
2024 Carolinas Black Clergy Leadership Retreat a success
By the Rev. Walter Strawther
MYRTLE BEACH—More than 170 United Methodists gathered May 20-24 for the annual Carolinas Black Clergy Leadership Retreat.
The retreat was held once again on the grounds of the beautiful Kingston Plantation Resort. This event is hosted by the North Carolina, Western North Carolina and South Carolina conferences, but participants also represented Mississippi, Illinois Great Rivers, Virginia, Tennessee Western Kentucky and Missouri conferences.
The theme of this year’s retreat was “What’s Next?” with Jeremiah 29:11 as the Scripture reference.
The presenters for the retreat included Dr. Regina Henderson Moore, who teamed with Christal Brown Heyward to kick off the week May 21 by inviting participants to consider what we have been through over the last couple of years under the title, “The Long Road Home.” Moore shared from her personal experience to highlight the importance of respite care for caregivers. Heyward, a music thanatologist and grief educator, elaborated on the need to honestly and openly deal with grief in order to be prepared to receive the future God has for us.
On May 22, participants heard from the Rev. Michael McBride, executive director for LIVE FREE USA, a national organizing and social change network committed to ending the criminalization of people of color, reducing gun violence and transforming the policing and the criminal justice system. McBride laid the theological foundation for Thursday’s master class on social justice. Speaking from the title, “Prophesy or Perish” (Acts 2:1-21), McBride noted that God did not create us Black or White or any other racial designation. He continued by questioning the division fueled by racism/White supremacy that exists in the American church. McBride called for a holiness that would heal this division and paraphrased John Wesley, “There is no holiness, except social holiness.”
As he shared, the call for social justice is not new but finds its origins in early Methodist thought. McBride concluded that social justice is an act of stewardship of God’s people.
On May 23, McBride was joined by the rest of the members of the Master Class for Social Justice team. Tamika Mallory, a nationally recognized civil rights activist and seasoned community organizer and one of the co-founders of Until Freedom, presented from the model of a justice cycle, which includes relationship building, research of policy and procedures, acting together and reflecting on the action.
Dr. Brianna Parker, CEO of Black Millennial Café LLC, a consulting practice and data resource center for Black churches, communities and organizations, made the connection between data collection and analysis and the pursuit of social justice. Dee-1, award winning rapper, educator, activist and business owner, shared his desire to use hip-hop as a vehicle for social change. And Dr. Freddie Haynes brought the crowd home with a rousing social justice sermon, “Awake O Zion” (Isaiah 52).
On Friday, May 24, the week concluded with a communion service led by South Carolina Conference Resident Bishop L. Jonathan Holston.
The retreat will return to Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach May 19-23, 2025.