Christ Church Family,

In recent days, our city and our nation have been confronting the racism and incidents of unlawful police conduct that continue to tear at the very fabric of our society. For too long, African-Americans have lived in systems of discrimination, oppression, and marginalization. Too often their lives are cut short by acts of needless violence. We grieve deeply with the families of those victims who have tragically lost their lives as the result of racial profiling and discrimination. We urge you to join us in praying with them for justice, healing, and reconciliation. We know that their lives will never be the same, and we mourn with them in their loss. 

Christ Church United Methodist is compelled by a vision to heal divides that exist in our community. As a United Methodist Church, we hold to the tenets of our Constitution, which states that we shall "confront and seek to eliminate racism, whether in organizations or individuals, in every facet of its life and in society at large." In our vows of membership, each of us made a lifelong commitment to “accept the freedom and power God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression.”

Racism is a sin and is antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus that we proclaim. As faith leaders and followers of Jesus in the Methodist tradition, we each have a personal responsibility to confront and to seek to eliminate it in whatever place or form it may exist – whether it be in our institutions, law enforcement agencies, schools, work places, homes, or in our own hearts.

We affirm the invaluable presence, talents, and gifts of African-Americans within our Church and our community. We celebrate the diversity within the body of Christ that gives us a glimpse of God's kingdom.  

We know that it is not enough to simply denounce racism. We, empowered by the Holy Spirit, must actively resist it in all forms. We must also examine our own attitudes and actions, knowing that all change begins with transformed hearts and minds yielding to the love of God and love of our neighbors. We will educate ourselves on ways that we, as individuals, as a faith community, and as a city, can work to heal the divides we are experiencing. We will work with community leaders, elected officials, and law enforcement to become more empathetic and compassionate in their work in order to unify public safety and trust. We will strive harder to be better listeners and to create opportunities for relationships and equality across the dividing lines of our city. In short, we will do everything in our power to follow in the way of Jesus, who prayed that we all might be one. 

Please join us Friday, June 12 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm for Christ Church: Let’s Pray. You can participate in person in the church parking lot or from home online. Details will be shared later this week.

May the fire of God's justice burn within our hearts. May God's peace, grace, and love overcome all the evil forces that seek to divide us. 

In Christ’s name we declare,

Your Servant Leadership Team
Your Outreach and Justice Team
Your Staff Ministry Strategy Team