|
Five months ago, Bishops LaTrelle Easterling, Gregory Palmer and Mike McKee sat down for a conversation with cultural theologian Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. The conversation was for their new podcast, The Unfinished Church.
At the Facebook Live Event launch, we heard a clip from Fred Shaw referencing the Doctrine of Discovery; few listeners had ever heard of it.
Sometimes, watching favorite shows or listening to favorite podcasts is better when you share it with your friends.
The guests on The Unfinished Church podcast were not chosen for their credentials or their significance on our cultural stage. Rather, they were selected because of their passion. Each has awakened new thoughts and put their ideas into action in their own unique ways.
The Unfinished Church didn’t start out as a podcast. It started as three bishops wanting to create a space for learning, collaborating and accountability. And they asked their Directors of Connectional Ministries to join them
Even when it was formed in 1968, The United Methodist Church recognized itself as a work in progress. However, in its Constitution, it was definitive about where the people of God stand on matters of race. Our founding document states: “The United Methodist Church proclaims the value of each person as a unique child of God and commits itself to the healing and wholeness of all persons. The United Methodist Church recognizes that the sin of racism has been destructive to its unity throughout its history. Racism continues to cause painful division and marginalization. The United Methodist Church shall confront and seek to eliminate racism, whether in organizations or in individuals, in every facet of its life and in society at large. The United Methodist Church shall work collaboratively with others to address concerns that threaten the cause of racial justice at all times and in all places.” (¶ 5. Article V. Racial Justice, Book of Discipline). We are called to live this out through our baptismal vows: “to resist evil, injustice, and oppression, in whatever form they present themselves.”
Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Through our doctrinal statements, Methodists are called to practice personal and social piety. How might we as people of faith answer this call today? How can we affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God and ensure that each person’s value is respected, cognized, maintained, and strengthened?
Every moment, we have a decision whether to create more inclusion, diversity, equity, and antiracism or less. It is our hope that the conversation within The Unfinished Church podcast informs and inspires action.
|