HIRING: Director of Fund Development & Strategic Initiatives

Title: Director of Fund Development & Strategic Initiatives

Status: Full-time, exempt

Reports to: Executive Director

Location: The candidate must be able to work remotely

Compensation: $65-85K/year, commensurate with experience. Salary may also be adjusted based on the cost of living in the area where the applicant lives. Available benefits include health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k).

Application deadline: End of day, Sunday, October 13, 2024. We welcome early submissions.

Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) Reconciling Ministries Network is committed to intersectional justice across and beyond the United Methodist connection, working for the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the Church.

High-Level Requirements

Reconciling Ministries Network seeks a full-time director of fund development & strategic initiatives to head our ongoing fundraising, operational, and strategic program needs. This individual will work with a small, devoted team and galvanize a movement’s generosity.

Reporting to the executive director, this professional must have an established background in leading nonprofit development strategies, managing audit responses related to fund development, managing the fundraising registration process, and supporting staff and volunteers. 

This role involves organizing large-scale fundraising initiatives, working with board members, managing our annual fund, and building relationships with donors, congregations, partner organizations, staff, and volunteers. The director of fund development & strategic initiatives will also implement and manage major giving and planned giving fundraising strategies.

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree, five years of faith-based nonprofit fund development experience, and 10 total years of fund development experience. They should also be a skilled user of CRM software and other fundraising technology used in daily job duties. This includes donor reporting and analytics and keeping up-to-date donor engagement records.

You may thrive in this rewarding position if you possess the following:

Demonstrated effectiveness in nonprofit fundraising

  • We’re looking for a professional passionate about mobilizing a movement to support a $1.5M-$2.0M/year budget.
  • The landscape of philanthropy is dynamic! This person must maintain competency in nonprofit fundraising through continuous self-directed learning.
  • The Reconciling movement has committed advocates. This individual must be able to build and lead teams of volunteers.

Ability to distill strategic vision into organizational initiatives

  • This position requires creativity to develop engaging advancement campaigns.
  • This individual will have strong written and oral communication skills.
  • Of course, the right person for this role is committed to RMN’s vision and mission.

Primary Responsibilities

The director of fund development & strategic initiatives will oversee the following responsibilities.

Manage relationships with RMN’s committed supporter base.

  • Manage donor stewardship program from identification of donors through acknowledgement of gifts
  • Manage donor relationships
  • Identify and steward foundation relationships and prospective donors across donor segments
  • Develop and implement a strategy to increase financial commitments from large congregations
  • Connect volunteers and supporters to fundraising opportunities
  • Seek opportunities to activate donors’ philanthropy through endowed funds

Steward RMN’s organizational development objectives.

  • Develop a fund development strategy in alignment with the organizational strategic plan; provide periodic updates to the executive director
  • Develop an annual fund development plan
  • Design and direct campaigns and events in service of fund development objectives
  • Manage grants by identifying opportunities and writing proposals and reports
  • Identify additional new sources of revenue
  • Improve upon the current planned giving program 
  • Identify and create custom donor and CRM reports as needed
  • Stay up to date with fundraising, nonprofit, and philanthropy trends

Mobilize RMN staff and board members to collaborate toward fund development goals.

  • Equip RMN staff, in collaboration with the executive director, to work toward fund development goals
  • Collaborate with board fund development chair to support board fund development efforts, including ways to meet “give or get” fundraising commitment

Qualifications

You may be the right candidate for this position if the following statements describe you.

You have a demonstrated commitment to justice and inclusion in the Church.

  • Understanding of the issues faced by LGBTQ+ persons in society and within The United Methodist Church;
  • Experience working within faith-based organizations with broad knowledge and experience working with congregations, clergy, and related organizations and individuals
  • Successful work experience in groups that are diverse across races, ethnicities, gender identities, and sexual orientations;
  • Commitment to active spiritual grounding, radical hospitality, and peace with justice;

You have experience working in the fast-paced world of nonprofit fund development.

  • 5-10 years demonstrated effectiveness in nonprofit fundraising, with at least 5 years in faith-based fundraising
  • Adept organizational skills and self-motivation under limited in-person supervision
  • Proficiency with one or more CRM tools, with the ability to define and generate reports
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace
  • Strong working knowledge of electronic communication modes including email and social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn)
    • Familiarity with the following software is a plus but not required: Salesforce, MailMerge, MailChimp, Click & Pledge, Canva

You can represent the causes that matter to you with passion and professionalism.

  • An interpersonal communication style that models grace and positivity (on the phone, via email, and face-to-face)
  • Conflict management skills
  • Collegial and collaborative spirit
  • Ability to lead diverse teams

Reconciling Ministries Network is committed to a diverse and multicultural workforce. We encourage LGBTQ+ candidates, persons of color, and immigrants to apply for all job openings. If you don’t meet all the qualifications but still believe you’d thrive in this position, we encourage you to apply, as well.

To Apply

To apply, please send the following to jan@rmnetwork.org by end of day Sunday, October 13, 2024:

  • Resumé
  • Cover letter
  • 1-3 samples of previous writing (don’t worry about the length or topic)

Hiring Process

  1. Cover letter and resume review
  2. Phone screen from a staff member for qualifying applicants
  3. 30 min. interview with the executive director and/or other RMN staff
  4. 60 min. interview with the executive director and board members
  5. Reference check and offer, with an expected start date 2-4 weeks after offer

Dear Reconciling family,

For the past 9 years, I’ve had the honor to serve as the Director of Fund Development at RMN. These have been some of the most fulfilling and meaningful years of my career. However, the time has come for me to pass the baton.

As of October 1, 2024, I’m retiring from RMN. I’m excited about this major life transition, and I’m sorrowful to leave behind an amazing team.

I still remember my first day here. I was greeted with an avalanche of welcoming emails and voicemails. Never had I experienced this kind of reception. But then, that’s what this movement is all about, isn’t it? Reconciling people like you not only talk the talk of welcome, but you truly walk the walk. Thank you for teaching me so much about this spirit-filled faithfulness.

You hold a very special place in my heart. From my desk – my point of view, I saw every day that the efforts and generosity of our movement have made a real difference.

Finally, while I will no longer be a member of the RMN staff, I will always be a part of this movement for LGBTQ+ justice. Right alongside you. And I hope to get to see and visit with you in the seasons to come.

My personal theology is centered in community-built justice. I believe deeply that we cannot be the Church unless this body includes everyone. I have seen glimpses of what is to come, and it’s a vision worth pursuing.

Grace and peace,

Kathy Cheney-Egan

P.S.: It would mean so much to me if you’d celebrate my retirement with me by making a donation to support the Reconciling movement. You can also feel free to leave me a message. I’d cherish your words. Thank you!

For those who love riding trains, a cross-country trip from New York to San Francisco in a sleeper suite would be a real treat. But that ride would be longer and three times more expensive than flying. Only those privileged with time and resources can afford that train ride. The way we do church can be just like that. Some regions enjoy privilege and access, while others don’t. 

The Love Train can and should accommodate as many people as possible – from all over our United Methodist connection, especially those struggling to get on board. Surely we want to extend respect, equity, and the ability to minister effectively in each of our distinct missional contexts. We might not think alike, as John Wesley said, but we can love alike. 

We are proud to say that our RMN staff provided organizing leadership in the years leading up to and throughout General Conference. And the work continues. Our journey to a fully inclusive and affirming Church includes a critical next stop: ratifying (at the annual conference level) the Worldwide Regionalization (WWR) petitions adopted by General Conference.   

What is Worldwide Regionalization? WWR reorganizes our current Church structure into regions with equal legislative authority to enhance effective ministry in every missional setting. We are on a worldwide journey together and the Love Train spans the globe. Regionalization lays down the tracks to make this a smoother ride. This flyer sums it all up. Here is a more detailed presentation.  

What is the impact in each region? WWR gives the United States its own Regional Conference with the authority to legislate more LGBTQ+ affirming policies and practices – applicable only in the U.S. This restructuring of our polity also allows for conversations to continue in all regions still wrestling with the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons in the life of the Church. It is crucial that our annual conferences ratify the constitutional changes in this legislation.

What is the ratification process? The petition to “amend the Constitution to create Regional Conferences on a worldwide basis” was adopted by 78% of General Conference delegates, but that was only step one. Constitutional changes also require a two-thirds aggregate vote across all annual conferences around the world. A successful ratification vote by the annual conferences is required for Worldwide Regionalization to take effect.

How can RUMs make a difference? 

  • Host a discussion about WWR in your Sunday school class or small group ministry. Talk to your pastor about facilitating a church-wide conversation. 
  • Contact your annual conference office or your general conference delegation for resource persons. You can use these materials and the “Ask UMC series.”
  • Visit with your pastor about serving as the local church lay delegate to your AC. 
  • If the lay delegate(s) from your local church are already secured, contact your district office and volunteer to serve as a district/at large/equalizing delegate. (ACs use different terms for this same type of delegate)
  • Every clergy person, active and retired, has a vote at Annual Conference but not all retired clergy attend each year. Look for ways to encourage and support retired clergy so they can be present and cast a vote for ratification.

†

All trains need a conductor, and that’s true of the Love Train as well. Who’s driving this one? 

Some might assume that the institutional Church would take the lead and serve as a strong proponent of moving us forward, but that expectation is probably not realistic. In fact, since General Conference (GC), we’ve noticed that leaders in some Annual Conferences (ACs) have continued a pre-GC posture and are prioritizing the fears of the more conservative members in our United Methodist family.  

The truth is, our Reconciling movement and especially our Reconciling Churches and Communities are driving the Love Train. Reconciling Ministries have the experience and have made the commitment, not just to the absence of mandated discrimination achieved at GC24, but to a future of LGBTQ+ safety and affirmation, and to intersectional justice. Reconciling United Methodists (RUMs) and Reconciling Ministries continue to lead the way – serving in key roles throughout their districts and conferences, and encouraging churches in their areas to help keep the train on track and moving in the right direction.   

What does that look like in practice? Here are some suggestions.

  • Contact your AC office and inquire about their plans to help churches engage in conversation about what is now possible after the changes to the Book of Discipline. 
     
  • Consider hosting a study in your community or district. Consider this new RMN resource: Next Faithful Steps: A Guide for Reflection & Action After General Conference 2024
     
  • Email churches in your district letting them know you are available to help facilitate conversations about LGBTQ+ inclusion.  
     
  • Reach out to churches in your area who already lean toward inclusion and visit about their interest and potential in exploring that calling. Offer to share stories of the Reconciling process at your church. 
     
  • Start planning ahead to AC 2025. Visit with other Reconciling Ministries about offering a workshop at AC next year. Ask the Conference Office to make this part of the official schedule. 
     
  • Visit with your pastor about the important votes on the agenda at AC 2025, and volunteer to serve as a lay delegate. 
     
  • If lay delegates from your local church are already secured, contact your district office and volunteer to serve as a district/at large/equalizing delegate. (ACs use different terms for this same type of delegate)
     
  • Contact your District Superintendent (DS) and/or Bishop about serving on the District Committee on Ordained Ministry (DCOM) or the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM). (The DS, in consultation with others, nominates persons to serve on the DCOM. The bishop, in consultation with others, nominates persons to serve on the BOOM)

This is just a brief list of helpful actions that we hope you and/or your Reconciling Ministry will consider. Depending on the needs of your specific setting, you may have additional ideas to share and brainstorm. We’d love to hear from you! 

†

Is your church feeling called to a season of discernment to see if affiliating with RMN is the right witness for you? The “All-Stations Train” refers to a Reconciling journey that includes a longer, more detailed process of exploration, relationship building, and learning together. Like all meaningful journeys, it begins with a faithful first step. 

We’ve developed and curated resources for a healthy and thorough process. We’re also available to meet with your leadership team to customize a path best for your particular church. 

Let’s start here! This 28-minute video is a brief overview of the recommended process, and a great starting place for local church leaders.

What’s next? While we value flexibility and tailoring a process best for your church, there are several study topics that we hold dear and consider essential. Here are a few. 

  • Read the Foundational Reconciling Statement that all new Reconciling Ministries must vote to adopt.
  • A study guide for the Foundational Reconciling Statement can be found here. 
  • Visit this page on our RMN website to learn more about intersectionality.
  • Click here to access “Building an Inclusive Church Toolkit 3.0”
  • To get a general idea of how long a thorough process might take, click here to assess how your church typically responds to change. 
  • Learn more about the three components of RMN’s organizing work. Changing: Hearts & Minds, Policy, Practice
  • When your church or group is ready for study resources, here’s a short list to consider. 
  • For a written outline of the Reconciling process, click here. 
  • Click here to support this life-giving, life-saving work with a financial gift. 
  • All of this and more can be found on our website as well. Click here.

Though affiliating with the Reconciling movement and serving as a voice for intersectional justice is a stated goal, this learning opportunity and discernment process very often includes a huge bonus: deepened relationships and a stronger church family. It’s a win-win!

We’re excited about the future of the UMC and look forward to adding your local church leadership to our unfolding story! 

†

As an RMN organizer, nothing is more exciting than opening an email from a church or group that is ready to be that bright Reconciling light in their community, district, or conference.  

We’re celebrating a steady stream of new churches and communities making the decision to affiliate with RMN and engage in this continued journey as a Reconciling Ministry. These friends recognize this important moment in the life of the UMC and are stepping up to help lead – to model a Church that values and advocates for diversity, equity, full inclusion, and intersectional justice. 

This 3rd installment, in a summer series we’ve called The Love Train, is for churches or groups who have felt a call toward Reconciling. You might have hosted a conversation. Maybe you even took a few next steps, but something else demanded your attention, and launching an official process was moved to the back burner. Perhaps GC outcomes inspired you and you’re ready to get started!

This is your ticket to next steps as well as enthusiastic, unlimited support from your organizer!

If you’d like to brainstorm about more personalized ideas for your local church or group, please email your RMN Organizer. We’re excited to support your process. 

Finally, we recognize that some churches and groups might prefer to skip the “Express Train” and board the “All Stations Train” instead. This is a journey that includes a longer, more detailed process of exploration, relationship building, and learning together. The next email from our Organizing Team will highlight the All Stations Train. 

†

Welcome to the second installment of our summer series centered on the Love Train. On June 9th, we outlined what it means to keep the Love Train fueled. This week we’re exploring who’s on board. Spoiler alert: we hope it’s everyone! 

There’s both room and a deep desire for everyone to journey together. We also acknowledge that, as passengers on this train, we’re pretty diverse travel companions. Let’s explore some of the people we might meet as we move through the train cars. 

Friends who have been on board for years, decades, perhaps from the very beginning 

  • If you are a Reconciling United Methodist, we’re talking about you. The people, churches, and small groups that are part of the Reconciling movement have been taking risks, sharing stories, spreading the good news, and inviting friends for a very long time. Simply saying “thank you” is grossly inadequate. Your courage, skills, and energy are invaluable and our gratitude runs deep. We journey forward together with the benefit of our collective experiences and wisdom. 

Friends who hoped this train would someday arrive and jumped on board as soon as they could

  • There are many who have been longing for the changes we achieved at GC, but for various reasons were hesitant to get on board before the prohibitions were removed. Maybe your small group or church has been wanting to explore becoming Reconciling and now you feel liberated to do so. Check out this page on our website to learn more. And please reach out to your organizer for more support whenever needed. 

Friends who appreciate the potential of the Love Train, but who are unsure about how their church might respond

  • It might be that your local church chose to stay UMC, but the members remain theologically diverse. Perhaps the conversations over the past several years have left you a little tired, and not yet ready to explore what is now possible. You’re happy with the changes and possibilities, but not sure how this will play out in your local context. You’d like to rest for a bit and then take next steps at a slower pace.  
  • When you’re ready, here is a study that might help you get started – Unity of the Church and Human Sexuality: Toward a Faithful United Methodist Witness from the Global Board of Discipleship. Again, if you’d like a conversation partner, don’t hesitate to email your organizer. We’re happy to offer support. 

Friends who are disappointed with the GC outcomes and aren’t sure about their next steps

  • We recognize that some are feeling deeply uncomfortable with the new changes to our UM Book of Discipline and are discerning how to continue on the journey with our UMC family. We affirm that all are invited to share in God’s table of grace, and all are called to love our neighbors and care for the least in the communities we serve. As the Love Train chugs along, may we recommit to that grace-filled work and continually create more time and opportunities to share our stories of faith.

As we must often do, we’re holding two important things in tension. We hope those struggling to envision a future UMC that affirms LGBTQ+ will not hop off the train too quickly. Even in our disagreement, we hope folks with open hearts will choose to continue the journey. At the same time, we can’t throw one group of friends under the train in order to keep another group on board. To be more specific, we’re unwilling to dismiss or downplay the recent policy changes in an effort to prevent further disaffiliations. We are proud of and grateful for the changes, and don’t want to hide that light under a bushel. 

While we celebrate the removal of mandated discrimination, the option to discriminate is still very much available, and this fact calls RMN and our Reconciling family to continue the journey. There is space on this journey… a seat on the train for everyone. We recognize that United Methodists may be boarding the Love Train from different places and perspectives. That’s okay. 

“Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may.”

John Wesley

Welcome to the first installment of the Love Train series: where we mobilize to stay on track with progress.

It’s been a month since the close of an historic General Conference (GC). Many annual conferences (AC) are enjoying a more welcoming spirit, and Reconciling Ministries at Pride festivals are able to witness in exciting new ways!

At the same time, many of us still live in a Church that hasn’t changed. Some of our Church leaders are less interested to “do no harm” and more interested in assuring traditionalists that nothing has to change. This hurts our hearts… but it also clarifies our calling.
            
GC outcomes placed us on a path full of potential. Now it’s time to renew our commitment, invite others, fuel up, and get on board toward our shared destination: a fully just and inclusive UMC. 

As United Methodists, we took vows of membership. Those vows include our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness. There’s a seat saved just for you on the Love Train. The more people there are engaged in this work, the more life-changing results are possible. 

Today, we’re exploring how those membership vows can guide us in keeping the Love Train fueled. Now that the harmful language has been removed, we’ve just begun the journey.

  • Pray with RMN. Engage RMN’s prayer guide for Pride, shared each day of June on Instagram, Facebook, and our website.
  • Pray for your local church – for the courage to explore what might be possible in your congregation. Perhaps LGBTQ+ education or a new wedding policy.
  • Pray for your bishop and AC leaders – for the courage to resist fear and continued discrimination, and to lead from a position of positivity and hope.  
  •  Look for ways to amplify and elevate the voices and leadership of LGBTQ+ members in your local church, district, and conference settings.
  • The importance of showing up can never be overstated! Keep showing up!
  • Consider financial giving through RMN’s pledge campaign. Your ongoing financial contributions, no matter the amount, are essential to our continued progress. 
  • Consider sharing your gift for organizing, hospitality, writing, story-telling, social media, etc. to help multiply the Reconciling presence in your setting. Email your organizer to discuss volunteering your gifts in your area.
  • Part of a Reconciling church or community? Post-GC, what next steps are needed in your Reconciling setting? Click here for ideas. Consider sharing your experience with other ministries considering becoming Reconciling. Your organizer is happy to offer helpful tools.  
  •  In churches not yet Reconciling, we’re counting on RUMs to name the changes that can now be explored. Have a conversation with your pastor and lay leaders about educational opportunities, updating your wedding policy, and increasing your overall inclusive witness. 
  • It’s annual conference season. Is your Reconciling Ministry planning a presence at AC? Click here *and* here for more information and ideas. 
  •  It’s Pride month. Is your Reconciling Ministry planning a presence at Pride?
  •  Visit the RMN store for things to wear and swag to share at AC and at Pride. 

In Case You Missed It:

the kin-dom of God seeps in like water from the edges of dry land. at times we may try to bail out its transformative power, but it will find its way to us. may we have the strength to bend and let those on the margins lead us. may our hearts send forth vines, seeking, feeling for a way to grow together.

RMN is deeply honored to have received the inaugural Bishop Karen Oliveto and Deaconess Robin Ridenour Award by UMARC (The United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy) for “forty years of grassroots advocacy and witness [that] helped create the foundation for a new transformed United Methodism.”

Upon accepting the award presented by Dr. Don Messer (UMARC Chairperson and Executive Director of the Center for Health & Hope), RMN Executive Director Jan Lawrence said: “We’re encouraged and committed to keep going until all of God’s children are right at home in our Church.”

The award was presented at UMARC’s service honoring Bishop Oliveto’s service and leadership. The service was held at St. Andrew UMC in Denver, CO.

We hope this award affirms the importance of Reconciling Ministries and Reconciling United Methodists in the ongoing creation story of our Church. RMN celebrates its 40 years of ministry, organizing, pastoral care, and leadership in the UMC. All the while, we acknowledge that the work continues as we seek the Church of our aspirations.

If you’d like to celebrate this honor with us, then we invite you to make a financial pledge to RMN‘s Onward campaign, on which Bishop Karen Oliveto serves as Honorary Co-Chair with Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth. Thank you for your consideration!

Make your pledge for LGBTQ+ justice today

You can read UMARC’s press release about the award and event here.

You can watch the service here.

Thursday, May 2, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

United Methodist Church Reverses Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination in Historic Votes

UM Queer Collective Collaborates in Pursuit of Progress

CHARLOTTE – The General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) has eliminated anti-LGBTQ+ legislation from its Book of Discipline, effectively ending 52 years of institutionally sanctioned discrimination. The global body of 862 voting delegates (about 740 seated) has spent almost two weeks in unusual civility removing prohibitions against same-sex marriages; ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy; bans against funding education about LGBTQ+ affirmation; and the belief that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”

The advocacy of the new Queer Delegates Caucus (QDC) has been instrumental to these historic advances in the world’s third-largest mainline denomination. The QDC contains 58 delegates, 26 of whom are General Conference voting delegates. 

At this General Conference, the efforts of the QDC have been augmented by longer-time caucus groups including Affirmation, Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN), and the United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus (UMQCC). The organizations refer to their collaboration in this General Conference as the UM Queer Collective.

The UM Queer Collective acknowledges the labor of organizers, caucus staff, and allies throughout the Church, as well as past advocates whose work contributed to this progress. Says Rev. Austin Adkinson, co-convener of UMQCC: “Whether LGBTQIA+ people even have a place in our Church was the sole topic of debate the last time United Methodists met as a General Conference. Five years ago, the UMQCC proposed A Simple Plan to the General Conference. It seemed preposterous to most of the church then, but its essence is Church law now. A new era for our Church is emerging, and we look with awe at where God is leading the UMC.”

QDC delegate Rev. Effie McAvoy affirms the importance of these legislative victories: “This means that those who are LGBTQIA+ and called into the ministry of the ordained will be able to do so. This will empower the called to do the good work of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!”

RMN Executive Director Jan Lawrence urges the Church to continue advocating for change. “It’s not over until every place of worship, every community, affirms the sacred worth of every queer and trans child of God. We should celebrate today. And then, next week, let’s walk in the sunlight and get back to work.”

The UM Queer Collective is holding a brief news conference at the Press Room in the Charlotte Convention Center at the first plenary break, estimated to be at about 9:45 AM ET.

For more information, contact:

Ophelia Hu Kinney, Director of Communications
Reconciling Ministries Network
ophelia@rmnetwork.org
(207) 899-6956

Reconciling Ministries Network expresses our joy that this General Conference voted to initiate the process of worldwide regionalization. We affirm that true connectionalism cannot occur until all regions of the Church possess equal access to self-determination. 

Our faith calls us into connection, and that connection impels us to collaboratively transform inequitable systems in pursuit of a radically Christ-like Church. A Christ-like Church de-centers those in power and centers those on the margins. Through the passage of worldwide regionalization petitions #1, #2, #3, #4, and #8: our Church is making meaningful progress to dismantle our systems of white supremacy and geographic inequality. 

Each of us has a role to play in the co-creation of a Church that testifies to the inclusive and revolutionary love of God. Today’s decisions must be followed by the creation of vital partnerships across the connection as annual conferences begin to pursue ratification. 

Moving forward, RMN will continue to equip annual conferences for the conversations and organization needed to ratify worldwide regionalization. Meanwhile, we re-commit to locating the ways that U.S. dominance and white supremacy inform our theology and work. We confess that we have colluded with a colonial, patriarchal, and white supremacist institution. RMN has participated in the culture, norms, and systems that this legislation now seeks to transform.

We now re-commit to empowering the Church – its diverse, beloved peoples and its diverse, beloved communities – to advocate for an anti-colonial future.