It implies that authentic unity is inclusive and requires racial justice within the life of the churches and of society. It implies that our prophetic witness against racism and all the powers of oppression is a primary test of the faithfulness of these churches. In combating racism, the Eighteenth Plenary Session of the Consultation on Church Union calls upon the nine member-churches to commit themselves to a unity that is liberating and reconciling, a unity offered in the Gospels, yet not fully expressed in the life and structures of these churches. It is in this context that the COCU churches, seeking to become Churches Uniting in Christ, are making commitments to change ourselves and our society. Something is seriously wrong with race relations in the United States.
Racism so permeates our customs and institutions that none can fully escape participation in it.
Indeed, no member of a dominant group can fully avoid benefiting from it, and no member of a subordinate group can avoid the intention of oppression. Racism is finally about power - the abuses of power by a dominant group intent upon preserving its economic, social, political, or ecclesiastical privileges and the resulting deprivations of opportunity imposed on a subordinate group. We, therefore, appeal to the peoples of our nation and our churches for a renewed commitment to combat the sin of racism and white privilege. The moral integrity and credibility of both our nation and our churches are at stake in this struggle. The churches seek to embody this commitment together, through the Church of Christ Uniting envisioned by the COCU member churches.