Montclair Presbyterian Church has a long history of working for justice, and we welcome you to join us in our anti-racism work. If you’re interested in taking part, please contact Linda Spencer; her contact information is available from the MPC main office.
Our ongoing work
In June of 2020, many MPC members and “friends of the family” took part in an educational Zoom gathering on racism called “We Can’t Breathe” (hosted by the Presbytery of San Francisco) and launched a 21-day challenge, asking white Christians to spend 21 days in July 2020 learning something about racism, white privilege, and our place in perpetuating unjust systems. The challenge, created by Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. is available to everyone free of charge. If you are curious and want to learn more about antiracism, this resource is a wonderful way to get started at your own pace. Here is a link to the challenge.
After the 21-day challenge ended, we are continuing to stay engaged with learning and taking action in response. We hold monthly Black Lives Matter vigils in from of the church on the first Monday of the month from 2:30 to 4 pm. Join us! In conjunction with Oakland-based Neighbors for Racial Justice, we periodically host a 4-week class, “Transforming White Privilege on the Path to Racial Equity”. In this class we work on increasing our skillfulness in the relationship building and healing work necessary for white people to expand and sustain our capacity for antiracism. If you would like to learn more, please contact Linda Spencer of the Peace and Justice Steering Committee.
We hold Black Lives Matter vigils in front of the church on the second Sunday of the month, immediately following Celebration from 11:00 to 11:45.
We are a Matthew 25 Church and are pleased to participate in SF Presbytery’s ongoing programs to dismantle structural racism and white supremacy. The Presbytery has engaged Crossroads who will help us deeply self-reflect and discern our way forward in dismantling structural racism within our own presbytery and beyond.
We are members of the Interfaith Coalition for Justice In Our Jails (IJCC). The ICJJ seeks to reduce incarceration as a response to social problems in Alameda County, CA and to decrease harmful conditions in the jail. Contact Betsy King for more information on IJCC’s work.
MPC has an Indigenous Study/Action Group that meets on the second Thursday of the month from 5 to 6 pm. We are growing in our understanding of the longstanding harms perpetrated by the Church under the guise of Christianity. We are examining our own complicity in the harms and are seeking tangible ways to bring about healing.
Ready to take part?
We’d love to have you join us. To get started please contact Linda Spencer via the MPC main office.