- Faith & Family There was soft beating on conga drums, and all
eyes were on the 17 young men as they walked to the front of the
building with their families. It was during this ceremony where
the young men would separate from their families and sit on
their own. It was the young mens’ rites of passage, a process
that every young boy in Africa goes through, which is symbolic
of him transitioning from boyhood to manhood. In one African
tribe in order for a boy to become a man he must live in the
wilderness, kill a lion and bring the lion back to the tribe.
When he comes back to the village, he is then recognized as a
warrior. The rites of passage for young men, held a couple of
years ago, is one of the many events that the African American
History Ministry at New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith
International held to celebrate and educate congregation members
on their heritage. During the ministry’s rites of passage
program, the young men didn’t kill any lions, but they learned
useful information that p