St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church presents its 2016 African Heritage Lecture Series with activities on Sunday, Jan. 31, through Tuesday, Feb. 2. The theme, “Speaking to the Elephant in the Room: the church’s response to the …isms,” leans into important topics such as racism and other injustices in American society. “The church’s responsibility is to confront the elephants in the room — speaking out with love — so that we can eradicate them,” explains Dr. Michael L. Bowie, Jr., St. Luke’s senior pastor. “Until we face them, we can’t fight them. We also want to discover the responsibility and role of the church and broader community to eliminate them.”The slate of events will stimulate attendees’ spirits and challenge their sense of stewardship:
- Sunday, Jan. 31, 10:00 a.m. | Unity worship celebration – Rev. Dr. Theodore Walker, Associate Professor of Ethics & Society at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology, is the guest messenger.
- Monday, Feb.1, 5:30 p.m. | Youth Night – Activities include dinner, essay contest awards presentation, and a special Q&A session with the multifaceted, award-winning, activist/creative powerhouse Bree Newsome; earlier in the day more than 300 Dallas ISD students will participate in a youth forum with Ms. Newsome.
- Tuesday, Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m. | Community Forum – The night begins with dinner; then WFAA’s Demond Fernandez moderates a discussion with an eclectic panel of spiritual and community leaders:
- Rev. Dr. Neil Cazares-Thomas (Cathedral of Hope senior pastor)
- Rev. Jonathan Grace (Church at the Square campus pastor)
- Jeffrey Halstead (retired Fort Worth Police Department chief)
- Rev. Dr. Irie Lynne Session (theologian and womanist)
Named for St. Luke’s senior pastor emeritus, the Zan W. Holmes, Jr. African Heritage Lecture Series locally heralds the beginning of African-American History Month each year. The inaugural event was held in 1986 with the underlying theme, “The struggle continues …,” to focus on socioeconomic equality and help perpetuate the battle for justice. “The lecture series allows St. Luke to host experts who can help equip, empower, enlighten, and liberate everyone who faces oppression in any form,” Dr. Bowie adds. “We want to foment healthy and honest dialog to address those issues that bring separation and deterioration. We strive to be a prophetic voice that has the courage to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves, including our next generation.”
All events are FREE and held at St. Luke; child care is available. For more information, click here, visit slcumc.org, or call Rev. Yvette Blair-Lavallais at 214-821-2970. St. Luke “Community” United Methodist Church, a multicultural, multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-driven movement, is located at 5710 East R.L. Thornton Freeway, Dallas 75223 in East Dallas (I-30 between the Winslow Avenue and Dolphin Road exits). All are welcome.
