Our hearts are full as we reflect on our time together celebrating the life, legacy, and enduring witness of the Blessed Pauli Murray.

This gathering reminded us that the Church is strongest when we choose partnership over separation, collaboration over competition, and community over isolation. Though we come from different traditions, we are united by one Spirit, one faith, and one calling to bear witness to God’s love in the world!

For those who may be unfamiliar with her story, Pauli Murray was a lawyer, poet, priest, scholar, and prophetic voice whose courage helped reshape our nation. Long before many of the victories of the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Rights Movement, Murray was challenging unjust laws, advocating for equal protection under the law, and imagining a more just society. Her legal scholarship helped lay the foundation for landmark civil rights and gender equality cases, and she became the first Black woman ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church. We owe a great debt to her unwavering commitment to justice, dignity, and the belief that faith must always be lived out in the pursuit of liberation.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the members of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, the faithful community of All Saints Episcopal Church, our neighbors from across Indianapolis, Bishop Jennifer, Father Stephen, the extraordinary Music Ministry of Witherspoon, and everyone who joined us in worship, fellowship, and holy collaboration.

It is our prayer that what we experienced together will inspire congregations throughout our city to build together, serve together, collaborate together, and faithfully dream together for the sake of God’s Kin-dom. Our communities need churches that demonstrate what unity, justice, compassion, and shared ministry can look like.

May the witness of Pauli Murray never fade from our memory. Instead, may her courage, prophetic vision, and unwavering commitment to justice remain at the forefront of our hearts, shaping our ministry, strengthening our witness, and inspiring our work for generations to come.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this sacred day possible. We are grateful for the opportunity to worship together and look forward to many more moments of shared ministry as we continue to proclaim the Gospel—together.

To God be the glory. ... See MoreSee Less