SACRED GROUND & RACIAL RECONCILIATION
Sacred Ground
Sacred Ground is a film- and readings-based dialogue series on race, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, and political and regional identity.
The 11-part series is built around a powerful online curriculum of documentary films and readings that focus on Indigenous, Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific American histories as they intersect with European American histories.
Sacred Ground is part of Becoming Beloved Community, The Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society. This series is open to all, and especially designed to help white people talk with other white people. Participants are invited to peel away the layers that have contributed to the challenges and divides of the present day – all while grounded in our call to faith, hope and love.
Click here to learn more from the national church.
How can you participate?
We offer a diocesan-wide zoom session that runs from mid-January to mid-June. Classes are organized into facilitated small groups called “circles” that meet every other week, and there is a commitment of additional study time outside of class. The course is free, but there are two books (Waking Up White by Debbie Irving and Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman), that you will need to borrow or purchase in order to participate. Registration for 2026 small groups is now open, register here.
Educational in nature, this course and the conversation it generates, are fundamental to our aim of racial reconciliation. We invite you to sign up for a small group today.
If you have taken the course and would like to serve as a facilitator, please reach out to Lesley Dean-Sims at lesleydean5403@gmail.com.
If your parish is interested in starting their own circles, please contact Lesley Dean Sims for more information about this process.
DioNeb Racial Reconciliation Ministry
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, our diocesan leadership gathered a small group of Lay people with one request: Do something in our Diocese to help move the needle on racial justice.
In September of 2020, our Women’s Ministry organization hosted a webinar based on the viral essay, My Body is a Confederate Monument written by Caroline Randall Williams. That webinar served as a springboard for more conversations about racial justice and in January of 2021, we began to offer diocesan-wide Sacred Ground circles via zoom. Since that first zoom circle, we have looked for ways to continue the conversation.
Voter Registration Committee
When our Monuments and Roads pilgrims returned home in June of 2023, we were looking for a way to put everything we learned into something actionable. In a few short weeks, we formed a small but mighty team of folks who were willing to dedicate their time and efforts to holding voter registration drives in North and South Omaha, areas of traditionally low voter turnout.
The group dedicated time to training and hosts voter registration drives at community events all over the metro area. In addition to voter registration, they continue to be a resource for folks who don’t know where to find accurate information about the voting process.
Our diocesan Racial Reconciliation commission formed in early 2024, and meets quarterly to plan and vision for this dynamic ministry.
In addition to organizing Sacred Ground circles, our goal is to create an environment for continuing education of systemic and institutional racism as well as engagement opportunities on racial justice issues within the diocese.
Commission Members:
Chair, Lesley Dean Sims, Church of the Resurrection - Omaha
Co – Chair, MJ Matthews, St. Andrew's - Omaha
Pam Wright, St. Augustine of Canterbury - Elkhorn
Barb Hall, St. Augustine of Canterbury - Elkhorn
Steve Shively, St. Mark’s on the Campus - Lincoln
Stephanie Burge, St. Luke’s - Kearney
Noelle Ptomey, Holy Hosts - West Omaha
Rev. Karen Watson - All Saints - Omaha
Lachisha Baskin, Diocese of Nebraska
Sustainable Progress in DioNeb (A Brief History)
2021
First Diocesan- wide Sacred Ground Circles begin (80+ participants)
2022
Second Round (50+ participants)
- Intersection of Faith and Politics: Loving Your Neighbor through an Election Cycle (CRT)
2023
Third SG Round (40 + and two parishes begin the class)
- Monuments and Roads Pilgrimage - Plug TMRW session
- Misty Flowers Presentation/Genoa Indian School Field Trip
2024
Fourth SG Round of SG (30 +) and four parishes begin the class
- Racial Reconciliation Commission Forms
- Pilgrimage podcasts Launches
- Voter Registration Team Forms – To date we’ve registered about 80 voters!
- Ferial Pearson Zoom Event – The Power of Story and the Danger of Absence
- Presentations at the 2024 Race, Religion, and Social Justice Conference at Tri Faith
- SG Alum Field Trips to Great Plains Black History and the Samuel Bak Museums
2025
- Field trip to the Hispanic Heritage museum
- Anti racism training
- Pauli Murray documentary screening and concert in conjunction with the River City Mixed Chorus and Filmstreams
- Workshop and keynote address with Bishop Marianne Edgar Budde
Currently we estimate over 350 people have taken the SG course through our diocesan and parish groups!
2026 Calendar Preview
- Oklahoma Pilgrimage: visit the website here to learn more.
Want to learn more about Sacred Ground and Racial Reconciliation Ministries in DioNeb? Contact Lesley Dean at lesleydean5403@gmail.com with any questions.
Completed Sacred Ground?
Check out the resources below for further learning, informaiton about social justice and advocacy groups, and information about local and national church programs. You may also wish to read through our 2023 Monuments & Roads Pilgrimage Journal here, or the Tri-Faith Social Justice and Racial Reconciliation Conference Packet here.
