Month: February 2021

Bearing witness is not about immediately trying to fix things. It is not another version of the white savior complex. Rather, bearing witness involves attentive presence and deep listening by those with relatively greater social power. When we talk about peace with justice, we cannot skip immediately to the comfort of peace. The path to justice disrupts unjust structures. Antiracism work does not allow us to remain comfortable. Bearing witness to antiracism is a necessary aspect of the work of justice.

In this interview, I share about bearing witness as a spiritual discipline of attentive presence with our neighbors. Social justice work is something we have to train to do well. It is a spiritual discipline.

February 10, 2021. Grandview United Methodist Church announced final plans to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church today. With a 90% affirmative vote by the congregation’s membership, the church leadership celebrated its anticipated new beginning through a 30 minute worship service livestreamed. Grandview Church Lancaster will become an independent congregation and launch a new denomination, Grandview Methodist Connection. The process of disaffiliation will be completed with payment of $607,000 to the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC, due by March 31, 2021.

https://fb.watch/3AfB8hwYhX/

Full text of the disaffiliation resolution and story of Grandview’s open and affirming ministry.

Host Jennifer Farmer writes: As we celebrate Black History Month, I want to invite you to our February 11 Faith Talks podcast at 2:00 p.m. ET when’ll interview:

• Darryl W. Stephens, author of UMW’s 2021 Spiritual Growth study book, Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom: Living into the Church’s Moral Witness through Radical Discipleship
• The Rev. Khristi Lauren Adams, author of “Parable of the Brown Girl: The Sacred Lives of Girls of Color,” and
• Emily Jones, United Methodist Women executive for racial justice.

In this episode we’ll discuss why working for justice is part of our biblical faith, why the declaration that Black lives matter is controversial in the 21^st Century, and ways to build community within the body of Christ.

Register Faith Talks here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iJp4Al3CQlK9s9vA12fx2A.

Bearing Witness in the Kin-dom: Living Into the Church’s Moral Witness through Radical Discipleship by Darryl W. Stephens

2021 Spiritual Growth Mission Study