Delegation addresses racism and calls for a journey to Beloved Community
The 31 lay and clergy people elected by the Baltimore-Washington Conference are to serve as delegates to the 2020 General and Jurisdictional Conferences. The coronavirus pandemic postponed these sessions, but the delegation has continued to be active and recently created and released a statement titled “Church that Embodies Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism: The Journey to Beloved Community.”
Members of the delegation, led by the Rev. Ianther Mills and Cynthia Taylor, shared the statement with the members of the annual conference, which focuses on an invitation to build Beloved Community.
“We seek to be a community of sacrificial and unconditional love for all people that ensures policies and practices are just, faithful and in keeping with the greatest commandment of God: Love God, self and neighbor with wholeness of mind, body, heart and strength. In such a community – where personal and social transformation happens – hearts, habits, and institutions are changed,” the delegation asserts.
While patient and grace-full, “it is imperative that we are not silent in the face of injustice, nor are we tolerant of oppressive behaviors,” the statement says. “This Baltimore-Washington Conference delegation is committed to this journey toward Beloved Community for the transformation of lives, churches and communities. We invite you to join us.”
The postponed session of the 2020 General Conference is now scheduled for Aug. 29 – Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minn. The Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference is scheduled for Nov. 2-4, 2022, in Hunt Valley, Md.
View the delegation’s complete statement, which includes practical and inspirational steps to building Beloved Community. See a roster of members of the delegations.