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2010-09-01 issue:

Racial healing in the church

A look at how Mennonite Church USA can live out its commitment to being an antiracist church

by Glen Alexander Guyton

Print Article

Antiracism is a priority for Mennonite Church USA. Becoming an antiracist church is a journey and not necessarily a destination. The Continuum on Becoming an Antiracist, Multicultural Institution lists six stages of organizational development in regard to antiracism. These phases range from stage 1: an exclusive, segregated institution, to stage 6: a fully inclusive institution in a transformed society.

At this point, Mennonite Church USA probably falls somewhere in the middle. Moving an institution from symbolic antiracism to meaningful anti­racism requires hard work, intentionality and a commitment to change from the dominant culture (Anglo).
In science, the triangle is often used to represent change. The triangle is also symbolic of how the church must work at antiracism. To reach the peak, Anglos and racial/ethnic people must work together. Each group must understand how racism affects them and how they operate within the institution.

Trust is vital in the racial healing process between the Anglos and racial/ethnic groups involved. The dominant culture group has to not only own the process and work at understanding why healing is needed but truly share power with those in the minority culture group. These things are key in moving beyond symbolic change to actually transforming an institution.

It is difficult work to change institutional structures and a culture that maintains white privilege and its power over people of color. Most people are comfortable when things are predictable and familiar. Asking people to change something their ancestors built often causes resentment and misunderstanding. Many of us can identify with the verse from the song "Give Me that Old Time Religion": "It was good for my old father, so it’s good enough for me."

At some point we all have to understand that change in itself is not wrong, and making changes does not suggest that all aspects of the heritage and history of any one people group should be cast aside.

But change is necessary to move beyond the status quo. If Mennonite Church USA desires to "honor the dignity and value of all racial/ethnic,” as we say, then our systems, power structures and even some of our customs must change as “manifestations of the one new humanity in Christ." The racial healing task group is just the first step in a much longer journey we must make together.

The articles on pages 28-30 present racial healing from an Anglo perspective and from a minority perspective.

Glen Alexander Guyton is associate executive director of constituent resources for Mennonite Church USA.


Churchwide racial healing initiative
History:
Antiracism work in the Constituency Leaders Council in October 2008 led to a proposal for a churchwide racial healing initiative in Mennonite Church USA. This was blessed by racial/ethnic leaders in March 2009. General affirmation for the proposal by delegates came at the 2009 convention in Columbus, Ohio. They said a process for racial healing through a restorative justice approach could bring wholeness and healing to the church. The CLC and racial/ethnic leaders again affirmed the racial healing process in October 2009 and presented it to the Executive Board for oversight and implementation.

Proposal:
To use a restorative justice approach that will include:
• The appointment of a task group from the dominant culture that includes a person knowledgeable in a restorative justice approach to reconciliation.
• The purpose of the task group is to help the dominant culture take ownership and be able to articulate historical and current racism within the church as a beginning step for spiritual transformation.
• The process of the task group will be to hear the stories of racial/ethnic people and congregations who have encountered racism within the church and its conferences and the impact of the harm it caused.
• The accountability of the task group will include ongoing conversation with racial/ethnic leaders in taking steps toward restoring right relationships with racial/ethnic people in the church for the healing of all people.
• A goal of the task group is to help the dominant culture recognize and work on their own spiritual healing.
The dominant culture will take ownership of the process with direct accountability to the Intercultural Relations reference committee. This committee will provide feedback for the racial healing group and process. The Intercultural Committee will have veto power over proposals brought by the Racial Healing Task Group as well as the composition of the Racial Healing Task Group. The Executive Board is ultimately responsible for this process.

Plan:
A churchwide task group of six will meet at least twice in 2010 and twice in 2011 (before and after the 2011 convention in Pittsburgh). A progress report will come to delegates at the convention after first being shared with the Executive Board in its April 2011 meeting. The task group first met with racial/ethnic leaders in March.
An approximate budget for the group is $7,500/year for two years. The director of intercultural relations is the staff person for the committee on behalf of the executive director of Mennonite Church USA, and the Executive Board will appoint the initial committee members. Additional recommendations on strategy, staffing and budget will be made after the initial meeting of the Racial Healing Task Group.—Ron Byler, revised by Glen A. Guyton

Reader Comments

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  • Posted by char at Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 08:38 AM

    Thanks for your contributions to making this work real in our church!

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