The Rt. Rev’d E. Mark Stevenson and the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia are pleased to announce the appointment of the refreshed Truth and Reparations Task Force. In accordance with Resolution R10A, adopted by the 227th Diocesan Convention in 2021, the Task Force is charged with continuing the vital work of addressing, through education, listening, and acts of repair, the Church’s historical complicity with chattel slavery; violence against Indigenous peoples and the land; segregation; and other racist systems. Building on the foundational work of its predecessors, working closely with the Canon for Racial Justice and Healing and the Ministry for Racial Justice and Healing, the Truth and Reparations Task Force will continue to guide the Diocese in its journey toward racial justice, healing, and repair.
Resolution R10A mandates a comprehensive approach to reparations, recognizing that this work is a matter of faith and an essential step toward building Beloved Community. The task force’s mission is to identify and propose tangible means by which repair may begin for those areas of our common life where Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) still carry the burden of injustices and biases born out of white supremacy and the legacy of slavery.
The Task Force is composed of dedicated members from across the Diocese and beyond who bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to this sacred work. Serving one, two, and three-year terms they will be guided by principles of justice, repentance, reconciliation, and community involvement. Their work will include:
- Developing and sharing educational and theological resources.
- Engaging with communities and individuals throughout the Diocese to listen to and learn from their experiences.
- Working to fulfill the goal of establishing an initial $10 million endowment fund for reparations, and developing processes for its use.
- Collaborating with various diocesan bodies to ensure that racial justice, healing, and reparations are integrated into the overall mission and ministry of the Diocese.
We invite all members of the Diocese of Virginia to join us in this important work of truth-telling and repair. The journey toward racial justice is a continuous and collective effort in becoming Beloved Community, rooted in our baptismal covenant to strive for justice and peace among all people. Please keep the members of the Task Force in your prayers as they undertake this ministry of healing and repair. They are:
The Reverend Benjamin Badgett | St. Mark’s (Richmond)—Executive Board Appointee
John Chilton | St. Andrews (Mount Jackson) and St. Peter’s (Richmond)
Larry Clark | St. Philip’s (Richmond)
Connor Crafton-Tempel | Christ Church (Winchester)
The Reverend Kristen Farrington—Standing Committee Appointee
Karen Franklin | St. Mark’s (Richmond)
*The Reverend Marlene Forrest | St. Philip’s (Richmond)—Chaplain to the Task Force
Jabriel Hassan, M.Ed., M.Div., | St. Peter’s (Richmond)
Thomas Howard | St. Paul’s (Miller’s Tavern)
Amy Marshak | The Falls Church (Falls Church)
The Reverend Dawn McNamara | St. Martin’s (Richmond)
Maria Poindexter | St. Philip’s (Richmond)
Melanie Pressley, M.Div. | Abingdon Church (Gloucester)
Pat Roane | Ware Episcopal (Gloucester)
The Reverend Julius Rodriguez | The Falls Church (Fall Church)
Ryan K Smith, Ph.D. | St. John’s (Richmond)
*Marco White, Ph.D. | St. Barnabas (Pasadena, CA, Diocese of Los Angeles)
*without vote
A Prayer for Truth, Reparation, and Healing
Creator God,
We stand before you with humble hearts, acknowledging the wrongs inflicted and justified by the Episcopal Church in Virginia. We confess the sins of silence, white supremacy, and complicity in the systems that promoted chattel slavery and race-based oppression. We grieve the generational pain and suffering caused, the families torn apart, and the dreams dashed.
Forgive us, O Lord.
Wash away arrogance, complacency, despair, and indifference. Open our eyes to the truth of our past, the seizure of Indigenous lands, and the continued legacy of race-based slavery in the present. Grant us the courage to face it head-on. Help us to sit with sorrow, and guide us toward repentance. Lead us to do justice and to repair the harm that has been caused.
Strengthen us, O Lord.
Empower us to dismantle the structures of racism and oppression that still exist within our church and society. Guide us to engage in truthful dialogue and meaningful collaboration across racial lines. Grant us the resources and wisdom to address the legacy of slavery and oppression in concrete ways.
Guide us, O Lord.
Holy Spirit, work through us to build your beloved community where all people are valued and treated with dignity and respect. Let this be a time of healing and hope, a time of repentance and transformation. As beloved children of God, may we do justice and make repair. Â
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.