Our Commitment to Antiracism
A Commitment to Antiracism Within the Presbytery of Los Ranchos
By Susan Young Thornton
At its November 2025 Gathering the Presbytery of Los Ranchos adopted an Antiracism Policy, which states that we have made “a commitment to antiracism within the Presbytery of Los Ranchos.” That commitment was made because “we are called as one body in Christ believing all of humanity is created in the image of God.”
A task force gathered by then Council moderator Gail Stearns worked together to formulate that policy as required by action of the 225th General Assembly (2022) of all judicatories – synods, presbyteries, and congregations. While the Antiracism Policy Task Force went about the assignment of formulating a policy because the Book of Order requires it, they knew that more importantly God requires it.
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord
require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
It has been nearly six months since the policy was adopted and the presbytery is now undertaking its implementation. However, this policy was written not only to guide the presbytery’s work, but also as a model for congregations as they, too, go about creating a policy.
We are all busy people. Pastors and leaders have urgent responsibilities for worship, education, mission, and the care of God’s people. The first Sunday of Advent was just fifteen days after the policy was adopted when the Antiracism Policy Task Force shared its contents and answered questions about it with you. Churches celebrated Christmas, prepared for and observed Lent and Holy Week, and joyfully gathered to proclaim the good news of Easter. As we are about to enter the more quotidian days of Ordinary Time, the time is right for churches to begin thinking about and writing their own policies.
You may be asking, where do we begin? First, take a good look at the presbytery’s policy. It was written specifically to serve as an example of what such policies should contain – a purpose, definitions, theological and biblical grounding, actions, and accountability. Think about studying and reading together. A good place to begin might be with Jemar Tisby’s The Color of Compromise, a look back at the American church and its complicity in systems of injustice and racism. The point of this book is not to indict us, but to open our eyes to the traditions and cultures that have formed us and to help us understand what needs to change. You can call on the members of the Antiracism Task Force; we are gathering a list of helpful resources. While that list is not yet ready for publication, we are willing to have a conversation with you and your church’s team about which ones might fit your circumstances and context. Talk with one another, share what you have learned, be honest about what is hard and what inspires you to keep going.
We realize that this work is hard and time-consuming and that the day in and day out work of ministry continues. But God is calling us to it. As I shared in an E-News article last year…
The work of antiracism is a life-long endeavor. It is hard, necessary work. We all want to believe that we are “good people” and we do try to be, but try as we might we are people who have been acculturated into systems that privilege some and oppress others. Opening our eyes and our hearts to and confronting this truth enables us to acknowledge where and how we have fallen short and empowers us for the hard work of becoming the people God calls us to be… the work of embodying God’s love for all people.
Need help or just to talk? Contact me Susan Young Thornton or Stated Clerk Sandra Kim. We can connect you with resources, training, and others who are on the journey.
