Beloved,
There are moments in the life of a congregation when the only faithful path forward is the truth — written as objectively as possible, spoken plainly, held openly, and offered with love. This is one of those moments.
Over these past months, you have shown us what it means to be a community of courage. You came to the Retreat, and the Congregational Conversation (Board listening session). You asked hard questions. You sat in rooms where the air was heavy, and you stayed anyway. You asked questions that required us to look honestly at ourselves — at our culture, our challenges, and our responsibilities to one another. We do not take that lightly and we are immensely grateful.
Today, we are releasing two documents. The first document has two parts: a timeline of events titled “Chronological Context” (an account of the circumstances that led to the public apology, the statement of stolen lands, the Collective Liberation Retreat, and the Congregational Conversation); and the answers to your questions (Questions and Answers) from the March 22nd Congregational Conversation recording and notes, the comments from the Zoom recording, and the Padlet notes.
VIEW CONTEXT AND REPORT TO THE CONGREGATION HERE
The second document (Attachments) contains all the supporting emails, board minutes, and documents.
VIEW SUPPORTING EMAILS, BOARD MINUTES, & DOCUMENTS HERE
We want to say clearly: the hurt that was experienced by some members of this congregation — and by members of this board — was real. Racism and microaggressions have no place among us. Healing is not an event. It takes time and requires a commitment — one we are making to you today.
We have attempted to address every question that was asked during the Congregational Conversation (listening session). Some answers are difficult. Some reveal places where we fell short. We offer them not as a closing of the conversation, but as an act of accountability and a foundation for what comes next.
Your voices have given us a path forward. Through your questions, your conversations, your courage to speak and to listen, you have offered us an honest picture of what this community needs, what it values, and what it can become. We have heard you. We have also heard that you are ready to move forward.
We look forward to organizing our Collective Liberation group in the coming weeks. We look to this group to share a concrete plan that reflects the ideas, recommendations, and lessons that emerged from all aspects of this process. We are committed to transparency, accountability structures, ongoing education, and a culture of belonging that is pervasive throughout our congregation. This work involves all of us. It impacts every interaction, every committee, every corner of this congregation. This type of transformational growth requires an investment from every part of the body of Christ. This is not the end of the conversation. It is the beginning of our work together.
Yours in Christ,
The Board of Directors
If you wish to comment or respond to this Report, please email the Board of Directors at board@resurrectionmcc.org or Jackie Marshall at jackie@resurrectionmcc.org.
View Last Sunday’s Service HERE