EP 54: Region Missionaries -- Owning the Church's History to Better Collaborate
I must be honest before I read the bios for our three guests, these are their words from the “Meet the Region Missionaries”info booklet from ECCT. I just paraphrased them. Okay here we go!
GEORGE BLACK -
SOUTH CENTRAL REGION MISSIONARY George is a New Haven native and a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, who majored in English. For the past 15 years, George was a youth worker and advocate focused on the advancement and development of Black and Brown young people. Most recently, he was the Chief Dream Director for the city of New Haven with The Future Project. His vision and hope is to see young people, and all people, live into their fundamental identity as worthy of love and belonging from God and others, and their fundamental responsibility for the healing of the world. His passions include theology, spoken work poetry, the Black community in America, youth development, and boardgames. George joined the Episcopal Church in 2017, and since then it has been home for him. In his own words, "I am ready to discern the movement of God in this region and partner with God in making that movement a reality.” |
ERENDIRA JIMENEZ -
SOUTHWEST REGION MISSIONARY Erendira is a recent graduate of Yale Divinity School. She is originally from San Diego, CA and Louisville, KY — which is where she first made the Episcopal Church her home. Her professional work history includes social work, college chaplaincy, and congregational development. She has great passion for those who find themselves on the margins, both of the world and of the church, and working to create equitable, just, and loving communities. She believes in the power of storytelling, imagination, creativity, failing, and sometimes succeeding. She is also passionate about rock climbing, weaving, and hosting people for homemade meals. In her words, "I join you bringing a heart to listen—to ourselves, to our neighbors, and to the Spirit—and to discern together where God might be calling us to move from death into life, from darkness into light, and from indifference into love.” |
DYLAN MELLO -
NORTHWEST REGION MISSIONARY Dylan is a postulant for the priesthood and just finished a two-year internship at Trinity, Brooklyn before accepting this role in the Northwest Region. Dylan’s background is in sports medicine, working previously as an athletic trainer at the University of Connecticut and EO Smith High School. He is originally from Massachusetts and has lived all over the East Coast before landing in Connecticut with his wife and two young daughters. His hobbies include traveling and exploring new places as a local. In his words, "I’m excited to connect and collaborate as we, together, explore what God is up to in this neighborhood and beyond.” |
Alli begins the conversation asking the RMs "What drew you to this role?” Dylan said it was the use of the word “connection” in the job description. For Erendira, she is interested in working in the church at a larger sense, and excited to connect people. George said this was the first position that actually allowed him to do the work he loves and has been doing but root it in his faith.
Alli asks that after one week in, what are some expectations and observations the RMs have had about ECCT and their region.
Dylan said for him there is a bit of a change going from the Northeast Region, where he has been for the last seven years, to the Northwest Region. He said the position is still morphing, but is already witnessing the fluidity that exists between regions in ECCT.
George said that he has seen his role to be a bridge to work with young people in the community in the South Central region. So far for his role in ECCT, he is still discerning how to dive into how this institution thinks about race and how to have those conversations. Something he feels a pull and call from God to have those conversations, despite the fact that it may be uncomfortable for other people.
Erendira said that after this last week of on boarding - or “the holy dunk” - so there is a lot of information and conversations that has happened to help learn more about the motivation behind the RM role. What stuck out to her was that in those conversations, ECCT does not necessarily name justice, power, race, and other -isms that make up who we are ECCT. She is excited to do the work in her job description and bring to ECCT the push to transform as people and communities to work towards justice and the transfer of power.
Alli said that she has witnessed that the standard in New England (similar to her home in DC) that the tendency to deal with injustices is to write a check. And while this is helpful, Erendira said, it is still keeping a distance between “us” and “them,” something she wants to help bridge.
For George, this reminded him of a recent conversation with his brother around the definition of faith. Faith is what we do because we believe — it is the manifestation of what we believe.
The next question Alli asked was around age — she makes an observation that they are all young, or young-enough, and having a conversation about religion, which can be counter-cultural. Alli asks how they see themselves as a young adult in leadership in the church. Erendira said that while she is a millennial, she is not a part of the youngest generation and unintentionally loses the pulse of the those young people and younger adults. She said she finds herself as a bridge and not the person will “all the answers;” but to connect with those who are 18 - mid-twenties where the energy is.
Dylan said he still views himself as young-enough, and he also sees himself as a bridge between the younger generation to the older generation in the church. In this position, he feels like he can connect with younger people and older generations too.
The collaboration efforts for the RMs is not necessarily between parishes but between generations as well. George says that the main difference he has witnessed has been the skepticism from young people of certainty with regards to spirituality and religion.
Erendira said that in her work with college students, she has witnessed the same skepticism of certainty especially with regards to the inability to name and own the injustices that are a part of our church’s history. George talks about how the inability to own the injustices within the church has also driven people of color away from the church and the potential community. There is a lot to be thought through about how the church owns the truth that shows remorse and heart of God.
Collaboration [between churches in ECCT] isn’t possible without acknowledging who we are, Erendira said. Erendira related the need to uncover the history of the church to therapy and the internal work that is done in therapy.
Alli’s final question to the RMs was asking about what is something they do that fuels their soul? For Dylan, it is travel, and watching The Office. For Erendira, it is rock climbing. For George it is reading and boardgames.
Alli asks that after one week in, what are some expectations and observations the RMs have had about ECCT and their region.
Dylan said for him there is a bit of a change going from the Northeast Region, where he has been for the last seven years, to the Northwest Region. He said the position is still morphing, but is already witnessing the fluidity that exists between regions in ECCT.
George said that he has seen his role to be a bridge to work with young people in the community in the South Central region. So far for his role in ECCT, he is still discerning how to dive into how this institution thinks about race and how to have those conversations. Something he feels a pull and call from God to have those conversations, despite the fact that it may be uncomfortable for other people.
Erendira said that after this last week of on boarding - or “the holy dunk” - so there is a lot of information and conversations that has happened to help learn more about the motivation behind the RM role. What stuck out to her was that in those conversations, ECCT does not necessarily name justice, power, race, and other -isms that make up who we are ECCT. She is excited to do the work in her job description and bring to ECCT the push to transform as people and communities to work towards justice and the transfer of power.
Alli said that she has witnessed that the standard in New England (similar to her home in DC) that the tendency to deal with injustices is to write a check. And while this is helpful, Erendira said, it is still keeping a distance between “us” and “them,” something she wants to help bridge.
For George, this reminded him of a recent conversation with his brother around the definition of faith. Faith is what we do because we believe — it is the manifestation of what we believe.
The next question Alli asked was around age — she makes an observation that they are all young, or young-enough, and having a conversation about religion, which can be counter-cultural. Alli asks how they see themselves as a young adult in leadership in the church. Erendira said that while she is a millennial, she is not a part of the youngest generation and unintentionally loses the pulse of the those young people and younger adults. She said she finds herself as a bridge and not the person will “all the answers;” but to connect with those who are 18 - mid-twenties where the energy is.
Dylan said he still views himself as young-enough, and he also sees himself as a bridge between the younger generation to the older generation in the church. In this position, he feels like he can connect with younger people and older generations too.
The collaboration efforts for the RMs is not necessarily between parishes but between generations as well. George says that the main difference he has witnessed has been the skepticism from young people of certainty with regards to spirituality and religion.
Erendira said that in her work with college students, she has witnessed the same skepticism of certainty especially with regards to the inability to name and own the injustices that are a part of our church’s history. George talks about how the inability to own the injustices within the church has also driven people of color away from the church and the potential community. There is a lot to be thought through about how the church owns the truth that shows remorse and heart of God.
Collaboration [between churches in ECCT] isn’t possible without acknowledging who we are, Erendira said. Erendira related the need to uncover the history of the church to therapy and the internal work that is done in therapy.
Alli’s final question to the RMs was asking about what is something they do that fuels their soul? For Dylan, it is travel, and watching The Office. For Erendira, it is rock climbing. For George it is reading and boardgames.
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In Christ and Coffee,
Karin & Alli
In Christ and Coffee,
Karin & Alli