St. John’s Episcopal Church Vestry Statement Against Racism
We, the Vestry of St. John’s Episcopal church fully support our stated mission “to be a community of God’s people who heal brokenness, build bridges, and exemplify borderless kindness”.
The question for each of us to answer is how we may more fully support and live out our church mission. Changes in technology and communications allow our parishioners to watch horrific images such as the death of Mr. George Floyd, a Texan killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by police officers during a routine stop. Mr. Floyd’s death and the recorded deaths of other minorities in recent years anger, sadden, and create fear among members in this parish, diocese, state, nation, and the world. These emotions result from the realization that these tragedies stem in whole or in part from the practice of racism, the view that some races are better than others and that these other races deserve discrimination or hostility.
The on-going, sustained protests across our planet have served as a humbling reminder that we can do more, and, with God’s help, address “what we have done, and what we have left undone”.
We have started with the formation of a Racial Reconciliation Team. This team has established two Sacred Ground Dialogue Circle groups totaling twenty people. These are small groups in which the participants (led by co-facilitators) will engage in sacred sharing and listening. The goal is to learn more about the origins of prejudice and structural racism which have not allowed people of color to have the same opportunities that are enjoyed by the majority of White Americans. We believe that this will be a transformative experience for all participants, which is done in a safe and respectful manner by Zoom meetings.
Racism produces a broken relationship with God. It is not a practice that Christians should follow or condone. Our country, as well as countries across the globe, has a history tainted by racism. We choose not to ignore American racism but to use it as a starting place to build a better future for our church, diocese, state, and nation. The Sacred Ground dialogue circles represent an effort to build toward this future.
Scripture encourages Christians to live the words of their faith. The vestry encourages that activism among its church members. We are stronger as a united parish than as a collection of committed individuals. We ask your support and prayers as we discern God’s will for us in these times. We believe the path forward is a constant renewal of our faith through action. Our goal, as we see it now, is to build a community where we are judged not by race but by the content of our individual characters.
The question for each of us to answer is how we may more fully support and live out our church mission. Changes in technology and communications allow our parishioners to watch horrific images such as the death of Mr. George Floyd, a Texan killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota by police officers during a routine stop. Mr. Floyd’s death and the recorded deaths of other minorities in recent years anger, sadden, and create fear among members in this parish, diocese, state, nation, and the world. These emotions result from the realization that these tragedies stem in whole or in part from the practice of racism, the view that some races are better than others and that these other races deserve discrimination or hostility.
The on-going, sustained protests across our planet have served as a humbling reminder that we can do more, and, with God’s help, address “what we have done, and what we have left undone”.
We have started with the formation of a Racial Reconciliation Team. This team has established two Sacred Ground Dialogue Circle groups totaling twenty people. These are small groups in which the participants (led by co-facilitators) will engage in sacred sharing and listening. The goal is to learn more about the origins of prejudice and structural racism which have not allowed people of color to have the same opportunities that are enjoyed by the majority of White Americans. We believe that this will be a transformative experience for all participants, which is done in a safe and respectful manner by Zoom meetings.
Racism produces a broken relationship with God. It is not a practice that Christians should follow or condone. Our country, as well as countries across the globe, has a history tainted by racism. We choose not to ignore American racism but to use it as a starting place to build a better future for our church, diocese, state, and nation. The Sacred Ground dialogue circles represent an effort to build toward this future.
Scripture encourages Christians to live the words of their faith. The vestry encourages that activism among its church members. We are stronger as a united parish than as a collection of committed individuals. We ask your support and prayers as we discern God’s will for us in these times. We believe the path forward is a constant renewal of our faith through action. Our goal, as we see it now, is to build a community where we are judged not by race but by the content of our individual characters.