Absalom Jones Celebration

  Posted on February 16, 2023  by admin  No comments

“What a joy to be a part of the Absalom Jones celebration this past Sunday in Thanksgiving for
the Life and Ministry of the first black priest to be ordained in the Episcopal church and his
founding of the first black Episcopal church, St. Thomas African Episcopal Church. It was fitting
that this service of thanksgiving was held in a church that prides itself as being part of the Black
Episcopal Church and is led by the fifth rector of the Church and its first female priest, the
Reverend Tracy Johnson Russell. The event was sponsored by the Racial Healing, Justice and
Reconciliation Ministry Network of our Diocese, the Episcopal Church in Connecticut as well as
The Union of Black Episcopalians CT Chapters and St. Monica’s Episcopal Church. Churches
across our Diocese were invited to participate and for Super Bowl Sunday, we were grateful for
the 80 people who found the time to be part of the moving liturgy which paid tribute to the
work and legacy that Absalom Jones has left behind. I was very proud that a small group of us
from St. Paul’s were part of the congregation.
The liturgy for the evening was enriched by relevant readings, the psalm137: (1-6) and the very
moving Prayers of the People which were written by the Reverend Jemonde Taylor based on “A
Thanksgiving Sermon” given by the Reverend Absalom Jones on the first of January 1808 as well
as well-known African American and African influenced spirituals. The presence of our new
Bishop, the Right Reverend Jeffery Mello gave a special grace to the occasion. But the piece de
resistance for me was the sermon by the Reverend Yejide Peters Pietersen who talked about
the fact that not much had changed in the Episcopal Church in terms of the way in which black
priests were called to serve and her call for the levelling of the playing field for the many
qualified black and brown candidates waiting to serve in God’s kingdom.
Absalom Jones’ actual feast day is 13 February, if you missed it this year, mark your calendar for
next year’s celebration. Why is this day or Reverend Jones’ contribution still important you may
ask well? Well as Annette Buchanan, National President of the Union of Black Episcopalians,
notes it is an opportunity “to appreciate the foundation that he laid of community outreach,
advocacy, and evangelism” which many of the black and other churches continue in our
Episcopal Church to proudly perpetuate. To learn more about him here is a link to his life and
times. (place link) And because it is important for his story to be told, here is a link with the
story of Absalom Jones and his contribution to the Episcopal Church specially written for
children which we hope you will share with your children and grandchildren.
Above all, as Ms. Buchanan reminds us, Absalom Jones life and times reminds us of two
important things, the role of the Black Episcopal Church and the need for each of us to live into
our baptismal vows. “The Black Episcopal Church,” she says, “has been and will continue to be
the conscience of our denomination reminding us of our baptismal covenant to respect the
dignity of every human being.” And to that I say AMEN!”

– Gail Bindley-Taylor