Now Is the Time

Background of the Declaration of the ELCA To People of African Descent and “Now Is the Time” Study 

The who: 

“African Descent Ministries of the ELCA '' refers to people who self-identify as Black,  African Caribbean, African American, African Nationals and others of African ancestry from  numerous countries who now live in the United States. It is a network of about 255  congregations that report 49,000 people of African descent as active participants in the ELCA  across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  They are engaging,  involving and investing in the gifts, interests and capacity of people of African descent in  every aspect of the life of this church. 

The request: 

In 2015, the African Descent Lutheran Association (ADLA) called the ELCA 2016 Churchwide  Assembly (CWA) to “draft a formal letter of repentance,” to commit to examine the church’s  complicity in slavery, and to acknowledge “the ELCA’s perpetuation of racism.” This call was  founded in the ELCA’s 1993 social statement Freed in Christ: Race, Ethnicity, and Culture,  which confessed the sin of racism, defined this sin as “a mix of power, privilege, and  prejudice,” and acknowledged that “skin color makes a difference” and that “white people  benefit from a privileged position” as “we fall back into enslaving patterns of injustice.” 

The apology: 

In the declaration, adopted at the 2019 Churchwide Assembly, the ELCA "apologizes to  people of African descent for its historical complicity in slavery and its enduring legacy of  racism in the United States and globally. We lament the white church's failure to work for the  abolition of slavery and the perpetuation of racism in this church." 

The study: 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America introduced "Now Is the Time: A Study Guide for  ELCA Declaration to People of African Descent" to help congregations wrestle with the  meaning of the declaration, and its accompanying explanation. "Now Is the Time" stresses  realism, self-examination and accountability as the church acknowledges and apologizes for  the history and impact of slavery and systemic racism. The study guide focuses on deepening  our understanding of this history as participants engage in often-difficult conversation and  reflection to move the church toward racial healing and justice.