One of our very own, the Rev. Willie (Smokie) Norful, Jr., is up for three awards at the Stellar Awards to be held Saturday evening, November 11, in Atlanta. The Stellar Awards is gospel music's most prestigious honor for a person or choir. It is the Emmys of gospel music.

Rev. Smokie is a proud product of the 12th Episcopal District, an Itinerant Elder in the AME Church, and now lives in the 4th Episcopal District and (as I last heard) is the minister of music for one of our churches in Chicago. A proud husband, father, son, and AME, Smokie is representing the AME Church very well in the gospel music arena.

Let us pray for him as he is up for three awards: Best New Artist, Best Male vocalist and Best Contemporary Male Vocalist!

-- Anonymous, January 07, 2003