Civil Rights Pilgrimage

Vestavia HIlls Baptist Church
September 2025-April 2026

An Immersive Spiritual Journey Through Birmingham’s Civil Rights Heritage

Our purpose: For residents of Alabama to embark on a spiritual pilgrimage to significant Civil Rights locations connected to houses of faith. This journey offers participants the opportunity to engage historical sites, the Spirit of God, one another, and personal stories while fostering spiritual formation.

Why a pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is more than a trip; it is a sacred journey to places where the Spirit of God has been profoundly experienced. This pilgrimage invites participants to reflect on the intersections of faith, justice, and community.

Participants: This pilgrimage is open to adults committed to exploring Birmingham’s Civil Rights history through a faith-based lens within a yearlong covenant group experience. The group will be limited to 12 participants to ensure a reflective and intimate experience.

2025-2026 Pilgrimage Guides

Beth McGinnis

Sharon Repp

Beth McGinnis and Sharon Repp. Beth and Sharon participated in our 2024-2025 Exploratory Civil Rights Pilgrimage and will bring both professional and personal training and experiences to their role as pilgrimage guides. 

Getting Ready to Go on Pilgrimage

The pilgrimage begins with a series of preparatory gatherings to build community and set the spiritual tone for the journey. Four weekly Sunday Night Small Groups will be held at Vestavia Hills Baptist Church at 4 pm. These meetings will begin on September 7th.

  • Why are we going on pilgrimage?

  • What is a pilgrimage? [Read - The Soul of a Pilgrim: 8 Practices for the Journey Within by Christine Valters Painter]

  • Establish group norms and spiritual commitments

  • Teaching foundational content on important events, people and places to help context for our pilgrimage locations.