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“shall we gather”
St. George’s Episcopal Church in Valley Lee, Maryland, sits atop a low hill that was the site of community gathering long before the church’s founding in 1638.
The church’s early history was shaped by the racial prejudices and behaviors of its white founders. While enslaved people helped build the physical church, worship there was essentially reserved for the white congregants and their families, with a separate balcony for the enslaved (the balcony was removed in the early 1800s). It is believed that the remains of enslaved people lie in the graveyard there. In the late 1700s the Methodist Church arrived in America and its anti-slavery stance drew Black membership; in the early 1800s, Bethesda United Methodist Church, located just a few miles from St. George’s, was established. It continues to serve its historically Black congregation today.
After the Civil War and Reconstruction, it was understood by members of the local black community that they were not welcome at St. George’s. This began to change in the latter part of the 20th century, and the St. George’s of today welcomes all members of the community into its leadership and congregation. The church has formed informal partnerships with Bethesda for joint civic projects, but until this project there has never been a conversation between St. George’s and Bethesda about the early history of the two churches. Progress toward true community with its neighbors and a more inclusive congregation at St. George’s, though desired, is haunted and slowed by its racial history, and its congregation is still predominantly white.
The people of St. George's aspire to overcome their past and for the site of their church to be, once again, a place for the whole community to gather; they also recognize that this will not happen without a reckoning with the church’s difficult history and an understanding and acknowledgement of the role of enslaved people in the early life of the church. The path to true shared community - whether in a church setting or any other - lies in a willingness to face difficult truths with humility, honesty and humanity, and the Shall We Gather video project is a step in that direction. Leaders in the African American, historic, and educational communities of St. Mary’s County are taking an advisory role in the planning for the project; also involved is Naeem Cobb, an African American filmmaker from Washington, DC with a keen interest in early African American history.
MORE DETAILS
The inclusion of musical performance as part of the project stems from a rich musical culture at St. George’s; the particular works selected for the video will reflect and resonate with the themes to be explored. Believing in the power of the arts to bring together people of different backgrounds and perspectives and open pathways to understanding and healing, the people of St. George's have created a successful music series in partnership with organizers and donors from the church and the surrounding community, as well as the St. Mary’s County Arts Council. One mark of the series’ success is that it draws a diverse and now-loyal audience from all corners of Southern Maryland. Pianist Eliza Garth, the Executive Director of “Shall We Gather,”, also serves as Artistic Director for the concert series. Called “Music from Poplar Hill,” the series offers professional-level public concerts and educational programs for local youth; the concerts intentionally offer a broad range of musical styles and artists from a broad range of backgrounds, cultures and identities. St. George’s is located in an area of the County that was previously musically underserved. The recent past board chair of the St. Mary’s County Arts Council has stated that Music from Poplar Hill has become “an important part of the cultural offerings in our community.” Educational opportunities for local youth share equal importance with the concerts in the mission of Music from Poplar Hill. Guest artists are chosen based both on their artistic achievements and a demonstrated commitment to education. Through the series' programs, young people have the opportunity to interact with visiting artists and to learn about the full range of musical languages and cultures presented. Children and youth get to see, hear and have conversations with the musicians, to make music with them, and to receive instruction from them. Many of these young people have never before had such cultural encounters, let alone opportunities to spend quality time with an accomplished artist.
Music does not exist only for entertainment; it can open the mind and heart, promote thoughtful inquiry and self-reflection, and nurture community through dialog and healing. These aspirations lie at the heart of the intentions behind the video “Shall We Gather.”
Intended audience: the video is intended for the general public, including young people. The Center for Folk Life Studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is co-sponsoring the project and will post the finished work on its website; it will also be posted on the St. George's website and offered to schools, civic groups and historical societies in the state of Maryland.
ADVISORY GROUP
• Naeem Cobb - 6ix Shoota - Filmmaker - Washington, DC
• Eric Delk – Member, Church of the Ascension, Lexington Park, MD
• Nell Elder - Center for Folklife Studies, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
• Dante Eubanks - Preacher, Historian, NAVAIR - St. Mary’s County, MD
• Sherri Fenwick - Musician, Choir Director - St. Mary’s County, MD
• Herb Hardy - Church leadership, Bethesda United Methodist - Valley Lee, MD
• Alma Jordon – Civic leader, United Committee for Afro-American Contributions (UCAC) - Lexington Park, MD
• Nathaniel Lawrence - Historian, Bethesda United Methodist - Valley Lee, MD
• Franklin Robinson - Archivist, Smithsonian Museum of American History - Washington, DC
• Clinton Stonewall - Historian and member, Bethesda United Methodist, US Navy Ret. - Valley Lee, MD
• Janice Walthour - Civic leader, UCAC and NAACP, retired educator - St. Mary’s County, MD
• Rev. Greg Syler - Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church (Resurrection Parish) Valley Lee, MD
• Eliza Garth - Musician, Executive Producer, Artistic Director of Music from Poplar Hill