To read the PCA’s Report on Racial Reconciliation, click here.

Talks to listen to:

Black Voices Speak

Russell Moore

Mika Edmonson

Bryan Stevenson

Books to Read:

“More Than Equals,” Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice

“The Beautiful Community,” Irwyn Ince

“Dream With Me,” John Perkins

“Blood Lines,” John Piper

“The Color of Compromise,” Jemar Tisby

“One New Man,” Jarvis Williams

“Reading While Black,” Esau McCaulley

Websites to Check Out:

The Front Porch

Equal Justice Initiative

The Urban Christian Woman

The And Campaign

Love Thy Neighborhood

Some Affirmations by the Leadership at Heights Pres.:

1. We affirm that racism is a sin against God and is wholly inconsistent with God’s good creation, where it was declared that all humans are made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27; Galatians 3:28; Revelation 5:9)

2. We acknowledge that this sin of racism has been embedded in our nation for centuries, causing incalculable pain, hardship, and death. Racism is expressed in active, intentional discrimination and devaluation as well as in passive acceptance of ideas, stereotypes, systems and structures that perpetuate inequity. Racism continues to plague our institutions, systems, communities and individuals. 

3. We acknowledge that the church has long been complicit in racist systems throughout our nation’s history. And in particular, the Presbyterian heritage of which we share a common history, carries a horrible record of racism, including the discouragement of African-Americans from attending predominately white churches, false teaching on racial superiority and interracial marriage, and the turning of a blind eye towards racist sins of its members. 

4. We join with our fellow PCA member churches and presbyteries in repenting of the sin of racism, and affirm this statement approved by the 44th Assembly of the PCA in 2016: “The 44th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America does recognize, confess, condemn and repent of corporate and historical sins, including those committed during the Civil Rights era, and continuing racial sins of ourselves and our fathers such as the segregation of worshipers by race; the exclusion of persons from Church membership on the basis of race.”

5. We acknowledge that in our own context at The Heights Presbyterian Church, we live within a diverse community that has experienced hardship due to racism and inequality, and so racial reconciliation must be a necessary fruit of our faithful labors in the name of Christ Jesus. 

6. We affirm that a desire to “love our neighbor as ourselves” in our context must mean loving across historic societal barriers like race, income, and class, and the church must lead our people to reflect the loveliness of Christ in this way. For those in racial and ethnic majorities, this includes increasing understanding of the ways that their majority cultural norms and preferences may create barriers to a rich and full experience of community life for racial and ethnic minorities. 

7. We affirm that the kingdom of God is and will always be a worshiping community of believers from every “tribe, tongue, and nation” (Rev. 5:9) and that culturally diverse expressions of faith in Christ are good, beautiful and vital to the spiritual growth and health of individuals and communities.