Stop Asian Hate

Dear Friends,

With heavy hearts, we write to you again following racialized violence in our country. Again, we find ourselves having to make clear that racism in all its forms is abhorrent to people who follow Jesus.

To our community members of Asian and Pacific Island descent:
We weep with you. And we stand with you. We are holding you in prayer, and we pledge to address systemic and institutional racism, including anti-Asian racism, at Silver Lake and in the larger UCC body. We pledge to listen to you about how to make Silver Lake a truly safe space for you.

To our white families:
We encourage you not to shy away from hard conversations with your campers. Only by examining the ways in which anti-Asian racism manifests in our lives can we take steps to Stop Asian Hate. Again, we direct you to the resources for families compiled by the staff of the Southern New England Conference to help you have these conversations in your homes.

Silver Lake Conference Center is deeply committed to addressing issues of racial injustice through our programs. As Christians, we must come together to ensure that all of God's children are treated with dignity and respect, with equal access to resources, throughout the United States.

What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

In Christ,

Rev. Ryan Gackenheimer, Executive Director
Jennifer Kronholm Clark, Program Director
Rev. Lynn Boettger, Food Services Manager
Ruth Choate, Administrator/Registrar
Matthew Taylor, Site Manager
Ashley Nichols, Retreat and Finance Manager

Read our previous message from June 2020 - We Stand With You: Silver Lake's Response to Racial Injustice