African American Outreach Team (AAOT) Meeting Minutes –July 17, 2011

 

“Doing for the community, not simply for the church and the church’s survival; rather, witnessing for the community itself.”

 

Attendees:  Hank Jud, Melinda Jud, Pastor Jim Kniseley, Pastor Tim Waltonen.

 

Opening

 

Before leading us in prayer, Pastor Tim Waltonen drew our attention to the Spring 2011 issue of Word and World, the journal published by Luther Seminary.  This issue commemorates the 150th anniversary of the U.S. Civil War, and is entitled “Slavery and Race.”  It features an article by Julius Carroll, “We Say That We Are Lutherans:  U.S. Virgin Islanders and Other African Americans within the ELCA.”  

 

Order of Business

 

·         Pastor Mills’ Position at St. Timothy’s – There will be no break in Pastor Mills’ pay and benefits as she transitions from Rejoice to St. Timothy’s.  We look forward to hearing about her new position.

 

·         Follow-Up to the Memorial at Synod Assembly – Melinda Jud reported that she and Hank met with Pastor Mills at Messiah Lutheran in Mechanicsville, July 11, 2011, to make tentative plans for a team follow-up to the “Memorial Acknowledging 2011 as the International Year for People of African Descent” presented by our team at this year’s Synod Assembly.  The plans consist of:

 

 1) Creating a Litany that will encourage intentionality of outreach to diversity, and distributing the Litany for possible use by VA Synod congregations;

 

2) In an accompanying newsletter, suggesting candidate projects that will assist in translating the spirit of the Litany into action (e.g., by dedicating one Sunday a year to heightening awareness of the experience of African descent people).  Projects might include inviting someone of African descent to highlight something from his/her history, sharing African descent experience in a bulletin or newsletter, creating a “Wall of Remembrance” using the timeline on the African Descent Lutherans’ website, carrying out a servant activity, or inviting a representative from our team to come and talk.

 

3) Associating a meaningful symbol with the Litany and candidate projects:  the mythical “Sankofa” bird, which flies forward with its head turned backwards.  The bird symbolizes a “quest for knowledge with the

 

 

implication that the quest is based on critical examination, and intelligent and patient investigation.  (Description from www.africawithin.com/studies/sankofa.)

 

·         Team Presentation at the October 2011 Ministerium

 

Team members who will attend are Pastor Mills, Pastors Jim and Carol Kniseley, and Melinda and Hank Jud.  Melinda Jud and Pastor Mills will give our team’s presentation, scheduled for 8:45-10:15 a.m., Tuesday, October 11, 2011.

 

Pastor Jim Kniseley suggested that we also request permission to lead the Morning Prayer service at 8:15 a.m. on October 11.  This would then flow with the rest of our presentation.  For Morning Prayer, we could use the Litany that Pastor Mills is drafting as follow-up to the Memorial, with additional devotions.  The team unanimously approved the idea.  Should our request be accepted, Pastor Tim Waltonen will lead the Morning Prayer service as our team representative.  We may try to distribute articles from Word and World journal.

 

Melinda Jud presented the draft outline that she and Pastor Mills have developed for their presentations, along with a draft of questions to be used in the small group discussions (“triads”) that will follow.  A meeting on Sunday, August 21, 2011, with more members present, will allow the team the opportunity to see a fleshed-out version of the presentations and provide input.

 

An additional detail endorsed by the team consisted of the use of “Blue Cards” (i.e., like the Green Cards used by pastors to identify youth leaders):  “Who in your congregation has gifts that they might like to use in outreach to diversity?”  We could also provide a sign-up sheet and/or team contact information to allow those who would like further conversation with us, or who have something to tell us about intentionality of outreach on the part of their congregation, to do so.

 

·         Fredericksburg Area Lutheran Revival, October 23, 2011 – Four planning meetings have been held to date, with another scheduled for August 14, 2011.  The event text, theme, and title (“Revive! Refresh! Rejoice!”) have been defined, as have the teams and responsibilities.

 

·         Question of Participation in Mission Partners – The consensus was that the team should opt out of participation for now, as we do not currently have a project(s) that would be appropriate for Mission Partners.  We will keep Mission Partners in mind, however, in the event that we embark on any projects for which its help is suited.

 

·         Name Change at Church-Wide – The ELCA now has an “African Descent” desk, with Albert Starr, who is on the National African Descent Strategy Team, as its head.  (Albert Starr works under Reuban Duran.)  In addition, The African American Lutheran Association has voted to change its name to “The African Descent Lutheran Association,” as more inclusive of African Americans and African immigrants.  Our team will consider whether we should make a similar change when more members are present.

 

Next Meeting - Sunday, August 21, 2011, Resurrection in Fredericksburg, 2:30 P.M.

 

Closing – The meeting closed with prayer.