SACRED GROUND
Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series about race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.
The 11-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.
Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is open to all and especially designed to help white people talk with other white people. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day–all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.
CONTACT
The Rev. Kelly Ryan
Canon Missioner for Discipleship
The Rev. Kelly Ryan
Missioner for Discipleship
984-263-5423
EMAIL
Kelly serves diocesan congregations as the missioner for discipleship. The position was created as part of, and is made possible by, the $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. the diocese received in October 2024 to reconceive the way it supports congregations as they seek to form disciples of all ages. Instead of traditional programming, the project is designed to spark congregational imagination around intergenerational worship and its connection to holistic Christian formation, to support connections among congregations, and to equip and empower congregational leaders to design and lead inclusive, sensory-rich worship rooted in The Episcopal Church’s liturgical traditions.
Kelly previously served at Duke Divinity School as director of the Thriving Congregations Coordination Program and as senior director of Communications and executive editor for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity, as well as a communications coach for Lilly Endowment grantees. For more than two decades, she has served children and their families as a catechist, tutor, mentor and hospital volunteer.
Kelly was ordained a vocational deacon in 2024. For two years, she served as deacon and children’s minister at St. Joseph’s, Durham. In early 2026, she began serving as chaplain to Bishop Jennifer Brooke-Davidson. She holds a Master of Divinity, a certificate in Christian Education, and an MA in Christian Practice from Duke Divinity School, as well as a BA in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
SACRED GROUND FACILITATORS TRAINING
Who:
- People who have taken Sacred Ground and want to gain skills and support around facilitating Sacred Ground
- Experienced Facilitators who want to gain more insight and best practices
What:
- Three 90-minute sessions
- Opportunity to share the framework of Sacred Ground, share discussion questions and themes for each week, integrate “tools” to help participants move to action, integrate spiritual practices to ground the work in our faith and life
When:
- Please subscribe to the discipleship newsletter to stay apprised of these offerings. Contact the Rev. Kelly Ryan.
SACRED GROUND DIOCESAN GROUP
Have you wanted to offer Sacred Ground for your church but wanted to experience it first? This is your chance to experience the program. With this program, we want to equip facilitators to begin groups in the fall.
Who:
- People who have not taken Sacred Ground and may want to facilitate
- People who want to explore their faith and racial justice
What:
- 11 biweekly, 90-minute sessions
- Readings, two core books, and film and spiritual practices
- The two core books for the class are “Waking Up White” by Debby Irving and “Jesus and the Disinherited” by Howard Thurman. If you need the Diocese to order these books for you, please tell us which books you need in the registration form.
- Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.
- Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for complex but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism.
- It invites participants to walk back through history to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as essential narratives that shape the collective American story.
- It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing.
