Churches apologize for betraying Gospel

Protestants repent for churches' role in oppressing First NationsA global Protestant body representing 80 million Christians has issued an apology for the role played by churches in perpetrating abuse against Native Americans, First Nations and other Indigenous peoples.

"We … repent of our history littered with ways in which we have betrayed Gospel values of justice, fairness, and love for our neighbour … by the confiscation of land, and mass killings," delegates at the founding meeting of the World Communion of Reformed Churches said in a June 26 statement.

The June 18-28 gathering in Grand Rapids, in the state of Michigan, took place on the traditional territory of Native American peoples, delegates noted.

In their statement, they said they hoped that through "genuine repentance" they would have courage to repair broken relationships and begin new paths of reconciliation. They also said they were repenting for manifesting, "cultural, economic and theological arrogance," and the way their church structures had "perpetrated abuse."Comment:  This is one of the more explicit apologies we've seen. These Christians "betrayed Gospel values of justice, fairness, and love for our neighbour"...yes, they sure did.

For more on the subject, see Brownback Reads US Apology and Catholic Churches Apologize to Menominees.