Cape Town: The Work in the 15th

17 Mar - 9:30PM
I've finally settled in the Cape. Settled means I've developed some normalcy of my time here. I have a routine, I'm getting used to the nuances that are different than being in Kentucky and the extremities of my work have hit me like a ton of bricks!

I will now talk some about my work. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, I am unable to provide significant details, but essentially its this: cultural differences + church politics = a big mess!  Allow me to provide some context...

The AME Church - African Methodist Episcopal Church - was founded in 1787 and born from a defiant spirit and desire to worship freely without the issue of white dominance and control from the American Methodists.  After spreading the Connectional Church across the United States (mainly in the northeast and midwest), by 1896, the AME Church established a presence in Africa. Today, 7 of the 21 Episcopal Districts represent over 20 African countries in the AME Church.

The General Conference is the presiding body of the Church - composed of the 20 Bishops (as ex-officio officers) and an equal number of ministers and lay representatives from each District (in addition to other ex-officio members).  The Council of Bishops meet annually to hear and address concerns regarding issues brought against the Bishops.  The Board of Incorporators oversees the AMEC's property issues.  The General Board serves as the administrative body with representatives from the various Commissions (and its officers) in addition to a presiding Bishop and the others.  The Judicial Board is the appellate court of the Church.  While maybe seemingly unimportant to the reader here, this structure puts the Episcopal in the AME Church and is relevant to my work here.

This structure rests at the heart of the issues in the 15th District. Strained relationships between individual lay persons, between the lay and the pastors and the between the lay, pastors and Bishop(s) have all been supported or challenged by the processes outlined in the Discipline.  The rules of the Church rest in the Discipline - the book that guides the AME Church. Everything from worship services, to the appointment of pastors to the discipline of leadership - Bishops, Elders and ministers - is written in the Discipline.  Here in the 15th District, the Discipline seems to be more important than the Bible!

24 Mar - 11:20AM
The issues here are multi-layered: misuse of power, disrespect, allegations of sexual misconduct, historical precedence of non-action on behalf of leadership to discipline leaders, capitalism, imperialism - the list could go on and on. Perhaps, besides the latter two issues, these conditions are not specific to South Africa. AME Churches and for that, other Christian denominations - Catholics, Baptists, Evangelicals - suffer from many of the same issues as do we. Its my belief that these issues are more pronounced here in Cape Town partly due to the larger political context that serves as a backdrop for how people live.

Colured woman and her child

South Africa is dominated by the African National Congress party. ANC members are Africans - true Africans as I would say. They have a tribal heritage, have dark skin and are referred to as the "Blacks."  In Cape Town, they are not the majority as they are throughout the country. "Colureds" - or people of mixed race with lighter skin tone than Blacks - make up most of the city. Most of the AME churches are congregated by Colureds. Afrikaans are the White people. For the most part, these groups live in segregated communities and do not mix socially. Colureds and Afrikaans speak Afrikaan - a mixture of Portugese, German, Dutch and other languages of groups who colonized the country. Blacks mostly speak the Cosa language (though there certainly are many other languages spoken as well). Most everyone knows some English and serves to some degree as a uniting element.

A quick and dirty assessment of what I have been dealing with is this...

Prior to Bishop McCloud's time here, the past Bishop made pastoral appointments that some people didn't like, he removed an Elder that rubbed some people the wrong way and was found guilty by the AME Church of mishandling a sexual misconduct case. He was removed of his post and Bishop McCloud was his replacement - almost three years into his 4-year term.

When Bishop McCloud arrived in February 2011, many ministers and lay had joined a group within the church called The Movement for Change. The Movement wanted to see the past Bishop brought to justice in addition to the pastor and Elder who had been accused of sexual misconduct. The investigation of the sexual misconduct case was mishandled and after 3 Judiciary Committee processes there lacked enough evidence for the AME Church to pursue charges against the accused (in addition to the lapse of time according to the Discipline). The accusers did not pursue the case far enough for the secular justice system to work in their favor. In the midst of this all, the sexual misconduct case hits the local tabloid causing a wave of presumed guilt toward the accused that further damaged relationships in the church.

Ebenezer (Bellville) with locks

Since Bishop McCloud's arrival (and even prior to), many of the ministers have left the Movement and have been accepted back into the AME Church. For them, the removal of the past Bishop was enough for them to move forward. It is rumored that some of the ministers left the Movement in order to receive favor from Bishop McCloud and to get good pastoral appointments.  Whatever the reason, all but 11 of the original 42 ministers have left the Movement.  The 11 that remain have since been expelled from the Church for refusing to abide by AME laws. They are upset by this as are many of their congregates and hence are "occupying" the churches under the auspice of seeking justice and wanting to continue to worship in "their churches."  That fight is a very tough one and has even gotten physically violent. The Bishop has appointed new ministers to these churches and the church body's are refusing to accept the newly appointed pastors. Churches are being locked and disputes over keys and control of the buildings continue to persist.

So my day-to-day work has been in meeting with ministers and lay to hear how these issues have affected them personally, their families, their churches and the overall climate of the District. What Bishop McCloud has asked me to do is help develop a process for reconciliation as a way forward. In three weeks, this task has seemed quite impossible!

Cape Town - Day 5: Blessings from God

12:34AM
I've been in South Africa for four days now and it seems like its been weeks already! Still no pictures, but I promise they are coming:-). It must be meant to be this way - for me to share more about my work and the goodness of how God is manifesting himself in, to and through me and with those in which I interact.

Many who know me know that my family life is challenging - for a number of reasons. Its no secret to you that Gerome and I have not had an easy walk, partly due to unresolved issues from his previous marriage. This is not unique to us - fore many families deal with similar situations. But never did I imagine that my walk in discovering ways to forgive and remove myself from the center of conflict in our relationship would prove to be of benefit to my AME family in Cape Town. 

Today I was able to share my story with a minister who is trying to tackle pain brought to he and his family due to church politics and his inability to share his hurt with his family - immediate and church. I felt his pain because I certainly know where he is and tried to counsel him in sharing my experience in learning to forgive; in learning how to accept the reality of things we cannot change; and in knowing God still has work for us to do - in strengthening ourselves and working for His people. Though we shared a few tears of pain, I could feel God's presence in the midst of our conversation and beamed with gratitude that I was able to be used in this way.   I shared with my AME brother that our walk becomes so much more tough when we are not able to lose ourselves in the midst of stormy times in order to make room for the blessings God has available for us. When we do not lose our desire to control situations, He forces us to in challenging ways so that we may do as He would have.  Our blessings come when we submit to His will and become a vessel for others to receive his grace. I am so grateful that my walk allowed me to be used in this way...my blessing came today in knowing He has moved me way beyond where I used to be.

8:12AM
Today I finally got up and went for a walk and boy what a blessing I received. For those who do not believe the built and natural environment affect our ability and willingness to engage in physical activity is a lie!  I got up 1) because I did want to exercise, but moreover I have been dying to see the sun rise.  We tried to catch the sun set behind the mountains yesterday but left the office too late, but its all good because what I saw today was nothing but the goodness of God.

I've got pictures!

Cape Town: Day 1

11:23PM Saturday

I landed safely in Cape Town last night and was greeted by Bishop and his friend's daughter, Tori. Tori was visiting with Bishop from Jo'burg (Johannesburg) where her father lives and serves the 19th District as Bishop. She and I spent a few hours together last night getting to know each other but mostly her showing me pictures of her time here, in and around Jo'burg as well as Pretoria (the nation's capitol city). We all thought it quite unfortunate that her time here ended this afternoon as mine just began, but she had to fly back to visit with her father before heading back to Philly. She did me a great service and I appreciated our time together.

After Tori left, the day was pretty chill. I'm still a bit jet lagged so I rested most of the day and spent time preparing for my day tomorrow (and time here). We have a tough day ahead...

5:39AM Sunday

I'm up watching the Louisville-Cincy game. It's amazing; I woke up just as the game began. It's about 9 minutes remaining in the 2nd half. I didn't expect to miss home so much but watching the game is comforting for that reason.

I'm looking forward to our day today. As I mentioned before, it's going to be tough because it's going to be a long day with tough conversations. I will be meeting church leaders and members for the first time and will begin assessing the situation. Bishop tells me he has informed folks of my arrival and they are looking forward to receiving me. I'm remissed about how short my trip is in the context of my ability to have significant impact. However, I have to trust that the Lord knows the way forward and I'm simply a vessel by which those here will navigate their own destinies.

So I have been kinda bummed out about my communication challenges. T-Mobile led me to believe I'd have cheaper more accessible communications with my phone. My family hasn't yet successfully logged into Skype and even Pandora tells me it's "not available in this country!" Really? But God knows what He's doing; and so do I. A friend made me laugh about it. He said, "That's to be expected...forget the west!" so this blog and my journal will be much more important and useful than my phone. I have to admit though that I like that...means I get to purchase a new camera Monday so that I can post pictures!

A few interesting observations thus far:

• Race and class are much more important and impactful on the lives of people here. Much more than in Louisville.
• I'm reading In His Own Words on Nelson Mandela...his work and that of the ANC make the Civil Rights work in the US look weak. The book has also confirmed a belief that I have about the plight of Blacks in the US; that part of our issues are related to the lack of forward thinking and strategic planning post-integration.
• Hustling is a theme that has been following me for about a year or so...from a farmer friend's reference to T-Pain's song to seeing Africans grinding on the streets and intersections here. As Jay-Z said he could, I believe they could sell water to a whale!
• I hate our industrial food system (not that it's a surprise to anyone) and its dominance in the global world. I have hated seeing McDonalds and 24-hour KFCs and their signs at busy intersections along major roadways! It's quite disgusting and embarrassing! Being from Louisville almost makes feel like a representative on some level for YUM! I will though express my dislike of that company and all it represents when given the opportunity....
• I'm staying in a gated community where Bishop's residence is the only house of color. Can't wait to rock my fro and walk through the neighborhood - LOL!!

South Africa Here I Come!

When God commands us to do things, we have to be obedient and follow his word. I would admit that I have been just as hard-headed as the next person. But for me, being a very able bodied under-employed mother of two has pushed me toward a closer walk with Him. Over the past 3 years, I have gone deep into my prayer closet and pleaded with God for favor. My most recent requests have been to increase my leadership opportunities and wealth. As so happens often, those prayers have been answered not in the way that I envisioned, but in the way that God sees fit for me to receive. Oooooh, but this time it has been relatively easy for me to be in agreement with what my Savior has asked of me.

A few weeks ago – three to be exact – my church received a visitor in Bishop Earl McCloud, Jr. of the 15th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. As soon as Bishop McCloud starting speaking, the Lord led me to him. Literally, “You can go back to Africa with him…” I had my pastor introduce us, we spoke later that evening (and frequently since then) and Thursday I’m on my way to Cape Town, South Africa! I will be spending 3 weeks with members and leaders of the AME churches in Cape Town on reconciliation issues and church growth. I have been blessed with skills that make it natural for me to bring people together toward a common goal and I look forward to using those skills in my church body.

I have a background in community organizing, particularly around food, agriculture and economic development issues but I got my feet wet organizing as a college student. As an undergraduate at the University of Louisville, I engaged in student organizing simply out of the need (without any formal training). We just knew things on the yard weren’t right and we organized ourselves to make that environment more student-friendly and focused, especially for Blacks and other students of color. Also while in school, I had the opportunity to train and work with leaders of the United Food and Commercial Workers – Local 1 Union in Syracuse, NY organizing low-wage grocery store workers with stereotypical Italian-American union guys! They taught me the basics, including the acquired taste of an ice-cold beer:-). In 2003, my whole life changed when Community Farm Alliance introduced me to the plight of Kentucky’s family farmers – the good and bad about tobacco and a vision for a local food system to feed Kentuckians and refuel our state’s economy. I then began organizing with CFA (getting formal training) to connect small farmers with residents in West Louisville who had limited access to food. And like President Obama, community organizing has become an essential part of who I am. To be able to use these experiences and skills to benefit people in South Africa is quite an honor.

This is the first of many blog posts over the next few weeks. Many friends have encouraged me to blog during my trip and so I’m using this as one medium to document my trip. I also hope to tweet much while I’m away and of course take tons of photos and video (some uploaded here). I am most excited about teaching Bella how to use Skype! This 5-year old is quite proficient with the computer (I mean, to be 5). Skype will also help me to continue my food policy work here in Louisville while I’m away, including presenting at the Sistah Summit, March 23-24 being put on by Bani Hines-Hudson with UofL’s Saturday Academy program. Yes, technology is a beautiful thing and helps make greater things possible.

I thank you for all the encouraging words – even the naysayers who believe I’m nuts for leaving my family for three weeks to pursue this opportunity. Besides the great work, I will use this trip as a way to re-center myself, become more spiritually connected and guided and to come back to Louisville with a South African glow ready to take on whatever it is God asks of me next!

Stay tuned…