CBF Statement on Racial Justice

Sparked by the heightened racial injustices in our country, CBFNC joins with our larger Fellowship in adopting the CBF Governing Board's Statement on Racial Justice.

The Governing Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

We, the members of the CBF Governing Board, express our grief at the heinous killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. These three precious children of God are only the latest victims in a long line of unjust murders and lynchings at the hand of hate, bigotry, white supremacy and systemic racism, endemic in our society.

We add our voices to the millions, all over the world, outraged at the lack of swift justice.

As Christians, we ask forgiveness from God for the times when we have seen injustice and “passed by on the other side” (Luke 10:31-32); when we have remained silent, when we have stayed complacent, when we have made up excuses for our indifference and prejudice. We ask forgiveness from God for the times when we preach the rhetoric of unity and love from the pulpit without doing the work. We ask forgiveness from God for the ways our lack of action has perpetuated unjust systems.

As CBF, we speak out of the deep conviction that the work of racial justice, anti-racism and the search for honest racial reconciliation are, most of all, acts of faithfulness. The prophet Micah told us long ago that the Lord requires that we “do justice.” (Micah 6:8) Paul reminded us that “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, but now God has entrusted the message of reconciliation to us.” (II Corinthians 5:16-21) So we know that doing justice and pursuing reconciliation are central to the mission of God and, therefore, necessary to Christian faith.

Statement on Racial Justice June 4, 2020

As CBF, we call for deep systemic reforms in policing practices and the larger criminal justice system. We call on our political leaders to move swiftly and to respond to the outpouring of anger, grief and protest in ways that deescalate tension and violence.

To the Black members of our Fellowship community, we ask forgiveness for the many times our actions and response to racism have fallen short and made you feel unwelcome. We love you, we are grateful for your presence, and we stand in solidarity with you this day.

As CBF, we pledge to increase our efforts at diversifying our own leadership and to welcome more non-Anglo churches within the Fellowship.

We pledge to strengthen our partnership with organizations led by our Black siblings and to encourage our churches to do the same.

We pledge to encourage and equip our entire Fellowship, our congregations, their leaders and each of us individually to confront racism within their communities and advocate for change, including in public policy.

As CBF, we promise to support and encourage our congregations as they form faith in people of all ages such that the love, grace and power of the Triune God eradicates prejudice from our hearts.

Let justice come as rivers flow to cleanse the land of evil’s stain.

Let righteousness like waters fall, and wash away our tears of pain. (Adam M.L. Tice)