Option one:
Set up a series of classes about racism in society and its impact on churches. Make use of the Exodus and Wilderness experience as a framework for exploring the impact of the journey through wilderness of a race and the faith communities walk towards the Promised Land of a non-racist society. Using that as a template, examine the importance of community, the basic “thou shalt not . . .” commandments of how we relate to each other on the journey, how Scripture and liturgy helps us build our vision of the Anti-racist society (the Promised Land.) and the importance of practicing Active Listening and compassionate forgiveness as we journey together. (Sample questions available on request)
Option Two:
Engage the whole congregation in a church wide conversation. Using the email list of church members, a team from the church can probe both the basic Christian beliefs and how members see them relating to the issue of race. Then they can build graphs of the responses and engage the congregation in conversation of how they want the church to respond in anti-racism ministry. (Sample questions available on request)
After the responses to the questionnaires and surveys are received, convene church assemblies to discuss the picture of the church now and the church they want. These discussions would implement the discipline of Active Listening to enable members to integrate the variety of opinions into a community – Body of Christ—made up of a variety of different parts—that make the ONE BODY.
Option three:
Ask your pastor to identify three or four pastors of both Black and White churches in the area and propose to them that they engage their churches in parallel church wide conversation about race and the Gospel using the same surveys and questions. Each church can design graphs depicting their church’s response. Then at a gathering of the churches, in small groups they can discuss what they see in each church’s respective graphs. (Sample surveys, and questionnaires available on request.)
Then, in light of those images of each church’s faith and how it addresses racism in the society, they can begin to explore the potential for a collaborative anti-racism ministry in church and society.
Option Four:
Expanding on the community built in Option three, the leadership of the several churches can develop an adaptation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from South Africa. The basic framework involves inviting Black members to share the story of their personal experience of racism from the first time they recognized the impact of their skin color down to current personal experiences. White members are invited to tell their story of how they became aware of racism and confess to the benefits they derive from the current structure of society.
It would be very helpful if you could identify a couple of Black members and a couple of White members to video tape ahead of time a sample of the type of sharing that you are seeking. Then, using the video, the leadership could further expand upon what is being sought.
Having heard the stories of Blacks and Whites, the community will begin to explore the opportunity for both forgiveness to heal relationships and efforts to confront and heal the structural aspects of racism in society. This begins in small groups at an assembly and then is reported to the whole assembly.
To make use of the internet, it will be helpful to have a unique email address to receive responses, and a program like Survey Monkey or Convert Kit, to both query the members and then to build graphs of their responses. Have a designated team of people to coordinate the whole process.
