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RECLAIM: Empowering Ministry for People of African Descent


RECLAIM is a gathering for people of African descent, brought to you by African Descent Ministries. People of African descent of all ages and gender identities will gather in Minneapolis on September 14 - 17, 2023. Standard registration ($300) and young adult registration ($200) end 6/30. Late registration ($350) ends 8/15. Register here.

Participants will engage in workshops, shared meals, praise and worship that will enable us to build community, learn new skills, share resources and rejuvenate weary souls.

Participants will build a tool kit for ministry as we move through a pandemic, climate change and an era of preserving healers' spiritual and emotional wellness. The church needs healthy and whole preachers, teachers, professionals and young adults, all well-equipped with culturally relevant approaches to the word. Grounded in Scripture, RECLAIM will help participants feel embodied, emboldened and liberated in their identities.

Please share this email and the registration link with your friends, neighbors and community members of African descent.

When: Sept. 14-17, 2023

Where: Minneapolis, Minn.

Who: People of African descent of all ages and gender identities

Registration deadlines: Standard registration ($300) and young adult registration ($200) end 6/30. Late registration ($350) ends 8/15. Register here.

Participants will engage in workshops, shared meals, praise and worship that will enable us to build community, learn new skills, share resources and rejuvenate weary souls.

A Men in Mission cohort will meet alongside the RECLAIM gathering. Facilitated by the Rev. Jonathan Hemphill of the ELCA Southeastern Synod, this is an opportunity for collegiality, community and connection for Black men. Candidates for ministry, first-call pastors, and lay, African-descent men in ministry are invited into this intentional space.

For more information about the gathering, visit ELCA.org/ReclaimGathering. Follow us on social media as we announce our workshop leaders and keynote speakers.

The African-descent community thrives most when gathered. Thank you for your support as we come together to grow across generations!

In peace,

Rev. Nicolette Marie Peñaranda
Program Director for African Descent Ministries