A new play, The Anointed, illustrates the story of four well-known African-American ministers dealing with their own personal struggles. A new staged reading of The Anointed is being held Friday, August 16 through a partnership bewteen A Mile In My Shoes (AMIMS) and NYC Black Pride.
Germono Toussaint, Founder and Artistic Director of A Mile in My Shoes describes The Anointed by saying, "the paradox for these ministers is that the very secret they wish to conceal could free them and many of their followers, but could also utterly destroy each of their ministries."
Inspired by interviews with Bishop Yvette Flunder, Bishop Wyatt Greenlee, Reverend Kevin Taylor, Pastor Joseph Tolton and Marques Moore, an African-American survivor of several ex-gay ministries, The Anointed shares their journey as same-gender-loving, spiritual leaders in the African-American community.
The Anointed was written to be used as a tool to bring awareness to the African-American, religious, and spiritual communities about the intersection between spirituality and sexuality, the struggles associated within this reconciliation, how this can impact these communities and also to bring healing to many individuals within the African-American community who have endured similar experiences.
Toussaint explains how the theme of The Anointed follows the mission of AMIMS by "[using] the arts as a platform to address a diverse array of modern social issues, increasing the awareness of the societal impact of these issues. By creating events focused on these issues, audiences are motivated to action."
The Anointed was featured earlier this year as part of Union Theological Seminary’s Disruption & Breaking Free: Sexuality, Theology & the Black Church in New York City as a part of Black History Month.
The reading will be hosted by the LGBT-inclusive church Rivers@Rehoboth. This event is free and open to the public, though RSVP is required. Click HERE to RSVP.
Watch The Anointed promo from AMIMS: