Relative Of Emanuel AME Shooting Victims To Speak At Asbury Memorial

Rev. Sharon Risher
Rev. Sharon Risher
Rev. Sharon Washington Risher, whose mother Ethel Lee Lance was one of the victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting in Charleston, S.C., will speak at Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church on Sunday, Aug. 20 at the 11:15 a.m. service.

Risher, who also lost two cousins and a childhood friend in the tragedy, has been an advocate for re-examining the nation’s gun laws and is one of the national spokespersons for the grassroots advocacy groups Moms Demand Gun Sense in America and the Everytown Survivor Network.

Her sermon at Asbury is part of the church’s 2017 Summer Preaching Series, which brings an array of clergy men and women, inspirational speakers, educators and authors to the church each Sunday throughout July and August.

Risher does not push for the eradication of weapons or other extreme restrictions that likely wouldn’t be enforceable anyway. She simply wants people to understand that Americans have complex relationships with their firearms, and part of that is the obligation to be responsible and accountable as a gun owner.

The reverend is looking forward to visiting Savannah for the first time in her life, and delivering her message to Asbury’s parishioners and other community members. She plans to focus her sermon on the importance of employing faith to navigate through extreme hardship and will stress the fact that tragedy does not have to define an individual.

Risher is also eager to view Asbury’s “Ribbons for a Reason” memorial. The initiative was launched in June 2015 following the Emanuel AME Church shooting in an effort to call attention to the unmet need for tighter regulations and to honor the people who have been shot and killed in the City of Savannah. The church affixes an orange ribbon to its courtyard fence on Henry Street each time another local resident dies because of gun violence. Ribbons hung in memory of youth who have died as a result of gun violence are a lighter orange shade.

The public is welcome to attend Risher’s sermon on Aug. 20. For more information on Asbury Memorial UMC, please visit www.asburymemorial.org, call 912-233-4351 or email church@asburymemorial.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.