We recognize:

• There are no white people in the Bible

• We follow a Savior who was a brown-skinned Palestinian Jew.

• The White Church has a 2000 year history of colonizing nations, which included the genocide of black and indigenous people by explorers and missionaries.

• We have a lot of repentance and repair to do for the harm caused to our black, brown, and indigenous siblings.

• We are obligated to understand the harm caused by our ancestors, and by the continuing harm of white supremacy in our nation and world.

• The land on which we live and worship was violently stolen from Indigenous people. Our land was once home to the Illini, Osage, Missouria, Oto, and Mississippians. It was home to enslaved Africans and their enslavers.

• Black Lives Matter.

• White supremacy is sin.

To understand the harm we have caused, and to reduce future harm, we are undertaking intentional efforts to decolonize our lives, our worship, and our church. We vow to:

• Listen, read, and learn.

• Center the stories and truths of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, their art, music, histories, ideas and wisdom.

• Respond to and support requests for action and assistance by BIPOC.

• Collaborate with BIPOC individuals and organizations, centering their needs and requests, and welcoming their leadership.

• Incorporate our learning into our practice.

• Do justice.