Church Family,
After the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, I sent out a statement with regards to our current cultural moment. It was brought to my attention that many either failed to receive or happened to overlook that email communication. Below you’ll find that statement. In addition, our pastoral team would like to invite you to a one-night event on Thursday, June 25th entitled “A Biblical Response to our Cultural Moment: A Forum on Racism.” The discussion will be hosted in the FLC stadium beginning at 6:30pm; nursery will be provided and gym supervision will be available for preschool and elementary age children. We desire for this format to provide an open and safe environment for our church family to listen and learn together on such an important cultural topic. We invite you to mark your calendars and join us! Please see my original statement from June 3rd below.
Dear Friends,
As I have considered the wrongful death of George Floyd in recent days, it has brought sorrow to my heart. I am sorrowful observing the racism that fuels people to mistreat others simply because of the color of their skin. I am sorrowful because of the fear and hurt that people are feeling as a result of the tragic, criminal, and needless death of another African American man. I am sorrowful for the upright and hardworking law enforcement officers who carry the stigma of some racist officers who abuse their authority by showing a wanton disregard for the lives of black young men. As a white man, I can’t begin to understand the pain, hopelessness, and fear that black citizens in our country are feeling. What I can do is lament the tragic consequences of sin and point to the cure in Jesus Christ. Lament is part of living as a member of a fallen race in a fallen place, however, we must remember that sin does not have the last word. There is hope in Christ, he came to deliver people from the penalty of sin (death) and from the power of sin (in this case, racism). I surely don’t have the societal answers to systemic racism, but I am assured that the ultimate answer begins with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray with me, that the healing power of the gospel would sweep our land and change the hearts of people
Bill Boulet
