Sacred Conversations on Race

At the 2008 Annual Gathering, delegates adopted the following Administrative Action:

In response to the call to engage in sacred conversations on race “for the health of our nation” and for “the truth-telling and reconciliation [that are] crucial to our spiritual, physical, and emotional wholeness,” the Northern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ commits itself to initiate and participate in sacred conversations on race over the course of the next two years.

In addition, the Administrative Action called upon the Multi-racial/Multi-cultural Transformation Team (MMTT) “to encourage the sacred conversations on race and racism throughout the Conference; to be in communication with the Local Churches and Associations of the Conference to spark interest and to receive word of the conversations that take place.” 

Over the course of its two year mandate, MMTT has met numerous times and through our conversations have built a sense of community.  The telling of personal stories, the honest sharing of hurts and disappointments as well as new learnings and insights have mirrored what has happened and what we hope will continue to happen throughout all the settings of the Conference.

Specifically, MMTT has done the following:

• shared our stories, experiences, and favorite recipes with one another
• talked about what our own churches are doing to encourage sacred conversations
• gathered resources and bibliographies which are now posted on the Conference website
• expanded our visibility through presentations to the Conference Council in 2008 and 2010, The Pacific and the Conference Minister’s “Constant Contacts”
• offered resources to strengthen multi-racial/multi-cultural awareness in the congregations available on the Conference website
• created a glossary of terms and definitions to encourage churches to define similar terms in ways that are meaningful to them which are available on the Conference website
• invited each Conference church to invite their own members and friends to reflect on the following question:  “What is your personal understanding of racism and have you or are you now experiencing it?”
• conducted a workshop at the 2009 Annual Gathering entitled "Guided Conversation on Race and Racism 101"
• led a workshop at Church Day, March 13, 2010 entitled, “Sharing God’s House:  A Multi-Racial/Multi-Cultural Panel Discussion” featuring a sacred conversation among church leaders talking about successes and failures between congregations building community together around shared property
• suggested MMTT themes and speakers for the 2010 and 2011 Annual Gatherings.

As we entered the second year of our mandate, it became clear to us that while much has been done, much more needs to be accomplished in order for our sacred conversations on race and racism to midwife a “truth-telling and reconciliation” that leads to new ways of thinking and acting reflective of an organization that is truly and completely multi-racial and multi-cultural.  It is for this reason that MMTT recommends the original two-year mandate be extended an additional two years through 2012.

We encourage the churches of our Conference to begin or to continue going deeper into these sacred conversations for the health of the Conference and the our nation.

- The Multi-racial/Multi-cultural Transformation Team