Last weekend the 2021 Memorial Vestry met for an all day retreat. On ZOOM things were certainly different - but it was a fruitful and prayerful time. With the help of Listening Hearts we reflected on where God is calling us as a community in 2021, following the announcement of our justice and reparations initiative and beginning to move out of the COVID-19 pandemic. After much prayerful discernment we formulated the following:
“God is calling us as a vestry to build relationships inside and outside our community in order to move our actions toward justice and reparative ministries”
A priority of the vestry was ensuring that everyone who wants to is able to take part in this work in one way or another. They unanimously desire to involve all of you in this work and invite others outside Memorial and outside Bolton Hill to be involved as well.
Another priority was our relationship with Saint Katherine’s. Continuing to worship, fellowship and share life together is a model for how we can repair and restore relationships in all aspects of our life and ministry.
We approved three grants (see below for the full resolution):
$10,000 to the Diocesan Reparations Fund
$15,000 to BLACK WOMEN BUILD – BALTIMORE
$5,000 to BUILDING OUR NATION'S DAUGHTERS
And developed a process for further gift making and programming relying on the advisory committee’s guidance with final vestry approval.
We began to map out a few next steps over the next few months.
Next Steps
February-March
Form an Advisory Committee
Vestry to reach out and engage the Congregation
Deepen Relationship with Saint Katherine’s
Develop A Memorial and Saint Katherine’s Talent Bank
Mapping Justice Led Organizations in Our Zip Code
March-April
Organize a Justice and Reparations Workgroup
Listen and partner with local justice led organizations with their ongoing work
Hire a Justice Organizer to lead the workgroup
Work with Saint Katherine’s on their Urban Oasis project
This week we also brought together our Advisory Committee for the first time. I am grateful to the members for their time and attention to ensuring that this program continues to move in the right direction. Special thanks to:
David Hornbeck, Strong Schools Maryland Memorial Member
Bonnie Legro, Formerly of the Abell Foundation, Memorial Member
Eric Sommerville, Central Y of Maryland
Nabeehah Aziz, The No Boundaries Coalition
Donna Brown, Citizens Policing Project
If you are inspired to become more involved in our justice and reparations initiative contact myself or any member of the vestry. We are looking forward to working with you.
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Preamble: Following the action of the Memorial Episcopal Church vestry in
November 2020, and by the congregation at the Annual Meeting in January, 2021,
Memorial has withdrawn $50,000 from its endowment as an act of reparations.
This comes in response to Memorial’s long-standing history of support for the
institution of slavery and the legacy of slavery, the funds being designated to
support Black-lead justice organizations working in four key areas: housing,
education, voting rights, and environment.
Resolution 1: Memorial Episcopal Church vestry approves a $10,000 contribution to
the Diocese of Maryland Reparations Fund, in acknowledgement of the practice of
enslavement by Memorial’s founding rectors.
Resolution 2: Memorial Episcopal Church vestry approves a $15,000 contribution to
Black Women Build, in response to Memorial’s history of support for segregation in
housing in Baltimore.
Resolution 3: Memorial Episcopal Church vestry approves a $5,000 contribution to
Building our Nation’s Daughters, in response to Memorial’s history of efforts to keep
education and youth programs segregated in Baltimore.