St. James Committee on Racial Unity

Committee Vision Statement:

In alignment with the Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan of St. James Parish and in furtherance of our Baptismal Covenant to respect the dignity of every human being, our committee will foster compassion and mutual understanding among people of different racial identities and will create a trusted community of love and reconciliation.

1. Increase awareness of racial inequities in our local community and country to enable parish members to grow in love of God and neighbor.
2. Cultivate relationships with our neighbors of color to collectively promote justice and equity in the community.
3. Participate in anti-racism training and activities within the Wilmington community.

Welcome to the Committee on Racial Unity webpage. We are glad you found us! And we hope you will want to learn more and perhaps join us in this important work of our Parish.

In the summer of 2020, in the early stages of the Pandemic, the Vestry established a Race Relations Task Force in response to racial violence occurring in our country. The first meeting was held at Lebanon Chapel with about 30 attending. Subsequently, St. James offered 4 series of “Sacred Ground,” an education program produced by the Episcopal Church, with a total participation of more than 80 people. The common refrain following the course: “What now?”

The St. James Committee on Racial Unity was formed in the fall of 2022 to address next steps. Our hope is to offer more education, outreach, and relationship-building opportunities to address racial relations in our community and beyond. The first offering was a book study on Just Mercy with our rector last fall.

We will use this webpage as a communication tool to share upcoming events in our Parish and community that we hope will be of interest to our congregation. You will also find links on this page to our Diocesan and National Church Websites and to other local efforts in Wilmington.

Interested in joining us? Please prayerfully consider if this ministry is one that God is calling you to join. If you are interested in joining or have any questions, please feel free to contact any of the people listed above on the webpage. We would love to talk with you.

Upcoming Opportunities

Diocese of East Carolina Racial Healing Commission: 1st Annual Jazz and Race Symposium

16Sep

Saturday, Sep 16, 2023

Jazz and Racial Healing intersect in many ways. Join us as we hear jazz music and some African-American History. Dr. Catherine Meeks will also speak about her involvement in Racial Healing in the larger Church. There will be a chance to have...

Details

Neighbors' Events

St. James' mission is "To welcome all to grow in love of God and neighbor." One of the ways we hope to do this is through community engagement! Here are some great ways to get involved with other community events hosted by our neighbors and outreach partners.