Does the UMC have a position on racial justice?

The United Methodist Church has a longstanding and evolving commitment to racial justice. While the denomination's history includes painful chapters of racial segregation and exclusion, the church has increasingly sought to live out its theological conviction that all people are created in the image of God and deserve dignity, equality, and opportunity.

Historical Context

The Methodist movement has always had a complicated relationship with race. John Wesley was a vocal opponent of slavery, calling it "the sum of all villainies." Yet the Methodist Episcopal Church in America split over slavery in 1844, with the southern branch defending the institution. When the church reunited in 1939, it created a racially segregated Central Jurisdiction for Black churches and clergy—a compromise that was not fully dismantled until 1968, when the United Methodist Church was formed.

Current Commitments

Today, the UMC's Social Principles declare that "racism is a sin that contradicts the will of God" and call the church to work actively for racial reconciliation and justice. The church has established several bodies and initiatives dedicated to this work:

• The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) — Monitors and supports the church's efforts to become a fully inclusive, anti-racist institution.
• Act of Repentance — Formal liturgical and institutional acts acknowledging the church's complicity in racism and committing to a new path.
• Ethnic and language ministries — Programs that support and empower communities of color within the church.

Ongoing Work

United Methodists continue to wrestle with issues of systemic racism, both within the church and in society. Many congregations and conferences have adopted specific anti-racism commitments, offered training, and engaged in community organizing. The church recognizes that the work of racial justice is never finished—it requires ongoing repentance, learning, and action.