Sacred Ground

A Film-Based Dialogue Series on Race & Faith

Advisors, Credits, and Thanks

The following individuals graciously served as advisors and/or reviewers for this project

Dr. Luisa Bonillas, Historian; Researcher, Latino Ministries, The Episcopal Church
The Rev. Ronald Byrd, Missioner for Black Ministries, The Episcopal Church
Dr. Anita George, Chairperson, Committee on Racial Reconciliation, Diocese of Mississippi
The Rev. Anthony Guillen, Missioner for Latino/Hispanic Ministries, The Episcopal Church
The Rev. Dr. Bradley Hauff, Missioner for Indigenous Ministries, The Episcopal Church
The Rev. Peter Huang, Associate Rector, St. Francis Episcopal Church, Palos Verdes Estates, California
Ms. Heidi Kim, Officer for Racial Reconciliation, The Episcopal Church
Mr. Alexei Laushkin, Executive Director, Kingdom Mission Society; former Senior Staff Member, Evangelical Environmental Network
Mr. David Leaverton, Founder and President, Undivided Nation; former Senior Field Director for Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
Dr. Catherine Meeks, Executive Director, Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing, Diocese of Atlanta
The Rev. Dr. Altagracia Pérez-Bullard, Canon for Congregational Vitality, Diocese of New York
Mr. James DeWolf Perry VI, Board Member, Center for Reconciliation, Diocese of Rhode Island
Ms. Judith Roberts, Program Director for Racial Justice Ministries, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Rev. Winfred Vergara, Missioner for Asiamerica Ministries, The Episcopal Church
The Rev. Meg Wagner, Missioner for Communications and Reconciliation, Diocese of Iowa
The Rt. Rev. Andrew Waldo, Bishop, Diocese of Upper South Carolina

Author

Katrina Browne

Contributing staff from The Episcopal Church, churchwide offices

(in addition to those among the advisors/reviewers listed above)
Project supervision and lead: The Rev. Canon Stephanie Spellers, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation, and Creation Care
Project management: Ana Arias, Project Management Associate, Communications
Copyediting: Marybeth Diss, Copy Editor
Graphic design: Melissa Walker, Senior Graphic Designer
Web design: Barry Merer, Manager, Web Services
Media management: Michael Collins, Manager, Multimedia Services
Administrative support: Sarah Alphin, Associate for Evangelism, Reconciliation, and Creation Care
Legal counsel: Douglas K. Anning, Chief Legal Officer
Communications: Nancy Davidge, Public Affairs Officer
Communications: Lisa Webb, Associate Officer, Public Affairs
Project advice: Jeremy Tackett, Senior Manager for Creative Services + Digital Evangelist
Project advice: Chris Sikkema, Manager for Special Projects

Other project contributors

Technical support and introductory video production: John C. Bell IV
Research and rights clearance assistance: David Dean
Fact checking: James DeWolf Perry VI
Theological input and authorship of essay for the curriculum: The Rev. Stephen H. Phelps

Thanks also to the following individuals and entities for their contributions

Elizabeth Browne, Noel Cook, Lisa Covington, Tom DeWolf, the Rev. Boyd Evans, the Ven. Melissa Hays-Smith, the Rev. Dr. James Kyung-Jin Lee, Sarah Mayorga-Gallo, the Rev. David Pettee, the Rev. Canon C. K. Robertson, the Rev. Margaret Rose, the Rt. Rev. Allen K. Shin, Dr. Luther E. Smith, Jr., Father Tommie Watkins, Jr., the Rev. Susanne Watson-Epting, and those at a meeting of Deputies of Color at 2018 General Convention who gave suggestions.  Thank you to Mary K. Kennedy for the dialogue photographs on the website.  And gratitude to the authors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Troubling the Waters for the Healing of the Church for inspiration from their curriculum for white Christians.

We are so grateful to all the filmmakers and writers whose inspiring work is featured in this curriculum.  We also wish gratefully to acknowledge the writers, publishers, filmmakers, and distributors who donated or discounted their material for use in this program.

Acknowledgments from the author

I’d like to express my deep gratitude to Canon Spellers for her belief in, support of, and wise contributions to this effort.  Abundant thanks to the project advisors for their thoughtful input, and to all the staff and consultants from 815 and beyond who contributed their talents and their care to this effort.  Gratitude as well to the Becoming Beloved Community team – Heidi J. Kim, the Rev. Hershey Mallette Stephens, the Rev. Canon Heather Melton, the Rev. Melanie Mullen, and the Rev. Charles A. Wynder, Jr. – for their support and co-laboring, and to Presiding Bishop Michael Curry for his steadfast call to reconciling love.

Dedication

I am indebted to the many practitioners, writers, and filmmakers in the realms of racial healing and justice who have had such a profound influence on me in the last 20 years.  I wish this curriculum could include even more of their voices.  I also wish to acknowledge and dedicate this Study Guide to the countless lay and clergy leaders in The Episcopal Church who have labored for many years to bring visions and practices of antiracism and racial reconciliation to the fore.  A special dedication to the Rev. Canon Edward Rodman for his mentorship, and to my cousin the Rev. Ledlie Laughlin, Jr. (1930-2019) for being such a guiding light.