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The Faith in Action Commission of the Christian Church in Oklahoma announces the recipients of the 2022 Reconciliation Grants. These grants are supported by the contributions of Christian Churches (DOC) throughout Oklahoma who long for wholeness in our world. Recognizing that we live in a fragmented world, we work together through Reconciliation to bring harmony to the dissonance surrounding us. FIAC was pleased to see the expansion of programs bringing our churches together but also reaching out to ecumenical partners and growing programs to address systemic racism, discrimination, and poverty. 

In Enid Central Christian Church, Church of the Covenant, University Place Christian Church, and Iglesia Christiana El Shaddai joined together to provide an inclusive Vacation Bible School for children from varied backgrounds and cultures. They also provide a program to improve the relationship among all people served by the police and fire departments of the city. Lastly, working ecumenically they provide the Enid Welcome Table where all are invited to eat together and informally learn of other services that might be of help to them. Reconciliation grants provide funding for part of these programs as the communities of faith come together with other financial and in-kind donations and hours of direct hands-on service to bring wholeness to a fragmented world.

First Christian Church of Midwest City will use their Reconciliation grant, Christmas for Others working ecumenically with other faith-based groups reaching out to meet the needs of low-wealth people by providing hygiene kits, built according to age, sex, and where known, race. Gifts of toys such as dolls will be offered in different skin tones, and food baskets will be provided appropriate to a family’s culture.

Recognizing the power of music to deliver important messages, a grant is being awarded to First Christian Church, El Reno to help sponsor the premiere production of a one-act opera, No Justice, No Peace written by Oklahomans Chris Prather, Choir Director at First Christian in El Reno, Megan Prather, and Kenneth R. Woods. It deals with a family struggling to come to grips with the death of the mother and the life-changing results of police brutality. 

Education is a central part of Reconciliation. To that end, In the Spirit Christian Church of Tulsa, was awarded a grant to help support their Emerging Young Leaders Justice Cohort where the youth of the church learn about social justice and advocacy.

First Christian Church of Claremore received a grant to understand better the history of the USA’s indigenous people by touring and participating in the resources available at the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City.

Yale Avenue Christian church was awarded a grant to provide a tutoring program for refugee children to help them adjust and thrive in school.

Finally, a grant was provided to Caminante, our Global Ministry partner, to help address racism issues that have grown from the masses of Haitians who fled to the Dominican Republic due to the various crisis in their homeland. 

The Faith in Action Commission is calling all participants in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma to make this a year of reconciliation. Our identity Statement is “We are Disciples of Christ, a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. We welcome all to the Lord’s Table as God has welcomed us.”

There are many opportunities to build harmony,

• Seek out another congregation to grow reconciliation with yours and plan events that would foster harmony. You could sing together or intercity churches could welcome rural churches and rural churches could introduce inter city residents to farms. 
• Start a justice book club
• Tour the Greenwood district in Tulsa and learn about the Tulsa Riots.
• Take a field trip to the First Americans Museum.
• Research and experiment with what others have used successfully to build reconciliation.

Many activities can be done at little cost, but if you need financial help with your plan the Reconciliation Grant process opens for applications on March 1.

Marilyn Knott, Chair

Commission for Faith in Action

Kirkpatrick Conference
Visions of Wholeness: Systemic Racism, Antiracism, and “Reconciliation” in Our Shared History and Tradition

March 18-19. 2022

This academic conference, Visions of Wholeness: Systemic Racism, Antiracism, and “Reconciliation” in Our Shared History and Tradition will be held March 18-19, 2022, at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The conference is sponsored through Disciples of Christ Historical Society’s Kirkpatrick Lecture Endowment.

The registration fee for the day and a half event is $70, which includes three meals. Register for in-person or livestream attendance.

Click here to learn more.

The Commission for Faith in Action has set aside reconciliation dollars to scholarship Oklahoma Disciples clergy that need financial support to attend this event.  Contact Rev. Pamela Holt or Rev. Michael Davison for more information.