Episode 5: Social Justice and Taking a Stand at St. James UMC

About This Episode Kansas City, Missouri. St. James United Methodist Church launched in 1973 when two small churches combined. Listen in as current pastor Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Cleaver III, Robert Silvan and Leola Evans share about the history and experience of the Historically Black Church. In This Episode 00:00: Church History Narration 4:30 1950s Change of Kansas City Landscape and the Beginning of St. James UMC 7:30 Taking A Stand and Doing Something About It 18:00 The Merging of a White and Black Church 22:20 Involvement in Politics 24:30 Raising Awareness in Younger People 26:00 A Long History of Involvement In Social Justice 28:30 Birthed Out of a Need for Social Justice and Action 30:30 The Congregation of St. James 35:00 How Would You Identify St. James 38:30 Leadership Demographics 44:00 White Flight and Neighborhood Churches 48:00 Disappointments with the Larger Church 54:00 Ivan Newton 60:00 Kansas City Police 65:00 Refocusing the Worship Effort About This Podcast The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond. "The Saints Before Us" is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase "saints before us" invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri's Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.