More than 75 Moravian clergy, candidates for ordination, licensed lay pastors and faculty from Lancaster Theological Seminary have come together in Montgomery, Alabama for a four-day Pilgrimage toward Racial Justice and Healing. The Pilgrimage will offer training, discussion and experiences that will help “…deepen our understanding of the roots of racism in America today, further open our eyes to racism and injustice and encourage an unambiguous commitment to being forces of change.” Helping to deliver on a commitment made by the 2018 Northern Province Synod, this event will help the Moravian Church Northern Province and all its congregations claim the work of racial justice and healing and help make engagement in the work of justice integral to the church’s identity.
Tuesday, September 13th: Rev. Dr. Betsy Miller, president of the Northern Province PEC, welcomed the pilgrims; Rev. Dr. Frank Crouch, former dean of the Moravian Theological Seminary, shared his heartbreaking research into Moravian slaveholding; and Rev. Sue Koenig, MCNP Director of Racial Justice and Healing, closed the evening with worship.
Wednesday, September 14th and Thursday, September 15th: The Pilgrimage Toward Racial Justice and Healing took us on a journey through the horrors of the international slave trade, the atrocities of slavery, its evolution into segregation, lynching, and mass incarceration of people of color into today. We also experienced the power and hope of the Civil Rights movement and people who were committed to change — from Rosa Parks to Martin Luther King, Jr. We pondered our own commitment to bring about beloved community.
Friday, September 16th: Today is Covenanting Day for clergy as we covenant with God and one another to continue to proclaim the Gospel, work for justice and healing, and live in peace with all God’s children.
