MSC releases anti-racism resources for personal and local church engagement

I confess that I often stop in my tracks when I feel overwhelmed when something feels too big to engage in. I, like Moses, curious about that burning but not consumed bush, often hear God’s calling yet find excuses to push it away. I confess that I hide behind the veil of feeling unequipped and inadequate. I am reminded that God has been calling and will continue to call; perhaps I just need to say “yes” and trust that God will be there on the journey.

Many among us have engaged in antiracism work, but as I look forward, this is an opportunity for us as the Mountain Sky Conference of the UMC to say a collective “yes” because we believe in living into Beloved Community. When any part of our community is hurting, we have work to do. How can we look away? This will require us to learn from one another, share and listen deeply, dive into educational opportunities, open to, and participate in change. We might fall and trip along the way but let’s help each other get back up and keep at it as I believe in transformation.

Courtney VonLindern and I have curated a list of resources in hopes of providing ways for each of us to engage. There are many wonderful lists and resources out there, many of which influenced the document we are sharing with you. What we provided here is not complete, but it was created with our Conference in mind. The resources here can be used for personal engagement, but there are resources here specifically for church leaders to engage with congregations too. There are short videos and books that will require us to reread and rewatch to fully appreciate. Some are popular resources, others are ones we have found personally meaningful, and there are materials from our wider UMC connection. Please start by looking through this list and identify something that you will engage with. Once you are done, I encourage you to revisit and engage with more. It also might be meaningful to connect with others to join in this work together. In addition, I invite you to visit Discipleship Ministries for additional resources and worship ideas. 

(Access the antiracism resource list HERE)