Thousands of racial justice and healing leaders and practitioners across The Episcopal Church gathered to build community, craft strategy and equip each other for action during a series of “Becoming Beloved Community NOW” online gatherings at the end of July 2020. These webinars are now available for viewing here.

Convened by the Presiding Officers’ Advisory Group on Beloved Community Implementation, the three gatherings focused on three urgent themes:

• Truth – Telling the truth about participation in white supremacy and racial oppression.
• Justice – Changing racist systems, especially “criminal” justice and public health/COVID response.
• Healing – Breaking free of white supremacy via training and formation.

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and President of the House of Deputies Gay Clark Jennings offered prayer and reflections throughout the sessions.

The three sessions featured presentations and panels, along with breakout groups where practitioners and leaders met and shared with each other. “These gatherings were even more inspiring and informative than we dared to hope,” said The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, the presiding bishop’s canon for evangelism, reconciliation and creation care. “Episcopalians are facing our history, healing wounds, and engaging the long-term work to shift from being the church of white superiority to beloved community.”

Learn more about the Becoming Beloved Community long-term commitment to racial healing, justice and reconciliation, along with supporting resources, at www.episcopalchurch.org/beloved-community. Timely resources to Learn, Act and Pray in Response to Racist Violence are gathered at https://episcopalchurch.org/responding-to-racist-violence.

For more information, contact Sarah Alphin, Associate for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation Care, at salphin@episcopalchurch.org or 212-716-6102.