Posts from 2023

Posts from 2023

Rev. Robert C. Galbraith: A Case Study of the Ministry – Antebellum Through the Civil War (Part 1)

by Myra Brosius Among our many ministers, Robert C. Galbraith holds a distinctive place. Beginning in 1853, he served Govans for twelve years leading up to and through the Civil War. By many accounts, he was a bright, industrious, and dedicated minister. One of Rev. Galbraith’s most compelling qualities was his call to minister to “negroes” during our country’s tragic era of slavery. Equally intriguing is a personal scandal involving race that arguably, may have contributed to his leaving Baltimore…
Black Lives Matter

Pastor Tom’s Statement on BLM Sign Vandalism

On Sunday afternoon, August 27th the Black Lives Matter sign displayed by our church, Govans Presbyterian, was vandalized. The banner had been vandalized once before and lovingly repaired by a church member. We recently had our Pride Flag stolen as well. Other churches in the area displaying similar messages of love and diversity affirming symbols have had similar acts of vandalism. We live in a society in which values are communicated in images, symbols, and sound bytes. As a church…

WYPR’s “On the Record” features Govans’ “Juneteenth Jubilee”

WYPR’s On the Record with Sheilah Kast featured our Juneteenth Jubilee celebration, happening June 12, 2023! This multi-genre concert (classical, jazz, blues, gospel, spirituals, ragtime, folk, etc.) will feature music composed by or for African-American musicians. It is being organized by Jonathan Jensen, bassist for the award winning Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Lea Gilmore, First Service Music Director and Minister for Racial Justice and Multicultural Engagement.

Govans to visit Harriet Tubman’s Birthplace and Museum on June 17

The Racial Justice Ministry has planned a visit to Harriet Tubman’s birthplace on the Eastern Shore Saturday, June 17, (rain date, June 24). We will leave in carpools at 9:30 a.m. from the Govans parking lot and travel to Church Creek, MD. and begin at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park. We will enjoy our lunches (brought from home) in a park pavilion and tour the museum. From there wewill visit Brodess Farm where Harriet was born into slavery…

Palm Sunday Choral Program – featuring world premiere of piece by B.E. Boykin

This Palm Sunday, April 2 during the 10:00 a.m. service, we are meditating on the ideas and concepts of spiritual death, rebirth, and resurrection. We begin with works by Norwegian composer, Ola Gjeilo, starting with two instrumental works, The Crossing, and Reflections, which provide us with a meditative and contemplative space to prepare for the choral work, Dark Night of the Soul, which indulges in the concept of spiritual death. Dark Night of the Soul is a poem of St.…