What an incredible week at the 2026 Sankofa Summer Academy at Witherspoon Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis!

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for what God did in and through this year’s theme: “God Makes No Mistakes: Exploring Self-Love as a Sacrament.”

Together, we witnessed one of the most meaningful weeks in the history of our Academy:

✨ Our largest post-COVID participation!
✨ More than 100 participants engaged by the middle of the week.
✨ Our highest adult class participation ever.
✨ More community guests and non-Witherspoon participants than any previous year.
✨ Our youngest participant Memphis was just 6 months old, while our oldest participant, Mrs. Irma Turner, reminded us that learning has no age limit at 90+ years young.
✨ An extraordinary team of volunteers, teachers, musicians, artists, and servants who poured themselves into every detail.

We are especially grateful for our outstanding guest presenters who challenged, inspired, and encouraged us throughout the week:

🌿 Monday: Pastor Harrison-Jones
🌿 Tuesday: Ms. Ellise Antoinette Smith
🌿 Wednesday: Queen Keesha Dixon
🌿 Thursday: Dr. Patricia Payne
🌿 Friday: Mr. Jonathan Studdard

A special thank you to our gifted teaching artists Ronne Stone and the Epiphany Dance Collective, Mr. Anthony Radford, and Mr. Tim Branson from the School for Community Learning, whose creativity brought learning to life through dance, art, imagination, and culture.

Our heartfelt appreciation also goes to our incredible worship leaders—the Sankofa Ensemble featuring Dr. Jillian Harrison-Jones, Qiana Renee Johnson, Deacon Azalea Smith, and Mr. David Bunch Jr. — the Village Beat Band featuring Maestro Markell Pipkins, Mr. Morris Kimble, Mr. G Lamar Owens, and Mr. Gareth Somers and our special guest Ms. LaKesha Lorene —all whose musical genius helped create an atmosphere where hearts could worship, celebrate, and heal!

Finally, thank you to every parent, grandparent, volunteer, donor, ministry leader, and participant who made this week possible. A special thanks to our amazing Adult Class Lead Teachers, Reverend Lisa Montgomery Bledsoe and Dr. Joty T. Allison whose pastoral prowess and dedication to excellence was a blessing to all!

Lastly, to our amazing Co-Directors, Elder DeWillican Middleton and again Dr. Allison our Associate Pastor for Christian Education and Faith Formation for doing an awesome job inspiring others and ushering in a new era of innovation and collaboration!

Sankofa Academy was more than Vacation Bible School—it is a living reminder that when a church commits itself to faith, culture, excellence, and community, lives are transformed!

Thank you to everyone for capturing these amazing moments all week long and to Deacon Antonio Toppin to capturing the pictures of our closing Naming Ceremony Celebration!

Here’s to an unforgettable 2026 and to all that God has in store for the future!

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Witherspoon Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis was elated to host today’s planning meeting for Testify! Your Art Is Your Witness: Sharing God’s Story Through Black Christian Arts.

It was a joy to welcome artists, organizers, and visionaries who have committed themselves to creating space for Black Christian creativity to flourish. Thank you to everyone who shared your time, ideas, and passion as plans continue to take shape for this exciting initiative.

We are grateful that Witherspoon could provide a place where meaningful conversations, faithful collaboration, and creative imagination could come together. We pray God’s continued blessings upon this work and look forward to seeing how this vision encourages artists to share the story of God’s faithfulness through their unique gifts.

A special word of thanks to our friends at Christian Theological Seminary and The Learning Tree for your partnership and presence. We are also deeply grateful to Mrs. Keisha Dixon, Qiana Johnson, Elder Luther Montgomery, and Mr. Gary Mann, who graciously served as hospitality liaisons on behalf of Witherspoon. Your warmth, generosity, and spirit of welcome embodied the very best of our church’s ministry.

Thank you for allowing Witherspoon to play a small part in this important journey. May God continue to bless every hand, every heart, and every voice that will help bring this vision to life.

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