At its Annual General Meeting held last week, Churches Together in Luton (CTL) reflected, reviewed and renewed its commitment to the cause of racial reconciliation and justice.
The Black Lives Matter movement, which began in 2013 but gained global prominence after George Flyod was killed in the United States in May 2020, encourages everyone to work for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted and where their humanity, contributions to society, and resilience in the face of deadly oppression are recognised, acknowledged, valued, and affirmed.
In order to achieve these goals, Churches Together in Luton (CTL) launched an Ecumenical Interdenominational Commission on Racial Justice and urged church leaders to talk honestly about their experiences of racism, their hopes for the future, and their regrets for the past.
Conveners Tony Thompson and Vincent Cox said, “Our talking together has helped in building deep, meaningful, honest relationships, something that has been repeatedly mentioned as the key to racial reconciliation. Our conversations have helped us to identify how we can look at history, even the painful parts so that we can build together a new future, through forgiveness and defeating strongholds that have existed for generations.”
When asked what the expected outcomes of this commission are, Vincent Cox responded, “We are mindful of the fact that real change may bring pain and we are ready to confront it. We are looking to discern, define, explain and understand, what does it mean to be black in the UK and in Luton? How and why do black communities and people often find themselves at the bottom of the upside-down pyramid of the so-called BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) communities?”
“It is about identifying and articulating disadvantages that the racialised and in particular black communities face in our town before we can begin to think of articulating solutions and strategies to create equity around those disadvantages.”
CTL Chair Michael Singleton said, “It is important we advance our knowledge of racism, its history, and its consequences. We must break the silence and work towards the change that is needed. And change costs – some will have to lose power in order for some to gain power – only then we can justifiably establish the ideal of a just peace, equality, and equity.”
Isaac Borquaye, known as Guvna B – a UK Gospel rapper, author, and broadcaster, once said if your Church is not talking about these issues then you are part of the problem. Quoting him, Vincent Cox concluded “Our goal is redemptive change leading to racial reconciliation. Together we must seek the change within churches and between churches to then seek change in the world.”
L to R: David Jonathan (Johny) of GRASSROOTS Luton, Pas Llyod Denny of Restoration Revival Fellowship, Bishop Richard Atkinson (C of E), Pas Vincent Cox of New Testament Church of God & Revd Patrick Kandeh, South Beds Methodist Circuit Superintendent