Bishop Mariann is pleased to announce the members of the Reparations Committee of the Diocese of Washington. As described in the Resolution For The Creation Of A Reparations Committee, this Committee is charged with the assessment of past and present racialized injustices in the diocese, development of a comprehensive reparations plan, and implementation of reparative measures, including the expenditure of $5 million over 10 years.
“I am grateful to the members of this diocese who responded to the call to lead the next chapter in our work for reparations,” Bishop Mariann shares. “Building on the work of the Reparations Task Force and the Committee on Diocesan Reparations, this new team will support our diocese in attending to the harms that still impact our communities today. I look forward to supporting them in their work. May we all receive the fruits of their labor in good time.”
Applications were received from many regions around the diocese and appointments were made based on guidelines provided by the resolution, including commitment to racial justice and equity and a range of expertise related to the task they will undertake.
Committee Members:
Jennifer Amuzie, Calvary D.C.
Deanna Chevannes, St. Thomas’ Croome
The Rev. Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, Canon Theologian, Washington National Cathedral
The Rev. Diana Edwards, Grace Episcopal D.C.
The Rev. Dr. Maria Kane, St. Paul’s Waldorf
Keenan Keller, St. Patrick’s D.C.
Patricia Marshall, Atonement, D.C.
The Rev. Shayna Watson, Trinity D.C.
The committee will begin meeting later this spring. Per diocesan canons, Bishop Mariann is an ex-officio member. Support will be provided by Michelle Dibblee, the Interim Missioner for Equity and Justice, as well as other diocesan staff.
Knowing that this work is possible only through the grace of God, we offer this prayer from January’s Service Toward Repentance for this Committee and the diocese:
Gracious God, we come before you, as a diocese, seeking repentance and peace. We trust, as the Gospel teaches, that the truth shall make us free. We endeavor to admit, name, and bear witness to the trauma and anguish the Episcopal Diocese of Washington has wrought upon its Black members and congregations. We desire to confront and engage the effects of the harms the diocese caused by actions taken and not taken. We also bear witness to and honor the remarkable resilience, faith, and forbearance demonstrated by the Black members and congregations of the diocese despite the cruel treatment and disregard by many of their fellow Episcopalians. We desire to repair the breach and to make amends. Help us to act truly as your hands and feet in this undertaking. We know that this is only possible with your help and mercy through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
