In many ways, the history of African-American involvement in the Episcopal Church has paralleled societal trends, but at times the Church has been ahead of or behind those trends. With its roots in the catholic apostolicchurch, the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the Church of England, many African-Americans view the Episcopal Church as a pre-slavery institution which "espouses and adheres to a theory and tradition that membership is open to all persons who accept its doctrine, discipline and worship." They take comfort in its catholicity, as a tenet that it is universal and inclusive of all people (Lewis). Indeed, its canons and constitutions reflect that it has always intended to be so. However, the implementation of such ideals has not consistently held course. To the benefit of the Church, racist attitudes have oftenbeen attributed to individual perpetrators, and not to the institution.

From their first arrival on American soil, missionaries of the Church of England sought to incorporate all races by baptizing Native and African children. In 1623, the first slaves were baptized at Jamestown, Virginia (Lewis). Colonial society was unfriendly to the Church for baptizing slaves, as there was a fear that their conversion might make them freedmen (Bragg). This phenomenon goes back to the Medieval concept of Christendom, and the equation of humanness with Christianness. In the 14th Century, when Africans were first sold in Portugal, the pope declared that it was only moral to enslave non-Christians.This concept still lurked in the minds of colonists, so that the baptizing of slaves by the Church of England created a conflict.

After the Revolutionary War, and the formation of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America, the Church began forming Black congregationsand ordaining Black priests to serve them. The most vigorous organization of the Black church was in the North among freed slaves.In 1761 the Episcopal Church founded in Frederick, Maryland the first free school for Black children, to instill in them the knowledge and practice of the Christian religion. In white churches in the South, there were "Negro galleries" for the slaves, or in some cases white priests ministered to them in special slave chapels (Bragg).

Two early African-American figures in the Episcopal Church were Absalom Jones and Richard Allen. Jones was born a slave in Delaware in 1746. He taught himself to read using the New Testament. In 1784, he was able to buy his freedom. Allen, too, was born a slave in Philadelphia and was able to purchase his freedom as well. In 1787, Jones and Allen founded the Free African Religious Society. Both served as lay ministers for the Black membership at St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Under their leadership, the Black membership increased significantly, which became threatening to the white members. In 1792, the alarmed vestry decided to segregate the Black members into an upstairs gallery. Accounts vary, but legend has it that Jones and Allen were praying in the front of the sanctuary when they were pulled from their knees by the ushers. The entire Black membership walked out of the church in protest. They immediately began construction of the African Church of Philadelphia, which was completed two years later.

This church applied for membership in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, but only on the conditions that they be received as an organized body, have control over their own affairs, and that Absalom Jones be licensed as a lay reader or ordained a minister. Later that year they were admitted to the Diocese as St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. Absalom Jones was ordained a deacon in 1795, and a priest in 1802. Jones preached a message of liberation, that God was the Father who always acted on "behalf of the oppressed and distressed," and he denounced slavery. During its first year, the church grew to 500 members. Absalom Jones is still commemorated annually as the first Black Episcopal priest (in fact he was the first Black minister of any denomination ordained in the United States). Because Allen was committed to the principles of Methodism, he left St. Thomas to form the Bethel African Church. In 1816, this and several other churches joined to form the African Methodist Episcopal Church, with Allen as its first bishop.

Another early Black figure in the Episcopal Church was The Rev. Peter Williams Cassey. He was from Philadelphia, and arrived in California in 1853, at the age of 22. He ministered to the neglected Black population in the San Jose and San Francisco areas. Nine years after his arrival, he founded St. Philip's Mission School in San Jose (a high school for Black students), and six years later, founded St. Philip's Mission, the first Episcopalian place of worship for Blacks in the Diocese of California. In addition, he assisted at St. Cyprian's and Christ Church Missions in San Francisco, and founded a Sunday School for Colored Children. He was ordained to the diaconate by The Rt. Rev. William Ingraham Kip in 1866, and in 1881 was called to become the first Black priest at St. Cyprian's in New Bern, North Carolina.

In 1856 the Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting the Extension of the Church Among Colored People was founded by James Theodore Holly of St. Luke's, New Haven. Its membership included four Black clergy and seven congregations. This organization fought the exclusion of Blacks from Episcopal seminaries and diocesan conventions, as well as the refusal of the Episcopal Church to take a stand against slavery.

In 1865 the Freedman's Commission was formed for work "among" the Blacks, with a white Northern priest as its executive officer. The Commission founded thirty parochial and industrial schools, and many churches, out of its belief in evangelism through education. It sought to prepare Black men to minister to their own people, but Southern white resistance, Northern white apathy, and dwindling revenues led to the disbanding of the Commission in 1876. That same year, a group of Blacks in Baltimore founded the Society for the Promotion of Church Work Among the Colored People. This organization pressed for the re-establishment of a national program for Black evangelism and education.

In the years 1866-77 only twenty Blacks were ordained. Of those, only six advanced to the priesthood, and only two of these in were in southern dioceses, where the need was the greatest. The difficulty stemmed from a reluctance on the part of southern bishops and standing committees to ordain Blacks. Southerners were unwilling to see former slaves as equal citizens, and their patronizing attitudes reinforced dependency of Blacks on the white church. Throughout this period, the Episcopal Church persisted in treating Blacks as separate and unequal, as a special group. There were no attempts to address racism in society, or to integrate Blacks into the mainstream of the Church's life. W.E.B. Du Bois castigated these resistors, "you are not able to live up to your Christianvows: that you cannot treat these men as brothers..." Black parishes under white leadership didn't survive, but in the 1860s & 70s many sprang up under Black clergy. However, with the absence of white leadership, these parishes were excluded from diocesan and General Conventions. "The Church's `Negro problem' was that it insisted upon regarding Blacks in their midst as an `alien race' who were treated, despite their propinquity, as if they were upon `a foreign shore' " (Lewis). In 1878 a separate seminary, the Bishop Payne Divinity School, was founded to train Black clergy. It continued to operate until 1951.

Another notable African-American figure in the history of the Episcopal Church is Alexander Crummell, scholar, preacher, and advocate for the emigration of Blacks to Africa. He worked as a missionary for the Episcopal Church in Liberia. In 1873 he was named "Missionary at Large of the Colored People" in the United States. His vision of the church in the Black community was that it should be a place of worship and social service. He organized the Black Episcopal clergy to fight racism in the church, and was instrumental in establishing the American Negro Academy, a national organization of the best educated and prominent African Americans.

In 1882, a Mississippi priest launched a virulent attack on Blacks, arguing that sparse Black Episcopal growth was due to their intellectual, moral and leadership inferiority. The southern bishops then proposed the Sewanee plan to segregate Blacks into a racial diocese. In response, John Peterson called the Black clergy together and formed the Convocation of the Colored Clergy, with Alexander Crummell as its first president. Later known as the Conference of Church Workers Among Colored People, the Conference met annually and lobbied at General Convention. It offered services, lectures, reports, and debates, as well as a monthly newspaper edited by George Freeman Bragg, Jr. The Conference served as the conscience of the Church, recalling it to its catholic ideal. Thanks to the work of the Conference, segregation was never written into national policy or canon law. Among its successes were the establishment of another national commission to evangelize and educate southern Blacks; the appointment of a Black priest to the Commission; the maintenance of academic standards for Black candidates; the addition of a Black priest to the staff of Bishop Payne Divinity School, the South's seminary for Blacks; the establishment of atheological college for Blacks, King Hall, at Howard University, with the naming of a Black priest, William Victor Tunnell, professor of history at Howard, as Warden; the eventual development of St. Augustine's College into a 4-year, degree granting college; and the appointment in 1937 of a Black priest, Bravid Harris, as Secretary for Negro Work in the national Church office. He was later succeeded by Tollie L. Caution. The Conference continued until the mid-1960s.

At the turn of the century, there were only 15,000 Black members in the Episcopal Church. West Indian immigrants who had been evangelized by Anglican missionaries became missionaries to Black Episcopalians in America. In turn Black Episcopalians became missionaries in Africa.

In 1904 an autonomous body of twelve men, the American Church Institute for Negroes, established colleges in each southern state to educate Blacks so that they might help their communities. This was a demonstration of social outreach, but not for the purpose of bringing them into the fold. For the most part, people were willing to support education, as long as it ensured the continuation of separation of the races.

Once a number of Black clergy had been ordained priests, the next obvious question was whether Blacks could be consecrated bishops. Already there were two Black bishops in the Episcopal Church, but they were charged with missionary work oversees, and were not involved in American dioceses. In 1874 James Theodore Holly was consecrated the first Bishop of Haiti. He founded the Anglican Church there, and in 1878 was the first Black bishop at a Lambeth Conference (deciannual international gathering of Anglican bishops). In 1885 Samuel David Ferguson was consecrated Bishop of Liberia. He was the first Black member of theAmerican House of Bishops.

A bishop holds authority to institute the sacraments of ordination and confirmation, and according to St. Cyprian (Bishop of Carthage - d. 258) is a symbol of the church's unity. The Church is in many ways defined by the Episcopal office. So there was struggle among whites over the idea of ordaining a Black bishop, to minister to Blacks, without giving him authority over whites as well. There was fear of Black takeover,and of upsetting the "natural" social order. Southern bishops tried to set up separate missionary societies for Blacks under diocesan bishops. When this was rejected by General Convention, they disenfranchised Blacks by setting up"colored convocations" with no rights in the diocese.

After much debate, the 1907 General Convention approved the establishment of the office of Suffragan Bishop, for the purpose of "Colored Work," and the appointment of Blacks to the office. However, these new bishops were allowed no vote in the House of Bishops. Proponents consulted with Anglican dioceses around the world and found that "the most satisfactory pattern was supervision by white bishops with natives as assistant bishops." Only two Suffragan Bishops for Colored Work were ever elected, Edward Thomas Demby and Henry Beard Delany in 1918, of Arkansas and North Carolina respectively. Delany's entire ministry was centered at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh. He was not very effective in advancing the liberation of Blacks, and was seen as an "Uncle Tom." He died ten years after his consecration.

Although legislatively, the Church was moving slowly forward, the attitudes of some bishops, clergy and laity lagged far behind. For example, in 1910 Bishop Reese of Georgia said "colored people today enjoy every privilege which the church as a divine society can give them except the gift of suffrage in its Councils. The right to full suffrage is not an inherent right in the Church. It is a constitutional right." A couple of years later, the same bishop addressed The Council of Colored Churchmen, professing that a benefit of slavery was that they were "forever cured of worshipping the idols of their ancestors in Africa. The sympathy of the good Christian white people is with you. But they cannot do the things for you." He blamed Blacks for their low economic status, attributing it to"lazy acquiescence and wasteful self-indulgence."

More than forty years later, in 1954, South Carolina was the first diocese to remove the racial barrier for representation at diocesan conventions. Also in that year, Virginia Theological Seminary and the University of the South were integrated.

In 1957, the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity (ESCRU), an unofficial, consciousness-raising body, was founded to promote increased acceptance and demonstration of the Church's policies of racial inclusiveness. It sought to provide leadership in the community and nation in establishing full opportunities in education, housing, employment and public accommodation. It was known to some as a protest sect, more in tune with the political thrusts of the Civil Rights Movement, but eventually unable to adapt to the Black Power Movement. Black members wanted to take a more aggressive stand on Civil Rights, and white members backed off. This split caused the Society to disband in 1970.

A 1961 General Convention resolution proclaimed "this Church, expressing penitence for marks of racial discrimination and segregation, both in her past and present life and structure, willtake what steps she can to conform herself to the reconciling comprehensiveness of the Body of Christ, specifically recognizing ability in whomsoever it may be found, for example, in considering persons for positions at national, diocesan and parochial levels here and abroad." Apparently little progress has been made in nearly forty years, as these same promises were restated by the House of Bishops in 1994.

The Civil Rights Movement jolted Episcopalians from their complacency. They witnessed demonstrations, riots, and murders of Civil Rights workers which prompted them to react. The Civil Rights Movement provided an "implicit challenge to reform and renew the Church as a fellowship in the love of God." Here, too, society was still dictating the Church's agenda (Lewis). Many prominent Blacks in the civil rights arena left the Church because it was not progressive enough in pressing for social change.

In 1963, Presiding Bishop Arthur Lichtenberger stated that discrimination within the church was intolerable, and asked Episcopalians to involve themselves in the struggle for Black Civil Rights. He urged every congregation to examine itself. In addition, the House of Bishops urged the passage of Civil Rights legislation. In an effort toward integration, Black parishes were merged with white ones. Blacks were expected to assimilate into the culture of white churches, but instead became unwelcome second-class citizens. There was a distinct lack of opportunities for Black clergy in white or integrated parishes, and for this reason, the Church had difficulty in recruiting young Blacks to the clergy.

In 1968, seventeen Black priests met at St. Philip's Church, New York, and founded the Union of Black Clergy and Laity (later the Union of Black Episcopalians) to "achieve full participation on the basis of equality in policy-making, decision-making, program and staffing on parochial, diocesan and national levels." The UBCL raised funds and placed ads in church publications to raise awareness of its existence. Some saw it as separatist, racist, or even communist, but the Black Power Movement in America had brought to light the need for Black caucuses, such as the UBCL. According to The Rev. Canon Edward Rodman, "1968 marked the arrival of Black consciousness within the Episcopal Church, and as a result, it would never be the same again."

A catalyst for the formation of the UBCL was the "involuntary retirement" of The Rev. Dr. Tollie Le Roy Caution as Secretary for Negro Work and Associate Secretary of the Division of Domestic Mission in the Home Department of the Episcopal Church headquarters in NY. His removal was based on a belief that he could not make the necessary adjustments to conform to the new paradigm of racial strategy that the Church was adopting during the throes of the Civil Rights Movement. His termination expressed the Church's lack of confidence in its Black membership.

Mrs. Vivian Traylor, President of the Northern California chapter of the UBE, was a member of St. Philip's in Buffalo, New York when the UBE was first forming. She didn't see a need for such an organization in her parish until she spoke with a priest about how Blacks were treated at the diocesan and national levels. He told her that they had no voice. She and her late husband became involved in UBE early in its history. She has been president of the Northern California chapter for over 10 years, and they now have 30 members from 6 churches. UBE's 30th anniversary conference was held this year at St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, North Carolina. In addition, they sent four representatives to the Lambeth Conference this summer.

In 1969, Dillard Houston Brown, Bishop of Liberia, an advocate of youth ministry and community organization, was assassinated, along with four members of hisdiocesan staff. His successor, George Daniel Brown, led the church in Liberia toward self-support, independence from the Episcopal Church of the USA and membership in the Province of West Africa. He became the first Archbishop of West Africa.

The following year, John Melville Burgess became the Bishop of Massachusetts. He was the first Black diocesan bishop in the US, and was formerly the first Black canon of Washington Cathedral. After his retirement, he became National President of the Union of Black Episcopalians.

In 1973, a new Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. John Maury Allin, established the Office of Black Ministries. He insured more secure funding for the three Black colleges: St. Augustine's, St. Paul's, and Voorhees; installed a Black priest on his staff; and initiated affirmative-action hiring for the Executive Council. During his term, Dr. Charles Radford Lawrence was elected President of the House of Deputies, the first African-American to hold that post. Radford was able to make all committees racially inclusiveduring his tenure.

Several Black bishops in the 1970s & 80s chaired the Episcopal Commission for Black Ministries and the Task Force for the Recruitment, Training and Deployment of Black Clergy, as well as serving as National President to the UBE.

In 1985, John Thomas Walker, Bishop of Washington was the first Black candidate for Presiding Bishop. He lost to Edmond Browning who proclaimed at his installation that the Episcopal Church will have "no outcasts." Unfortunately, Browning had little understanding of the struggle of African Americans, and became distracted by attention to other "isms." He was of no help in the deployment of Black clergy. (Lewis)

The first woman bishop in the Anglican Communion was an African-American. Barbara Clementine Harris was consecrated Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts in 1989. She was formerly Executive Director of the Episcopal Church Publishing Company.

In America today, seven Black denominations account for 80% of Black religious affiliation. Only 4-6% of Episcopalians are Black. In the Black community, the Episcopal church carries an image of exclusiveness, open only to whites and light skinned, professional African-Americans. The Rev. Professor Harold T. Lewis proposes that although the Episcopal Church for 2 1/2 centuries did little to uplift Blacks, "Black Episcopalians remained in the church because they believed that its historical identification with the white ruling class did not by virtue of that fact render it unsuitable as a locus for Black religious expression. It was the ancient Church to which Blacks appealed and on which they staked their claim. They believe in their inherent right to be in it, and they believe they have unique gifts to offer. They are in unique positions to be agents for change."

Lewis also states "The Episcopal Church is a non-prophet organization, a body that has not, historically, set a moral example for the nation to follow but rather has taken its lead from the mores of the nation with which it has had a unique, symbiotic relationship since they both came into existence, almost simultaneously, at the end of the eighteenth century. Qualis patria, talis ecclesia (As the nation goes, so goes the church)." Change in the church is slow, due to its beaurocratic structure, and sometimes the actions of its members or the body as a whole, are inconsistent with its standards.

A 1990 statement by the Black bishops expresses a willingness to continue the struggle:
 
 

 "Our existence as Afro-Anglican members of the Community of Faith, in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, has always been marked by ambiguous conditions. We have confessed  Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but our confession has not always been sufficient to accord  us full acceptance among others who make a similar confession. Our Episcopal church has not  in itself been a shelter from the stormy blasts of racism, oppression, sexism, or other forms of  assault on the dignity of our person hood. Our Blackness has not always blessed us with a  stronger sense of God's justice at the hands, or in the faces of, others more powerful than  ourselves. Yet we have struggled to maintain our rights to fullness of life and human dignity in  the face of countervailing circumstances. Through it all, God has been "our help in ages past";  we remain convinced that God will continue to be "our hope for years to come."

 "The UBE stands in the continuing tradition of more than 200 years of Black leadership fighting  racism in the Episcopal Church." With more than 35 Black bishops, "the UBE fights racism by  encouraging the involvement of Black people in the total life of the church - on every level and in  every way - mission, stewardship, evangelism, education, leadership, governance and politics.  The Union is committed to translating these words into Christian action for all Episcopalians and  at all levels of the church." The UBE holds an annual meeting and conference, and maintains a  National Executive Office. It has 54 chapters and interest groups throughout the continental US  and the Caribbean. The Union also has members in Africa, Canada and Latin America.  Chapters are the Union's strongest link in a ministry that functions at the Diocesan, Provincial  and National Church levels. We are determined because we are painfully aware that our work is  not yet done."

 "Black youth, representing various provinces were actively involved in the inner workings of  (General)Convention. Each night UBE hosted well-attended meetings of the Black Deputies  Caucus. OurExhibit Booth was visited by thousands of people. The articles that UBE contributed  to "Issues," a Convention daily, were often the subject of conversation as our perspectives  challengedpeople to consider issues of social justice."
 
 

 "Racism not only persists in our world, but in many places is powerfully resurgent. We ourselves  have much to learn, relearn and do. This pastoral letter...does not attempt to touch on every  aspect of racism, but rather to initiate a continuing discussion on a spiritual malady which infects  us all." The next section of the letter is entitled Analysis. It states, "Ethnic cleansing in central  Europe, apartheid in South Africa, murder of indigenous people in our hemisphere, ethnic  violence in the Middle East, India and other Asian nations are all variations on the theme of  racism. We are experiencing escalating violence in America. At the heart of the matter is fear.   Institutionalized preference, primarily for white persons, is deeply ingrained in the American way  of life."

The letter includes the definition of "racism" from Webster's Dictionary, as well as several definitions of "racism", "prejudice" and "discrimination" from the handbook of the Episcopal Church's Commission on Racism. This section continues,
 
 

 "The essence of racism is prejudice coupled with power. In our religious tradition the people of  the covenant have frequently expressed this attitude. Often we have been challenged by  prophetic witness to turn from a life of privilege to a vocation of responsibility and moral  rectitude, to discipleship and servanthood. Racism distorts the biblical understanding of God's  action in creation, wherein all human beings are made `in the image of God.' It blasphemes the  ministry of Christ who died for all people. It divides people.

 "God's response to human sin is to establish a covenant in Christ Jesus that overcomes division  and isolation by binding human beings to God and each other in a new way. This is spelled out in  our baptismal covenant. We need equality in the laws of the nation and in the governance of the  church.

 "Various resolutions in the past have proposed ways for victims of discrimination to participate in  the prevailing system. The unspoken assumption of these resolutions is that victims will adapt  and assimilate into the existing system. `You are welcome to become like us' is the product  of a dominant racial attitude, which is at the heart of institutional racism.

 "In the US our primary experience is one of white privilege. We must ask, how can the inherited  privilege and unearned advantage of some people be used to bring about the reconciliation of  all? How can the church offer all people the `supreme advantage of knowing Christ?'"
 
 

 "Confession." It states, "Racism is endemic in every aspect of society, including the church. We  have found the exhortation of an African-American priest of our church to be compelling: `If  racism is to be overcome, and our culture attain true inclusivity based on plurality and diversity,  there is a great deal of confessing that must go on on all sides: confession that relates to our  complicity in the genocide of native peoples, confession by whites of their continued advantage  based on unearned privilege, confession by Blacks of our co-dependence and participation in  that corrupt value system, confession by both Blacks and whites of our collusion in the racist  dynamic which excludes Asians, Native Americans and Hispanics, confession by all of us of our  dependency upon violence as a means of controlling others and settling disputes.'

 "The rooting out of racism requires intentional and deliberate decisions, prompted and sustained  by the grace of God. All stand in need of honest self-examination and continuing discipline. We  the bishops of the Episcopal Church, confess our complicity with racism and pledge to make  necessary changes in our personal lives, in our diocesan structures and in the church as a  whole."

The section entitled "Covenant," continues,
 
 

 "We have a fresh understanding of our baptismal calling. We commit ourselves afresh to combat  racism in church and society and to hold ourselves accountable to this new covenant: Each one  of us will make an inventory of racist attitudes...as a basis for transforming our lives. We  recognize that we are part of a body which is itself infected with racism. The time has come for  us in the dominant culture to be still and listen to those on the margins of society. We commit  ourselves to be better listeners. Our mission involves not only changing hearts, but also  engaging ourselves in seeking to transform a socio-economic system. We will teach and preach  the gospel in ways that sustain a vision of justice and peace among all people. It is our apostolic  and pastoral responsibility to proclaim the vision of God's new creation in which the dignity of  every human being is honored. We will place a high priority on the development of strategies for  the recruitment, deployment and support of persons of color, and their inclusion in decision-  making positions throughout. We will encourage the development of liturgical expressions that  reflect the church's racial and ethnic composition."

 "The catechism declares that the mission of the church `is to restore all people to unity with God  and each other in Christ.' Through baptism all Christians are called and empowered to participate  in a ministry of reconciliation and unity. Central to this mission is the intentional transformation of  all structures, systems and practices in the church and elsewhere that perpetuate the evil of  racism. Racism in the church subverts the promise of new life in Christ for everyone. It is  inconsistent with the Gospel. Join us in this mission of justice."

Rodman declares,
 
 

 "Denial is alive and well even in the Church. We exhibit a lack of progress in inter-group  understanding. Black people did not create racism or the racial gulf that exists, and certainly as  the victims, cannot be blamed for their reaction or the pain that it creates. American society is  the result of one group of people - the European - being victorious over two other groups of  people - Native and African - in order to create the current arrangements that favor Europeans  and disfavor Native peoples and people of color. To deny this is to perpetuate the injustice and  unearned privilege and advantage that comes form that current arrangement for the  descendants of the Europeans.

 "We are in the midst of a rich stew of divisiveness. There is a need for atonement..., i.e.  acknowledging, confessing, repenting, and restoring, all of which should be important ingredients  in the social contract of America, but which have been systematically and historically denied. We  have chosen to adopt the welfare system and affirmative action, rather than to restore the lost  wealth of the free labor of slaves, and others denied economic opportunity. The sickness of  America is apparent to all who have eyes to see, and to deny that this sickness rooted in racism,  class division, exclusion, and the pitting of classes and races against one another, while at the  same time exploiting sexism and homophobia, is to deny the reality of what is going on in  America today. We fail to give value and meaning to the varying experience that people have  had in American society, and to acknowledge that all of those experiences are valid. We must  begin to find ways and means by which those experiences and what lies behind them, can be  shared and valued, so that the similarities that unite us can begin to emerge. It must begin with  the telling of stories and the acceptance and validation of those stories by everyone.

 "In beginning this dialogue, it is important that ground rules be established that give ample  opportunity for people to feel safe in telling their stories. This way the lies and misinformation  about groups can be exposed and discredited, and not perpetuated. An African proverb  observes, `If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.' Failure to have a  commonvision of where we should be in relationship to matters of race is central to the  confusion that currently exists in our society.

 "I suggest a four-step process: 1) Target Martin Luther King Day as the time in which such a  dialogue would commence. This is an appropriate way to celebrate the life of this great American  leader. This dialogue should become a traditional part of the observance of the King holiday. The  Episcopal Urban Caucus stands ready to provide resources. 2) Be clear on the process. Prepare  a dual attack on both the individual foundations of the learned behavior of racism, and its  structural manifestations that have rendered our society so polarized. Acknowledge obstacles  that stand in the way; devise strategies for overcoming them. Mark progress on an annual basis.  3) The Church is a place to start dialogue and work for justice. Justice is simply love distributed,  i.e. love is not only the establishment of right relations between individuals, but also between  groups. We need movement from charity to justice. The prophet Micah asked, `what does the  Lord require...is it not to seek justice, love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.?' It is time to  repent. 4) I call upon the Presiding Bishop and the House of Bishops who recently issued a  statement on `The Sin of Racism,' to see this as a top priority for the Episcopal Church. The  leadership of the church models its importance by their actions."
 
 

The Bishops' letter, along with Rodman's letter, led in 1996 to the creation of a "Resource for a National Dialogue on Anti-Racism." The curriculum contains excerpts of both letters. It calls for beginning dialogue on Martin Luther King Day 1997, and forhonoring Dr. King each year by coming together in dialogue. Whole congregations are encouraged to be seriously engaged. The introduction to the curriculum states, "Social power (includes institutional systemic and personal power of Whites in the US) is inherent in racism." As Rodman suggested, "the problem of racism is often misplaced from its perpetuators to its targets or victims." The curriculum offers guidelines for dialogue vs. debate. It also states some "Assumptions for Anti-Racism Dialogue: people are born good; racism is a learned behavior and is not inherited; oppression must be acknowledged; every ethnic, cultural and racial group has suffered some for of oppression; racism exists to maintain power and control of one group over another; it persists because the powerful refuse to relinquish or share power; the process of anti-racism must include the disestablishment of racism in all its manifestations; it is a lifelong process which must incorporate ongoing reflection, repentance, reconciliation and transformation."

Several models are examined: Appreciating Diversity Model (for inter racial/ethnic/cultural groups), Prejudice Reduction Model (for groups that have done some cultural sensitivity work before), Social Constructivist Model (to help people learn how to stand up against racist structures and effect change), Anti-Oppression Model (to understand the interrelationship among various "isms" and their relationship to social power), and the Institutional Racism Model (uses social analysis to determine who is included and who is excluded within the distribution of resources and who has power to make decisions and for whose benefit decisions are made). Each model includes a progression of exercises. Also included in the curriculum are an adaptation of the African Model for Bible Study, sample liturgical material and other resources.

In January 1998, 55 people from 25 congregations in the Diocese of California (Bay Area) attended a special training session led by The Episcopal Church's Director of Peace and Justice Ministries. "We are engaged in a long-term commitment to social justice in the National Church." At the training, they learned to use the curriculum to facilitate dialogue within their own congregations. (Delman)

On the 30th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in April 1998, The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, newly elected Presiding Bishop gave the following address:
 
 

 "While we offer thanksgivings for the contribution of Dr. King's legacy as a non-violent advocate  for racial equality, we might best serve his memory with a commitment to continuing in the  journey he led so faithfully. We are a people short of the promise of full community. Our task is  to continue in reflection and conversation upon the racial divide that still infects our society and  church. We must persevere in resisting evil and respecting the dignity of all."

As a person outside the African-American culture, I can't presume to know all the ways in which we might make the Episcopal Church welcoming to Blacks or other persons of color. I propose a three-pronged course of action which includes dialogue, study and action. Continuing dialogue between members of various racial/ethnic/cultural groups is imperative if we are ever to understand each other's experiences. But dialogue and study must not substitute for action.Concurrently, we must act in the best way we know how.We must act, not out of our white guilt or shame, but out of love and the desire for wholeness and growth in our church. I want the Episcopal Church to be a place of diversity and richness, with a fuller understanding of what it means to be a people of God. This means inclusion of all people. This goes beyond welcoming people of color if they happen to come, but it involves actively seeking them out and inviting them. It means making the Episcopal Church attractive to them, making it a place that nurtures their spirituality and speaks to their experience.

I advocate that a study be conducted, using scientific sampling and statistical methods, to learn what attracts African-Americans to the Episcopal Church and to other Christian and non-Christian denominations. Black interviewers must be employed for this work, in order to obtain accurate data. As was discovered with the Slave Narratives, dictated early in this century, data may be skewed by the mis-understanding of white interviewers, or by the reluctance on the part of African-Americans to divulge the whole truth.

In the meantime, until we have a better understanding, we must do what we can to extend a welcome to persons of color. We must find concrete, practical ways to accomplish the goals we have set in this arena (as underlined in previous quotes).At an individual level, we may begin by forming relationships with persons who are different from us - culturally, socioeconomically, denominationally. Many conversions of heart take place in such one-to-one relationships. At the parish level, we may advertise in African American publications or participate in events in the Black Community, tobecome a loving presence in that community. It is very important, however, that if we say we are welcoming of diversity, that we can follow through on that promise when people of color actually walk through the doors of our parishes. We can'tinvite them to "our" Church and expect them to do it "our" way; we must be willing to let it be "theirs" as well. This may mean designing a liturgy that is less rooted in British/European culture, and better reflects African-American culture, music and style of worship. It means giving up control and dealing with our own fear about how things might change when we do. It means intentionally seeking out African Americans in our parishes suitable for leadership, encouraging them to take on such roles, and lifting them up for ordination when appropriate.

I disagree with Lewis that the Episcopal Church is a "non-prophet organization." Indeed, we have prophets like The Rev. Dr. Katherine Ward, Rector of St. Augustine's, Oakland. We must support such prophets to lead the Church into liberation. In a sermon preached at Grace Cathedral, February 8, 1998 she highlights the need for diversity in our Church:
 
 

 "As we march into the 21st century, slaves are those who do drugs. Slaves are those who refuse  to take advantage of an education although it is easier to obtain than ever before. Slaves are  those who kill others...demanding respect that they will not or cannot give.. Slaves are those who  buy into the "holier than thou" mentality, feeding the flames of racism and prejudice, as they  proclaim that those who are different from them, whether it be in color, culture, sex, age...are not  as good as they are and, most importantly treat them as if it were so... Slaves are those who  keep their mouths closed when they see injustice, allowing it to permeate our society... Yes,  slaves are those who refuse to fight for justice, freedom and equality.

 The pharaohs in America are the drug lords, the slum lords, the politicians..., and the media...  The pharaohs are the wealthy corporations... The pharaohs are the people who consistently call  for the captives to entertain them with a song or play football or basketball for them at the  expense of cultivating their minds and spirits. The pharaohs are the educators who don't  understand their responsibility to let children know that we are all of great worth in God's world;  that there are those of every race and culture who contributed to the making of this country; that  not only in February, but in all time, Black students, White students, all students should know  about the many fine men and women of color who played a part in making America.    Unfortunately, pharaohs are also the churches who allow their flocks to bar people unlike them  from entry, either in the door or in the pulpit. Tragically, pharaohs are those who call themselves  the people of God..."
 
 

Bragg, George Freeman, Jr. History of the Afro-American Group of the Episcopal  Church. Baltimore: Church Advocate Press, 1922.

Delman, Dennis. "Anti-Racism Dialogue." Pacific Church News. Vol. 136, No. 2,  April/May 1998.

Griswold, Frank T. "Presiding Bishop's Message on the 30th Anniversary of Martin  Luther King's Assassination." Received by electronic mail from Episcopal News  Service.

Hoskins, Charles Lwanga. Black Episcopalians in Georgia: Strife, Struggle and  Salvation. Savannah: St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 1980.

Lewis, Harold T. Yet With a Steady Beat: The African American Struggle for  Recognition in the Episcopal Church. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Trinity Press  International, 1996.

Rodman, The Rev. Edward. "An Open Letter to the Leadership of the Episcopal  Church." Website: www.afroanglican.org/pub/Rodman.txt

Ad Hoc Committee for Anti-Racism Dialogue. "Resource for a National Dialogue on  Anti-Racism." New York: The Episcopal Church, 1996.

"Amazing Grace: 50 Years of the Black Church." Ebony. Vol. 50, No. 6, April 1995.

"Hearing God's Call:" Excerpts from a sermon by the Rev. Katherine Ward, Rector of  St. Augustine's, Oakland. Pacific Church News. Vol. 136, No. 2, April/May 1998.

The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church. "The Sin of Racism: A Pastoral Letter",  1994.

Website: The Union of Black Episcopalians:   www.afroanglican.org/UBE

The Union of Black Episcopalians. Bulletin. Fall 1997 edition.

The Union of Black Episcopalians. Pamphlet.

• Louie Crew's Report on Black Priests in the Episcopal Church.
• Louie Crew's Anglican pages.
• Louie Crew's home page.
• Send mail to: lcrew@newark.rutgers.edu

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