Disciple: Feeding Mind, Body and Spirit
Mission Endowment Fund Spotlight: Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte
By Christine McTaggart
It began with conversation. In the summer of 2013, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church had closed, leaving a void in the growing, diverse, but fragile east side of Charlotte. The Rt. Rev. Anne E. Hodges-Copple met with area community leaders and deacons, who all agreed an Episcopal presence needed to be re-established. But there was also a desire to create a community service center with a grounding in spirit and a special focus on the large refugee and immigrant populations. As conversations continued into 2014 and expanded to include clergy, staff and laity of several Episcopal churches in Charlotte, a plan to do both began to take shape.
The logical site of the proposed new ministry was the former St. Andrew’s campus. It had housed several service programs in its day, including a community garden, English as Second Language (ESL) classes and a partnership pantry with Loaves and Fishes. But having sat vacant or been leased for more than a year, the building needed repair.
Then there was the work of re-establishing relationships with area nonprofits that had provided key services, such as Central Piedmont Community College, which conducted the Refugee ESL classes, and Loaves and Fishes, which had offered a community food pantry.
But Galilee Ministries didn’t plan to stop at re-establishing the old; the ministry leaders wanted to expand services to support needs the community identified and promote empowerment and self-reliance among the community members in the form of job training, employment opportunities and services for children. They wanted to create ways to engage the local residents in supporting and maintaining the ministry. And, equally important to every other effort, they wanted to ground it all in an Episcopal spirituality so that Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte would not be “just another service center,” but one that clearly demonstrated the welcome, appreciation and love Christians share in the name of Christ.
At that point, everyone involved was a volunteer, so priorities were set: Galilee Ministries needed to reclaim the space at St. Andrew’s, ready it for use, and hire a program coordinator to provide on-site operational oversight, manage administration functions and serve as the point person for community building and organizing. That meant funding was needed.
Enter the Mission Endowment Grant.
ENCOURAGING IMAGINATION
The new program first offered last year by the Diocese of North Carolina was created and designed to support exactly the kind of ministry Galilee Ministries intended to be: an Episcopal presence of Christ in a community that brings the community to see Christ’s presence among them. The ministry was creating strategic partnerships with organizations and groups within the local community, some of which are faith-based, and some of which are not. It was the model of inclusivity, outreach and witness the grant was created to nurture.
“So many grants work off what’s already been done and proven,” says the Rev. Rebecca Yarbrough, a deacon at St. Alban’s, Davidson, and a leader of the ministry. “The fact that this grant allows for experimentation and new and unproven ideas is what makes it so wonderful.”
Galilee Ministries was among more than two dozen applicants hoping to be awarded one of the five first-ever Mission Endowment Grants, and, in April 2015, they were informed they had been chosen as a recipient of the grant.
“It would have been very difficult to pull this ministry together in the time frame we did without the grant,” says Yarbrough. “We would have had to spend so much time fundraising from other sources, we probably would not be up and running now.”
And up and running it is.
THE POWER OF PARTNERS
In March 2015, the Loaves and Fishes Pantry reopened to the community on Mondays and Wednesdays. Central Piedmont Community College resumed offering its ESL classes Monday through Thursday.
In June, Refugee Support Services, a small nonprofit that helps refugees with resettlement, information on their new environment and support resources, became a ministry partner to provide on-site services each Wednesday. They assist 40-50 people each week.
In July, Catholic Charities came on board with a summer camp for refugee children and “high school girls’ dinners” for fellowship. These programs will expand to a full after-school program in the autumn.
Currently in progress is a project by yet another ministry partner: Charlotte Community Kitchens is helping to renovate the commercial kitchen space in the ministry building with the goal of offering it on a rental basis to those working to start a new or build an existing food-based business.
And this fall, community garden seeds will once again be sown.
“It is a delight to see how quickly the ministry has caught on and attracted prospective partners,” says Reid Joyner, ministry volunteer and liaison to Diocesan Council. “Ministry leaders are proceeding intentionally and deliberately to add ministries that fit and complement Galilee Ministry’s vision.”
THE SPIRITUAL SIDE
THE SPIRITUAL SIDENot all of the work is being done on the physical side, though; the other foundational goal of building a spiritual presence is taking hold and growing rapidly as well.
In April, the ministry began offering noonday prayers each Tuesday. Intended to be a “quiet breath” in the middle of busy days, it is offered as an opportunity for fellowship and holy conversation. It has proven to be so needed that a centering prayer time is soon to be offered on Mondays. The plan is to expand the service offerings until ultimately, the Daily Office will be offered several times a week, the noontime prayer offered daily, guided meditations made available, and community Eucharists offered in the context of community meals.
The guided meditation is likely to happen sooner rather than later. The ministry serves a deep mix of cultural origins, including Americans (white, African-American and Latino), Burmese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Middle Eastern, Bhutanese and more. As one can imagine, not all are Episcopalians, but rather represent Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism and Islam. But because all have found such a welcome among the Episcopalians, cultural, conversational and religious gaps are being overcome with interfaith bridges. The ministry is currently in conversation with Mecklenburg Ministries to offer a weekly interfaith meditation.
“As the service side grows, we’re working to grow the spiritual side as well,” says Yarbrough. “It’s been a bit more challenging than expected, though, mostly because we have so many more faiths responding to the ministry than we imagined would!”
REAL DREAMS
In only a few short months, Galilee Ministries of Charlotte has taken a dream and made it a reality. It is a “resurrection” ministry, having taken a property and associated programs that were dead and bringing them alive again, establishing lost programs and adding new services much needed by the community.
“It’s just truly the work of the Holy Spirit,” reflects Yarbrough. “Galilee Ministries has been about being open to opportunities that God revealed and having a strong leadership team that represents The Episcopal Church and our partners. Collaboration is what’s making this possible, and it will be what allows us to continue to grow.”
MISSION ENDOWMENT GRANT APPLICATIONS
The deadline to submit 2016 Mission Endowment Grant applications is
November 30, 2015.
Learn more about the application process and apply for a Mission Endowment Grant.
Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina.
Tags: North Carolina Disciple
