Peace-Building Begins with Resource-Building

By Aisha Russell

“Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.”

May 30, United Methodist churches across the United States will observe Peace with Justice Sunday, one of the Special Sundays with offering, designed to support programs that advocate peace and justice locally and globally. In light of a recent position paper on diversity within the denomination, published by the General Commission on Religion and Race, we are compelled to ask ourselves how to create a peaceful world where racial-ethnic justice is addressed.

We can begin by asking about the services available to “new communities” and how well-equipped annual conferences are to provide them with “culturally relevant places and experiences.”  There are annual conferences with a wealth of resources available on racial-ethnic justice, and others which face challenges that limit their ability to sustain a racial justice emphasis.

Desert Southwest Conference is one example of a conference with various resources focused on racial justice, particularly immigration reform, including training materials and study guides available in both English and Spanish.

When asked what approach is needed for starting a plan on racial-ethnic justice if one isn’t already in place, Desert SW Director of Communications, Stephen Hustedt said, “The key is to be intentional about it. We talk about the need for planting churches, especially [at] the rate at which our cities are growing.” One focus of the conference is to start new churches, with the idea that one in four of these churches will be a racial-ethnic church. But, what can new churches bring that existing churches cannot? According to Hustedt, “A lot of times it’s easier to reach out to a new community and build a ministry for that community without the baggage” associated with existing churches. “It’s easier to reach a community with a new church start because everybody’s new.”

For Rev. Fitzgerald Lovett of the Mississippi Conference, another conference with various racial-ethnic resources in place, “leadership is a key ingredient” for building racial-ethnic justice programs. He said, “We were blessed to have the right people at the right time, [which] allowed people to have those conversations”.

Other needs for conferences across the country include: more racial-ethnic clergy and laity; finances to build and sustain racial-ethnic programs; building renovations; and partnerships with other UM agencies. Some conferences are in need of finances just to get their programs off the ground. Conference Committee on Religion and Race Chair Josephine Deere, Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference, cited that pastors in this region are some of the lowest paid in the Church. Thus, Oklahoma Indian Missionary is developing an endowment fund to help pay for pastor salaries. They also require funding for two other programs: the Construction Project Fund (for church repair) and the Native American Children’s Fund (to provide school supplies, medical attention, clothing, and summer activities for low-income children).

In addition to planting new churches, diversifying leadership and renovating spaces, annual conferences and general agencies within the United Methodist Church can lend a helping hand to each other.

Rev, Jerry DeVine, Director of Connectional Ministries, Detroit Conference, said he would welcome involvement from general agencies to strengthen the focus on racial-ethnic justice at his conference; “to highlight the issues and provide both human and financial partnerships.” Emphasizing the importance of rebuilding communities in areas like Detroit and Flint, Michigan that face increasing violence, Rev. DeVine sited The Message reading of John 1:14a, The word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. “Our local church and district leaders need larger support to fully ‘move into the neighborhood.”

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