Antiracism and Christianity
The church bodies and organizations in the Circle of Protection include 100 million people committed to increased efforts to overcome poverty and racism in America.
How We Got Here
As white Christian nationalism becomes more visible and menacing in our country, large segments of U.S. Christianity are working to counter racism in various ways, like teaching that racism is contrary to the Gospel, educating about long-standing structures of racism, voter mobilization, and reparations initiatives.
Read descriptions of the anti-racism work some Circle of Protection groups are doing:
African Methodist Episcopal Church: The overarching ministry of the AME Church confronts racism, in any form. AME’s legacy mission is to be a voice for those who have no voice, and to fight for those who have no one to struggle for freedom, justice, and equality, in the United States and around the world.
Bread for the World: Ending hunger in a lasting, sustainable way requires identifying and resolving its root causes. While hunger and poverty has declined nationwide, people of color consistently face higher rates of hunger and poverty than whites. This is due, in part, to the impacts of structural racism.
Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Charities agencies across the country are aware that we must, with renewed urgency, continue to address issues of racism, white privilege and the deep relationship to poverty.
ELCA: Christ’s church is for all people. God calls us each by name, and it is not our job to sort, divide, categorize or exclude. But as “saints and sinners,” we know God’s work of healing and restoring as well as the persistent human pain and injustices of racism in the world.
Episcopal Church works toward racial reconciliation, healing and justice, guided by the long-term commitment to Becoming Beloved Community. We organize our ministries around the four quadrants of the labyrinth, each quadrant representing a vital commitment to lasting change.
FCNL: The Friends Committee on National Legislation is undertaking work internally and externally to advance racial justice. Each of our issues is connected to racial justice and we prioritize racial justice in work ranging from economic justice to electoral integrity to U.S. foreign policy.
National Association of Evangelicals: Racism is an affront to the value of individuals created in God’s image and to the divinely designed diversity of redeemed humanity. The good news of Jesus Christ has the power to break down racial and ethnic barriers (Ephesians 2:14–18) and our communities must pursue this labor of love and justice.
National Council of Churches urges members and partners to Awaken to the many manifestations of white supremacy and racism, especially in the church, and Transform church and society into a reflection of God’s inclusive and equitable reign. The link from this paragraph goes to a rich list of anti-racism resources from the National Council and 16 of its member churches.
Sojourners: Racism is sin. At the heart of our mission, ministry, and work is a commitment to racial justice and reconciliation. The legacy of slavery, segregation, racial violence, and the dehumanization of African Americans in this country still manifests itself today.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Racist acts are sinful because they violate justice. They reveal a failure to acknowledge the human dignity of the persons offended, to recognize them as the neighbors Christ calls us to love (Mt 22:39).
Virginia Theological Seminary relied on enslaved people in its early years but has developed a strong commitment to racial justice. This includes reparations to the families of African Americans who labored for the seminary during slavery and segregation.