Written by: Erin Rouse
A new Sabbath School at the Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists addressing racial issues was founded by Pastor Reginald Horton and Delise Bravo-Bussey a few months ago, according to Bravo-Bussey. What began as a conversation between the two has developed into a consistent Sabbath School that averages between 10 and 20 participants each Saturday, said Hannah Bujak, a community member.
During the week, members are encouraged to read an assigned chapter from “Be the Bridge,” a book written by author Latasha Morrison. They then meet most Saturdays in a room across from the church’s sanctuary. During hour-long sessions, members cover a span of topics from lamenting and confession to forgiveness and restorative reconciliation.
Bujak said the birth of the Sabbath School started with conversations in coffee shops between her, Bravo-Bussey and Horton. They introduced the idea at the church’s Wednesday night prayer meeting and, from there, continued to read “Be the Bridge,” listen to relevant podcasts, and continue conversations with one another, said Bujak.
“We initiated the Sabbath School because we wanted it to be available for those who were busy during the week and who have a heart for change towards racial reconciliation,” Bravo-Bussey said, “especially change in the community.”
She said their biggest goal was to get people talking so that change could become possible.
Rebekah Bissell, a community member who attends the new Sabbath School, said she has acknowledged that she has a [racist] ancestral history and wanted to know what she could do about it. She said she didn’t want to just feel empathy or guilt; she wanted to act but was never able to find a way to do so. She said that’s when Bujak told her about the growing Sabbath School that addressed racial issues.
“Having this class has been really helpful since now I’m starting to see what can be proactively done, and so I’m not just standing on the sidelines,” Bissell said.
Bissell went on to say that the conversations they’ve been having have been worthwhile because the spirit in the class has been truly kind.
“In another environment, you might get jumped on, but instead there’s this effort to accept the perspective of the person,” Bissell added.