out of which many young men and women were inspired to important religious and civic leadership roles in their communities here and abroad.

Mrs. Jones joked about how some of the young folk pranced in and out of their parsonage as if they personally owned it. Among their prot?g?s attending the worship service at Allen Temple on Sunday, when Dr. Jones was the guest preacher, were Dr. Glen Bascome and the new Minister Without Portfolio, Walter Lister.

My other pictures show Mrs. Erma Jones (above) presenting Dr. Bascome with a plaque recognising his contributions as a public school educator and head of the Christian education department of his church. At the top left are members of the Allen Temple Youth Choir who sang at the morning service.