Faith leaders in Chattanooga have released a framework for addressing racism in the church, part of an ongoing effort in the city to bridge the racial divide among houses of worship.
The L.E.A.D. pledge – standing for listen, embrace, advocate and dream – offers a framework for Christians who are not racist but may not be familiar with anti-racism work, said Nicole Parker, an adjunct professor at Southern Adventist University and author of the “Tales of the Exodus” series for children.
Parker wrote the pledge alongside her four teenage children and their friends based on her family’s experience of church attempts to embrace multicultural approaches to faith.
“Many white people are paralyzed by not fully understanding how racism operates and their own fear about saying the wrong thing or doing the wrong thing,” Parker said.
Troy Brand, senior pastor of Orchard Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, took the pledge and started gathering support among local clergy. As of Wednesday, at least 150 clergy and at least 300 church members from Chattanooga and beyond have signed.