Clergy for Racial Reconciliation Conference

The inaugural Clergy for Racial Reconciliation Conference will take place on the evening of Friday, Oct. 14th at First Baptist Monument Ave. and throughout the day on Saturday, Oct. 15th at the Claude G. Perkins Center for Living & Learning at Virginia Union University.

For the first time ever, all the major clergy groups in the region are coming together to host this much-needed event, including the Baptist Ministers Conference, Clergy Against Racism, For Richmond, Pastors for Racial Reconciliation, Richmond Hill and more. The full Steering Committee is listed below.

Why are we having this conference?

There are many networks or groupings of churches working together in their respective spheres on racial healing, justice and reconciliation. However, we have realized that for healing to advance in a significant way in Metro Richmond, clergy must know one another, know what each of us is doing, and begin to find ways to work together.

What are the goals of the conference?

The goals of this inaugural conference are for clergy to

1. build authentic relationship with those outside their current sphere (connect)

2. to discover what each group is doing to advance racial healing and reconciliation (map)

3. to identify ways to help one another in this work (equip)

4. to identify areas where we can work together (collaborate)

What are the expected outcomes of the conference?

Our hope is that this annual gathering will result in deepening and ongoing relationships amongst diverse clergy, a commitment to shared learning and/or training on an ongoing basis, and a commitment to identify concrete ways to work together to advance racial healing and reconciliation. Ultimately, after many years of collaboration, we hope that this unified approach will result in Richmond moving from being known as the Capitol of the Confederacy to being the Capitol of Reconciliation.

Important Details

Please note that this conference is for clergy only. This includes pastors, priests, church staff, elders, and deacons, as well as the directors of Christian nonprofits.

Registration opens August 1. The cost of the conference is $50 per person, including dinner on Friday and coffee, lunch and snacks on Saturday. Scholarships are available. If you are interested in applying, please email clergyconferenceinfo@gmail.com.

Sponsorships are also available. Sponsors will be recognized in the conference program and on screen at the event. If you are interested in sponsoring, please email clergyconferenceinfo@gmail.com.

Friday Address: Richmond's First Baptist Church, 2709 Monument Ave.

Saturday Address: Claude G. Perkins Center for Living & Learning at Virginia Union University, 1813 Bath Street

Steering Committee

Bishop Darryl Husband, Mt. Olivet Church & Pastors for Racial Reconciliation

Rev. Ben Campbell, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Dr. Marlene Fuller, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church

Rev. Sylvester Turner, Pilgrim Baptist Church

Pastor Don Coleman, East End Fellowship

Matt & Anna Shenk, For Richmond

Pastor Corey Widmer, Third Church

Rev. Dr. Jerome Ross, Providence Park Baptist Church

Pastor Alexander Evans, Second Presbyterian Church

Rev. Dr. Patricia Gould-Champ, Faith Community Baptist Church

Dr. Lester Frye, Baptist Ministers Conference

Pastor Jim Somerville, Richmond’s First Baptist

Pastor Donte McCutchen, Love Cathedral

Bishop Larry Branch, The Love Center of Unity Full Gospel Church, International & Clergy Against Racism

Dr. Emanuel Harris, Jerusalem Baptist Church

Rev. Hollie Woodruff, Clergy Action RVA

Rev. Reuben J. Boyd Jr., Third Street Bethel AME Church

Melvin Dowdy, Holy Rosary Catholic Church

Rev. Marcus Martin, New Bridge Baptist Church

Rev. Larry Miles, The Fresh Anointing Cathedral COGIC

Joe Maslanka, Mount Hermon United Methodist Church & Prospect UMC

Rev. Delores McQuinn, Virginia State Delegate

Rev. Lisa Johnson, Richmond Hill

Rev. Katie Heishman, Richmond Hill

Rev. David Bailey, Arrabon