From: Board of General Superintendents 

Action Steps Recommended by the Black Strategic Readiness Team 

As we continue to pray and ask God to guide us in this process, we believe, as a holiness people, that we are called and prepared for action. 

We, hereby, recommend the following action steps as we engage in longer-term planning. 

USA/Canada Region: 

1. The Board of General Superintendents (BGS), the General Board members of the USA/Canada Region, and the District Superintendent’s Advisory Committee (DSAC) welcome, support, and facilitate honest conversations with church leaders at every level about the residual effects of systemic racism in the Church of the Nazarene. 

2. It is our desire to see a regional office that reflects the diversity of the region, including the 40 million Blacks in the population. We encourage the hiring of a Black or Brown individual to serve in the regional office to help develop and enact recruiting practices that intentionally seek out Black and Brown candidates. In addition, this individual would partner with the Multicultural Ministries director to be a voice and advocate and serve as an expert resource consultant to the districts. 

3. We encourage the BGS and the USA/Canada regional director to prayerfully consider, make informed decisions, and include qualified Black and Brown individuals to fill district superintendent vacancies, appointments, and interim assignments. 

District: 

1. We encourage district leadership to provide ongoing anti-racism and cultural diversity training with follow-up and accountability for all local pastors and leaders. We recommend that this training be led by a qualified person of color, preferably from outside the district. 

2. It is our desire that district leadership reflect the racial and cultural diversity of the district that it serves. While this cannot be legislated, there can be creative and intentional actions taken with vacancies and non-voting members. [Bold Italics mine]

3. District leadership is encouraged to intentionally develop relevant action steps aimed at increasing the presence of Black leaders and churches of color that reflect the racial and cultural diversity of the population of the geographic region of the district. This may include recruiting or retaining a Black Ministries coordinator. 

Local Church:
1. We prayerfully encourage pastors and congregations to intentionally address the structural inequality and/or systemic challenges faced by Black and Brown people. 

2. We encourage pastors and local church boards to promote and encourage intercultural activities and conversations to cultivate mutual understanding and fellowship. 

3. We encourage pastors and congregations to seek opportunities to exchange pulpits with Black and Brown ministers who are in harmony with the Wesleyan doctrine of holiness. 

4. We encourage local leadership to develop a plan to reflect the diversity of the community at large and provide resources and support ministry in the local community. 

5. We encourage pastors and congregations to promote and provide a platform for open dialogue on racism with children, youth, and young adults. 

6. We encourage all pastors and churches to open their doors to community forums that address their community’s racial disparities (i.e. health, economics, education, etc.). 

Black Pastors and Leaders: 

1. We encourage Black pastors and leaders to emphasize and support parishioners to exercise their right to vote both in the church and in the community. 

2. We encourage our pastors to seek opportunities to exchange pulpits with Anglo pastors and other Black and Brown ministers who are in harmony with the Wesleyan doctrine of holiness. 

3. We encourage our pastors to seek opportunities to preach about racial harmony, justice, and proper response to unjust treatment within a Wesleyan-Holiness framework. 

4. We encourage our pastors and churches to open their doors to community forums that address their community’s racial disparities (i.e. health, economics, education, etc.). 

5. We encourage Black pastors, church leaders, and parishioners to participate in district and general church activities throughout the year.