Advocacy and opportunity for African Americans in the Episcopal Church.
More than 200 years of African American Leadership in the Episcopal Church.
THE HOLY GRILL IS BACK!
Our Barbecue Annual Event!
We started the UBE Annual Labor Day Holy Grill in 2015 and held it every year until a COVID pause in 2020. After regrouping, we are BACK - bigger and better than before! Come get your Labor Day BBQ again this year - and relive the tradition!
Labor Day Holy Grill - our next big event!
Come one Come all!
The Rev. John D. Epps Chapter of UBE is bringing back the Annual Holy Grill! Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2026.
St. James Episcopal Church, Third Ward
3129 Southmore Blvd, Houston TX 77004
Activities
Activities and Events : Celebrations of our Heritage
Absalom Jones Celebration
Every year on the second Sunday in February, we honor Absalom Jones, the first Black priest in the Episcopal Church. After experiencing racial discrimination at St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in 1787, Jones co-founded the Free African Society with Richard Allen. He later founded the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas and was ordained a priest in 1802.
Juneteenth Pilgrimage
Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, commemorates the 1865 announcement in Galveston, Texas, that all enslaved people were free. In 2026, the Rev. John Dublin Epps Chapter of UBE made a pilgrimage to Galveston, visiting historic Black churches, landmarks, and cultural sites to honor the history, legacy, and significance of Juneteenth.
UBE National Conference
The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) holds its Annual Business Meeting & Conference each July in a different city. The Rev. John Dublin Epps Chapter, founded in 1968, has long supported this national gathering, including hosting the 2007 conference. In 2026, the chapter will be represented at the Raleigh conference by Regional Director Dwight Ward.
Jonathan Myrick Daniels Pilgrimage (aspirational)
Each August, the Jonathan Myrick Daniels Pilgrimage honors those who gave their lives in the fight for civil rights. It commemorates Episcopal seminarian Jonathan Daniels, who was killed in 1965 while protecting civil rights activist Ruby Sales in Alabama. The Rev. John Dublin Epps Chapter hopes to participate in this meaningful pilgrimage in the future.
Annual Labor Day Holy Grill
The annual Labor Day Holy Grill Family Fun Fest, started in 2015, raises funds for the Rev. John Dublin Epps Chapter's youth programs. The event features a BBQ competition, food, games, entertainment, vendors, raffles, and family activities. After a pause during COVID-19, Holy Grill returns in 2026 at St. James' Episcopal Church.