On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the Union of Black Episcopalians Karl and Virginia Washington Arizona Chapter (“UBE Arizona”) gathered at Saint Barnabas on the Desert in Scottsdale for an exciting and productive morning of food, fellowship, presentations, and planning.
After a summer away from meetings, 28 UBE Arizona members and guests from across the state enthusiastically came together to renew friendships and form new relationships while recapping the past year’s challenges and successes and preparing for the wonderful opportunities and activities of the year ahead. A number of the guests were even moved to become UBE Arizona members before the day was out!
The day’s program included a lively interactive presentation by Canon Alex Leonard, the Diocese’s new Canon for Black Ministry, and reports about UBE Arizona’s Outreach work, such as:
- The May 4, 2024, and upcoming November 23, 2024 “Evenings of Service to Family Promise of Greater Phoenix,” https://familypromiseaz.org/, taking part in the Family Promise program at Saint Barnabas on the Desert (Scottsdale), with future collaboration with the Family Promise program at St. Peter’s (Litchfield Park) discussed;
- The developing relationship with Family Tree Healthcare, a multi-faceted physical and mental healthcare and social services organization in Phoenix, and ways in which UBE Arizona might support their mission to “create programs in underserved populations of color which promote healthy communities and families” https://www.familytreehealthcare.com/; and
- Possibilities for outreach projects in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Tanganyika in Dodoma, Tanzania, where Canon Dr. Dawn Conley had traveled in Jan 2024 as a member of The Episcopal Church’s Episcopal Relief and Development Pilgrimage group.
Other topics of interest discussed during the meeting included:
- The success of UBE Arizona’s 2024 Annual Fundraising Raffle ($7,000 raised) and the distribution of proceeds in support of our outreach and mission, which includes scholarships for students at the two remaining Episcopal HBCUs and for Chapel Rock campers; funding for AZ high school delegates to the national UBE conference; and support of The Diocesan Judith Conley Scholarship Fund for Seminarians of Color.; and
- Upcoming events, including an October 9th Jazz Dinner at Trinity Cathedral in honor of visiting Bishop John Orina Omangi of the Diocese of Upper Southern Nyanza-Kiisi, Kenya; the October 12th Installation of UBE Arizona member The Rev. Monica Anne Ray Whitaker as Rector of Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Chandler; the October 19th Diocesan Convention at Saint Philip’s in the Hills in Tucson; and the February 15, 2025, Absalom Jones Commemoration at Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Chandler.
The year is off to a great start for UBE Arizona, and we would love to share more about who we are and what we do: If you would like to learn more about our Chapter, please visit our website at https://ube-az.org/ or email ubeaz.exec@gmail.com. We look forward to meeting you!