Social Justice and Advocacy
Take Action to Support the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Episcopal Church has long opposed drilling in the Refuge not only because of our concern for and stewardship of God’s creation, but also because of our commitment to standing with the Gwich’in Nation, the indigenous people who live in the Arctic who are mostly Episcopalians. The Gwich’in depend for their daily sustenance upon the […]
Our Feet Keep Marching On
The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, which includes Macon and several parishes beyond Macon will be launching a three year cycle of pilgrimages next year to sites where lynchings occurred. The purpose of these events will be to place historical markers at these sites along with acknowledging those who were martyred. On August 15, 2015 over […]
Reclaiming Mother's Day: Love, Justice, and Reconciliation
This was originally delivered as a sermon at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, NC on Mother’s Day by Charles Wynder, Jr., Missioner for Social Justice & Advocacy Engagement. Here is an excerpt of the sermon. Please see related link at the bottom of this page to access the full sermon. Our Gospel hymn this […]
Anthony & the Power in Our Hands
With all of the surfacing videos of police brutality towards civilians, especially civilians of color, I have become very disappointed with our law enforcement as well as the justice system itself. When the Ferguson shooting occurred back in August of 2014, I was on my honeymoon and disconnected from the world of technology. When I […]
Opportunity for Social Justice Education
In a cooperative effort the Episcopal Networks Collaborative have announced a joint social justice education program. The three networks are the Episcopal Network for Economic Justice (ENEJ), the Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) and the Episcopal Ecological Network (EpEN). The first phase of the joint education program consists of a series of webinars covering issues […]
Talking about Ferguson in our Congregations
As we prepare for Advent, our nation finds itself facing the realities of racial inequality. In the words of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, “The Episcopal Church joins many others in deep lament over the tragic reality that continues to be revealed in Ferguson, Missouri.” Faithful Episcopalians may hold many different views on the legal […]
Ferguson: A Way Forward
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s question “Where do we go from here? Chaos or Community?” continues to resonate today. The shooting death of Michael Brown on August 9, 2014 continues to reverberate in Missouri, the United States and around the globe. The aftermath of the shooting raised questions about race, structural racism, racial justice, and […]
A Prayer for Justice and the 'Dream of God'
Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child… A long ways from home. I begin this reflection on the Church’s call to “pursue justice… love mercy… and walk humbly…” with the plaintive words of that Negro Spiritual because it encapsulates in perfect, plaintive tone my disposition as of late. The events in Ferguson (and as of […]
I count myself among the many who will fight for change
I am an African-American single mother of two, a three year old daughter and a one year old son. I fear for my children as they grow older. When I first heard about the shooting of Michael Brown, I was confused and deeply saddened that such horrifying violence still occurs in 2014. I thought […]
Bliss resides in the womb of suffering, learn to give it birth
I write as an activist seminarian applying a theological lens to parallel the struggles in Ferguson, Missouri and the Palestinian quest for a just peace. This past May, I set out with a group of pilgrims on a journey to Palestine. We were twenty-eight women from across the United States– some in school, some […]
