Emmaus Way is a faith community captivated by the Gospel that strives toward embodied justice in Durham and the world at large. Jesus’s radical teachings and our shared humanity compel us to condemn the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others by the police. We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement and decry the injustices, inequities, and oppression that are embedded within the many systems of our society. We recognize as well that there is much work to be done to correct subconscious racist biases at the individual level.

Standing up to oppression is not a new phenomenon; BIPOC people in the United States and worldwide have been consistently raising their voices for liberation. Emmaus Way is committed to doing the work of listening, reflecting, supporting, protesting, petitioning, and standing with Black people who deserve infinitely more than this state of affairs. We will remain engaged in this struggle for sweeping political and cultural change. 

We want to emphasize that true commitment must be lived out in the particular as well. To our Black family, friends, and co-ministers, we see and hear you. This also goes for Indigenous and other people of color who are connected to our community. We are listening, and we will keep listening. We will be checking in with you. We lift you up in solidarity and love. To our white family, friends, and co-ministers, please consider that the fight against white supremacy has for too long fallen on the shoulders on BIPOC people. Remember to check in with your BIPOC loved ones and—this is crucial—take on the responsibility to engage yourselves and your white loved ones into this struggle.

Lastly, our statement on anti-racism and in support of BIPOC is a living document. We do not see ourselves as “arrived” in this space. As a community, we pledge to continually lean into Jesus’s teachings and learn, and then re-learn, how to faithfully walk alongside God’s work in liberation for all people. We are open to critique concerning this document and our positioning to racial justice in general.

—Emmaus Way Lead Team