The Texas Tribune posted the following article about Paul Quinn College the week of December 16th. Highlighting many of the ways we seek to partner with them. https://www.texastribune.org/2019/12/19/how-dallas-paul-quinn-college-became-americas-first-urban-work-college/
We are excited to be hosted by the faculty and staff of Paul Quinn College for our 2020 NT-NL Synod, ELCA Assembly. This continues my emphasis as bishop of both being good stewards of our assembly dollars (our fees are 40% lower now than in 2016) as well as exploring creative places to meet that expand our awareness of our context.
Meeting at Paul Quinn, the oldest HBCU (Historically Black College and University) west of the Mississippi also fits our assembly emphasis of crossing boundaries and borders. While our charged political rhetoric focuses on our southern border we have real borders and boundaries right here in our communities. These institutional and systemic walls separate us based on economic class, race, sexuality, political ideology, gender, rural/urban/suburban, and in so many other ways. And if we are not aware of them they cloud our ability to effectively witness to Christ in our diverse context.
Even the title of this article indicates these implicit and systematic barriers. South Dallas has been systemically marginalized for generations. This results in the implied tone of surprise that in this “poor neighborhood” something significant could be happening.
As followers of Jesus Christ, committed to our Lutheran Confessional witness of God’s unmerited grace freely given for all, we are challenged to cross over these barriers. In so doing we speak truth about the human sin, our sin, that has created and perpetuates them. In so doing we then can begin the work of dismantling the systems of oppression that tear us apart. I look forward to seeing all our NT-NL rostered leaders and congregational voting members at Paul Quinn this April 24-25. #NTNL #PQC #InMissionTogether