Who we are...
St. James Episcopal Church is a forward-looking and inclusive urban parish, grounded in the sacramental and liturgical life of The Book of Common Prayer, the Holy Scripture, and the Anglican tradition. We try to be a faithful community that lives out our baptismal vows. It is the mission of the Church to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
As lay persons, our ministry is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever we may be; and, according to the gifts given to us, to carry on Christ's work of reconciliation in the world; and to take our place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.
As Christians, we follow Christ; we come together week by week for worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.
Vestry Resolution Regarding Racial Equity
Whereas the parish of St. James, New London is grounded in Holy Scripture, Anglican tradition and experience as well as the sacramental and liturgical life of The Book of Common Prayer; we aspire to be a faith community that embodies our baptismal vows. It is the mission of the Church to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Whereas, as we seek to fulfill our mission, we set forth the following:
We are all created in God’s image and God has called us all “good.” God, through Jesus, gathers us together as diverse and equally beloved children. The Holy Spirit through the gospel compels us, as Christians, to follow the reconciling and inclusive footsteps of Jesus.
The parish of St. James, New London seeks to reaffirm its commitment to the Jesus movement and to the call to reject the systemic racism and injustices against people of color, especially our Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) brothers and sisters. We declare our commitment to actively engage in the pursuit of justice in all aspects of our congregational life and the business affairs of the church to repair the breach between white people and BIPOC. We will pursue constructive changes that will facilitate the alignment of practices that foster racial justice, inclusiveness and, above all, are reflective of a beloved community. Our leadership and decisions will be transformative and reflective of the God of Life.
Those of us who are Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) suffer injustice when these truths are not lived out in God’s world. Those of us who are white are entwined in a network of unearned privilege that distances us from the fullness of humanity and from God. We all acknowledge that standing in silence strengthens racism and violence. Given these beliefs, we confess all these sins and strive to be the beloved community to which we are called.
We understand that the call to racial justice applies to us as individuals, as participants in institutions such as the parish of St. James, New London and in larger systems in our world. We take responsibility to use a “racial justice lens” to look at the ways in which racism and white privilege shape our parish life and our interface with our community.
Yet, we know that there is more for us to do to ensure that all elements of our parish life reflect equity and justice. We come to this work as Christians, as Episcopalians, and as disciples of Jesus Christ. We come to this work as a faith community that embodies different views, experiences, perceptions and histories – as white people and as people of color. We are different, yet we are united in our baptism, through our values and beliefs, and in our love and affection for each other through Jesus Christ.
Be it resolved: We will seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves. We will strive for justice, healing and racial reconciliation among all black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) people. We will strive for peace, and respect the dignity of every human being. These are our foundational promises - to God and to each other.
Be it resolved: Following the inclusive and reconciling footsteps of Jesus, the parish of St. James, New London publicly declares that we will actively pursue racial justice in all aspects of our parish life and make changes to better align our practices to being a racially just, beloved community.
