Racial Justice
Building Beloved Community
Building Beloved Community
Beloved community: a community of Jesus in which everyone is cared for, absent of poverty, hunger and hate. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. popularized the term during his lifetime of activism and imbued it with new meaning, fueled by his faith that such a community was, in fact, possible.
Building Beloved Community is a committee of the Village Church Session, the church’s governing body. Its purpose is to work both within and outside Village Church to follow our faith’s teaching in justice for, inclusion of and welcome to all people. The committee’s work focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion specifically around race and ethnicity, but also including gender, sexual orientation and identity, age and ability.
Join Us
The Building Beloved Community Committee meets on the first Sunday of each month. Contact Rev. Chad Herring for more information.
A Legacy of Activism
In 1965 and 1966, Dr. Bob Meneilly, founding pastor of Village Church, delivered several sermons urging his all-white congregation to welcome African American residents into their suburban neighborhoods and church. These messages prompted several complimentary letters but also a flood of hate mail. Dr. Bob stood firm in his beliefs about equal rights. He spoke out in newspapers, at meetings and from his pulpit. In a 2012 oral history, Meneilly reflected on the impact of his civil rights preaching: “It was very hard for some people. We lost 300 members one year.”
Today, we are are actively committed to continuing the legacy begun by Dr. Bob in the 1960’s and continue to do everything possible to live toward Dr. King’s “Beloved Community.”
