NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Two new
interactive town hall discussions are planned as part of the
"Dismantling Racism: Pressing on to Freedom" initiative's town hall
series on anti-racism to explore both old and new approaches to
organizing for racial justice in church and community. In the first
of the two discussions, participants will hear from a panel of
seasoned leaders on August 19 at
12:00 noon CT, followed by a
discussion featuring a panel of emerging leaders on August 26 at 12:00 noon
CT. The webinar will be at available at
UMC.org/EndRacismTownHall, as well as a live airing on The United
Methodist Church Facebook page.
The Dismantling Racism initiative is a multi-level effort
throughout The United Methodist Church to initiate a sustained and
coordinated effort to dismantle racism and promote collective
action to work toward racial justice.
"The Town Hall discussions aim to help equip church members and
leaders as we engage in our anti-racism work across the
Connection," said Erin Hawkins,
moderator of the conversations and General Secretary of the General
Commission on Religion and Race. "The work of dismantling racism is
not new. Through these two panels, we will hear different
perspectives that remind us of the work that has moved us to
today's reality, as well as where we still need to go. We want to
invite and encourage anyone who is interested to listen,
participate and ask questions."
On Wednesday, August 19, 2020,
four seasoned leaders in the movement will discuss their
experiences in confronting racism: The Rev. James Lawson, Bishop Joel N. Martinez, Sue
Thrasher and Clara Ester.
These leaders will name the parallels and distinctions between
their historical work and how today's anti-racism and
anti-oppression movements are different, as well as their insights
about the church's role in this work, where the church must lead
the prophetic call to justice and the tension between different
approaches to this work.
The August 26 discussion will
feature a panel of emerging leaders who are studying the leadership
of those who came before them, and adding their energy to the
ongoing work of dismantling racism. The panel, which includes
Ann Jacob, Rev. Dr. Theon Johnson III, Andres Dearco and Katelin Hansen, PhD., will talk about their
vision for how to take action with intention and how the church can
draw from the wisdom of the past and hope for the future. They will
share their strategies for changing the world and their
encouragement for partners in this work.
To submit questions in advance or to get additional information,
visit UMC.org/EndRacismTownHall. To find resources and additional
information related to The United Methodist Church's stand against
racism, visit UMC.org/EndRacism.
About The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church has more than 13 million members
globally in 45,000+ local churches and is in mission in more than
136 countries. Our mission is making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the
world. Our tagline "Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors." embraces
who we are and how we seek to put our faith in action. Learn more
at UMC.org.
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SOURCE United Methodist Communications