LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To the people called United Methodist of San Marcos, Texas, Blessings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As beloved family of God, the United Methodist pastors of San Marcos write to you regarding the sin of racism and our dedication to confront, reject, and oppose it. Any words or images which demean or deny the human dignity of one racial group, reject the dignity of all humans. Racism is blasphemy for the Christian and apostasy to the Church because it rejects not only the human made in the image of God, but also the Maker of all humanity who made us in the divine image.
Genesis 1:27 (NRSV) proclaims, “So God created humankind in his image …” which affirms the nature and role of all persons as image bearers of God, those made in the image of their Creator to reflect the character of the Lord. In his earthly ministry, Jesus welcomed people of diverse racial groups; including, Samaritans (Luke 10:25-37, Luke 17:11-19, John 4:4-42, Syrophoenicians (Mark 7:24-30), and even Romans (Matthew 8:5-13). After his resurrection, Jesus sent his disciples into the world to make disciples of all nations and races.
Article IV of the General Rules of the UMC Book of Discipline affirms, “The United Methodist Church acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth.” (Book of Discipline, Pg. 26). Additionally, in Article V, the General Rules affirms the UMC’s rejection of racism and commitment to “confront and seek to eliminate racism, whether in organizations or in individuals, in every facet of its life and in society at large.” (Book of Discipline, Pg. 26).
After a recent social media post portrayed former president Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama as apes, we are compelled by the Holy Spirit to write our churches to declare that racism such as this is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus Christ. We once again reaffirm our rejection of the evil of racism and our commitment to the Lord who calls us all to be one with Christ, one with each, and one in ministry to all the world.
We recognize and lament that even as we profess this belief and commitment, our churches, our denomination, and our society have fallen short of this goal. We confess racial injustice continues to produce harm in our world, our communities, and our churches. We repent of the thinking and acting which fosters racism, and we seek to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to foster grace, faith, hope, and love for racial healing in San Marcos and beyond. In Christ, The United Methodist Pastors of San Marcos Rev. Danielle Knapp Rev. Cedric Gillmore Rev. Irving Cotto Rev. Bonnie Bevers Rev. Todd Salmi Rev. Dionisio Salazar Rev. Adam R. Knapp Rev. Wes Cain
