Dear friends,
On September 1st, 2020, our diocese established the Beloved Community Initiative (BCI), which has grown over the course of the past six years under the leadership of the Rev. Canon Eric McIntosh and the assistance of Ms. Shahnaz Alam-Denlinger. After a fruitful period of initial growth BCI has reached a natural plateau, and the time has come to find a new approach to pursue our goals for Beloved Community development. As such, and as of August 31, the diocesan staff positions related to BCI will end, and a time of re-evaluation will begin to take place. Our hope is to create something generated by and led from our congregations as we move forward. The goals we seek to achieve through BCI remain important, and the canonically required anti-racism training will continue to be offered.
I am deeply grateful to Canon Eric and to Shahnaz for the many years of service they have dedicated to the establishment of the Beloved Community Initiative in our diocese. Please join me in thanking them both. Due to their efforts, many have benefited from engaging with the BCI curriculum and are continuing to grow in their journey. Therefore, we have all benefited. As we move forward, and with God’s help, we will continue to discover how we can follow the path already trod by our Lord Jesus Christ and many of his followers. This is the path that leads to our living into the ideals of an authentic Beloved Community.
Faithfully,
+Ketlen
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Ketlen A. Solak
IX Bishop of Pittsburgh