Dear Grace Family,
To God be the glory!
The elders of Grace wanted to let the church know that we have voted to recognize Juneteenth (Friday, June 19th) as a holiday for the employees of Grace Church. Juneteenth is an annual holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, and it has been celebrated by the African American community since the late 1800’s. If you don’t know much about Juneteenth, that’s OK. I regret to say that I was ignorant of this holiday until less than a year ago. To learn more about the history of Juneteenth, click here: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-americans-many-rivers-to-cross/history/what-is-juneteenth/
When some of our own members suggested the church recognize and celebrate Juneteenth, it frankly was the easiest decision our board has made in quite a while. As a multiethnic church, we believe that honoring and celebrating this holiday reflects what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:26 that “if one member (of Christ’s body) suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”
This Friday, June 19th, we seek to rejoice together as a multiethnic church, celebrating the anniversary of emancipation for the enslaved, and we also remember that it was sin that made emancipation necessary. May we seek God’s reconciling hand at work on this day and every day to bring healing and justice to this world. We ask God to help us repent when necessary, and we also ask the Lord to empower us to fulfill our calling together to be a Light to the Nations.
Governing Elder Chairman, Brian May