The Ebenezer-St. Luke’s Partnership

When The Rev. Joe Roberts and The Rev. Spenser Simrill got together 22 years ago to discuss a partnership of two historic, downtown churches, they could hardly have imagined where their conversation would lead. They did indeed establish the “I Have a Dream”® Ministry, in which Ebenezer and St. Luke’s successfully mentored young, at-risk kids from 2^nd grade through high school and beyond, and perhaps more importantly, they launched an effective working relationship between our churches which is still in its ascendancy.

In Lent of 2021, the Caste Book Study was a seminal event. A difficult, uncomfortable read for many of us, Isabel Wilkerson’s book challenged the participants to engage in courageous conversations which are rarely possible elsewhere. Meeting weekly on Zoom, a group of facilitators, with guidance from clergy, set out the ground rules such as “lean in with love”. These two-hour Wednesday evening gatherings built up the necessary trust to engage in difficult (and often avoided) conversations. The virtual program drew a world-wide multiracial audience which examined its roles in systematic subjugation.

In Lent of 2022, Ebenezer and St. Luke’s tackled The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee. With Ardith Barrow and Jessee Dagen at the helm of the Book Study Action Group, the learning and conversations continued. The book selection for 2023 will be Dr. Robert P. Jones’ The End of White Christian America, which won the 2019 Grawemeyer Award in Religion. The 2023 book study will start after Easter; concluding on May 31 with Dr. Jones as speaker.

Now, under the leadership of Alexious Butler and Ann Cramer, the Castevangelism Action Group has taken the book study model well beyond our two churches. Not only was the book study a game-changer for us, but the Caste model has been utilized by the Carter Center’s global staff. Additionally, faith communities in Colorado, Florida and Washington state are utilizing the same material. The plan is to package the book study content, market it, manage and ensure fidelity of implementation, and document and measure the use. There are now two book study templates that others can use. The next steps will be to faithfully steward this resource so that others can have a similar experience.

It is significant that the various teams spawned by the book studies are called Action Groups. Yes, there is study, discussion and prayerful discernment, and then there is ACTION!

The Social Justice - Voter Empowerment Action Group was born of The Sum of Us book study. Leaders Marti Breen and Tiffany Roberts have been coordinating Ebenezer’s Social Justice Ministry with St. Luke’s Faith and Advocacy Network (FAN). There are Issue Area Chairs such as Ending Mass Incarceration, Voter Empowerment, Gun Violence Prevention and Economic Equity that carry on the education and advocacy work for the group.

Ending Mass Incarceration – EMI GA - Multifaith EMI will be a priority of our churches’ partnership. Ebenezer and St. Luke’s partnered with the multi-faith movement to End Mass Incarceration (EMI), led by Ebenezer Baptist Church and the Temple, to organize the second national conference, “Let My People Go.” Over the span of three days, Jan. 11-13, attendees heard from thought leaders on the work of faith-based criminal justice reform. Among the action steps to discuss and consider are:1)Discuss the Stations of Hope Covenant - Become a Welcoming Place of Worship; 2) Use the Resolution presented at the last session on Friday as a guide for action; 3) Initiatives to consider:Bail Out; Restricting Records and Changing the Narrative.

The joint gatherings of Ebenezer and St. Luke’s are not always so serious. Mary Hughes and Sue McAvoy coordinate the Fellowship Action Group. In August, a potluck meal was enjoyed by facilitators for one or both book studies. There were 45 people who attended the event which was held in the Ebenezer Banquet Hall. Then in October, 135 people attended a Hymn Sing, held at St. Luke’s, where we sang hymns from both churches’ hymnals and learned about each from our churches’ music directors.The event was a success by all measures. The group hosted Ebenezer members at St. Luke’s 11:15 a.m. service on Feb. 26. This group will continue sharing between the two congregations in multiple ways, reflecting our wider focus on Faith, Friendship, and Fellowship (“F3”).

The Economic Equity Action Group is guided by Adelaide Steedley and Dan Russell. The four pillars of this group are: 1) Education, 2) Workforce Development, 3) Home Ownership, and 4) Citizen Advocacy. The fact that Ebenezer and St. Luke’s share a “backyard” known as the Old Fourth Ward has led to a major focus on that geographical area. A meeting was convened on October 1, 2022, at Ebenezer with 40 people from our two churches in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to understand the current economic inequity in the Old Fourth Ward across all four pillars by using data and demographics to better determine the next steps. This group has continued to diligently proceed with next steps!! The next convening of the initiative will be on April 1 at Ebenezer, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The four pillar teams will present specific recommended projects and activities for 2023 in the Old Fourth Ward. Atlanta City Council member Amir Farokhi has agreed to welcome us and provide us with updates from his perspective. The target audience is congregants from both churches; all are invited. Likewise, the pillar teams will be reaching out across the Old Fourth Ward and beyond to seek out projects and programs to support, from early education and workforce development programs, to legacy and new homeowners support, and citizen advocacy as well.The initiative has asked the captains for their recommendations to include resource requirements, whether its people, connections or in some cases specific financial support.The initiative has been working to schedule a meeting of the lay leadership of both congregations, and the date proposed is May 13th. The purpose is to continue to learn more about related activities between the two churches. After an initial guided tour of the Old Fourth Ward in October 2021, the team is coordinating another neighborhood tour to continue to learn more about the impact of place-based initiatives.

All the action groups are undergirded by the Prayer Support team. Daisy Russell and Lisa Boswell coordinate this extremely important component as we live into our faith. They seek God’s help as they pray specifically for the leadership and goals of the partnership’s mission.

The Rev. Vaughn and The Rev. Varghese have provided extraordinary leadership. One of the most significant initiatives in the partnership is the hosting of Forums bringing in nationally recognized speakers to address the critical issues of our time. To date there have been four Forums:

• A Conversation with Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us,
• Church and Society: Engaging Climate Change and the Future of our Earth, The Rev. Brian McLaren, author and theologian,
• How Can We Be “The Village” in Raising our Children? Rev. Dr. Christine Hong, Columbia Seminary, and
• “New Wineskins” to Study, Interpret and Teach our Faith (Nov. 13, The Rev Dr. Wil Gaffney, Biblical Scholar, Brite Divinity School

Both The Rev. Vaughn and The Rev. Varghese credit St Luke’s former Interim Rector The Rev. Ed Bacon for reconnecting and rejuvenating our partnership. The Rev. Bacon often mentioned that Isabel Wilkerson said that she was “on a mission”, and our congregations are on a “joint mission” as well. That mission can be transformational as well as a model for others to follow.

The goals for the partnership (developed by Ebenezer and supported heartily by St. Luke’s) are:

• To build Christ-centered relationships across our congregations and work together from our unique experiences and perspectives to dismantle racism

• To provide educational and community engagement opportunities that deepen Ebenezer’s individual growth and social transformation through a lens of liberation and justice
• To support White Christians in taking more ownership of racism and a commitment to dismantle it

With the power of two historic churches working across racial lines, we can leverage our impact well beyond what we can accomplish separately. Together we have the scale to take on big tasks which can be foundational and formational. There is no doubt that Pastor Joe (in heaven) and The Rev. Simrill are cheering for us.