With Gratitude and Hope This Thanksgiving

Dear Friends in Ministry,

On this Thanksgiving Day in the United States, I write with deep gratitude for each of you—wherever you are in the world—for the communities you serve and for the ways we continue to walk together toward God’s Kin-dom of justice, equity, and beloved community.  

For many, today is a time of gathering, reflection, and gratitude. Yet we also honor that this day carries painful and traumatic history for Native and Indigenous peoples. The familiar stories told this time of year often overlook the realities of colonization, displacement, and violence that continue to shape the lived experience of Indigenous communities. As a Church rooted in truth-telling and healing, we hold together both thanksgiving and lament. I give thanks for the strength, leadership, and wisdom of Indigenous peoples, and GCORR recommits to the sacred work of repair and reconciliation. This sacred task becomes possible only when we, as a collective, recognize and repent of the sins of the past and commit ourselves to building communities rooted in love for one another and the Divine.  

I am especially grateful for the ministries and partnerships that unite us across regions, cultures, and nations. In a world filled with conflict and division, your witness to love, justice, and equity is a sign of God’s hope breaking through. Whether through advocacy for racial justice, disability justice, support for immigrants and refugees, ministry in cross-racial and cross-cultural settings, or the everyday work of building relationships across differences, your ministry is transforming the Church and the world. I am grateful for the ways you carry the light of hope and love in the world!

Thank you for praying with us, standing with us, growing with us, and dreaming with us. Because of your courage and commitment, the Church continues to embody God’s love and uphold every person’s sacred worth.

As we turn our hearts toward Advent, we prepare for the One who enters the world not with power and privilege, but with humility and promise. The birth of Christ invites us again that love is stronger than fear and that God’s promise of justice is already taking root among us. May we continue planting signs of God’s reign in our world.  

May this season fill us with hope and love, bringing peace, healing, and renewed courage as we faithfully work toward a world where every person is welcomed, valued, and able to thrive in God’s beloved community.

With gratitude and hope,

Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo
General Secretary