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Lenten Series Draws Different Populations, Plans for Further Discussions

Greene Memorial United Methodist Church photo

Seven months after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, two faith leaders in Roanoke have taken the lead at finding out what connects different populations - and unifies them, rather than exposing what keeps them apart.  And it's a gamble that appears to have paid off.

In an exercise between members of churches literally separated by the tracks - random strangers, some black, some white, were grouped by the first letter of the middle names, seated around a table, and given a bowl of candy. 

They were asked a series of questions- including if they, a family member, or someone they knew well had experienced racial discrimination, been incarcerated, or struggled with mental illness.

They took a piece of candy for each time the answer was yes – many ending up with quite a few pieces.  

Ann Shawver attends Greene Memorial United Methodist Church.

“I know as I was taking pieces out of the bowl, I was thinking, “You know, some of these folks around me would be surprised if they knew the stories that I know of, that are making me pull this candy out, and it made me think, ‘I don’t know their stories either, but we all need to have that compassion for each other,” she said.

Credit Jeff Bossert
Those attending the "From Confession to Communion" series reach for candy as part of a group exercise.

Shawver was among roughly 100 people, attending one of the evening discussions hosted by a group of churches in downtown Roanoke.

They’re open to anyone regardless of where they worship, or if they attend church at all. 

The six-week series called ‘From Confession to Communion” was started by Greene Memorial Pastor Gary Heaton, and Barron Wilson, Pastor at First Baptist Church Gainsboro, a historically black church, which has also hosted the meetings.

The two were already friends months before last summer’s violent rally in Charlottesville, and Wilson’s church hosted a vigil the same weekend. 

Heaton had also read the book Holding Up Your Corner by Rev. F. Willis Johnson, a pastor in Ferguson, Missouri, about the 2014 riots in the city that followed the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.

Pastor Heaton says he and Rev. Wilson agreed something more needed to happen in Roanoke.

“First thing we decided was – doing nothing, business as usual, was the wrong response,” he said. “But we determined that we were going to pray about what we might do, as a church, as a witness.  And then the idea coming up –let’s do a Lenten series, which are common things for churches to do during Lent. At first, I said - “You know what, if just two of us show up, you and me, for six weeks – that’s what we’re going to do. And from there, it grew to include people, and fellowship and food.”

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Rev. Gary Heaton talks on March 15 about the Ferguson book, the Lenten series in Roanoke, and potential future plans.

Heaton and Wilson say each week’s lessons are founded in faith.  But they say this series is not about boosting congregations-  rather, bringing communities together.

They also say it’s about privilege, not race – and purposefully finding guest speakers who are not fellow pastors.  Wilson says one was a native of Korea.

“And he said something that was really thought-provoking and challenging,” he said. “Privilege is a reality – you know, some people, whether we like it or not, that’s just our experience, but what should we do with our privileged status, and he challenged us to be good stewards.”

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Rev. Barron Wilson talks on March 15 about the Lenten series, and the potential for future meetings.

Credit Greene Memorial United Methodist Church
More attendees of the Lenten series at First Baptist Church Gainsboro on March 14.

Guest speaker and former police officer Miles Jackson says it’s hard for him, as a black man, to admit there are places near Roanoke that he would not feel welcome.

“Children are taught to hate,” he said. “And that’s one of the things that I found out – when I was a DARE officer working in elementary school, working in a school that  - that the only black that they saw was the police officer, janitor, and a teacher’s aide.  Now, I never had any negative statements made to me from them, but again, when it comes to hate against other people, it all begins at home.”

The March 21 meeting at First Baptist Gainsboro has been cancelled due to inclement weather.  The last in the six week series is March 28th, but there’s already a plan for similar meetings. 

Wilson already says he’ll host the next one, but backers want them to continue at churches throughout the city – and perhaps, one day at a larger venue that’s not a place of worship.

“Several people have come to us, come to Gary, come to myself, to say, ok, this can’t stop,” he said. “It’s great that we’re doing this for reflection for the Lenten season, but this is something that the community needs, and we need to be consistent, so what do we do?”  

Pastor Heaton says he’s gotten calls from other potential guest speakers, who want to advocate for those who are marginalized, including leaders in the Women’s March, and the LGBT community.

Jeff Bossert is Radio IQ's Morning Edition host.