Episcopal Church Women

Summary

Independent Tribune – Linda Beatrice Brown: Battling racism as an author, educator and activist – “It really started me on a trajectory of speaking out and writing about the evils of racism,”

Episcopal News Service – EMM affiliates prepare to welcome families fleeing Taliban as US withdraws from Afghanistan –  Episcopal Migration Ministries and its affiliates are mobilizing to respond to an expected increase of people fleeing from Afghanistan…

The Living Church – Bishop Roundup: West Missouri, Chicago – Two Midwestern dioceses have named bishops to assume temporary roles. In West Missouri, the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce has accepted a nomination as bishop — In Chicago, the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen has been named assisting bishop

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Linda Beatrice Brown: Battling racism as an author, educator and activist

Independent Tribune – Greensboro, NC

Literature has always been a big part part of Linda Beatrice Brown’s life.

“I’m from a family that is kind of bookish. Both of my older sisters were habitual readers. They introduced me to classical literature like ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Little Women.’ We would share ideas about these books,” Brown said.

By age 14, Brown was doing her own writing. She went on to get college degrees in English and French literature. That was the start of a life as a writer who authored books on the African American experience and civil rights.

It was during her time as a student at Bennett College in the 1960s that she became passionate about anti-racism. Her father was a civil rights activist, and she participated in Greensboro’s 1960 sit-ins to desegregate lunch counters. […]

EMM affiliates prepare to welcome families fleeing Taliban as US withdraws from Afghanistan

Episcopal News Service

Episcopal Migration Ministries and its affiliates are mobilizing to respond to an expected increase of people fleeing from Afghanistan to the United States after the Afghan government fell to the Taliban on Aug. 15, expediting the end of the 20-year American war in the country.

Episcopal Migration Ministries, or EMM, is one of nine agencies with federal contracts to provide refugee resettlement services on behalf of the State Department. The agencies also have helped resettle people through the special immigrant visa program, which is intended to offer sanctuary for Afghans and their families who fear persecution because of their work in support of the U.S. government. […]

Bishop Roundup: West Missouri, Chicago

The Living Church – Chicago & Missouri

Two Midwestern dioceses have named bishops to assume temporary roles.

In West Missouri, the Rt. Rev. Diane M. Jardine Bruce has accepted a nomination as bishop provisional for the 47 congregations in the diocese. Bruce has been bishop suffragan in the Diocese of Los Angeles since 2010, and also serves as secretary of the House of Bishops and as a trustee of the Church Pension Group.

In Chicago, the Rt. Rev. Chilton Knudsen has been named assisting bishop, and will support the Standing Committee and Bishop-Elect Paula Clark as Clark continues to recover from a cerebral bleed. […]

Summary

The Living Church – Monnot Elected Bishop of Iowa – The Rev. Betsey Monnot, a parish priest and church consultant from Northern California, was elected as the X Bishop of Iowa…

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Monnot Elected Bishop of Iowa

The Living Church – IA

he Rev. Betsey Monnot, a parish priest and church consultant from Northern California, was elected as the X Bishop of Iowa at a special convention held on July 31 in Des Moines. Monnot, 54, was elected on the third ballot from a slate of three women candidates, and will be the first woman to serve as Iowa’s bishop since the diocese was founded in 1853.

“I am beyond excited to be your new bishop-elect! My heart is full. Thank you so much for your confidence in me. I look forward to our ministry together as we follow God’s call into the future that God dreams of for the Episcopal Church in Iowa,” Monnot said to members of the diocese in an address via Zoom shortly after being notified of her election. […]

ENGAGING THE DIVINE: The 7 sacramental services of Episcopal church

Destin Log – Destin, FL

In the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement, the one leading worship is called not the presider but the celebrant. As an ordained minister, a priest in the Episcopal Church, it is my privilege to lead services as the community of worshipers celebrate together.

What then are we celebrating? We celebrate Jesus’s presence among us. Jesus himself instituted the two main sacramental services: Holy Eucharist (also called Holy Communion and the Lord’s Super) and Holy Baptism. Jesus taught his disciples – and us – to remember him whenever we share bread. So when we remember him, we remember him, we bring Jesus back to us in celebrating the Lord’s Supper […]

Rev. Mickelson honored by Alaska Masons

The Cordova Times – Cordova AK

The Rev. Belle Mickelson became the first recipient of a newly created award from the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Alaska. Mickelson received the Grand Master’s Community Builders Award from Joe Darnell, grand master of Masons in Alaska, at a Saturday, July 31 event held at the Reluctant Fisherman Inn.

Mickelson, who is a priest for St. George’s Episcopal Church, received the award in part for her music education work, which includes serving as artistic director and adult camp director for Cordova 4H Music Camp and as director for the statewide music program Dancing With The Spirit. […]

Summary

CBS 2 Iowa – Episcopal Diocese of Iowa elects first female Bishop – Rev. Betsey Monnot has been elected the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa…

The Living Church – Assisting Bishop Planned as Clark Continues Recovery –  The consecration of the bishop-elect has been postponed indefinitely and plans to hire an assisting bishop have been announced…

Times Standard – Diocesan bishop visits Christ Episcopal Church – The first female bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, the Right Rev. Megan Traquair, visited Christ Episcopal Church Eureka, Camp Living Waters and other locales this past week. This was Bishop Megan’s first in-person visit to Christ Church Eureka as diocesan bishop

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Episcopal Diocese of Iowa elects first female Bishop

CBS 2 – Des Moines, IA

Rev. Betsey Monnot has been elected the 10th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa. Bishop-elect Monnot is the first woman to hold the position in Iowa. She was elected during a Special Convention held in Des Moines Saturday night and was elected on the third ballot.

“I look forward to our ministry together as we follow God’s call into the future that God dreams of for the Episcopal Church in Iowa,” Monnot said in an address to the diocese via Zoom shortly after being notified of her election. “I am so excited to join you in ministry and to take the next steps soon! May God’s blessing be with all of us as we prepare for our future together, as we journey as disciples of Jesus on the road together, and as we continue to listen for God’s call for the Episcopal Church in Iowa. Thank you.” […]

Assisting Bishop Planned as Clark Continues Recovery

The Living Church – Chicago, IL

The Diocese of Chicago is settling in for months of anticipation, as the consecration of the bishop-elect has been postponed indefinitely and plans to hire an assisting bishop have been announced.

While exercising two weeks before her scheduled April 24 consecration as the XIII Bishop of Chicago, the Rev. Paula Clark suffered a cerebral bleed. Five days later she had successful brain surgery to remove an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare but treatable condition in which “a tangle of blood vessels in the brain bypasses normal brain tissue and directly diverts blood from the arteries to the veins,” according to the American Stroke Association. […]

Diocesan bishop visits Christ Episcopal Church

Times Standard – CA

The first female bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California, the Right Rev. Megan Traquair, visited Christ Episcopal Church Eureka, Camp Living Waters and other locales this past week.

“This was Bishop Megan’s first in-person visit to Christ Church Eureka as diocesan bishop,” said the Rev. Dr. Daniel London of Christ Church Eureka. “She had previously visited in January of 2019 as a bishop candidate along with four other candidates.”

He added: “We Episcopalians derive our name from the fact that we are guided and united by ‘episcopos,’ which is the Greek word for ‘bishops,’ who trace their authority all the way back to the original 12 apostles. So, when the bishop visits, we are reminded of who we are as members of ‘the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement,’ and that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. Bishop Megan Traquair … holds her episcopal authority with an especially steady and powerful grace and we are tremendously blessed by her leadership.” […]

Summary

The Winchester Star – Church’s commitment to helping others praised at Senseny Place groundbreaking – $17 million apartment complex for low-income senior citizens held at the site of the former St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal…

Episcopal News Service – Q&A: Sandra Montes on ‘Becoming REAL’ – Sandra Montes began a new role: dean of chapel at Union Theological Seminary…

Niagara Gazette – Charlie’s Community Kitchen serving meals and companionship – Charlie’s Community Kitchen serving meals and companionship. Intended to provide food for body and soul, the program invites the community to join together for a delicious…

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Church’s commitment to helping others praised at Senseny Place groundbreaking

The Winchester Star – Winchester, VA

A groundbreaking ceremony for a $17 million apartment complex for low-income senior citizens was held Tuesday morning at the site of the former St. Paul’s on-the-Hill Episcopal Church in Frederick County.

Alexandria-based Wesley Housing President and CEO Shelley Murphy said the journey for Senseny Place to become a reality was complicated. She said its success is a testament to the church congregation’s faith. […]

Q&A: Sandra Montes on ‘Becoming REAL’

Episcopal News Service – New York, NY

Earlier this year, Sandra Montes began a new role: dean of chapel at Union Theological Seminary. She first served there as an artist-in-residence for a week in 2019 and then became interim director of worship that August through the pandemic, leading virtual services. And last year, Church Publishing released her first book, Becoming REAL and Thriving in Ministry. Written in Spanish and English, the book posits that people can foster inclusivity and individual ministry through REAL: relationships, excellence, authenticity and love. “It’s perfect to read during this time because the pandemic has made us stop, and so I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to just stop and think,” Montes recently told Episcopal News Service. The framework outlined in her book, she added, is a critical step on the path toward racial reconciliation. […]

Charlie’s Community Kitchen serving meals and companionship

Niagara Gazette – Niagara Falls, NY

The Create a Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative will serve up another Charlie’s Community Kitchen event today.

Intended to provide food for body and soul, the program invites the community to join together for a delicious, nutritious meal while engaging in conversation.

Charlie’s Community Kitchen is being hosted every Monday afternoon through Aug. 30 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church from 2 to 4 p.m. At each gathering, 40 to 50 hot meals will be provided for the community for free. […]

Summary

KOGO News Radio – Bankers Hill church celebrates Pride in a big way – LGBT Pride Flag shined on the walls of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral…

Insider – A nun went viral on TikTok after posting a video detailing her ‘nunly skincare’ tips – Sister Monica, shared her beauty tips with her 48,000 TikTok

ABC7 News – News talks to local faith leader about dealing with shooting, crime related stress, anger – The Right Reverend Budde is a member of the Bishops United Against Gun Violence, but she wants you to check this out. She’s also a member of Moms Demand Action DC. You can sign up here if you want to channel that energy.

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Bankers Hill church celebrates Pride in a big way

KOGO News Radio – San Diego, CA

An historic San Diego church is lit up with all the colors of the rainbow.

Colored lights representing the colors of the LGBT Pride Flag shined on the walls of St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Bankers Hill Wednesday evening, during the church’s annual Light Up the Cathedral event for San Diego Pride Week.

“St. Paul’s Cathedral has been an open an affirming congregation as long it has been a cathedral, which goes back 40 years,” says the Very Rev. Penny Bridges, Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. “It was open and affirming in a quieter way until maybe 12 years ago when a situation arose when a well-known gay man died and needed to be buried and St. Pauls’ stepped forward to do that. It sort of opened up our name to the LGBTQ community.”  […]

A nun went viral on TikTok after posting a video detailing her ‘nunly skincare’ tips

Insider – New Jersey

Claudette Monica Powell, an Episcopal nun who goes by the name Sister Monica, shared her beauty tips with her 48,000 TikTok followers after “hundreds of people” began asking for her skincare routine daily.

Sister Monica, 55, joined TikTok to make “random funny videos” for friends and her sister, but found herself becoming somewhat TikTok famous after a video she made about a wild turkey terrorizing her New Jersey convent blew up last month. […]

News talks to local faith leader about dealing with shooting, crime related stress, anger

ABC7 News – Diocese of Washington

We know it’s hasn’t been easy hearing all these stories. The nation saw the chaos that ensued inside Nationals Park Saturday night, as shots that were fired outside the stadium caused panic among fans and players alike. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured.

The prior evening, a shooting in Southeast left 6-year-old Nyiah Courtney dead and injured several adults, including Nyiah’s mother. A makeshift memorial grew over the weekend at the scene, which is near both a bus stop and a liquor store.

But 7News is On Your Side helping you process these emotions. You’re probably feeling a lot of anger and fear and that’s okay. […]

Summary

The Roanoke Times – Trinity Episcopal Church welcomes new rector, celebrates inclusion – Rev. Gail Goldsmith is one of only 99 women ordained as a priest under the age of 35 in the Episcopal Church…

Centralijersy – Chef representing St. Peter’s wins judge’s choice in county cooking contest – A local chef representing St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Spotswood won the judge’s choice award in a cooking contest…

Nelson County Times – Rev. Caudill finds calling in not one, but two churches – The Rev. Allison Caudill described her decision to pursue ministry as a moment of certainty she has felt only a handful of times in her life. Now priest-in-charge for both St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Amherst County and Grace Episcopal Church in Nelson County…

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Trinity Episcopal Church welcomes new rector, celebrates inclusion

The Roanoke Times – Lynchburg, VA

The mood inside the small church was buoyant, and the institution of its new rector Thursday seemed to pull a synchronous sigh of a relief from the congregation — that a yearlong search was concluded and Trinity Episcopal Church was in good hands.

In many ways, the Rev. Gail Goldsmith is an outlier. At 31 years old, she is one of only 99 women ordained as a priest under the age of 35 in the Episcopal Church, according to a recent Church Pension Group report. On Thursday, she officially was installed as rector at Trinity Episcopal, just off Boonsboro Road. […]

 Chef representing St. Peter’s wins judge’s choice in county cooking contest

Centralijersy – Spotswood, NJ

A local chef representing St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Spotswood won the judge’s choice award in a cooking contest.

Chefs prepared recipes on a budget during Middlesex County’s Dine Below The Line, which held its first virtual event on June 3.

Hosted by Sharon Gordon, guests included chairman of Feeding Middlesex County’s board, Kevin Hoagland; New Brunswick’s Keith Jones, II; and 1450 WCTC-AM’s radio anchor Racquel Williams. […]

Rev. Caudill finds calling in not one, but two churches

Nelson County Times – Nelson County, VA

The Rev. Allison Caudill described her decision to pursue ministry as a moment of certainty she has felt only a handful of times in her life.

Now priest-in-charge for both St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Amherst County and Grace Episcopal Church in Nelson County, the Kentucky native said her moment came when she was just 15 years old, although she had grown up in the Episcopal church.

Caudill said she had gone to a youth weekend with a friend and attended a service at the end of that weekend led by a young woman. […]

Summary

The Tennessee Tribune – After 51 Years, the African Methodist Episcopal Church Returns to Cuba – The 16th Episcopal District announces the reestablishment of the AME presence in Cuba…

WSKG PBS-TV – Caroline Shaw Is Not Here To Save Classical Music – When Shaw’s composition Partita for 8 Voices won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013, making her the youngest person to ever win the award at age 30…

The Neighbor – Clubhouse Atlanta offers ‘hand up’ for adults with mental illness – Clubhouse Atlanta, a space where metro Atlanta adults with mental illness can go to get job training and, eventually, employment with outside businesses, would have been the perfect place for Susie Kyle’s son Bo, she said.

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After 51 Years, the African Methodist Episcopal Church Returns to Cuba

The Tennessee Tribune – Cuba

The 16th Episcopal District announces the reestablishment of the AME presence in Cuba. In 1898 the African Methodist Episcopal Church records its first church in Santiago, Cuba.  In 1938, a high-level delegation of church leadership led by Bishop Reverdy Ransom visited the island and was well-received. Until 1960, there were many AME active congregations and members of the AME Church in Cuba who participated in all aspects of the life of the denomination.  When the change of government occurred, the AME presence diminished and became almost non-existent. Hoping for an eventual return, the Cuban Annual Conference was never legally dissolved by the General Conference and various attempts were made to restore AME congregations on the island. […]

Caroline Shaw Is Not Here To Save Classical Music

WSKG PBS-TV – National

When the Pulitzer-winning composer Caroline Shaw wants a snack, she soft-boils an egg. She knows that six minutes and 15 seconds leads to the ideal texture — a jammy yolk, with a chalky outer edge and a flowing center. But her ritual for the past few years has been to surrender the process to music, letting whatever she’s listening to that day dictate the precise cook time. She documents her research on Instagram, archiving each test in a collection titled “eggtime”: A screenshot of a piece of music around six minutes long, like a movement from an Alban Berg string quartet or a song by the band Japanese Breakfast, will precede a picture of the finished egg, annotated with her notes on texture. (After testing a Beethoven piano sonata movement played by Mitsuko Uchida: “Mitsuko’s cadences are on the safe side for salmonella.”) […]

Clubhouse Atlanta offers ‘hand up’ for adults with mental illness

Summary

Pittsburg Post-Gazette – Rev. Ketlen Solak elected first female, Black Episcopal Diocese bishop – The future of your diocese — which is soon to become our diocese — is bright…

The Living Church – Church Musicians Look to a Post-Pandemic Return – The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton praised the Association of Anglican Musicians…

Air National Guard – Wisconsin Air Guard Chaplain Reflects On Serving As Openly Gay Woman – The U.S. military is often seen as stable and unwavering – standing the test of time as society, politics, and attitudes change. This does not mean, however, that the Air Force is unwilling to grow with its members. Chaplain (Maj.) Kendra L. McIntosh knows this well…

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Rev. Ketlen Solak elected first female, Black Episcopal Diocese bishop

Pittsburg Post-Gazette – Pittsburg, PA

lergy and lay members of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh on Saturday elected a Black woman as their ninth bishop, following a succession of white men.

The Rev. Dr. Ketlen A. Solak will succeed Dorsey McConnell, who has held the post since April 2012. She will be consecrated and installed Nov. 13.

A native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Rev. Solak, 59, now is rector of Brandywine Collaborative Ministries, a joint ministry of three parishes in Wilmington, Del. She received a master’s in divinity and a doctorate in ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2005. She said she met her husband, Scott, in college. […]

Church Musicians Look to a Post-Pandemic Return

The Living Church – National

The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton praised the Association of Anglican Musicians, the primary group for Episcopal church organists and choirmasters, on their ability to adapt and accept COVID-19 restrictions, and for “conquering Zoom” when she addressed 558 members in a Zoom meeting June 14.

“You showed yourself on people’s computers, on people’s phones, you sang duets, with yourself sometimes. It was remarkable to see,” she said.

“One of the first super-spreader events was a choir. We asked, ‘Are we ever going to sing again?’” AAM members found a way. “You gave us such beauty, and it was completely unexpected beauty.”

The Rev. Barbara Cawthorne Crafton praised the Association of Anglican Musicians, the primary group for Episcopal church organists and choirmasters, on their ability to adapt and accept COVID-19 restrictions, and for “conquering Zoom” when she addressed 558 members in a Zoom meeting June 14.

“You showed yourself on people’s computers, on people’s phones, you sang duets, with yourself sometimes. It was remarkable to see,” she said.

“One of the first super-spreader events was a choir. We asked, ‘Are we ever going to sing again?’” AAM members found a way. “You gave us such beauty, and it was completely unexpected beauty.” […]

Wisconsin Air Guard Chaplain Reflects On Serving As Openly Gay Woman

The Air National Guard – Milwaukee, WI

The U.S. military is often seen as stable and unwavering – standing the test of time as society, politics, and attitudes change. This does not mean, however, that the Air Force is unwilling to grow with its members. Chaplain (Maj.) Kendra L. McIntosh knows this well.

One poignant example of the military’s growth is reflected in Chaplain McIntosh’s ability to now serve as an openly gay woman.

“I joined the Air force in 1988 because I wanted to serve my country and fly,” said McIntosh. “I was interested in space, and had a degree in aerospace engineering from University of Kansas. I commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant just one day after graduating college.”

During her active duty time in service, Chaplain McIntosh served as a senior navigator for the KC-135. Throughout her flying career, Chaplain McIntosh flew combat, combat-support, humanitarian airlift, test flight, medical-evacuation, and training sorties. She was assigned to six different bases, participated in eight deployments, and earned numerous awards and decorations. Though her career was meritorious and remarkable, McIntosh knew there was more in store for her. […]

Summary

The Living Church – Assessing and Improving the Viability of Churches – A church that has outlived its congregation can be closed with dignity…

The Herald Times – Flash flood damages, destroys Nativity scenes stored in church basement – Volunteers sorted and washed dozens of wise men, donkeys, angels and baby Jesuses…

The Auburn Plainsman – A brief history of St. Dunstan’s, the Episcopal church in the heart of downtown –  “There have been four Episcopal church buildings,” Lipscomb said. “The first one was on campus where Mary Martin Hall is now. It lasted from 1851 to 1876. It finally collapsed as a result of the effects of the Civil War…

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Assessing and Improving the Viability of Churches

The Living Church – Washington, DC

It’s a story that has played out many times.

A church’s membership dwindles over the years — perhaps the ethnic group the church was built around has mostly moved out of the neighborhood. The last few elderly parishioners — including some who were married in that building half a century ago — scrape together the money for a supply priest every Sunday, while the leak in the roof steadily gets worse. By the time the warden ceremonially hands the keys to the bishop, the outcome has been inevitable for years, the church’s bank account is drained, and the diocese inherits a worn-out building in need of significant repairs.

It doesn’t have to be that way. A church that has outlived its congregation can be closed with dignity, leaving an asset that can be sold in support of other ministries. But it’s a decision that traditionally has been left to the congregation itself. There will be more such closures as we emerge from the pandemic. […]

Flash flood damages, destroys Nativity scenes stored in church basement

The Herald Times – Bloomington, IN

Volunteers sorted and washed dozens of wise men, donkeys, angels and baby Jesuses, then laid them out to sun dry in the Trinity Episcopal Church courtyard at the corner of Kirkwood Avenue and Grant Street this week.

There were a lot of Josephs, too, and as many Marys, made from ceramic, wood, plastic, metal, cardboard and other materials.

Friday night’s flash flooding filled the church basement with 3 feet of water. Among the heavily damaged and lost items: Trinity’s storied collection of more than 150 Nativity scenes from around the world. […]

A brief history of St. Dunstan’s, the Episcopal church in the heart of downtown

The Auburn Plainsman – Auburn, AL

Tucked among several businesses on East Magnolia in downtown Auburn sits a storied church with a unique architecture. St. Dunstan’s has served the Episcopal community of Auburn since 1957 and stands apart from many local institutions.

Lan Lipscomb, a parishioner of the church, spoke on the history of the church and Episcopalians in Auburn.

“There have been four Episcopal church buildings,” Lipscomb said. “The first one was on campus where Mary Martin Hall is now. It lasted from 1851 to 1876. It finally collapsed as a result of the effects of the Civil War and loss of the University. They reconstituted themselves in 1887 at the present location of St. Dunstan’s.” […]

Summary

Daily Camera – Broomfield’s Women’s Gathering crafts items for those in need – The Women’s Gathering has been meeting every Thursday since its start 13 years ago…

NBC News – Charleston, S.C., church to honor victims with forum on healing – Six years after the Charleston church shooting, Mother Emanuel AME will hold a discussion on forgiveness…

Tablet Magazine – AME Church Juneteenth Celebrations – the last 250,000 enslaved persons were freed in the United States on June 19, 1865, two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation…

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Broomfield’s Women’s Gathering crafts items for those in need

Daily Camera – Westminster, CO

The sun beamed through the leaves of a mature tree at Cotton Creek Park in Westminster on June 3, as a group of women sat in a circle of folding chairs, each working on their own project.

The Women’s Gathering has been meeting every Thursday since its start 13 years ago. It’s estimated at least 25,000 items have been crafted by the knitting and crocheting hands of the group.

Dotti Moyer, now 83, started the group to provide something for the older women of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church to be a part of. She said three or four ladies joined the first few meetings and they made hats for a Navajo Reservation. Now, more than a decade later, Moyer’s email list has grown to more than 50 names of women mostly 70 years old or older. Some of the women have attended since the beginning. […]

Charleston, S.C., church to honor victims with forum on healing

NBC News – Charleston, SC

Walter Bernard Jackson Jr.’s grandmother was a forgiving woman.

Susie Jackson was deeply involved at her church, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. She was a trustee and an usher, and she sang in the choir. Jackson described his grandmother as someone who truly respected everyone.

At 87, she was one of nine people slain in June 2015, when a white supremacist opened fire on a Bible study group at the church. […]

AME Church Juneteenth Celebrations

Tablet Magazine – Galveston, TX

In Galveston, Texas, the last 250,000 enslaved persons were freed in the United States on June 19, 1865, two years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, in the same place, the African Methodist Episcopal Church—an independent Protestant denomination founded by Black Americans almost half a century before the Civil War—is front and center on Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day that Union General Gordon Granger informed the enslaved persons of Galveston that they were free. […]