Racial Justice Commission | Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

The work of seeking racial justice is founded on our Baptismal Covenant, that “we will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor” as ourselves and to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 305)

As together we in this diocese strive to become a more antiracist body, the Racial Justice Commission exists to provide tools, experiences, leadership, accompaniment and, sometimes, challenge to diocesan leaders, congregations and other Episcopal communities--so that together, our diocese can better live out Jesus' prayer to embody God's dream of "on earth as it is in heaven."

The 12-member commission in its current configuration was launched in November 2020 at Diocesan Convention. The commission is organized into five subcommittees, each with two co-chairs and a mandate to support the broader mission.

Racial Justice Commission report graphic

Watch the video recording of the Racial Justice Commission's report to the 2024 Diocesan Convention here. The commission's written report--including the resolution adopted by the convention to implement a new antiracism formation program, "Dismantling Racism through Racial Healing"--is available in the 2024 Diocesan Convention Handbook (page H-15) here.

Group photo of 2024 Racial Justice Commission

Courtesy photo 2024 Racial Justice Commission leadership: (back, from left) Chris Wendell, Paul Minor, Morgan Allen, Debbie Phillips, Will Mebane, Jennifer Beal, Bishop Alan Gates; (front, from left) Carol Morehead, Derrick Muwina, Louise Gant, Deborah Gardner Walker, Jean Baptiste Ntagengwa and Ema Rosero-Nordalm.

The leadership of our Racial Justice Commission includes:

Co-Chairs:

The Rev. W. (Will) H. Mebane Jr., St. Barnabas's Church, Falmouth
The Rev. Carol Morehead, Grace Church, Medford

Contact the co-chairs at RJC@diomass.org.
Staff liaison: Jean Baptiste Ntagengwa (jbntagengwa@diomass.org or 617-482-4826, ext. 400)

Tools and resources

Reparations Toolkit
“What is Truth?” study series
Liturgical Resources for Indigenous Peoples' Day and Other Occasions
Recommendations and Resources on Land Acknowledgements
Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Debrief: Audio recording of presentation of composite results from IDI’s taken by diocesan leadership in late 2022. Contact Kris Wile at kwile@stcollab.com for access details.
Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) Assessment: Introductions to the REDI tool and presentation of results from the 173 REDI surveys submitted from across the diocese in winter 2022-spring 2023:
REDI Introduction #1
REDI Introduction #2
Diocese of Massachusetts REDI Results
Race, Church and Healing: A series of six workshops by Bryana Clover, Owner, Bryana Clover LLC, and Claire Cox-Woodlief, Owner, CCW Transformation Ministries. These recordings of sessions held for the diocese in spring 2023 are available for individual, small group and congregational use through July 2024.
Contact Kris Wile at kwile@stcollab.com for access details.

Subcommittees and mandates

Structures and Systems

Co-Chairs:
The Rev. Derrick Muwina (St. Peter's Church, Cambridge)
The Rev. Debbie Phillips (Grace Church, Salem)

Responsibility: Work with diocesan staff, clergy and lay leadership to create accountable and transparent structures in our diocese and Episcopal communities. This includes (but is not limited to) hiring practices, committee make-up, search-committee processes and business practices.

Finances

Co-Chairs:
The Rev. Morgan Allen (Trinity Church, Boston)
The Rev. Paul Minor (All Saints' Church, Belmont)

Responsibility: Ensure financial resources are located in ways that promote antiracism--on the diocesan and congregational level. This includes, but is not limited to, how resources are allocated in the diocese, how compensation is set and justly compensating BIPOC for often unpaid volunteer labor.

Supporting BIPOC Individuals and Communities

Co-Chairs:
The Rev. Jennifer Beal (St. Anne's Church, North Billerica)
The Rev. Ted Cole Jr. (St. John's Church, Jamaica Plain)

Responsibility: Help create the culture and structures in our diocese to build a beloved community where all are transformed; and where:
- BIPOC individuals and communities, especially the historically Black churches, feel welcomed, supported, sustained, embraced, respected and empowered; and especially in the leadership of our diocese;
- their voices are listened to and lifted up;
- their talents, skills and experiences are valued;
- our ordination, nominating and other processes to raise up lay and ordained leaders elevate and celebrate BIPOC;
- BIPOCs and people who are white work alongside each other as equals.

Reparations

Visit www.diomass.org/reparations-fund to learn more
about our newly developing Reparations Fund.

Co-Chairs:
The Rev. Chris Wendell (St. Paul's Church, Bedford)
Louise Gant (Church of the Holy Spirit, Mattapan)

Responsibility: In the name of repentance for the harm done by the enslavement of individuals and systemic racism, provide resources, experiences and leadership for the diocese, its congregations and its Episcopal communities as we take action to 1) change how we tell our own histories and present-day story, and 2) make financial reparations.

Forming Antiracist Episcopal Communities

Co-Chairs:
Deborah Gardner Walker (St. Peter's Church, Beverly)
The Rev. James Hairston (Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin, Boston)

Responsibility: Foster active antiracist Episcopal communities by having theologically grounded antiracist formation offerings; rethinking liturgy through an antiracism lens; and also activating our congregations to act for racial justice in the world.