Has Anyone Heard of the Matthew 25 Movement?
The Matthew 25 movement is a PCUSA initiative that encourages congregations to work toward three goals: building congregational vitality, dismantling structural racism, and eradicating systemic poverty. Currently, 1,230 congregations, 97 mid-councils (presbyteries and synods), and 70 other groups have committed to helping the denomination become a more relevant presence worldwide. There are three secondary foci: climate change, militarism, gender justice, and heteropatriarchy. All kinds of activities fall under these umbrellas – working for affordable housing, tutoring and mentoring, helping people with addiction or mental health issues, and working for policy changes.
Our presbytery has a Dismantling Racism Team working with the Presbytery of Baltimore’s DRT to sponsor a Matthew 25 Regional Summit at the First Presbyterian Church of Howard County (Columbia, MD) on Saturday, October 26. There will be two plenaries, nine workshops, opening and closing worship, and lunch. The speaker at the first plenary will be Rev. Jermaine Ross-Allam, the Director of the Office of Repair of Historic Harms (PCUSA). Jermaine is a wonderfully gifted speaker who notes that if we say we will never dismantle structural racism in our lifetime, we will never really start. We can progress on reparations by focusing on specific communities and harms. The work that Georgetown University is doing to provide justice to the descendants of the slaves it sold to keep itself going is a case in point. The speaker at the second plenary will be Amanda Tyler, Executive Director of the Baptist Joint Committee, speaking on ending Christian Nationalism.
The cost for participants is $35 and scholarships are available. There are links on the flyer to the registration form and to the schedule for the day. Adlai Amor and Miriam Dewhurst are members of the NCP Dismantling Racism Team and also members of the M25 Summit planning team and would welcome any questions that you have. Please come if you can.
Registration due October 15th. Sign up here.
