How street ministry and ministry of presence can move us toward racial reconciliation

Much of the work of the Commission for Racial Justice and Reconciliation, among many approaches, requires sacred conversations across all socio-economic barriers including those who are often described as invisible. Church Without Walls is a ministry working to overcome historical inequalities between races and forging respectful relationships across racial and ethnic lines.

Commission member Michael Foote held a brief interview with the Rev. Cn. Beth Tjoflat, Vicar and Canon for Urban Ministry in the Episcopal Diocese of Florida on how and why Church Without Walls came to be.

The Rev. Canon Beth Tjoflat serves as vicar for St. Mary’s and Canon for Urban Ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of Florida. Mother Beth has a passion for training and supporting those who are eager to engage in active ministry with those in their midst. She founded Church Without Walls, the diocese’s street ministry, in 2012. In 2017, she delightedly took on responsibility for St. Mary’s, envisioning a safe place that can serve as a collaborative for inner city ministry. “St. Mary’s will be a place where those who engage in our community here can find healing, solace and strength -- glorifying God by becoming, in the words of St. Irenaeus, “human being(s) fully alive.”

Question: How was Church Without Walls implemented into the Diocese of Florida?

To get started, I spent months learning our particular context. I walked the streets and talked to folks. I rode with a health and mental health van from our local shelter, caring for folks on the street and in camps. Then we launched a coffee ministry outside a local shelter that serves breakfast. It’s amazing how quickly trust is built when you show up consistently to be with folks. From our street congregation “Church Without Walls” was born.

Question: What does Jesus teach us about social justice?

Answer: Read the Gospel stories of his encounters. He is able and interested in being with “the other,” with the [those judged by their culture as] “deplorable.” When we are willing to venture into this territory, to actually be with the other, we will encounter the living Christ. It is not easy but he is always calling us out of our comfort zone where we are forced to rely wholly on him for inspiration and direction.

St. Mary’s is small. Our goal is to be church that leaves the building. We are not called to be a social service agency – but we do partner with agencies in the community so we can make referrals and help follow up. But the greatest gift is to welcome and offer a sense of belonging. We discover we are more alike than different and support one another in our woundedness.

Question: How can we (lay persons) assist with a street ministry?

Lay people must play a large role. With some training in ministry of presence and a spiritual support person to reflect with, this might be enough. A person lay or ordained with strong chaplaincy background can help support a ministry of presence. Folks often get into trouble when they let their discomfort with another’s situation take over. When this happens, they urge to fix and help gets in the way of respecting the dignity (and autonomy) of every human being.

Question: How does street ministry move us toward racial reconciliation?

The beauty of an approach to ministry that focuses on presence (relational rather than transactional) and that commits to showing up regularly and consistently is that trust can be built fairly quickly. We learn we have more in common than we might have thought. At the same time, we learn to honor and recognize the differences in terms of beliefs, attitudes and life choices. The part of this that connects with racial reconciliation is the commitment of time and consistency, of having skin in the game. I don’t think we will find that reconciliation by attending workshops or community meetings alone. We have to be willing to walk alongside and to listen and respect the other.