Overture 04-72. On an Introduction to Antiracism Training for Assemblies in 2006, 2008, and 2010, and at General Assembly Council Meetings—From the Presbytery of San Francisco.

The Presbytery of San Francisco overtures the 216th General Assembly (2004) to direct the General Assembly Council to do the following:

1. Provide an introduction to antiracism training for all commissioners attending the 217th General Assembly (2006), the 218th General Assembly (2008), and the 219th General Assembly (2010).

2. Evaluate the ongoing need for and impact of such events and make recommendations to the 219th General Assembly (2010) about holding such events at future General Assemblies.

3. Provide antiracism trainings for all the members of the General Assembly Council in their meetings for the number of years described in 1 and 2.

Rationale

We believe that we are all created by God in God’s image, have infinite value in the eyes of God, and are made one in Jesus Christ.

We confess that our society created a system of white privilege or racism by incorporating policies and procedures based on negative stereotypes of people of color into the normal operations of our institutions.

We confess that although progress toward equality has been made, this racism remains widespread and continues to damage and diminish all of us, our churches, our society, and its institutions.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) recognizes that the task of dismantling racism is a long-term struggle that requires discernment, prayer, and worship-based action (Facing Racism: A Vision of the Beloved Community, Minutes, 1999, Part I, pp. 273ff, esp. 284).

The 210th General Assembly (1998) approved the Racial Ethnic Immigrant Growth Strategy, which sets the goal of increasing racial ethnic membership to 10 percent by 2005 and 20 percent by 2010, and notes the necessity of understanding and dismantling racism in order to reach this goal.

We have many congregations composed by new immigrants, worshiping in their own languages and looking to be accepted, included, and recognized with their unique cultures and traditions to enrich the PC(USA).

The National Ministries Division developed and led a three-hour introduction to antiracism training for all commissioners to the 213th General Assembly (2001).

More than 800 people attended this event, and it led to an increase in antiracism awareness and training across the PC(USA).