In the spirit of truth, justice, and healing, we acknowledge the painful legacy of slavery and racism that has shaped our society—including the ways in which our church, knowingly or unknowingly, has been complicit in these injustices. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee exists as a commitment to acknowledging our history with honesty, seeking forgiveness with humility, and working toward a future rooted in love and reconciliation.
We commit to listening, learning, and taking action so that our church may be a beacon of love, equity, and restoration. Through open dialogue, education, and meaningful engagement with those impacted, we strive to foster healing and deepen our commitment to justice. In doing so, we honor the dignity of every individual and embrace our responsibility to build a future where love, grace, and equality flourish.
T&R Committee Members
Joan Arnold, Tracy Boyd, Jill Browning, Rob Cramer, Ruth Green, Sarah Heald,
Rixey Hoult, Stacy Lynskey, Linda Procter, Cathy Rogers, Kristen Starr
Since 2014 following the direction of Diocesan Bishop Eugene Sutton, ASEC parishioners and our T & R committee have learned that prominent All Saints parishioners and vestry members were slaveowners. All Saints had a segregated burial ground, and Blacks were relegated to the balcony to worship in the 1818 Court Street building. (We don’t know what the architecture or the segregation practice was in the original All Saints Street building, but it was likely segregated in some way.) These are just a few examples of historical facts relating to slavery that are recorded in the All Saints archives.
In early 2024 the T & R Committee became aware of how many churches were acknowledging their histories with slavery. We realized the importance of doing something similar. And so, we feel compelled, and we hope our congregation does also, to make a statement about All Saints’ role in the institution of slavery and to apologize for it - publicly. We can only reconcile our past by telling the truth about it, apologizing for our wrongdoings, and committing to doing better. It’s a step toward fulfilling our baptismal vows to strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.
We studied markers and plaques as well as consulted with historians, the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, and African American leaders in our church and the Frederick community to guide us in our initial wording for the All Saints Truth and Reconciliation plaque. In June 2025 the T & R Committee presented the wording to the All Saints congregation for feedback. As a result of that feedback, the wording has been revised to its current language. We believe the revised wording achieves the committee’s objectives:
• to address the past, the present, and the future
• to acknowledge the church's wrongdoing, apologize for it, and promise to do better
Once again, we hope to receive the blessing of our All Saints family. We welcome your feedback.
Sometimes we shy away from the work of social justice because it confronts the status quo and challenges the power structures that have been in place for generations.
Sometimes we are uncomfortable when our faith intersects with the pain of the oppressed and we must leave the safety of our pews and journey into the danger of the streets.
Sometimes people reject social justice, “I don’t come to church to deal with this political stuff, I come to church for peace and comfort.”
“Love as an action is the only thing that has ever changed the world for the better. Love is Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, and Josie Robbins. Love is a little girl in Pakistan named Malala Yousafzai standing up to armed men who said that girls shouldn’t be educated… Love is Fannie Lou Hamer, whose contribution to the civil rights movement was honored on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2017… Love is equally the contribution of a woman like Frances Perkins, the secretary of labor who executed much of Roosevelt’s New Deal… Love is a commitment to seek the good and to work for the good of and welfare of others.”
-Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, Love is the Way, pages 20-23
