We, the undersigned,
regardless of race, skin color, or ethnicity, do commit ourselves to loving
all brothers and sisters in Christ, to seeking a common understanding
based upon the model and work of Christ Jesus, to working for justice
within the church and in the world, and to speaking truth to the lies
of Satan and his fallen world system. We commit ourselves to seek the
glory of Jesus Christ and to establish a faithful testimony for the sake
of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, and we do so pledge ourselves to
this in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Sovereign God and Savior.
II.
Confession of White Christian Leaders
We confess that despite
the apostolic roots of the western church, in the last five centuries
white Christendom has synthesized conceptual errors about "race"
with the quest for political domination and an ignorance of southern hemispheric
peoples, forming a peculiar and distorted form of Christianity founded
upon the basic premise of European superiority. Indeed, this distorted
religion was so shaped and defended over the centuries that bestial dehumanization,
degradation, and exploitation of peoples of color was practiced in the
form of holy wars, campaigns of exploration, chattel slavery, colonialism,
and patemalism.
The established white churches of Europe and North America have reinforced
these heinous sins explicitly and implicitly;
Implicitly, both in a refusal to define justice issues as being inseparable from the
practice of piety and the full expression of the Gospel of Jesus Christ;
and also in a selective code of evangelical morality, by which certain
sins are viewed as reprehensible while the sins of racism and cultural
prejudice are overlooked and even justified by a perverse use and abuse
of the Bible; and in a condescending, manipulative treatment of black
people and their contributions.
Explicitly, in its various expressions of racism, both passive and active, such as
the defense of slavery and systems of social inequity or the coddling
and guarding of racist sentiments and behaviors. No less damaging is the
calculated and manipulative mis-representation of biblical content and
church history by western Christian scholars whereby the black presence
is omitted. Equally detrimental has been the thought style, whether paternalistic
or colonial, that has all too often defined organizational operations
in missions, charitable enterprise, Christian education, and now the new
urban emphasis coming forth from many suburban churches and parachurch
ministries, several exceptions notwithstanding.
III.
Affirmation of Black Christian Leaders
We have read the confession
of our White brothers concerning their historical and current involvement
in the sin of racism. We affirm and applaud the White EVANGELICALS AGAINST
RACISM for their statement of confession for White racism past and present
in American society and throughout the world.
We testify to the
truth of these implicit and explicit actions and behaviors as victims
and witnesses of those heinous and godless practices. We further testify
to the continual existence of the entrenched, systemic, injustices infused
within and throughout American society, which continue to impede our progress
as a people as we stride towards realizing the American dream.
Though long overdue,
this confession is a positive step away from denial and a moderate step
towards reducing the anger and bitterness residing in the hearts of Blacks
with regard to an institution which enslaved and demoralized our ancestors
and perpetuates practices restricting Black (African) Americans to the
marginal fringes of society. However what the devil has ment for evil
God has meant for good.
We believe this confession
was prayerfully conceived and presented in the spirit of contrition. Therefore
as Christian Black Americans for the sake of the Gospel, the healing and
unity of the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God's pre-ordained purpose,
we accept the confession of our Christian White brethren for their inscribed
sins of unrighteousness toward us. We forgive you and pray God's forgiveness
of you.
We further acknowledge
and affirm the integrity and moral fortitude of those who drafted the
confession. However, we can relate to the apprehension of some African
Americans of the present generation to accept this statement, in good
faith, as a sign that future intermingling among the races will be toward
securing the blessings of liberty for all God's children. Mere words cannot
accomplish this end. Therefore we request we work together to mend the
breach in the Body of Christ and present a Church representative of Godliness.
Now is the time for
all Christians to unite, in the spirit of brotherhood, to pray together,
work together and "practice what we preach" - thereby ensuring
that the "inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness"
enumerated in the American Declaration of Independence are enjoyed by
all. In light of the stated confession, we must put our differences behind
us and move forward with the determination to secure true citizenship
for "all" Americans in the fullness of its meaning, and prayerfully
inspire the world to follow our lead. {John 15:1-5, 17:9-23; I-Corinthians
12:12-27; Ephesians 2:4-22, 3:16-32, 5:6-21; James 2:1-5; 2 Peter 2:1-3;
I John 4:20-21. See also scripture in Addendum One attached.}
Signatures
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Addenda
Addendum One:
Some Biblical Resources
for
Racial Understanding and Justice
1.
Take God's perspective
Acts 17:27,28
God is actually
not far from any one of us; as someone has said, "In him we live
and move and exist." It was one of your poets that have said, "We
too are his children."
II Corinthians 5:16-21
...No longer, then,
do we perceive anyone by human
standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards,
we no longer do so. When anyone is joined to Christ- a new creation!
The old is gone. Look! The new has come. All is done by God, who through
Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
Our message is that God was reconciling all mankind through Christ.
God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has committed to us
the message of reconciliation.
Here we
are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his
appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God!
Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him to become sin
the sin offering
for us, in order that in union with him we might become the righteousness
of God.
Galatians 3:26-29
...It is through
faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ Jesus.
You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so
to speak, with the life of Christ himself. So there is no difference
between Jew and Gentiles, between slave and free men, between men and
women; you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then
you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised.
Ephesians 2:11-22
. . . You Gentiles
by birth^called "the uncircumcised" by the Jews. Who call
themselves the circumcised (which refers to what men do to their bodies)
- remember what you were in the past. At that time you were apart from
Christ. You were foreigners and did not belong to God's chosen people.
You had no part in the covenants, which were based on God's promises
to his people, and you lived in this world without God. But now, in
union with Christ Jesus you, who used to be far away, have been brought
near by the death of Christ.
For Christ
himself has brought us peace by making Jews and Gentiles one people.
With his one body he broke down the wall that separated them and kept
them enemies. He abolished the Jewish Law with its commandments and
rules, in order to create out of the two races one new people in union
with himself, in this way making peace. By his death on the cross Christ
destroyed their enmity; by means of the cross he united both races into
one body and brought them back to God. So Christ came and preached the
Good News of peace to all - to you Gentiles, who were far away from
God, and to the Jews, who were near to him. It is through Christ that
all of us, Jews and Gentiles, are able to come in the one Spirit into
the presence of the Father.
So then,
you Gentiles are not foreigners or strangers any longer; you are now
fellow citizens with God's people and members of the family of God.
You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets,
the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself He is the on who holds the
whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated
to the Lord. In union with him you too are being built together with
all the others into a place where God lives through his Spirit.
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2.
Behave with Justice toward everyone
Deuteronomy 19:15-20
One witness is not
enough to convict someone of a crime; at least two witnesses are necessary
to prove that someone is guilty. If any of you try to harm another by
falseaccusations, both of you are to go to the one place of worshipand
be judged by the priest and judges who are then inoffice. The judges
will investigate the case thoroughly; and ifyou have made false accusation,
you are to receive the punishment the accused would have received. In
this way your nation will get rid of this evil. Then everyone else will
hear what happened; they will be afraid, and no one will ever again
do such an evil thing.
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
The Lord your God
is supreme over all gods and over all powers. He is great and mighty,
and he is to be obeyed. He does not show partiality, and he does not
accept bribes.He makes sure that orphans and widows are treated fairly;
he loves the foreigners who live with our people, and gives them food
and clothes. So then, show love for those foreigners...
James 2:1-13
My friends, as believers
in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people
in different ways according to their outward appearance. Suppose a rich
man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and
a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. If you show more respect to
the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here,"
but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the
floor by my feet," then you are guilty of creating distinctions
among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.
Listen,
my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich
in faith and to possess the kingdom, which he promised to those who
love him. But you dishonor the poor! Who are the ones who oppress you
and drag you before the judges? The rich They are the ones who speak
evil of that good name which has been given to you.
You will
be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the kingdom, which is
found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself."
But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are
guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker. Whoever breaks
one commandment is guilty of breaking them all. For the same one who
said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not commit
murder." Even if you do not commit adultery, you have become a
lawbreaker if you commit murder. Speak and act as people who will be
judged by the law that sets us free. For god will not show mercy when
he judges the person who has not been merciful; but mercy triumphs over
judgment.
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3.
Pray for Racial Justice
Psalm 82:1-4, 8
God presides in the
heavenly council;
in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision:
"You must stop judging unjustly;
you must no
longer be partial to the wicked!
Defend the rights of the poor and the orphans;
be fair to
the needy and the helpless.
Rescue them from the power of evil people."
Come, O God, and rule
the world;
all the nations
are yours.
Psalm 101
My song is about loyalty
and justice,
and I sing
to you, O Lord.
My conduct will be faultless.
When will
you come to me?
I will live a pure
life in my house
and will never
tolerate evil.
I hate the actions of those who
turn away
from God;
I will have nothing to do with them.
I will not
be dishonest
and will have
no dealings with evil.
I will get rid of
anyone
Who whispers
evil things about someone else;
I will not tolerate anyone who is proud and arrogant.
I will approve of
those who are faithful to God
and will let
them live in my palace.
Those who are completely honest
will be allowed
to serve me.
No liar will live
in my palace;
No hypocrite
will remain in my presence.
Day after day I will destroy the wicked in our land;
I will expel
all who are evil from the city of the Lord.
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4.
Work for Justice
Proverbs 22:22,23
Don't take advantage
of the poor just because you can; don't take advantage of those who stand
helpless in court. The Lord will argue their case for them and threaten
the life of anyone who threatens theirs.
Proverbs 31:8,9
Speak up for people
who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless.
Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor
and needy.
Isaiah 58:1-12
The Lord says, 'Shout
as loud as you can. Tell my people Israel about their sins! They worship
me every day, claiming that they are eager to know my ways and obey my
laws and that they take pleasure in worshiping me."
The people
ask, "Why should we fast if the Lord never notices? Why should we
go without food if he pays no attention?"
The Lord says
to them, "The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue
your own interests and oppress your workers. Your fasting makes you violent,
and you quarrel and fight. Do you think this kind of fasting will make
me listen to your prayers? When you fast, you make yourselves suffer;
you bow your heads low like a blade of grass and spread out sackcloth
and ashes to lie on. Is that what you call fasting? Do you think I will
be pleased with that?
"The
kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the
yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with
the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those
who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives."
"That
my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will
be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence
will protect you on every side. When you pray, I will answer you. When
you call to me, I will respond.
"If you
put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil
word, if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need,
then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And
I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep
you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water,
like a spring of water that never goes dry. Your people will rebuild what
has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will
be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined
houses."
Isaiah 61:8,9
The Lord says, "I
love justice and I hate oppression and crime. I will faithfully reward
my people And make an eternal covenant with them They will be famous
among the nations; Everyone who sees them will know That they are a
people whom I have blessed."
Amos 5:14, 15
Make it your aim to
do what is right, not what is evil, so that you may live. Then the Lord
God Almighty really will be with you, as you claim he is. Hate what is
evil, love what is right, and see that justice prevails in the courts
Amos 5:21-24
The Lord says, "I
hate your religious festivals. I cannot stand them! When you bring me
burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; I will not
accept the animals you have fattened to bring me as offerings. Stop your
noisy songs; I do not want to listen to your harps. Instead, let justice
flow like a stream, and righteousness like a river that never goes dry."
Luke 10:25-37
A teacher of the Law
came up and tried to trap Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what
must I do to receive eternal life?"
Jesus answered
him, "What do the Scriptures say? How do you interpret them?"
The man answered,
" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength, and with all your mind'; and 'Love your neighbor
as you love yourself.' "
"You
are right," Jesus replied: "do this and you will live."
But the teacher
of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is
my neighbor?"
Jesus answered,
"There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho
when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him
half dead. It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but
when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. In the same way
a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked
on by on the other side. But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came
upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity. He
went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them;
then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he
took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them
the innkeeper. Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, 'and when I come
back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him."'
And
Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three acted
like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?"
The teacher
of the Law answered, "The one who was kind to him." Jesus replied,
"You go, then, and do the same."
Note:
Biblical quotations are taken from the Good News Bible. New York Amencan
Bible
Society, 1976. The passage from II Connthians 5 was edited slightly, making
it a more literal
translation. Permission is being sought.
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Addendum
Two:
Social Concerns Background
Despite the devotion
of pastors and laity in the evangelical, fundamentalist, and full-Gospel
churches reflected across many Christian denominations in the United States,
the Gospel of Jesus Christ has suffered distortions and perversions in
both teaching and practice because of the abhorrent and devastating influence
of the sins of racism and cultural prejudice. The only sure remedy to
this spiritual, social, and political dilemma is for the Christian church
to engage in a penetrating, in-depth, and undoubtedly painful introspection.
This will require that we acknowledge the sins of our predecessors, confess
our own sins, and seek to adjust, redress, and repair the damage as much
as possible within our sphere of influence. Thus the church will be enabled
to pursue a true biblical model of racial justice and fellowship on the
basis of our common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
As regards African
Americans, the systemic practice of racism is a common underlying behavior
of western missionaries, and particularly white North American missionaries.
With notable exceptions, these have exported their cultural prejudice
to other parts of the globe, where negative stereotypes of African and
African Americans are taught in the process of evangelizing and discipling
people. This "poisoning of the well" has led these new Christian
peoples to adopt in varying degrees the cultural racism and Negrophobia of their spiritual mentors, and embrace the presumptions of white superiority
and black inferiority. When they subsequently immigrate to the United
States, these mis-conceptions are carried with them into the immigrant
churches. Thus, rather than these Christians coming to the United States
with an understanding of the infuriating oppression and injustice that
has defined the black experience in this nation, they come with a set
of racial anti-values learned from white American Christians. In
so doing, these immigrants of color take on the role of upwardly mobile
buffer peoples, standing between white and black Americans. Despite
the fact that in most cases their own national histories reflect the intrusive
political and economic exploitation of Europe and the United States, these
immigrant Christians often tend to degrade and despise African Americans,
not only as a means of feeling superior within a class-fixated and color-fixated
society, but also in compliance with the model presented by much of evangelicalism
in the United States.
The current emphasis
on "racial reconciliation" and urban ministry that has become
a vital topic among evangelical, fundamentalist, and full-Gospel churches
as well as Christian educators is in danger of succumbing to superElciality
and trivialization unless a deeper, more invasive approach is taken with
regard to the sins of racism and cultural prejudice in the Body of Christ.
"Racial reconciliation"
requires an a priori commitment to doing justice, seeking equity in all
spheres of life, and promoting a humility based on the biblical doctrine
of a redeemed church drawn from a unified but sinful human race. "Racial
reconciliation" will not be attained by the flirtations of integrated
prayer assemblies or by the example of a few partnerships of notable white
and black pastors. Indeed, "racial reconciliation" is a meaningless
term unless the white Christian community is prepared to make racial
justice and equity as much an issue of true spirituality, piety, and holiness
as any other aspect traditionally associated with Christian holiness.
Christians must be challenged to consider political affiliation, not as
a badge of loyalty to either the "conservative" or "liberal"
traditions, but as an opportunity to call either side of the debate to
align itself w~th biblical values and principles.
If true "racial
reconciliation" is to be achieved by those who claim to believe in
the literal and inerrant authority of the Bible, a strident, uncompromising,
and expansive program of education and ministry must take place in the
Body of Christ. Clergy, teachers, and other Christian leaders must make
the issue of racial justice a "shibboleth" in the church, and
force the issue upon the table of discussion in national and local meetings
and conventions. Christian ministries and parachurch organizations must
be evaluated and self-evaluating in an effort to reform and revise any
errant tendencies or practices. Finally, Christian leaders must rally
in support of a sympathetic, understanding, and incarnational model of
ministry with regard to the black experience and the extraordinary issues
that impact upon the oppressed communities of our nation.
Evangelicals
Against Racism Is hosted by New York Evangelical Seminary Fund NYES
Fondo del Seminario Evangelico de Nueva York SENY
236 West 72nd Street, New York, NY 10023 Phone: 212-595-8680 email: NYESfund@aol.com
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