St. Louis, Missouri. Union Memorial was founded in 1846 on three foundations: Love which is a God-given light from heaven, a spark of that immortal fire which angels share. Faith which binds us to the infinite. Hope, the balm and life-blood of the soul. Union Memorial is unique in many ways, such as hosting W.E.B. Du Bois in 1913 and being the second largest structure of its kind in the United States (a hyperbolic paraboloid shell). The congregation at Union Memorial has a long, proud heritage of community-based social justice.

00:00: A Rich and Proud History
6:21 People Felt Supported and Heard
7:30 An Honor to Be a Part of the Legacy
10:34 Connections to Africa University
13:20 Leaving Leffingwell and Pine Location
19:10 Mission and Vision
21:45 Debts and Apportionments
25:44 Restoration: To Restore the People and the Hearts of the People
29:30 Simplified Model of Church Governance
30:45 175 Years of Service and History
35:09 The Pandemic and After
38:14 Resilience in Our DNA
40:00 Fighting In and With the Methodist Church

The Faith and Race Podcast is designed to help faithful people host conversations about race, faith and the Church. Every episode has a specific focus to help listeners intentionally think about the intersection of history, institutions, scripture, prayer, race and justice. The audio recordings bring diverse insights and experiences into churches, homes, and hearts across Missouri and beyond.

“The Saints Before Us” is the theme and focus of season three of the Faith and Race Podcast. It draws on both Hebrews 11, and its description of the cloud of witnesses, and Ephesians 4 with its directive to equip saints for the work of ministry. The phrase “saints before us” invites listeners to consider the duality of its meaning: In that, the new season of the podcast focuses on Missouri’s Black United Methodist Churches and highlights both the work of the saints that came before us and offers an invitation to the saints currently before us to carry that legacy.