The racism which brought about the existence of these churches is one of the grave sins of persons and religious institutions in the United States. These churches arose despite being ignored by the larger community of faith and flourished as language-speaking churches. They often attached themselves to existing denominations and communions but to this day remain alienated. These churches along with minority members of the other COCU churches bring to the Consultation a distinctive perspective on theology and ethics, on ecclesiology and the Kingdom. Thus they keep the Consultation aware of the relevance of these distinctive perspectives to the work that needs to be done to rid ourselves of the sin of racism.
Much more work needs to be done in defining institutionalism and congregational exclusivism.
However, the matters of racism, sexism, and prejudice against persons with disabilities are now addressed throughout this text. Statements regarding these problems will be found particularly in the treatments of creation in the image of God, and of the new creation into which Christians enter by Baptism. Nevertheless, these sues need to be discussed at this point in the document because of their relevance to every element in it. And while some of these are offered up in the body of Christ, it all too often is assumed that they must not be given up in the body of white Christianity. As for the issue of sexism, the language of the Alerts is equally striking.