Worship and reception with panel discussion and Q&A

Antioch Baptist Church of Brooklyn and the Congregation Beth Elohim joined forces with support from the American Jewish Foundation to combat racism and antisemitism. Under the leadership of Rabbi Rachel Timoner and Rev. Dr. Robert M. Waterman, both congregations have committed to developing a community of learning around each other's culture, houses of worship, education, and family by intentionally worshipping together, having shared meals with menus from both cultures, having conversations about our family histories and creating a safe space for these activities. We embarked on this mission almost three years ago and just returned from an overnight joint trip from Brooklyn, New York to Washington DC to visit the Smithsonian African American Museum and the Holocaust Museum, Lincoln and MLK Memorials on MLK Day. Of the 54 attenders 16 of them were young people between the ages of 10 and 25 years old. Thursday's event will be a debrief of our experience while having a meal together at Congregation Beth Elohim, 274 Garfield Place, Brooklyn, New York. All are invited to attend in person or online.

Cry Out is a profound practice of surrender and submission, a transformative act where one relinquishes personal will to engage and embrace the divine will of God. It’s a spiritual journey that leads to breakthroughs, restoration, and the transformation of pain, barriers, and obstacles, paving the way toward one’s divine purpose. Through the exercise of faith, courage, wisdom, and the desire to break through and manifest inner strength, individuals not only discover but also unleash their gifts, talents, and abilities dwelling within to overcome life’s challenges and ascend to the next level of divine purpose.

Cry Out serves as a dynamic pathway for individuals to draw nearer to God, empowering them to be guided by an intense personal yearning to break through and triumph, radiating from this transformative experience. It signifies heartfelt recognition and an unwavering desire to shift the seasons of life, ascending to the next pinnacle of spiritual renewal. Through the dynamic act of “Crying Out,” one reveals a resolute commitment to embrace the higher calling, overcome obstacles, and propel through toward a destiny brimming with purpose and spiritual fulfillment.

Racial healing is the first step toward racial equity that the first, second and third principles of Unitarian Universalism call us toward. Coming a little over a week before the eighth annual National Day of Racial Healing, during this discussion, Neil Sroka will explain what racial healing is and examine its connection to our shared journey towards racial equity.

As an extension of our MLK Day of Service, the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas (MJC) will host an evening of healing and rebuilding relationships within our city. For the last decade, our city has become ground zero for racial intolerance and discrimination against African-Americans. In 2019, Atatiana Jefferson was gunned down in her home by the police. She was the tenth person shot by the Fort Worth Police within 6 months in 2019.

Pastor Kyev Tatum and the New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church has invited the MJC to host a day of healing and rebuilding in the City of Fort Worth in the Kirk Franklin Chapel.