HISTORY
On June 17, 2015, nine human beings were shot and killed by a young white man in an act of hate while they gathered in Christian community at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., to worship God. Those nine people were the Reverend Clementa C. Pinckney, 41; Susie Jackson, 87; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; Ethel Lance, 70; Myra Thompson, 59; Cynthia Hurd, 54; Depayne Middleton Doctor, 49; The Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45; and Tywanza Sanders, 26.
This tragedy occurred days before a planned summer adult forum series was to begin based around the study and discussion of James Cone's The Cross and the Lynching Tree. This forum series was inspired by Diocesan Bishop Shannon Johnston's call for dialogue and actions to advance racial reconciliation and the work of the Diocese of Virginia's Committee on Race and Reconciliation. The response to this forum was overwhelming and shared views, concerns and aspirations were inspiring in their vulnerability. St. Georgians formed the Racial Reconciliation Ministry to address the palpable energy and desire to continue this difficult work after the conclusion of our summer forum.
PHASE ONE GOALS
The Racial Reconciliation Ministry has the following Phase I Goals:
1. To organize the Ministry's structure and work
2. To offer supplemental knowledge, deepen our insight, and assess the current culture at St. George's.
3. To identify and rank the opportunities for the Ministry's active involvement in racial reconciliation efforts and the pursuit of social justice.
The work done by the Ministry during this phase will offer resources and opportunities for action to the larger parish and will culminate in our offering specific recommendations for actions and efforts to be undertaken in the future by the Ministry and members of St. George's. These recommendations will be submitted to both clergy and lay leaders for approval. We expect Phase II to begin after Christmas.
If you feel a call to this work or have questions or recommendations, please contact Lyn Crawford at .
VISIT THE RACIAL RECONCILIATION RESOURCE PAGE