16 September 2019
At General Conference, we celebrated the first 50 years of MCC and there is much to celebrate. At the same time, we look toward a new birth as MCC moves into the next 50 years.
We, the Council of Elders and the Governing Board, want to acknowledge that the past several years have been challenging both systemically and personally for many of our people and our denomination.
We offer a sincere apology for any of the ways
which we participated in or contributed
to this very real dynamic.
We strive to do better – that is our covenant with you and one another.
As leadership bodies, in conjunction with the Moderator, we will begin to address the issues of racism, sexism, ageism, communication and U.S.-centrism that we face as a fellowship. We realize that there are likely many other issues that we will need to deal with as well, but these are the ones that we are most aware of at the moment.
We want to be a part of “new things” that God is bringing to MCC and the world. We want to share in the opportunities that are present with this new era in MCC. Our deep desire is not just to talk about the new day, but to let our actions speak louder than our words.
In order to work toward healing and move forward to a new day in MCC, we are committed to starting to work on the “new things” by focusing on our shared values of inclusion, community, spiritual transformation, and justice. Additionally, we, as your leadership bodies, are committed to pray for one another, to nurture our relationship through joint meetings, and by developing and implementing shared goals and objectives.
We ask you to join us as we covenant together
to pray for one another and our future.
Together, let us invite the Spirit to speak boldly and eloquently to us, forming our relationships and mission. Together, let us put our best selves forward by modeling grace and being a source of encouragement. Together, we can surprise ourselves and the world with our personal and corporate transformation.
We thank God for all the saints who have contributed to our rich history, and we thank God for all the saints, here now and yet to come, who will participate in the new thing God is calling us to be together. We thank you for your heart and love for MCC. Together let us find what the new day brings and remember to give thanks and praise to our amazing and faithful God who is leading us forward.
