T.R.U.E. Transforming Racial Understanding & Engagement
TRUE AT CHRIST CHURCH
In the spring of 2020, a group at Christ Church came together for a couple of book studies focused on race. What began as structured study quickly grew into something deeper. As the official sessions ended, we found ourselves drawn to keep the conversation going — gathering informally to reflect on what we were reading, watching, and experiencing in our lives.
Through those early conversations, a powerful realization began to take shape: we had only scratched the surface. Exploring Black history, and engaging honestly with the realities of racism in America, opened our eyes to how much more there was to learn, to feel, and to understand. The journey we had begun felt sacred. We called it Facing Racism.
Today, we call it TRUE: Transforming Racial Understanding & Engagement. The name reflects our mission: to seek and share truth about racism in America, and to advocate for healing, equity, and real transformation. We believe that confronting racism isn’t just about justice for some, it’s about freedom for all.
At the heart of TRUE is a commitment to building what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called Beloved Community: a vision of a world where people of every race, class, and culture live together in justice, mutual respect, and shared humanity.
Whether or not you are a member of Christ Church, we invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you’re just beginning to ask questions or have long been on this path, there is space for you. You don’t need expertise, just curiosity, courage, and an open heart.
We’re building spaces for honest dialogue, deep listening, and radical grace because we believe that as we engage more deeply with each other we come closer to the truth, and to one another. Together, we are learning. Together, we are healing. And together, we are Becoming Beloved Community.
For more information on TRUE, contact Stacy Shepherd.
TRUE’S UPCOMING EVENTS
At TRUE, we believe progress begins with truth. Over the past few years, we’ve explored the roots of slavery, the failures of Reconstruction, the persistence of racial terror, and the ongoing impact of segregation — always with the goal of creating a more just future for all. This year we’re celebrating progress and pushing forward. Join us as we continue the work of TRUE: Transforming Racial Understanding & Engagement. Together, we can know more… and we can do more.
Stay tuned for upcoming events!
“SACRED GROUND” — A PILGRIMAGE IN PLACE
“We don’t know what we don’t know, until we know it!” says Father Bob Morris, retired priest at Christ Church and Sacred Ground facilitator. “That’s been the testimony of many at Christ Church who have participated in Sacred Ground Circles.”
Sacred Ground is a transformative film-and-readings-based dialogue series on race and faith, created by the Episcopal Church. This 10-session “pilgrimage in place” invites participants to explore America’s complex history of race and racism through powerful documentaries, thought-provoking readings and honest conversation. Focusing on the intersecting experiences of Indigenous, Black, Latino, Asian American and European communities, Sacred Ground calls us to learn, lament and grow together toward the vision of Becoming Beloved Community.
Parishioner Stacy Shepherd, who was part of Christ Church’s first Sacred Ground Circle, says that the experience changed her. “I feel it gave me a much broader sense of humanity as a whole,” she says. “And the importance of keeping an open mind and an open heart.”
Father Tom Reeder, Mother Laura Magevney and Deacon Leila Quinlan participated in a Sacred Ground Circle for clergy. “The curriculum was fantastic,” Deacon Leila says. “In every cultural group we learned there are power struggles and discrimination. It broadened my empathy to the struggles people have.” She especially valued that the series concluded with participants considering, “Who am I going forward? And how can I expand my own loving kindness to people of all ethnicities?”
For more information on Sacred Ground, contact Deb Billard.