Churches Uniting In Christ

A Statement Concerning the Killing of the Pastor and 8 members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina

Churches Uniting in Christ

June 18, 2015

We, the Coordinating Council of Churches Uniting in Christ, join our hearts and voices in grief, horror and solidarity as we stand together with our brothers and sisters of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the aftermath of the deadly shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina.  This particularly heinous violence is an attack on members of our family, and our hearts are broken by the depth of this kind of hate.  We commit to unity in prayer for healing and justice.  We pray particularly for this historic congregation in the loss of their pastor, The Reverend Honorable Clementa Pinckney and eight of their faithful members. We pray for Bishop Richard F. Norris and other church leaders who must now care for this congregation. We further commit to continue our focus on anti-racism in and among our churches.  And, we commit to continuing to have the courage to offer hospitality to strangers, even if it puts us in harm’s way.  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, teaches hope and love.  Despite our pain and grief, we will continue to walk in his way for the sake of this world.