Oak Ridge pastor to speak April 3 on healing social divisions
David Allred, pastor of High Places Community Church, will speak at the Women’s Interfaith Dialogue’s virtual meeting at 11 a.m. Monday.
According to a news release, Allred will be speaking on the famous quote of Martin Luther King Jr.: “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
The release continued: “As communities insulate from violence, hate speech, and hate crimes they often do so in the form of resolutions, laws, or educational programs. While these are good, they only partially address the problem when they are offered up in the absence of genuine relationships among neighbors.
“As we share and participate in each other's stories, we find a shared humanity, one to another. As we recognize one another's humanity, we deny hate the fuel it needs to keep burning. Healing starts with heartfelt communication, transparency, and by entering into covenant with each other to make a safe and healthy Oak Ridge for all residents.”
Pastor Allred organized many People’s Suppers in Oak Ridge prior to COVID-19. He was recently awarded a $300,000 grant for 2023-2024 to continue these efforts through Oak Ridge Periodic Tables, which aims to bring the community together around food and meaningful conversations.
Women's Interfaith Dialogue will be working across a variety of topics and issues affecting the community, including holding a multi-week racial-bridging conversion that will begin this fall. Opportunities to participate and become more involved in healing conversations will abound for the next 18 months.
The next Oak Ridge Periodic Tables will be held immediately following the "Roots of America" program, "Roots of Hate Crimes in America – focusing on ethnic and religious persecution." The program will be at 5 p.m. April 20, Pollard Auditorium, ORAU, 210 Badger Ave. For more information on Periodic Tables, visit https://www.oakridgeperiodictables.com/.
Allred's church owns and operates the Historic Grove Theater. He received his Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Tennessee. He is married to psychologist Tracy Allred, of the Center for Wellbeing in Oak Ridge. They have two grown children currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee.
The Women’s Interfaith Dialogue was established in 2009 and includes women and men from many faith groups and others who are unaffiliated. The programs cover many aspects of our community, with an emphasis on women and children. The focus of WID over the years has expanded to include services and needs that provide opportunities to build a stronger community for all.
The public is invited to this virtual meeting. To receive the Zoom meeting information, contact Rebecca Bowman by email at Rebecca.R.Bowman@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Oak Ridge pastor to speak on healing social divisions
