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| Figure 1: Stations of Reparations service, St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, Asbury Park, NJ, March 16, 2024. Photo by Jolyon Pruszinski. |
On Saturday March 16, 2024 the Reparations Commission of the Diocese of New Jersey sponsored its second annual Liturgy of Stations of Reparations, a Lenten service of repentance. Originally conceived by the Commission’s history working group, the service was a well-attended, broadly collaborative effort hosted by members of the influential, historically Black church, St. Augustine’s, Asbury Park, New Jersey.
The first “Stations” service was held in March 2023 at St. Peter’s, Freehold, NJ, and brought together testimony from several churches that had researched their parish involvement with slavery. This second service focused on the Post-Civil War history of systemic racism and featured testimony from local Monmouth County Episcopal churches. This focus on systemic racism is itself rooted in New Jersey’s history of enslavement. A video recording of the service is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_AvkWiK8ks.
The core of the service was modeled on the traditional Stations of the Cross, in which, at each Station, a portion of the story of Jesus’ Passion is told within a repeating structure of prayer. However, instead of featuring the stories of Jesus’ Passion, the service lifted up stories related to systemic racism and injustice, as well as achievement and lived faith in the context of historically Black congregations. Interspersed with presentations of parish histories were poems that fostered reflection on the Black experience of racism and a sung refrain from “There is a Balm in Gilead.” Dr. Bennett Craft (organ and piano) and Sheila Harris Jackson (soloist) led the music for the service, while the Rev. Dr. William Ndishabandi, Priest in Charge at St. Augustine’s, the Rev. Chase Danford, Rector of Trinity, Asbury Park, and the Rt. Rev. Sally French, Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey, presided.
The first station featured testimony from Ms. Linda Shomo of St. Augustine’s, Asbury Park, past president of the New Jersey chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians. She told about the recent history of racism in Asbury Park through an explanation of governmental development choices and their economic and social impacts. She further detailed her experience of the strained racial relationship between St. Augustine’s and Trinity, Asbury Park. Her moving descriptions of the nurturing parish life at St. Augustine’s that sustained her through the difficulties of growing up in a town beset by racism were a testament to the faithfulness and persistence of the congregation.
The second station’s historical presentation came from Rev. Danford of Trinity Asbury Park. He described some of the early racist laws in Asbury Park, and noted that the initial benefactor of the church, James Bradley, created many of these policies. He described modest early ministry to local Black people in the late nineteenth century, but also the lack of relationship with St. Augustine’s throughout the twentieth century. Lately Trinity has formed a Racial Justice Audit team to examine its history of racism. While much work remains to be done, Danford described new policies in hiring, improved relationships beyond the White community of Asbury Park, and the diversification of depictions of Jesus in the sacred art at Trinity.
The third station was presented by Charles Hughes of St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Red Bank whose wife’s grandparents were among the founding members of St. Thomas. That first generation began meeting in a chapel which had fallen into disuse which was then owned by the White congregation of Trinity Episcopal Church, Red Bank. In the mid-twentieth century, when St. Thomas had grown dramatically and looked to expand, many neighboring White residents sought to prevent their building. The congregation prevailed against this racist resistance and managed to build their new church in Red Bank in the 1950’s, continuing to bless the community that had resisted its presence. St. Thomas has had a thriving ministry there ever since, including founding “Lunch Break” (https://lunchbreak.org) a critical social service organization in Red Bank providing food, clothing, job training, and more to those experiencing financial insecurity.
The fourth station featured a description of the larger diocesan history of racism occurring following the civil war and throughout the twentieth century by Reparations Commission Research Historian, Jolyon Pruszinski, Ph.D. This racism included long-standing White refusal to worship with Black Episcopalians, underfunding of Black churches, and even the closing of Black congregations to fund White ones. Then, during a time of quiet reflection and prayer, participants were invited to consider the stories told by the presenters and possible steps the Holy Spirit might be prompting in response. The Rev. Kevin Thompson, Deacon, St. Thomas, Red Bank closed the service saying: “The journey of reparations is long. Today we have taken one small step. Let us go forth in the Name of Christ to walk towards justice and healing.” A hearty reception afterward, hosted by St. Augustine parishioners, allowed for continued conversation and the sharing of personal stories.
The Commission believes it is essential that these stories be told in many ways, not least in the context of worship. Further services are being planned for other regions of the diocese in subsequent years, and many churches in the diocese are beginning to look into the ways they have participated in enslavement and engaged in or benefitted from racism. Updates from the Reparations Commission can be found at https://dioceseofnj.org/commissions/reparations-commission/ and research updates concerning the diocese’s history regarding slavery and racism can be found at the Diocese of New Jersey Racial Justice Review website: https://dionj-racialjusticereview.blogspot.com.
Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski, Ph.D.
Reparations Commission Research Historian
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
