Bishop Laurie introduced The UMC Black Ministers Caucus presentation saying, “We need our church to say something. We need our church to do something. I give thanks to the Iowa United Methodist black minister caucus for the advocacy. Thank you for the Anti-Racism Task Force that we have begun here in the Iowa Annual Conference.
Pastor Cephas Z.K. Davis of the Des Moines Easton Place United Methodist Church and chair of the Black Ministers Caucus of the Iowa Annual Conference began the presentation showing a clip of a video from the United Methodist Churches Dismantling Racism: A Service of Lament. The Service of Lament was part of The United Methodist Church's Dismantling Racism: Pressing On To Freedom initiative, where United Methodists across the connection joined in a time of repentance, communion, and commitment as the church examines racial injustice.
Watch the presentation from the Iowa UMC Black Minister Caucus - here.
Watch the clip from A Service of Lament – here.
“When I'm given the time and allowed 10 minutes to talk about the history of black and brown bodies in America, then I must echo the voice of our sisters and say, sometimes I feel like a motherless child,” said Davis. “When we know that during the formation of our country that, ‘all men are created equal’ was not meant for black and brown bodies and women—and the church remains silent—then I must shout in the voice of our sisters, and say, sometimes I feel like a motherless child."
“As I close, I will sometimes feel like a motherless child. My fellow black and brown pastors will sometimes feel like a motherless child. Until there is no longer first and second-class citizens, and until the color of a man’s or women’s skin is of no more significance than the color of their eyes, then sometimes I feel like a motherless child,” said Davis.
The Iowa Annual Conference has formed an Anti-Racism Task Force who is hosting an Iowa UM Church Facebook live series titled, A Conversation on Race. The first one was held on June 15, 2020, and guest speakers were Rev. LaTonya Calderon, Rev. Abraham Funchess, Grace Kiboko, Rev. Dr. Michel Lundula, and Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson who shared their personal experiences with being black in America and the Iowa Annual Conference.
For more information about A Conversation on Race, go to their web page at https://www.iaumc.org/aconversationonrace.