STATEMENT ON RACE & FAITH

JULY 1, 2020

In moments like this in our nation, we first pause to mourn with those who mourn and weep with those who weep. The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have broken so many of our hearts and spirits. It is critical that the Church lead with and be known for our compassion, empathy and kindness alongside timeless truth.

The voice of so many of our black brothers and sisters in the faith have been loud and clear: please hear us, and let’s work together towards biblical solutions regarding race and division.

We recognize that the Church has been historically complicit with racist systems such as slavery and segregation in the past, and we lament over that history. We also recognize that the church has historically been instrumental in developing human rights, conversations on justice, reconciliation, standards of community ethics, and loving our neighbor as ourselves, and we strive to continue that powerful call of Jesus on our lives.

We have slowed down to seek God’s heart as a leadership team, heard from dozens of Godly and trusted men and women of all colors, and are working towards lasting change. We recognize that transforming hearts and society is a marathon, not a sprint. There are many areas where we are still seeking answers, but the things we are clear about are listed in the statement below:

Humanity Church’s Statement On Racism And Faith

We, Humanity Church, believe every human being carries the divine image of God within them. Anything that that would seek to diminish that is in opposition to the essence of both God and humanity.

Racism, placing the value of one race above others or devaluing one race beneath others, is sin and is entirely incompatible with the teachings of Jesus and the scriptures. It therefore has no place within the church.

Anywhere that racism is alive and well in the hearts of men and women, we should seek to eradicate it and bring reconciliation. How I live with my brother and sister is a direct reflection of how I live with God. Love compels us to both act and speak where there is oppression.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to first see each other from the highest identity of being made one in Christ and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. From that unifying vantage point and identity, we can then see and celebrate the diversity of humanity, rather than ignoring or weaponizing it. The answer to racism is not colorblindness, but a collective celebration of the creativity of God in his children.

We value diversity, not for the sake of diversity, but because God has clearly created a diverse world to represent the fullness of his heart and character.

Because racism is a spiritual sickness of the heart, we must look to spiritual solutions that bring about change. We believe legal and judicial systems are absolutely critical to this conversation, and at the same time are insufficient in and of themselves to bring lasting transformation. We must fight spirit with Spirit. Essentially, we are called to be a people that brings the kingdom of Heaven to earth, and that is done by giving room for Jesus to change hearts through His church.

Because spiritually broken men and women develop, lead and shape various systems in every society, it should be expected that sin (such as pride, greed, lust, racism, etc.) will be found within those systems. We are committed to both seeing and addressing those systems from a Kingdom perspective.

There are key differentiators in the conversations around racial reconciliation that the teachings of Jesus and the scriptures present to us. Among these are grace, mercy, forgiveness, the transformation of individual hearts that lead to systemic transformation, generosity and unity in Christ through his sacrifice on the cross. Without these, we believe there is no hope for enduring change when it comes to racial breakdowns in society. With them, all things are possible.