On June 15, my multi-all-the-things congregation—with production by Charles Randolph Wright, Shanta Thake and Matthew Johnson Harris—threw a cabaret/party at Joe’s Pub to celebrate my 20th anniversary at Middle Church. I began work there on January 4, 2004, as the Associate Collegiate Minister, with the intention that I would become Senior Minister if “the way be clear.” Meaning, unless I totally messed up, I would become the first African American and first woman to serve as a Senior Minister in the Collegiate Church, which dates back to 1628. I became Senior Minister on July 1-, 2005 (whew!) Although the Collegiate did not RUSH to break the stain glass ceiling, my church was committed to hiring me, and remains committed to racial, economic, gender and sexuality justice, along with love of the planet and all the people. It is as though they were making reparations by putting me on the team.
Never have I enjoyed work like I love my calling to these people. Every day is an adventure, and in each of these twenty years, I have been stretched, grown and had my heart exploded with love. We Cancelled Rent and paid bills during COVID; we rebuilt homes after Sandy and Katrina; we had an After School Arts program and hold a Freedom Summer School. We protested SCOTUS’ ridiculous overturn of Roe-v-Wade. We died in and marched for the value of Black Lives. We’ve been to the border to help immigrants and fed new New Yorkers here at home. We trained almost 10,000 people in antiracism after Mr. George Floyd was killed. We’ve demanded marriage equality, the closing of Rikers, and a living wage. We have produced 18 annual justice conferences, and have offered full-throated support to Palestine and Israel.
We do artsy, soulful, heart-healing worship every Sunday. Along with Shanta, Charles and Matthew, artists like Tituss Burgess, Erica Hunt, Jamia Wilson, Natalie Renee Perkins, Kaliswa Brewster, Genesis Be, Lutin Tanner, Adrienne Hurd, Michelle Hurd, John Leguizamo, Aly Palmer, Annie Lenox, Norah Jones, Katharine Fugate, V, and Elisabeth Stanley are among the artists who have made their way to our space. They are my people; Middle Church claims them as our people!
And this is to say nothing of the activists who make a home in our place, who stand for the planet, for justice, for bodily autonomy and against poverty, gun violence and oppression. Pride is like Christmas at Middle Church, and we are loud about our radical welcome of all the people, no matter who they love or how they look.
My people celebrated me, loved on me, and have encouraged me with such generosity. This note today is to celebrate them. Thank you, THANK YOU beautiful Middle family for making a Jacqui-shaped hole in your world in which I could learn, grow, flourish and test new theological ideas. I am so in love with you, it brings tears to my eyes.
If you, wherever you live, are looking for a place to be loud and proud about love and justice, come through. I’d love to be your pastor!! We will love on you, encourage you, and support you. Go to middlechurch.org to join us, and to find worship (live or archived) that will make you stomp your feet, sway, cry a little and shout for joy. AND if in any way Middle Church or I have touched you, moved you, or inspired you—help us make it happen by making a donation to our joy-in-hotmess-times community at middlechurch.org/donate.
Joy is our medicine, so we can work hard to heal the world.
Here is a little piece of joyful magic for you. Alyssa Fox came by my Joe’s Pub party to sing a little something-something.
This woman can SANG.
Come Sunday, we will be worshipping at East End Temple at 9:30a (note the new time) so we can go the Queer Liberation March and be loud and proud. There will be healing joy, I promise you.
Love you Middle Family—all of you—all over the globe.
Big kiss, red lip.
Jacqui
I honor you 💕
I love you all so much!!