By the Rev. Teresa Hord Owens As I prepared to speak at the 2019 Greater Kansas City Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Service hosted at Community Christian Church, I saw the news and ensuing controversy of the conflict on the very steps the Rev. Dr. King spoke during the 1963 March on Washington. The juxtaposition […]
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I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. Ps 3:5 (NRSV) As we awake to this day after the election, some things have not changed. Whether we are rejoicing or we are feeling stunned and disappointed, the Gospel still calls us to love God first of all with all our […]
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Racism rears its ugly head everywhere, but in along the Ohio river, two congregations and their pastors are doing their part to build some community understanding. When the Ashland (KY) NAACP chapter approached city leaders to work on the issue of racism in the town of about 21,000, New Hope Missionary Baptist’s Rev. Stanley McDonald […]
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An Open Letter from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Regional Leadership to the Church in the United States and Canada Download the letter Dear Sisters and Brothers, In this contentious campaign season, we write as leaders who have witnessed firsthand the prophecy of our Lord that “five in one household will be divided, three […]
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July 8, 2016 Dear Church, The nation is reeling from the shock of the violent loss of lives over the last three days, which has resulted in confusion and a sense of hopelessness. Our grief for the families of the victims, for many of us, is unbearable. “Thus says the Lord, ‘A voice is heard […]
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Last spring I walked across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma with other Disciples – a racially mixed group crossing together.
A lot has changed since 1965.
Through the brave struggle of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others, the segregated lunch counters and drinking fountains and restrooms went away. Voting rights legislation was put into place.
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The church and people of faith have a great responsibility for engaging the conversation about race in the United States, according to speakers at the 2016 Remind & Renew conference. (Audio available for all speakers on the webpage.)
“What would happen if we all got together?” asked the Rev. Dr. William Barber, II. “What if we put away this puny language about ‘left versus right’ and started talking about what’s just?”
Read moreWe Need Prayer. . . We Need The Church. “We need prayer George. Tell your viewers to pray for the families of victims and for our nation. Our nation and world need prayer, George.” These are the words spoken by a community leader this morning during a live interview on Good Morning America news television […]
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This blog entry originally appeared in TIME Ideas. Recently I posted a prayer. It was in response to the events in Baltimore: a young black man is mortally injured while in police custody. Citizens take to the streets. On the day of the funeral, the protests turn violent. My prayer was for all: those who […]
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Pastoral letter to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from the College of Regional Ministers concerning excessive force against unarmed African American men April 9, 2015 To our Sisters and Brothers in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ. The College of Regional Ministers […]
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