Dear friends,

For the past six weeks, many people of faith and clergy have joined the NAACP in participating in the Moral Monday protests on the lawn of the State Legislature in Raleigh. A statement was issued last week by Ted Churn, the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of New Hope, and co-signed by several religious leaders in the Raleigh area. It is an ecumenical statement on behalf of many. I shared this statement with the elders first, and they have concurred that it should be shared with the whole congregation. The Service and Mission Committee also thought it appropriate to share. Ted’s comments and a link to the letter itself are below.

Grace and peace,
Marilyn

Dear Friends,

For the past two months we have witnessed the gathering of many for Moral Monday demonstrations, opposing the actions and directions of our General Assembly. We are a diverse presbytery, composed of those who support the movement and those who believe there are other ways to address the issues in our the North Carolina Assembly.

The link below is a Joint statement by Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, and United Methodist Leaders in North Carolina.

As you read this, please bear in mind three things:

• One, the statement begins with “We as bishops and Christian leaders…” We are not speaking on behalf of the constituents in each denomination but rather as individual leaders.
• Two, the quote in the middle of the statement is from Dr. Rodney Sadler, of our own Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte.
• And three, this statement does not reflect a position on political partisanship, and it is not advocating participation in the Moral Monday protests. It recognizes that there are different means by which our brothers and sisters apply the biblical teachings of our faith.

I share this with deep love and humility as we, individually and collectively, seek to be a witness to the kingdom in our midst.

Click here to read the Joint Statement by Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic and United Methodist Leaders in North Carolina.

Faithfully,
Ted