Clergy and Lay Leaders of Color Gather for First-Ever Retreat at Camp McDowell
The Episcopal Church in Alabama has organized its first-ever retreat for clergy and lay leaders of color at Camp McDowell, offering a sacred space for connection, reflection, and community. The three-day retreat was organized by some clergy people of color in partnership with the Diocese’s Racial Healing and Pilgrimage ministry.
The idea for the gathering began several years ago as a dinner conversation among a handful of clergy. “It started with about five of us,” recalled the Rev. Katie Nakamura Rengers. “We needed a place to build trust, community, and connections.” With support from the diocese, that seed has now grown into a retreat welcoming both clergy and laity.
Held from September 5- 7, the three-day gathering brought together more than 15 leaders from over five parishes, including priests and people who serve in roles ranging from vestry to administration.
The retreat welcomed the Rev. Canon Eric McIntosh of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh as guest speaker. Serving as Canon for Beloved Community Initiative, Canon McIntosh has been engaged in developing a multi-racial congregation that is both learning and embracing the Episcopal tradition for community restoration, renewal, and revival. He opened the retreat with an agape service of evening prayer, during which participants shared a meal, sang songs, and told stories. His message centered on storytelling as an act of faith, drawing from Psalm 23 and reimagining the text through the eyes of the oppressed.
“Do we have the same shepherd?” he asked. “Is yours mine? Is mine yours, if Jesus is the center of the table?” His reflections challenged participants to consider themes of justice, equality, belonging, and the search for the Beloved Community.
Workshops throughout the weekend encouraged participants to engage Scripture through their lived experiences in a session titled Reading Scripture as People of Color. Questions included: How do we bring our whole selves to the text? Where do we see ourselves in the biblical story? How does this shape our ministries and service to God’s work?
For the Rev. Carolyn Foster, of St. Mark’s Church in Birmingham, the retreat’s approach to scripture reading, especially Psalm 23, was particularly transformative. “It was eye-opening to think about it in that way,” she said. “What does the Lord setting a table before me in the presence of my enemies truly mean? What does it mean to invite others to the table?”
Alongside worship and study, the retreat also provided opportunities for several social events, including activities such as karaoke, games, drinks, and hangout time. It concluded with an Eucharist service and a time of collective sharing, during which participants lifted up their hopes for the future. Many named the need for ongoing support groups, spaces for prayer, and continued community beyond the retreat. Above all, there was a strong desire for this gathering not to be the last.
“Our hope,” one participant said, “is that this retreat marks the beginning of something lasting—an ongoing journey of hope, transformation, and beloved community.”
The writer is the Director of Communications. She can be reached at nana@dioala.org