I am spending a few days in Washington, DC, from June 4-9. I have been fortunate to attend a number of good conferences over the years, but this really is one of the best. There are 30+ people here, many ordained but by no means all, and they represent many different parts of the country. For the record, four of us are Lutheran but I am the only male Lutheran present. There are a number of Episcopalians (the organizers happen to be Episcopalian), some Methodists, a couple of Prebyterians, and one or two non-profit directors. One of the attendees is Diana Ortiz, director of Exodus Ministries in New York. This is similar to Project Turnabout, helping ex-felons gain training and employment after relase from prison. Diana was released from prison herself four years ago after 22 years (I believe) in the prison system, beginning at age 18. She is a truly remarkable and gracious individual and has shared some material and a DVD with me to bring home and share with others. Another couple here some of you may remember from a PBS documentary about slavery in the north. James DeWolf, if I have my history correct, was the largest slave trader in the north, perhaps in history. He alone transported 11,000 slaves from Ghana to Cuba to the US in the north. One of his direct descendents is Dain Perry, who is here with his wife Constance Perry to present the video and have a conversation with us about racism in America. He and Constance, who is Afro-American, facilitate these conversations around the country in all kinds of venues, including churches. The story challenges the standard history that the north was not complicit in the slave trade but in fact opposed it and fought against it. In fact, the north actively benefitted from slavery and the slave trade and was economically dependent upon it. From the construction of the ships to the sugar industry using materials from the cane plantations in Cuba to the "help" in the homes of the wealthy, the north was deeply involved in supporting slavery, even after the slave trade was abolished in 1808 (DeWolf continued to trade in slaves far beyond that year through a political favor from Thomas Jefferson). The documentary was made by descendent of DeWolf, Katrina Browne, a woman who discovered her family's history while a seminary student at an Episcopalian seminary (the family religion, including that of DeWolf). You can check out the video, Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, inheritingthetrade.com.
We have visited Emory United Methodist Church, a minstry led by Dr. Rev. Joe Daniels (author of Real Church, Real People). Daniels has taken this community from a dying and small congregation to a vital, three service a Sunday (including a service geared to homeless folks) ministry that is trying to grow into a large multimillion dollar complex that includes affordable housing, transitional housing for the homeless, businesses, counseling, etc. with the original Emory Church right in center. It's a visionary enterprise and Rev. Daniels is nothing if not energetic and visionary. Inspiring stuff and full of faithful risktaking!
There will be more to write and now that I am back on the internet here I will continue to add entries about the conference and my experience here. For now, I'll just say that the key word so far is transformation. The other word I would use is energy. Each of the leaders we've heard from so far are full of incredible energy. I want to reflect some more about all of this, but you can see that this is a marvelous conference. Social justice is linked here with Christian faith in a powerful partnership towards the goal of realizing the reign of God, on earth as in heaven.
The next entries will cover Luther Place Memorial Church, a ministry that specializes in ministry to homeless women; and Sr Joan Chittester, who is speaking this afternoon and evening. I want to reflect a bit more on our racism conversation, which was moving and difficult at many points. There is more to add on both Emory and Luther Place Churches and what some of the characteristics are of these prophetic ministries.
Needless to say when we're not doing something REALLY IMPORTANT we're eating or sleeping. And we're staying in the luxury of modern retreat housing at Washington Theological Union, a Roman Catholic academic institution. The world may be in great suffering but I can't say that we're sharing that suffering very much. We live in privilege. The only issue is what we plan to do with it.
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