Native Charlottean and long-time friend of MPBC, Carter Heyward is returning to be with us on April 19. She will lead the worship service and give the sermon while also speaking afterwards in the Faith and Community Forum.

Carter has lived her adult life breaking societal and cultural barriers to those who have been excluded, marginalized, or dismissed because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. Carter’s courageous stands against these evils have earned her respect and recognition from many places around the world. Today most mainline and progressive denominations have changed their views in these areas, and even the collective American culture has experienced decades of progress on racial and women’s equality as well as LGBTQ+.

Writer of more than a dozen books on feminist theology, liberation theologies and spirituality,

Carter has lived by a foundational question we would all do well to ask ourselves and our faith communities: is it not primary business of the church, if we are Jesus’ siblings, to encourage one another to live boldly on behalf of a compassionate and just world?

Carter will discuss how we may apply this question to our present time and will also offer us practical advice on how to maintain our equanimity and a sturdy sense of hope as we face the challenges of our time.

“Of course, what we’re here to do is ‘bring good news to the poor, freedom to prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, and to set the oppressed free.’” (Luke 4:18)