Welcome To
New Roots is a new congregation rethinking what church can be. We are a community of people from different races, places, orientations, and economic backgrounds. Many of us grew up in traditional churches and got to a place where they didn't work for us. Some never went to church and may not be sure what we think about God, but have a desire to explore spirituality in a safe, non-judgemental place. All of us have a desire to be in community.
We believe that everyone is beautiful with amazing gifts to offer the world. We also know that all of us are broken, with places in our lives where trauma, oppression, and our own flaws have held us back. We welcome your beauty and your brokenness. We don't have all of the answers. But, we are committed to working together to become whom God calls us to be individually and as a transformative and just community.
This is an important moment in history. Inequality is growing and millions are living with and fleeing from the effects of war, natural disasters, and political and economic injustice. Our consumption is causing the collapse of our planet and threatening the survival of future generations. In this time we need, more than ever, to honor Jesus' call to love God and to love our neighbor as ourselves. A radical shift is needed and we hope you will join us in moving in fresh, life-affirming directions.
Support Us
If you would like to give to support the work of New Roots, click here to see the online giving options.
Location & Meeting Times:
The Epiphany School - Main School Building
154 Centre Street
Sundays @ 2pm
Located right next to the Shawmut Ave T Station on the MBTA Red Line - Ashmont Branch
FAQs
Inclusion - God loves people of every race, class, sexual orientation, gender expression and even folks who are unsure if God exists. So do we! We are committed to being a safe space for folks who have not felt comfortable in other churches.
Children - Children an important part of our community and we structure our services with them in mind.
Clothes - Wear what makes you comfortable, we don't think God cares if you are dressed up or not. Our pastor is likely to wear jeans to most services.
How long is this? – Our gatherings are about 90 mins. On the first Sunday of the month, we will have a potluck afterward.
Rev. Mariama White-Hammond
Pastor Mariama has a long history of activism and community engagement. She is currently a fellow with the Green Justice Coalition and serves on a number of boards including the New England Grassroots Environmental Fund, Union Capital Boston and the Moral Movement Massachusetts. From 2001-2014 she was the Executive Director of Project HIP-HOP (Highways Into the Past – History, Organizing, and Power). At PHH, she used the arts to help young people to find their voice and create artistic pieces on issues ranging from juvenile incarceration to funding for public transportation. She speaks throughout the country and in 2017 she was the MC for both the Boston Women’s March and the Boston People’s Climate Mobilization.
Pastor Mariama’s activism arises from her belief that following Jesus means working for justice for all of those folks that society leaves out. Pastor Mariama believes that the world is at a watershed moment in which we are all called to embody a more sustainable way of living and being with each other and the planet. She believes that a faith worth proclaiming must be responsive to issues like street violence, mass incarceration, climate change, AIDS, food security, and human rights. Her prayer for New Roots is that we will become a community which loves deeply both within the congregation and in the larger world remembering that “Justice is what love looks like in public.”
