“That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us”

— John 17:11

Heart

Pastors joining together for a one-year journey toward racial justice.

Church leaders across the country are preparing to lead conversations about racism in America. Some are newer to these types of discussions while others have been living this work for a long time — tired of carrying the burden alone. Wherever you fall on this journey, we invite you to join a community of pastors who are seeking to engage with one another to dismantle racism and change the landscape of the church. We believe this is a once-in-a-generation kind of moment. We, the Church, can’t let it pass.

Learn

from church leaders of color who have been prolific voices in these efforts and have the experience to lead us to lasting change.

Connect

with pastors from all over the country and in your community to listen, lament, and learn how to dismantle racism together.

Take Action

in your churches and communities in a way, and with a support system, that you haven’t had before.

Register now

Leadership

We are so honored that our friends Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Dr. Efrem Smith, and Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal have signed on to lead us on this journey.

opstal

Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal

Co-founder and Executive Director of Chasing Justice, Pastor, Author.

Dr.-Soong-Chan-Rah

Dr. Soong-Chan Rah

Theology Professor, North Park Seminary, Author, Former WV Board Member

Dr.-Efrem-Smith

Dr. Efrem Smith

Pastor, Bayside Church and Author

“We believe this is a once-in-a-generation kind of moment. A moment in the history of the church, where God’s people are being called to engage the deep and powerful work of God to bring healing and hope to a broken world. Will the church be strong and courageous to answer this call? Will our hearts be broken by the things that break the heart of God? Our fractured world, the deep injustice in the world break the heart of God, will we respond to God’s heart?”

— Dr. Soong-Chan Rah

World Vision as Convener

World Vision as Convener

Equipping the local church is close to our heart. More than 100,000 churches have been trained by (and partner with) World Vision in area programs. Last year 116,000 pastors, priests, deacons, and Christian faith leaders were trained through WV programs. WV also offered new or first-time training to more than 25,000 partner churches and faith-based organizations, meeting with church leaders and pastors to provide support and resources to strengthen their ministries—we’d love to do the same at home.

We recognize that we are not the experts on Racial Justice in the United States. It is because of our partnerships with leaders who represent a diverse group of churches and our friendships with experts and some of the pioneers of this work, that we believe we are positioned to act as a convener and host for this experience.

Registration for this year-long journey is now closed but we’d love to connect with you. If you are looking for resources on pursuing racial justice for you and your church, please reach out to Nhu Phan – [email protected]

FAQs

How much does it cost?



There’s no registration fee to sign up. This journey of learning and community will be offered as a free resource to empower and equip pastors and church leaders to lead effectively on our unified mission of tackling injustice around the world. During the course of the journey, there will be some costs associated with purchasing books and optional events, gatherings, and experiences.

What are pastors committing to when they register?


We believe this will be an incredibly high return on a relatively small-time commitment. Pastors who join us on this journey can expect to…

  • Read some books together over the course of the journey
  • Come together virtually (or in person in some cities) once per month for teaching on racial justice from some of the most prolific church leaders of our day
  • Build relationships through smaller cohorts to discuss the learning from the teaching, learning, books, and action steps.
  • Become more aware of the incredible work already being done in your city by pastors of color as you lean into that work together.

What can a pastor expect when they sign up to participate?


Pastors can expect this to be a deeply meaningful and life-changing journey that will include:

  • Deep spiritual, theological, biblical, ecclesial call to strive after God’s heart for the world
  • Understanding our world and the depth of sin and evil that has impacted and continues to impact our brothers and sisters in Christ
  • A sense of God’s calling to His people to be one and what that means for the church in the world
  • Lasting friendships with other pastors who will be on this journey together

Who will make up the teaching faculty?


World Vision is serving as the convener of this journey, not the experts. We have an external core team made up of Dr. Efrem Smith, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, and other leaders to be announced. These leaders have been actively leading in the racial justice movement for years. They are assembling a teaching team of pastors and leaders who have also been prolific voices for racial justice. As we finalize these speakers/teachers, we will share them out.

I still have questions. Who can I ask?


We’ll be reaching out to registrants directly with more info with further details but in the meantime, feel free to reach out to May We Be One coordinator Nhu Phan, [email protected] and she’ll work to get back to you within 3-5 business days.