"Silence is complicity."
The Missouri Union Presbytery, encompassing Central and Northern Missouri, released a letter this week acknowledging silence from white Christians toward racial injustice has allowed minorities, specifically Black people, to suffer.
One hundred twenty-five Presbyterians across the presbytery signed the statement, acknowledging racial injustices in the United States and the need to address the issues individually and through governmental and public institutions.
The world watched as a Minneapolis officer pinned down George Floyd on the street by his neck, resulting in his death.
"His death, recorded for the nation and the world to watch, shocked the conscience of millions and joined a long litany of racial injustices that stretches back to the origins of slavery in America," the statement says.
The statement, authored by the presbytery's Peacemaking and Public Witness Mission Team, reflects the concerns of church members and leaders, said Anne Schneider, an elder at First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson City.
As the team saw the racism-related news over the last several months, it wanted to do more than simply ask churchgoers to read a book about social injustice or race, she said.
They thought, "This is not right," Schneider said. "Some things are not comfortable to talk about, but we're confident there are people who feel similarly."
The statement points out racial injustice isn't a problem to be addressed only by law enforcement or elected officials. It calls on the public to get involved - to insist on more effective community-based policing and training, to encourage schools to provide equal opportunities for all students, to increase awareness of the disparate effects of policies and practices, and to vote Aug. 4 for Medicaid expansion in Missouri.
"We want people to think about the silence we have all participated in," Schneider said. "We want people to recognize that silence is complicity. Silence is not going to get rid of racism. We want people to be more aware of racism."
Racism varies greatly by community, she continued.
The statement was developed for community-wide use. It is posted on the presbytery's website, mupresbytery.org.
The statement is not only for Presbyterians to disseminate, Schneider said. It speaks broadly to all people.
Among the signers was the Rev. Angela Madden, of First Presbyterian Church of Jefferson City. Madden said people from all walks of life recognize the nation is witnessing an important moment of its history.
"The values expressed in the letter are values of human nature and dignity," she said. "Is it courageous to state the obvious - that we are seeking a world of equity and equality for all of God's children?"