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racism
Dismantling racism was a popular topic at Big Tent 2017. The workshop Disrupting Racism: Building the Intercultural Community was attended by 50 percent more people than had registered.
In the New Testament, Jesus shared the Parable of the Sower with his disciples. In that story, Jesus explains that as the sower sows the seeds, some may fall on rocky ground or among the thorns, while other seeds flourish in rich soil.
Nearly 300 Big Tent participants were treated to Friday evening visits at one of five area Presbyterian congregations to hear various St. Louis experiences of racism and to begin processing the “Holy Conversations around Race” that began during this week’s event.
By a show of hands, a large portion of those attending a Big Tent plenary Friday afternoon (July 7) indicated they had at least read Waking Up White by Debby Irving, a book about white privilege commended to the church by General Assembly Co-Moderators Jan Edmiston and T. Denise Anderson.
In a room filled with individuals of all nationalities, the Presbyterian Intercultural Network (PIN) tackled the difficult subject of race relations in America.
The shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri nearly three years ago, continues to impact the communities of St. Louis and the nation. That’s the assessment of a panel discussion titled “Grounding Big Tent in the St. Louis Context” held at Big Tent on Thursday.
Some of the challenges that churches and society faced 50 years ago are still challenges today, attendees at Ecumenical Advocacy Weekend learned. More than 200 members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) joined other denominations this spring for a weekend of worship, workshops and activism, a few short blocks from the Pentagon.
Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech that provided the foundation for this year’s theme at Compassion, Peace and Justice Training Day. Speaking at Riverside Church in New York, King provided a connection between the war in Vietnam and the civil rights movement.
As attendance for this year’s Big Tent gathering in St. Louis continues to grow, workshop presenters are gearing up for the event. The biennial gathering will take place July 6–8 on the campus of Washington University.
As part of the Facing Racism antiracism campaign, the PC(USA) is offering resources based on the newest addition to the Book of Confessions, the Confession of Belhar, adopted by the 222nd General Assembly in 2016.
