Skip to main content

Because We Believe

The Charter for Racial Justice Workshop

by Jane Baker

River Valley District President

 

One Assembly Workshop brought together members of the North Central Jurisdiction to advance conversation on racial justice education. With about 60 participants in total, delegates from each conference sat together.

The workshop, “Because We Believe—the Charter for Racial Justice,” started with introductions during which each attendee shared the name of someone who had influenced their thoughts on racial justice. Rosa Parks, Ida B. Wells, Theressa Hoover, and Kamala Harris were among the well-known influencers. I named River Valley District officer Liz Weninger.

Liz worked and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960’s. When I heard her speak at our district’s Spring Gathering (see photo above), I learned how much experience and knowledge she has about racial justice.

After workshop introductions, participants were encouraged to discuss their respective conference’s member education efforts regarding the Charter for Racial Justice.

Using provided discussion prompts, each table captured their observations on poster paper. These were then presented to the group by conference representatives.

The questions we were given to discuss included:

  • Are you starting from scratch? What work has your conference done already? What changes have you implemented?
  • Do you have a Charter committee? If so, is it functioning well?
  • Have you held events related to the Charter commitments of 1.5+ hours? If so, do you feel those events helped your Conference grow, progress, transform? How often do those events happen?
  • Is your leadership inclusive and reflective of your membership? And is your membership inclusive and reflective of your community? Is CON seeking diverse candidates for leadership?
  • Are you honoring all cultures/languages represented in your gatherings? If so, how?
  • How many people do you notice talking about racial justice? Is racial justice perceived to be the work of a “few of us” or “all of us”?
  • What would you celebrate about your current work? Where are the roadblocks/barriers you’re experiencing?

The delegates from the Minnesota Conference discussed three of the discussion questions and summarized their observations:

 

Energized by this exercise, conference teams will be able to continue the discussions and generate ideas about how to further their quest for implementing the Charter.

As United Women in Faith in Minnesota, we must continue to seek racial justice in all of our activities and in the world.

This work remains at the core of our identity as United Women in Faith. Why?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deaconesses and Home Missioners

Consecrated, Commissioned Photo by Mike DuBose, UM News Photo by Carolyn Winslow Sixty deaconesses and home missioners from 29 conferences were consecrated at the United Women in Faith Assembly 2022 in Orlando, Florida.  The office of Deaconess and Home Missioner, a division of United Methodist Women, “enables laity to respond to a vocational call to be Christ in the world through consecration for lifetime servant ministries of love, justice, and service.”  Among the 60, were three from Minnesota: Deaconesses  Carolyn Winslow and Cindy Saufferer, and Home Missioner Louis Porter II. These three as well as Deaconess Nicole Weydt (who could not attend Assembly) were also commissioned at the 2022 Minnesota Annual Conference by Bishop David Bard and assisted with worship at Annual Conference. The Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner invites those who are discerning a call to ministry to attend  a virtual discernment event taking place on Thursday, October 6, 2022. L-R:  Bishop Bard; Deac
Post a Comment
Read more

Your Vote Matters at Annual Gathering

At MN UWFaith’s Fall Meeting, members can vote on three important items. Please read the information carefully as you decide how to cast your vote on the 2023 Budget 2023 Slate of Elected Officers 2023 Changes to the Standing Rules Budget Proposal for 2023
Post a Comment
Read more

Leadership Team at Koronis

Retreating for Visioning, Business MN Conference UWFaith officers and coordinators, with representation from all five districts, gathered at Koronis August 13 for a Retreat to vision how we will move forward into the future. Members of the leadership team brainstormed their dreams of transformational experiences that could energize, reconnect, and revitalize our members, districts, and local units. How does remembering our legacy move us forward instead of just doing it the way we’ve always done it? Prior to the Retreat, Christie Brown, Spiritual Growth Coordinator, asked each person on the team to bring one or more items from home that could be used to decorate an altar. At the Retreat, all items were placed in baskets. In random pairs, each pair created an altar using those materials and was asked to explain the symbolism of the items they chose. After an evening of sisterly sharing of stories and music, the group met August 14 for the business of leadership -- hearing reports, discu
Post a Comment
Read more