The Racial Equity and Justice Ministry Team aids congregations in ministries of racial equity and justice by:
- Encouraging authentic relationships across racial divides.
- Providing resources in the area of racial equity and justice.
- Encouraging and assisting in congregational dialogue through discussion groups and special studies.
- Supporting and encouraging an exploration of racial history within congregational communities.
Beginning the Conversation
- Pray for the Spirit’s leadership and directions and discern what you and your congregation are called to do concerning reconciliation.
- Actively seek opportunities to form authentic relationships with the leadership of congregations that differ from your own.
- Become well-read in the area of racial reconciliation. Enjoy these recommended resources:
- Find opportunities to incorporate these resources into congregational dialogue through book discussion groups or special studies.
- Explore and investigate the racial history of your congregation and community. What are the stories that have shaped the way your church and community looks?
- Be patient with your congregation—true reconciliation and relationship building takes time.
Curriculum
A five-week racial reconciliation curriculum, “The Body of Christ,” was produced by the CBFNC Racial Reconciliation ministry team. Consider where this curriculum could be presented in your church i.e. staff, Sunday school, small groups, leadership teams, deacons!
- Download “The Body of Christ” workbook HERE.
REI
CBFNC partners with Racial Equity Institute. REI’s approach is designed to help participants understand that racism has institutional, systemic, and cultural manifestations that do not require the intention of individuals. REI sees institutionalized racism as the root cause of disparate social and economic outcomes and believes that effective interventions must address the social systems themselves.
REI’s training and consultation services provide an analysis of institutional racism, its cultural and historical roots, and how it reshapes itself to sustain power for those in control and assistance in assess an organization to determine its progress on the journey to become racially equitable.
For more information about REI’s training and consultation services, visit their website.
Past Events
CBFNC hosted a webinar, “Next Steps: Deepening the Racial Equity & Justice Conversation,” on June 9, 2020. Dr. Curtis Freeman (Director of Baptist House of Studies and Research Professor of Baptist Studies at Duke University Divinity School) and Dr. David Goatley (Director of Office of Black Church Studies and Research Professor of Theology and Black Church Studies at Duke University Divinity School) led this webinar on how we can deepen our conversations on racial equity and justice in our local context.
