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Act of Protest, Act of Faith
By Philip Vinod Peacock
How does our theology legitimize or subvert power structures in society? In Act of Protest, Act of Faith, Philip Peacock describes the radical stance on apartheid taken by the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and explains why God is always on the side of the oppressed.
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Amenaza Triple
By Adialyn Milien
El amor de los Milien por la Iglesia empezó en una pequeña ciudad rural de Haití en la que, en 1909, mi bisabuelo fundó la primera Iglesia episcopal de la zona de Jeanjean.
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America, Why Can’t You Stop Killing Us
By Stephanie Spellers
We live in a country that has been organized to ensure the systemic diminishment and elimination of people of color. In America, Why Can’t you Stop Killing Us? Canon Stephanie Spellers invites us to take the first step on the path to liberation – powerful truth telling.
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América, ¿por qué no puedes dejar de matarnos?
By Stephanie Spellers
El día después de que cuatro oficiales de policía de Minnesota asesinaron a George Floyd, puse esta pregunta en Facebook: “América: ¿por qué no puedes dejar de matarnos?”. Pensé que era retórica, pero no lo era.
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Antiracism as a Developmental Effort
By Alissa Newton and Arienne Davison
What tools can we offer our communities to help open their hearts and minds to honest dialogue on racial justice? In Antiracism as a Developmental Effort, Alissa Newton and Arienne Davison tell us about their work in the Intercultural Development Continuum and how it prepares individuals for understanding how people perceive their own cultures, those of others and how to respond to the differences in positive ways.
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Breaking Down Walls
By David Romanik
How do we respond when those who look and speak differently knock on our door? When two Swahili-speaking refugee families from Congo arrived at Church of the Heavenly Rest in Abilene, Texas, in 2013, the community’s first response was to help with their physical needs. In Breaking Down Walls, David Romanik shares the process of discernment and the practical steps that followed as they shifted their focus to bringing God’s purpose for the community to life.
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Christ Beyond the Pale
By Jemonde Taylor
Racial reconciliation can begin only when we truthfully encounter and examine our history. In Christ Beyond the Pale, Jemonde Taylor reflects on the theological roots of racism and discrimination and examines what it means to be formed by grace.
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Do We Want To Be White, or Do We Want To Be Church?
By Kelly Brown Douglas
The alienation of America from its soul is at the root of normalizing dehumanizing and violence against black lives. In Do We Want to Be White, Or Do We Want to be Church? Dean Kelly Brown Douglas asks communities of faith to lead this country back to its soul by setting an example through repentant truth-telling and restorative letting-go.
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Do You Really Want To Talk About Reparations?
By Catherine Meeks
What does an honest conversation about repairing the breach entail? In Do You Really Want to Talk About Reparations?, Catherine Meeks challenges us think beyond monetary offerings alone, and start by having hard conversations about the systems that needs to be dismantled and rebuilt for justice to be delivered.
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Editor's Letter August 2020
By Charis Bhagianathan
In this issue, we bring you powerful voices sharing their deeply personal stories on racial justice, healing and reconciliation. As these writers open up their hearts and lives to us, let us honor them by thoughtfully listening, learning and then taking action.
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Editor's Letter July 2020
By Charis Bhagianathan
This moment in history like many before it is an opportunity to change something. This is a moment ripe for listening, learning and repenting. And so I invite you to consume this issue of Vestry Papers that brings together voices from across the Church speaking bold truth on the theme of racial justice, healing and reconciliation. I encourage you to sit with the powerful words and ideas. We have so much work to do – let us listen, learn and work together on this journey.
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El complejo asunto de ser una persona blanca
By Anna Olson
La enfermedad COVID-19 ya había puesto el mundo patas arriba cuando acordé contribuir desde la perspectiva de una persona blanca a este número de los Escritos Vitales de la Fundación de la Iglesia Episcopal.
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En este momento
By Heidi Kim
Me siento rara escribiendo sobre el racismo en este momento, porque todo el tiempo leo, pienso y escribo sobre el racismo.
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In This Moment
By Heidi J. Kim
Asian-Americans have long been hailed as a ‘model-minority’ in the United States, but that certainly hasn’t shielded them from suffering incredibly hateful and violent acts of racism. In In This Moment, Heidi J. Kim shares her experience with racism in this country and her commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement. This article is available in English and Spanish.
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More Than a Black Thing
By Kim L. Coleman
Racism exists in every space we inhabit, even in our beloved Episcopal Church. In More Than A Black Thing, Kim L. Coleman takes us through her experience of becoming and being seen as a black Episcopal priest in a ‘white’ church, explaining why inclusion doesn’t necessarily mean acceptance, and the role of the Union of Black Episcopalians in this important work.
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The Messy Business of Being White
By Anna Olson
What can white persons do to actively participate in the movement to dismantle racism? In The Messy Business of Being White, Anna Olson shares the story her own childhood through the lens of race, and then lists helpful practices that white people can implement in their lives today to make a difference. This article is available in English and Spanish.
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Triple Threat
By Adialyn Milien
How is a young, black woman perceived in our Church and world? In Triple Threat, Adialyn Milien asks us to think about what it truly means to ‘welcome all’ and explains how our comfort and desire to maintain status quo is in the way of creating and provoking lasting change. This article is available in English and Spanish.
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Una época sin precedentes
By Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg
“Esta es una época sin precedentes”, leo en los emails que me mandan las tiendas con sus nuevos horarios y normas.
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Unprecedented Times
By Isaiah “Shaneequa” Brokenleg
While this year has stolen much from many of us, it has also pulled the curtain back on the broken systems and exploitative cultures we have lived with for years. In Unprecedented Times, Isaiah ‘Shaneequa’ Brokenleg questions our desire to ‘return to normal’ and sheds light on how this is an opportunity to course-correct and build a society based on love and justice for and by all. This article is available in English and Spanish.
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¿De verdad quieren hablar sobre reparaciones?
By Catherine Meeks
Pero hasta que hagamos un mundo en el que los descendientes de personas esclavizadas robadas de sus hogares africanos puedan vivir como gente libre en Estados Unidos, con sistemas claramente definidos que afirmen su calidad de personas y que no consideren que ninguno de ellos sea desechable, ningún trabajo dirigido a las reparaciones será adecuado.
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¿Vamos a ser blancos o vamos a ser Iglesia?
By Kelly Brown Douglas
Porque solo cuando el más humilde de ellos pueda vivir libremente en la plenitud de su humanidad sagrada, la promesa de Dios de justicia se hace realidad y la humanidad sagrada de todos se restaura.
