The St. Michael & All Angels Reckoning with Racism (RwR) group was borne of an invitation from Ecumenical Ministries in the Fall of 2020 to participate in the Reckoning with Racism cohort, offered through a statewide group of Oregon faith leaders from diverse geographic, political, and spiritual backgrounds.  St. Michael’s, led by former rector Chris Craun joined Reckoning with Racism following the murder of George Floyd and the outpouring of the heart felt by so many people in the white community who wanted to understand the social dynamics behind such a tragedy and take action to change those dynamics.

Our work during that first year culminated in sharing the story of the land that St. Michael’s sits on. This included learning that Sandy Boulevard had been a trail used by Indigenous tribes to travel through old growth forests from the Willamette to the Columbia, and about the neighborhood covenants that only allowed white people to live in Hollywood and surrounding neighborhoods.

After a summer break, our group was reformed in the Fall of 2021 and many new members joined. The leadership transition at St. Michael’s impacted this group as well, and we worked hard to take a next step. We landed on engaging our faith community through liturgy focusing on our baptismal covenant, through this Sunday’s service focusing on our baptismal covenant, as well as by engaging the congregation in this week’s and next week’s forums.

St. Michael’s Reckoning with Racism group (a part of the Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon Reckoning with Racism effort) comprises:

Anna Ziegler (2020-2021)
Beth Ilem
Bev Hoeffer
Cheryl Braginsky
Joan Meyerhoff
Leslie Kowash
Chris Craun (2020-2021)
Holly Denniston
Lynda Moses
Lynn Baker
Nina Shields
Tim Sacket
Marjorie McRae
Diana Wolford
Barb Miller
Marjorie McRae
Pamela Burton (2020-2021)
Peter Sergienko