Before her ordination in 2009, Rev. Morgan was a professional singer performing internationally for many years.

by Barbara Sherf

Who doesn’t need a little spiritual grounding to go along with their social activism? Interfaith Minister Rhetta Morgan will provide that in a free talk titled “Centering the Power of Love” this Sunday, Oct. 7, 2 p.m., at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Chestnut Hill.

Rev. Morgan, 61, will veer from the traditional lecture, introducing poetry and music into her message of hope.

Before her ordination in 2009, Rev. Morgan was a professional singer performing internationally for many years. Her intention was to be an opera singer, but she then turned to classical and spiritual music before finding her calling as a minister.

Rev. Morgan has been active in the Philadelphia area as founder of “Ecclesia Spirit,” an inclusive, interfaith community that met in East Falls but is on a trajectory to offer a virtual spiritual community via the internet in the near future.

She is also founder of “While We Wait Project,” providing spiritual and emotional support to loved ones of incarcerated individuals; and she is a facilitator with the Anti- Defamation League’s A World of Difference Institute.

“We all have differences, and the key is to try to celebrate those differences and not descend into sensationalism. We need to sift through and turn away from the drama we see and hear in the news and through social media every day. It’s like a muscle we have to cultivate, or we can get lost in the whole business and not get anything accomplished,” said Rev. Morgan.

Rev. Morgan is also a board member of Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) as well as a host of spiritual and environmental causes. “Some of my most meaningful work,” she said, “is mentoring and counseling activist leaders and encouraging self-care against despair and being overwhelmed and spiraling into depression.”

Rev. Morgan has been called upon to lead activists in song in marches at PECO headquarters and other corporate entities.

“One of the things that drew me to EQAT is the spiritual bent to their social justice issues,” said Rev. Morgan. “The reason I am a minister is that I thrive on spiritually centered work, and I tell people that we don’t have to lean in to despair. We don’t have to believe that what we see is reality. There are things going on unseen, and that’s what I can relate to.”

Born in Richmond, Virginia, Morgan was raised in Washington, D.C., in a working class family by a schoolteacher mom and father who was a truck driver. She lived in Mt. Airy for 12 years starting in 2000 while raising her two children and teaching at the Little People’s Music School. She now lives in West Philly.

Ordained by One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in Manhattan, she says her beliefs harken back to the civil rights movement in this country.

“I tune into what Dr. King and Gandhi did, and I believe we do that with EQAT by choosing hope over despair. If we can sing together as a community, we can transcend the hard stuff. Sometimes the truth that we see or experience is scary, but human beings are resilient, and there are things we can do that we don’t even know of yet.

“Through Ecclesia Spirit, we are building community with the principles of love, creativity and relatedness. While we used to meet in East Falls, there were some who could not travel to this area, so I am creating a virtual church to bring other ministers and advocates together to work on faith-based issues that affect our communities and our environment.”

Morgan created the While We Wait Project to deal with issues surrounding her son, who was imprisoned in his 20s. “Having been there myself, we remain focused on the emotional and spiritual needs of those with loved ones in prison utilizing song and storytelling.”

Rev. Morgan’s Sunday talk is free and open to the public, although donations are welcome. St. Paul’s is located at 22 E. Chestnut Hill Ave. More information at www.contemporarymysticsm.org Rev. Morgan’s website is in process, but she can be reached at ReverendRhetta@gmail.com

Barbara Sherf tells the stories of businesses and individuals and can be reached at CaptureLifeStories.com or through her website at www.CommunicationsPro.com