"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)

The Churches of Christ in Christian Union rejoice in Juneteenth, commemorating the emancipation of African-American slaves in the United States. On this day in 1865, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, General Gordon Granger arrived Galveston, Texas, and read General Order Number 3: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” For the first time, enslaved people in Texas received word of their freedom. That day, the shocked but thankful slaves celebrated their freedom, and June 19th became known as “Juneteenth."

General Superintendent Dr. Mike Holbrook shares, "Today, we come together young and old to celebrate freedom and remember that ultimate freedom is found in Christ. It is a day where we all take one step closer together as we vow to continue to listen, learn and grow. As our Lord taught us to pray, 'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.'”