With recent events, such as the killing of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter demonstrations provoking a national conversation on race, one church made a big effort to bring people together to discuss a way forward. As profiled in the Nov.-Dec. 2020 issue of the Central Florida Episcopalian, The Rev. Jeremy Bergstrom of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Lake Mary, Florida, was prompted by discussions with his staff to have Black congregants share their experiences with the church. He titled the series “Race, America and the Cross: Finding a New Unity through the Grace of God.”

The church upended its traditional two-service format for one day that featured a worship service followed by conversations and stories from its Black congregants on their experiences in society.

“Nobody had been murdered or beaten for the color of their skin, but they had experienced isolation, disrespect, and missed out on jobs and found themselves outside of communities that were tightly knit,” Bergstrom said. “Some of them relayed stories of being stopped by the police for no good reason. It all added up to America feeling like a toxic environment for them.”

Leading up to the series, Bergstrom met with the Black members, who shared parts of their stories they intended to discuss with the church. Some of them were apprehensive based on the uncertainty of responses from the congregation, comprised of mostly non-Black parishioners.

“They were nervous,” he said. “They were even nervous for me, that there would be repercussions. They worried the non-Black members wouldn’t care, that it would be seen as them complaining.”

There were no negative repercussions, and the entire event brought a new unity among the church. One of the most skeptical participants received a phone call from a white member in tears about what the Black members shared. Her eyes were opened to the plight of her sister, and in an interesting turn of events, the Black member found herself consoling the white member.

“What this did was brought awareness of what their lives are like,” Bergstrom said. “The white members just didn’t know. It’s one thing to hear these stories come from someone you don’t know, and it’s another thing to hear from people you worship with. It was eye-opening for both sides. Blacks thought non-Blacks didn’t care or were quietly racist, but they found out they do care.”

Bergstrom followed the Sunday event with a special guest, Célestin Musekura, head of African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries (ALARM) and a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Musekura related problems of racism with the tribalism he experienced in his home country.

“He told the church, ‘The ethnic problems we have in this country, it’s not about the color of our skin, but our communities,’” Bergstrom said.

One of the members compiled the stories, teachings and even definitions into a booklet to preserve the history and information shared during the series. The booklet, named after the series, also outlines the scriptures that provided its foundation, such as “The Fall – Genesis 3:7-13, 21-24,” “Reconciliation with God – Romans 5:6-11” and “Pentecost – Acts 2:1-8.”

Bergstrom believes having a conversation and bringing people together is a way toward healing, but the true solution for all of these issues requires supernatural power.

“I’m of the firm conviction that the things in society are there because of sin,” he said. “The way out is through the gospel. Coming together, with individuals being reconciled to God and the work of the Holy Spirit in them, is what is going to solve these issues.”