MP church hosting virtual discussions on racism, equality

MT. PLEASANT - First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant will be hosting virtual discussions on racism and equality beginning this Sunday.

Pastor Trey Hegar said when protests began over the death of Minnesota man George Floyd, the church elders began having conversations about what systematic racism and white privilege are what those words actually mean.

'Defining terms can be hard especially when they're emotionally charged,” he said. 'Just as people of faith, we want to have those important conversations to see where we are as a community.”

Beginning Sunday, June 21 at 6 p.m., a virtual zoom meeting will be held. Everyone is invited to join in on a discussion about racism and equality and how to discuss those topics in a loving way, he said. The church has additionally put up resources on its website to share what it is doing as well, with the goal of helping educate the community.

'I think part of it is to bring the emotion that we have around these conversations, to the table,” he said.

Discussions will include topics about why looting and rioting happen and will create a safe space for people to learn and share, he said. The church has additionally adopted an anti-racism statement crafted by the elders of the church that reflects statements backed by scripture.

'God loves diversity and justice and we can see it in the wide variety of creation,” he said.

The statement reads as follows:

'The Bible insistently reveals that God loves diversity and justice. This is seen in the wide variety of creation in which God delights. It is heard in the words of the prophets, who reject oppression and commend justice as true worship. It is embodied in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, who resists the power of empire and values all people, regardless of status, as children of God. Jesus gathered a community of people around him that crossed over every social and cultural boundary. Those who had been set apart were brought together: poor and rich, male and female, gentile and Jew, centurion and tax collector, Canaanite, Galilean, and Syrophoenician. Jesus called this community together in anticipation of, and participation in, the coming of the new creation.

Racism is the opposite of what God intends for humanity. It is the rejection of the other, which is entirely contrary to the Word of God incarnate in Jesus Christ. It is a form of idolatry that elevates human-made hierarchies of value over divinely-given free grace. Racism is a lie about our fellow humans, for it says that some are less than others. It is also a lie about God, for it falsely claims that God favors parts of creation over the entirety of creation.

Because of our biblical understanding of who God is and what God intends for humanity, the PC (USA) must stand against, speak against, and work against racism. Anti-racist effort is not optional for Christians. It is an essential aspect of Christian discipleship, without which we fail to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.

While recognizing that racism victimizes many different racial ethnic groups, we acknowledge its unique impact on the African American community. Anti-black racism has been a structural component of the United States from the beginning. The Constitution defined an African American as three-fifths of a person, denying their full humanity. The economic foundations of the United States were built on slave labor. The legal system of the United States has consistently perpetuated the subjugation of African Americans throughout the history of the nation.

Given the particular forms that anti-black racism has taken in the United States of America both historically (including slavery and Jim Crow) and today (including mass incarceration, disproportionate policing, economic inequality, and continuing acts of racially oriented violence and hate), we state clearly: GOD LOVES BLACK and BROWN LIVES who were created equally in the image of God. Too many have denied this basic truth for too long. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must stand against racism in all its forms.

Finally, as Presbyterians we know something about work. While aspects of the Protestant work ethic may be problematic, to the degree that it signifies our determination, persistence, and stubborn strength, we embrace it in this regard: we commit ourselves to DO THE WORK of countering racism in our witness to the Gospel. In our affirmation that God loves difference, we will honor diversity as a good in which God delights. In our conviction that God desires justice, we will learn from others to broaden our understanding of equality. In our humility as sinful people, we will listen openly to diverse voices regarding how racism functions in our society. In our gratitude for God's grace, we will turn again and again toward the vision of whole community found in the Word of God. In our joyous response to God's love, we will love one another.”

Anyone interested in joining the Zoom meeting may do so by entering the following meeting ID and password:

Meeting ID: 237 266 4501

Password: 1111111

An option to dial in by phone is available as well: 1-312-626-6799