Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture expresses the ELCA’s calling to celebrate culture and ethnicity. This calling commits the ELCA to confront racism, to engage in public leadership, witness and deliberation on these matters, and to advocate for justice and fairness for all people. The statement is grounded in the conviction that the church has been gathered together in the joyful freedom of the reign of God as announced by and embodied in Jesus. That reign has not come in its fullness, but the message of God's yes to the world breaks down all dividing walls as we live into that promise.In daily life, cultural, ethnic and racial differences matter, but they can be seen and celebrated as what God intends them to be – blessings rather than means of oppression and discrimination. We are a church that belongs to Christ, where there is a place for everyone. Christ’s church is not ours to control, nor is it our job to sort, divide, categorize or exclude. This statement was adopted by the 1993 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. [credit: elca.org]
In 1988 when the ELCA was birthed one of our original commitments was: 10% diversity in 10 years. “What a fantastic idea!” I thought. We were woefully inadequate at connecting with people of color. By 1993 the Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity and Culture Social Statement was approved, calling us to look more carefully at ourselves, and to repent of our faltering. We had a long way to go. Were we up to the task?
During my Lutheran year in the candidacy process (1994-5) I searched for something fresh in my studies of Lutheran theology and its importance for today. What hit me like a ton of bricks was “Reconciliation”. I set out to study, write, and commit myself to the ministry of reconciliation. Ephesians 2:14 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, were my foundations. Once ordained in 1996 I recognized how great we were doing in the ELCA with ecumenical relations and even with inter-faith dialogues. But in race relations we were still stuck in our old ways.
The Hard Work is Still Ahead
The Rev. Wes Dunbar
The Rev. Wes Dunbar
In 1988 when the ELCA was birthed one of our original commitments was: 10% diversity in 10 years. “What a fantastic idea!” I thought. We were woefully inadequate at connecting with people of color. By 1993 the Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity and Culture Social Statement was approved, calling us to look more carefully at ourselves, and to repent of our faltering. We had a long way to go. Were we up to the task?
During my Lutheran year in the candidacy process (1994-5) I searched for something fresh in my studies of Lutheran theology and its importance for today. What hit me like a ton of bricks was “Reconciliation”. I set out to study, write, and commit myself to the ministry of reconciliation. Ephesians 2:14 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, were my foundations. Once ordained in 1996 I recognized how great we were doing in the ELCA with ecumenical relations and even with inter-faith dialogues. But in race relations we were still stuck in our old ways.
It is 24 years later, we see racial tensions all around us in policing, income inequality, employment, sports, education and especially the church. Dr. King said decades ago, “The most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning at 10 A.M.” We say many good things, but our actions are dragging behind. The outline for what and how to change was agreed on in 1993. The hard work is still ahead.
In October I attended a “Dismantling Racism” workshop. Working through my own issues around race and engaging in serious conversation about dismantling racism, I saw the necessity to do this work with my congregation as well. I committed to make 2020 a year of preaching and teaching about racism. Little did I realize in a few months we would be, once again, up in smoke and on each other’s necks with visceral race relations. Can we heal the hurt and correct America’s original sin?
In October I attended a “Dismantling Racism” workshop. Working through my own issues around race and engaging in serious conversation about dismantling racism, I saw the necessity to do this work with my congregation as well. I committed to make 2020 a year of preaching and teaching about racism. Little did I realize in a few months we would be, once again, up in smoke and on each other’s necks with visceral race relations. Can we heal the hurt and correct America’s original sin?
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