Project Report - Black Church Equality Fellowship
Ciarra Jones Consulting, LLC (CJC), a leading consulting firm dedicated to fostering inclusivity, successfully led the Black Church Equality Fellowship (BCEF), a nationwide leadership development program aimed to empower Black faith leaders in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion within their congregations. The BCEF was created and launched by Pride in the Pews, a grassroots non-profit that promotes the transformation of the Black Church to foster LGBTQ+ inclusion. Pride in the Pews contracted Ciarra Jones Consulting, LLC to design the BCEF curriculum, create a comprehensive package of progressive theology resources, hire and manage facilitators, and support the overall continual learning and development of selected participants.
Program Details:
Objective: To equip Black faith leaders with the skills and knowledge to spearhead congregation-based initiatives promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Support Offered:
$4,000 grant for each selected fellow.
Five group learning modules and a comprehensive curriculum designed by CJC.
1-on-1 consulting support.
Two all-expenses-paid trips to Chicago for mandatory cohort convenings.
Project Feedback
“Ciarra Jones is an excellent thought leader and project manager who demonstrates a high level of subject matter expertise and ability to facilitate learning for adults. What I am most impressed by is Ciarra’s commitment to diversifying and simplifying the learning experience to ensure accessibility while maintaining creativity and innovation. The curriculum she designed empowered the Fellows to navigate the turbulent waters of bridge-building. She is also simply fun to work with and she leads with humanity front and center.“
- Calvin Taylor - Director, Black Church Equality Fellow
Learning Modules:
Ciarra Jones Consulting developed five impactful learning modules to deepen the progressive theological skillset of Black pastors, spiritual leaders, and theologians:
God is For Everybody: The Power of Liberation Theology
Explored inclusive theological perspectives, emphasizing a welcoming and affirming approach.
Explored Queer Theology, Feminist Theology, Womanist Theology and the overall impact of progressive theological approaches.
Trauma-Informed Spiritual Care:
Equipped participants with the skills to provide spiritual care with sensitivity to trauma.
Bridge-Building and Sustainability:
Focused on cultivating leadership skills to build bridges within and beyond the faith community.
Beyond the Walls of the Church: Religion and Media:
Explored the intersection of religion and media, emphasizing outreach beyond traditional church settings.
Towards LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Black Church:
Addressed the unique challenges and opportunities in fostering LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Black Church context.
Module Facilitators: Each module was taught and led by well-known progressive religious scholars, ensuring a high level of expertise and credibility in the content delivery.
Impact and Implementation:
Real-World Application: Fellows were required to turn their learning into real impact by developing and implementing their progressive theological projects.
Bridge-Building Advocates: At the end of the fellowship, participants were equipped to act as bridge-builders and faith-based social justice advocates in their churches and communities.
Feedback: The first year of the BCEF proved to be impactful, efficacious, and transformative. Ciarra Jones Consulting, LLC has been asked to return to direct the fellowship for 2024.
Conclusion: Ciarra Jones Consulting, LLC, through the Black Church Equality Fellowship, successfully designed and executed a groundbreaking program that empowered Black faith leaders with the tools and knowledge to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion within their congregations. The combination of comprehensive learning modules, expert facilitators, and practical implementation by fellows demonstrates the tangible impact of this initiative in fostering progressive theological perspectives and driving positive change within the Black Church community.
