About This Episode

Podcast hosts Rev. Sharon Williams, Rev. Russell Ewell and Rev. Fabian Gonzalez discuss some of the things they learned as they interviewed members of the historic Black churches of the Missouri Conference throughout this season.

In This Episode

01:16: Thoughts and Learning Opportunities for the Denomination 4:15 The Place of Lament 9:00 A Tight Knit Community of Life 10:10 Discipleship Begins with Relationship 12:35 We Cannot Lose Those Rich Stories 14:00 It Is Their Faith that Keeps Them Going 16:53 The Missouri Conference 18:45 Understand the Context and Recognizing the History 22:00 If You Love Something You will Challenge It 25:45 Abundance and Lean 27:00 The Saints That Are Before Us

About This Podcast

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond. “The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

About This Episode

Kansas City, Missouri. St. James United Methodist Church launched in 1973 when two small churches combined. Listen in as current pastor Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Cleaver III, Robert Silvan and Leola Evans share about the history and experience of the Historically Black Church.

In This Episode

00:00: Church History Narration 4:30 1950s Change of Kansas City Landscape and the Beginning of St. James UMC 7:30 Taking A Stand and Doing Something About It 18:00 The Merging of a White and Black Church 22:20 Involvement in Politics 24:30 Raising Awareness in Younger People 26:00 A Long History of Involvement In Social Justice 28:30 Birthed Out of a Need for Social Justice and Action 30:30 The Congregation of St. James 35:00 How Would You Identify St. James 38:30 Leadership Demographics 44:00 White Flight and Neighborhood Churches 48:00 Disappointments with the Larger Church 54:00 Ivan Newton 60:00 Kansas City Police 65:00 Refocusing the Worship Effort

About This Podcast

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond. “The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

About This Episode

St. Louis, Missouri. Union Memorial was founded in 1846 on three foundations: Love which is a God-given light from heaven, a spark of that immortal fire which angels share. Faith which binds us to the infinite. Hope, the balm and life-blood of the soul. Union Memorial is unique in many ways, such as hosting W.E.B. Du Bois in 1913 and being the second largest structure of its kind in the United States (a hyperbolic paraboloid shell). The congregation at Union Memorial has a long, proud heritage of community-based social justice.

In This Episode

00:00: A Rich and Proud History 6:21 People Felt Supported and Heard 7:30 An Honor to Be a Part of the Legacy 10:34 Connections to Africa University 13:20 Leaving Leffingwell and Pine Location 19:10 Mission and Vision 21:45 Debts and Apportionments 25:44 Restoration: To Restore the People and the Hearts of the People 29:30 Simplified Model of Church Governance 30:45 175 Years of Service and History 35:09 The Pandemic and After 38:14 Resilience in Our DNA 40:00 Fighting In and With the Methodist Church

About This Podcast

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond. “The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Kansas City, Missouri. In 1907, Asbury Chapel and Burn Chapel consolidated to form one church: Centennial Methodist Episcopal Church. In this episode, Rev. Jason Bryles (Centennial’s pastor since July 2016), Paula King (member since 1962), Ramada Davis (member for 48 years) and Donald Rogerson (member for 70 years) discuss Centennial United Methodist Church’s the history and influence on its community — beginning at its founding, continuing through the civil rights movement and into today.

IN THIS EPISODE

1:00 History and Founding of Centennial UMC3:31 Introduction to Interviewees4:15 The Forming of CUMC and the Surrounding Community10:50 Jazz and Other Local Influences14:03 Church Music History and Its Life Cycle18:20 The Beginning of A Big Change 24:30 Centennial’s Position in the World and in the Methodist Church36:00 What The Black Church And Centennial Bring to the Church at Large

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.

“The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

St. Louis, Missouri. After the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riots in Illinois, much of East St. Louis’s Black population fled the death and destruction and sought new economic opportunities across the river into St. Louis, Missouri. This birthed a new Methodist congregation under Rev. Martin Luther Jackson at Good Samaritan Methodist Episocopal Church. The goal was peace and shelter in a new urban environment. Despite hardships, the congregation is still alive today. Listen in as Pastor Ivan James and longtime church members discuss the life, times and legacy of Samaritan UMC.

 

Note: Since the recording of this podcast, Samaritan UMC has merged with Asbury UMC to form New Horizons UMC.

 

IN THIS EPISODE

00-7:36 History of the Church Beginnings

8:45 Poetry Reading

11:45 The Building on Washington and Memories

14:30 How the Race Riots Led to the New Church and Early History

18:00 A Rich and Deep Local Community

19:50 A Front-End Problem and the Three P’s

23:05 An Example of Faithfulness

27:00 How Segregation Impacted the Local Black Church

27:26 Remembering Church as a Child and Her Family’s Dedication

32:00 We Had Everything We Needed in the Community

33:45 The Children of Good Samaritan

39:00 Changes Come

41:37 Hopes for The Future 

42:45 Living the Gospel and Needed Changes

 

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.

 

“The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Springfield, Missouri. Pitt's Chapel is a testament to strength in adversity: beginning in times of slavery, through the lynchings of innocent Black men and the subsequent shift that brought Springfield from a population that was 25% Black to the under 5% it is today. Current pastor Rev. Tracey Wolff, Kim Jones, John Huddleston and Charlotte Hardin talk through the history of Pitt's Chapel from its onset through tragedy and onward during the civil rights movement into today. 

IN THIS EPISODE

1:00 Introduction and History of Pitt's Chapel7:30 Introductions: Rev. Tracey Wolff, Kim Jones, John Huddleston, Charlotte Hardin8:12 The Current Building and How it Relates to the History of Pitt's Chapel14:45 Raising Up Younger Generations17:30 The Relationship Between Ferguson and the Lynchings20:50 Words Without Actions, Forgiveness Without Repentance24:45 Arrogance, Power and Scarcity Mindsets27:25 What The Methodist Church Can Do34:30: What Gives You Hope

ABOUT THIS PODCAST

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.

“The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.

The Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church is excited to announce the release date of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. Beginning on May 5, new episodes will become available weekly on Thursdays. The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.

“The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy. In season three, six episodes highlight the legacies of five of Missouri’s Historically Black United Methodist Churches: Pitts Chapel in Springfield; Union Memorial in St. Louis; Samaritan UMC in St. Louis; Centennial UMC in Kansas City; and St. James UMC in Kansas City. Local church laity and clergy leaders detail the rich history of the Historically Black church through stories of faithfulness and witness to injustice and invite podcast listeners to consider the gifts the Black church brings to the Church at large.

About This Episode In this episode we revisit the racial biographies of our past guests Rev. Winter Hamilton, host Connor Kenaston and Rev. Tina Harris.   In This Episode 1:20 Black Dutch: Winter Hamilton 5:14 Winter’s Friend Audrey 10:12 Connor Kenaston: Understanding Race 15:12 Tina Harris: Growing Up in a Small Factory Town

About This Episode In this episode, we listen to a live panel with Revs. Will Willimon and Willis Johnson. Rev. Will Willimon is the former dean of the chapel at Duke University. Rev. Willis Johnson was the pastor of Wellspring Church in Ferguson when Michael Brown was killed by the police and for the uprisings that followed. “I hope I presented myself in my book as a recoverinig racist. Mine was a gentile, nice kind of racism ... I hope I presented this: I’m a sinner. I do other sin, other than racism. But I know it’s subtlety, I know it waves and morphs into other things.” “Don’t talk about a sin as deep as racism, centuries deep, bred into us, part of the fabric of American society, don’t talk about that unless you believe that God will forgive us. Unless you believe Jesus Christ died for sinners. If you believe that it is actually possible to not have an ugly defensive conversation.”   In This Episode 1:00 Why This Work 4:45 Awakening and God’s Work 9:30 The American Lynching and The Cross (James Cone) 14:30 Speaking about Race As a White Preacher 17:30 The Injustice Inflicted by Good People 26:45 What Would You Stand in the Door For? 30:22 The Joy of Admitting You’re a Sinner

About This Episode In this episode, guest host Nick Rhinehart interviews Rev. Lia McIntosh, the a missional strategist for the Center for Congregational Excellence in the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church. “We planted that church in an urban area in Kansas City. It was as a pastor in an urban area that I realized the social and practical needs of people were not separate from their spiritual needs. That in order to be the church, we had to have a holistic gospel. The beauty of that is that our Wesleyan Theology is very much that. So the work of social justice and the work of the church is one. It’s not a separate body of work.” “The downfall of segregation is that we fail to see the full humanness of our whole community if we only do life with people who are like us. We don’t see the fullness of God that is lived out in people who are very different, whose life experiences and journeys have been different from ours. That is where we connect with the richness of humanity, at the intersection of people and experiences and theology that are different.”   In This Episode 1:10 Upbringing and Calling as a Woman in Ministry Leadership 3:30 Coaching and Working in Social Justice 7:30 How We Can Learn to Listen Well 14:00 Experience with Race in the UMC Church 18:15 How Ferguson Has Affected the Missouri UMC Church and God’s Call on the Church 21:50 Advice for Leaders 23:00 A Blessing for Women in Ministry