Osheta Moore, pastor, author, speaker and podcaster from Saint Paul, Minnesota, will speak at Eastern Mennonite School Monday, March 21 at 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium at 801 Parkwood Drive, Harrisonburg. All are welcome. A livestream of the presentation will be available here.

“You are Beloved,” is the theme for Moore’s talk, which will draw on her books, Shalom Sistas, Living Wholeheartedly in a Broken Hearted World (Herald Press 2018), and  Dear White Peacemakers: Dismantling Racism with Grit and Grace (Herald Press, 2021).

The book draws on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and personal stories from Moore’s work as a pastor, mother, educator, and friend. The book is an invitation to White Christians to “come to the table and join the hard work of dismantling racism.”

Copies of books will be for sale, and Moore will be available for a book signing, hosted by MennoMedia, in the auditorium prior to the 7 p.m. program. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

The presentation is co-sponsored by MennoMedia and the Racial Justice Task Force of Virginia Mennonite Conference. It is also sponsored through the EMS Kennel/Charles Endowed Fund; which is used to host a guest Mennonite-Anabaptist historian, pastor, teacher, or other individual to speak to and interact with students each year. Read more about the fund.

“I’m excited to listen to and learn from Osheta Moore about our Anabaptist commitment to peacemaking, rooted in the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on Mount, as it relates to the task of dismantling racism,” says Benjamin Bixler, Bible teacher.

“Osheta’s invitational approach welcomes everyone to the table as a beloved child of God and her storytelling and deep theological thinking will be a treat for our students and the broader community.”

School Visit
Moore’s time at the school will include two chapel services for middle and high school students, a presentation with the K-5 weekly gathering, and time with students in classrooms, over lunch, and in one-on-one exchanges.

“We believe Osheta’s time with us will help us take another small step forward in our strategic efforts to fulfill our vision to be a place where every student can ‘belong, thrive, and live God’s call.’” says Paul Leaman, head of school.

The March visit is an opportunity for Moore to learn to know the school community in advance of her commencement address on June 4, 2022 to the class of ‘22. To that end, she will meet during her visit with all three sections of the senior class in their Kingdom Living class, taught by Benjamin Bixler and Karen Suderman, a culmination of their time at EMS.

Learn more about Moore’s ministries at Woodland Hills Church and Roots Covenant Church at Osheta.com. Follow her on Instagram at @oshetamoore.

Guests are asked to wear masks in the building.