Becoming Beloved Community
Racial inequality is the imbalance of power, economic resources, and opportunity that exists between people of color and people who are white. It is a reality we experience daily in our 21st-century world and that we are called to resist and strive to overcome as we live out our baptismal covenant to:
Persevere in resisting evil, and whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord.
Proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.
Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.
Becoming Beloved Community is the name of the vision presented by Episcopal Church leaders in 2017 that “frames a path for Episcopalians to address racial injustice and grow as a community of reconcilers, justice-makers, and healers who share a passion for the dream of God.” It provides a framework for the formational work of truth-telling, proclamation, discipleship, and reconciliation.
In the Episcopal Church in Colorado, many of our congregations are eager to begin or to go deeper into this work, work thatย asks us to challenge our assumptions, look deeply within ourselves, and commit to God’s vision. Perhaps your congregation has held adult forums to understand current events and share personal stories. Maybe you’ve participated in dismantling racism training or begun identifying and seeking ways to repair dysfunctional systems and institutions in our communities. Regardless of where you are on this journey, it is important to understand that the work of racial reconciliation–of racial justice and healing–will not be finished in our lifetimes, and we must commit to this work as a way of being as well as doing. We suggest you begin where you are.
Who can help us in this work?
Formation Team
We welcome your comments and questions at any time. Please reach out to anyone on the Formation team:
The Rev. Canon Greg Foraker, Canon for Formation and Pastoral Care
Tracy Methe, Missioner for Baptismal Living
Elizabeth Cervasio, Missioner for Children, Youth, and Campus Ministry
Janet Choyce, Event Coordinator
Communications Support (including websites)
Mike Orr, Canon for Communications and Evangelism
Mentors, Coaches, Advisors
Indigenous ย Communities
Sarah Hartzell, Parishioner, St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Boulder
The Rev. Teri Shecter, Southwest Regional Missioner and Deacon, St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Grand Junction
Martha Taylor Dever, Parishioner, St. Johnโs Episcopal Church, Boulder
Reimagining Justice Team, St. John’s Cathedral
Susan Backus, Parishioner
Lynne Muth, Parishioner
Susan Ritter, Parishioner
Resources to Help Equip and Empower You to Engage in the Work of Becoming Beloved Community
Click on the following areas to access information and resources.
Sacred Ground Dialogue Circles
Indigenous Allies
We acknowledge that the land on which we live and meet is the traditional territory of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Ute, and many other peoples, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, in the watershed of Boulder Creek. We honor the Indigenous people who once lived on this land, and support the resilience and strength of their descendants living among us today. We lament that settlers on this land caused many harms to Indigenous people and to the land they hold as sacred.” We seek, through our work together, to establish right relationship, to learn the truth of the past and present, to reckon with our role in the harms caused, and to stand in solidarity with our Indigenous kin as we seek an equitable future together.
What can you do? Signatures are Needed
Oak Flat has been a sacred site for Native Americans since before recorded history. Located in Arizonaโs vibrant Tonto National Forest, Western Apache religious and cultural identity is inextricably tied to Oak Flat. It has been threatened with obliteration by a foreign-owned mining company with plans to construct a mine that will destroy this sacred site, swallowing it in a crater nearly two miles wide and over 1,100 feet deep. The court case of Apache Stronghold v. United States of America et al. has been finding its way through the courts to prevent destruction of Oak Flats since 2014.ย Itโs now at the near final stage of asking the Supreme Court to hear its case.
Resolution # 038 of theย Executive Committee of Executive Council,ย Episcopal Churchย urges โprotection of the sacred land of Oak Flatโ.ย Convention resolution 2012-A131 urges us to express solidarity with Indigenous People. Resolutionย 2018-A011 asks us to address environment racism.ย We hope these resolutions will convince you to add your voice to an amicus brief requesting that the case be heard by the Supreme Court.ย Please COMPLETE THIS FORM ย to put your name on that list.