EQUITY & INCLUSION

Partnering with our presbyteries to be the hands and feet of Presbyterian Church (USA) mission strategy includes:

1. Building communities of faith that advocate for equity for all people and God’s creation, including:

a. Providing financial resources for American Indian and Peoples of Color to have opportunities to obtain leadership experience or education.

b. Sharing information to empower congregations and presbyteries to work to change laws that perpetuate economic exploitation of people and natural resources.

2. Building communities of hope that take risks to demonstrate God’s new creation by:

a. Providing resources to presbyteries for innovative approaches to dismantle poverty in their area;

b. Witnessing to the resurrection of diversity in our structures of community and ministry; and

c. Advocating for access to mental-health resources for all people in all areas.

3. Building communities of love that seek reconciliation and actively tear down walls that separate God’s children from each other by:

a. Providing resources to presbyteries that work in specific ways to dismantle white privilege and systemic racism;

b. Affirming our Native American roots by encouraging a portion of each sale of building/land within the Synod be set aside for American Indian ministry;

c. Building and strengthening those who are estranged, marginalized or strangers and eliminating barriers to the communities of love; and

d. Participating in and advocating for interfaith cooperation and partnerships.

4. Building communities of service and witness that point beyond self to the Good News of God’s grace by:

a. Creating awareness of and eliminating systems, beliefs and practices that underlie discrimination, poverty, homelessness, criminal injustice systems, and other areas of oppression;

b. Strengthening Presbyterian camp and conference ministries as well as Presbyterian collegiate ministries throughout the Synod; and

c. Encouraging presbyteries and their congregations to become Matthew 25 entities.