Ascension’s Beloved Community Group: UPDATE

At the Beloved Community’s June 5, 2024 meeting, it was decided to suspend the work of this group. As other small suburban churches and towns have found, it was difficult to grow the group’s membership in order for our efforts to be successful. However, when individuals band together with larger organizations or other churches they may find that a larger number of engaged, committed members who are able to produce successful outcomes. Please know that social justice work remains vitally important to not only Ascension’s parishioners, but to the Episcopal church, and the town of Ipswich.

If interested, there are at least three (3) local, active organizations who are involved in social justice work that you might want to consider being a part of; they are:

1) The Ipswich Human Rights Commission;

2) The North Shore NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People); and

3) ECCO: Essex County Community Organization; which you can now join as an individual or as a church group.

You can find more information of these three organizations and their website links by going to the Becoming Beloved Community page under “GROUPS” on Ascension’s home web page. 

In addition, parishioners can access the Episcopal Dismantling Racism online program; or Ascension’s Beloved Community website link for a reference list of books to read on several social justice topics.

Last, after the new Bishop, the Rev. Julia E. Whitworth has been able to review the work from the North Shore Deanery’s dismantling racism project, this new, in-person, one-day program should be coming to each parish in 2025.                                                                        

AMC’s Becoming Beloved Community Group

       June 23, 2024

REFERENCE LIST FOR HUMAN RIGHTS and DISMANTLING RACISM INFORMATION with WEB LINKS

The Ipswich Human Rights Commission

The mission of the Ipswich Human Rights Commission (IHRC) is to uphold the civil and human rights of all people in Ipswich. The IHRC‘s vision is to reinforce positive relationships, cultivate a greater appreciation of diversity, eliminate prejudice and intolerance, and promote mutual respect and acceptance of individual differences based on, but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, religious views, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, citizenship, age, ancestry, family/marital status, sexual orientation, disability, source of income, and military status.

Sharon, one of the co-chairs, has given several “Bystander” training programs throughout Essex County and in school systems. The IHRC is looking for new members to join them.

ECCO: Essex County Community Organization

Since 2020, ECCO’s primary goal has been working to advance affordable housing policy on the North Shore in Essex County through eight local teams. We strive not only to create more housing in our towns, but to do so in a way that lifts-up affordable housing as a racial justice issue, strengthens civil engagement and public accountability, and fosters relationship-building and community healing.

You can now Join ECCO as individual; or as a church/religious group.

The North Shore NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)

Vision Statement: The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Objectives:(1) To ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens; (2) To achieve equality of rights and eliminate race prejudice among the citizens of the United States; (3) To remove all barriers of racial discrimination through democratic processes; (4) To seek enactment and enforcement of federal, state, and local laws securing civil rights; (5) To inform the public of the adverse effects of racial discrimination and to seek its elimination; and (6) To educate persons as to their constitutional rights and to take all lawful action to secure the exercise thereof, and to take any other lawful action in furtherance of these objectives, consistent with the NAACP’s Articles of Incorporation and this Constitution.

Six (6) active committees: history, education, housing, healthcare, membership, and legal. Adult membership: $30/year.

Episcopal Dismantling Racism online program(s)

Questions and feedback are welcome by e-mail to reparations@diomass.org

Excellent online program: "What is Truth?: An Embodied Lenten Series" (7 sessions) 

The toolkit and its elements, like the journey toward reparations, are a work in progress, never completely done; it’s in continuing developing.