Dear Friends of Jesus Christ,

2020 feels like the hard year that keeps getting harder. In addition to the COVID pandemic, the pain of racism has once again been brought to the forefront of our awareness by the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and too many others. For some of us, the challenges of racism move in and out of our awareness based on news events of the day. But for far too many of us, racism and racial inequity are painful parts of everyday life.

How do we, as members of COS, focus our attention on these matters of reconciliation and justice? Our Anti-racism and Reconciliation Team (ARRT) has worked for many years to help us be faithful in these matters, finding ways to promote antiracism and reconciliation in all areas of the church’s life. Some of the outgrowths of this work are the Understanding Racism Workshop, Congregations Organizing for Racial Reconciliation (CORR) and our sister church relationship with Coit Community Church. Recently, we also placed signs on our property with the words “Black Lives Matter”.

We choose to see this message as a simple and powerful statement of solidarity with other human beings. The lives of the black members of our community do matter. At this moment in our history, it is not sufficient to say that “all lives matter”. They do, of course. But events being vividly displayed in the media have left some of our members, friends, and neighbors who are black wondering if we as a society really do value them as much as our white friends and neighbors. In the face of that doubt, our reassurance must be swift, clear, and unequivocal. Yes. You matter. Every bit as much as anyone else.

But, as some of you have helped to point out, the words “Black Lives Matter” are in fact not unequivocal. Black Lives Matter is also a political movement. At its core, this movement wants what we all want: the elimination of racial bias and inequality. However, the Black Lives Matter movement seeks a number of changes as steps toward that goal we might not all agree with. Like any social justice movement, Black Lives Matter is a broad umbrella. 

Some may argue that the media is not accurately representing one or another aspect of the role of race in our society. Facts matter too. But facts are impotent where relationships are broken. We must first express solidarity and come together as fellow Christians and then find paths forward.

As disciples of Christ, these are difficult problems we simply must address head on. For the moment, we want to assure the congregation of two facts:

1.        Church of the Servant views all of our members, friends, and neighbors as equals in every way regardless of their race or cultural heritage.

2.        While we endorse no political party, movement, or organization, COS will continue to work, learn about, and pray for elimination of racial bias and inequality and seek racial equity in our church, community and society.

These conversations quickly become very complicated and challenging. We encourage you to continue your involvement in these efforts. Listening circles designed to facilitate healing of some of these wounds are being planned (watch the bulletin for upcoming information). We encourage you to take advantage of the additional ARRT resources and opportunities that can be found at https://bit.ly/cos_antiracism. And please do not hesitate to reach out to members of ARRT or council to continue the conversation. 

In Christ,

The COS Anti-racism and Racial Reconciliation Team and
The COS Council