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GR Pastors Speak in Unison About Racism at Football Game

9/16/2016

13 Comments

 
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​Our community has made national news after students from Forest Hills Central, a predominantly white high school, waved a Betsy Ross flag and a Trump banner during a football game hosted by Ottawa Hills High School, a predominantly black school. The Betsy Ross flag is used by the Patriot Movement and xenophobic groups that advocate white supremacy. In the context of Grand Rapids’ history of school segregation based on race,  this action caused deep harm.

Our community’s truth is this: We have taught our children that racialized inequity is normal. We have taught them that our shameful history of slavery, segregation, and oppression is acceptable to joke about. We have not helped them take responsibility for the serious consequences of their actions, or given them a safe place to make mistakes and grow from them. As pastors who preach during what Dr. King called “the most segregated hour of the week,” we repent for our complicity in creating and maintaining religious systems that have strengthened this separation and enmity. 

All our kids -- those taught to oppress and those taught to accept oppression -- are harmed by this. They’re all victims of our racist policies, our careless polarized rhetoric, and our intentional segregation from one another. After decades of local policies that have created communities and schools intentionally segregated by race, and in the midst of a national atmosphere of vitriol and polarization, the children of this community are now reaping what we have sown.

We support the community of Forest Hills Public Schools, which is working hard to build its racial and cultural competency, and we applaud the apology Superintendent Dan Behm issued. We support the community of Grand Rapids Public Schools, and we are heartened by Superintendent Teresa Weatherall-Neal’s honest assessment of the harm caused and gracious acceptance of Behm's apology. This what good leadership looks like.

As faith leaders in Grand Rapids -- a community which Forbes has deemed both the best place to raise a white family and the worst place to start a black business -- we stand with parents and students and educators and leaders who are serious about engaging in face-to-face community dialogue, not only about our history and our current experiences, but also about how to move towards a more peaceful, just, equitable, and unified Grand Rapids.

We wish to call Grand Rapids to begin a conversation that better serves our community, and better models the sacrificial and reconciling love of Christ for our kids. We must elevate the stories of the children, teens, and families who were harmed by this incident, and allow ourselves to admit that harm occurred -- whether due to malice or ignorance. We must understand and reform the policies that have led us to exactly this moment. We must translate our dialogue into action. 

Our historic actions have created our current community; it is time to create something new. The actions we take today will shape what we will become.

--The Grand Rapids Association of Pastors (grpastors.org) is a coalition of pastors from across the denominational, racial, and economic spectrum ​committed to work toward unity, reconciliation, and justice.

Signatories to this statement:
Rev. Jathan Austin
Rev. Katherine Lee Baker
Rev. Jerry Bishop
Rev. Joyce Borger
Rev. Khary Bridgewater

Rev. Benjamin Bruins
Rev. Jerome Burton
Pastor Randy Buursma
Rev. Rodrigo Cano
Rev. Dale Dalman
​Pastor Jim Davis
Rev. Robert Dean
Rev. Chris DeBlaay
Rev. Paul DeVries
Rev. Steve De Vries

Rev. Gina Dick
Rev. Chana Edmond-Verley
Rev. Michael Fedewa
Rev. Alex Fernandez
Pastor Michael Gafa
​Rev. Jermone Glenn
​Pastor Christopher J. Hall
Rev. Dr. Timothy Mark Harris
Rev. Emmett A. Harrison Sr.
Rev Rebecca Jordan Heys
Pastor Kenneth W. Hoskins
Rev. Shannon Jammal-Hollemans
​Rev. Dr. Mary S. Hulst
Rev. James Jones
Rev. Sarah Juist
Pastor Brad Knetsch
Rev.  Jack Kooreman
Rev. Kate Kooyman
Rev. Dallas Lenear
Rev. Artie M. Lindsay
Rev. Adam Lipscomb
Rev. Andre' B. Love
​Rev. Douglas M. MacLeod
Rev. John Matias
Pastor Deborah J. McCreary
Rev. Dennis McMurray
Rev. Mark Milkamp
Pastor Samuel Moffett

Rev. Nathaniel Moody
​Rev. 
Cynthia Nawrocki
Rev. Billy Norden
Rev. Mara Joy Norden

Rev. Dan Oglesby
Rev. Angel Ortiz
​
Rev. Nurya Love Parish
Pastor JR Pittman
Rev. Jen Porter
Pastor Leatha Roberts
Pastor Byron Salguero
Pastor Amy Schenkel

Rev. Charlie Selmon
Rev. Stedford E. Sims, Sr.
Rev. Tanner Smith

Rev. Chase R. Stancle
Rev.  Chandler Stokes
Pastor Peter TeWinkle

Rev Andrew Vanover
Mr. Jason Vermeulen
Rev. Joshua Wall
Pastor Willie E. Waver II
​Rev. Mike Wernick

Rev. Les Wiseman
​
13 Comments
A (former) 40-Year Resident link
9/17/2016 12:46:48 am

The parents or youth who displayed the symbols of intolerance were likely feeling well supported by the State of Michigan's self-appointed slogan, "Welcome to Pure Michigan"; a notorious and clear message to all entering that domain! Need we further use the severe example of regentrification that has demolished the historical richness of the City of Detroit? It is thoughtful that the Pastors joined together to acknowledge unity of thought in the name of the Son of God; what will be the lines of action that will transform the emerging culture of Grand Rapids, ne the State?

Signed
A former 30-year resident of Grand Rapids / a 40-year resident of the State of Michigan

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Concerned citizen link
9/17/2016 07:48:17 am

This is not how Jesus would have handled conflict! Jesus would have gathered with the people to talk and not label an entire community and plastered a photo of minor children (with other children in the background) and run to the media. Jesus would have come together to talk to each other. I am appalled to be reading such an article from those who claim to represent Jesus and the Bible. The way you are showing how "Bible following people" resolve issues is disheartening and sickening. Your comment says face-to-face but no one is talking face-to-face. You all are hiding behind paper and social media and your title of pastors. Where is the face-to-face dialogue. The way in which your organization is resolving community issues needs to readdress and be looked at through a microscope. The way you misrepresent how Jesus would of solved community conflict, in your letter above, is why so many people do not want to be part of the Jesus culture.

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Dave
9/17/2016 10:19:16 am

Ironic that your complaint is handled in the same way you are ripping them for handling their complaint. Meet with them as you said

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Concerned citizen
9/18/2016 09:16:28 am

Show me where you met with the public. I was not invited. Give all the people an avenue to speak with your organization about this matter. Do you have a phone number ? Do you have a forum the public was invited to? Are you hosting another public meeting? Again, the media is more involved prior to speaking with all people of the community. I have seen this issue back on the news Sunday 9/18. And your organization wants to help this be a teachable thing? That was exactly what I was referring to, there is no open communications with the entire community. Now the news says to read your letter which is on the internet. I sit here typing and have no person to person contact. Many are hiding behind letters and photos and the media. Talk to all the people face to face before posting to the media. The media should be used after the people have a chance to talk. And used in a positive way. Not everyone is in agreement with what your letter says. Are you willing to listen to how others view things? With how this is being handled, I am not feeling any unity and resolution.

Steven link
9/17/2016 10:54:10 am

Jesus responded to people differently; ranging from spanking grown men in the temple to calling leaders sons of the devil (John 8). Let Scripture be the authority on how Jesus handled things not your feelings in the moment. If you think this is divisive then you have led a charmed life, real divisiveness is a threatening phone call, burned cross on your yard or a broken window.

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Common Sense
9/18/2016 01:20:52 am

Your right, Jesus would not have handled it that way, but Jesus was not there. Such a shame that (a) mortal human(s) have to make the moral statements so desperately needed in these situations.

"When dealing with (W.R. white) Christians, their word isn't worth crap, not with the good Lord telling them how to screw others. The clergy should be applauded for doing as jesus would 'expect of others'. FHC christians about ready to vote for Hitler number 2 should reconsider their faith....

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Debbie kroes
9/18/2016 05:15:32 pm

I am a Bible believing Christian and I agree with "Concerned Citizen" 's post. I Know that the information originally put out was very one-sided. Everyone is sorry for the fact that some were offended, but the "facts" presented were not accurate. It was someone's perception. It's always good to have discussion, but NOT on social media without a thorough investigation. Some people love to hate the people they perceive as over privileged. It's as big a shame as what the students were accused of.

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Staff Sergeant, US Army retired: GRPS educated
9/20/2016 12:53:00 am

Concerned citizen. Your the comments seem to be a little "whitewashed"... do you also believe that the Jesus with the pale white face it's on the walls of many Anglo churches to be a proper depiction of the image of what Jesus would have look like?
Black churches have always then the place was African Americans came to cry over the racism segregation and pains that they experienced on an everyday basis. For these pastor to reach out is a step towards progress. It's one step towards being part of the solution and not part of the problem.
You may want to voice your opinions by setting up a news conference and Gathering everybody from the city together. That would show that you have the connections that would be able to entitle you to utilize those assets. These pastors have an asset and have used it in the most positive way that they could collectively use it.
As a former altar boy for First Community AME Church in the Grand Rapids area I experience more people smiling in my face and stabbing me in the back then I could come home to endure after my 23 years serving in the United States military... thus, I chose to retire and deep south where I face less racism and discrimination.
God bless you all and I pray we will try to work together to be part of the solution.

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Lee
9/17/2016 01:15:39 pm

A lot pastors signed this letter concerning this big nothing burger. Talk about Christian zealots trying to impose their morality on others! Where are the atheists and ACLU now that the clergy seeks to involve themselves in this public school matter? Seriously, getting offended for the sake of getting offended may give one a short-term high, a temporary feeling of empowerment and moral superiority, but it's really no way to go through life.

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Tom Jefferson
9/17/2016 04:41:17 pm

"As faith leaders in Grand Rapids -- a community which Forbes has deemed both the best place to raise a white family and the worst place to start a black business "

I don't expect so-called faith leaders to lie, but after looking at the Forbes article dated 4 April 2012---that I believe they refer to....lie they did. I found nothing of the sort in the article written in Forbes unless they are making the bizarre leap that the image of white parents and children on the article is somehow a "coded" message of whites only---Leftist disgust me and for so-called faith leaders to imply racism is the message of the article is simply disgusting. Are we now to assume that if some image shows a white person only without requisite number of minorities somehow that is racist. This is simply extreme Leftist nonsense at its worst while wearing the mantle of faith.

"As pastors who preach during what Dr. King called “the most segregated hour of the week,”

It seems to me that these holy rollers need to practice what they preach.... Nothing holding them back from setting an example.....before calling on others to practice this strange form of self flagellation based on the color of their skin, perhaps these race obsessed Pastors leave for the inner city to preach rather than staying with their segregated flocks......

Here is the link to the Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2012/04/04/the-best-cities-for-raising-a-family/#64d4d5635cc5

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Kate
9/18/2016 09:09:48 am

Thanks for the good question, Tom. I'm one of the pastors who signed the statement, so I will attempt to clarify my own thoughts on this.

The statement's wording was purposefully different than Forbes' wording. It is, I think, more truthful. The Forbes reports do uncover data about how difficult the economic situation is for African Americans in GR (http://www.grbj.com/articles/81533-grand-rapids-ranks-among-worst-economically-for-african-americans). The data used to rank Grand Rapids so high for raising a family (housing cost, average income, quality of schools, etc.) thus does not apply for African Americans. It is simply *not* the best place to live -- instead it's the worst -- if you're black.

It is true that the media failed to differentiate this -- which I see as evidence of our media/culture's insistence that what is "normal" is the white experience. Forbes doesn't say "white families," but looking into the data makes it clear that this isn't true for black families. These discrepancies, as well as this default white-centered perspective, are both examples of the kind of racism I am committed to naming and working to end.

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Rev. Drew Brennan
9/18/2016 06:51:37 am

Dear Fellow Ministers,

I applaud your desire to make a difference in our community regarding race and justice. Many of you undoubtedly already provide outstanding leadership in this area. I join in your prayer for God to redeem this incident for the healing and unification of our community. With that in mind, I hope that you will hear my concern.

Since most of you don’t know me, I’ll bore you with a quick introduction. I’ve spent most of my life advocating for social justice. Since 2005, my work has been primarily in the military and veteran context. Before that, I was much more involved locally. My earlier work included Seminarians for Social Justice at Calvin Seminary, almost five years as an outreach case manager working with often-abused/neglected older adults living in Kent County’s economically poorest neighborhoods, streets, motels, institutions, etc., and a year at the Access to Justice Clinic at GR campus of Cooley Law School (I actually squeezed in a law degree to better equip myself for the cause). I also have my own experience of childhood poverty. Today, through a somewhat complicated story that I won’t explain here, my family and I now live in Ada. My oldest son is a freshman at FHC.

I tell you all of this not to tout my own social justice credentials, or lack thereof, but to hopefully demonstrate that I’m in this with you. I desperately want this community—to include GR & Ada—to thrive and to live fully in the beauty of God’s diversity.

Here’s my request:

Please actively pursue the things committed to in this statement. Our community needs action as consistent as possible with the statements you signed. Our churches are a critical component of the change that you envision.

Please also let “dialogue” be dialogue. So much of what I’ve seen so far from folks on “our side” of this issue, has not been dialogue but rather what comes across as self-congratulatory, damning, and/or shaming statements about how we’re showing courage by responding with social media posts, how we're appalled, won’t put up with this, etc. From what I can tell, the FHC students and administrators were quick to change their behavior (the boys with the offending flags put them away in the 3rd quarter when the issue was raised), to apologize, and to commit to change. It seldom helps to heap shame upon repentant sinners—especially upon what appears to be the ignorance-based sins of children.

Few in this type of instance want to hear about grace for the offender; it reeks of those concepts we now so casually throw around like white privilege, white fragility, and so forth. But if you are interested in dialogue, it may also be worth considering the shaming impact of a media frenzy where thousands upon thousands of times a story gets shared and then greeted by words and emoticons expressing outrage and disgust. Outrage and disgust. Outrage and disgust . . .

I’ve noticed the impact in my own family. In the days immediately following the game, my kids (and their friends who I’ve spoken with) seemed quite open to considering how others viewed, and were impacted by, the FHC students’ actions. But as the photos and narrative continued to spread like wildfire, I noticed a shift from openness toward defensiveness. As a parent and member of the FHC community, I commit to doing my part to help this return to being a teachable moment.

As you flesh-out the commitments that you articulated in your statement, please consider the power and the impact of the language, images, symbols you chose. As you pursue a “more peaceful, just, equitable, and unified Grand Rapids” please remain mindful of the subtle otherization of those you might, consciously or subconsciously, view as barriers to that goal. Where sins abounds may grace abound much more.

For anybody that read this, thanks for listening.

Rev. Drew Brennan

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Barbara Fitzgerald
9/21/2016 08:20:45 pm

Truth matters. The disgraceful letter from Dan Behm, Democrat financial supporter, who whitewashes his own politics to advance the false accusation of students who support Trump as racists, needs to be fired. Nothing short of Dan Behm's dismissal is acceptable to me.

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