Everence hosts sixth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Diversity
Employees gather for day of reflection, learning, and understanding
Vocalist, composer, educator and artist Ruth Naomi Floyd delivers a powerful performance and message during the 2025 MLK Day of Diversity event for Everence employees. (Photo: Everence/Rebecca Kasparek)
In observance of the federal holiday, all Everence offices and retail branches were closed to facilitate the staff in-service event. Livestreamed from Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola, Pennsylvania, the program was broadcast to the Everence corporate headquarters in Goshen, Indiana, as well as other locations nationwide, with some 378 employees attending or tuning in from across the country. The event was designed to deepen their understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives within the organization’s membership, clientele, staff, and the communities they serve.
The event featured a keynote performance titled “Music for Our Souls” by renowned vocalist, educator, and artist Ruth Naomi Floyd, accompanied by pianist Aaron Graves. Floyd’s presentation guided attendees through the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., focusing on his faith-inspired vision and call for a world where love transcends boundaries and redefines who is considered our neighbor.
“Dr. King’s work was grounded in love and hope,” said Floyd. “His response to hate was love, and his response to violence was peace. This was not just a strategy, but a profound and transformative expression of defiant joy. In the face of injustice, his joyful defiance was an act of resistance, showing that true strength lies in rising above hatred. It celebrates the goodness of life and human dignity, even in the darkest of times.”
Floyd’s keynote – enriched by sacred readings, prayer, uplifting music and compelling photography – offered a transformative opportunity for reflection, inviting Everence staff to embrace hope, endure hardship, lament injustice, and answer the call for unity and healing in a fractured world. The performance encouraged employees to discover the rest and restoration for their souls through faith, compassion, and joy in the journey.
“We are so pleased that Ruth Naomi Floyd joined us for a second year to lead our MLK Day of Diversity staff in-service,” said Ken Hochstetler, President and CEO of Everence. “She remarkably blends music and visual art with biblical justice and faith in ways that deepen our understanding and connect us to the heart of Dr. King’s vision in a way that words alone cannot.”
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Diversity is a cornerstone of broader Everence initiatives to build cultural awareness and better support the organization’s clients and members on their unique financial stewardship journeys. This annual observance provides an important opportunity for Everence employees to come together in reflection and action, reinforcing the organization’s call to walk side-by-side with neighbors and mutually invest in the path ahead, in service to God and to one another.