The Pioneer UK Core Team are appalled by the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minnesota in the USA. On behalf of Pioneer Churches in the UK, we stand alongside our brothers and sisters across the United States as they lament this terrible act of racial violence and the divisions and inequalities that it has exposed. We join them in praying for justice, righteousness, repentance, peace and healing.
We recognise, however, that this is not an isolated event and that the deeply ingrained racial injustice that it represents is not confined to the United States. We are becoming increasingly aware of the prejudice, inequality and injustice that those of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds continue to endure as part of their everyday lives in 21st Century Britain.
We urge Pioneer Churches across the UK to take this opportunity to reflect upon their own communities and to consider how they might be part of a better future. For those of us who are White, this will require us to listen carefully to some uncomfortable truths about the experiences of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic brothers and sisters within the context of our own churches, as well as across the UK and around the world. Where we have not managed to create a safe environment in which these equally gifted and anointed brothers and sisters feel entirely safe to talk about these experiences, we may feel the need to ask for forgiveness.
As a kingdom-orientated, relational movement, we celebrate the equality of all God’s sons and daughters as co-heirs with Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves afresh to pursuing the righteousness and justice upon which God’s throne is established. We ask God to pour out his Spirit afresh across his church. We ask especially for God’s wisdom, discernment, grace and courage for the leaders of Pioneer churches as they seek to envision, empower and guide their communities in standing against all racial injustice and inequality.
There are many excellent resources available on the subject of racial equality. Here are a few examples:
- Ben Lindsay: We Need To Talk About Race: Understanding the Black Experience in White Majority Churches
- Yemi Adedeji & Steve Clifford (Evangelical Alliance): The [Im]possible Dream
From,
The Pioneer Core Team