Trinity Lutheran Church. (Credit: Montgomery County Planning Commission).
Each leader has a photo and short biography
A Lansdale congregation is once again turning its sanctuary into a space for history, reflection, and conversation.
Trinity Lutheran Church, 1000 W. Main St., is featuring "Lutherans in Black History" windowsill display and expanded exhibit, which opened Sunday.
The public display will remain up until Feb. 22.
Expanded exhibit shares stories of faith and leadership
According to the church, the project, first started two years ago, has grown to feature 36 profiles of Black leaders and clergy, including 12 new additions, dating from the early 1800s to today.
Each leader has a photo and short biography.
Late Lansdale leader Gloria Echols, who advocated for years for low-income housing in Lansdale, is one such featured community leader.
Other featured Black leaders include Rev. Jehu Jones, recognized as the first Black Lutheran ordained in North America; Rev. Louisa Groce, a Philadelphia native ordained at age 81; Rev. Dr. Patricia Davenport, former bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and the first African American woman to serve in a synodical leadership role in the ELCA; and Rev. Lee H. Wesley, who previously served as a division director for KenCrest Centers in Plymouth Meeting.
A ministry rooted in racial justice
The display was created by Trinity’s Racial Justice Ministry Team, formed in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, according to the church. Church leaders said the group was established to offer educational resources and help the congregation more fully live out its mission of embracing diversity and connecting all generations in faith.
Beyond historical storytelling, the exhibit also highlights Trinity’s “Justice through Music” effort. Through that initiative, the church directs royalties from music rooted in the Black spiritual tradition to the Children’s Chorus of Trenton, New Jersey.
The program has raised $6,500 so far.
Mark A. Staples, a member of the ministry team who authored the display with support from African American scholars in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said this year’s exhibit carries added meaning, in a news release.
“This display is designed to educate,” Staples said. “It is also our voice to oppose the desire by some to erase significant Black history in America. We consider it a rebuttal to that kind of action.”
