Our Story
Prompted by the senseless murder of George Floyd, that occurred at the hands of police officers in May 2020, and believing that the Church should respond, the Rev. Denise Nance Pierce, an African-American minister in Austin, TX, called for the convening of Christian women leaders in the Austin area to talk about the ongoing racial divide in our country. Denise and fellow associate minister Rev. Iris Savage Dargan convened about 30 spirit-filled women in monthly online meetings to mourn this act of violence, begin to pray together, and discuss how they could help the Church lead in the resolution of racial discord and injustice in America.
After a few years of regular online and in-person gatherings, these conversations and meetings led to a core team of five women coming together to found JustSisters, LLC, which was incorporated officially in February 2023. The co-founders—Denise Nance Pierce, Dedurie Kirk, Lisa Dolese McClanahan, Kia Reinis, and Laura Savage-Rains—came together around a commitment to the principles and practice of love, justice, and sisterhood, rooted in the teaching of Jesus.
Our why is simple, we envision a world where all people are treated as equal image bearers of God. Because of this we are committed to educating and advocating for the marginalized in our communities through courageous, transformative conversations and partnerships. We take a two pronged approach:
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We educate women in the church by providing safe spaces where meaningful conversations about significant current events can be held. We honor each other’s stories and experiences so that we can love each other deeply and richly—placing our sisterhood in Christ above anything that could divide us. We usher in justice by dismantling myths and misunderstandings through authentic storytelling. We engage theological truths that speak to social issues and we create an atmosphere where people can be heard with grace and without the reactions of bitterness or vitriol.
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We advocate for policies and practices in our churches and at every level of government so that justice, equity, and the well-being of all persons can be ensured.
Everyday JustSisters is taking a stand for the marginalized and those lacking justice in our community. Join us and take a stand in your community for treating all people as equal image bearers of God.
Love is the Way
Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times
Stories build bridges between people.
Earlier I told you the story in Exodus of Moses and the burning bush. Moses heard the voice of God, saying,
“Take off your shoes, for you’re standing on sacred ground”. An old friend of mine once preached on that text, saying that the reason Moses had to take off his shoes, was not that the dirt itself was holy, but that the space was made holy because God was about to tell his story.
Whenever someone tells their story, you are standing on holy ground. You behave differently, hear them differently, and react from a different place. It’s so much harder to hate when someone has shown you their heart.
I’ve come to see the sharing of stories as a powerful form of Gandhi’s nonviolent action satyagraha, the “truth force”. It’s standing by and speaking our truth. It’s standing and kneeling at the same time. It’s protecting not protesting. Stories are not a concession, but the context for conversion of the heart.”
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Bishop Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, with Sara Grace