The Privilege Line exercise is among the anti-racism tactics used by churches written about in the Jan.-Feb. issue of Interpreter magazine. John Coleman photo

Commissions on Religion and Race at all levels of the church, the work they do and the issues they care about are featured in a trio of articles in the January-February 2009 issue of Interpreter magazine under the general title, “Chipping Away: Conversation, Common Ground Help Erode Racial Barriers.”

The five-page series (pages 26-30) in the bi-monthly program journal for church leaders takes an insightful look at several United Methodist anti-racism ministries across the United States. Featured in one article are interracial Study Circles on Race dialogues among three Indianapolis churches, a new cross-racial appointment for an African American pastor and his white congregation, and the consciousness-raising Religion and Race ministry of Los Altos United Methodist Church in Long Beach, Calif.

The same article also examines two issues of great concern to the General Commission on Religion and Race and its constituents: the need for more humane immigration policies for undocumented persons; and the ongoing movement to eradicate the misuse of Native American names and images for sports-team mascots.

Another article spotlights “Nurturing Wholeness in Community,” an innovative Religion and Race ministry of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference that offers clergy and laity in-depth interracial learning and fellowship experiences. The article reports on the impact of GCORR’s creative leadership on the most recent Nurturing Wholeness seminar and includes contact information for those who want to know more.

Interpreter managing editor Joey Butler and GCORR Communications Director John Coleman authored the two articles. Wendy Whiteside of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns (GCCUIC) also writes about her agency’s efforts to address racism because of its work with the interracial Pan-Methodist Commission.

GCCUIC sponsored official Acts of Repentance for Racism at the 2000 and 2004 United Methodist general conferences and co-produced with GCORR the Truth and Wholeness DVD on white privilege, which premiered at the 2008 General Conference. Whiteside reports that a similar Act of Repentance being planned for the 2012 General Conference will focus on American Methodism’s historic racist treatment of Native Americans.

If you do not receive Interpreter magazine, you can subscribe by calling 888-346-3862 or visiting www.interpretermagazine.org, where for the rest of February you can also read online the three articles on race-related ministries.