June 18, 2020

Dear Calvary congregation and community:

On June 15, the Session of Calvary Presbyterian Church adopted a Statement Affirming Calvary’s Commitment to Antiracism, as part of our congregation’s response to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, the understandable protests that have occurred since, and our nation’s need to address and heal from the systemic racism with which we have lived for so long. The statement is attached, and will be posted on Calvary’s website.

The statement ends with a commitment to act. This is both what we believe we as faithful Christians are called to do, and it allows us to live out Calvary’s behavioral covenant that our faith calls us to action, not merely to words.  We propose that Calvary undertake educating ourselves about how we arrived at this place, how we can participate in dismantling systemic racism, and how we can become allies to our Black siblings.  We hope the congregation will participate in a discussion of possible actions, some of which will be discussed at the meeting of Session on June 30.   If you would like to be a part of this planning effort, please contact Joanne Whitt at revwhitt@calpres.org.

Please continue to hold our nation, our City, and our congregation in your prayers as we move towards greater justice, healing, and reconciliation.

On behalf of the Session,

Rev. Joanne Whitt
Betsy Dodd
Alexa Frankenberg
Marion Stanton