Are you an anti-racist?
That might seem like an odd question to start a newsletter article. But it is a question that has been on my mind lately. The East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church has taken a strong stand against racism, especially in the past four years. In 2020, the Bishop and the Extended Cabinet (including district superintendents and conference staff) issued an anti-racism commitment. The commitment included the following statement:
We recognize that racism and injustice are deeply embedded and vexing issues within our Church and our communities. We will take action, we will learn together, and we will continue to press forward in transforming our Church, our communities, and our world into the “beloved community.” How can we be silent and stand by when those whom Christ loves are killed by those who are supposed to serve and protect them? How can we further empower our clergy and members to “accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?” Will we be among those who recognize Christ saying, “I can’t breathe” (Matthew 25:31-46)? We do not have all of the answers but we commit to take these next steps together.
You can read the full Commitment and other materials about the conference’s stance against racism at the conference website: https://www.eocumc.com/standagainstracism/index.html.
In September, I attended the unveiling of a historical marker in the Hough neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, marking the location of the Hough uprising of July 18-24, 1966. Many of you might remember this event, which was sparked by a racist response of a store owner to a black resident who wanted a glass of water. The marker was sponsored in part by the East Ohio Conference of the UMC. Previously, a marker was placed at Cory United Methodist Church in the Superior neighborhood. Cory is a stop of the Cleveland Civil Rights Trail, and was “a central meeting place for grassroots Civil Rights organizing.” You can read more about the trail here: https://clevelandcivilrightstrail.org
I have always been a student of history, and I have realized that part of my work as your pastor is to understand the history of this neighborhood and church, and how we can become the church that our goal, focus and strategies call us to be. As part of my homework for the antiracism cohort that I, Sandy Foster, Ruth Cunningham and Jane Thorkelson are a part of this fall, we were asked to study the racial history of our church. It probably is no surprise to you that we have never had many non-white church members. But did you know that in the 1950s the Kumdubble class sponsored an American Indian girl who was attending school? And that in 1952 there was a “minstrel show” where some of the players wore blackface?
Using a tool called MissionInsite, I was able to study the area around the church in terms of its ethnic makeup, which in 2023 was 66.6% white, 13.5% black, 33.5% Hispanic or Latino, and 2.4% Asian (3.9% identify as Pacific Islander, American Indian, or other). If you look around on a Sunday morning, you see that our ethnic makeup does not match that of the neighborhood. How should we address this discrepancy?
The conference is asking all East Ohio United Methodists to join in reading the book “Our Hearts Were Strangely Lukewarm” by the Rev. John Elford. In the coming months, we will be offering a book study where we will have time to discuss what our history as United Methodists and members of Christ UMC has to say about fighting racism in all its forms. I invite you to get a copy of the book and to engage in discussion.
Understanding our past, and looking toward our future, are both vital as we work to meet our goal of growing in our relationship with Jesus Christ in order to change the world around us, starting with our community. God calls us to love all people, for all are God’s children. I hope you will join me in doing the work to be an anti-racist and welcoming all into this faith community.
Fear Not
Pastor Dianne
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