The Church has for too long avoided these conversations about race. What does it look like to Biblically bring this to our congregations? What do we tell the world if we don’t? This will be a breakout with an emphasis on dialogue and practical suggestions. Collectively, Pastor Ealey and Pastor Solis have led mixed or transitioning congregations with a commitment to Christ-centered racial justice for 40 years.

“Pursuing holiness without doing justice is like trying to play baseball without a bat.” This workshop will explore the primary meaning of both justice and holiness in the Bible and the relationship between them. We will briefly survey representative biblical passages across the canon to show: (1) that the essence of God’s character is holiness and that God’s commitment to restorative justice is part and parcel of what it means to be God; and (2) that God calls God’s people to reflect his holy character and individuals and communities can only do that by practicing restorative justice.

The intent of this workshop is to shed light on the historical inequities of the housing markets in America. From the abolishment of slavery to WWII, the GI Bill, and the Housing Market Crash. Also to examine the wealth gap created by the inequities and the inherent trauma produced by ghettos with limited resources.

God has given us a picture of what the Body of Christ is supposed to become in Revelation 7. This will not happen by accident, but through faithful members of God’s family working intentionally to build relationships with “all the tribes, tongues, and nations of the world.” What might it look like to start this in your own church? What might it look like to partner with a church of a culture different from your own? Together we will explore some practical and theological approaches to creating multicultural ministry that can be a greater blessing to our whole community.

For People of Color working towards unity through racial justice in the Church it can be a long hard journey. Along this journey POC need support, encouragement and a safe place to share experiences with others on the same path. This breakout session will be that safe space. It is for POC and facilitated by POC to talk about healing from racial trauma and how to identify internalized racism and to pray for one another.

We will explore the history of racism in Church history by watching clips from a documentary, White Savior, Racism In The American Church. Then we will have a conversational discussion on the current condition of the American Church largely separated from each other in Black and White and other ethnic churches. We will discuss the complexity of reconciliation and ways to obey Lord Jesus’ command to be united and love one another.

Hearing the word “reparations” can generate a variety of responses in people. But what are the facts that should inform our understanding of this little explored subject? How important are reparations to justice? And are there options for the fulfillment of this controversial topic? This breakout will be a conversation with practical suggestions to help encourage further study into this important theme.