Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte looks to the future

The Rev. Emily Parker
Sep 21
4 min read

By the Rev. Emily Parker

I am not sure where the time has gone, but this past March 1 marked my second anniversary as executive director of Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte, a special mission of our diocese. Serving in this position is a privilege and a path that leads me deeper into community and my calling as a deacon. There are daily invitations into new relationships, new areas of knowledge and understanding, and opportunities for reflection.

Days at Galilee are full—and honestly, a little unpredictable, in a good way. Full of listening and trying to meet needs. Full of surprises and God’s spirit moving in quiet, and sometimes not so quiet, ways. I find it life-giving. I am fortunate to serve in a place that is embedded in the community and with people who show up with heart and compassionate curiosity.

Each day, life at Galilee brings new lessons to learn. One of my favorite lessons is realizing how much I do not know and marveling at those who have expertise. And not just marveling but engaging and asking for help on a variety of topics, from tending our green spaces to fundraising to HVAC systems. Galilee runs on the Holy Spirit and the love, dedication and expertise of countless gifted volunteers. Gifts of time, talent and treasure abound, and I am beyond grateful to everyone who supports the ministries at Galilee.

WHY GALILEE?

Galilee Ministries is located on the site of what was St. Andrew’s on the east side of Charlotte. The church closed in 2013, and at the time, bishops, deacons and lay people gathered to discern what could happen next at 3601 Central Avenue. In 2015, The Galilee Center was born.

Why call it Galilee?

You may recall that, while he was bishop of our diocese, Bishop Michael Curry led a movement called The Galilee Initiative and would often say, as followers of Christ, we must “Go to Galilee!” I looked back and found a Disciple article from 2012 that talked about The Galilee Initiative and included excerpts of Bishop Curry’s pastoral address to the 195th Annual Convention. I was reminded that the word “Galilee” has a few meanings.

Capitalized, it is an ancient geographic region in northern Israel that, in the first century, was home to many cultures and religions, to social and political unrest, and to economic instability and uncertainty. It was a dynamic and unpredictable place.

There is also the lowercase “galilee,” defined as a porch at the entrance to some English churches. A galilee in this sense is the threshold between the sanctuary and the street. It is a place of transition, encounter and possibility. Galilee Ministries is this kind of threshold space and has been for the last 10 years. We stand at the intersection of church and world, of prayer and action, of welcome and justice.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT 10 YEARS

Starting in May 2024, Galilee staff and board members listened to nearly 200 voices to understand better the needs of the community and how Galilee can strengthen and expand collaborations to serve east Charlotte. On January 15, 2025, Galilee’s board adopted the following mission, vision and focus areas:

Mission: To help build a stronger east Charlotte community by welcoming, connecting, and empowering collaborations in a space of belonging.

Vision: We envision an east Charlotte community where all people are rooted in connection, celebrate justice, radiate joy, are filled with abundance, and walk in the way of love.

Focus areas:

To grow Galilee-led collaborations around convening, connecting, partner capacity building and thought leadership
To expand the collaborative use of the campus by community and faith partners to build community
To strengthen our staff, board, congregational and volunteer capacity
To build the financial and physical infrastructure that enables expanded service to the community

This year, we focused on the following to live into our mission, vision and focus areas:

We expanded Lydia’s Pantry with the help of generous support. Founded in 2023 thanks to the discernment of the Becoming Beloved Community group, Lydia’s Pantry is an emergency food pantry that soon outgrew its original small closet space. We relocated the pantry to a larger, dedicated space and expanded our offerings to include household and dignity products.
We collaborated with Trinity Episcopal School to be the service-learning partner for the 5th grade class.
In February, we relaunched Galilee’s monthly newsletter. (See the link in the sidebar to sign up.)
From March through May, we received fundraising guidance and recommendations through a Spark Team from Social Venture Partners.
We hosted Know Your Rights training sessions for citizen allies and supporters who stand in solidarity with immigrants in May, June and July, with an increasing number of participants at each session.
On October 10, Galilee will host its 10th anniversary celebration called The Power of 10. Please let me know if you would like to attend!

RETURNING HOME

Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte is sustained by the generosity from the diocese; churches in the Charlotte convocation and beyond; individual donors; in-house partner monthly contributions; and grants. We are deeply grateful for every prayer, every hour volunteered and every amount donated. You are part of this ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to continue responding to Christ’s call in the community.

In Matthew 28:10, the Risen Lord gave instructions that his disciples should “go to Galilee” and meet him there. For Jesus and the disciples, to go to Galilee is to return home—back to where it all began—and to experience home in a new way, with post-resurrection body, mind and spirit. Going to Galilee is an intentional way of being in the world to live out the examples set by Jesus. We are resurrection people, and Galilee Ministries is a place of resurrection, new life and possibility.

This year, as we celebrate Galilee’s 10th anniversary, I invite you to make or deepen your connection with us. If you are in Charlotte, please come visit. Volunteer if you are able. Pray with us. Share our story with your congregation. Donate. And consider how you might “go to Galilee” in your own life—stepping onto the porch and out into the world with love and courage.

The Rev. Emily Parker is the executive director of Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte.

Support Galilee

The Power of 10 Celebration will take place, Friday, October 10, at 10 a.m., at Galilee Ministries of East Charlotte (3601 Central Avenue, Charlotte 28205).

Email Parker if you would like to attend.