A Word from President Rick Lowery
Disciples of Christ Historical Society

We are particularly happy with the success of our Kirkpatrick Academic Conference, “Visions of Wholeness: Systemic Racism, Antiracism, and Reconciliation in Our Shared History and Tradition,” held in March at Phillips Theological Seminary (PTS) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The links to the videos of the presentations are now posted on the Tulsa Conference link (click the name of the presenter) on the DCHS website. More than 250 people participated in-person and online via livestream in this historic conference that brought together scholars and church leaders for a day-and-a-half-long scholarly discussion of how the sinful ideology of white supremacy has had an impact on Disciples and the broader Stone-Campbell tradition and how, from the earliest days of our movement, many of us have sought to resist and overcome it. With major funding from DCHS’s Kirkpatrick Lecture Fund, Disciples Reconciliation Ministry, and the Oreon E. Scott Foundation, as well as all four Disciples seminaries and Disciples regions and general ministries, we were able to provide about $25,000 in travel assistance grants to help people attend and provide leadership for the event.

Global Ministries

After a brief report on our church’s response to the Ukraine crisis from Global Ministries’ Peter Makari and Week of Compassion’s Vy Nguyen, PTS President Nancy Pittman, Reconciliation Minister April Johnson, and I opened the conference. Rev. Sandhya Jha offered an introductory lecture to “set the table” for the sessions that followed.

Panel Discussion on White Supremacy  and Resistance in Early Leadership

President Charisse Gillett of Lexington Theological Seminary moderated a discussion between President Newell Williams of Brite Divinity School and Dr. Doug Foster of Abilene Christian University, our leading contemporary biographers of Barton W. Stone and Alexander Campbell, on how white supremacy and resistance to it shaped the thought and witness of these two early leaders of our movement.

Indigenous Peoples and Systemic Racism

We heard outstanding papers from leading scholars of Disciples and Stone-Campbell history and practice. We discussed the impact of Disciples/Stone-Campbell missionary activities on Indigenous peoples, as the movement expanded westward across the North American continent. We told stories of African American, Hispanic, and Asian Disciples and Stone-Campbell church members and analyzed the impact of systemic racism on their communities through more than two centuries of our history. We asked what this all means for our work and witness today and into the future.

Keynote by Bishop Dr. William Barber

On Friday evening, Bishop Dr. William Barber offered a powerful keynote to close the day. On Saturday morning, after a brief prayer of remembrance and commitment to commemorate the racist Tulsa Massacre of 1921, we had a powerful question and answer session with the conference presenters.

Worship

We closed with worship featuring music by Revs. Dean Phelps and Eugene and Titus James, and prayers, reflections, and readings from Dr. Lisa Barnett of Phillips, DCHS Board members Rev. Janae Pitts-Murdock of Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis and Rev. KJ Kim of First Christian Church in Stephenville, Texas, Rev. April Johnson, and Rev. Yvonne Gilmore, Interim Administrative Secretary of National Convocation and Associate General Minister. We heard an excellent sermon by Dr. Frank Thomas, Professor of Homiletics and Director of the Academy of Preaching and Celebration at Christian Theological Seminary. We shared the bread and cup of the eucharistic table, led by General Minister and President Terri Hord Owens who also sent us forth with a benedictory call to action.

Expanding Resources with Partner Chalice Press

To follow up on this powerful and historic gathering, we are publishing, in collaboration with our partner Chalice Press, a book centered on the presentations in Tulsa and containing study questions for use in college and seminary classes and in congregational, regional, and other educational settings. We hope the book will be available for purchase from Chalice in electronic and print versions later this year. Stay tuned for further information!

September 2022 Board Meeting & Presidential Search Committee

We look forward to our DCHS Board meeting in September, the last for me as I move into retirement and, hopefully, the first for my successor. The deadline for applications has passed and the highly diverse Presidential Search Committee is following the “Executive Search Process” recommended by the general church to ensure that we have a diverse pool of highly qualified candidates to consider. The committee is proceeding with its work of interviewing candidates and reaching consensus around a single candidate to present to the Board for their vote. The new President will take the helm of a ministry that is programmatically and financially strong, with a competent and committed staff, wonderful facilities, and a rapidly growing global online presence through Journal of Discipliana, Disciples History Podcast and our Digital Commons website.

To mark the coming transition of leadership, the Board has established “The President’s Fund” to provide for the ongoing work of the Society. Please contact us at info@discipleshistory.org if you are interested in contributing.

This all is thanks to the hard work, commitment, and faithful stewardship of countless people, as well as the generous gifts of prayer and financial support from you. Thank you, dear friends of DCHS!