Church of the Servant Presentation at the 141st Convention (2024)
Representatives of Church of the Servant, Wilmington (Jody Greenwood, Rector; Natasha Clay,, Vestry Member; and Rhonda Thomas, Deacon) were invited to share a presentation regarding the work on racial healing they have been doing who, in recognition of that work, was named “Church of the Year” by the New Hanover County NAACP. The ongoing commitment to work around racial equity and justice for Church of the Servant is an “example of what’s possible when a few lay people with a passion for something, when they focus their energy, [they] can move things beyond what you could ever imagine.” They highlighted that participating in Sacred Ground groups and book studies led to the creation of the Racial Equity Project at Church of the Servant, an initiative and learning group rooted in The Episcopal Church’s Becoming Beloved Community tools and resources and in listening and learning from voices in the Wilmington community. This work in racial equity and healing is ongoing work that Church of the Servant is committed to: showing up for racial justice events, listening to black voices and following their lead. Church of the Servant finished by encouraging congregations to find their passion, form partnerships in the community, and allowing God to work through them in that ministry.