Diocesan Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission
The Diocesan Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission was formed in the Diocese of South Carolina in October 2020 to allow us to unify our efforts and broaden and strengthen our common work.
The Commission is comprised of clergy and laity of all races, from across the geographical territory of the diocese.
The overarching aim of the commission is to strive to reflect the beloved community across the diocese. More specific goals of the commission include:
- To promote racial justice within our churches, across our diocese, and beyond.
- To increase awareness of the racial history of our diocese.
- To enable racial reconciliation across the diocese.
- To build collaborative relationships around racial justice with other faith communities.
- To increase the stability of the African-American churches of our diocese.
- To plan and facilitate training opportunities for both diocesan leadership and the wider diocese.
“Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?
I will, with God’s help.”
Book of Common Prayer, page 305
Lifting our voices
APRIL 3, 2025 – Thank you to the Revs. Adam Shoemaker, Ricardo Bailey, and Michael Shaffer for using their voices to speak out on recent efforts to oppose or eliminate measures that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in various areas of our community. The three priests of “Three Churches United” in downtown Charleston were co-authors of an op-ed published April 3, 2025 in the Charleston Post & Courier.
An excerpt: “We believe deeply that all human beings have inherent worth and dignity as beloved children of God. Every life is precious and sacred. All souls are deserving of feeling safe and should be allowed to grow fully into whoever God has made them to be. We also believe that discrimination anywhere is discrimination everywhere. We believe, therefore, that we are all diminished — we all lose — when diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are diminished, degraded or done away with at any level of society.”
Read the full op-ed at this link or in the image below. You may click the image below to view it as a .pdf document.
Learn More About the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission
In the video above, learn more about the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission in the video above featuring Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, with details about the 2022 offering of the Sacred Ground program and plans for the future.
In the video above, watch Commission co-chairs engage in a conversation with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry during an event that was part of our 230th Diocesan Convention in November 2020. The group talked about the issues facing our nation and the world.
Sacred Ground
An Invitation to Participate in Sacred Ground with the Diocese
Sacred Ground is a film and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. It was developed by The Episcopal Church as a part of “Becoming Beloved Community” and is designed to promote racial understanding, justice and reconciliation. The materials focus on Black, Indigenous, Latino & Asian-Pacific histories as they intersect with European American histories.
Learn more about Sacred Ground
The Episcopal Church: Understanding Becoming Beloved Community
The Episcopal Church’s work toward racial reconciliation, healing and justice is guided by the long-term commitment to Becoming Beloved Community. We organize our ministries around the four quadrants of the labyrinth. Each quadrant represents a commitment that is vital to lasting change within us, our churches, our communities and society at large.
Truth-telling: Telling the Truth about Our Churches and Race
Proclamation: Proclaiming the Dream of Beloved Community
Formation: Practicing Jesus’ Way of Healing Love
Justice: Repairing the Breach in Society and Institutions
Commission Members
Tater Beak
Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston
The Rev. Deacon Marionette Bennett
Calvary, Charleston
Tommy Bultman
Good Shepherd, Sumter
The Rev. Michael Crandall
St. George’s, Summerville
Co-chair
Gail DeCosta
St. Mark’s, Charleston
Charlinda Gallant
Calvary, Charleston
John Gardner
Calvary and Grace Church Cathedral, Charleston
Kathlyn Gray
St. Mark’s, Port Royal
Harriett Green
Good Shepherd, Sumter
Ellen Hardin
St. Mark’s, Charleston
Minerva King
St. Mark’s, Charleston
Nancy Laprade
Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island
Richard Martin
St. Stephen’s, North Myrtle Beach
The Rev. Cn. Ramelle McCall
Diocesan Staff
Raymond Oberg
Good Shepherd, Summerville
Co-chair
Vermelle Simmons
Calvary, Charleston
Brent Watts
Holy Cross Faith Memorial, Pawleys Island
Keith Williamson
St. Bartholomew’s, Hartsville
The Rt. Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley
Diocese of South Carolina
Publications
A Selection of African American Figures of The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina
