January 2022 Monthly Letter
Dear Reconcilers,
I asked Neil Earle to share some of the history of ORM as we begin our 25th year of the Ministry. Neil and his wife, Susan were a blessing to have on the team as the doors began to open for ORM. Neil’s writing talent was such a blessing to this Ministry. He was one of my wife’s favorite writers. I am so sad to say he died on December 23 from a massive heart attack. He will be missed.
ORM AT 25: A Work of Loaves and Fishes!
When ORM began in 1996-97 it was in context of what some were calling a time of racial peace. But in Texas, some Churches were spreading a book that could be interpreted to assert that America’s leading minority at the time was mentally inferior to the larger majority.
Curtis May gathered a small band of committed Christians around him to get the message of the tactics of racial reconciliation out to those who would in turn rally to support it. It was what the Bible calls a “loaves and fishes” operation rather than a well-funded Madison Avenue high-powered outreach. At first, there were two prongs of endeavor: Curtis May responded to workshop requests coming in to our then headquarters at Pasadena, CA and a small-scale print mission began acting as a clearing house for so much that was to explode around us.
Curtis himself soon travelled to South Africa under the auspices of Fuller Seminary’s retired head of Psychology, Dr. Archibald Hart. Then he went to the United Kingdom where ORM attended the 200th of the end of slavery across the British Empire in 2007. In Richmond, VA Curtis and I shared a deeply meaningful reenactment of a prayer walk along the old slave trail. These were milestones along the path where others had trod long before us. With his gift for friendship, Curtis was soon interacting with NBA great A.C. Green, as well as America’s leading church historian Mark Noll, who spoke most warmly about our work. Along the way came a full-fledged book, Mending Broken Relationships, used by counselors across North America (and available upon request), to an award-winning DVD titled, A Time to Reconcile. Gradually we added 24 Chapter Leaders “from sea to sea,” including the U.K.’s Conflict Resolution Specialist Evelyne O’Callaghan Burkhart.
In many ways we have been ahead of our time. ORM was invited to the first national seminar on “Community Policing”— an idea that is now quickly gaining ground in the United States. Most people we’ve met have been astonished and gratified that such an organization exists and that it has the communication “smarts” to teach principles of true reconciliation, principles expounded in living clarity in the Sermon on the Mount, waiting to be brought into the modern era.
We at ORM are well aware that our strength lies not in our own abilities but in the One who said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) It also comes from YOU, our loyal and devoted followers who have shared the vision and in some cases, have had it before we arrived. We are grateful to God that you have been with us on the journey. Here’s to another 25 years!
As we celebrate our 25th year, I want to thank Cherry Steinwender for being willing to mentor us as we started our journey. Cherry’s ministry is called the Center for the Healing of Racism in Houston, Texas. For three years we joined with the Center and presented seminars around the country. She was always there whenever we called and we cannot thank her enough.
Thank you all for your support over the years and for your prayers. We are looking forward to another year of helping to bring unity in any way we can. Wishing you a wonderful 2022.
