Dear cathedral community and friends,
For many years and in many ways, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul has been a voice for racial justice in the city, the Commonwealth, and beyond. Preachers, pastors, and lay leaders from the cathedral have inspired and led work for policy change to honor the dignity of all people. Our congregations and cathedral chapter have prayed for and marched for an end to racial violence and oppression. Our cathedral has consistently taught that racial prejudice has no foundation in scripture and no place in the Church.
But we have not done enough. Our cathedral has not responded adequately to the long-persisting crisis of racial oppression against Black and brown people. Our congregations, clerical and lay staff, and cathedral chapter have not engaged in self-examination about how we, as individuals, perpetuate white supremacy culture, nor have we interrogated the founders, finances, and functioning of the cathedral to acknowledge how we have done harm and continue to do so. We have not built durable relationships with justice organizations led by people of color, so that we can be consistent allies on the ground in Boston for the work of racial justice.
We repent of these sins. We are late in confessing them. But we know that we are both profoundly broken and deeply trusting in God’s power to transform and use us for the work of reconciliation. We also know that repentance is not just a press release, but a commitment to right action. We want to share the actions we are taking and ask you to hold us accountable for following through.
So today, after consultation with chapter, the staff, and the lay leadership of the cathedral, I commit our cathedral to working towards being an anti-racist institution. By this, I mean that we are prioritizing a commitment to actively participate in the ending of white supremacy culture and the creation of a just and equitable society.
Our first steps will include:
- A thorough racism audit of our current practices in staffing, funding and investments, worship and ministry.
- Discernment of what form of reparations we are called to.
- A cathedral-wide read of How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi this summer, with facilitated discussion to follow in September.
- Anti-bias training for all clerical and lay staff and members of chapter, by the end of 2020, and a commitment to further training as an ongoing practice here.
- Consultation with an equity consultant to help us assess and determine next steps following those listed above.
We embrace this commitment, understanding it to be central to the Way of Love to which we are called by Christ and asking you to hold us accountable when we come up against aspects of it that we resist or neglect.
Faithfully,
