On Sunday, June 9, in a joint service held at Asbury Broadneck United Methodist Church, its neighbor, St. Margaret’s Church, issued a formal apology to Asbury, the community and the Annual Father’s Day Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and empowering Black people on the Broadneck Peninsula area of Annapolis.
The apology reads: “St. Margaret’s Church publicly apologizes for, acknowledges and profoundly regrets its involvement and complicity in the sin of slavery on the Broadneck Peninsula. We recognize that the economic wealth established through the lasting effects of slavery built our parish and continues to benefit our church. We are extremely sorry that we have been complicit in the church’s role in support of slavery.”
Annual Father’s Day Foundation member Kenyatta Rowel said the apology is the first step in repairing relations between the congregations. “This event is meant to pave the way for all reconciliation and to foster a deeper understanding and respect for communities involved. Annual Father’s Day Foundation envisions this moment as the beginning of truth, reparations and healing.”
On its website, St. Margaret’s Church announced: “Our 10 AM service will be a joint service held at Asbury Broadneck United Methodist Church. At this service, St. Margaret’s will offer an apology, an act of contrition for the centuries of systemic injustices inflicted on the African American communities on the Broadneck peninsula in the name of St. Margaret’s Church. It is the sincere desire of this Body of Christ to repair the breach and reconcile with our brethren.”
Read the Baltimore Sun article: https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/06/10/st-margarets-church-anapolis-apologizes-slavery/
Read the article from the Capital.
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