Covenant News

Schedule of Sankofa Trips Announced

CHICAGO (November 15, 2000) - The Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) is offering a unique way to encourage a better understanding of racial diversity, organizing a series of Sankofa trips from Chicago to Alabama and Georgia during the next two years.

The Sankofa trips, sponsored by Covenant Ministries of Benevolence (CMB), are designed to target 25 to 35 cross-racial participants. The first is set for February 2-5. Other trips in 2001 are April 27-30 and October 5-8. In 2002, trips are scheduled for February 8-11, April 5-8 and October 11-14.

Dan Johnson, associate pastor of music at Hilmar Covenant Church in California, made a Sankofa trip two years ago and the memories are still vivid. Johnson encouraged senior pastor Bruce Metcalfe to participate in a Sankofa trip and Metcalfe did so in 1999.

"I have a continuing awareness that we who are in the majority (white, upper middle-class males, among others) in society don't know the depth of the struggle, the hidden prejudices that exist in communities with different ethnic backgrounds," Johnson said. "Sometimes there are aspects in the lives of some that are unspoken, but are evident. Some are self-imposed - they want to prove a stereotype wrong, whatever that may be. People in corporate society look at African-Americans differently and I wasn't aware of that before. Listening to videos and going down to Alabama and Georgia, I realized that racial prejudice still exists."

Due to the locale of his church, Johnson isn't heavily involved with an African-American community. However, the Sankofa trip was a catalyst for Johnson to become part of a youth mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico, which has aided his thinking as he interacts with the Hispanic culture in central California.

"We see the solutions differently," said Johnson in describing how the mindset of the Caucasian culture varies from others. "For some, we want to just get rid of the issue. But people still live with that (racial prejudice) and they see it differently than I do. I became so much more aware by being on one of those Sankofa trips."

For Don Nelson, pastor of Faith Covenant Church in Essex, Iowa, Sankofa isn't a journey, but a pilgrimage. He has studied the issue of racial reconciliation from historical and biblical perspectives and hopes that God will help him decide how he can be more attuned to the issue as he considers future ministry. This trip is one of those steps in faith.

"In recent months God has given me a growing passion concerning racial reconciliation within the Christian community," he said. "God has been impressing upon my heart how much it wounds Him that His children (who should be one in Christ) are divided on the basis of color, ethnicity, class, language and cultural heritage."

The fare for Sankofa is $250 per person, which includes transportation (from Chicago), entry fees and motel accommodations for one night. It does not include meals.

According to Jim Lundeen, associate director of Compassion Mercy and Justice (CMJ) and organizer of the trips, early registration is critical because an important goal of each journey is to provide a balance between Euro-Americans and people of color. For more information, contact Lundeen by telephone at 773-878-8200, ext. 5850, or by email at jelundeen@covenantbenevolence.org.

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