Join Us in Honoring the Emanuel Nine: A Call to Reflection and Justice
On Thursday, May 15, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Arizona / Pacific Time, White Lutherans for Racial Justice and the ELCA Racial Justice Ministries will host a special online gathering to honor the legacy of the Emanuel Nine. This event invites all people of faith into a space of learning, reflection, and collective action in preparation for the upcoming Emanuel Nine Commemoration.
The Emanuel Nine were nine Black members of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, who were murdered during a Bible study in 2015. As Lutherans, we remember this act of racial violence with deep sorrow, and we recommit ourselves to racial justice in our congregations, synods, and lives.
This 90-minute Zoom event will be a time to reflect on what it means to be the church in a world still marked by racial injustice. It is an opportunity to be inspired, challenged, and equipped to lead faithful change in our local contexts.
The event is free and open to all. Advance registration is required at the following link:
We encourage rostered ministers, lay leaders, and all members of the Grand Canyon Synod to attend and consider how your congregation might observe the Emanuel Nine Commemoration this June. Let this be a moment of deepening your witness, grounded in God’s call to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly.
