Urgent Call to the Church

We continue to be shocked and horrified by the death of George Floyd and the circumstances surrounding his murder. We are heartbroken for his family, friends, and community. We call for justice. We call upon our legal system to investigate swiftly toward prosecution.  

The Church holds great responsibility to lead with immediate and committed action. While critical, it is not enough for the Church to simply call out racism and reject it as evil and divisive. Expressions surrounding George’s death are outpourings of unheard and dismissed pain. George’s death is not an isolated incident, but part of a deeply saturated history of systemic racism and injustice. We see this history and we lament the complicit role the Church has held in the history of racism. It is clear that this week’s events are part of the cost of our silence, and of our complicity.  

We recognize that a large portion of our audience is white majority culture. For too long, we have solely identified with our own story, and separated ourselves from the history and present realities of our Black brothers and sisters. Transform Minnesota is calling on our network of evangelical churches to commit to sustained discipleship and action to undo the ideologies, systems and unconscious biases that have caused the outpouring of anguish and frustration on display in our cities. This commitment must extend beyond the urgency of now and remain beyond the death of George Floyd. 

• We must pray. Pray for justice, healing and peace. 
• We must grieve. Lament and share the burden and weight of this pain.  
• We must speak up. Recognize and name racism faithfully. Choose not to be silent.  
• We must educate others. Use our positions of privilege and leadership to preach and teach truth to our children, congregations, students, and community members.  

We mourn the cost this week’s events have had on the Twin Cities. Our hearts are heavy for the men, women and children living in the neighborhoods that faced rioting. Pain has led to pain. Our ultimate hope is found in the Lord and reflected in His Church and through His people. We cannot see real change within our cities without the power of Jesus in our own human hearts.