WE THE Council of Black Majority Churches (CBMC) together with church leaders around the UK, join in partnership and solidarity with national and International condemnation and outrage at the unlawful killing of Mr George Floyd.
In light of this sad and unfortunate event and in the shadows of the rising death toll of Covid-19, especially among BAME communities; we are standing together for justice and righteousness.
Our God is a God of justice and the issues of justice and righteousness are intrinsically close to God’s heart and ours. The Old Testament prophet Amos spoke clearly on God’s behalf when he proclaimed “Let justice flow like water and righteousness like a never-failing stream.”
As ambassadors for Christ, we are committed to justice, speaking up for the oppressed
Justice requires wisdom for right legal decisions to be administered. Righteousness requires us to do the right thing. We are therefore calling for Justice for George Floyd and his family. We recognise that all four policemen have now been charged however , this must escalate to full conviction and due penalty meted out so that his death and the deaths of all those who have died unlawfully are not in vain.
We are calling for the government to do the right thing by acknowledging systemic racism, inequality and disparities within the black and ethnic minority communities.
It is only in acknowledging truth that reconciliation, restoration, and reformation can prevail.
It is only in acknowledging truth that reconciliation, restoration, and reformation can prevail. It is evident that these longstanding issues will take time and only a collective response to eradicate them.
This can be initiated by:
1.Ensuring legislation and policies for these communities are fair.
2.Ensuring that these communities are fairly represented in key decision making positions at all levels.
3.Ensuring that our communities are adequately resourced to function effectively.
4.Ensuring appropriate education and training is provided to deal with matters of diversity, race, and culture at all levels of government institutions including educational establishments.
We are calling for change
We want to see change in the police force. Officers adequately trained to uphold the law with compassion and grace and with understanding of the needs and culture of the black community.
The criminal justice system treating our communities fairly.
We want to see lasting economic and social change for communities.
As followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ , we acknowledge that all lives matter, and it is evident from recent events and the global outcry that black lives are included in all lives matter.
Young black lives matter
The lives of black men being brutally arrested and, in some cases, dying in custody must be taken seriously. The lives of the many black and ethnic minority medical professionals and citizens are as equally important as their colleagues from other races.
We must contend for a better future for the present and future generations for all races.
Police officers need to be adequately trained to uphold the law with compassion and grace and with understanding of the needs and culture of the black community.
As ambassadors for Christ, we are committed to justice, speaking up for the oppressed, working with key stakeholders, local and national government and institutions.
We trust that these tragic circumstances will indeed be the catalyst that on the one hand unites us, whilst on the other hand, propels us to effect the necessary bold changes for a brighter future for the black community and all communities suffering injustice everywhere.
We are agreed that enough is enough and with that said, we are emphasising and insisting as people of God that justice is served.
The lives of black men being brutally arrested and, in some cases, dying in custody must be taken seriously.
As CBMC, we urge the Government to execute righteous polices to bring about justice for victims, families and communities who are and have been and continue to suffer as a result of increasing inequity.
It is time for lasting social and economic change for the betterment of the black community and it must begin now! Over the coming weeks CBMC will be consulting with church leaders to develop its own strategic plan to address the issues above.
Supported and endorsed by:
Acts of Faith Ministries
Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic UK Bethel United Church Derby
Birmingham City Church
Birmingham Methodist Circuit
Canon Street Memorial Baptist Church
Ecclesia International
Hope in the City Christian centre
Gospel Express Kingdom Ministries
International Centre for Prayer
Kairos Ministries Centre
Light and Life Fellowship
Mount Horeb Church
New Jerusalem Apostolic Church Jabula
Perry Beeches Baptist Church
Reconciliation Ministries International
Redeemed Christian Church of God Birmingham Restorer Christian Centre. Jabula
Seventh Day Adventist Birmingham
Shiloh United Church of Christ Apostolic (worldwide) Sanctuary @ Christ Church Sparkbrook
Sparkbrook Elim Christian Centre
Triumphant Church of God
Vision Temple of Praise
Weslyan Holiness Church
Yeshua Ministries
CBMC can be contacted on Email: [email protected]
Comments Form
3 Comments
I agree with all you have said but I have a concern. We black people need to start treating each other with respect and stop the Gun and knife crime among ourselves . This behavior is a result of the post slave syndrome. There has been more black people killed in this country by black people than by white people. This black on black crime must stop. we must start loving and respecting each other or else no one else will love and respect. If we don’t love ourselves no one else will love us. This is more serious than we can imagine. i am passionate about it because it has been going on for too long. if black lives matter. They do not only matter when white people or other races kill us it matters when we kill each other. We need to examine ourselves because the majority of white people do not care. I do not think we really understand what is going on or should i say the majority of us do not have a clue.
In response to Pr Steve Palmer: there is no such thing as black on black crime! We don’t call it white on white crime when white middle aged men keep being charged for Paedophilia or when white people kill other white people. IT IS CRIME. Humans kill other humans unfortunately and yes we do need to try and reduce it. However, we know full well this is a very small percentage of the black population committing these crimes but because it is a major city and the capital of the UK it is getting more air time and the media has not been balanced in their reporting. Black people are not killing black people because they are black. They are killing each other because of lack of opportunities, disenfranchisement with education, social deprivation and proximity. However, hate crimes of murders by white supremacists and nationalists are because we are black and that needs to stop. The over policing of black people has been based on racial bias and goes back decades because the establishment wanted some reason to stop people coming to the UK. They commissioned reports to try and prove we had more fatherless homes and were more criminal at the time of Windrush, only to find the opposite. We cannot address what is going on today unless we go back and understand how it started and how we started to become a self fulfilling prophecy. Yes we need young people to stop choosing this road but it doesn’t help to feed the media and police narrative of “black on black crime” because it creates a divide. They need to start seeing us as part of society like anyone else. These are symptoms of years of systemic oppression and won’t be solved overnight but we need these organisations to start being held accountable for their behaviour so that policies and legislation and healthcare changes. Time to stop putting a plaster on these problems and get hierarchical change- top down. Great to see the Churches showing the important role they play in the community and pushing for change.
African, and African Caribbean-led Churches have not emerged as a institution that fights for political; economic or historical justice.
In short the African-led Churches does not even pretend to be a voice or set an example for England’s African-heritage men; women and youth.
The African-led Churches are politically and socially dead.