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:

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and sisters, and by exploring ways in which we can unwittingly become participants in systems based upon distorted and outdated social values, we strive toward ensuring more inclusive and loving communities free from racism and its attendant evils.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.