One Year Old
It seems far longer than a year ago since we gathered at the front door of the Absalom Jones Chapel with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Cape Coast Ghana Bishop Atta Bafoe and our own dear Bishop Rob Wright joining in cutting the ribbon to our new Center for Racial Healing. The gloriousness of that day continues to be difficult to describe. The joy of seeing the long and faithful path of leading the Beloved Community: Commission for Dismantling Racism move us to this day of becoming a new brave space to offer support for racial healing to the entire Episcopal Church was amazing. It was a day of humble gratitude and pride for all of us.
The partnership with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry came with the mandate to expand into being a resource for the entire Episcopal Church and it was daunting. But, the past year has been a phenomenal one and we have risen to the challenge and our span has moved from the local work that we do in the Diocese of Atlanta, to Province IV (regionally), nationally and internationally. And we continue to be delighted to see our work flourishing in the Diocese of Atlanta. Our dismantling racism classes continue to become totally filled within a few days of posting them, there are more parishes engaging in racial healing activities such as book studies, pilgrimages, special events for Lent and Advent, there is increasing local support for the Center as well.
In addition to this, the Center is engaged in collaboration with the University of the South in their work of researching their historical connection to slavery and exploring how to use their work to inform the way forward. Though this work is in the early stages, it will be a rich journey together as we imagine ways to involve Province IV in it. On the national stage, we are serving as coach/mentor for the Diocese of Iowa as they reimagine their dismantling racism work. The Dioceses of Chicago, Tennessee, Central New York, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky and many others have sought our counsel and several of them are developing an ongoing relationship with us as they move their work forward. A few dioceses are planning to visit the Center in 2019.
While the local, regional and national work is thriving, we are engaged with the Diocese of Honduras. Rev. Fabio Sotelo and I along with Revs. Glenda McQueen and Chuck Wynder and Heidi Kim, all of whom are on the Presiding Bishop’s Staff and Bishop Lloyd Allen of Honduras led a four-day racial healing conference in the Diocese of Honduras. This was the first event of this type that has been held there. The results were remarkable and ended with the formation of a Commission which will continue the work and we will continue to support them as they go forward. Our hearts were made glad by their expressions of courage and enthusiastic commitment to the work ahead of them and we were deeply moved by God’s amazing grace throughout our time with our sisters and brothers.
Along with this work, earlier this year we were delighted to welcome forty-seven of the ninety-nine dioceses in the Episcopal Church for a reflective conversation about the racial healing work in their respective dioceses. There were participants from coast to coast and there was great joy on the part of all who attended about the gathering and the opportunity to meet others who are engaging in racial healing work across the church. While many things were said, the most consistent comment was about the need to have a place where people can gather for support in this work.
It is our aim to continue to create opportunities for such gatherings and to provide as many ways as possible to help in the formation of supportive networks that can help the racial healing work across the wider church to flourish.
The partnership with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry came with the mandate to expand into being a resource for the entire Episcopal Church and it was daunting. But, the past year has been a phenomenal one and we have risen to the challenge and our span has moved from the local work that we do in the Diocese of Atlanta, to Province IV (regionally), nationally and internationally. And we continue to be delighted to see our work flourishing in the Diocese of Atlanta. Our dismantling racism classes continue to become totally filled within a few days of posting them, there are more parishes engaging in racial healing activities such as book studies, pilgrimages, special events for Lent and Advent, there is increasing local support for the Center as well.
In addition to this, the Center is engaged in collaboration with the University of the South in their work of researching their historical connection to slavery and exploring how to use their work to inform the way forward. Though this work is in the early stages, it will be a rich journey together as we imagine ways to involve Province IV in it. On the national stage, we are serving as coach/mentor for the Diocese of Iowa as they reimagine their dismantling racism work. The Dioceses of Chicago, Tennessee, Central New York, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky and many others have sought our counsel and several of them are developing an ongoing relationship with us as they move their work forward. A few dioceses are planning to visit the Center in 2019.
While the local, regional and national work is thriving, we are engaged with the Diocese of Honduras. Rev. Fabio Sotelo and I along with Revs. Glenda McQueen and Chuck Wynder and Heidi Kim, all of whom are on the Presiding Bishop’s Staff and Bishop Lloyd Allen of Honduras led a four-day racial healing conference in the Diocese of Honduras. This was the first event of this type that has been held there. The results were remarkable and ended with the formation of a Commission which will continue the work and we will continue to support them as they go forward. Our hearts were made glad by their expressions of courage and enthusiastic commitment to the work ahead of them and we were deeply moved by God’s amazing grace throughout our time with our sisters and brothers.
Along with this work, earlier this year we were delighted to welcome forty-seven of the ninety-nine dioceses in the Episcopal Church for a reflective conversation about the racial healing work in their respective dioceses. There were participants from coast to coast and there was great joy on the part of all who attended about the gathering and the opportunity to meet others who are engaging in racial healing work across the church. While many things were said, the most consistent comment was about the need to have a place where people can gather for support in this work.
It is our aim to continue to create opportunities for such gatherings and to provide as many ways as possible to help in the formation of supportive networks that can help the racial healing work across the wider church to flourish.