This was an evening of worship, wisdom, and witness honoring Dr. Brad R. Braxton, President and Professor of Public Theology at Chicago Theological Seminary, and Dr. Anthony B. Pinn, Agnes Cullen Arnold Distinguished Professor of the Humanities and Founding Director, Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning (CERCL) at Rice University.
Episcopal Divinity School's Director of Theological Education, the Rev. Dr. Brandon T. Crowley, serves as senior pastor at Myrtle and represented EDS on a panel during the event.
EDS was proud to co-host this event alongside Vanderbilt Divinity School, Brite Divinity School, Harvard Divinity School, and Virginia Union University.
This event was also live-streamed on our YouTube channel.
About the Event
The theme for this year’s BRSG gathering— Affirming What Is Sacred About Blackness—is a call to build a new way forward by centering the divine, dignified, and enduring value of Black life, culture, and faith. In a nation where race and religion have too often been wielded as tools of division and weapons for control, we seek to reclaim them as sources of healing, resistance, and sacred possibilities.
Born from struggle, rooted in love, and shaped through generations of communal wisdom spanning from across the diaspora, Blackness has always carried with it a sacred quality.
Furthermore, the notion of the sacred and the vision of a beloved community empowered by this belief are not abstract ideals; they are embodied in the lived experiences of Black people who, even in the face of dehumanization and systemic oppression since the founding of these yet-to-be United States, have forged beauty, brilliance, belonging, and belief.
Yet, as we find ourselves in a political atmosphere that strives to marginalize millions of escalate cultural conflicts by leaders who would rather erase than embrace a more inclusive and expansive vision of history, we gather not just to reflect but to advance a vision of Blackness is not a problem to be endured and eventually solved, but a precious inheritance to be redeemed and honored.
About the BRSG
As an organization, the BRSG is focused precisely upon the cultivation of theological education that is both representative and relevant for our times and the growing needs of the Church, the Academy, and society. Since its founding, the BRSG has been dedicated to advancing the Black struggle for freedom, justice, equality, and dignity by creating communal dialogues that encourage public activism. They have accomplished this goal by inviting premier scholars and experts across the gamut of Black Church Studies, Religious Studies, and Theological Education in tandem with renowned clergy and grassroots activists to share their wisdom, expertise, and vision by providing actionable information.
The BRSG believes their effort is a powerful witness of God’s work in the world. They strive to eliminate the barriers that separate Black clergy, theologians, religious scholars, and community leaders by fostering dialogues that forge bonds for partnership and innovation between Black peoples. Central to their vision is the conviction that dialogue and collaboration among scholars, churches and community activist organizations is essential for promoting and sustaining the conditions for human flourishing.