United Methodist Bishops Condemn Charlottesville Violence

Clergy Urged to Speak 'Pastorally and Prophetically'

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UPDATED Aug. 16: Bishop Bruce Ough, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, issued a statement on the violence in Charlottesville, Va., and its aftermath. Excerpts:

"My shock, dismay and grief over the clashes between white supremacy advocates and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, continue to grow. I grieve for the lives lost, and pray for the family of Heather Heyer, the families of the two state troopers killed while monitoring the Charlottesville demonstration from the air, and for the healing of all the injured. I am shocked by the blatant resurgence of white nationalism, neo-Nazism and racially motivated domestic terrorism in the United States. I am dismayed (and frightened) by the animosity, division, extremism and evil that is spiraling out of control in the U.S.

"Let there be no excuses or political justification for the evil that was on full display in Charlottesville last Saturday. Nor, let us forget that many such displays of white supremacy, racism and hatred go un-reported or under-reported in many places. White supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies are abhorrent and entirely inconsistent with the Christian faith.

"Jesus called his followers to “love your neighbor.” It is clear this key spiritual imperative means all neighbors without regard to race, color, religion or national origin. And, Paul taught that “enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions and factions” are among many works of the flesh that are antithetical to the kingdom of God. “By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5: 19-23) These works of the Spirit lead to peace-making and the kingdom of God.

"I pray that the shock, dismay and grief of Charlottesville will be a turning point for the U.S. and even our global United Methodist church. We share collective responsibility to turn our thin words into thick action. We share collective responsibility to break our silence. We share collective responsibility to restore health to the communities and relationship out of which extremism, hatred and racism grow. We share collective responsibility, as followers of the Prince of Peace, to create non-violent communities where people with different political and religious views respect each other. We share responsibility to articulate the vision of the Beloved Community where no person feels endangered on account of their social, racial or cultural identity."

Some United Methodist bishops were quick to respond to the racially motivated violence in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 11-12 with statements condemning the mayhem and urging both clergy and congregations to reject hatred unequivocally.

While clashes between white supremacist and anti-racism forces were still going on, Bishop Sharma D. Lewis, resident bishop of the Richmond, Va., Episcopal Area that includes Charlottesville, issued a brief statement urging prayer and calm.

"At a time when fear and hate are so readily in our faces, I would ask that you pray with me. Pray for the loss of life and the injured. Pray for those acting from hate. Pray for calmer heads to surface. We as The United Methodist Church must witness to others what prayer can do in times of fear and hate. Charlottesville is a city hurting in many ways, so we pray for the restoration of calm, civil order for the community and its people today and in the days ahead."

Bishop Peggy A. Johnson, episcopal leader of the United Methodist Philadelphia, Pa., Area, characterized the Charlottesville violence as terrorism.

"Our world has been rocked with many forms of terrorism in recent years. ... The world once again witnessed acts of extreme violence and rage in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. Once again, as all too often, the heinous cause is racism – in fact, racism born of a demented, demonic belief in white supremacy.

" ... Much of the cause for acts of terror in our world – especially this weekend's racial violence in Charlottesville--is fear-induced rage: fear of the 'other,' fear of someone taking away something we value, or fear of false, perceived threats. Often, it's fear of losing something that is already lost – indeed, something born of human hate and the enemy's lies that was lost from the beginning.

" During the aftermath of this most recent scene of horror and deadly violence in Charlottesville, I call the church to prayer and witness."

While attending the 25th anniversary celebration of the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries in conjunction with the 46th assembly of MARCHA, the Hispanic/Latino caucus, Bishop LaTrelle M. Easterling issued a statement noting that "hate, bigotry, bias and prejudice are not new to the American landscape.

"These vile concepts have reared their ugly head in every generation. While we should not be surprised, those who are Christ-followers should find it repugnant and incompatible with our core beliefs."

Bishop Easterling reminded those in the Washington, D.C. episcopal area that all humans are created in God's image, and therefore the sacred image isn't reserved for any privileged group. She added that United Methodists, through their baptismal vows, have pledged to "renounced the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world and repent of ... sin."

"We are called to action through prayer, standing in solidarity with those being persecuted, preaching and teaching love and inclusion, and denouncing acts borne out of hatred," Bishop Easterling said.

Farther south, Bishop Gary E. Mueller of the Arkansas episcopal area, acknowledged the "perilous times" of the current era marked by "terrorism, gun violence, extreme poverty and the threat of nuclear confrontation ... ."

"In the midst of this, there increasingly are other headlines that point to the rising torrents of hate being broadcast by neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups. As followers of Jesus Christ, we do not have the option of pretending that we can do nothing as this is taking place. We must respond," the bishop said.

Bishop Mueller encouraged Arkansas United Methodists to reject "hate-in-kind" reactions to prejudice, opting instead "to exercise the spiritual discipline of bold love even when we are righteously angry." He added that the vision of hate groups is "radically opposite of the Gospel of Jesus Christ because hatred, venom, racism and violence are radically opposite of the way our Lord lived and died. Sin must be called sin."

The bishop suggested having conversations around racism and the rising tide of violence; building bridges among diverse groups, and following United Methodist baptismal vows to "accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves."

Among the earliest responses, Bishop Michael McKee of the Dallas Area issued one of the most forceful and practical episcopal letters to clergy. Among his instructions:

"On Sunday morning, I encourage and expect you to speak the Gospel truth. The events in Charlottesville, Va., this weekend highlight the racism and fear present in our country and communities.

"The following bullet points can provide a path forward that you may incorporate into your message:

  • The carrying of Nazi flags is evil. That flag is a symbol of an evil, failed state that brutally killed more than six million Jews and countless Romani people, homosexuals and others judged to be inferior. Those who sacrificed their lives in World War II defeated that evil. It truly is un-American to carry the flag for an evil dictatorship that our country defeated.
  • Gospel correctness calls out “evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” This refers to one of the questions in our baptism liturgy.
  • Sunday morning is an opportunity to “take thou authority” and speak the Gospel truth.
  • Highlight the persistent sins of racism and fear, and note that discrimination in all its forms is a sin.

Bishop McKee concluded his instructions: "I have your back. Speak pastorally and prophetically."

Links to more bishops' statements on Charlottesville can be found on the Council of Bishops Facebook page.

What did your pastor preach in the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, Va? What did your bishop say? Send your examples to United Methodist Insight, and they will be considered for an additional follow-up article.