Exhibit

The online exhibit, The Church Awakens, arose from the combination of an institutional reevaluation of the impact of racism, the motivation of a generous donor, the Rev. John Morris, and the Archives commitment to uncovering the archival legacy of the Church’s African American faithful.  The Archives challenges the Church to engage its history and reject the root cause of racism in the act of forgetting.

The Archives marks the opening of the personal Papers of John Rowan Claypool, IV (1930-2005) with an exhibit highlighting his influential career as a preacher, author, teacher, and spiritual counselor. His experience with personal tragedy and the struggle to find healing and hope inspired a confessional witness in his preaching that was both compassionate and influential. Claypool’s writings continue to speak to modern themes of redemption, personal Christian witness, and the transformative gift of life.

John Maury Allin served as the 23rd Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church. His election to that office was the culmination of a vocation in which he served as a parish priest, bishop in Mississippi, and as an educational and spiritual advisor. This exhibit reflects the numerous connections and relationships he developed in the belief that ministerial leadership requires a personal commitment to the lives of those served.