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To be Anti-Racist/Pro-Reconciling means that our congregation has a deep and abiding commitment to honor the worth, dignity, gifts, and ministry of ALL of God's children, celebrating our differences in race, ethnicity, national origin, language and culture.  This also means we ACTIVELY work to eradicate racism in our personal and communal lives and to the inclusion of people of many races in the full life and leadership of the congregation, just as Jesus would have us do.

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For Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation Resources, CLICK HERE!

News & Reflections:

November 2010

Anti- Racism Team News by Janelle Eccleston

On Saturday November 20th, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. the ARC Team will be having our next sponsored event, “ Second-Hand Clergyman” to be held in the chapel. Suggested donation at the door will be one canned food item to be donated to our own Food Bag program. One dollar raffle tickets will go on sale October 16th through November 14th for a drawing for anyone interested in having a simple makeover during the event and having their own “reveal” the night of the show. The winner’s outfit will be chosen from FCCC’s own clothing room to show the community the great resource our Clothes Closet really is!

Haircut and / or makeup will be included, but optional! One name will be drawn on November 15th and all proceeds will be donated toward the purchase of a new sound system for the church. Winner must be present on the 20th to get the “makeover” and have their reveal.

In addition to the drawing, our own Pastor Allen will be dressed for a Sunday service from head to toe for twenty dollars ( or less) from Unique Thrift Store and his before and after “Big Reveal” will be the night of the event, hence the title “Second Hand Clergyman.” Throughout the evening tips on saving money and stretching a dollar in these economically challenging times will be presented, from making your own cleaning products, low-cost recipes, and cheap health and beauty tips. Refreshments will be provided. Please mark your calendars and plan to come out for a fun-filled, informative event!
 

Communion Meditation: October 3, 2010 ~ Elder Janelle Eccleston

 This is the Reconciling Offering 2010 as well as World Communion Sunday. World Communion Sunday celebrates our oneness as followers of Christ while the Reconciliation Ministry Offering confronts our continued divisiveness, The world which God has reconciled is present at every communion. Communion signifies what our world is to become, a universal communion in the Body of Christ, a Kingdom of justice, love, and peace in the Holy Spirit.

We are called to commit ourselves to transformation doing the works of Jesus. This transformation begins, as we are told in Romans, by “ accepting one another, as Christ accepted you, for the glory of God.” Transforming this vision into reality will take deliberate efforts, change, and a healing of wounds.

Jesus gave His life to unite us as one. This is the greatest sacrifice of all! Is it too much then to ask that we give up our own pride and our love of feeling superior? Jesus said of the bread, “ This is my body.” When we act as though we are divided, we then divide the Body of Christ. All members of Christ’s body are called to labor alongside the oppressed toward the freedom and respect which is promised to all with the coming of the Kingdom. The Lords Supper is but one reminder of our own unity. The Holy Bible repeatedly tells us that the church is also His body. When we break the bread at communion it binds us to one another in peace.

All people are the children of the same god. God is recognizable in the face of every woman, man, and child. Many of these people are still waiting to be recognized, for us to love them, and give them dignity and hope. The book of Ephesians sets forth the manner that ought to characterize Christians as they relate to one another. We have been instructed in the Lords ways: now we must walk in them and learn to live in harmony, unity, peace, and enduring justice for all. The dictionary definition of “enduring” is: to continue in the same state: to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without yielding: to undergo esp. without giving in. Enduring justice, then is to act justly not only when we meet on Sunday morning for worship, but every day and hour outside this church in places we may meet with resistance or people who even despise us and persecute us! We must be willing, as Jesus was, to risk rejection when we are obedient to Christ’s commands and His redemptive mission.

God seeks those who are willing to go on mission with Him .When we live a life committed to God’s mission on earth, all adversaries and enemies will become friends:
     Arabs and Israelis
     The English and the Irish
     White and Black South Africans
     Bosnians Serbs and Croations
     Americans and Iraquis
     Muslims and Christians
     White Americans and Black Americans, as well as
     Hispanics and Asians
     And dare I say, straight people and Gay?

It is well to remember that oppression takes a toll on all people. Communion brings with it a time for passionate repentance and is a time for justice to come among us. The Eucharist is the great sacrifice of praise by which the church speaks on behalf of the whole creation, and this is the glory of God manifest in our midst!

January 2009

 Anti-Racism Team Meeting for December 2009 Janelle Eccleston
Anti-Racism Team Plans For Winter & Spring
by Janelle Eccleston

The Anti-Racism Team met on Thursday, December 3 in the chapel for our monthly meeting. In attendance were Pastor Allen, Michelle Brown, Brenda Torrey, Jada Eccleston, and Janelle Eccleston. The main focus of the meeting was spent discussing our progress toward starting a Gospel Choir at Franklin Circle. At this time we have several candidates from outside the church who are willing to help guide us in our effort, and Pastor Allen and other congregants will be interviewing the candidates after a Start Up Team is assembled to make the process run smoothly and to ensure the person selected is a good fit for our endeavor. All candidates for the job come well recommended. We assigned team members various congregants names to call for a meeting set for January 10, 2010 directly after church service (12:30), to assist us in the selection and start up process. At this time the team is quite excited and optimistic about putting this choir together! All who would be interested in singing in the choir, or who have other musical talents, are encouraged to attend this meeting on January 10th at 12:30 p.m.

On January 21, 2010, which is the third Thursday of the month, the Anti-Racism Team will be sponsoring the Widening the Circle Forum from 6:30 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. The event will be “Dinner and a Movie”, and we will be serving a lite dinner menu and other refreshments. The feature movie will be “Imitation of Life” with a short discussion afterward to process the message in the movie. The film is relevant for us as it explores various issues of race, relationships, and also features a solo by Gospel singing star, Mahalia Jackson. The movie centers around two mothers, one white and one black, and their two young daughters as they struggle toward womanhood. We will be showing the 1959 version (the first version was released in 1934). The film is adapted from a novel by the same title, written by Fannie Hurst, and was directed by Douglas Sirk. Be sure to mark your calendars and plan to attend, especially if you have never seen the movie!

The Anti-Racism Team would also like everyone to start thinking about your individual talents and which ones you may like to share with the church as we are planning a special talent show, “A Night at the Apollo” with a tentative date for Saturday, April 17, 2010! Maybe you would like to form a small group to sing or dance, or perhaps you play a musical instrument or excel in gymnastics and could put together a short exhibition? We know FCCC is full of marvelous talents and this will provide an opportunity for those who are interested, to share them with us, not to mention how much enjoyment a show like this will be! Start getting your act together and be looking for further information on this upcoming event.

As you can see the Anti-Racism Team is working hard to explore various ways in which we can bring all of our members together in community as we serve our Lord Jesus Christ in a refreshing and harmonious way! During this season of Advent, may we remember we are all meant to be a blessing to one another, just as God has blessed us. Our team invites you to join with us and be devoted together to a mission in building the Kingdom of Christ; His love knows no boundaries- not of gender, race, economic status or ability.
 

“ As effective as individual Christians can be - and with God’s help one
person acting alone can do mighty things - it is almost always true that
acting in concert we can do even more. When the body of Christ works
in harmony and unison, the most effective kingdom building is done.” – Bob Briner

December 2009

Franklin Circle Anti-Racism Team Meeting Report for November
by Janelle Eccleston

The Anti-Racism Team met November 5 for their monthly meeting. In attendance was Pastor Allen, Brenda Torrey, Michelle Brown, Janelle Eccleston, and we welcomed Jada Eccleston, our newest member to the team.
The meeting focused on a discussion of the caucus we held on music style in worship service and then planning what direction we want to go as a team. It was agreed that the caucus was successful in most respects. Those who attended the caucus were split into two groups: Caucasian and People of Color. The question posed was based around what types of music and music related programs the congregants would like to see being sung and done in worship service. After both groups wrote down their ideas, the groups were brought back together to share their ideas. The list for white congregants was quite a bit longer than the list for People of Color, but their group was also much smaller. What was interesting was that every suggestion on the list for People of Color was also included on the list made by the Caucasian group. We found it interesting that both groups made comments that they would like the music to uplift them and give them a joyous feeling throughout the day even after they left worship service!

One suggestion that the team is working on immediately is the formation of a Gospel choir. We are currently looking for someone to help lead us in that endeavor. We are also inquiring within the congregation for those who would be interested in singing in the choir. Anyone who would be willing to lend their talents to this endeavor may contact Pastor Allen or any other team member.

It was unanimous that we as a team keep our focus on only one agenda at a time, which is music style for now. The team is in agreement that our efforts toward anti-racism and pro-reconciliation at Franklin Circle will be much more fruitful if we narrow our focus and do a good job at one thing at a time.

The team also discussed parishioner resistance to change any of the ways we conduct worship service as far as music genre. Many exciting things are happening at FCCC however the heart of our ministry never changes and we always have an unchanging message. It is quite normal for us as Christians to get sentimental about our church, but as we incorporate some new tradition, we don’t throw out the old ones. The Anti-Racism team is working hard to help make our worship service an experience that is joyful to everyone within our community which includes many People of Color, who may or may not be parishioners at FCCC. We believe that some additions of musical genre would be helpful in assimilating guests to members. To make this possible we need an enabling environment and must work as a community to carry our goals to fruition. Just as we are united in faith and purpose the team endeavors to be united and intentional with the whole of the congregation to make our church the most anti racist and pro-reconciling church around! For those who may be anxious about change, I will leave you with a message from the Bible:

“ Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the
Peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
And minds through Christ Jesus”  ~Philippians 4:6

October 2009

Update on Franklin Circle's Anti-Racism Team:

by Janelle Eccleston
 

The Anti-Racism team met September 2, at 4:30 p.m. along with Anne Sowell, co-chair for the Anti-Racism/Pro- Reconciliation Commission at the regional level of the denomination. FCCC's current team consists of Pastor Allen Harris, Brenda Torrey, Michelle Brown, and Janelle Eccleston.  It is our goal to remain visible within the church as we continue working toward becoming a truly intentionally diverse and inclusive church and responsive to our community's needs.  Our goal includes fostering reconciliation between People of Color and people who are Anglo/Caucasian through relationship building.  We want to continue to feel the presence of Christ in shared worship and in the fellowship of the congregation.
 

Are we, as a congregation, intentionally racist?  As a team working against racism, we would answer no, not in the sense of personal prejudice and bigotry.  However systemic, institutional racism runs much deeper than our individual actions and thoughts. Racism includes culturally engrained systems of power and structures which we are often not even aware of.   As a team we hope to be an accountable group of people trained in anti-racism so we can help lead the congregation toward ensuring full participation of people of color in the life of the church.

One of the ways in which this can happen is by engaging our members in dialogue, especially those whose voices are not always heard.  This dialogue can often be accomplished by the process of caucusing.  The team's first attempt to meet with only our non-white members to caucus was not successful.  The team has discussed this endeavor and thinks perhaps the tool of caucus was not explained and/or understood well enough by our congregants to be successful.  In that light we are planning another attempt at caucusing when we will all meet at the same time and break into groups of white and non-white participants.  We would meet at a convenient time, perhaps during a community hour. After each group has engaged in conversation we will come back together as a whole to discuss what we have learned. As a team we believe this would feel less divisive.

In this regard you are invited following worship and community hour on Sunday, October 4 to discuss, using the caucus format, the question, “What would you like to see in the music and worship life of Franklin Circle Christian Church?”  No decisions will be made, but your insights and ideas will be recorded.

In a nutshell, caucusing is simply one tool we can use to dismantle racism by providing a safe and nurturing environment where we can all talk about race honestly, and then learn from each other's perspectives about how race affects us as individuals and collectively as well.  It will give us all a chance to take a different look at our church and find out where we may be lacking in becoming a truly inclusive community of God, as well as what we are doing well.  The Anti-Racism team is looking to expand our team with new members.  We are in need of members who are people of color, but also welcome anyone who has a true desire and is willing to commit some time to an intentional growth in diversity at FCCC.  Please see Pastor Allen for details about bow you can become involved. The next tentative date for a meeting is October 7, 2009 from 4:30-6:00 p.m. in the chapel.
 

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A Special Offering for Reconciliation
by Janelle Eccleston

Presented in Worship on Sunday, September 30, 2008

Today, we take up the Reconciliation offering, as well as next Sunday, October 5th (which also is World Communion Sunday). The Reconciliation offering is the source of funding for our church’s Anti-Racism work at the general and regional church levels. I am privileged to be on Franklin Circle’s Anti-Racism Team. It is with humility and gratitude I had the opportunity to participate in visits to Camp Christian retreats to learn ways in which we can become a more reconciling and intentional Christian community here at Franklin Circle. Reconciliation means embodying the message that “Ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” ( Galations 3:28)

I am proud to be a member of such a diverse congregation here at FCCC, and I speak with profound admiration for the forerunners at Franklin Circle. I regard our church as a living expression of that admiration. Still, I believe that like anything worthwhile, there is always more work to be done. Anti-racism work must include honest dialogue between the races and different cultures. This is what some of the money from the Reconciliation offering does- brings Christian disciples together to discuss honestly how Blacks and other non-white cultures have been affected by generations of slavery, oppression, and exploitation. We have to learn to be good listeners despite the uncomfortableness or tension we may feel.

Tension is not always equal to conflict. Tension may produce conflict, but it is not in itself conflict. For example, when violin strings have the right tension, they can be used to make beautiful music (1). Similarly, honest dialogue can produce a creative tension in relationship which in turn causes the relationship to be a growing one. Those who share these conversations are being renewed and transformed, and reconciliation can begin.

Communion is one of the central acts of our church’s worship. We receive the Eucharist as a gift from the Lord. The gift of God in Christ is not for the church but for all men and women. The Eucharistic celebration calls for Reconciliation and sharing among all those regarded as brothers and sisters in the one Family of God.

All types of injustice, racism, separation and lack of freedom are challenged when we share in the body and blood of Christ. As participants in communion, we prove inconsistent if we are not actively taking part in an ongoing restoration of our world’s state of affairs and the human condition. We can not allow differences of sex, race, or social status to divide the body of Christ.

As Christians, we are appointed as ministers of reconciliation. When Christ dwells within us, we become His ambassadors, and we entreat others to be reconciled to Him (II Corinthians 5:20). God sent Christ to make peace between Himself and us, and He has given us the work of making peace between Himself and others.

The Reconciliation offering provides our congregation the chance to take part in a church-wide endeavor to eliminate racism in our communities by teaching the root causes of systemic racism and structural oppression, and then the means to combat these systems in society.

Take a few seconds to meditate on all that your Lord has given to you and resolve to express your gratitude to Him today through your generous contribution.
 

 (1)Howe, R.L., The Miracle of Dialogue, 1963, p.63

Resources provided on this page are intended to help our congregation in its discussion of issues of critical importance to our faith.
 

Resources:

Websites:

Reconciliation Mission of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

http://www.reconciliationmission.org/

Articles:

'Race: Are We So Different' exhibit opens at Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Margaret Bernstein
Plain Dealer Reporter

http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1221985889292440.xml&coll=2

[Details about the exhibit are listed below this article]

Can a museum exhibit rock your world? Cause you to question your core beliefs and instill an urge to go debrief with the nearest somebody?

"Race: Are We So Different?" the ambitious exhibit that arrives here Saturday for a three-month stay at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, is determined to try.

It starts off with a wallop of a message, brought to you by the American Anthropological Association and the Science Museum of Minnesota, which is basically: Guess what? The racial identities that you've spent your life assigning to yourself and other people? They're more imagined than real.

Three years ago, when officials at Cleveland's natural history museum first learned about the exhibit, they instantly agreed to bring it to Cleveland, spokeswoman Marie Graf said. They found themselves intrigued by the way the exhibit cools down the heated emotions of race discussions by providing layers of fact.

"This isn't the way people typically talk about race. The whole exhibit is based on scientific research. Nobody's ever done that before," Graf said.

Who would have thought that three years later, the nation would be overtly grappling with race, as a result of the presidential race? Members of the exhibit selection committee certainly hadn't.

"It's amazing this is happening right now. People are so aware of these issues. We're going to kick this up a notch and make them really face it," Graf said.

The exhibit makes the case that although race has been a powerful cultural agent in our nation's past, all humans actually are similar once you peel past that top layer of skin and poke around inside.

The DNA strands twisting through the cells of any one individual, whether that person be black, white, Asian or Latino, bear surprisingly similar patterns to all other humans, especially when compared with the genetic variance in other species.

Consider: Although all chimpanzees may look alike, they have more than twice as much genetic diversity as humans do. That's because today's species of chimps have existed much longer than modern humans have.

Dots on an exhibit map show that all humans originated in Africa, between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago. After many centuries, humans began migrating through Asia to Europe and points beyond to colonize the world. There's no gene a person living in the United States would have that a person living in Africa would not have.

Skin color, the exhibit holds, is really a superficial thing. The different shades of skin color evolved worldwide as a way of adapting to the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Scientists can't identify a person's race just by inspecting his bones. "It's in our minds and our social institutions, not our bodies," the exhibit declares.

Linda Spurlock, the museum's director of human health, agrees. "There's no necessity to classify people into races," she said. "As an anatomist, I noticed from dissecting cadavers that if you take the skin off somebody, everyone looks the same."

The traveling exhibit holds that race is in the eye of the beholder - and the way we categorize ourselves racially says a lot about the country where that beholder was raised.

For instance, in the United States, we tend to classify people as white, black, Latino, Asian or mixed. Yet Brazilians do it very differently, using more than 100 terms to identify people by the shade of their skin, ranging from bem-branca (very white) to morena clara (light tan) to parda (dark brown), according to the exhibit.

Scientists say these differences in the way people are categorized are proof that racial categories aren't scientifically valid and are merely a social invention.

A probing review of racism in America

The exhibit then jumps into the history of race and racism, stating authoritatively that discrimination and racial superiority are embedded in America's past.

One section gives a poignant glimpse of how racism uprooted the lives of the Americans who were already here when Europeans arrived.

Photos and text tell the story of how federal lawmakers in the 1880s, determined to obliterate American Indian cultures, removed Indian children from their homes and placed them in boarding schools. They were forbidden to speak their language or practice their religion.

One photograph shows a half-dozen Chiricahua Apache children as they arrived at the Carlisle Indian school in Pennsylvania in 1886, with long hair and native dress. A second picture shows the same children four months later, wearing buttoned-up school uniforms and the same tidy haircut. All traces of ethnic identity had been scrubbed away.

Just a step away is a section titled "One Person's Mascot . . .," where toothy Chief Wahoo is seen grinning from a red souvenir baseball. "Where some people see cherished traditions, others see racist stereotypes," the text reads.

On a video screen, American Indians are shown proudly identifying their tribes and describing their lives. One woman states that she is a mother, a nurse, a person with feelings. "I'm not a mascot," she says crisply.

Yet Chief Wahoo is a beloved symbol to many Clevelanders. It's easy to predict that on this one hot-button topic alone, and probably on many others, the exhibit will provoke disagreement and heated emotions.

That's why the natural history museum is creating "reaction corners" where people can come together and talk about what they've seen. Trained diversity professionals will come in on certain days to spark discussion and facilitators will be available upon request for group tours.

Staff at the museum last week received sensitivity training, "so they know how to react to people" exiting the exhibit, Graf said.

Organizers of "Race: Are We So Different?" hope it will encourage attendees to try on other people's shoes - or, put another way, to see how it would feel to walk a mile in their moccasins.

The wealth gap starkly illustrated

A section on race and the wealth gap is perhaps the biggest stunner. "If nothing else gets you, this will," said Kathryn Hall, resource specialist for the exhibit.

Piles of $20 bills have been placed in glass boxes, to represent the average net worth of families according to race, using 2000 figures collected from the U.S. Census Bureau. Net worth is defined as a person's assets, minus his or her debts.

Inside a clear and squat square labeled "black," there are three bundles of twenties, totaling $6,000. Next to it is a similarly modest-sized pile for Latinos: four bundles, totaling about $8,000.

The pile for Asians is much taller, at 29 bundles high - signifying a net worth of $58,000.

And inside the tallest glass box labeled "white," a stack of 33 bundles amounts to $66,000 - dramatically illustrating that a white family's net worth is 10 times higher than that of blacks and Hispanics.

Much of the disparity, the exhibit explains, is because a white person's opportunity to own a home in areas with higher housing values is markedly higher than for members of other racial groups.

The displays show how racism's effects endure today, because the advantages have been doled out unfairly for centuries.

It's a touchy topic and yet an important message for Cleveland to hear, said Mark Lewine, a professor of anthropology and urban studies at Cuyahoga Community College. An early champion of the "Race" exhibit, Lewine strongly supported bringing it to Northeast Ohio.

"This is more than an exhibit," he said. "This is an opportunity to raise the level of discourse and understanding of human diversity."

Lewine had high praise for Hall's work to create spin-off race discussions that will spread a message that anthropologists have known for years. "We're all Obamas," he said, referring to the African and American ancestry of the Democratic presidential candidate.

"We're all mixtures of many diverse origins. And by far, the greatest majority of anyone's family tree is Africa. There really is no dispute. It's a family tree that's very much larger than we've allowed ourselves to see," he said.

Hall said the community events she's coordinating will focus on the future. "As a society, we created race. That created differences. How do we acknowledge that and move forward, to a better society, a more inclusive society?" she asked. "That's why we brought the exhibit."

Funded by the Ford Foundation and National Science Foundation, "Race" breaks all the rules governing the way that exhibits usually are set up, Graf said. Typically placards have two or three lines of text; this one has many long blocks of text that you have to stand and read.

It also has several longish videos, including "We All Live with Race," an interracial collage of people sharing their experiences that lasts more than an hour. "People just sit and watch. It's very emotional," Graf said. "Everybody can relate to something in this exhibit."

The first two prongs of the exhibit are science and history, and the third is "lived experiences."

And if there's any place where assumptions might bust and hearts open, it most likely could happen at the video screens, as a rainbow of people share their stories and reflect on the seemingly irrepressible human need to oppress someone else.

"Everybody meets some form of discrimination in their lives," Graf said. "We all face it. We just don't realize that we face it."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

mbernstein@plaind.com, 216-999-4876


©2008
© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.
 

Details about "Race: Are We So Different?" exhibit, local events
 

Sunday, September 21, 2008
Museum officials look at the "Race" exhibit as an ice-breaker - it's up to Cleveland to turn talk into action, they say. To that end, the museum is offering a slate of race-themed events and a calendar of awareness-raising events going on locally during the exhibit's run.

Here is a list of events taking place at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. All are free, but registration is required. Call 216-231-1177 or visit cmnh.org.

Oct. 1: "A Community Conversation Featuring Marian Wright Edelman" will be held at 7 p.m. Edelman is president of the Children's Defense Fund and a best-selling author. A 6 p.m. reception precedes the event, presented with the Allstate Foundation and Facing History and Ourselves.

Oct. 4: "What is Race?" is the title of a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. that will introduce some of the exhibit's creators, including Yolanda Moses, an anthropologist and administrator at the University of California, Riverside. The audience will learn about the making of the exhibit and the response to it as the exhibit has traveled across the country. Reception at 6 p.m.

Oct. 7: "Inclusion, Equity, Privilege: Is Corporate America Making Progress in the 21st Century?" Speaker Eddie Moore Jr., a Seattle diversity consultant and expert, will talk about the importance of fostering inclusive cultures in the workplace and provide concrete strategies for doing so. Reception at 6 p.m., town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Co-sponsored by YWCA, Forest City Enterprises and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage.

Oct. 10: Urban Professionals Night, an after-work networking opportunity for young urban professionals, begins at 5:30 p.m. The evening will feature a speaker who will discuss the changing face of America's race and its impact on future generations and the workplace. Co-sponsored by Cool Cleveland, Cleveland365.com, Sankofa Fine Art Plus, Women of Color Foundation and National Black MBA Association.

Oct. 23: "Race, Health and Biology" is the topic of a town hall forum set for 7 p.m. A panel of experts from the museum, local hospitals and universities will address the origins of race and the role of science in shaping the concept of race and connections to genetic research, forensic work and biology. Reception at 6 p.m.

Oct. 25: A Community Health and Wellness Fair is set from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Oct. 28: "What Is Race?" a talk on sociology, biology and health, begins at 7 p.m. Reception at 6 p.m. Co-sponsored by Cuyahoga Community College.

Nov. 5: "Let's Talk About Race," a town hall forum that gives people tools to discuss race in a nonthreatening manner and to sustain the dialogue. Reception at 6 p.m., forum at 7 p.m. Co-sponsored by Cleveland State University.

Nov. 11: "Race and the Law," featuring a panel of legal professionals, is set for 7 p.m. This session will examine the history of laws that govern equal opportunity for all. Reception at 6 p.m.

Jan. 14, 2009: At the conclusion of the "Race" exhibit, the collaborating partners will be invited to present an event that will explore the outcomes and results of all the programming relative to the Cleveland exhibits. The group will present next steps for continuing the dialogue in Northeast Ohio. Reception at 6 p.m., town hall meeting at 7 p.m.


©2008
© 2008 cleveland.com All Rights Reserved.

July/August Buckeye Disciple, Christian Church in Ohio

Anti-Racism Pro-Reconciliation Commission

The Anti-racism Pro-reconciliation Commission of Ohio was formed in 1999 and now consists of 19 individuals who are committed to raising awareness of the continued presence of racism in our society. By educating our congregations to the deep-rooted existence of racism that continues to afflict the daily lives of our brothers and sisters, and by exploring ways in which we can unwittingly become participants in systems based upon distorted and outdated social values, we strive toward ensuring more inclusive and loving communities free from racism and its attendant evils.

Members of the ‘team’ are committed to learning and to teaching others. Each member has undergone several levels of training and meets monthly as a group to discuss progress, problems and to offer encouragement. Opportunities are available to introduce the subjects of Racism and Reconciliation to congregations in the Ohio region. These sessions are 90 minutes long and serve as an educational tool for those communities who are open to raising awareness of and sensitivity to social injustices.

For those interested in inviting a trained leader to speak to interested groups in your congregation please direct inquiries to co-chairpersons, Anne Sowell and Nichole Mazza-Fredley through the Regional Office. The commission is also encouraging motivated leaders to join our team to train for the purpose of providing information to church communities on how to avoid participating in systems that continue to foster racism.

 
As a region that is committed to anti-racism and pro-reconciliation as a core value, we eagerly look forward to a time when racism is eradicated and where children of God are honored regardless of their racial heritage.
 

No. 0314
(Sense-of-the-Assembly)
RESOLUTION ON AN APOLOGY FOR THE SIN OF SLAVERY

ADOPTED by the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Background Information

In its April 2001 meeting the General Board passed a resolution addressing the sin of slavery.
This act of confession was a powerful moment for those who were gathered there. However, by
our rules it came too late to be included as a resolution for the 2001 General Assembly.
The Regional Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Pennsylvania proposed
a resolution for the 2003 General Assembly apologizing for the sin of slavery. The General
Board is grateful for the resolution, yet believes that its original 2001 resolution should come to
this Assembly as essentially unfinished business. We therefore offer this prior act of
repentance as a substitute resolution.

WHEREAS, we fervently believe in the essential dignity and worth of every human being; and

WHEREAS, we believe God loves every person as a dear and precious child; and

WHEREAS, any act or attitude or institution which diminishes any person's God-given
right to a full, free, productive and peaceful life is clearly contrary to the will of God; and

WHEREAS, the institution of slavery is unquestionably evil and abhorrent to God; and

WHEREAS, many religious communities in the United States, including the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ), failed to work or speak against the institution of slavery in the United
States, a wicked apathy which permitted and resulted in untold suffering among the African
people kidnapped by evil people and sold to Americans to labor without compensation and

often subjected to inhuman persecutions by their white owners; and

WHEREAS, the effects of these injustices have continued to subject the descendants of those
Africans to an endlessly continuing mindset which perpetuates the unfair, unjust and sinful
system of prejudice and racism; and

WHEREAS, Christ has called the church to be an instrument of his reconciliation;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the General Assembly of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina October 17-21, 2003, confesses the
corporate guilt we all share for these evils, and heartily begs the forgiveness of God and of all
God’s children whose lives have been damaged or limited by these sins.

We further pledge and promise that we will earnestly seek through words and deeds, as
individual Christians and corporately, to demonstrate our sorrow by committing ourselves to
lives of continuing humility, healing and love toward all those who still bear the wounds of the
continuous and grievous effects of this historic evil.
 

General Board endorses variety of anti-racist pro- reconciliation measures
Date: April 26, 2001
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Contact:
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org

01a-26

INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), meeting in Indianapolis April 21-24, issued an apology to people of African descent for the church's silence on and lack of action to end the institution of slavery. The body endorsed other anti-racism pro-reconciliation measures and recommended that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) enter into a new ecumenical relationship with eight other communions.

The board was well into the process of endorsing a call to the U.S. government to issue a formal apology for slavery when it was reminded that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) itself had never issued such an apology.

At the core of the statement is the admission that the church's apathy contributed to and prolonged the suffering of blacks enslaved by whites. The text reads, in part: "Whereas, many religious communities in the United States, including the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) failed to work or speak against the institution of slavery in the United States, a wicked apathy that permitted and resulted in untold suffering among the African people kidnaped by evil people and sold to Americans to labor without compensation and often subjected to inhuman persecutions by their white owners ...

"... Now therefore be it resolved that the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) meeting in Indianapolis April 21-24, 2001, confesses the corporate guilt we all share for these evils and heartily begs the forgiveness of God and of all God's children whose lives have been damaged or limited by these sins."

Stepping to the microphone to comment on the proposed business item, African American board member Emily L. Jackson, Memphis, Tenn., was moved to tears as she explained, "I speak for myself -- that when an apology is extended, it is to either be accepted or rejected. I personally accept the apology," she said, "and the spirit in which it was offered." Jackson's great-grandparents were lured from Africa and forced into slavery.

Since the apology resolution was a General Board business item, it will not be presented at General Synod/Assembly for a vote. The text will be shared in a report to the assembly.

The resolution Concerning Reparations for Slavery will be considered at General Synod/Assembly. General Board recommended adoption of the measure. It documents several attempts by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to address issues arising from slavery and poverty, but concludes that "these attempts have been limited and ineffectual and have not directly addressed the issue of the evil of slavery and have not dealt with the horror of our church's official silence in the days of the abolitionist movements."

It calls on all expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to join in active study and education on issues dealing with reparations for slavery. In addition, it calls on Homeland Ministries and the Disciples Reconciliation Mission to cooperate with the Justice Ministries unit of the United Church of Christ and other partners to make available resources "that tell the truth about the practice of slavery ... giving faith based reasons for support of a formal apology for slavery, and that they (members of congregations and church leaders) might prompt the creation of a Congressional Commission for the study of reparations issues."

The measure also would direct Disciples leaders to call on the U.S. president and congressional leaders of both parties to "issue an national apology for participating in and supporting the kidnapping, exporting and enslaving people of African descent."

Other items acted on by General Board concerned the issues of racism and reconciliation.

The board recommended that General Assembly adopt a resolution titled An Act of Repentance Calling the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to be an Anti-racist, Pro-reconciling Community. The measure would declare that "the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) confesses that racism is a sin and is a historic and ongoing reality in this church." It would declare that "the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is called to be and resolves to become and anti-racist, pro-reconciling communion." It would demand that "all vestiges of racism be eradicated from the structures of this church and the structures be transformed in order to empower people of all racial ethnic groups." It also would direct the General Board to "establish an anti-racism pro-reconciliation commission to facilitate the this churchwide transformational commitment."

In General Board-only business, the body approved a measure that realigns several facets of the church's anti-racism pro-reconciliation work. It establishes a new entity called the Reconciliation Mission. A Reconciliation director will give executive staff leadership to the mission.

The board also established an Anti-Racism Commission of the Reconciliation Mission, a permanent oversight and assistance structure. It replaces a team of general church executives that has been directing the work for the last three years. The commission will give guidance and assistance to the ongoing training and other work designed to help the church become an anti-racist and pro-reconciling communion. The commission will be composed of at least nine members elected by the General Board. The majority of the membership will be racial ethnic persons. The commission will be accountable to the Administrative Committee of the General Board and to the biennial assemblies of the North American Pacific Asian Disciples, the Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship and the National Convocation.

The Reconciliation Committee continues as part of the new system. It will continue to evaluate grant requests and make grants from the Reconciliation Fund.

The new plan will be funded from the general church share of the Reconciliation Fund, 50 percent of the Reconciliation offering. Ten percent of the general share will go to the Church Finance Council for promotion and treasury services. Initially, the Reconciliation Committee will grant up to $90,000 per year for reconciliation ministry initiatives. The board also approved using Reconciliation Fund reserves if grant requests exceed $90,000.