Leaders of United Methodist annual conference commissions on Religion and Race (CORRs) gathered at Nashville’s Scarritt-Bennett Center in March to share their experiences and to learn from each other, as well as from staff and board members of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR).

They came from ethnicities and regions all over the country. They were African-American,

Dr. Beverly Madron, CORR Chairwoman, Tennessee Annual Conference

As might be expected, we found that some conferences are more supportive of the work of Religion and Race than others. Annual budgets ranged from over $25,000 to just $250. Several spoke of CORR inactivity in recent years; their task is to revitalize the effort to end racism and foster inclusiveness in their areas.

Religion and Race in some conferences has been merged with the Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW), the Ethnic Local Church Committee (ELCC) and other agencies, creating a unified approach toward many issues but diluting efforts around specific concerns such as racism.

The CORR leaders, a mix of clergy and lay, talked about the church’s mission to and among recent immigrants, especially Bishop Minerva Carcaño’s work on the Mexican border.

Clergy leaders described difficulties in making cross-racial appointments, in part because Boards of Ordained Ministry are often reluctant to approve women and racial/ethnic minority candidates. Using a new DVD from GCORR, “Race, Racism, and Religion,” the leaders were able to re-examine the definitions and interpretations of race, ethnicity, and culture.

Above all, conference attendees came to grips with their own inbred racism as it surfaced in such mundane activities as sharing lunch with table partners. There’s still work to be done, even in light of what has been accomplished so far. And the conference commissions on Religion and Race are pledged to do it, to embody the motto of this gathering: “I am CORR-ageous”!

Note: Dr. Beverly Madron, a new CORR chairperson, felt moved to offer a report on the recent historic gathering of CORR leaders in her fair city. We are grateful and glad to share it with you.

About the author

An Arkansas native, Dr. Madron lived in numerous U.S. venues before retiring to Nashville with her husband in 2003 and earning her Ph.D. in English there from George Peabody/Vanderbilt University. An avid reader, she also has other degrees and experience in computers and library and information science.

A preacher’s daughter and committed disciple, she shared her lay ministry background with us:
“I've been active in local churches for as long as I can remember as UMW officer, member of the Board of Trustees, lay liturgist, choir member, delegate to annual conference and general dogsbody (British slang for someone who does tasks no one else wants to do). Currently at West End UMC, I'm librarian, chair of the communion preparation subcommittee, certified lay speaker, and choir member. But I've never been on a conference commission before and until my appointment to the CORR chair, my Religion and Race activity had been limited to "cheerleader" and on-the-sidelines supporter.”

Read Dr. Madron’s recent article, “What am I doing here? Reflections of a Conference Chairperson,” written for the online conference news blog, Tennessee Conference Review, and published in the April 17 issue.

Finally, Dr. Madron was honored to be the guest speaker at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tenn., Jan. 13, for its annual Convocation on Religion and Race.  Her speech was titled “Race and Religion Issues Remain a Challenge.”

“It was my first public presentation on this topic,” she told us. Read the article about her speech in the college’s online news publication, and then read the entire speech itself, which she was kind enough to share with us.

Thanks, Dr. Madron. We’re glad you’ve joined the family of CORR leaders, and we look forward to sharing more wisdom about this work with you in the future.

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