Monitoring

Each conference, agency and theological school is expected to have a Plan for Inclusiveness, including Affirmative Action goals. Thus, GCORR’s role is to help them assess and build on their progress and to seek solutions to challenges and shortcomings in fulfilling their plans and goals.
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Monitoring for General Church Agencies

The General Commission on Religion and Race periodically reviews general church agencies to monitor their affirmative action and racial inclusiveness policies and related actions. We assist these ministry partners in monitoring their policies, programs, products, personnel and procedures for racial/ethnic inclusiveness and in planning and evaluating efforts toward improvement.

Monitoring reviews may result from requests by agency general secretaries or from a determination of need by the General Commission.
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Monitoring for Annual Conferences

The General Commission on Religion and Race conducts monitoring reviews of U.S. annual conferences to help those conferences evaluate and ensure their progress in enabling racial/ethnic empowerment and achieving racial/ethnic inclusiveness.

Initial reviews are conducted each quadrennium, along with follow-up reviews and consultation as needed. Conferences should be reviewed every two to three quadrennia or when major administrative changes occur, such as restructure or merger with another conference. Conferences may be reviewed by request of the Bishop or the Conference Commission on Religion and Race, or as deemed necessary by the General Commission.
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Monitoring for Theological Schools

The General Commission on Religion and Race collaborates with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the Association of Theological Schools and the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women in jointly visiting our affiliated seminaries and schools of theology periodically. Our particular role is to assess their progress toward achieving racial/ethnic inclusiveness.
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Monitoring for Local Churches

While the General Commission on Religion and Race works primarily with annual conferences, general church agencies and schools of theology, local churches can also engage in the ministry of monitoring, using available ideas and resources to teach and promote racial/ethnic inclusiveness.

Congregations composed of more than one racial/ethnic group should consider adapting the monitoring forms and guidelines found in this section to evaluate church programs, policies, practices and participation for inclusiveness. A local church commission or task force on Religion and Race can identify and report on exclusive and inclusive behaviors and patterns in worship services and other ministries, the selection of church leaders, the regard for the opinions and contributions of persons in the minority, and so on.
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The Ministry of Monitoring

It is a check and balance system to protect us from harm from ourselves and others. We do this by being open to what we are thinking and doing so we can receive encouragement and reproof, when needed. Christian accountability is about keeping ourselves honest about our Christian witness to the world.
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