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Queen Mother Maxine McFarlane singing "Pass it On"
The Interwoven Story
by Interwoven Congregations Exec. Director Rev. Pat Jackson
This is the beginning. Raytown, Missouri, 2010. And the seed of this effort came in the form of an extraordinary woman who was a towering figure for justice at 4'11" (with her hat). She told me it started for her when Bobby Kennedy was shot. Queen Mother Maxine McFarlane stepped out of her home in Minneapolis, crossed into a public park where people had gathered in anger and anguish, and began to speak about the power of love and the need for racial justice and healing.
Years later, having moved to Kansas City, she approached the congregation I served, Blue Ridge Presbyterian Church, and asked if the church could be the site for an annual MLK celebration. That was significant because Blue Ridge was located in Raytown, MO, which had been a white flight and sundown community.
Each year, Queen Mother and her daughter Sister Kathleen would gather with a wonderful team of clergy and lay leaders in Raytown to organize the annual celebration. And in the process, Queen Mother introduced me to two people who would play a pivotal role with what would become Interwoven Congregations -- Brother John Anderson and Rev. Michael Brooks.
Brother John was Queen Mother's Godson and served as the spirited emcee of each year's MLK celebration. Rev. Brooks (then) pastored Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church (and now Oasis Church International in Raytown), and he and I would begin a partnership between our two congregations. Both Brother John and Rev. Michael are founding members of the Interwoven Congregations boards.
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With Brother John (left) and Rev. Michael on the Interwoven pilgrimage to Atlanta and Alabama in 2023.
Another vital seed for Interwoven came when a nonprofit, Caring for Kids, came to Raytown. Their mission was to match up schools with faith communities and businesses to help support the schools, both teachers and students. My congregation participated and I watched as all 11 elementary schools in our community formed partnerships that took off. Each partnership of a school, faith community and business owned the project while Caring for Kids provided guidance, encouragement and accountability.
I concluded my ministry at Blue Ridge in 2018 and my wife Janet, our daughter Elyse, and I made the move to the northern Dutch city of Groningen. We had wanted to live abroad for a year as a family and embraced being global citizens (a commitment that continues today).
Upon our return to the U.S. in August 2019, we settled in Bethesda, MD and I began the Presbyterian process of seeking a new church call. But that fall, I entered a time of discernment. I knew that in my (likely) role as a solo pastor I would only be able to dedicate part of my time to the work of racial justice, whereas I wanted that to be the focus of all of my time.
In Groningen, the Netherlands, 2018
Then the seeds from Kansas City came together in my mind -- the inspiration from Queen Mother, the partnership between Blue Ridge and Zion Grove, and the experience with Caring for Kids. What if we formed a nonprofit that, like Caring for Kids, supported congregations in their efforts for racial justice while offering tools and accountability? Might such an effort give partnerships such as that attempted between Blue Ridge and Zion Grove a greater chance for success and impact? And might it help congregations, too many of which historically were proponents of slavery and Jim Crow segregation, live more fully into their faith which, to be authentic, challenges us to be agents for racial justice and healing?
I had found my calling, and in February of 2020, Interwoven Congregations was born.
But this is not just my story, this is our story. It's a story of a special group of people who came together to form our Governing and Advisory Boards to launch the Interwoven initiative and develop our approach to racial justice and healing. It's a growing story of people of faith and others of good will who are recommiting themselves to the spiritual calling for love, justice and reconciliation. Perhaps it's your story too.
Our early Be the Bridge study group
At the end of each of the annual MLK celebrations, Queen Mother would bring the house down with her passionate singing of "Pass it On" with her signature whoop at the end. If you need a touch of inspiration this day, hear her yourself.
And then join us in this work for racial justice and healing.
Pass it on!
Peace,
Photo and video courtesy of the Kansas City Star
Rev. Pat Jackson
Executive Director
Interwoven Congregations
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