Racial Equity & Women's Intercultural Ministries eNewsletter

Director's Message:

To say there is a lot going on in our world and our nation is a severe understatement.  Not only are there wars and rumors of wars but there are tangible, daily threats to humanity & civility we have come to know. Recently, I was speaking with a friend about the multiple laws being passed to silence the history of this troubled nation. The conversation brought us both to a heavy silence of tears.

Rev. Shanea D. Leonard

The blatant erasure of our Black and Brown siblings is not just a hypocrisy but a sin.  There is a deliberate campaign to make the telling of the dark narratives of such atrocities as chattel slavery, Indigenous genocide, Japanese internment camps, Chinese oppression, and LatinX repression realities that children will never know about. The idea that the collective stories of communities of color are a blot on the bloody, racist fabric of this nation that can be removed just as seamlessly as they have been interwoven is ridiculous.  The torrid journeys of people of color in this country, even often at the hands of the church, is just as much a part of the story of America and the world as anything else. This is why we must continue to help our churches, communities, and constituents know that the work of the believer and the vision of Matthew 25 lies in our ability to understand our collective struggle. We must be open to understanding that equity, representation, and true liberation is a constant perseverance despite the obstacles so many people of color face.

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“We See Your Color”

The Cultural Effect of the Commission of the Status of Women on Our Black and Brown Young Women by Naomi McQuiller The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has been happening since 1947. Activists and leaders from around the globe have gathered at the United Nations. With a global perspective, delegates were able to engage with priority theme, or main focus - innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Both domestic and internal participants in CSW were able to connect and share the efforts being done in their own area of the world. This included the way organizations and countries are working to center the voices of women of color – Black and Brown women. In my opinion, there is no people group that is more oppressed (as it relates to intersectionality) than Black women. (This reflection continues on the page for Women's Leadership Development.)

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How a REWIM Grant is Supporting Ministry in Colonias

by Rosa Miranda, Associate for Hispanic/Latino-a Intercultural Congregational Support

Puentes de Cristo has been serving in Colonias in Hidalgo County since the Spring of 2020. According to the Texas Attorney General's website, colonias are substandard housing developments often found along the Texas-Mexico border where residents lack basic services such as drinking water, sewage treatment, and paved roads. These areas are predominantly Latino, unincorporated, and impoverished.

Rosa Miranda

We have worked hard at building relationships with the families in the Colonias and have become a trusted partner in serving their communities. We have met with the residents of Aurora Valley Colonia in Donna, and they have requested our help in revitalizing their community park to have a safe space for the women to have fellowship and for their children to play.  They have also asked for assistance in building a community garden to deal with the issues of food insecurity and to provide a variety of healthy foods. (This report continues on the page for Hispanic/Latino-a Intercultural Congregational Support.)

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REWIM Webinar Offers Ways to Extend Radical Welcome to All God's Children

On April 19th, the Office of Gender & Racial Justice hosted an hour long webinar on Radical Welcome. The webinar was hosted by Samantha Davis, who is REWIM's Associate for Gender, Racial & Intercultural Justice, and explored the question of how the church has perpetuated harm and what can be done to make the church a more radically welcoming space going forward. This webinar can be viewed on REWIM's Facebook page and is part of an ongoing monthly series with the next conversation scheduled to occur at 7pm EDT on May 17th.

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Making the Invisible Visible: Middle Eastern Christians

by Mirna Wasef, Moderator of the National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus

Middle East Christians are sometimes seen as an anomaly. When we mention our Christian faith, we are often met with statements like, “When did you convert?” The assumption is usually the same, that being a Middle Eastern Christian is unusual or somehow abnormal. The root of the assumption is also usually the same, that Christianity is a Western faith.

Mirna Wasef

In the notable words of our Caucus’ former moderator, “People think Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and from Nazareth, Texas.” Though a joke, this sentiment expresses two deep qualities of the Middle Eastern Christian experience in the U.S.A.: 1) Middle Easterners have a great sense of humor and use it to make sense of their struggles, and 2) we often feel invisible. Our Christian history, faith, and lineage are crushed under the weight of stereotypes that label our region wild with sectarian violence to the extent that Middle East Christians, even indigenous Christian communities like Chaldeans, Copts, or Assyrians, are unseen. (This reflection continues on the page for Middle Eastern Intercultural Ministries.)

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A Reflection on the Katie Cannon Womanist Center 2023 Conference

by L. British Hyrams

The 2023 Spring Conference of The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Wormanist Leadership was extraordinary. It was meaningful to connect, worship, and learn with those I already knew from the PCUSA and to meet new womxn from other denominations! This was the opportunity that I had been waiting for, a chance to immerse myself in Womanist thinking with those who are leaders in the field.

L. British Hyrams

The 2023 Spring Conference of The Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Wormanist Leadership was extraordinary. It was meaningful to connect, worship, and learn with those I already knew from the PCUSA and to meet new womxn from other denominations! This was the opportunity that I had been waiting for, a chance to immerse myself in Womanist thinking with those who are leaders in the field. Not only will this experience be reflected in my personal life and ministry service but it will also help as I work on my Doctor of Ministry Thesis Project: Remember Who You Are! How Clergy and Christian Leaders Can Affect the Self-Image of Black, Christian Gen Z Women. (This reflection continues on the page for the Katie Cannon Scholarship.)

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Are you a member of the Matthew 25 Facebook group?

A Facebook group exists for those who have committed to Matthew 25. There are currently over 1,900 members sharing ideas, inspiring others with stories of success and lifting one another up in prayer as we all go on this Matthew 25 journey together.

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