All Tri-State faith communities are encouraged to take part in a Racial Justice Sabbath on the weekend of February 14.
BRIDGE (Building Respect & Integrity in Diverse Greater Evansville) and For Evansville (www.forevansville.org) want to encourage every faith community to emphasize their faith’s teaching on racial equity on this weekend in order to motivate and inspire their members to make our region a place where all ethnicities and cultures feel a sense of belonging. We chose this weekend in February for the event to help mark Black History Month.
“We are encouraging all area faith communities to have a focus on race and justice in the message of that weekend’s worship gathering,†said Joe Easley, a retired United Methodist pastor and one of the original co-convenors of BRIDGE. He suggested that faith communities might also want to use racial justice as their theme for Sunday School, Bible study, or other gatherings for study or fellowship. Congregations may pick another February date, if this weekend does not work.
25 pastors and faith leaders have already indicated interest in the common focus on that weekend, or at another time in February, according to the Rev. Ange Humphrey who is coordinating the event for BRIDGE. As faith leaders sign on to this common approach from particular traditions, BRIDGE and For Evansville will provide suggestions and shared ideas for the congregations and publicize their efforts, she said. Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke has indicated his support for this area-wide effort.
Faith communities that wish to participate may contact Rev. Humphrey at angehumphrey2002@gmail.com.
For additional comment, please contact Lora Stephens, who began her new role as BRIDGE convener in 2021, at bridge.evv@gmail.com or Ross Chapman at rosschapman@forevansville.org.
