As convention host, the Diocese of Maryland got to invite the whole church to learn about a ministry that defines their life together. For Maryland, that ministry is racial reconciliation and healing.

Bishop Eugene Sutton’s convention sermon on July 10 was an elegant, powerful primer on why and how they’ve engaged in truth-telling and reparations, often among otherwise conservative church folks. The diocesan Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented their shared story in a beautiful film, The Trail of Souls: A Journey Toward Truth and Transformation.

Guests walking through the main convention hallways could trace a timeline charting the progress of diocesan work on racial justice and healing. In addition, the diocese’s Social Justice and Reconciliation ministry – led by Canon Chris McCloud – hosts a website with regularly updated resources and stories about their groundbreaking Reparations Fund and the Trail of Souls, an in-person and online pilgrimage of Episcopal sites with ties to slavery.