Rev. Dr. Bill White, Jr., Director of Ethnic and Justice Ministries at WNCC of the UMC
Cindy Thompson, Executive Director of Boundless Impact
Rev. Dr. Vincent Howell, Director of The Congregational Faith & Learning Center at Hood Theological Seminary
Rev. Brian Tillman, Director of Inclusion and Advocacy for the North Georgia Conference of the UMC
Bert Giles, Director of Missions and Community Connections at University City UMC
Rev. Dr. Tori Butler, Pastor in the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the UMC

 

The sessions are based on a 6-Step Process for Racial Reconciliation developed by Rev. Brian Tillman, Director of Inclusion and Advocacy for the North Georgia Conference of the UMC. Rev. Tillman’s definition of reconciliation is “a spiritual process that seeks to restore broken relationships after any form of injustice. It is a process by which the participants with injustice and the endurers of injustice come together to do the work of bringing about restoration of their relationship with God and with one another.” The 6 steps include Resist, Recognize, Repent, Repair, Reconstruct and Restore. Implementing the 6 steps in local churches and communities will form the foundation of the work of the learning cohort, with the following outcomes:

1. Equip and enable churches to read reality about racial issues with compassion and rigor
2. Develop a community of truth through honest and respectful relationships around racial issues
3. Implement the 6-step process for racial healing and reconciliation in participating churches
4. Change the culture within participating churches through changing narratives about racial issues
5. Form community partnerships for churches to sustain racial equity efforts
6. Use our collective voice to speak truth to power and privilege, resisting systemic racism in our churches and communities