CONNECTICUT ANTI-RACISM TEAM

March 1, 2004

To the Moderators and Vice Moderators of the Associations of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ:

Our Conference Minister, The Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree, has used both the 2002 and 2003 Annual Meetings of the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ to address the continuing existence of racism in our church and in our state, and to urge us all to work toward dismantling racism and fighting its effects among us. A further prophetic call came from the Twenty-fourth General Synod in July 2003, which adopted the resolution "Calling the United Church of Christ to be an Anti-racist Church."

As faithful members of the United Church of Christ, and in recognition of the clear and urgent duty that we all share as sisters and brothers in Christ, the Connecticut Anti-Racism Team (CART) has formed to act as an anti-racism taskforce for the Connecticut Conference. CART works against racism in our state, our organizations and our churches, through honest discussion and action. The targets for action will be in the areas of education, advocacy, and support of structural changes as appropriate. In particular, the proposed reconfiguration of Conference regions and staff will present challenges and opportunities that must be addressed.

With our sincere hope that this effort will become truly Conference-wide, we are inviting each Association to designate one or more representatives to join the taskforce. The next meetings of CART are scheduled to meet at the John P. Webster Library (First Church of Christ, Congregational in West Hartford) on the following dates:

• Saturday, March 27, 2004: 11 AM – 2 PM
• Saturday, April 17, 2004: 11 AM – 2 PM
• Saturday, May 15, 2004: 11 AM – 1 PM

For more information, please contact Mark Kille at the John P. Webster Library at jpwebsterdir@snet.net or 860-232-3893. We would welcome a response by Wednesday, March 24.

We look forward to working together in the fight against racism, which "perpetuates a breach between God's people and God and destroys relationship within the human family" (General Synod Resolution). Help us heal the breach, and strengthen the relationships that bind us together as Church in this time and place.

Yours in Christ,

[THE UNDERSIGNED]
Mark Kille	Patricia Stieben Hollis
Pam Selders	Nancy Allen
Dawn Kardulis	Wallace T. Many
Rev. John Selders, Jr.

cc:

Conference Minister, Davida Foy Crabtree Associate Conference Minister for Clergy Concerns, Carole Carlson Associate Conference Minister/Administration, Charlie Kuchenbrod Associate Conference Minister for Justice & Witness, Gordon Bates Associate Conference Minister for Local Church Ministries, Kathy Peters Associate Conference Minister for Wider Church Ministries, Jim Morgan