Definitions | The Issues | Articles | Resources | Home Page
WHEREAS, racism is sin; sin separates us from God and one
another; and
WHEREAS, a manifestation of sin is injustice, abuse, and
violence; and
WHEREAS, racism diminishes self-worth and denies equal
opportunity; and
WHEREAS, the 1992–1996 quadrennium has been marked by a new
upsurge of racially motivated bigotry and violence across the
United States; and
WHEREAS, there have been hundreds of incidents in which racial
and ethnic persons have suffered violence through intimidation,
shootings, assaults, and murder; and
WHEREAS, white supremacist groups such as, but not limited to,
the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Christian Identity, Neo-Nazi,
Possé‚ Comitatus, and Skinheads have spread north, south,
east, and west in the United States, especially in rural areas;
and
WHEREAS, some of these groups have adopted nonphysical tactics
that are equally as "deadly," such as producing and
distributing cable-television programs to promote racist ideology
and establishing home pages on the Internet; and
WHEREAS, the racial demographic changes of the United States are
reaching more and more rural areas; and
WHEREAS, interracial relationships in America are marked by four
different but related characteristics, where white persons,
generally, as a group:
1. Retain most, if not all, positions of important
decision-making power;
2. Maintain informal (and sometimes formal) policies and
practices that discourage racial and ethnic minority access to
many societal benefits;
3. Assume the superiority of their cultural norms and values and,
therefore, tend to be insensitive to alternative lifestyles and
values; and
4. Misplace the problem by focusing critically or
paternalistically on racial and ethnic minority persons and not
on themselves; and
WHEREAS, racism is both the conscious and unconscious
perpetuation of a disproportionate distribution of power between
races, the denial of access to resources on the basis of race,
color, ethnicity, and rationalization of racial superiority by
"blaming the victims"; and
WHEREAS, prejudice is any attitude formed without adequate facts,
while racism is prejudice plus power; and
WHEREAS, understanding that the historical dimensions of racism
are important; and
WHEREAS, true multiculturalism and diversity require an increase
in personal awareness; the learning of new behaviors; removal of
bias and barriers; changes in policies, practices, and structure;
and the creation of new rules; and
WHEREAS, creating a multicultural and diverse Church means moving
beyond recovering from the past toward shaping the future in
community, a future of God's shalom that recognizes, values, and
celebrates the unique qualities, gifts, and God's grace in all
persons; and
WHEREAS, the Racism in Rural Areas Task Force affirms efforts by
concerned persons, congregations, groups, and annual conferences
in rural areas who are confronting racism in their individual and
corporate lives, the Task Force concludes that racism continues
to be a pervasive and systemic force within the rural church and
community and must continue to be understood as the entire
Church's unfinished agenda;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the 1996 General Conference
accept and move to implement the following recommendations of the
Racism in Rural Areas Task Force:
General Church
It is recommended that:
1. The Rural Chaplains Association, a network of clergy and
laypersons, be affirmed in its work with individuals, rural
churches, and communities in shalom ministries, and that the
General Board of Global Ministries continue to resource the rural
chaplains;
2. Training be made available by the General Commission on
Religion and Race to enable each annual conference commission on
religion and race to serve as a resource and support group for
promoting cross-cultural understanding in rural areas;
3. New rural-oriented resources on racism and interethnic
conflict be developed by the General Board of Discipleship, in
consultation with the General Commission on Religion and Race.
These resources should be developed for all age-level educational
work of the Church:
(a) cross-cultural resources for local churches and annual
conferences in rural areas should be developed by the General
Board of Discipleship in consultation with United Methodist Rural
Fellowship;
(b) resources on racism, interethnic conflict, and cross-cultural
material should be listed on pages or sections within the
existing catalogs produced by the general program agencies in
consultation with the General Commission on Religion and Race;
and
(c) in each level of the Course of Study, material on racism and
interethnic conflict in rural settings should be developed and
included by the Division of Ordained Ministry of the General
Board of Higher Education and Ministry, in consultation with the
General Commission on Religion and Race;
4. Recommendations for course work and "field
experience" to understand racism and interethnic conflict in
rural settings be developed by the Division of Diaconal Ministry,
General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, in consultation
with the General Commission on Religion and Race;
(a) cross-cultural rural experiences should be reflected in all
dated curriculum for children/youth church school material
developed by the General Board of Discipleship;
5. Training for all national mission personnel related to the
General Board of Global Ministries include a rural component on
rural racism and multiculturalism;
6. The development and nurturing of shalom ministries in rural
areas be a priority of the General Board of Global Ministries,
such as Upper Sand Mountain Cooperative Parish;
7. Cooperative parish ministry as a viable style of nurture,
outreach, and witness be undergirded and resourced by the General
Board of Global Ministries and the General Board of Discipleship;
8. Efforts of African American, Native American, and other
farmers of color to preserve and increase land ownership be
supported by all general program agencies;
9. All general program agencies advocate to end discrimination
against racial and ethnic minority farmers and rural
organizations by local, state, and federal officials;
10. Advocacy supports be provided by the General Board of Global
Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society to
organizations that are led by racial and ethnic minority persons,
such as the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the
Intertribal Agricultural Council;
11. The General Board of Church and Society and the General Board
of Global Ministries work cooperatively to help local
congregations, cooperative parish ministries, and annual
conferences establish ministries with farm workers;
12. The General Board of Church and Society and the General Board
of Global Ministries provide resources for local congregations
and annual conferences to assist in combating rural racism;
13. The General Board of Church and Society and the General Board
of Global Ministries join national efforts to promote farm worker
justice;
14. The General Board of Church and Society and the General Board
of Global Ministries take legislative (political)
action—ecumenically, if possible—to direct the United
States Department of Agriculture to decrease agricultural
subsidies that are given mostly to huge corporate farmers;
further, that at least 15–25 percent of the subsidy money
should be directed to racial and ethnic minority farmers and farm
organizations to improve farming methods, try new crops, and
provide loans to purchase needed farm supplies and equipment; and
15. The General Commission on Religion and Race monitor the
implementation of the recommendations to general agencies.
Annual Conference/District
It is recommended that:
1. Support group(s) be developed for persons active in
anti-racism strategies and for persons ministering to victims of
hate crimes;
2. An immediate response-support task group be formed by the
bishop and cabinet to respond to bigotry and violence in the
Church and/or society;
3. Cross-racial appointment orientation workshop(s) for local
churches and pastors be incorporated and conducted by the bishop
and cabinet in their operational policies;
4. Cooperative ministries be initiated and undergirded in rural
areas that include diverse racial and ethnic minority
congregations and encourage cross-cultural/racial cooperation and
ministry;
5. Those applying to be probationary members in the annual
conference be expected by the board of ordained ministry to
participate in a cross-cultural rural experience;
6. Individuals and congregations consult the conference
commission on religion and race and the conference committee with
responsibilities for rural ministries for suggestions on places
within the annual conference for cross-cultural rural
experiences;
7. Training in each district/subdistrict/cluster/ministirium to
promote rural cross-cultural understanding be made available by
the conference commission on religion and race;
8. A working plan to provide for cross-cultural experiences in
rural areas be developed and implemented by the conference
committee on ethnic local church concerns;
9. A response team to deal with hate crime and violence, in
church and society, especially in rural areas, be established by
cabinets and bishops (compare with Eastern Pennsylvania model);
10. Congregations in rural areas be prepared by annual conference
and/or district leadership for the new influx of diverse
populations so that the Church will model the new community of
inclusiveness and shalom;
11. Concern and support for pastors in cross-racial appointments
be demonstrated by the bishop and cabinet; the conference
commission on religion and race train persons to be
listener-advocates as part of a support team;
12. Listening posts be provided that allow racial and ethnic
minority persons a safe place to tell their stories, thereby
helping to confront the white Church with its culture of racism;
13. The identification and development of rural shalom ministries
be a part of a conference comprehensive plan for strengthening
racial and ethnic minority churches and communities;
14. Each annual conference advocate to end discrimination against
racial and ethnic minority farmers and rural organizations by
local, state, and federal officials;
15. Advocacy support be provided by annual conferences to
organizations that are led by racial and ethnic minority persons,
such as the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the
Intertribal Agricultural Council;
16. Annual conferences and local congregations equally assume
responsibility to:
(a) establish a farm worker ministry to sensitize members of the
concerns of farm workers and to advocate for farm worker justice;
(b) join the Farm Worker Action Network of the National Farm
Worker Ministry;
(c) observe a Farm Worker Sabbath/Farm Worker Sunday to raise
awareness of farm worker issues, possibly being a part of Rural
Life Sunday observance; and
(d) become informed about and advocate for support of
organizations, such as the National Farm Worker Ministry, that
focus on improving working conditions, housing, wages, and health
care of farm workers.
Local Church
It is recommended that:
1. Congregations be prepared to support open itineracy and
experience workshops/seminars on inclusiveness, racism, and
cultural awareness by local pastor-parish relations committees;
2. Opportunities for the congregation to deal with the issues of
racism and to experience varied styles and forms of worship be
provided by the council on ministries/administrative
council/church council, through appropriate work area or ministry
group committees;
3. When a pastor of a different racial or ethnic minority group
is appointed, the pastor and the congregation together develop a
covenant that enables the fulfillment of the new opportunity for
ministry;
4. Planning and programming that include awareness of the
surrounding community and its racial and ethnic minority
composition be on the agenda of the council on
ministries/administrative council/church council so that the
ministry of the congregation is enhanced and relevant;
5. Use of curriculum resources such as The Language of
Hospitality, Creating a New Community: God's People Overcoming
Racism, and Building a New Community: God's Children Overcoming
Racism be encouraged;
6. Congregations work ecumenically and with secular agencies on
issues of rural racism;
7. Intentionally inclusive mission statements be written by local
churches;
8. Advocacy supports be provided by the local church to
organizations that are led by racial and ethnic minority persons,
such as the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the
Intertribal Agricultural Council;
9. Local churches support efforts of African Americans, Native
Americans, and other farmers of color to preserve and increase
land ownership;
10. Local churches develop a model counseling course to help
rural pastors become confident and skilled to counsel parents of
children who commit hate crimes or who are victims of hate
crimes; and
11. Local churches encourage ways to provide more inclusive
mental-health services in rural areas and offer additional
courses on crisis counseling to rural pastors.
Individual
It is recommended that:
1. Persons not be silent. If you are subject to an act of bigotry
or racial violence, tell someone. Tell your family, your friends,
neighbors, the church; seek support for yourself. Report the
incident to police. Insist that the crime be reported as a
"hate crime";
2. Support be given to the victim, and encourage him or her to
report the incident to the police. Enlist aid and support from
the church and community. Witness to the law of love as
exemplified in Christ's teaching of the good Samaritan; and
3. Persons teach children about other cultures and countries,
opening minds that the church is global.
Institutions of Higher Education
It is recommended that:
1. The General Commission on Religion and Race and the Office of
Town and Country Ministries of the National Division of the
General Board of Global Ministries be invited by schools of
theology to design and implement rural cross-cultural experiences
for seminary students preparing to serve as diaconal or ordained
ministers;
2. Boards of trustees be reviewed by all of the two- and
four-year colleges with a relationship to The United Methodist
Church, except historically Black colleges, for racial, ethnic,
and gender inclusiveness, and, where necessary, begin to be
reflective of all United Methodists of the annual conference in
which it is located;
3. All conference-elected trustees of two- and four-year colleges
related to The United Methodist Church, except historically Black
colleges, ask for admission statistics that include racial and
ethnic minority makeup and encourage the college to reflect at
least the racial and ethnic minority makeup of all high school
students from which their student body is drawn geographically;
4. Training on racism appropriate for college trustees,
administration, faculty, staff, and students be designed and made
available by the General Commission on Religion and Race to all
two- and four-year colleges related to The United Methodist
Church; and
5. Faculties be reviewed by all two- and four-year colleges with
a relationship to The United Methodist Church, except
historically Black colleges, for racial, ethnic, and gender
inclusiveness and, where necessary, begin to be reflective of all
United Methodists from which their student body is drawn
geographically.
ADOPTED 1996
From The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church--1996. Copyright ©1996 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by permission.
Back
to Resources page