News & Announcements

In the summer Messenger, Nancy and Bill Henderson write about their experiences with the Dismantling Racism Committee at a recent Grace A.M.E. event.

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On Saturday, June 24th, Grace African Methodist Episcopal Church, on Winters Lane in Catonsville, held a community outreach and fellowship event, entitled, “Party on the Parking Lot”. The Dismantling Racism Committee of CPC, Grace and Christian Temple was invited to participate and did, along with Baltimore County’s Departments of Aging, Police and Fire Department Recruitment Divisions, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. Various venders displayed and sold their wares. Hot dogs, burgers, Italian ice and delicious home baked goods were prepared by the members of Grace AME. The crowds were entertained through the course of the afternoon, by singing, dancing and martial arts.

The Dismantling Racism Committee’s table displayed our foldout which highlighted the events and activities in which we have been engaged in the past 5 years. But most of the table was covered with a sampling of children’s books, which were donated to schools, shelters, childcare centers, neighborhood houses and churches, by the “All God’s Children Are Welcome Book Initiative”, of the Dismantling Racism Committee.   The goal of the book initiative is to promote, through literature, acceptance of all people, featuring characters of color and marginalized populations. Many attendees of the “Party in the Parking Lot”, stopped by the table to enquire about our committee and how they could get involved.  Others just spent time perusing and reading the books.

Grace AME has just welcomed a new pastor, the Rev. Charles Baugh and his wife Diane. Ken and Dorothy attended Grace’s community outreach event, where they met Pastor Baugh for the first time and exchanged contact information as well as some thoughts on how CPC and Grace may partner in future events and activities.

Following the event, we received a heartfelt message from Bern-El Cooper, Grace’s Community Outreach Coordinator.  “Many thanks to Catonsville Presbyterian Church, it’s ministerial staff, members and friends who attended and participated in our Community Outreach Fellowship Event. We prayed!  Boy, did we pray for good weather, trusting in God.  HE truly blessed us. No rain!  But, it was HOT!! We believe that everyone and their families had a great time. We can only say thank you and Praise the Lord for a grand time of fellowship.  Hopefully, we will see you all next year at Grace AME Church for Party on the Parking Lot.”

The Dismantling Racism committee received a great deal of positive exposure from participation in The Party in the Parking Lot. This event is one more example of the wonderful partnership that Catonsville Presbyterian Church shares with Grace African Methodist Episcopal Church.