Churches and schools across South Carolina are not immune to the rise of racist theology and rhetoric. How do we, as Christians, confront this hate in our pews and classrooms?
Recognizing the church’s role in confronting hate and working toward healing, the Fellowship of South Carolina Bishops is hosting an interactive dialogue – “Confronting Hate” – on Nov. 21 at the South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia.
The discussion will be led by two Charleston pastors whose churches – one historically white, one historically black – have come together for a weekly book study in the four years since a 21-year-old white supremacist murdered nine African-Americans during a prayer service at the Emanuel AME Church in downtown Charleston.
The Rev. Callie Walpole, subdean and vicar of Grace Episcopal Church, and the Rev. Dr. Kylon Middleton, pastor of Mt. Zion AME Church, have led the effort to deepen relationships between Grace, Mt. Zion and their communities. Their work serves as a model for congregations looking to create space for difficult conversations.
Rev. Walpole and Rev. Middleton will share how their Tuesday Book Study model works, facilitate a discussion around a selected text, and lead our dialogue on the church’s response to hatred and violence.
The 2019 Fellowship of South Carolina Bishops’ Dialogue takes place during the 2019 Equity Summit, an event hosted by the South Carolina Collaborative on Race and Reconciliation at the University of South Carolina.
The Equity Summit is designed to create a space for those actively engaged in race equity and inclusion efforts across the Southeast to learn from each other.
Registration for the Bishops’ Dialogue is free and is being coordinated through the registration process for the Equity Summit. Seating is limited, so sign up today to ensure your spot. You can choose to register only for the Bishops’ Dialogue, or for other events during the Equity Summit.
The Fellowship of South Carolina Bishops is a special ecumenical relationship among churches led by bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal-Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Episcopal, Lutheran, Roman Catholic and United Methodist churches.
