Broadway United Methodist Church

The Committee currently meets at the Church at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of every month at Broadway. Please check weekly bulletins for location of monthly meeting at Broadway.

The committee chairs for the 2007 program year are Manny Ayala and Cathy Knight Please contact either of them if you have an idea you would like the Committee to consider or if you are interested in joining the Committee.

People of Color Discussion Group

Booker T. Washington said, "In all things purely social we can be as separate as the five fingers and yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress."

In that spirit, we issue an open invitation to those who add a hint of color to Broadway's rainbow of diversity to join us for the "People of Color" discussion group. We connect the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 pm, to discuss the value of diversity and to explore ways of providing additional awareness on the issue of diversity for our faith community. Our convener is Manny Ayala and he can be reached to answer questions concerning the group. We welcome your questions and your participation.

For more information on diversity go to http://www.magazine.org/diversity/Defining_Diversity/8478.cfm

Here are some pictures from Broadway's Holy week vigil, "Diversity Dialogue." We enjoyed food, information and conversation about Mexico and Puerto Rico.


Broadway United Methodist Church
Religion and Race Committee
Statement of Purpose

In recognition of the cultural realities of this society, while pursuing our imperative as Christians to regard all as children of God, and seeking to further the vision of diversity proposed by Broadway United Methodist Church (BUMC), the Religion and Race committee will actively and intentionally seek to fulfill the following goals:

• To try to bring about parity and wholeness within all the different ethnic and racial groups in the congregation, since that is the only scenario in which diversity is truly possible.
• To listen to the needs of the different ethnic and racial groups within the church in order to achieve greater visibility for different cultures in ministry and worship.
• To take no action nor propose any project or ministry without the knowledge and explicit consent of any ethnic group affected or involved.
• To act as an advocate and support of any individual or groups of color who may have any questions or concerns regarding policies, ministries or practices of BUMC.
• To coordinate with and advise any committee which may by their ministries or constituency have a racial dimension or effect.
• To work with and support any committee in the church that seeks to advocate for and support any oppressed group in our society.
• To listen to and implement ideas, programs, and projects proposed by people of color within the church, either individually or through the People of Color discussion group.
• To seek out and coordinate with outside organizations that propose to be about the work of undoing racism for mutual support, training or joint ministry.
• To seek actively to oppose and undo racism in our nation, our city, our church and most importantly ourselves.

As we seek to define our constituency we will intentionally, although not exclusively, focus on inequalities and oppression based on race or ethnic origin. To that purpose we will abide by the following agreements and definitions:

• Racism is defined as prejudice plus power and in the United States, applies exclusively to the empowered and more numerous “white” population.
• White privilege is a structure that perpetuates racism and placid acceptance to oppression. This applies to all members of the empowered “white” population.
• Racism is exercised in a hierarchy of most acceptable to least acceptable ethnic groups, which requires us to respond in a way which will provide the most support to the most oppressed.

In order to achieve our goals and vision we will contract with each other to do the following.

• To follow an intentional program of education, training and consciousness raising to avoid inevitable complacency.
• To define and recognize our own ethnic origin and acknowledge the special challenges that are part of our cultural legacy.
• To listen to and accept the viewpoint of those who are more oppressed than us, recognizing their ability to see oppression better than we can.
• To speak honestly and completely, not seeking to protect or defend ourselves or our ideas beyond the bounds of reason and charity.
• To accept disagreement and criticism in the spirit in which it’s given without resorting to anger, escape or denial.
• To recognize that we are all trying to love and learn together and we will all often be wrong, but will be open to healing and redemption.