Kathe German, Senior Warden Please join the King’s Chapel Memorial Project next Thursday, April 29, at 5:00PM via Zoom for the next and final community conversation regarding the project prior to the Annual Meeting. Over the last five years, King’s Chapel has gathered significant insight into our connections with slavery throughout our church’s history. These difficult truths include discoveries about our ministers and parishioners as enslavers and active participants in the Atlantic slave trade, uncovering the extent of racial segregation within the church building, the complicity of church leaders in upholding the Fugitive Slave Act and opposing the promise of the Underground Railroad, and silence among congregants and clergy on the crucial issue of abolition leading up to the Civil War. Central to the work proposed by the Memorial Project, this time of research and reflection has uncovered the names of over 200 Black and Indigenous women, children, and men who were enslaved by our pew holders and clergy, as evidenced by our church vital records and the will and probate papers of historical members. Alongside the many beautiful aspects of our church community, liturgy, and building, we also inherit the painful legacy of slavery from the generations of congregants who came before us. Acknowledging and grappling with this difficult history calls us to action as a community of faith.
Over the past year, a Memorial Task Force has met, under the leadership of Dean Denniston, to explore possible actions our church community may take towards acknowledging these difficult truths in our history. The Task Force is working to determine how we may honor the lives of the enslaved individuals connected to the church and take action to combat racism in our community and world as we move forward, informed by this history. Subcommittees led by Miguel Gomez-Ibanez and Cliff Allen, focused on considerations for both physical and living memorials, have issued their preliminary reports for our consideration. On April 12, we hosted the first of two conversations addressing considerations to date; with over twenty participants, the discussion was enthusiastic, productive, and enriching. Next week we will host a second conversation on Thursday evening, April 29, from 5 to 6 PM via Zoom at which time the project leaders will share the thinking of their respective teams, respond to questions you might have, and invite your thoughts and suggestions. We want to hear your comments on the work completed to date in order to chart a course forward. Please join us and share your thoughts, hopes, and dreams as we continue on this historic journey together. To register for the discussion on the 29th, click here. To review the materials, click here to visit our central web portal where you will find presentations and reports as well as sermons and video presentations. Contact David to listen to the previous discussion held on April 15. A brief on the results of these discussions will be shared with the reports at the Annual Meeting on May 16th at noon via Zoom. We hope to see you next Thursday and look forward to your participation. Comments are closed.
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