Standing Up to Hate
Standing Up to Hate: The Charlottesville Clergy Collective and the Lessions of August 12, 2017
This book gathers firsthand accounts of members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective recalling their experience in resisting white supremacist violence during that “summer of hate” and seeking to repair the damage in the following months and years. Here is what happened as we remember it, and here is how August 11 and 12 changed us and our congregations forever.
Table of Contents
Editor’s Notes
Introduction: We Were There on August 12, 2017
The Birth of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective—Alvin Edwards (National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.)
Section One: What Happened on August 12?
Lessons from the Summer of Hate—Michael Cheuk (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
Charlottesville: Before and After—Tom Gutherz (Union for Reform Judaism)
A Rabbi Responds to the Summer of Hate—Rachel Schmelkin (Union for Reform Judaism)
A Sufi Tale of August 11 and 12—Rabia Povich (Inayati Universal Sufi Order)
“Here Come the Clergy!”—Richard Lord (United Methodist)
Section Two: How August 12 Changed Me
Whatever Is True—Elaine Thomas (Episcopal Church)
A Quaker Reflects on August 12—Elizabeth Shillue (Religious Society of Friends)
An Unlikely Activist—Ann Marie (Shinko) Smith (Insight Meditation Buddhist)
August 11–12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Further Reverberations: The Death Rattle of White Nationalism in the United States—Brenda Brown-Grooms (American Baptist Churches USA)
Encounters with Hate—Carol Sims (Episcopal Church)
In Defense of the City—Gay Einstein (Presbyterian Church USA)
Growing into a Peace Builder—Maren Tyedmers Hange (Mennonite Church USA)
Toward Racial Justice—Cynthia Power (Religious Society of Friends)
The Aftermath in Charlottesville Clergy Collective—David Garth (Presbyterian Church USA)
Section Three: How Faith Communities Were Changed
The Path of Overwhelming Love on August 12, 2017—Phil Woodson (United Methodist)
Using This for Good—Will Brown (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
Where Is God in Charlottesville?—Adam Slate (Unitarian Universalist)
My Story—Alvin Edwards (National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.)
An Appropriate Response—Susan Kaufman (Insight Meditation Buddhist)
An Ancient and Eternal Law—Sharon Beckman-Brindley (Insight Meditation Buddhist)
Solidarity from Six Hundred Miles Away—Elizabeth Emrey (American Baptist Churches USA)
Conclusion
Questions of Identity within the Charlottesville Clergy Collective—Michael Cheuk (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
Editor’s Notes
Introduction: We Were There on August 12, 2017
The Birth of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective—Alvin Edwards (National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.)
Section One: What Happened on August 12?
Lessons from the Summer of Hate—Michael Cheuk (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
Charlottesville: Before and After—Tom Gutherz (Union for Reform Judaism)
A Rabbi Responds to the Summer of Hate—Rachel Schmelkin (Union for Reform Judaism)
A Sufi Tale of August 11 and 12—Rabia Povich (Inayati Universal Sufi Order)
“Here Come the Clergy!”—Richard Lord (United Methodist)
Section Two: How August 12 Changed Me
Whatever Is True—Elaine Thomas (Episcopal Church)
A Quaker Reflects on August 12—Elizabeth Shillue (Religious Society of Friends)
An Unlikely Activist—Ann Marie (Shinko) Smith (Insight Meditation Buddhist)
August 11–12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Further Reverberations: The Death Rattle of White Nationalism in the United States—Brenda Brown-Grooms (American Baptist Churches USA)
Encounters with Hate—Carol Sims (Episcopal Church)
In Defense of the City—Gay Einstein (Presbyterian Church USA)
Growing into a Peace Builder—Maren Tyedmers Hange (Mennonite Church USA)
Toward Racial Justice—Cynthia Power (Religious Society of Friends)
The Aftermath in Charlottesville Clergy Collective—David Garth (Presbyterian Church USA)
Section Three: How Faith Communities Were Changed
The Path of Overwhelming Love on August 12, 2017—Phil Woodson (United Methodist)
Using This for Good—Will Brown (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
Where Is God in Charlottesville?—Adam Slate (Unitarian Universalist)
My Story—Alvin Edwards (National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.)
An Appropriate Response—Susan Kaufman (Insight Meditation Buddhist)
An Ancient and Eternal Law—Sharon Beckman-Brindley (Insight Meditation Buddhist)
Solidarity from Six Hundred Miles Away—Elizabeth Emrey (American Baptist Churches USA)
Conclusion
Questions of Identity within the Charlottesville Clergy Collective—Michael Cheuk (Cooperative Baptist Fellowship)
Worship and study with these congregations online
Visit/Subscribe to these congregation’s online pages for worship, studies, and/or devotions! This list was compiled during the pandemic at the request of congregation leaders to promote their online services. Congregations on this list in no way endorse any CCC public statements or any content that appears in our weekly newsletter.
- Aldersgate United Methodist Church - Facebook
- All Souls Charlottesville - Facebook
- Baha'i of Charlottesville - Facebook
- Bethel Church of God in Christ - Sundays, 6 pm on Cville Public Access, Comcast Ch. 13. Weds 7:30 pm; Sundays 10:00 am on Google Hangouts. Email Pastor Ward for invitation.
- Broadus Memorial Baptist - Youtube, Facebook
- Buck Mountain Episcopal Church Earlysville - Website
- Charlottesville Church of Christ - Sundays at 9:45 am, Wednesdays at 7 pm: Zoom link, Password: 990. Website.
- Charlottesville Friends Meeting - Facebook; Online worship
- Charlottesville Mennonite - Facebook
- Church of Our Saviour - Youtube
- Ebenezer Baptist - Youtube, Facebook
- First Presbyterian - Website
- First United Methodist - Youtube, Facebook
- Hinton Ave. United Methodist - Facebook
- Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville - Website
- Islamic Society of Central Virginia - Facebook
- Mt. Zion First African Baptist - Youtube, Facebook, Website
- New Beginnings Christian Community - Website
- Olivet Presbyterian - Website, Youtube
- Peace Lutheran, ELCA - Facebook
- Peakland Baptist, Lynchburg - Facebook, Sermons
- Sojourner’s United Church of Christ - Facebook
- St. Mark Lutheran - Facebook
- St. Paul’s Episcopal - Website
- Tabor Presbyterian - Website
- The Cloud Floating Free Sangha - Website, Facebook. Email for information.
- Trinity Episcopal - Website
- Trinity Presbyterian - Youtube
- Unitarian Universalist Church - Online worship
- Unity of Charlottesville - Facebook, Website
- University Baptist - Youtube, Facebook
- Wesley Memorial United Methodist - Youtube, Facebook
- Westminster Presbyterian - Online worship