On Sunday, Dec. 14, the Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing (AJECRH) hosted its first commissioning of 25 pilgrims heading next year to Cape Coast, Ghana, along with a reunion of those who made the journey from 2017 to 2025. Under the theme Five Pilgrimages, One Journey, more than 60 people gathered to celebrate what has been and to bless the journey ahead.

The pilgrimage grew from the relationship between the Anglican Diocese of Cape Coast in Ghana and the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, which became companions in ministry in 2017. The two bodies share in God’s work of reconciliation through a relationship focused on prayer, spiritual growth, racial healing, education, leadership formation, financial sustainability, and traveling to see one another. The travelers represent a growing human legacy between the dioceses, what Bishop Rob Wright has called a “spiritual supply chain” that helps heal the wounds of the inhuman supply chain of slavery.

The recent AJECRH gathering also welcomed four pilgrims from the Diocese of South Carolina, including Bishop Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, who are participating as part of their diocese’s deepening commitment to racial reconciliation and healing.

“Their presence underscored that this work, while rooted in the Diocese of Atlanta, continues to resonate across diocesan boundaries and within the wider Church.” ~ Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright

The evening also marked an important transition. The Pilgrimage to Cape Coast, Ghana is now housed within the AJECRH, further grounding this work in the Center’s mission of truth-telling, relationship, and healing. The 2026 cohort—representing communities across Middle and North Georgia—was formally introduced as they begin preparing for the 2026 Pilgrimage to Cape Coast, Ghana, April 13–20, 2026.

The 2026 pilgrimage will be co-led by Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright, Acting AJECRH Executive Director, and The Very Rev. Jeff Jackson, Rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Carrollton, and Dean of the Southwest Atlanta Convocation.

2026 Pilgrims

The Rev. Scott Harding – St. Matthias, Toccoa
The Rev. Marycelis Otero – Emmanuel, Athens
Martha Bright – St. Luke’s, Fort Valley
Lanny Lucas – St. Timothy’s, Decatur
Claire Lucas – St. Timothy’s, Decatur
Beverly Lloyd – St. Paul’s, Atlanta
Dennis Lloyd – St. Paul’s, Atlanta
The Very Rev. Tricia Templeton – St. Dunstan’s, Atlanta
The Rev. Dean Taylor – Resurrection, Sautee-Nacoochee
The Rev. Deborah Silver – Diocese of Atlanta
Bobbie Broussard – St. Matthias, Toccoa
Jim Myers – St. Patrick’s, Dunwoody
Martha Myers – St. Patrick’s Dunwoody
Taylor Stukes – St. Benedict’s, Smyrna
Clavel Gittens – St. Simon’s, Conyers
The Rev. Kenya Thompson – Church of the Common Ground
Daniel Black – St. Mark’s, LaGrange
Angela Bagot – St. Simon’s, Conyers
Vermelle Preston Simmons – Diocese of South Carolin
The Right Rev. Ruth Woodliff-Stanley, Diocese of South Carolina
The Rev. Canon Ramelle McCall, Diocese of South Carolina
Gail DeCosta, Diocese of South Carolina
Sandra Tarver – Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing
Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright – Absalom Jones Episcopal Center for Racial Healing
The Very Rev. Jeff Jackson – St. Margaret’s, Carrollton

The evening was festive and deeply relational. The Center was adorned with vibrant Ghanaian kente cloth, and guests shared delicious, authentic Ghanaian food—sensory reminders of the culture and partnerships at the heart of the pilgrimage. What unfolded was more than a reunion; it was a living testament to how pilgrimage has become woven into the spiritual fabric of the diocese and how this work calls people to cross boundaries with humility, care, and truth-telling.

A highlight of the evening was the honoring of The Rev. Canon C. John Thompson-Quartey, the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta’s Canon Missioner for Companion Relationships, whose faithful leadership and cultural wisdom have guided all five pilgrimages.

Speakers reflected on the enduring impact of these journeys, including Archdeacon Janet Tidwell, who recalled the first pilgrimage in 2017, and Justin Strickland, a member of the Cathedral of St. Philip and a pilgrim on the 2025 journey.

“Their reflections made clear that pilgrimage does not end when travelers return home; it continues to shape hearts, congregations, and commitments.” ~ Dr. Beth-Sarah Wright

As part of this diocesan-wide effort, parishes are invited to support pilgrims from their own congregations through prayer and financial support—a model that has proven meaningful and successful in past pilgrimages. Those wishing to contribute may do so through this giving link.

All are invited into this shared journey through faithful prayer and generous support. Financial gifts make the pilgrimage possible; prayer sustains pilgrims and grounds the work spiritually. Any funds raised beyond this year’s needs will support future pilgrims, extending the journey for years to come.

As the evening came to a close, one truth was clear,” the Very Rev. Jeff Jackson said in his closing prayer: “While there have been five pilgrimages, there is—and will continue to be—one shared journey, rooted in our baptismal call to reconciliation, the healing of what is broken, and the honoring of the dignity of every human being.”