Religion & Race

The Eastern PA Conference Commission on Religion and Race strives to further the UMC General Commission’s mission and vision in our region and context.  We see the creation of learning opportunities, the dissemination of resources and the communication of continued dialogues, trainings and workshops, sponsored by other entities throughout the conference, as the scope of our work.

Conference Commission on Religion and Race

• Co-chairpersons: Rev. Susan L. Worrell and Rev Alicia Julia-Stanley

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Eastern Pennsylvania Conference

Whites Confronting Racism Workshops

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference is committed to dismantling racism.  An intensive program to train 18 white (European American), clergy leaders to enhance the anti-racism work in the EPC is proposed.  Program organizers will recruit highly committed clergy who are willing to be part of this leadership group. Participants must commit to the ongoing work of seeking racial justice in all aspects of their lives and to influencing others to do the same.  Persons from all clergy categories are invited to apply. Clergy with 20 or more years of service remaining are encouraged to apply.

Whites Confronting Racism (WCR) Workshops are specifically for white people who want to understand the dynamics of racism in our society and within themselves.  In a supportive, compassionate, nonjudgmental environment, participants will learn skills in recognizing racism and white privilege and its effects, skills to effectively intervene, and personal reflection tools to increase self-awareness about how learned racial programming operates. Learn more…

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The South District will host dynamic speaker, author and antiiracism trainer the Rev. David Billings on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan. 21, 2019, at the West Chester UMC. Billings is author of Deep Denial: The Persistence of White Supremacy in the United States History and Life. He will lead a discussion on racism in America, as part of the district’s ongoing educational emphasis. This is a free event and all are invited.Download the flyer.

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Northeastern Jurisdiction Call to Action Resolution & Response Call to Action Resolution 2016 NEJ Conference [PDF] Eastern PA 2017 Annual Conference Call to Action Response [PDF] Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops The United Methodist Church A statement presented to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference July 13, 2016, Lancaster PA View the full statement [PDF] View the statement as printed in the Philadelphia Tribune [PDF]

General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) website Racial Justice Conversation Guide [PDF] – This article is presented by GCORR, culled from the resources available on their website at www.gcorr.org. Please use and share this information as a follow-up to the Bishop’s request for action in response to the crisis and tension existing in our country and communities as a result of recent shootings.

A Charter for Racial Justice A Charter for Racial Justice Policies in an Interdependent Global Community From The Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church — 2016. You can view and learn more about the charter on the UMW website: www.unitedmethodistwomen.org/racialjusticecharter.

EPAUMC Commission on Religion and Race Resources This is a list of resources that assist in the continued education around anti-racism. Resources are divided into categories by their media type for easy access. View the full resource list here.

Religion & Race Events Conference Events Apr 05 Changing Racism Workshop (4/5/19-4/7/19) April 5 @ 5:30 pm - April 7 @ 3:00 pm Oct 18 Changing Racism Workshop (Oct. 18 – Oct. 20, 2019) October 18 @ 5:30 pm - October 20 @ 3:00 pm View More… Conversations on Racial Justice Southwest District Voices for Racial Justice Lay and clergy members meet regularly in various district churches to engage in guided interracial dialogue and discovery about race, racism, racial justice and race relations. Open to all, including people of other districts. Come join us!  For more information or to kindly let us know you’re coming, please contact the Rev. Jason Perkowski at jbperkowski@gmail.com or (717) 333-9238. UM Church of the Open Door Conversations on Race (210 S. Broad St, Kennett Square, PA) participates in and often hosts periodic Conversations on Race in the Kennett Square Area, sponsored by its I.S.M.S. (Inclusive Social Ministry for Solidarity) ministry. Some of those conversations involve reactions to TED Talks on topics of race and culture. These are opportunities for people to gather and develop relationships of trust, have conversations about topics that matter, and seek means of changing ‘what is’ to ‘what should be’. Locations may vary. Visit the I.S.M.S. webpage or the I.S.M.S Facebook page.

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