Our Acknowledgement

GUMY has struggled to find the right words to respond to the racial injustices towards our friends and neighbors who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.  We’ve also struggled to express our support for the racial justice movement sweeping the country. The few words we have conveyed fell short and failed to comprehend the pain of our colleagues of color and partners in the outdoor community.  The racial justice movement has forced a reckoning of the deep racial injustice around us and laid bare our complicity. We are a white-led ministry that operates on stolen Native lands that are not yet safe for all. Recent months have revealed how much more we need to do to live up to our values as an church centered on love, justice, and mercy. We missed too much. Our hearts hurt, but our pain is nowhere near what our neighbors who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color have suffered. We are sorry for the harm we’ve caused.

To truly step up to this work, we must confront the UMC’s lack of progress and take full ownership of the legacy of our failures. We must listen to and support our Black, Indigenous and colleagues of color first and commit to becoming a more inclusive and equitable church. And we will amplify the true leaders on justice and equity.

This work is urgent and lifelong. We will never be “done.” We’re recommitting our time and resources to this essential part of our mission of living like Jesus and serving the world.

We are here for the work of forging a more just world.