Racial Reconciliation

The Issue:
Racism has created a tangible divide within
the social sectors and power structures of
our world today.
This divide can be seen by the stark
contrast within the socioeconomic
structures, prison systems, and educational
statistics within our country.
For example, whites often control better,
high paying jobs and usually maintain better
opportunities for advancement whereas
minorities often have less stable jobs with
less authority, power, and prestige.
Racism today is structural and it even
effects the church. The Church is still the
most segregated institution in America.

For all of you who were

baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with
Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free man, there is
neither male nor female; for
you are all one in Christ
Why
Care?
Jesus
(Galatians 3: 27-28).

Diversity challenges congregations to

not just view Christianity and the
world from their own
cultural lens. By building relationships
with people who are different than us,
we begin to see
them not as different, but as brothers
and sisters in Christ. When
relationships are formed,
especially with those who are
marginalized, we begin to take up
their plight and see justice as an
integral part of our faith. In turn they
Game
Plan:
We began
also show
us more
of whoby
God is and
Research Questions:
who we are
in light leaders who have
researching
prominent
of pursuing
that. Racial
reconciliation
is a must
been
racial
reconciliation,
such
Is there a racial divide in
for the Church
in order
for itPerkins.
to
as Michael
Emerson
and John
Holland, if so what does that
become
the a
true
body
of Christ
They
displayed
deep
understanding
that
look like?
racial
reconciliation
must
begin
with
the
What should our response as
Church, and thus we knew that we should
the Church be?
start there as well. We began to explore
Our Event:
racial
diversity
within
the
churches
in
the
On Saturday, April 24th we invited
Holland community. We couldnt stop
members of the community to
a however. We decided that it would
there,
be important
to plan
an event the
centered
on
night of building relationships
and learning
through
means
relationship
building
and the
church
of story sharing. We began with
bilingual
worship
and
prayer
within Holland, Michigan.

and later shared a meal together as we listened to the stories

of those within the Holland community. We asked four of our
Latino brothers and sisters to share parts of their background
and what it means for them to be a Latino Christian living in
Holland. We also shared our stories and were able to build off
of one another to achieve a sense of community. Through this
evening of shared story telling and worship we were able to
build relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ who
differ from us racially.

Natalie Brown Savanah Stewart Cole

Watson