Understanding the Issue

“The United Methodist Church proclaims that from God’s goodness and love, God created all persons as God’s unique and beloved children. Racism opposes God’s law, goodness, and love and diminishes the image of God in each person. Fueled by white privilege, white supremacy, and colonialism, the sin of racism has been a destructive scourge on global society and throughout the history of The United Methodist Church. It continues to destroy our communities, harm persons, obstruct unity, and undermine God’s work in this world. Racism must be eradicated. Therefore, The United Methodist Church commits to confronting and eliminating all forms of racism, racial inequity, colonialism, white privilege, and white supremacy.” -Article V. Racial Justice, proposed amendment

Seeking racial justice in The United Methodist Church is imperative for the well-being of the church as a whole and of its members.  The petitions in this plumbline were identified by the Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group (IESDG), which comprises of  leaders of the denomination's five official ethnic caucuses:Black Methodists for Church Renewal, Metodistas Asociados Representando la Causa de los Hispano-Americanos, National Federation of Asian American United Methodists, Native American International Caucus, and Pacific Islander National Caucus of United Methodists, as critical for the well-being of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Values

• Racial justice

• Fullness of the body of Christ

• Justice

• Full inclusion

Analysis

The petitions related to racial justice and moving The United Methodist Church to equity for the BIPOC community are vast and numerous because people of a wide variety of racial-ethnic identities are present in every aspect of our shared life in the church. 

Of special note is the petition, “Racial Justice”, proposing that the General Conference approve a constitutional amendment to Article V.  The “Racial Justice” petition edits the current language to make it more direct and unequivocal in denouncing racism; naming white privilege, white supremacy, and colonialism as the fuel for racism; and declaring that the United Methodist Church must live as an actively anti-racist institution. (See the text quoted above.)

The Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group (IESDG) works as a coalition to support Racial-Ethnic ministries and advocacy in the United Methodist Church and Society. IESDG and MFSA support The Worldwide Regionalization Plan as presented by the Standing Committee on Central Conferences and the Revised Social Principles as presented by the General Board of Church and Society.  These proposals were both collective works to lead the church, to decenter our white supremacy and colonial mindset, and to center the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color as part of the worldwide connection.  IESDG also supports the work of our programmatic general agencies and commissions.

Resources

• GCORR Legislation

• General Conference Briefing hosted by New York MFSA and MFSA

• Cal-Pac MFSA General Conference briefing

• MARCHA Presentation

• NFAAUM

Recommended Action

See complete table in the full version by accessing the PDF below.

This document was prepared in collaboration with the Inter-Ethnic Strategy Development Group (IESDG), which comprises of leaders of the denomination's five official ethnic caucuses (Black Methodists for Church Renewal, Metodistas Asociados Representando la Causa de los Hispano-Americanos, National Federation of Asian American United Methodists, Native American International Caucus, and Pacific Islander National Caucus of United Methodists) and the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR). MFSA and the Racial-Ethnic Caucus groups of the IESDG are members of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition. Learn more www.lyncoaltion.org

MFSA Plumblines: Racial Justice www.mfsaweb.org  
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