The Rocky Mountain Conference Racial Justice Ministry team consists of authorized ministers and lay persons across the conference. The purpose of this team is to empower and challenge local congregations and leaders to recognize systemic racism in their structures and within their local contexts and actively participate in the work of racial justice.  

This page is one of the ways this team seeks to support local congregations in engaging in this work. It is designed to offer various resources that can help individual congregations have productive conversations about race and also help congregations further discern how they can actively participate in racial justice.

Got a resource that you’d like to see on this list? Send us an email, and we’ll add it to the page.

Educational Resources

Looking to read up on the history and impact of racism? Check out this recommended book list. We also invite you to explore the podcasts, videos, and talking tips listed below.

Tips for Talking about Racism with your Congregation

Talking about race and racism can be uncomfortable. It can be difficult to find and use the right kinds of words to speak about race and racism. When we gather to talk about race and racism, we are gathered because we know that we must engage this conversation about racism, about white supremacy not just for the sake of ourselves but for the sake of our neighbors, those we call strangers and for the sake of the world which God loves.

Sanctuary is so often a term relegated to houses of worship as a tangible space containing pews, pulpit, paraments, font, and table. In our meetings, in groups large, small, virtual, and in-person, we may create sanctuary. We create sanctuary, not by the procurement of physical implements but by establishing an open and defined space of covenant. Sanctuary means freedom to be, to share, to learn. The following rules are offered to guide us in discussion and common life together. Other rules may be added for the sake of any particular group.

• Don’t be afraid of awkward silence

• Assume good intent

• Remember, we are all teachers and learners

• Use ‘I’ statements when speaking about your experience of yourself and the world

• Avoid generalizations

• Be mindful of the content and frequency of your speech

• Apologize if you have made a mistake

• Hold yourself and others accountable

• Keep confidence with this community. While it may be helpful to share insights from the group, it’s a breach of trust to share names or other identifying information.

• Remember that discomfort is not danger

Our Approach

In the Rocky Mountain Conference, UCC, we aim to take comprehensive approach to dismantling racism in our midst. Infused into each action of the Antiracism ministry are the following tenets:

• Education and Consciousness-Raising: Sharing knowledge about what racism is and the effects of racism
• Faith Formation and Nurture: Cultivate faith that calls out injustice and strengthens resolve for antiracist action
• Activism: Bring attention to injustice through available means
• Reflection and Assessment: Evaluate actions to measure efficacy