When: October 19, 2019, 09:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Where: Zion United Church of Christ, 816 Faraon Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501
This event is sponsored by the Diversity and Reconciliation Commission.
Please note, this event has been canceled.
Working for justice is difficult at best, excruciatingly difficult at worst. Most of the time it seems as if the more exact word for this long-hoped-for state of being is ‘just-us’ and even ‘just-me.’ It is one thing for churches, and yes, this is true of many denominations, to pass resolutions that repudiate this blight on our nation and repent this personal and institutional sin, to say that we are against racism and exclusion and that we are working for justice. It is one thing for us to say that we decry the artificial and illegal barriers erected between those who have power and those who seek their rights, between those who enjoy the rich economic resources of this country and those who cry themselves to sleep from continuous hunger and deprivation. It is another thing altogether to be the seeker and the advocate and the trainer and the record keeper and, and … Only the super-strong can labor in that vineyard alone. Only the robotic can be immune to the waves of fatigue, self-doubt, and hopelessness that frequently assail us as we work to actualize that which everyone professes to want without the pain of getting there.
The purpose of this workshop is to assist us in organizing to eliminate the sin of racism. There are three essential steps to be followed when a diocese makes this commitment to focus on the sin of racism and its elimination from the church, the community, and the world in which we live. First, there needs to be an organized and functioning anti-racism committee; secondly, the support of the diocesan bishop; and thirdly, a comprehensive plan for proceeding with this ministry.
The workshop will be held in the North on Saturday, October 19, 2019, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Zion United Church of Christ, 816 Faraon Street, St. Joseph MO 64501. There is no fee to attend this workshop and a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
This workshop satisfies the canonical requirements for Clergy, Deacons, Vestry Members, Parish Staff, and other parishioners and those who are in process for ordination to be trained in racial reconciliation. Please register using the link below. Seats are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration will remain open until filled or October 11th, whichever occurs first.
For more information please contact Ms. Shirley Bolden, Diversity and Reconciliation Commission, at 816-560-1656 or via email at sbolden2@comcast.net.