In the wake of the horrific violence that resulted from a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend, our hearts break for the families of those who lost their lives at the event, namely Heather Heyer, who was killed when James Alex Fields allegedly drove a car through a crowd of counter-protesters, and two troopers — Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-pilot Berke M.M. Bates. May God bring their loved ones comfort and hope in the face of their tragic loss.
As followers of Jesus, we must speak out against the evil of racism, white supremacy and neo-Nazism that prompted the demonstration. We declare with the authority of scripture that all people are created in the image of God, and that no so-called race is inherently superior to any other. We call all of Mennonite Church USA to be watchful and open to the Spirit of God, inspiring and emboldening us to stand together with people who are the target of hate solely because of the color of their skin, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
We support the people of faith and all people of good will who are uniting in a spirit of hope and love to resist the influence of hate groups around the country. We call all of Mennonite Church USA to pray for justice and mercy in our nation, that we may grant to all the dignity and respect which they deserve as people loved by God, and for whom Christ died.
Ervin Stutzman
Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA