| abstract |
Life is shaped by what we remember and what we forget. Identity is shaped by how we remember. This project examines a long-standing annual event at St. Paul Community Baptist Church of Brooklyn, NY, to ascertain its value and sustainability as sacred memory in the community. As defined in this project, sacred memory encompasses the community's intentional, ritualized acts to recover, reinforce, and retain communal identity. St. Paul's expression of sacred memory called MAAFA addresses the trauma experienced by African-Americans from the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the residuals of slavery.
With over two decades in our rear view, we explore the power of sacred memory within the context of a congregation deeply connected to its community's needs and traumas. Beyond local import, MAAFA has been a template for congregations worldwide to address local needs through a decidedly incarnational ministry of sacred memory. We seek to discover, has a culture of sacred memory been thoroughly understood and established? Is the importance of sacred memory through MAAFA significant to the next generation? Do we see this ritual of remembering as an essential aspect of our identity? In short, "Where do we go from here?"
To investigate this query, we administered a pre-survey to establish a baseline of involvement and understanding concerning MAAFA. This information was used to inform the curriculum for a three day mini-conference to orient new members and reorient veteran members. A post-survey was conducted to test the effectiveness of the conference and participant reactions. Responses were contrasted to the initial survey to measure the congregation's evolving disposition and understanding of MAAFA.
Results showed that the congregation is committed to continuing the commemoration. We also discovered that the community is interested in a yearly pedagogical effort to deepen our institutional understanding of MAAFA as a sacred memory ritual. On this basis, our church is investigating new and innovative ways to continue our work in sacred memory in a decidedly digital world.
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