By The Rev. Meg Wagner In 2019, Beloved Community Initiative—a mission of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa—received Becoming Beloved Community grant funding to begin an Ethnic Studies Leadership Academy. We envisioned a culturally responsive program for African and African American girls in seventh through ninth grades to learn about equity from the lens of African…

By Mark Smith While St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has been serving the homeless and marginalized neighbors in downtown Camden, New Jersey, for four decades, the COVID pandemic represented a particular challenge for us and our guests, who are disproportionately people of color. As in most other churches, in-person worship had ended and our adventure with…

By Dianna LaMance Deaderick MORE is deepening relationships across racial, language, faith, and socioeconomic lines in Columbia, South Carolina, so people can “Do Justice” together.  MORE Justice is a grassroots organization made up of 26 different faith communities in the Midlands of South Carolina. These congregations represent a diversity, both socioeconomically and among faith traditions….

More and more Episcopalians in Mississippi are striving for God’s just future. Recognizing this holy movement, the Rt. Rev. Brian Seage of Mississippi created a new position to further engage in the ministry of racial justice, reconciliation, and healing. As diocesan missioner for Becoming Beloved Communities and congregational vitality, the Rev. Andy Andrews will be…

By David Atwood and Sudie McGahuey By God’s grace, the church’s 2021 grant has provided a focus and power for the Social Justice Ministry of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, Alexandria, Virginia. We have been able to better engage parishioners and to reach out to other local and state faith communities and organizations to learn about and promote improved prison…

By Aisha Heurtas In my lifelong Christian journey, I have at times been disappointed with the church. I see injustices in the world—senseless violence, racism, gender discrimination, bigotry, poverty, hunger, and more. It would be easy to get lost in the ways in which we, the church and its people, have been complicit. It is true…

By Troy Collazo As we reflect on the legacy of slavery in the United States, it’s crucial to recognize how its echoes persist in the form of modern human trafficking. While the Emancipation Proclamation marked a significant turning point, the reality is that millions today still suffer from exploitation reminiscent of those dark times. Human…

By Dan Ries Seventy of us at Old Donation Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, completed Sacred Ground, and many were troubled by what we learned. We wondered, “How can we empower our grief to further the Beloved Community?” We decided first to tell the truth about Old Donation, founded in 1637 as Lynnhaven Parish….

by the Rev. Tom Hampson The Immigration Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin (also known as SJRAISE, San Joaquin Refugee and Immigrant Support and Empowerment) educates about, allies with, and advocates for the diverse immigrant communities of the Central Valley of California. Since its creation by unanimous action of the 2017 Diocesan Convention, our…

By Joanne Stevenson Jenkins “From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn’t think he would be found, but he couldn’t escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet,…