Barrett’s Chapel will welcome the Northeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Archives and History (NEJCAH) for their annual meeting. The focus of the meeting is “Methodism’s Historic Commitment to Racial Justice and Reconciliation.”
“Methodism has long recognized the need for inclusion, compassion and justice for all,” Susie Shank said. “Guided by the beliefs that all people are created equal in the eyes of God, the Methodist movement has continually sought to break down the barriers that divide us, particularly when it comes to race and systematic injustice.”
NEJCAH plans to sponsor an event during the annual meeting, planned for May 13-15 and is open to anyone. The event will include a number of locations of importance to the history of African Americans to Methodism on Delmarva.
“We will visit the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park and Old Asbury in Wilmington, “Mother African Union First colored Methodist Protestant Church” and more,” Shank said. “Those who attend all three days will receive one CEU from NEJCAH.”
NEJCAH focuses on preserving and making accessible materials that document the history of Methodism, preserving the stories of the people, places and events that make up NEJ’s history.
The United Methodist Church has a strong connection to the Civil Rights Movement. Ministers in the church, including Revs. Gilbert Caldwell, James Lawson, Rip Patton, Tex Sample and others standing with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading the charge for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 1968, banning discrimination and segregation, removing whites only signs and leading the nation in other types of reform.
“Our movement was the first since the 1860 movement to mobilize black community to begin to fight the persecution that we faced and that began to deal with racism and its structures of wrong,” Lawson, who was hand-picked by King to teach about non-violent protests.”
For further information and to register for the event, please contact Shank at PO Box 668, Frederica DE. 19946 or call 302-335-5544. You can also register by emailing Shank directly. Space is limited and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
