Dear Caldwell,
In a recent Pew Research Center poll of “highly religious Americans,” respondents named the things they think “are most essential to being a Christian.” Respondents’ top five were:
- Believing in God (86%)
- Being grateful for what you have (71%)
- Forgiving those who have wronged you (69%)
- Always being honest (67%)
- Praying regularly (63%)
I certainly would agree that all those things are essential to following Jesus, but the list seems sorely missing of one thing – our call to respond to God’s grace by serving others, especially the poor (materially and in spirit), the oppressed and the marginalized. I don’t know if that was one of the options given in the survey, but I worry about what it says that we Americans don’t think service to others should rank higher in the definition of what it means to be the body of Christ in the world.
As for opportunities, yesterday a long-awaited report came out from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force about the reality that there are “two Charlottes” – one for the haves and one for the have-nots. You’ve probbaly heard or read about this before. It’s a response to several studies I’ve quoted from the pulpit that rank Charlotte at the bottom among major cities for economic mobility.
The findings, which you can read here, focus on a wide range of aspects of life but generally deal with the drivers of generational poverty and how to reverse it. That long-term vision is vitally important, but we also face immediate issues of social justice and systemic racism that boiled over during last fall’s uprising and simply can’t wait. Caldwell knows some of the task force members, including Rev. Cliff Matthews of St. Luke’s Missionary Baptist Church and Rev. Dr. Ophelia Garmon Brown. They’ve done good work – and it is sure to spur a great deal of conversation and response to their findings.
The report highlights some things near and dear to our heart here at Caldwell – the impact of school and neighborhood segregation, the need to spread “social capital” and provide more affordable housing. Feel free to refer back to your Discover and Engagement materials (see Mission and Justice section), or check it out online here, to review how Caldwell is involved in ministries focused on those and other needs in our city. At the same time, we are constantly reviewing our priorities in Missions and Justice and in other gatherings and there are some new ideas percolating that connect to the issues the Opportunities Task Force highlights. If you’ve got ideas, Jessica Pistole Polk is the elder Chair of Missions and Justice.
What’s more, Caldwell just being Caldwell is part of the answer, too. You as a congregation stand for something in this city – a community of faith that intersects multiple kinds of diversity and comes from across the city, a congregation not afraid to take bold stands, speak for the voiceless and try new experiments.
HAPPY ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSAY TO THE THIRD PLACE!
All of those qualities and values that Caldwell stands for led to our opening The Third Place a year ago. If you didn’t see the news, it was awarded a major grant last week. The Third Place was one of 20 organizations, out of an applicant pool of 226, that received a grant from a pool of corporate and community funders seeking to invest in programs and organizations focused on community healing, rebuilding trust and creating opportunities. The funding committee applauded how The Third Place has been embraced by a wide range of community organizations as a regular meeting and gathering space, as well as for how it provides job opportunities for young people from disadvantaged neighborhoods. The $24,000 grant will keep our doors open and give us time to continue to refine the ministry of The Third Place. You can read the news story about the grants here. Hats off to our partners QC Family Tree, which also earned a grant for their work in the west Charlotte Enderly Park neighborhood.
Watch for Caldwell This Week later – and hope to see you in Elizabeth Communities of Faith worship tomorrow at noon at St. Martin’s Episcopal.
In Christ,
John