We are in the season of Eastertide, moving readily toward Pentecost.   We proclaim the hope that God is truly with us and rejoice in the promise that God’s intentional creational diversity is our blessing in the world.
  And yet, for many, the events of the daily news for the past several months weigh heavy in the heart and seek to rob us of this blessing. Life in this country has been marked by protests fueled by the grief and anger that many of this nation’s citizens experience daily in the wake of officers involved in the fatal killings of unarmed African American men.     Yet, in the midst of such deep social unrest, many of our local churches have been silent. And, it is all too real that silence from authorities is the norm, including from the Church.  One United Methodist in our Detroit Conference felt compelled by the images of the struggles in Ferguson and elsewhere.    Rev. Jeff Nelson, pastor at Redford-Aldersgate UMC, reached out to Black and White clergy colleagues in his community to begin to build deeper relationships and to then engage community leaders.    Nelson shared, “It is important to not be silent, even if we are not sure what to say.” The group of six ecumenical colleagues have titled themselves One Redford, affirming that there is not a White Redford and a Black Redford, or an Old Redford and a New Redford. Together they proclaim “We are One Redford—One Community—One set of people committed to living and raising our families right here!” From this base of trust and relationship they now have reached out to the key community leaders, such as the Chief of Police and Township Supervisor.   Many dominant culture Americans and, undoubtedly, many United Methodists see the events and deaths of unarmed Black men as individual and tragic incidents. For those involved in the protests in several cities, the deaths are not individual or isolated, they are part of a larger system that privileges White Americans and discriminates against American of color.  The cries represent the pain not only caused by recent events, but it reflects layers upon layers of injustices inflicted upon people of color in America for generations.   The prophet Micah proclaimed that we are to “Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.” Throughout its history the United Methodist Church has struggled with what this looks like in real daily life. Central to the struggles within our Church and the U.S. social, political and economic fabric has been the injustice of racism. The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church teach that racism is a sin that has both personal and institutional dimensions, and the results, within the U.S. context, brings practices of white privilege and racial discrimination.    The Acts of Repentance at four successive United Methodist General Conferences (2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012) have drawn on the United Methodist Social Principles’ teaching on institutional racism, white privilege, and racial discrimination to acknowledge the mistreatment of African Americans and indigenous people within the life of the denomination. Because of our denominational history and our social teaching, all United Methodists must acknowledge and carefully consider the allegation of racism in this contemporary moment.   The hard work of making the Acts of Repentance more than one-time apologies and the Social Principles more than just words on a page wrest squarely on our shoulders. In order for these Acts and Principles to encourage true healing and lead to the forming of life giving relationships, the spirit of repentance and reconciliation must be received and enacted by United Methodist in their local contexts. It is therefore incumbent for Michigan United Methodists to take up this sacred work in response to the particular historical moment in which we find ourselves.   This sacred work must involve critically reflecting on the pernicious and persistent realty of racism in both the church and U.S. society. This will include wrestling with the policy and practices of the United Methodist Church that result in white privilege and racial discrimination as well as examining institutional racism at work in the criminal justice system through practices of profiling, mass incarceration, and use of excessive force. For United Methodists in the State of Michigan is it also important to wrestle with how the events in Missouri, New York, Cleveland, Baltimore and elsewhere might be linked with recent local protest and resistance to Emergency Financial Management in predominately African-American municipalities and to the alleged targeting of low income African-American and Hispanic residents for water shut off in Detroit. Might these also be linked to the pernicious and persistent force of racism?   Along with this statement, leaders of the Michigan Area of the United Methodist Church have also committed themselves to providing ongoing places of dialogue and training for leaders in our local churches. It is the hope of these leaders that these conversations might inspire and guide our local churches to engage in this moment within the context of their local communities.  To be silent is deafening in the midst of pain and injustice. We urge and encourage every local United Methodist Church to reach out into your communities proactively to build relationships across cultures, classes and generations to address issues of brokenness and systemic inequity. Let your voices be heard.   After all, the cross and resurrection are signs and symbols of God’s abundant life and saving love in a world marked by oppression, injustice, and violence. May we who survey the Easter Cross have the courage to truly live in the gracious judgment and hope that each proclaim.     In Christ’s circle,   Rev. Dr. Jerome (Jerry) DeVine, Director of Connectional Ministries, Detroit Conference Rev. Paul Perez, Detroit Conference Director of Mission and Justice Engagement and Leadership Recruitment Ms. Ernestine Campbell, Chair of the Detroit Conference Commission on Religion and Race Rev. Dr. Darryl Totty, Chair of the United Methodist Black Clergy of Michigan Rev. George Covintree, Chair of the Board of Justice, Advocacy and Equity, Detroit Conference

Last Updated on February 2, 2024