At the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing, we believe that stories are the currency of dignity and the foundation of authentic change. A Justice Story is any account of how your parish, diocese, or community is engaging in the work of racial healing—through action, reflection, liturgy, advocacy, or formation.
Justice Stories matter because this work cannot be done alone. By sharing your story, you help create a clearinghouse of ideas, practices, and inspiration across the Episcopal Church and beyond. Together, we can learn from one another, strengthen our commitment, and walk more faithfully toward God’s vision of justice and reconciliation.
Share your Justice Story. How is your community working toward dignity, healing, and God’s justice?
Stories From: Province I | Province II | Province III | Province IV | Province V | Province VI | Province VII | Province VIII | Province IX
In June 2020, Chattahoochee Valley Episcopal Ministry started the Striving for Justice Film Series, inviting anyone wishing to participate to watch a selected film each month and then gather online @ 5 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of the month for discussion about the film. To date, more than 50 participants from six states (and D.C.) have joined the conversations. For a schedule of films and registration link, go to www.cvemjubilee.org/racial-justice.
In the midst of training members of all elected and appointed Diocesan bodies, using “Seeing the Face of God in each other” – In April, 2019, hosted Province V leaders for a Becoming Beloved Community gathering with people from TEC Office of Racial Reconciliation.- – Integrating Becoming Beloved Community framework in Diocesan staff and Diocesan council work.
Resolution on Racial Reconciliation passes unanimously at 235th diocesan convention (Diocese of Maryland). Programs such as our Sutton Scholars program are included in the below article and accompanying study materials.
Please check out this site. It is a project of our diocese and an important part of our truth telling. On the Trail of Souls – Not just for a day…for a lifetime The Episcopal Churches of Maryland commemorated the 150th anniversary of the official abolishment of chattel slavery in Maryland on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, 2014, with the Trail of Souls: Truth and Reconciliation Pilgrimage. This day-long journey visited five Maryland sites with strong ties the both slavery and the Episcopal Church. But this was just the beginning. An online pilgrimage of 26 churches and diocesan sites found on this website is a virtual tour and living legacy that is destined to grow in scope and participation.
The Trail of Souls offers a chance to visit the Episcopal Churches of Maryland and witness them in a new light – looking at the legacy of slavery and the impact it still bears witness to today. As more churches discover and write their history they will be added to the web portal.
Sponsored a series of talks across the diocese, “Pursuing Beloved Community: Continuing Conversations on Race”. These talks and pursuant discussion, were live streamed and then later used to develop a 5-part series for adult formation, (available by Lent 2018) to deepen engagement with the work of racial reconciliation int he name of Christ.
There are 4 initiatives being “rolled out” in 2018: “Claiming our Stories” (anti-racism education); “Allyship” training and follow-up “Allyship in Action” groups; reconciliation pilgrimages within the diocese; and story sharing events (incorporating paperless singing when possible per “Music that Makes Community”).
Racism Book Group
Criminal Justice Conference
Support on Illumination Projects
Our work related to racial reconciliation began a few years ago when we considered Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” As a parish, we asked “Who are our neighbors?” We are on the same city block as the county jail, courthouse, and the police department and many law offices surround us. Our neighbor is the criminal justice system. We explored ways to be good neighbors and quickly learned of the racial inequalities that plague our system of justice. As our Presiding Bishop and Diocesan Bishop have both urged congregations to engage in the work of Becoming the Beloved Community, we have come to see this work as part of the work that the Spirit has given us to do.
Mission Endowment Grant: St. Luke’s was awarded a grant from the Diocese of North Carolina to support the work of Becoming the Beloved Community. This is an initiative of The Episcopal Church to pursue and promote racial reconciliation. This grant will provide for work related to Becoming the Beloved Community in a city with a history of racial tensions. The grant has three components:
Electric Revival, High School Retreat/Revival on Racial Reconciliation for youth with Rev. Justin Gabbard at Trinity Episcopal, Covington, KY
St. Peters, Paris, KY-Arts Camp- White church reached out to primarily black neighborhood to bring children/teens together for a week long arts & theatre camp
St. Patrick’s, Somerset, KY- Laura’s Ladies, 6 women (2 Latino, 2 White, 2 Black, AME, Episcopal, and Roman Catholic) meet once a month for prayer and conversation
St. Patrick’s, Somerset, KY- Modern Day Stations of the Cross, covering racial issues
Diocesan Racial Reconciliation Commission, Chair-Carol Rutherven
Diocesan Convention Christian Education Topic, 9 Day focused on Racial Reconciliation w/ Dr. Allen Boesak and breakout groups/workshops on above topics
The Diocese of Mississippi has two offerings at this time. 1.) Four two-hour online sessions using the Seeing the Face of God in Others curriculum. It has many of the same components as the Center’s Pilgrimage of Racial Healing program. 2.) Sacred Ground.
Following our Diocesan Conference, Fifty Five Years Later: Becoming the Beloved Community in Mississippi, in May, members at Trinity Episcopal Church in Hattiesburg began meeting monthly to build relationships through sharing our stories and discussing various books and videos.
The group circle is widening through local friendships and word of mouth.
This week we will meet and discuss The Hate U Give by Mississippi writer, Angie Thomas. We are also discussing a group trip to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson sometime soon.
Our participation in a Dismantling Racism workshop in the fall of 2016 started us on the journey that became ONE Harris County, a service organization geared toward acknowledging historic, racially based wrongs and facilitating people listening to and learning from one another. Our goal is relationship building leading to opening up more opportunities for all citizens in our county. The three links below are to a memorial we held last weekend for 1947 lynching victim, Henry “Peg” Gilbert.
We are following up with our second Racial Trust Building Training this summer.
Read the story in the Ledger-Enquirer
Read the story on WTVM’s website
Read the story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution