Welcome to
Montgomery Group
Montgomery Anti-Racism Advocacy Group of New Castle Presbytery
Our Story: Who Are We?
The Montgomery Anti-Racism Advocacy Group (the “Montgomery Group”) was formed by teaching elders/ministers and lay people from NCP who in February 2020 traveled with others in the Synod to Montgomery, Alabama and together experienced the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. That February 2020 trip:
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Directly and profoundly exposed us to the agony experienced by those subjected to racism/slavery/Jim Crow;
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Educated us to how the present-day structural sin of racism continues to impact all Americans; and
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Compelled us to advocate and act to break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice, and oppression of people of color.
Why Do We Exist?
The Montgomery Group’s purpose is to engage NCP and our various communities more fully to dismantle structural racism, breathing creativity, resourcefulness, and perseverance into this struggle through:
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Educational Focus: Spotlighting present-day and historical facts and effects of racial injustice on everyone in the U.S.; and
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Experiential Focus: Getting out of our heads and into our hearts, so that failure to act is more uncomfortable than acting.
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Action Focus: We are seeking to co-partner with those individuals, churches, and community partners interested in this work.
We are not looking to re-create the wheel. There are others in our various communities working on these matters. We are hoping to work with and support those efforts.
How Does the Montgomery Anti-Racism Advocacy Group Fit Into New Castle Presbytery’s Structure?
The Montgomery Group is one of NCP’s Covenantal Partners – others include the Guatemala Partnership, Congo Partnership, and the Immigrant Justice Committee, etc. The Montgomery Group received substantial funding for its ongoing teaching and experiential and practical efforts at systemic change through NCP’s mission-centered funding arm, Ignite.
How does the Montgomery Anti-Racism Advocacy Group fit with NCP’s designation as a Matthew 25 Presbytery? As a Matthew 25 presbytery, NCP is committed to:
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Building congregational vitality
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Dismantling structural racism and
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Eradicating systemic poverty
Accordingly, the Montgomery Group is not, nor should it be perceived as, the racial justice arm of NCP, as all of NCP’s committees and Covenantal Partners need to be involved in and supportive of racial justice efforts.