On Sept. 26, as part of the World Views event series, students had the opportunity to attend a presentation given by Sandy Milien, canon for racial reconciliation and community engagement at the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem. Milien facilitates community engagement and helps to further establish the Spanish-speaking communities within the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem. She is a part of the Racial Justice and Reconciliation Task Force, and her job is to provide members with resources for support, confirmation and transformation. She also helps with educating others within the church on how to maintain the church’s goal of inclusivity towards all groups of people and making sure all people feel safe.
Millien discussed how traditional views of religion have driven many people away from the church due to closed views and convergent thinking towards many minority groups within the church. The goal of her task force is to upend these views and usher in a new wave of religion that upholds proper traditions that are accurate to scripture. “Scripture should not be used as a tool to inflict oppression onto others. That in and of itself is a sin,” shared Milien.
“Scripture should not be used as a tool to inflict oppression onto others. That in and of itself is a sin.”
Sandy Milien
She further elaborated how the Episcopal Church is known to be very progressive and inclusive towards others. After seeing the oppression occurring against the minority groups within the US, the Bethlehem church formally recognized the need to be united with all groups of people. To accomplish that task, Millien talked about how she believes the work of racial justice and reconciliation must be a priority for all followers of Jesus. She hopes that all members of the diocese will join the task force in actively dismantling racism, speaking out against injustice and working together to become true representatives of God’s beloved community. “We try to ensure that our mission is rooted in our relationship with others so that we can ensure that there is hope for people to change and grow,” Milien explained.
“We try to ensure that our mission is rooted in our relationship with others so that we can ensure that there is hope for people to change and grow.”
Sandy Milien
In the Q&A segment of the event, students got the chance to ask questions and hear her take on matters within or relating to the church. One question that came up in the discussion was “What are some of the positive changes made within the church?” Milien explained that her task force began holding workshops to help give all members more exposure to different cultures and traditions. The church is also starting to reconnect with the younger generations through having an open mind about religious ideals. Milien remarked, “We challenge our leadership. There has been an effort to discern how our cathedral can become a key place for people to fully embrace their identity.”Milien’s event was captivating and offered an informative view of racial justice within the Episcopal Church. The event left a great impression on many students. “To see that there are efforts being made to change what had sadly been the norm in religion has genuinely shifted my perspective of what the church represents,” remarked Ari Hidalgo ‘27.
