A covenant on racial reconciliation

c. 1996 Religion News Service ATLANTA (RNS)-Leaders of Promise Keepers, an evangelical Christian men’s movement, signed an”Atlanta Covenant”at the close of a conference for clergy Thursday (Feb. 15). The covenant, cast as an agreement between God and the pastors, is an expansion of the seven promises members of the movement are asked to embrace. Many […]

c. 1996 Religion News Service

ATLANTA (RNS)-Leaders of Promise Keepers, an evangelical Christian men’s movement, signed an”Atlanta Covenant”at the close of a conference for clergy Thursday (Feb. 15).

The covenant, cast as an agreement between God and the pastors, is an expansion of the seven promises members of the movement are asked to embrace. Many of the 39,000 clergy attending the conference stood to show their agreement with the document.


A portion of the covenant dealt with the issue of racial reconciliation, which will be a theme at Promise Keepers’ rallies this year. It reads:

“We covenant by God’s grace to reach beyond any racial and denominational barriers to demonstrate the power of biblical unity.”Where we have ignored praying and working with fellow pastors of differing denominations and race, we commit to seek out clergy of differing denominations and races, intentionally pursuing relationships with them, praying and working together for the building of the Kingdom of God.

… We confess the sins of our forefathers with Ezra, Nehemiah and Daniel, who disobeyed Your word and at times stole, killed, enslaved, broke treaties, demeaned and lied to people of color. Where we have done little to confront the sin of racism in our churches and to halt the erosion of trust between our largely anglo churches and the churches of color, we now acknowledge and confess that this is sin against You and repent of our sin, trusting that it will lead us to reconciliation and restoration with our brothers in Christ. We now want to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly before You; and we commit to learn so that we might teach and lead our people in the area of racial reconciliation.”Where we who are clergy of color have become bitter and nonforgiving of our anglo brothers, entertaining a spirit of retaliation and guarding our ministry against anglo partnership, we acknowledge and confess our sins before You. Where we have not applied the principles of biblical reconciliation to other racial groups, we now acknowledge that this is sin against You and repent of our sin, trusting that it will lead us to reconciliation and restoration with our brothers in Christ. We now want to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly before You; and we commit to learn, so that we might teach and lead our people in the area of racial reconciliation.”

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