Invitation to

 a Symposium on Racism 

CCT Response to Dr. King Letter from Birmingham Jail

April 14, 6:00 PM to April 15, 4 PM

St. Paul United Methodist Church - Birmingham, Alabama

Online Registration

Program Schedule 

Excerpts from CCT Response to Dr. King Letter

"Since the "open letter" which compelled Dr. King to respond came from religious leaders of Alabama in 1963, we as church leaders of the 21st century representing an array of religious traditions now feel compelled to respond to Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail."

"We express profound gratitude to the leaders of the civil rights movement whose sacrifices have moved us closer to God's justice. Those leaders and thousands who followed their lead accomplished more than many could imagine, and demonstrated the power of Christian, nonviolent action. We celebrate the remarkable strides made through their courageous witness."

"We are deeply moved by the key themes of Dr. King's letter and lift them up anew that they may again challenge our churches and our nation:"

"As leaders of churches claimed by more than a hundred million Americans; as Catholics, Evangelicals and Pentecostals, Orthodox, and Protestants and as members of Historic Black denominations; as people of many races and cultures; we call ourselves, our institutions, and our members to repentance. We make this confession before God and offer it to all who have endured racism and injustice both within the Church and in society.

As church leaders, we confess we have tended to emphasize our responsibility to obey the law while neglecting our equal moral obligation to change laws that are unjust in their substance or application.  All too often, the political involvement of Christians has been guided by the pursuit of personal or group advantage rather than a biblically grounded moral compass.  

We confess that we are slow to listen and give legitimacy to those whose experience of race relations and social privilege in America is different than our own. We keep the "other" at arm's length to avoid hearing the call to sacrifice on their behalf. Our reluctance to embrace our "inescapable network of mutuality" underscores Dr. King's observation that privileged groups seldom give up their advantages voluntarily. For example, it is difficult to persuade most suburban Christians to demand that they strive for the same quality of education in our cities that they take for granted in their own schools. To the extent that we do not listen in love, our influence in society is limited to "a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound."  

We confess that we often prefer stability to upheaval, even when upheaval is the necessary pre-condition for the establishment of justice. We confess that we often avoid the fiscal, emotional and spiritual costs of changing our beloved institutions even when called to do so by our Lord and Savior. Our churches and denominational structures thus fail in critical ways to model the "creative psalm of brotherhood" invoked by Dr. King.   Recent efforts in the Christian community toward "racial reconciliation," though laudable in intent, tend to stop short of Dr. King's vision of true justice and fellowship. Sunday morning remains the most segregated time in our nation."