In the aftermath of the tragedy at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, The Inter-Faith community intensified the work of restoration and healing in the community. 

First AME Church and its interfaith and civic partners invite you to join us for an Interfaith Service to reflect on and honor the memories of the nine lives taken a year ago on that Wednesday evening of June 17, 2015, during Bible Study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

This tragedy further stoked the need to awaken our capacity for collective knowing and embark on purposeful actions to reduce gun violence and access to guns. 

Time and time again, we have witnessed the pain that ignorance, intolerance with guns has inflicted on the lives families, our neighbors and society. The proliferation of gun violence is particularly devastating in communities of color. Too often, we have seen guns make anger and despair lethal.

We remember because we have an obligation to ensure that the tragedy at the Emanuel Church is not repeated in any place of worship or anywhere else, places of worship should be watering holes for those that thirst and are meandering in the wilderness of life. We remember, because we want to channel our energy towards making our community innocuous for everyone and work to decrease access to guns. We remember because fighting bigotry and gun violence is a living memory of those who died due to ignorance and guns.

Now, if we are indeed from one creation, we must live like one in harmony with the conviction that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Consequently, together, we can be the change we want to see.