In this video, Bishop Ward talks about the NC Conference Freedom Rides and how we are called to be ministers of reconciliation.
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
We are called to be ministers of reconciliation. Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians and they resound to us in our time. We continue to learn about the history of our state. We continue to be surprised as we hear the stories that unfolded in years past in our communities. We continue to learn who we are as we discover more of who we have been. We want to continue to be free of the ties that bind us to oppression and injustice.
Therefore, we are creating journeys, Freedom Rides. The first of these took place in January, as those making the journey between commissioning and ordination journeyed from Durham to New Bern to Littleton to Warrenton, hearing stories of the history of North Carolina. We engaged with people in ways that were both heartbreaking and inspiring.
Another journey will unfold soon in the month of March. I hope you will access The NC Conference Freedom Ride webpage to learn more about this journey which will focus on voting rights. The journey will leave Durham and will travel to Nashville, TN and return, engaging with those who were a part of the freedom movement – veterans of the Civil Rights movement. In journeys such as this, we continue to learn, to grow, and to become more and more committed to Christ’s ministry of reconciliation.
Thank you for all that you are doing to reach across lines that divide us, for Christ has broken down the barriers that separate people from one another. Christ draws us all into one family, deeply loved by God.