Pilgrimage Orientation Session Saint Paul School of Theology
Fri June 4
Travel to NY Seminar learning at Williams Institutional CME Visit Schomberg Museum Spiritual Role Models
Sat June 5
Seminar learning at Mother Zion AMEZ Seminar learning at Salem UMC Learning about our Neighbors
Sun June 6
Worship at Mother Zion AMEZ Worship Planning Depart from NY Travel by bus to Philadelphia
Mon June 7
Visit St. George's UMC & Mother Bethel AME Historic Tour of Philadelphia
Tue June 8
Travel by bus to Baltimore Visit Old Otterbein UMC & Lovely Lane UMC Depart for Washington, DC
Wed June 9 - Fri June 11
Seminar at United Methodist General Board of Church & Society
Saturday June 12
Return to Kansas City
After Orientation on Thursday evening, we are ready to board our plane to Harlem, New York
Friday, June 4, 2010
Today we traveled to New York. We left Saint Paul School of Theology around 4.45 am for our flight was at 7.00 am. When we first arrived we traveled to the Harlem YMCA where we are staying Friday and Saturday nights. Today for lunch after we got settled at the YMCA, we ate lunch at Manna's, a salad bar and soul food restaurant. We sat by the window at a couple of tables and it was interesting to watch the people that walked by and learn more about the culture here.
After lunch we traveled to Mother Zion AMEZ, where we had small group time. After that we walked over to Williams Institutional CME and learned the history of the entire CME church from Rev Dr Clay. During the presentation we also learned about the history of Williams Institutional and why they are in their particular location, the finances of the church and including that they are able to build a brand new church with no cost to their members. After a long day, we ate dinner at a Caribbean restaurant where a lot of us tried new foods. Finally, we had our Compline at Mother Zion AMEZ and headed back to the YMCA for lights out. --Chloe
I woke up at 3.15 am, took a shower. The plane was on time. We left at 7.00 am. The flight was smooth. We landed at 10.00 am and took the shuttle to the YMCA. The room is the size of a shoe box but cool with clean beds. We at lunch at Manna's (soul food - so good!). We went to Mother Zion AMEZ church and had small group time, then walked to Williams Institutional to learn about CME. We walked back to Mother Zion for more small groups, then went back to the Y to freshen up. We walked to a Caribbean food place and ate my first Caribbean food (stewed chicken, rice and beans, boiled cabbage). We went back to Mother Zion AMEZ, were supposed to talk to spiritual role models, but they didn't show and we were so tired/hot. We went back to the Y and went to bed. The weather is impossible but there's so much to see and learn! I learned much more about AMEZ and CME culture, and above all an American culture outside my state. --Lindsey
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Today we talked about loving our neighbor. Dr. Pinkny from Salem UMC pointed out that a man/woman helped his enemy. He didn't care if he got hurt in the process and he got others involved. What this means to me is that in order to love our neighbor, we have to love God. If we don't love our neighbor how can we love God? Our neighbor is anybody in need. When you see someone on the side of the road with a sign, car broke down or you just see someone who doesn't look happy and you feel like there's nothing you can do to help - Pray for them --Jordan
We did a walk through of parts of Harlem - we noticed a lot of differences between here and home - high rise buildings, most of the area is black, nicer more recent cars, and a lot of people with accents. Very few gas stations were seen and almost ALL buildings are connected. We learned about social holiness. We learned about the problems of urban churches in the areas. Time Square was HUGE but didn't have everything that I expected. --Kalen
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Today was inspiring because I got to experience a new church service that was unique and unknown. the service combined traditional and contemporary ideas into one period of time. It was interesting to see two choirs, one opera-like and the other gospel, come together in one service. You could definitely tell the difference between the two. It was an amazing experience. I learned about the risk black men are at because they choose not to educate themselves. In reality that goes for everybody. We're all at risk. We must strive to educate ourselves with tools God has put before us. If we don't we will fail!!! --Nile
Today was Sunday and we started our third day in New York. We began our day at IHOP and I have to say that chocolate chip pancakes are AMAZING!! After breakfast the group went back to the YMCA to get ready for church. Around 10:40am we started heading for church service at Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ). In my opinion, AMEZ was quite interesting. I loved the liveliness! After church we ate lunch at a fancy restaurant called Londel's. Then around 4:0pm we left NY and rode a bus to Philadelphia. Overall this Sunday was a learning experience. --Susie
Monday, June 7, 2010
Chris Haw reached to the very core of me today because I have recently become very ecologically aware due to recent catastrophes and my involvement in music. The things he said about reducing, reusing and recycling really made me think because everyone tells us to recycle but no one says anything about simply reducing our intake. I also learned that the easiest way to start helping the environment is to simply change the ways YOU live. --Stephen
Mother Bethel [African Methodist Episcopal Church] and St. George's [United Methodist Church] made me realize that we Methodists keep our history very carefully and preserve it very well. The tomb and museum [at Bethel] blew my mind because that is so important to the race relation issue and we Methodists played such a huge part in it. --Stephen Millard
We went and visited St. George's, the first Methodist Church. Philmore was the first minister ever at that church. The main sanctuary was very beautiful and had a tube pulpit, which I thought was totally awesome. I thought it was so cool how John Wesley preached from that same exact pulpit. There was a museum under the main sanctuary; it had a whole lot of information about the church. Donna taught us about the history of the place. She gave us a word game to involve us in our learning; it was about John Wesley's Three Simple Rules: Do no harm; Do good; and Stay in love with God.
Then we went to Mother Bethel which was the church created when Richard Allen was forced to leave St. George's because of his race. It then became the oldest AME Church in the US. There is a museum in the basement of this church also which includes, a tomb containing Richard Allen. My favorite part of the visit was the stained glass windows in the sanctuary that each showed a story.
Later we went to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It had the sites of the meeting for the Declaration of Independence. It was so cool because the room looked exactly how they do in the pictures you see in your textbook! I thought the whole history of it was just so amazing and interesting.
I also bonded a lot more with the youTheology group. I have had a lot of fun on this pilgrimage while also learning so much.
Chris Haw was also an amazing speaker and I agreed with everything he said - how we have to go out and help when we see need, we can't just hope and pray. --Sarah
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Today we left Philadelphia for a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Baltimore. When we arrived in Baltimore we visited Old Otterbein Church founded by Philip William Otterbein, a German reformed pastor who developed the church of the United Brethren in Christ. After a tour of the grounds and lunch, we headed to Lovely Lane UMC, a beautiful looking church built in 1893 with an incredibly organ, gorgeous sanctuary, and great tour guide. I feel like I can speak for the group in saying, Delores warmed our hearts with her compassion, humor and love of what she was talking about. The Lovely Lane Church is considered the mother of the Methodist churches because of its history as a Methodist Episcopal Church and the site of the Christmas Conference in which Francis Asbury was consecrated as a Bishop in December 1784.
After we took a bus tour of Baltimore, we walked around downtown a bit before eating dinner overlooking the Delaware River.
Lastly, we took the hour ride to Washington, D.C. and settled into our accommodations at the William Penn House on East Capitol Street. We are within 50 yards of the Capitol Building and I can see it out of our bedroom window. The house is homey and beautiful and I am looking forward to spending the next few nights here. --Alex
Today was by far the best day I experienced. I really enjoyed seeing Lovely Lane, learning about the history and hearing Mrs. Dolores play the organ. I thought it was cool that everything in the church was the same from when it was built. It was kind of funny that Francis Asbury got to the title of Bishop in three days! I just found that really educational. --Shelby
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Today was very interesting. We learned about human trafficking and human smuggling. It's an operation that is becoming the biggest illegal money making service IN THE WORLD!! You may not think it affects you but it affects everybody! 300,000 children are caught in human trafficking in America and the average age for a young girl in human trafficking is 12. This is, in my opinion, the most informative seminar that we've had in yT since the program started. Then we learned about finding a short prayer to say in times of trouble. We learned about the reasons for poverty and how we respond to those reasons. --Kalen
Today was cool. We talked about human trafficking and who it effects. In the 3 seminars, I learned that you can't tell if someone is being trafficked by just looking at them. Some are forced, tricked, and/or threatened. 92% of the girls being trafficked do not want to be there and I guess the other 8% don't have a problem.I don't get that. Today my experience was sitting in the class learning about something I never paid any attention to. Now, I understand that the "business" is harsh and affects EVERYONE! --Jordan
youTheologians discuss how they deal with loss and Rev Brenda Girton-Mitchell reminds all that we need to let others know how they can best help us in difficult times.
What do you see when you look at John 3:16-17? youTheologians discuss this on their Pan-Methodist Pilgrimage.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Today we had a seminar at the United Methodist Building [with the General Board of Church & Society]. We continued our learning about human trafficking and unfair lawas about immigrant children. I learned that there were no child safety laws for immigrant children in the agricultural field. We ate at Ben's Chili Bowl, an historic place where many famous people have eaten: Bill Cosby, President Obama, Larry King, Chris Rock and Chris Tucker. We then returned to the William Penn House for small groups, compline and bed. --Henry
Today informed me that there are many different types of oppression and slavery. It told me that in addition to human trafficking and slavery there is an almost casual form of oppression called child labor. Although there have been many different bills and laws passed about child labor the problem has never been resolved. It has also been found that some of these childrens only reason for working in the fields is to survive and support their families. Even if a law was passed preventing child labor how will the children support their families? That question may never be resolved. What else can we do to help? To find the answer to that question may be an everlasting search. --Nile
In these videos, three youTheologians reflect on the day's learning.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Today I learned about letting things go and forgiving. Throughout the whole trip I learned about human trafficking of women and girls. I can say I learned about human trafficking and am aware that its not only in other countries but in our country as well. This topic effects everyone and people should put a stop to that and to poverty. Also they should help everyone in their community to make a change. --Malcolm
I experienced today new and fun ways to explore my feelings and sorrows. It was a neat way, the human sculpting, to really have fun and look inside myself as well. I learned about a time and an ideal that i could never have imagined. We visited the Holocaust museum and as I walked through the exhibits, I realized that what happened then is a little bit like what's happening now with human trafficking. Something is a part of our world for so long, something horrible, and in order to avoid dealing with it, we ignore it and simply allow it to happen. --Lindsey
Malcom reflects on visiting Old Otterbein and Lovely Lane UMC churches in Baltimore, MD.
Fun time saying name along with descriptive sound and movement that described one's mood on the last day of the Pilgrimage.
youTheologians discuss whether or not the belief that a woman's place is in the home is harmful to women with facilitator Neil Irvin, Executive Director of "Men Can Stop Rape."
youTheologians discuss justice and mercy in the light of human trafficking with Rev Brenda Girton-Mitchell during their 2010 Pan-Methodist Pilgrimage in DC.
The Last Word comes from our Intern, Pilgrimage Photographer and Videographer, Shannon Shellner: It's Significant
