History
The General Commission on Race and Religion (GCORR) was formed as a permanent standing agency at the very founding of The United Methodist Church - at the 1968 Uniting Conference. Today, GCORR remains a symbol of how matters of race and religion continue to be at the forefront of our life of faith in Jesus Christ in the Wesleyan Way.
1978-1988
As the General Conference set “Developing and Strengthening of the Ethnic Minority Local Church for Witness and Mission,” matters of race and religion stayed at the forefront of The United Methodist Church in its second decade. The General Conference mandated a National Convocation on Racism which became jointly sponsored by the Council of Bishops and the General Commission on Religion and Race.
1988-1998
Towards a more inclusive, multi-racial, multi-cultural family of God in The United Methodist Church through our language, the General Commission on Religion and Race’s Terminology Task Force produced a study resource called, “The Language of Hospitality.” Moreover, GCORR collaborated with the General Boards of Church and Society and Global Ministries, and the United Methodist Rural Fellowship, in establishing a Racism in Rural Areas Task Force to study the manifestations of racism, personal and institutional, prevalent in rural areas - conducting 23 on-site annual conference reviews and requested comprehensive plans on inclusiveness from all annual conferences.
1998-2008
Actively addressing matters of race of national signfiicance in the United States of America, GCORR provided local churches with positive responses to counteract racial profiling and race-based fear in their communities in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and worked in unity with Native Americans who face blatant disregard for their dignity and sacred traditions when sports teams distort their identity and likeness through the use of mascots that extend the myth of Native American aggression.
2008-2018
Sustaining a global United Methodist presence that is culturally diverse, relevant, and vital in each context, GCORR awarded $2.3 million in grants, trained 2,500 lay and clergy leaders, led over 15,000 of hours coaching and consulting with church leaders - across the globe. Its global reach and impact is informed, of course, by the Board’s direct experience of ministry contexts through learning trips such as the ones to the Philippines and the US-Mexico Border during this fifth decade of The United Methodist Church.
2018-Present
The Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo became the first Latino appointed as General Secretary of the General Commission on Religion and Race in the sixth decade of The United Methodist Church. GCORR’s work around the world has continued with consultations on the African continent and the Philippines as well as an immersion experience in Chicago’s South Side neighborhood. Today, GCORR’s mission and role in The United Methodist Church is more important than ever before, as the world experiences tremendous change - monitoring United Methodist gatherings, advocating for justice through legislation, developing resources for the local church, and now working in concert with El Plan as well as Disability Ministries.