Small Groups and Seminars

Troubled Times: Putting Faith into Action 

Many of us have been appalled to hear Jesus’s message of love and grace distorted by Christian Nationalists who falsely use the Gospel to divide us and demonize our brothers and sisters. We feel called to follow the words of Jesus in Matthew 25 when he tells us to care for the stranger, the hungry, the prisoner, and the poor – “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” As a response to these words, we are planning a Fall Seminar Series to help us put our faith into action.  

As we approach the state elections in November, we are concerned with efforts to disenfranchise many voters. In recent years, the US Supreme Court has taken away provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that defended racial minorities from the use of discriminatory maps. The passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act was a high-water mark in the struggle for racial equality in the US. To achieve this victory and affirm the promise of this nation, nonviolent protesters faced physical abuse and murder, were unjustly prosecuted, and served as witnesses to the cost of a true democracy. Any attack on the right to vote diminishes the continuing struggle for a more representative democracy. At the Spring United Methodists Council of Bishops meeting, the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race and the Board of Church and Society denounced the ruling. Indiana Bishop Tracy S. Malone stated, “In light of these times that we are in that are marked by profound geopolitical upheaval and growing threats to democracy and in continuity with the work we began in becoming beloved community, this is a critical moment.”  Bishop LaTrelle M. Easterling, episcopal servant and leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference stated, “Love cannot remain silent in the face of suffering, injustice or dehumanization. A Gospel that does not move our feet has not reached our hearts.” 

Our Fall Seminar Series is a response to this challenge to us as citizens and as followers of Jesus. The presentations will focus on the Voting Rights Act history, court decisions, and how it affects our fellow citizens as well as hearing from marginalized groups. 

All are invited to attend this seminar series.  

Location: 

• The Grumman Chapel 

Dates: 

• September 13: Professor Gene Nichol from the UNC School of Law will speak on the Voting Rights Act, its history and Supreme Court decisions under the Act. 

• September 20: Pastor Donnie Jones and Wes Wallace will discuss how voting rights impact marginalized communities. 

• September 27: Community activists from Siembra NC, Interfaith Council for Social Services, and representatives from the LGTBQ+ community will provide tangible ways we can support our brothers and sisters during these troubled times. 

Time: 

• 9:00-9:15 a.m. Coffee and pastries

• 9:15 a.m. Seminar begins

Live Webcasts 

• We will endeavor to livestream each September session as a Zoom webinar. You will need to be logged into your Zoom account but will NOT need to register in advance.   

• Each of the September sessions will be available live using this link.

Session Recordings 

• Click here to view the 8/23/26 session.

• Click here to view the Christian Nationalism series and workshops held earlier this year.