Racial Justice Task Group

Co-Chairs: Ruling Elder Diane Matthews & Rev. Dr. Steve Lytch

The Racial Justice Task Group seeks to help congregations, church leaders, and members embrace God's call to address racial injustice as part of their Christian faith and take action to work toward justice.

"For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us."  -- Ephesians 2:14

Upcoming Events

Visit to The Bias Inside Us Exhibit
Chester County History Center, West Chester
Thursday, January 8, at 10:00 AM
Join a group from Donegal Presbytery to view this traveling Smithsonian exhibition about the science and history of bias, followed by lunch and discussion.
Click HERE to view and download the flyer. 
Click HERE for details and to register to attend.

Curious Conversations - January
Highland Presbyterian Church, Lancaster
Sunday, January 18, at 2:30 PM
In our polarized world, having healthy dialogue about contentious issues can feel impossible. Rev. Dr. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker, pastor of Derry Presbyterian Church in Hershey, PA, has developed a model for approaching these hard conversations. Based on seeking to understand others’ perspectives — even when we passionately disagree — these Curious Conversations are an opportunity to practice listening, asking genuine questions, staying in the room with difference, and humanizing our ideological opponents.
Click HERE for details and to register to attend.

Racism in America: The History We Didn't Learn in School
Bethany Presbyterian Church, Mendenhall & Livestreamed
Thursdays, January 8 - February 12, at 1:00 PM
Bethany Presbyterian Church invites you to attend this six-week lecture series by Sue Linderman, either in person or online.
Click HERE to view and download the flyer. 
Click HERE for details and to register to attend.

Congregational Antiracism Policy Workshops
The Congregational Antiracism Policy Support (CAPS) Team has scheduled four Congregational Antiracism Policy Workshops for pastors, elders, and clerks of session to work on their congregations' Antiracism Policies:
  - Sunday, January 11 at 2:30 PM - Westminster Presbyterian Church, West Chester
  - Tuesday, January 20 at 7:00 PM - Strasburg Presbyterian Church
  - Sunday, January 25 at 2:30 - New Harmony Presbyterian Church
  - Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 - Online via Zoom
Click HERE for details and to register to attend.

Resources

Click HERE for a list of resources for congregations and individuals. Check back soon -- the resource list is currently undergoing updates and curation to make it more user-friendly!

Congregational Facilitators

Trained facilitators are available to work with congregations and sessions as they grow in their ministry of racial justice. Contact us HERE if your church would like to consider working with a facilitator.

2025-2026 Goals

If any of these projects sound interesting to you, we’d love to have you get involved! Indicate your interest HERE.

  • In partnership with the Leader Team, develop a plan for the September Presbytery Gathering’s focus on racial justice.
  • Develop and deploy training modules to support sessions in creating and implementing the antiracism policies that are now required by the Book of Order.
  • Clarify the extent to which the Racial Justice Task Group will be involved in the Presbytery’s efforts to support immigrants and refugees.
  • Launch a cohort for preachers interested in exploring how to preach about racial justice in these difficult times.
  • Organize a Presbytery-wide field trip to attend the Juneteenth celebration that Second Presbyterian Church of West Chester is helping to organize (along with other churches and community organizations) on June 19, and encourage participation in other local Juneteenth events.
  • Learn who is organizing advocacy efforts to advance racial justice in our local areas and build relationships with them.
  • Host educational daytrips (to museums, historic sites, churches, etc.) and follow-up conversations. Intentionally invite both people from the Presbytery’s congregations and others from our communities.
  • Offer the Brave Spaces Book Study for a new group of participants.
  • Organize training for the Presbytery in the Courageous Conversation model of facilitating productive dialogue about contentious issues.