Sam Sharpe Lecture: change-making faith  

Are we living out our faith in such a way that it will create lasting change in our society? That’s one of the challenges the Revd Rose Hudson Wilkin will present at the seventh Sam Sharpe Lecture next month

 


Rose, Priest in Charge at St Mary at Hill, City of London, is the chaplain to the speaker of the House of Commons, the first woman in that role.
 
She is also from Montego Bay, Jamaica, which has a statue of Sam Sharpe in recognition of his part in bringing about the abolition of slavery. Sharpe was a Baptist deacon who instigated a plan of passive resistance against slavery. It cost him his life, but within two years slavery would be abolished. The annual lecture explores his legacy.
 
‘Having been born and brought up there (Montego Bay) I know the value of Sam Sharpe and what he brought to that society,’ Rose said.
 
‘I want us here in the diaspora in the United Kingdom as people from minority ethnic background, and also for ordinary white people living here, to understand something of what the faith brings to ordinary life.
 
‘But I also want to ask the question: are we living up to the sacrifices they made, huge sacrifices that cost them their lives?
 
‘What are we doing about those sacrifices? Are we taking them for granted? Are we building on that foundation?’
 
This wasn’t simply a question for the Sam Sharpes, but ‘every single one of us’, Rose continued. ‘We need to ask ourselves why are we here? What purpose do we serve?
 
‘How might we create the kind of change in our society, in our community, that in years to come other generations, future generations will look back and say this generation has indeed built on the foundation and the sacrifices of the Sam Sharpes?
 
‘In other words, have we used our gift, the gift, wisely?’
 

The 7th Annual Sam Sharpe Lecture will be held on: 18 October 2018 at University of Roehampton Whitelands College.

Previous Sam Sharpe lectures have been delivered by Professor Robert Beckford, the Revd Dr Neville Callam, (BWA General Secretary), the Revd Dr Delroy Reid-Salmon (author of Burning for Freedom), the Revd Joel Edwards (former Evangelical Alliance General Secretary), Bev Thomas (diversity consultant) and, more recently, the Revd Karl Johnson (General Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union)
 
The lecture is free of charge, though guests are encouraged to make a voluntary donation towards the cost of the lecture at the end of the evening.  This lecture is open to all, but due to limited capacity we advise you to register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment – book your place at https://www.baptist.org.uk/samsharpe
 
A short video in which the Revd Rose talks about her plans for the lecture with Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed is now available to view and download from https://www.baptist.org.uk/samsharpe
 
The lecture is a key element of the Sam Sharpe Project, a partnership between Baptists Together, the Baptist Union of Jamaica, Regent's Park College, BMS World Mission and others which launched in 2012. The project was created to explore the story and legacy of Sam Sharpe, and reflect on its impact for Baptists and other Christians in 21st century.