The Presiding Bishop spoke at the Diocese of Louisiana's "Seeking Christ in all People: A Service of Commitment to Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation" on Martin Luther King Weekend. "Instead of reconciling us one to another in the unity of Christ's forgiveness for all, her hostility fostered more racial division. We suspect that she doesn't really want reconciliation. She wants more power to dismantle what we love about our home parishes, and the issue of race is just one wrecking ball among her many."

The group asked not to be identified fearing they might lose their jobs.

"Victimhood from racism, slavery, and segregation, according to TEC, has only black victims. This denies our lived reality here in New Orleans.

"If she wanted reconciliation, she would have discussed our real race problem in New Orleans- violent crime in the community of color, and not all of the victims are black or brown. White Episcopalians at Christ Church and Trinity have plenty of experiences with targeted race crimes.

"Why are we asked to reconcile with a community that consistently fosters rejection of Martin Luther King's calls for non-violence? Jefferts Schori never mentions the real issue that we live with every day and impacts us more than she'll ever hear any of our priests admit. The Reverends and Deacons keep silent, but they also live in fear. Why don't our Episcopal churches host social environment awareness and self-defense classes?

"Are we supposed to see Christ in violent thugs who make our hometown the Number 3 murder capital in the U.S.? Are we supposed to cancel our private security patrol in the Garden District and give the money to help fight against unnamed racist phantoms in the Diocese of Louisiana instead?

"To prove our loving and Christ seeking racial reconciliation, we are supposed to transform our budgets by giving higher paying jobs to privileged blacks, and to fund more outreach to perpetually chaotic and dysfunctional black neighborhoods.

"But since it's a spoils system, TEC requires us to hurt those who aren't black by marginalizing the white 'other' through denying them opportunities they've earned. If we hire a white, we're accused of 'perpetuating White privilege.' When we hire a black instead, we're told that we were 'too slow and haven't done enough.'"

The group blasted the Presiding Bishop saying she misperceives the real moral debt, as does Louisiana Bishop Morris K. Thompson and his UnDoing Racism Committee. "Now is the wrong time for TEC and EDOLA to be pushing their brand of extremist racialized theology and practice. New Orleans is definitely the wrong place."

One group member opined to VOL, "The diocese has appointed 20 committee members to fight against racism in EDOLA, surely they have identified at least ONE racist who needs the anti-racist therapy. The question we keep asking ourselves is; who is the RACIST? Why won't anyone tell us who the racists are, where they are, and what we should do to them?

"Is Bishop Thompson outing himself as the yet unnamed racist in EDOLA? Why does he want Episcopalians to 'be aware' of race if we are all one in Christ? Is that a subtle cue to 'beware' of race? What does it 'mean' to be black?"

You can read her sermon here: http://tinyurl.com/lzlszcm

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