from The Episcopal Church's Racial Reconciliation and Justice Team
Across the Episcopal Church, many of you are actively leading communities toward racial justice, healing, and reconciliation, and we thank God for your courage and vision. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has tasked the Episcopal Church’s Racial Reconciliation and Justice Team with supporting you in these critical ministries.
Last year, we conducted a survey of dioceses to detail the full range of racial reconciliation and justice ministries across the church, organized around the four quadrants of the Becoming Beloved Community labyrinth: Telling the Truth, Proclaiming the Dream, Practicing the Way and Repairing the Breach (find the results here). We are now updating that data and adding specific information about dioceses, congregations and institutions engaged in Truth and Reconciliation processes, which means ...
- investigating their historic role in racial injustice;
- linking historic and ongoing patterns of racial injustice; and
- committing to specific action to repent, heal and repair past and present injustices with which our organizations and members are complicit (also known as “reparations”).
We invite you or a delegate to please fill out the new survey by August 20. It should take no more than 20 minutes to complete. You may also forward this email to other congregations and institutions in your diocese so they can report on their ministries.
Survey URL: https://DFMS.formstack.com/
If you wish to consult your diocesan survey results from 2020, you will find them here: https://www.episcopalchurch.
Your survey data will help us to build a new website that will detail the church’s racial reconciliation and justice ministries and help you to connect, collaborate, learn and share with each other, with special attention to Truth and Reconciliation processes. We will also work with ministry leaders to organize a series of webinars and convenings, allowing you to learn from one another and from leaders in other traditions and sectors.
We have partnered with Justice and Sustainability Associates (JSA) to coordinate this project, so please feel free to contact JSA Project Manager Josh Babb (josh@jsallc.com) if you have any questions about the survey.
With gratitude to God and to you,
The Racial Reconciliation and Justice Team
The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers
Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation Care
The Rev. Isaiah Shaneequa Brokenleg
Staff Officer for Racial Reconciliation
The Rev. Melanie Mullen
Director, Department of Reconciliation, Justice and Creation Care