Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Introduction

For decades, The Episcopal Diocese of Maryland has examined our history and wrestled with how we are called to repair the breach caused by slavery and racism. This post shares some insights into how our Diocese moved from research and learning to funding and action guided by our Baptismal Covenant, which calls us into becoming a beloved community of love.

Understanding the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland

The Diocese of Maryland was created in 1780 by Maryland-based Anglicans and is one of the original nine dioceses in the United States. It is now a vibrant community that spans 10 counties and includes over 100 congregations. The Diocese has a unique historical role. Maryland straddles the line between North and South. Some churches were built by slaves and still have “slave galleries” while other churches were stops along the Underground Railroad and were advocates for freedom. Considering our history, the work of reconciliation is a fundamental calling for the Diocese of Maryland. Reconciliation builds on our understanding of history, provides energy for the present, and forms the foundation to our future as faithful members of the body of Christ.

What are Reparations?

The Diocese’s Reverend Canon Chris McCloud defines reparations as a “means to repair that which has been broken." It is not just monetary compensation, and it is not the transfer of money from white people to black people; it is about restoration, atonement, and reconciling wrongs. In its current context, reparations involve repairing and addressing systemic inequalities in education, healthcare, housing, economics, and criminal justice.

For generations, African Americans were exploited to build wealth and maintain racial hierarchies. This legacy of exploitation benefited this country and many institutions, including our Episcopal Church. It is crucial that our church's discussions on this matter differ from political discourse, focusing instead on our biblical mandate. Our faith compels us to restore relationships and seek justice, guided by the mission, "restoring all people to unity with God and each other in Christ."

The Genesis of the Fund

While we spent years researching our history and educating ourselves on the effects of slavery, the Diocese’s journey towards reparations began in earnest in 2008 with the election of Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton, the first Bishop of color in the Diocese of Maryland. Through his commitment and that of others, a Reparations Taskforce was established in 2017. After years of advocacy and education, a $1 million seed fund was established by the 236th convention in 2020, sourced from unrestricted diocesan resources and contributions from congregations. The Reparations Fund has grown to $1.39 million through donations and market appreciation.

Grant Distribution and Impact on Maryland

By 2021, committee members were selected to develop a disbursement process involving relationship-building, biblical and historical insights, and discussions of Scripture related to reparations. After a year of deliberation, the committee agreed on a framework through the lens of the Baptismal Covenant, culminating in the first grants awarded in 2022. Grantees are selected by clearly indicating how their initiatives and/or programs will make a significant impact on the community being served in one or more of the following areas: Education, Healthcare/Elder Care, Affordable Housing, Environmental Degradation, and Job Creation/Micro-Economic Investment.

Over $400,000 in grants have been awarded so far, and another $250,000 will be awarded in Summer 2024. The impact of this reparations fund is being felt deeply across Maryland from Baltimore to the far reaches of the Appalachian Mountains and many communities in between. These grants have supported arts, cultural heritage, education, job support and income for formerly incarcerated individuals, tools for home ownership, mentoring, and coaching.

In addition to the Reparations Fund the Diocese also invested over $2 million in its own reparations program, the Sutton Scholars High School Enrichment program which helps Baltimore City high school students become confident, competent and capable contributors to their communities by equipping them with the life skills necessary for success.

Our Ongoing Commitment

We are reminded of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words that "the end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the Beloved Community." To reach this vision of a Beloved Community requires more than just wanting to heal a broken, fractured society. Collectively, our Christian communities, our beloved Episcopal Church included have some hard work to do.

How do we honor the life and legacy of Dr. King and become a Beloved Community? By understanding God’s call to us and by living as fully as possible into Jesus’ direction for our lives – living fully into our baptismal covenant and understanding how the promises of our baptism bring us into absolute connectedness to one another. This is especially important for entering into the work of Reparations.

God’s calls us to be repairers of the breach. From Isaiah 58:9-12:

If you remove the yolk from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil… [then] the Lord will guide you continuously, and satisfy your needs in parched places… your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall rise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets to live in.”

The prophet Isaiah offered God’s message of hope to God’s people who had long been dispossessed and in exile. Isaiah reminded them that they weren’t being called into some pious fast to repent, but instead they were being called to repair relationships and to amend the responsibilities they had long neglected.

For more about the Reparation grants, click here. And to learn more about the Diocese’s early efforts leading to the Reparations Fund, visit the Trail of Souls website, which details the Diocese’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation.

Reparations Timeline

2003 – Reparations committee formed, and educational opportunities offered to the Diocese
2008 – Bishop Eugene Taylor Sutton, first Bishop of color elected; Truth & Reconciliation Commission replaces reparations committee
2013 – Trail of Souls begins with yearly pilgrimages and the website documenting congregational history with chattel slavery
2016 – Resolution on reparations asking for $1 million was referred to Diocesan Council
2017 – Reparations taskforce formed; regional conversations held on resolution; Bishop’s pastoral letter issued; new resolution passed to support the concept of reparations, but did not address money or funding
2019 – Reparations workshops offered throughout the Diocese; Bishop’s pastoral letter issued, Unanimous vote at convention to pass a resolution on racial reconciliation
2020 – Resolution passed committing $1,000,000 from Diocesan investments for reparations
2021 – Committee members named to discern and develop process for distributing the reparations fund
2022 – First grant-making process was announced with 6 grants totaling $175,000 awarded
2023 – Second grant-making process was announced with 5 grants totaling $230,000 awarded; resolution passed at convention encouraging council to provide at least $100,000 in annual funding to the fund
2024 – Third grant-making process was announced and is currently underway.

This post also appears on the website of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland.