wfn.org | 13 Anti-Racism Training Grants Awarded

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1-February-1999 
99036 
 
    13 Anti-Racism Training Grants Awarded 
 
    by Jerry L. Van Marter 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Building on the work of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s 
Racism and Racial Violence Initiative Team, the denomination's Office for 
Racial Justice, in partnership with the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, 
recently awarded 13 matching grants for anti-racism training in the church 
and community. 
 
    The grants were funded by offering receipts at the 1997 Peacemaking 
Conferences, "Facing Racism: In Search of the Beloved Community." 
 
    Recipients include St. Mark's Presbyterian Church, Tucson, Ariz.; 
Presbyterian Church of Broomfield, Colo.; First Presbyterian Church, Lyons, 
N.Y.; First Presbyterian Church, Farmington N.M., in partnership with the 
Presbytery of Santa Fe; Detroit Presbytery; the Presbytery of the Western 
Reserve, the Peacemaking Committee of Philadelphia Presbytery; Sheppards 
and Lapsley Presbytery; the Sierra Mission Partnership of the Synod of the 
Pacific; the Synod of the Southwest, Columbia Theological Seminary's 
Committee on Discrimination and Inclusiveness; and the Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) 
NAACP Branch #2306. 
 
    The grants represent part of a larger strategy encouraging the 
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to take a prophetic role in combating racism. 
The initiative team recently finished a report titled, "Facing Racism: A 
Vision of the Beloved Community," to be presented to the 1999 General 
Assembly. 
 
    Another component of the initiative team's strategy is anti-racism 
training for church leaders. In February 1997, members of General Assembly 
Council participated in an introduction to anti-racism training. As a 
result, the GAC recommended that a similar introduction be presented to 
commissioners to the 1999 General Assembly. The GAC also instructed the 
executive director to provide for anti-racism training for General Assembly 
staff, and encouraged all entities of the denomination to do the same. 
 
    "One of the strong indicators of a growing commitment of Presbyterians 
to deal with racism comes from Presbyterian Women," said the Rev. Otis 
Turner of the Racial Justice Office.  "They have made addressing racism a 
priority, and have expressed their intent to equip their 300,000-member 
constituency to work on racism in local congregations. This is 
unprecedented." 
 
    A team of "core trainers" will be trained at the General Assembly level 
in the spring of 1999 and will be available to facilitate anti-racism 
events across the denomination beginning in the fall of 1999. A leader's 
manual and other resources also are being developed. 
 
    "The 13 groups receiving these anti-racism grants are just an example 
of a much broader-based effort," said Sara Lisherness, an associate with 
the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.  "Peacemaking leaders throughout the 
church have indicated that racism and racial violence are at the top of the 
agenda for many peacemaking committees." 
 
    A limited number of grants will be available in 1999. For a grant 
application, call the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program at 1-800-338-4987.  

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