The Presbyterian Interracial Dialogue was founded in the early 1990s after several incidents of racial tension erupted in the Winston-Salem community. Pastors of three Presbyterian churches, Highland, (predominately white) Grace, and Dellabrook (predominately black), got together to form a covenant partnership. As the church folk began to meet, joint worship, book discussion, and service projects came about. Three more PCUSA churches joined later, Lloyd, Trinity, and Parkway.
Nearly two decades later, PIRD has built 4 Habitat Houses, continues hosting advent and Lenten vespers at its respective churches, holds numerous book discussions about faith and race, supports the Belhar confession out of South Africa, leads an annual hymn sing and ice cream social, encourages Rev. Laura Spangler to pastor Lloyd, and helped with Lloyd’s restoration and Spring for Haiti event. The PIRD council consists of representatives from the 6 churches and meets quarterly, rotating the meeting at host churches.
“Inter-racial Dialogue Group Celebrates 20 Years” (Winston-Salem Journal, Nov 2012)
PIRD’s Mission Statement
