Racial Equity Project

The Racial Equity Project at Church of the Servant is focused on racial justice and healing beginning with our parish and expanding into the wider community. This group was formed in response to the Vestry decision in 2022 to focus on racial justice. We understand that this essential work will be an ongoing mission throughout the life of our church. We agree we are called by God to embrace this work as directed in our Baptismal Covenant.

Our Vision:
A church in which members are actively seeking education and spiritual growth in matters pertaining to racial equity and discerning how and where this knowledge is utilized to best serve the needs of our community.

Our Mission:
To follow the Episcopal Church's Becoming Beloved Community directives whereby we commit to racial justice, healing, and reconciliation.

To achieve our mission, we will:

Educate ourselves using

• Sacred Ground curriculum which teaches us the true history of Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Asian American and Pacific Islander citizens.
• Dr. Catherine Meeks book of meditations The Night is Long but Light Comes in the Morning, which awakens us to the need for racial healing within ourselves and recognizes this as an integral step towards reconciliation.
• Guest speakers who work for racial equity in our local Black community.
• Our church library of racial justice and equity books.

Discern our role in racial equity work as a parish by studying the questions posed in the Becoming Beloved Community initiatives provided by the Episcopal Church leadership and simultaneously determining action plans.

Support changes in our parish to make our church a place where all feel welcome as they are. We will support our local Black community both financially and in ways that the community we strive to serve deems appropriate.

Racial Equity Project - Parish Group is focused on the inner spiritual work necessary to be true allies to our brothers and sisters of color. This group meets twice monthly and is open to new members. For more information contact Julie Potter [email protected]

Racial Equity Project - Community Group is focused on finding activities and engaging with communities in our area that further the mission of racial equity while representing COS, leveraging the time and talents of the church and this group.

Community Events attended, sponsored or hosted on behalf of Racial Equity Project at COS in 2023:

Attended Cape Fear Public Utility Board meeting in support of Rock Hill Community’s issues securing clean water

Coffee with YWCA CEO Velva Jenkins to discuss how we might partner around racial equity and justice

Attended YWCA Until Justice Just Is: Conversations for Peace

Attended YWCA and UNCW Empowering and Building Healthier Communities- focus on Black Maternal Health

Attended It’s All About Love Conference hosted by Episcopal Church focused on racial and environmental justice

Participated in Equity Matters Live: Black Maternal Health

Race and Jazz Symposium hosted snack table and attended

Hosted and sponsored Beyond Walls: 5 Films and Discussion about Prison Industrial Complex Abolition

Sponsored and attended Cape Fear Region Racial and Health Equity Summit at Sokoto House

Vendor at Ecology Event an annual racial and environmental justice event

Attended court hearing of community member

Met with Daquan Peters of Lived Experience Voices to figure out how we can host and support Court Watcher trainings at COS

Hosted discussion during Adult Christian Education on Black Maternal Health and local efforts to improve outcomes

If you have any questions regarding Racial Equity Project, please contact Rachel Williamson at [email protected].

COS was named “Church of the Year” at the New Hanover County NAACP’s MLK breakfast. This is not only an honor, but an on-going responsibility and commitment to this work in our community.

Read more about:

• Becoming Beloved Community
• Sacred Ground, A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race & Faith
• Video titled “The Church Cracked Open: The Challenge of Beloved Community” In this video Dr. Catherine Meeks, Executive Director of the Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing and the Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon for Evangelism and Reconciliation for the Most Rev. Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, discuss how the pandemic and the reckoning with white supremacy could be a blessing for the Church, opening a way to living with greater love and justice. The discussion is framed by the themes of the latest book by Canon Spellers The Church Cracked Open: Disruption, Decline, and New Hope for Beloved Community.