A special group of local leaders in the faith-based community is finding more reasons than ever to come together.
An interfaith alliance was formed two years ago to include members of Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths in Henry, Clayton and Fayette counties. In January of 2019 the group convened an ecumenical worship service in remembrance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the week of his birthday. The practice was repeated as “Unity in the Community” took place again in January of this year.
As the third annual event looms on the horizon, the issues that have consumed people in Henry County and elsewhere during the past 12 months have changed the scope of the organization that is behind it.
“Peace and unity amid differences and disparities that attempt to divide us. Courage and hope amid the violence and hate that attempts to destroy us. Reconciliation and new beginnings amid a people who are hungry and in need of love, compassion, and understanding.”
Those words, expressed by Rev. Charles Jackson, summarize the themes that are weighing on the hearts of these faith leaders today. A retired elder of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, Jackson organized the interfaith alliance along with J.B. Bass, former pastor of New Hope UMC in Hampton and NGC certified lay speaker.
Within weeks after the 2020 “Unity in the Community” service, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a shutdown of businesses and churches in the area. Local residents began grappling with loss of employment, increased difficulty in getting essentials, struggles related to children’s educational schedules, and the lack of opportunities to gather for worship and other community events. This was followed in short order by growing unrest amid various incidents involving law enforcement and black citizens, leading to protests and violence in cities around the United States. Meanwhile, closer to home, the removal of the monument on the Square in McDonough led to considerable debate among locals.
All of this led to conversations in Henry County between government and business leaders as well as other concerned citizens. Jackson was asked to contact the group of interfaith leaders and discuss ways the group “could support a movement to develop solutions that bring people together in a united spirit for justice, peace, and nonviolence,” as he put it.
Out of this was born the Henry County Interfaith Dialogue on Racism, which “seeks to have an uncomfortable conversation about race,” said Jackson. “We commit ourselves to carefully listening to different perspectives, especially those most negatively impacted by racial injustice. We seek to understand rather than being understood, so that we may actively facilitate healing, reconciliation, unity, and transformation in our community.”
Monthly meetings began in June. Planned upcoming projects include a mission statement, a pastoral letter from Henry County interfaith leaders, a teen Zoom discussion on race, and the third annual service honoring King. It is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 10, at 2 p.m. at Saint James the Apostle Catholic Church in McDonough.
