ELKHART, Ind., Aug. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mennonite
Church USA — Mennonite Church
USA (MC USA), a historic peace church that actively
practices biblically-based peace, justice and nonresistance, has
issued a call to white people to engage in anti-racism work in
the United States and across the
world. In an open letter to the denomination, Michael Danner, MC USA's associate executive director of Church
Vitality, invites his fellow white Christians to "engage in
proactive, deliberate efforts to oppose and dismantle racism in all
of its forms."
Danner's letter examines Jesus' ministry of reconciliation
across racial division as central to the work of being God's people
– and separate from political agendas and "popular notions of
social justice." Acknowledging that anti-racism work must occur on
an individual and systemic basis, Danner urges white people to
specifically take responsibility for examining their own biases,
learning to recognize systemic racism and working as people of
faith to ensure racial justice.
"Our denomination's position against racism isn't new," said
Glen Guyton, MC USA's first African American executive
director and one of its anti-racism trainers. "As a denomination,
country and global community, we must move beyond making statements
to long-term actions that yield positive results."
Danner's letter is a follow up to the denomination's webinar
series, Race, Church & Change. Led by a diverse team of church
leaders and centering the voices of people of color, the series
addressed questions, including "What role does racial healing and
reconciliation play in being anti-racist?" "How do we begin a
conversation about white supremacy?" and "What would it look like
for congregations to practice racial reparations?"
MC USA also launched an
anti-racism resource section within its new website today. The
resource portal is designed to meet people where they are in their
anti-racism journey.
Danner's letter joins the voices of other Mennonites who are
contributing to an ongoing blog series on the
denomination's website on what it means to do the work of
anti-racism, recognize injustice and protest against it.
The denomination also recently launched a Justice Fund to
"provide a way for individuals and congregations to support MC
USA churches that are actively
involved in dismantling racism, addressing police brutality,
reimagining policing in our society or combating poverty."
Mennonite Church USA is
the largest Mennonite denomination in the
United States with 16 conferences, approximately 530
congregations and 62,000 members.
Editorial Contact: Wil
LaVeist, Chief Communication Officer, Mennonite Church
USA, WilL@MennoniteMission.net,
(574) 523-3077
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SOURCE Mennonite Church USA