Racial Justice
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"We will actively work to recognize and change our own biases and to fight racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism and other systemic prejudices."
-Value #5, from the SFBC Affirmation of Values, (2017)
-Value #5, from the SFBC Affirmation of Values, (2017)
Diaconate Board Announcement
“Showing Up:” Solidarity as a Verb
By Rev. Harriet Platts
By Rev. Harriet Platts
The Diaconate Board of Seattle First Baptist Church voted through consensus on June 18, 2020, to endorse King County Equity Now and Black Lives Matter, Seattle. SFBC members, Beth Reis and Susan Blythe-Goodman, led in this process by presenting board members with a Statement ahead of the meeting outlining the demands by each of the respective Black led movements. (Letter to Diaconate.)
The statement was also shared ahead of the diaconate meeting with other members of the SFBC community contacted by Beth and Susan, providing a way for some to voice their affirmation and concerns about the Statement. The list of these individuals and commissions who affirmed the statement are included.
The breadth of the discussion at the Diaconate meeting was remarkable. Board members expressed both affirmations and concerns. Some ‘testified’ of their personal sense of call. In the end, it was felt that a decision to endorse these two movements was but one small step we could take as a leadership board toward acting in alignment with our value “to recognize and change our own biases and to fight racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism and other systemic prejudices.”
We are all being invited as a community to take next steps in uncovering our personal/communal racial biases, and as people of faith, to take bold steps that will be uncomfortable, unsettling to what we know. We are being called to ‘follow’ young leaders. We are being called to ‘follow’ Black leaders.
The statement was also shared ahead of the diaconate meeting with other members of the SFBC community contacted by Beth and Susan, providing a way for some to voice their affirmation and concerns about the Statement. The list of these individuals and commissions who affirmed the statement are included.
The breadth of the discussion at the Diaconate meeting was remarkable. Board members expressed both affirmations and concerns. Some ‘testified’ of their personal sense of call. In the end, it was felt that a decision to endorse these two movements was but one small step we could take as a leadership board toward acting in alignment with our value “to recognize and change our own biases and to fight racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism and other systemic prejudices.”
We are all being invited as a community to take next steps in uncovering our personal/communal racial biases, and as people of faith, to take bold steps that will be uncomfortable, unsettling to what we know. We are being called to ‘follow’ young leaders. We are being called to ‘follow’ Black leaders.
Letter to Diaconate and Executive Committee
As constituents (members, regular attendees, pastors) of Seattle First Baptist Church, we’re asking the Executive Committee and the Diaconate to sign on to the demands of King County Equity Now.
We believe this request is in line with our church values, especially #5:
"We will actively work to recognize and change our own biases and to fight racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism and other systemic prejudices."
There are several demands floating around social media. The reason we are singling out and asking for support of King County Equity Now’s demands is they produce concrete ways the city can immediately defund the police and invest in black communities, including specific spaces that can be used for youth centers, business centers, and affordable housing. We also appreciate that these demands include stopping policing in schools. We feel these demands give the most specific actions the city can take to start addressing institutionalized racism.
The demands by King County Equity Now are endorsed by Black Lives Matter Seattle – King County. These demands have been supported and echoed by many organizations, including No New Youth Jail, Decriminalize Seattle, Block the Bunker, Seattle Peoples Party, COVID-19 Mutual Aid, Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, BAYAN, La Resistencia, PARISOL, CID Coalition, Asians for Black Lives, APICAG, Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project, YouthCare and the Seattle Bike Blog.
We also support the demands put forth by Black Lives Matter Seattle - King County. The King County Equity Now demands and the Black Lives Matter Seattle - King County demands are not mutually exclusive and our church can sign on to both. Our priority is endorsing the King County Equity Now demands because they are focused on concrete local changes that would make a significant impact.
We also believe that in addition to endorsing these demands, the church should have a team (Beth Reis, Marth Hopler, Ruthie Fossett, and Susan Blythe-Goodman are willing to volunteer) that follows how the city implements these demands.
Church constituents who support this:
Aaron Burkhalter, SFBC member
Atit Marmer, SFBC member
Barbara Steele, Membership Commission Co-chair, SFBC member
Beth Reis, SFBC member
Carole Cornell, SFBC member
Catherine Fales, SFBC member
Cherry Johnson, Retreats Coordinator, SFBC member
Cynthia Ervin, SFBC member - with clarification about the “corrupt process”
Danny Wilks, SFBC member
David Delgado, SFBC member
David Greenhow, SFBC member
Dennis Raymond, SFBC member
Dick Miller, SFBC member
Heidi Toppel, SFBC regular attendee
Joan Bowers, SFBC member
Joanne Wright, SFBC member
Keith Ervin, SFBC member
Laura Jorgensen, SFBC member
Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, SFBC member
Martha Hopler, SFBC member
Megan Walker, SFBC CFYA Co-Chair
Nancy Roberts-Brown, SFBC member
Sandra S. Jones, SFBC member
SFBC Children, Families, and Young Adults / Next Gen Ministries Commission
Susan Blythe-Goodman, SFBC member
Susan Ross, SFBC, Faith Community Nurse
We believe this request is in line with our church values, especially #5:
"We will actively work to recognize and change our own biases and to fight racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism and other systemic prejudices."
There are several demands floating around social media. The reason we are singling out and asking for support of King County Equity Now’s demands is they produce concrete ways the city can immediately defund the police and invest in black communities, including specific spaces that can be used for youth centers, business centers, and affordable housing. We also appreciate that these demands include stopping policing in schools. We feel these demands give the most specific actions the city can take to start addressing institutionalized racism.
The demands by King County Equity Now are endorsed by Black Lives Matter Seattle – King County. These demands have been supported and echoed by many organizations, including No New Youth Jail, Decriminalize Seattle, Block the Bunker, Seattle Peoples Party, COVID-19 Mutual Aid, Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network, BAYAN, La Resistencia, PARISOL, CID Coalition, Asians for Black Lives, APICAG, Real Change Homeless Empowerment Project, YouthCare and the Seattle Bike Blog.
We also support the demands put forth by Black Lives Matter Seattle - King County. The King County Equity Now demands and the Black Lives Matter Seattle - King County demands are not mutually exclusive and our church can sign on to both. Our priority is endorsing the King County Equity Now demands because they are focused on concrete local changes that would make a significant impact.
We also believe that in addition to endorsing these demands, the church should have a team (Beth Reis, Marth Hopler, Ruthie Fossett, and Susan Blythe-Goodman are willing to volunteer) that follows how the city implements these demands.
Church constituents who support this:
Aaron Burkhalter, SFBC member
Atit Marmer, SFBC member
Barbara Steele, Membership Commission Co-chair, SFBC member
Beth Reis, SFBC member
Carole Cornell, SFBC member
Catherine Fales, SFBC member
Cherry Johnson, Retreats Coordinator, SFBC member
Cynthia Ervin, SFBC member - with clarification about the “corrupt process”
Danny Wilks, SFBC member
David Delgado, SFBC member
David Greenhow, SFBC member
Dennis Raymond, SFBC member
Dick Miller, SFBC member
Heidi Toppel, SFBC regular attendee
Joan Bowers, SFBC member
Joanne Wright, SFBC member
Keith Ervin, SFBC member
Laura Jorgensen, SFBC member
Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, SFBC member
Martha Hopler, SFBC member
Megan Walker, SFBC CFYA Co-Chair
Nancy Roberts-Brown, SFBC member
Sandra S. Jones, SFBC member
SFBC Children, Families, and Young Adults / Next Gen Ministries Commission
Susan Blythe-Goodman, SFBC member
Susan Ross, SFBC, Faith Community Nurse
