Christ Church Greenwich is committed to building a Beloved Community where all people experience dignity and abundant life together as beloved children of God; the mission of the Becoming Beloved Community Committee is to lead, challenge and inspire our parish and the wider community to embrace diversity and inclusion as reconciliers, justice-makers, and healers in the name of Christ.  We aspire for Christ Church to continue to be a place where all are welcomed and all can belong.

Our Envisioning Beloved Community subcommittee sponsors educational opportunities throughout the year.

In the past three years, our programs have included:

• Sacred Ground, the Episcopal Church’s 11-part film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith.  Seven groups of  5 to 12 participants have completed this course, which walks through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.

• Sunday Forum panel discussions, one with longtime teachers discussing equity in education, and one with local students of color telling about their experiences.

• Viewings and discussions of films that illuminate racial history.  These have included “13th,” “Pauli Murray,” “The Hate U Give,” and “Summer of Soul.”

• Three programs about African American influences on jazz, rock, blues and soul.

• Programs about local racial history and issues.  Past programs include “Hangroot,” about a community of formerly enslaved persons in rural Greenwich; and a look at housing discrimination in Connecticut.

• Book study discussion of A Credible Witness.

• A three-part discussion of  sermons  by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Docent-led tours at the Bruce Museum that highlight artistic achievements of people of color.   Past tours include “Resolute: Native Nations Art in the Bruce Collection,” and “Then is Now: Contemporary Black Art in America.”

• Tours of African American themed exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, including “Hear Me Now,” and the Afro-futurist Period Room.

• The Racial Harmony Project brought together teens from Christ Church Greenwich and teens served by local nonprofit organizations to produce musical pieces, poetry and podcasts about their understanding of racial justice.  Andrew’s Fund, a local foundation, provided recording studios and staff.