Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once observed, “Eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of Christian America.” More than sixty years later, his words still challenge the church to ask: What does it mean to worship a God who calls us to be one body when our congregations remain so divided?

This Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday, Edgehill United Methodist Church and Greater Bethel AME Church will come together for a special joint worship service as we honor Dr. King's life, legacy, and prophetic vision of the Beloved Community.

The painful history of racism and segregation in the American church reminds us that the church has too often reinforced the very divisions the gospel calls us to tear down. And while much has changed since Dr. King's time, racial divisions persist in our churches, neighborhoods, and communities. His vision calls us not simply to acknowledge this history, but to confront the racism and injustice that continue to separate us.

The Beloved Community isn't just a dream we celebrate once a year. It's something we're called to practice—by crossing boundaries, building relationships, confronting injustice, dismantling racism, and learning to love our neighbors as ourselves.

As we worship, pray, and sing together, we'll do more than remember Dr. King's dream. We'll take another step toward living it. Join us as we practice being the Beloved Community, together. All are welcome!