Racial Justice and Healing
In our baptismal covenant, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves and are asked, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” And we respond, “We will, with God’s help!”
Social Justice Activities
On Saturday, March 28, justice ministry members will meet to exercise their right to peacefully protest from noon to 3:00 p.m. at the next No Kings Richmond event. Details about the event, including its location, are still being planned.
If you are interested in participating or want more information, please contact Rev. Anthony.
Please wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a bottle of water, and make sure your phone is fully charged. For other helpful tips click here.
Saturday, March 28
12:45 p.m.
RISC
St. John’s supports and is a member congregation of RISC—Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities—a grassroots, direct-action organization made up of congregations throughout the Richmond Metro Area.
Founded in 2002, RISC uses the power of large numbers of people to hold our public officials accountable and to solve critical community problems. Since we have been a member, RISC has focused primarily on three issues: affordable and healthy housing and gun violence. Contact Rev. Anthony for more information.
RISC Nehemiah Action
In the past year Richmonders Involved to Strengthen our Communities (RISC) has made progress in the passage of the affordable housing trust fund ordinance, encouraged the City of Richmond to partner with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform to help reduce gun violence, and explored initiatives to reduce barriers for access to mental health care in Chesterfield County.
In order to keep up momentum in accomplishing their goals and to keep elected officials accountable, RISC is asking faith communities to attend the Nehemiah Action on March 24 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul's Baptist Church.
For more information, please contact Rev. Anthony.
Tuesday, March 24
St. Paul's Baptist Church
Juneteenth 2025
The success of our fifth annual joint celebration of Juneteenth with the St. Peter's and St. Philip's parishes has been well-documented in our local press, including the main headline in today's Richmond Times Dispatch.
The celebration began with a brief Libation Ceremony in St. John's Churchyard followed by a march to Peter Paul RVA, where participants attended a prayer service featuring BK Fulton as homilist and enjoyed a performance by Ezibu Muntu, a West African drum and dance company. The festivities concluded with a picnic at St. Peter's Church.
Peter Paul RVA's executive director provide the day's reflection, including the following remarks:
Chattel slavery, in many ways, has been made out to be a glorious system, which taught the enslaved individuals how to be ‘civilized...Even though we are in the year 2024 with limitless access to resources and technology, there are a number of individuals that still operate in this type of thinking... We, as the unified church, as moral and ethical humans, must be unapologetic in the way we remember and assess the atrocity that was chattel slavery.
