In Episode 2, we hear the second of two seemingly different stories that converge into one powerful narrative. As we continue a three-episode series, Ernesto Barriguete shares his experience as a pastor when the immigrant community felt persecuted.
Anti-Racism
A Statement in Response to White Supremacist Group using Former United Methodist Church Building
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
Black History Month Resources
February is Black History Month. The Media Center has books and DVDs for adults and children related to black history in the United Methodist Church and in our larger culture. Engaging with these resources helps us to understand more about where we came from and what work there is still to do to improve our connection.
Request These Resources
You may borrow any of these resources for use at your church or at home. We can mail them to you! Simply fill out the Resource Request Form, or contact the Media Center with any questions. The NC Conference Media Center is open to anyone involved with the North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church, free of charge.
Devotional
Abingdon Press published this 28-day devotional on African American history. It includes scripture, readings, prayers, and activities for individuals, families, and groups.
DVDs
We’ve Come This Far By Faith: A History of Black Methodism in the Southeastern Jurisdiction
A 30-minute documentary from the African American Methodist Heritage Center that tells the history of Black Methodism in our jurisdiction.
Black Methodism: Legacy of Faith Revival
This 30-minute documentary focuses on several related and pivotal events in the life and history of the Methodist church: the end of the racially segregated Central Jurisdiction in 1967; the founding of Black Methodists for Church Renewal in 1967; the birth through merger of The United Methodist Church in 1968; and the establishment of the General Commission on Religion and Race in 1968.
Blood Done Sign My Name
This 2-hour film brings to life the book of the same name by Timothy B. Tyson, son of Rev. Vernon Tyson. They tell the true story of a racially-motivated murder in Oxford, NC and the efforts of Rev. Tyson and a local teacher to seek justice for this crime.
Briars in the Cottonpatch: The Story of Koinonia Farm
This hour-long movie tells the nearly forgotten story of Koinonia Farm, a small Christian community in Southwest Georgia where whites and blacks chose to live and work together as equals despite the brutal and frightening consequences.
Lenten Studies
Lent begins on February 17th. Use one of these studies to experience Lent through the lens of African American spirituals.
Reflect Reclaim Rejoice: Preserving the Gift of Black Sacred Music
This study uses a companion DVD and is divided into three sections, “Ring Shout, Prayer Band”, “Negro Spirituals”, and “Long-Metered.” This small-group study is part of the Africana Hymnal Project of The United Methodist Church.
Plenty Good Room: A Lenten Bible Study Based on African American Spirituals
This book study combines an in-depth look at Scripture, American history, and the music and lyrics of six African American spirituals. The six-session study provides biblical, social, and historical analyses of the spirituals: ‘Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit,” “This Lonesome Valley,” “Bow Down on Your Knees,” “Plenty Good Room,” “Ain’t Dat Good News,” and “Were You There?”
On Ma Journey Now: A Lenten Study Based on African-American Spirituals
This six-session book study has an accompanying CD with recordings of “I Want Jesus to Walk With Me,” “Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley,” “A City Called Heaven,” “Po’ Mou’ner’s Got a Home at Last,” “I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray,” “On Ma Journey Now, Mt. Zine (Zion),” and “Were You There?”
From Preparation to Passion: Devotional and Reflective Meditations Celebrating the Lenten Season Based on the Lectionary and Celebrated African American Sacred Songs and Hymnody
This devotional book includes meditations highlighting sacred songs such as: “My Tribute,” “God Is,” “O Didn’t It Rain,” “I Love Thy Kingdom Lord,” and more.
Books
Breaking Barriers: An African American Family & the Methodist Story
On July 19, 1984, Leontine Current Kelly was elected bishop of The United Methodist Church, making her the first African-American woman to become a bishop within a major American religious denomination. Breaking the Barriers recounts the story of her journey and that historic achievement.
Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol
Eminent black historian Nell Irvin Painter goes beyond the myths, words, and photographs to uncover the life of a complex woman who was born into slavery and died a legend.
The Past Matters: A Chronology of African Americans in the United Methodist Church
A chronology of African Americans in the United Methodist Church compiled and with a forward written by Marilyn Magee Talbert.
Singing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land by Joseph E. Lowery
In this book are Dr. Lowery’s most enduring speeches and messages from the past fifty years including Coretta Scott King’s funeral and the benediction given at President Obama’s inauguration. This book, however, is not simply a collection of words. It is the heart of a movement and a call to a new generation to carry the mantle–for all people.
The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word That Moved America
This book chronicles Martin Luther King, Jr.’s religious development from his childhood as a “preacher’s kid” in segregated Atlanta to the most influential American orator of the twentieth century.
Children’s Resources
The Beatitudes: From Slavery to Civil Rights
This hardcover picture book for children ages 8 and up uses the Beatitudes as a backdrop for Carole Boston Weatherford’s powerful free-verse poem that traces the African American journey from slavery to civil rights.
The Harriet Tubman Story
This animated 30-minute DVD from the Torchlighters series tells the story of Harriet Tubman for children ages 8-12.
God’s Trombones: A Trilogy of African American Poems
This 30-minute claymation DVD animates three poems by James Weldon Johnson, “The Creation,” “The Prodigal Son,” and ” Go Down Death.”
More Resources
View our African American Resources and Anti-Racism pathfinders for additional resources that may be of use to you during Black History Month or any other time of the year.
United Methodist Communications is also offering free social media graphics to share during Black History Month.
Deep Beginnings with Steve Taylor
In Episode 1, we hear the first of two seemingly different stories that converge into one powerful narrative. As we begin a three-episode series, Steve Taylor shares his experience of becoming an anti-racist.
North Carolina History – 250 years ago today: White Enslavers Receive Money for Execution of Enslaved Black People in North Carolina
On January 18, 1771, the North Carolina General Assembly approved the disbursement of public funds to enslavers as compensation for the executions of Black people they held in bondage. Nearly a dozen enslavers received money from the state, including a white man in Duplin County who was given eighty pounds—the equivalent of over $18,000 today—following the government-led execution of a man he enslaved by the name of George.
In nine of thirteen colonies, laws provided economic support and compensation to white people after the execution of Black people they enslaved, with the earliest compensation law established in 1705 in Virginia. In a system that subsidized enslavers and permitted the continued trafficking of humans and their summary execution, the state could enact capital punishment without consequence or complaint from enslavers. For decades, if an enslaved person was executed by the state or if an enslaved person died from injuries induced during any other corporal punishment, enslavers could receive an uncapped sum of money and up to 80 pounds by the late 1700s in North Carolina.
Consequently, between 1734 and 1786, the North Carolina government authorized the execution of eighty-six enslaved people that involved compensation to enslavers. Critically, these executions were carried out without any formal legal process. North Carolina’s Slave Code of 1741 denied enslaved people their right to due process, founded in the belief that enslaved people were not suitable for the legal system. Enslaved people were tried before a tribunal composed of enslavers who were quick to deliver convictions and punishments, often on the same day. In 1793, this practice was re-codified in North Carolina as enslaved people were only entitled to a “trial” made up of a jury of “good and lawful men, owners of slaves.” Before imposing execution, the enslaver tribunal assigned a monetary amount that would be given to enslavers.
Half of the claims approved by the North Carolina General Assembly on January 18 came in the wake of executions of enslaved people who committed “felonies” which were loosely defined and took the form of petty crimes, arson, “witchcraft,” or attempts to escape bondage.
In the wake of these executions, on January 18, North Carolina dispersed nearly 1,000 pounds, or the equivalent of $230,000 dollars today, to enslavers following the executions of thirteen enslaved people.
Source: Equal Justice Initiative
New Anti-Racism Resources
February is Black History Month, and anti-racism is a priority of the North Carolina Conference and The United Methodist Church. The print and online resources listed here will enable your church or small group to learn more about and participate in anti-racism.
The online resources listed below can be obtained by following the links to their websites.
New Resources You Can Borrow
Justice or Just Us? The Biblical Call to Confront Racism by Rob Fuquay, Nicole Caldwell-Gross, and Jevon Caldwell-Gross. This 4-session video study helps you acknowledge the reality of racism in our world today, as well as our Christian responsibility to oppose it as individuals and together as the church.
Each video is approximately twenty minutes long, with places to pause and discuss questions with your small group. A downloadable leader pack can be purchased from Cokesbury to help leaders facilitate the discussion and take the next steps of making an anti-racism commitment at your church.
The authors are pastors at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. This resource is based on a sermon series and anti-racism commitment at that church.
I’m Black. I’m Christian. I’m Methodist. edited by Rudy Rasmus. Ten Black women and men explore life through the lens of compelling personal religious narratives. They are people and leaders whose lives are tangible demonstrations of the power of a divine purpose and evidence of what grace really means in face of hardship, disappointment, and determination.
One of the ten authors who contribute to this book is NC Conference pastor Justin Coleman who writes about pastoring a white Methodist Church. Rev. Coleman recently spoke about the book on the NC Conference podcast, Voices.
All of the authors participated in an online discussion of the book hosted by M. Garlinda Burton, the Interim General Secretary of The General Commission on Religion and Race.
There’s a Storm Comin’: How the American Church Can Lead Through Times of Racial Crisis by Dr. Harold Dorrell Briscoe Jr. Drawing from current sociological, psychological, and political research, Dorrell makes the case that the church must take proactive measures to prepare for racialized crises.
Dorrell then recommends strategies drawn from the academic and professional fields of climate change adaptation and natural disaster mitigation. These insights are synthesized with biblical data to create a framework that gives churches practical steps to prepare for and respond to racialized crises that inflict trauma on the social fabric of America.
Dr. Harold Dorrell Briscoe, Jr. is a writer, speaker, pastor, and public theologian. He finished his Doctor of Ministry degree at Duke University in 2017. He is the founder and Lead Pastor of The Six:Eight Church in Durham, North Carolina. Six:Eight’s vision is to build a gospel community that is intentionally diverse, cross-cultural and neighborhood-centered by engaging and developing ministries in Downtown Durham and the Hayti Community.
Becoming Brave: Finding the Courage to Pursue Racial Justice Now by Brenda Salter McNeil. McNeil calls the church to repair the old reconciliation paradigm by moving beyond individual racism to address systemic injustice, both historical and present. Looking through the lens of the biblical narrative of Esther, McNeil challenges Christian reconcilers to recognize the particular pain in our world so they can work together to repair what is broken while maintaining a deep hope in God’s ongoing work for justice.
This book offers a distinctly Christian framework for addressing systemic injustice. It challenges Christians to be everyday activists who become brave enough to break the silence and work with others to dismantle systems of injustice and inequality.
Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil is associate professor of reconciliation studies at Seattle Pacific University and director of the Reconciliation Studies program. She is also associate pastor of preaching and reconciliation at Quest Church in Seattle. She has led the church in pursuing reconciliation efforts over the past three decades. In this work, she has come to the conviction that reconciliation is not true reconciliation without justice.
How to Fight Racism: Courageous Christianity and the Journey Toward Racial Justice by Jemar Tisby. Tisby has written a handbook for pursuing racial justice with hands-on suggestions bolstered by real-world examples of change. He offers an array of actionable items to confront racism in our relationships and in everyday life through a simple framework–the A.R.C. Of Racial Justice–that helps readers consistently interrogate their own actions and maintain a consistent posture of anti-racist action. Tisby roots the ultimate solution to racism in the Christian faith as we embrace the implications of what Jesus taught his followers.
Readers of the book will come away with a clear model for how to think about race in productive ways and a compelling call to dismantle a social hierarchy long stratified by skin color.
Jemar Tisby (BA, University of Notre Dame, MDiv Reformed Theological Seminary) is the New York Times Bestselling author of The Color of Compromise and president of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective where he writes about race, religion, politics, and culture. He is also cohost of the Pass the Mic podcast. He has spoken nationwide at conferences and his writing has been featured in the Washington Post, CNN, and Vox. Jemar is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Mississippi studying race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century.
Additional Resources You Can Borrow
Our entire collection of anti-racism books, studies, and more is listed in our Anti-Racism pathfinder. This list includes resources for children.
We also have many resources on the history of Black people in The United Methodist Church. You can find a list of these and other relevant resources in our African American Resources pathfinder. This list includes resources for children.
During the George Floyd protests, we posted a list of 9 Things Your Church Can Do to Fight Racism with recommended print and online resources.
Online Resources
Message from Our Bishop
In this short video, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward encourages the continued pursuit of anti-racism and recommends two online videos to begin conversations.
Anti-Racism Website
In February 2021, the NC Conference will launch a new anti-racism web page that will explore our strategy, stories, resources, and more.
NC Conference Podcasts
The Directors of Connectional Ministries from The North Carolina Conference gathered to discuss efforts in anti-racism on a personal and conference-wide level in this episode of the Voices podcast. Part 2 is also available.
The NC Conference has also launched a new podcast, Deep Reckonings, with personal stories from experiences with culture, race, and racism.
Lenten Study
The Baltimore-Washington Conference has posted a free Lenten study that can be done with any adult small group on your own time, Reclaiming and Living Covenant: A Lenten Experience of Scripture, UMC Social Principles and Antiracist Action to Build Beloved Community.
De-Colonizing the Church Webinar Series
A team of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) pastors and church planters developed a five-week webinar in the hopes that judicatory leaders, pastors, and laity could learn more about the inherent racism in the church and commit to de-colonize The United Methodist Church in America. Join De-Colonizing the Church: A Commitment to Anti-Racism every Thursday from 2-3:15 p.m. beginning February 18th.
Asian American Anti-Racism Statement
The Asian American Language Ministry Plan, the New Federation of Asian American United Methodists, and the General Board of Church and Society produced a video statement against racism read by 12 young people representing 12 Asian-American Caucuses of the United Methodist Church. One of the young people in the video is Kristina De Jesus, daughter of Rev. Edgar De Jesus (Lead Pastor of Davis Street UMC). Kristina is currently serving as the CYC Representative of the Corridor District.
R-Squared by GCORR
The General Commission on Religion and Race hosts an online resource hub, R-Squared. It includes online classes, workbooks to download, discussion guides, videos, tip sheets, infographics, worship resources, and more.
Resource UMC
Find a collection of online resources for racial justice work created by the general agencies of The United Methodist Church on the Resource UMC website.
UMC Panel Discussions
Several agencies of The United Methodist Church have hosted online panel discussions on dismantling racism. These discussions are still happening periodically and recorded conversations can be viewed online.
Discipleship Ministries
Discipleship Ministries of the UMC has collected Resources for Responding to Systemic Racism to help churches address the topics of racism, systemic oppression, violence, and more. It includes featured resources from around the denomination and a sign-up for daily prayers for anti-racism.
Acting Against Racism
The Christian Century recently published a free 14-page downloadable guide, Acting Against Racism, that offers articles from the Century’s archives, study questions meant to spark thought and conversation, and specific action steps to pursue.
Race and Christianity in the U.S.
This free online video series by Professor Sarah Ruble traces the history of slavery, racism, and the involvement of the Christian church in the United States. A free online study guide is also available.
Becoming an Anti-Racist Church
This downloadable mini-course is designed to give participants a chance to review and unpack the concepts and vocabulary introduced in the two-day Racial Equity Institute (REI) Phase I anti-racism workshop. The curriculum was developed and is offered by Episcopalians United Against Racism.