8-minute prayer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Rev. Paula Smith from Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn. leads an 8-minute time of silence honoring George Floyd during "A Prayer Service To Stand Against Racism" held June 5, 2020 at Belle Meade United Methodist Church. Leading the ecumenical service which invited area churches and clergy were the Rev. Jim Hughes and the Rev. Sam McGlothlin from Belle Meade United Methodist Church, the Rev. Stephen Handy from McKendree United Methodist Church and the Rev. Paula Smith. (Photo by Kathleen Barry, UM News.)
While we continue to be divided over many aspects of U.S. “culture wars,” American Christians increasingly have denounced racism and police brutality through street demonstrations, denominational statements, study resources and articles in publications. United Methodist leaders have been noted among secular media reports.
The United Methodist Council of Bishops’ June 8 statement calling the church pray twice daily for eight minutes and 46 seconds – the length of time that then-Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck – captured the attention of Religion News Service. RNS distributes faith-based news to secular outlets around the country.
One of the top American religious publications, Christianity Today, published two articles calling its readers to join anti-racist efforts: Justice Too Long Delayed: It’s time for the church to make restitution for racial sin by Timothy Dalrymple, and A Soul Check for White Christians by John Kingston, author of of American Awakening: 8 Principles to Restore the Soul of America. Kingston ended his article with the literary equivalent of a vigorous altar call:
“If you see our faith used in the name of power for those who would oppress others, reject it. It is anathema to the sacrifice of our Lord and will poison our gospel witness.
“One final note. As you look for leaders in the political world, sources in the media world, or consider any others vying for your trust, ask God’s Spirit to lead you. If you don’t sense in their words and approach an anger and sadness regarding this injustice and its heritage, gratitude for those who continue to labor with us in forming a more perfect union, and a belief that all are God’s children and truly equal in the republic—do not follow them. Their spirit is not of God.”
Tyler Sit at protest
The Rev. Tyler Sit promotes the Solidarity Fund, established by New City Church in Minneapolis to support justice work in the neighborhood where George Floyd was killed. (Screenshot from YouTube.)
Next Avenue, a newsletter for seniors, picked up a story from Rewire.org, Minneapolis Church Leaders on Their Role in Racial Justice that featured a relatively new United Methodist church start, New City Church, and its pastor, the Rev. Taylor Sit, a leader in the movement for full inclusion of LGBTQIA persons in the UMC. The article quotes Rev. Sit:
“’I couldn’t stop the people at New City Church from protesting if I tried,’ said the Rev. Tyler Sit, pastor at New City Church in South Minneapolis. ‘The very thing that attracts people to New City Church is the thing that is bringing people out to the streets.’
“’New City Church really cares about intersectionality [Rev. Sit continued]. That means there are people who are queer people of color at New City, and they want to see both queerness and racism addressed at the same time, because it lives in our bodies at the same time. I don’t get to wake up and decide if I’m Asian today or if I’m gay today; I am both Asian and gay.’”
Local churches and conferences set up events
Momentum from two weeks of public demonstrations appears to be sparking United Methodist congregations and annual conferences to active efforts against racism.
In the North Texas Annual Conference, Grace Avenue UMC in Frisco, Texas, north of Dallas will hold Wednesday evening livestream conferences its district superintendent, the Rev. Dr. Ron Henderson. The series began June 10 with a session on voter engagement. Subsequent sessions are:
- June 17: Addressing Economic Justice
- June 24: Race and the Criminal Justice System
- July 1: Race and Religious Expression
Michigan Annual Conference Director of Connectional Ministries, the Rev. Dr. Benton Heisler, called this week for churches and individuals to “own the disaster” of racism by implementing suggestions contained in a new document, “Call to Transformation,” issued June 8 by the conference cabinet. Suggested actions include small group studies using one or more of these resources:
- Resources in the Cultural Vibrancy Toolbox
- White Fragility, a book by Robin Diangelo
- How to Be an Antiracist, a book by Ibram X. Kendi
- The 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge
- Implicit Bias Workbook by GCORR (General Commission on Religion & Race of the UMC)
- Implicit Bias Online Course by GCORR
- Discussion Guide on White Privilege by GCORR
The Northern Illinois Conference held a ZOOM conversation June 4 "Responding to Our Call to End Racism," hosted by Bishop Sally Dyck. A conference newsletter said, “The online forum was the result of a conversation with representatives of Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR), Conference Committee on Religion and Race, and the Anti-Racism Task Force after the police killing of George Floyd. … More anti-racism webinars will follow with different racial/ethnic persons reflecting on different topics to challenge all of us. Click here for resources shared through the Zoom forum.”
Agencies offer expanded anti-racism resources
Discipleship Ministries is offering an expanded set of resources for local congregations to pursue anti-racist ministries in their own contexts. Under the tag “racism,” DM’s website lists articles reaching back to March 2012 with a liturgy marking the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The latest batch of resources includes an article by stewardship expert Ken Sloane, “Five Ideas for Stewardship for Churches Seeking to be Actively Anti-racist,” and an archived video of the 90-minute webinar, “Navigating 2 Viruses: Regathering in the Midst of Racism & Pandemic.”
The General Board of Church and Society reiterated its May call to action on racism with these suggestions from its Faith in Action newsletter:
- Work for the elimination of racism in all its forms, institutional and personal (Resolution 3371)
- Partner with elected officials and law enforcement to end racial profiling of Black and Brown communities (Resolution 3377)
- Advocate for the rights of formerly incarcerated persons and for more humane systems of restorative justice (Resolution 5031)
- Urge white United Methodists and majority-white local churches to confront their white privilege and repent for their participation in a culture of racist practices (Resolution 3376)
- Share conferences’ work undoing the culture of hate and name hate crimes in their conference bounds (Resolution 3422)
Media Mentions as of June 11, 2020
Americans overwhelmingly support protesters and believe police have not done enough to ensure racial justice. – The Washington Post
'Covid will not kill you as fast as a bullet': Black doctors go from frontlines of pandemic to protests – The Guardian
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.