Alka's Angle

My heart is full this week- with many emotions and feelings- some joy-filled and some challenging but such is the nature of life! The challenges are that-

As I said a few weeks ago, among many things that happen at Annual Conference is what is called the ‘fixing of appointments,’ and the Bishop and the cabinet decided to re-appoint me to Broadway, so for at least one more year we get to do ministry together. I say one more year because in our denomination, as itinerant pastors, our appointments are only for one year- every year we find out if we get to stay or relocate.

This week is the PRIDE PARADE! And like every other year, we will participate in the Parade this year also but in a slightly different way.

June is also PRIDE MONTH! As I have shared before, this year PRIDE WORSHIP will be hosted by us on Sunday, June 30th at 9:30am. We will be joined by many other United Methodist Churches and churches that are part of the Chicago Coalition of Welcoming Churches.

This coming week, US will observe ‘Juneteenth’ (June 19) which marks the day in 1865 when U.S. federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure all African Americans were freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed. In reality, the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t instantly free enslaved people. Many Black people continued to be held in bondage and worked for their white owners for nearly six years after the proclamation was signed.