But what made the adoption of the Belhar even more meaningful was how it shaped the rest of the week. We made a statement that as a church we stand for justice, unity, and inclusive love, and then we put that statement into action. Our commitment to that statement was repeatedly affirmed. Those affirmations include:
- Rejecting efforts that would have made it more difficult for the voices of minorities to bring social justice issues to the Assembly in the future[1]
- Advocating for the safety and well-being of children in Israel and Palestine[2]
- Advocating for human values in the absence of a just peace in Israel-Palestine[3]
- Advocating for refugees and encouraging our churches to offer welcome and support[4]
- Committing to eradicate slavery from businesses with which our church does business[5]
- Taking specific action to address and improve the worsening plight of the African American male[6]
- Choosing to be a church committed to the Gospel of Matthew 25[7]
- Offering a statement of regret for harms done to the LGBTQ community and condemning the practice of conversion therapy[8]
I can’t say I am happy with every single decision the General Assembly made, or that there weren’t a few moments last week that made me feel embarrassed or ashamed of our process, but I am overwhelmingly proud of my denomination. There are those both within the church and without who say we have become too political, too influenced by secular culture, or moved too far away from Biblical values. But I disagree. The church is built on the foundation of Jesus, who taught and practiced radical and inclusive love for the oppressed and the downtrodden, the outsider and the other. We are becoming a church dedicated to that love, to social justice, unity, and inclusivity, to the message of Matthew 25. We are becoming a Belhar church.
[1] Overtures 04-01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 09, 10, and 13
[2] Overture 08-02
[3] Overture 08-06
[4] Overture 09-06
[5] Overture 10-01
[6] Overture 10-03
[7] Overture 11-03
[8] Overtures 11-05 and 23
Note: All GA business can be found at pc-biz.org under the Committees tab.