Earlier this year in our Sunday morning class, we studied Judges chapters 19 and 20 where a woman was brutally violated by men who the scriptures framed as upstanding and honoring codes of hospitality of their day. These passages were so difficult for us to read and reckon with that some members of our class were tempted to leave the church that day - completely flabbergasted by how something like this could be included in a book that we call the "Word of God." What does this say about Christianity? In an era where many women are coming forward now to raise their voices about their experiences being violated, sexually assaulted, and raped, what does this mean for the church? The video belo
Our church leadership is currently studying Christianity in greater context from the 1400's to present time. Check out this presentation which highlights some important moments regarding Christianity and European Imperialism in the 1700's.
Dr. Martha Simmons will be our guest preacher on Sunday, May 5, 2019. Check out this presentation she gives on the imperative for the church to be more engaged in the community. In what ways does this messages affirm or challenge our church or churches that you are connected to?
On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, United States Senator, Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) visited Maxine's Garden at Pleasant Hope Baptist Church Senator Van Hollen had recently heard about the Black Church Food Security Network and wanted to see where it all began. Pastor Brown and the Maxine's Garden Ministry spoke to Senator Van Hollen about sustainable agriculture, afroecology, just food systems and how support from the federal government could help spur an asset-based approach to community development. We are grateful for the Senator's visit and look forward to deepening our relationship with him and the entire Maryland Congressional delegation.
For nearly 1 month, students at Johns Hopkins University have been engaged in a sit-in on campus in the building which houses the President's office - Garland Hall. They are there to protest the passage of a bill earlier this year which now permits Hopkins to establish its own private police force. The students feel it is a measure that will only exacerbate the problem of abusive policing in Baltimore. Furthermore, they point to Hopkins' long-standing strained relationship with the Black community as another reason to reverse course on this measure. For the past 2 Sundays, Pleasant Hope members - including our dance ministry, pastor, and young adults - showed up in solidarity to support th
For the past 7 weeks, leaders of our church have been engaged in an exciting time of dreaming, imagining and articulating the ways that we believe God is calling us to be more of who we've always been. Central to this journey has been group learning around the historic relationship between European Imperialism and Christianity in the 1400's, 1500's, and 1600's. We'll continue focusing on every century up to this the 21st Century. However, we're not just looking at how Christianity was mangled into a tool for European imperialism. We're also studying those who embraced The Way of Christ as a revolutionary ethic over the centuries. We pray to decolonize our understandings of Christianity an
