Join Us At The Table!

by Brett Harris

The last few years have clarified for the Alliance that our vision of the work to which God has called us that recognizes the fulfillment of our founding ideals–pursuing God’s justice, partnering in ministry, and providing a theological home for those seeking a more inclusive and expansive community–can only be realized through our pursuit of antiracism. It has not been without its share of bumps and bruises along the way. 

We’ve sat around many tables, in-person and online, discussing and discerning how to live out this call. As we’ve clarified the vision and acknowledged the impacts this clarity has had on our finances, one thing has remained true:

The Alliance has been able to stay the course thanks to those in our midst, individual and congregational partners alike, who support the Alliance each month. 

Regardless of the amount of each monthly donation, and they vary from tens to hundreds of dollars, simply knowing that each month a steady stream of support continued to be invested in the Alliance’s pursuit gave our staff and our board confidence to continue moving forward. In addition to those individuals and congregations who support our work at regular intervals, there are 73 donors who support the Alliance with every month with a contribution. We are well past due in thanking them for their consistent support. Please join me in thanking everyone named below. They are:

I want to invite you to join them, too. 

I spent entirely too much time wondering if there’s a collective name for those in our midst who keep coming back to share more and to nourish the work we do around the Alliance. Having small children who love animals and have seen every episode of Wild Kratts, I know that every group of living creatures has a name. A school of fish. A pride of lions. A parliament of owls. Maybe my favorite, though: a flamboyance of flamingos. 

What’s a good name for a group of folx who follow Jesus’ example of pursuing justice, partnering with others in ministry, and cultivating a home for those journeying with them?

Alliance is taken and speaks to our broader organizational work. Team. Family. Cohort. None of those fit. But it hit me as April Baker and Waldemar Murguido blessed the elements during the final worship service at Myers Park Baptist Church during the 2024 Annual Gathering.

Where do we gather to plan our pursuits? To have important conversations or repair troubled relationships? Where do we invite others to join us in our home? Where does Christ invite us to encounter God’s presence in our midst? The Table.

And what is true about Christ’s table? It’s open to everyone.

What’s true about the home we’re cultivating across the Alliance? There’s always room for more to join us.

What’s true about how we’ll realize the vision God has shared with us? It will only happen if every voice is heard and seated around the table. 

The only appropriate name for these people and individuals who keep showing up with what they have to share, keep making room for our community to grow, and keep encouraging us to consider who else we need to invite into this conversation is a table. 

So, I want to invite you to join them at The Table. There’s no minimum you have to bring to find a seat. There’s no amount that gets you a better one. Whatever you can contribute helps us build a bigger table and invite the voices we need to hear to shape our pursuit of the vision God has shown us.

We hope to increase our number of monthly donors to 100 by December 31, and as an incentive to join this group, every monthly donor who contributes at least $20/month will receive a 10% discount to our annual gathering in Washington, D.C. next March where we’ll gather with friends from across the globe to explore traditions of resistance and hear from our keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Wil Gafney.

Maybe you’ve not been in a place to commit each month to support the Alliance but you’ve supported our collective work when you had the means. Maybe you know you’re able to do more to support the Alliance by giving a larger sum once a year than spreading your gifts across the calendar. Thank you, too! Every gift of every size helps us invest more time and energy in fulfilling the hope our founders had for our work even if they had no idea where God would lead us through the years. 

Whether you can give a little or a lot, I want to invite you to join the Alliance every month at The Table so we can continue to move forward confidently. Wherever God leads us.

You can make your commitment today by clicking HERE.