The Rev. Dr. Mark A. Jefferson challenges attendees at the 2025 Absalom Jones Celebration. | Photo: THE VEN. JULIE ALTENBACH

On Saturday, Feb. 15, Church of Our Savior Palm Bay hosted the annual diocesan celebration of Absalom Jones, the first Black Episcopal priest. This year’s event, “In the Spirit of the Sankofa: Shaping Our Tomorrow,” drew 119 attendees for a day of worship, reflection and a call to action.

The Rev. Dr. Mark A. Jefferson, a dynamic preacher and scholar, was the keynote speaker for the event. As a former visiting professor of homiletics at Virginia Theological Seminary, Jefferson has traveled internationally, including delivering a sermon in South Africa with Archbishop Desmond Tutu as part of his 200-sermon project marking the seminary’s bicentennial.

During Jefferson’s powerful message at the event, he urged those gathered to ask, “What now?” – challenging them to move from remembrance to action in shaping a just and equitable future and emphasizing that “What now?” calls us to share our testimony with others.

“Sharing our testimony is the hope of the church,” he said. “When we sit on our testimony, we sit on our power. … Our testimony is the deliverance someone needs.” He also stressed the significance of speaking into the present to honor the legacy of those who came before us, which is embodied in the Ghanaian concept of Sankofa. He encouraged those present to reflect on their responsibilities today: How do we honor the past while actively working toward justice? How do we embody our baptismal covenant by seeking and serving Christ in all people? How do we move beyond discomfort to embrace truth, restoration and transformation?

The day began with Noonday Prayer led by the Rev. Dr. Dee Wellington Bright, co-chair of the Becoming Beloved Community Task Force and rector of Church of Our Savior. The Rev. Brian Turner, co-chair of the Becoming Beloved Community Task Force and vicar of Church of the Blessed Redeemer, also in Palm Bay, delivered a brief homily, and Dr. Carl MaultsBy, director of music and organist at St. Richard’s, Winter Park, led the music. Following lunch, the Ven. Julie Altenbach brought greetings on behalf of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Justin S. Holcomb before Jefferson gave his talk. A robust discussion period followed.

Canon Nelson Pinder UBE President Mrs. Carrie Brown shares her vision for the chapter’s role in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. | Photo: THE VEN. JULIE ALTENBACH

Mrs. Carrie Brown, new president of the Canon Nelson Pinder Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians and a parishioner at St. John the Baptist, Orlando, shared her vision for the chapter’s role in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. She emphasized the need for continuous education beyond the annual Jones celebration. Plans are underway for a series of public educational events, including a May 17 brunch commemorating the Feast of Thurgood Marshall and a 30th-anniversary celebration of the Pinder Chapter in July. The chapter also aims to engage youth and young adults through targeted programming.

Brown also reflected on a central theme from the legacy of Absalom Jones as “the other.” Born into slavery in Delaware, Jones experienced marginalization even after obtaining freedom and ordination. As Brown looks at the division plaguing our society today, she said we should be inspired by the work of Jones, whose journey serves as a powerful testament to perseverance, faith and partnership across differences.

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,'” she said. “Right now it might seem that the arc is at a halt, but we must remember that the Holy Spirit is within us, and we are called to shine that light of the Holy Spirit in the darkness.”

The spirit of Sankofa calls us to look back, learn and move ahead with purpose. As we honor Jones, may we also embrace the responsibility to shape a future where all are truly free.