news article
We laughed, we pushed, we dreamed about the plans God has for us
August 24, 2022 / By Georgia Whitney, CCORR member
The Upper New York Conference CCORR Team gathered at Casowasco Camp & Retreat Center on July 28th for prayer and conversation about where we go from here as we partner with the Holy Spirit and the people of the Upper New York UMC to dismantle racism. We laughed; we pushed; we dreamed about the plans God has for us.
First, we took time to celebrate the accomplishments of the last several years. The effort we poured into preparing and resourcing the Imagine No Racism curriculum offers our whole Conference tools to have real conversation about dismantling the racism that hides in systems and institutions, as well as in hearts and minds. Collaborating with the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR), offering the initial classes, identifying and training facilitators, partnering with the Cabinet to bring this effort out to the Conference; your CCORR Team has put a lot of behind-the-scenes work into making this resource available. Thanks be to God from whom the strength comes to do great things!
Looking back reflectively prepared us to look forward with hope and urgency. Though we will continue to resource the INR curriculum and other efforts to equip leaders at every level of the Conference with tools to initiate conversations about race and racism, we feel the Spirit calling us to focus in some new directions. It became clear as we talked and prayed that we are called to pay special attention to the ways our Conference is inviting youth and young adults into efforts to dismantle racism. We also realized that CCORR is called to do more to support People of Color in our Conference. In the coming months, we hope to become more specific about how we will live into these goals. Stay tuned.
Please join us in prayer that racism will cease to be an impediment to the movement of God’s love in Upper New York; take up your authority to interrupt racism wherever you become aware of it in your circles of influence. Together with the Holy Spirit we can build the world we imagine.