PROPOSED STATEMENT ON ANTI-RACISM
LABC is in the process of affirming a congregation wide Statement on Anti-Racism. At the present time, our Anti-Racism Study Group has authored a statement that has been received and affirmed by the Church Council. During this time of education and conversation, this statement is available below:
We, the people of Lake Avenue Memorial Baptist Church, Rochester New York, publicly affirm that White privilege and racism are sins that pervade our culture and our church communities. We hear the call for justice and for the dismantling of systems of oppression from those who cry out that “Black Lives Matter.”
We also acknowledge that White privilege and racism affect us spiritually, interpersonally, institutionally, and throughout society. Therefore, we seek to make plain in word and deed the way of justice and righteousness for all of God's people.
Scripture tell us that God shows no partiality (Acts 10:34); that we must love and care for our neighbor as ourself (Luke 10:27). We join with the Old Testament prophets in condemning greed, abuse of power, abuse of the poor, injustice, and haughtiness since we realize that all of these exist within racial inequities and White privilege. In short, we stand with the prophet Micah who proclaims that we are called to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
We make this Statement because to remain silent is to give agreement to prevailing social norms that support racial injustice. As a congregation, as individuals, and as the body of Christ, we commit our time, education, resources and caring concern to actionable and accountable ways of following our God in the paths of peace, equity and justice.