As United Methodists, we affirm the free love of God for all people, given us in Jesus Christ. With all Christians, we celebrate Jesus’ call for us to embrace each other and, with the whole Church, work for the reconciliation of the world’s peoples to one another. Any move away from that marvelous grace grieves us and harms the Church, as well as our society.
Therefore it is with deep grief that we have learned that a former United Methodist church property, sold according to disciplinary standards and in accordance with state law to a private individual, has now been given to a group advocating for white supremacy. Such advocacy is painful even to consider, and such a group’s use of a building formerly consecrated to a loving God is stunningly hurtful. Such use in no way represents The United Methodist Church or The North Carolina Conference. Such use, while beyond our control, is entirely opposite to our knowledge of God’s intention for us to respect one another and to live in peace and harmony.
I ask all United Methodists to join with all other Christians in rejecting white supremacy views, to pray for those who have such thoughts, and to work to resist racism and its evils as we promised we would in our baptismal vows.
Grace and peace,
Gray Southern
Capital District Superintendent
North Carolina Conference
of The United Methodist Church