There IS A Balm in Gilead Conference

This year, the City of Birmingham commemorates sixty years since the Birmingham campaign for civil and human rights. As a part of the commemorative events, The Historic Bethel Baptist Church of Birmingham, Alabama, is pleased to announce its conference on individual and community healing. The conference theme: “There IS A Balm in Gilead: Healing From The Events of 1963.” The conference will take place September 12-14, 2023, in Birmingham, Alabama. What happened here in 1963 changed not only the city but inspired similar movements for human and civil rights across the nation and around the world.

Those directly and indirectly involved in the Modern Civil Rights Movement were significantly affected by the events of the 1950s and 1960s. Survivors still express remorse and weep whenever they share what they experienced during that time. The goal of the conference is to open doors of communication that will help foster healing for those victims directly and indirectly as well as the community as we unpack a legacy of hurt and shame. It has been well documented that the physical, emotional, mental, and intergenerational effects of trauma have lasting effects on individuals and communities. There IS A Balm in Gilead!

The There IS A Balm in Gilead Healing Conference is hosted by the Historic Bethel Baptist Church Community Restoration Fund, The Minnesota Humanities Alliance, and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

We will also provide an extended workshop/conference track for classroom teachers. Twenty (20) scholarships will be offered for classroom teachers to attend the conference. [ Learn More ]