April 13, 2021
An Important Message from The Gathering Church Leadership Team
Dear Gathering Church,
During his sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Curt referenced the surge of hate and violence directed at the Asian American community during the pandemic and his own need for growth and understanding. In that same spirit and as part of our church’s commitment to racial justice and anti-racism efforts, we would like to share this statement from the Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC) on the Atlanta massacre and ongoing anti-Asian hate.
The AACC is committed to amplifying the voices, issues, and histories of Asian Americans in the church and larger society. They seek to address issues pertaining to Asian American Christians while remaining grounded in the historic Christian faith, rooted in Scripture, and in communion with the global Church.
As your Leadership Team, we share this statement to show support for our Asian American brothers and sisters, to condemn targeted violence against them, and to draw attention to the ongoing issues of racism toward the Asian American community.
One of the drafters of this statement is Rev. Sabrina Chan, the National Director of Asian American Ministries for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Rev. Chan is part of our sister congregation, Oak Church, and recently preached a powerful sermon on Psalm 94. We encourage you to listen to her sermon, which can be found here, as another faithful voice responding to these events.
May God continue to open our eyes to the injustice and suffering of those in our community and empower us as we stand in solidarity with them.
Grace & Peace,
The Gathering Church Leadership Team
Steve Efird
Glynis Cowell
Leandra Ganko
Amy Hoots
Sandy Hong
Curt Lowndes
Bobby Stewart
Carlos Womack