jerad's blog

Since 2012 Minnesota Council of Churches has equipped faith and other communities to manage conflict and depolarize arguments with Respectful Conversations. Beginning out of a design partnership with the Public Conversations Project (now Essential Partners), we discovered that the structured, facilitated methodolgy we put together was a sought-after tool well after the specific  polarizing discussion Minnesotans were having in 2012.

In times of crisis and chaos, faith communities regularly find ourselves on the front lines. We are often trusted peacemakers and mediators with our members, communities, and local officials. We are stakeholders in conversations on important and occasionally divisive political, social and cultural debates.

As we go about our daily lives, it can be easy to focus on what divides us rather than what unites us. Whether it's differences in politics, religion, or culture, it can sometimes feel like the things that set us apart are more significant than the things that bring us together. But as Christians, we're called to a different way of living. In John 13:34-35, Jesus tells us, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this, all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another."

Crossposted from Healing Minnesota Stories blog

What is it?

(See also Part I: The Religion of Whiteness: What survey data says about White Christians’ attitudes about race and privilege.)

(Crossposted with permission from Healing Minnesota Stories Blog)

What survey data says about White Christians’ attitudes about race and privilege

White Christians are twice as likely as other groups to agree that it’s acceptable for White people to have more wealth than other people.

At White Church Truths, filmed at Westminster Presbyterian Church on November 5, 2022, the afternoon session featured music from Patricia Lacy, a panel responding to the morning's keynote that included Rev. Dr. Kelly Sherman-Conroy, Felecia Boone, and Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis; a Q&A session, a charge to the group from Dr. Tanden Brekke, and continued MCing from Minnesota Council of Churches' co-directors of racial justice Rev. Pamela Ngunjiri and Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs.

This video of the morning session of White Church Truths includes a keynote from Dr. Michael O. Emerson on his research discovery that "whiteness" takes precedence over scripture in the belief systems of most white churchgoing Christians, and his description of what the "religion of whiteness" is. Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs and Rev. Pamela Ngunjiri from Minnesota Council of Churches MC the morning, which also includes Rev. Alanna Tyler of Westminster Presbyterian Church, and music presented by Tonia Hughes Kendrick with Billy Steele.

Church mission trips can serve many purposes from devoting human resources of donations, labor, relationship and prayer to the communities being traveled to and fostering discipleship and global empathy in the sending communities and travelers. However there are times and places when a mission trip is inadvisable. As of this week one of those places is Uganda, which is facing an Ebola outbreak situation.

Minnesota Churches are officially advised to POSTPONE any planned mission trips to the country of Uganda.

Voices united, embracing the future

“Then all of you can join together with one voice….. looking forward to what lies ahead, we press on to reach the end of the race for which God is calling us.” 

(Romans 15:6; Philippians 3:13-14 NLT)