Reconciliation Ministry
The objective of the Reconciliation Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky is to undergird the Mission Priority set forth by the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada to become a PR/AR Church. We do so through the work of the PR/AR Team. The Reconciliation Team provides leadership and vision for responding to God’s call to be a fully transformed, anti-racist, multi-cultural church. As members of the Body of Christ, we claim an anti-racist identity that empowers, heals, and makes whole.
Reconciliation Grant Application
In order to answer God’s call and further the vision of becoming a fully transformed and anti-racist, multi-cultural church, CCIK’s PR/AR Team will award grants to congregations and ministries of CCK that present:
a) Innovative and creative programs aimed at fostering healthy conversations on racism in the community;
b) Projects aimed at empowering and serving marginalized communities;
c) Projects aimed at organizing for human rights and full inclusion of persons of all ethnicities in the beloved community.
d) Projects whose priority is the implementation of social change and seeking to change systems (1) where there is demonstrable oppression of or discrimination against persons on the basis of race and (2) which support attitudes, prejudices, and injustices against marginalized communities.
Learn more and apply for a grant with the links below.
Seeing the Face of God in Each Other Training
Seeing the Face of God in Each Other is the curriculum used by the Christian Church in Kentucky to foster conversations and transformation regarding race, racism, and reconciliation. Our goal is to encourage pastors, and congregations, to see each other the way God sees each of us, as precious children, made in God’s own image. This fulfills the Committee on Ministry requirement for clergy pro-reconciliation, anti-racism training.
For those seeking ordination, those seeking to maintain their standing, and for those who are interested in the ministry of the Reconciliation team – this will be a blessed opportunity to meet those needs.
The conversations take place over the course of two days. Seating for each conversation is limited to 22, so choose your date and use the Register link to register and pay online.
Upcoming Training Dates: October 27-28, 2025 from 6:00pm-9:00pm EST both days.
Reconciliation Team’s Statement on Christian Nationalism
Reconciliation Ministry History and Vision
The Reconciliation Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was born out of the civil unrest that ensued following the martyrdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4, 1968. His murder brought to fore in the life of our church the dis-ease of our living in two separate societies – one which benefits one group of people and one which systemically marginalizes the poor and powerless. Beginning with Resolution 29 of the International Convention of the Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) in 1968, our Church has persistently pursued ways to address the sin of racism through resolutions and direct action in our congregations, Regions, General Ministries and Recognized Ministry partnerships.
The initial focus of Reconciliation was to ensure our programs are motivated by “a conscientious Christian concern for these our brethren who before God are equal with us; and be directed . . . to the radical removal of basic underlying causes.” In 1969, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that called for the church to work for legislative change to change the plight of the poor, “many of whom are minority persons”.
Racism is a spiritual and theological dilemma as well as a social evil. In 1996, the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) approved the formation of a church-wide process to discern the nature of racism in North America and to develop ways of helping congregations address racism. In its first meeting, the Steering Committee (assigned to guide this process) agreed on the following three realities: Racism is a spiritual and theological dilemma as well as a social evil, racist practice exists throughout the life of the church and needs to be addressed (even as local and national issues of racism are addressed), and racism is a systemic problem with root causes that have developed over hundreds of years. It is a combination of racial prejudice and institutional or economic power.
In 2001 the General Assembly adopted the 20/20 Vision which named four inter-connected mission priorities. One of which was Becoming a Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racist Church. Reconciliation Ministry was restructured in 2002 in accordance with the mission priority to strengthen the Church’s effort to achieve this mission priority.
The Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism Initiative was founded upon the need to make visible God’s beloved community. It invites the church to listen to the once silenced voices of its racial/ethnic communities, learn from their wisdom and gain insight from their leadership. It calls the church to discernment and prayer, study of the scriptures and reflection, dialogue and table fellowship. The true goal is to transform, strengthen and deepen the church’s spirituality, resulting in a community that understands its mission to be about bringing justice and salvation to the world.
The Pro-Reconciliation/Anti-Racism initiative has made steady progress. In 2007, Regions were urged to assume primary leadership in enabling congregational involvement in the work of racial reconciliation. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Kentucky has been involved in the Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation Ministry of the church since the wider church adopted this ministry and encouraged Regions to participate. Initially, the focus on the root causes of racism in our culture and the Kentucky Region formed a committee composed of both lay and clergy members to identify and support ministries across the Region that addressed this important issue.
For a number of years, Kentucky’s Reconciliation ministry was largely inactive. In 2013, a group of diverse lay members and clergy gathered to revive this ministry. Consequently, it has thrived ever since. Gathering together in person to build positive relationships, this group engaged in sharing, prayer and book studies, including Michelle Alexander’s, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” and Emmanuel Acho’s, “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” The group sponsored and led a two day retreat for the Kentucky’s Regional Board demonstrating the model of meetings that brought the group closer with greater understanding of issues of racism in Kentucky and the United States.
As a result of its work, Kentucky’s Reconciliation Team sent eight Kentucky Disciples to a training in Atlanta to be equipped as trainers who developed a training program, “Seeing the Face of God in Others,” which led to the Kentucky Region adopting a resolution requiring clergy to attend Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation training every five years in order to maintain standing in the Region. After successful online training sessions which began during the pandemic, the Reconciliation Team is extended this training to all members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
In addition, the Reconciliation Team is reviving the Region’s program of approving grants for groups in the Kentucky Region that address issues of Anti-Racism/Pro-Reconciliation. Membership on the Reconciliation Team is open to all Disciples of Christ members as the Team meets quarterly both online and in person.