Our hearts are heavy, and we grieve with the people of Jacksonville, Florida, which has become yet another city torn apart by evil and hate. On August 26, 2023, three people were killed because of the color of their skin. We pray for the families of Angela Carr, A.J. Laguerre, and Jerrald Gallion, as well as the entire community of Jacksonville.
While we continue to pray for these families, we must all continue to stand together against evil and violence. We, the Beacon and Sound District Dismantling Racism Teams, stand against all acts of violence towards persons of every color. We seek not only to be anti-racist but to actively engage in dismantling racism. We invite everyone to join us to stand up in love against all hate crimes and all instances of violence and evil perpetrated against persons of color.
On August 28, 1963, in his “I Have A Dream” speech, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.” Every person has a right to live in a safe and peaceful environment. Now is the time for the clergy and laity of the North Carolina Annual Conference to live into Jesus’ great commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. We can do that by standing up for our brothers whom society claims as equals but yet are too often treated as unequal. Learn and do the work God has called us to do with kindness, compassion, and, above all, love for one another.