[Episcopal City Mission News Release]: On Sept. 15, Episcopal City Mission (ECM) hosted a day-long training on “Faith-Rooted Organizing.” About 60 people attended, coming from many different Episcopal churches, the Life Together fellowship program and grassroots organizations.
ECM’s Faith-Rooted Organizing training is a gateway for faith leaders to get involved in the social justice efforts led by ECM and by others in its network. The training supports leaders to be both spiritually and strategically grounded in this political moment.
Attendees participated in contemplative prayer, studied social movement strategies and practiced community organizing skills such as storytelling. Over the course of the day, participants shared action opportunities on a resource board that quickly filled with public demonstrations, prayer vigils, lectures and storytelling events.
Pam Chester, a lay leader at the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester said, “What an energizing, exciting, thought-provoking training! Our parish established new relationships and strengthened existing ties in the social justice community, and found new strength through faith-rooted analysis of oppression and suffering.”
Participants were particularly moved by the Rev. Jacqueline (Jack) Clark’s presentation, which offered a framework for social movement through reflecting on the life of Jesus. Clark, who is the associate rector at St. Elizabeth's Church in Sudbury, asked participants to consider the stories of the Bible through a lens of power: Caesar’s power is concentrated in the hands of a few and maintained by violence. Jesus’ power is a shared power, held by many, that rejects violence.
This theological teaching found renewed urgency towards the end of the training, when a panel of community organizers shared their advice from the field. Estrella Diaz (Neighbor to Neighbor, Lynn), Dylan Lazerow (Movimento Cosecha), Ziquelle Smalls (Youth Justice & Power Union) and Kim Yeasir (Thrive MA) discussed their work organizing in the Boston area and shared relational strategies that sustain their work, including, for example, the practice of radical honesty and the importance of showing up consistently for one another.
The day closed as it began with a prayer and reflections on La Virgen de Guadalupe, an indigenous and female image of God venerated in Latin America, that invited those present to expand their understanding of God.
Many e-mail addresses and phone numbers were exchanged, and as people headed home, the room was left scattered with half-finished cups of tea from conversations started.
ECM plans to host another Faith-Rooted Organizing training in the spring. Those interested in attending may contact Dan Gelbtuch, program manager for leadership development, at dan@episcopalcitymission.org.