We, the Shepherds of the Triad, united in one voice do join together to humble ourselves before the God of the Holy Bible, and one another, hereby affirm and declare the following:

WHEREAS, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17)

WHEREAS, We are responsible for Shepherding our communities and fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things Jesus has commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20)

WHEREAS, The solutions to our problems are primarily spiritual, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

WHEREAS, The Lord Jesus Christ declared that every kingdom divided against itself would be brought to desolation, and He prayed that we would be One, as He and the Father are One, in order that others may believe God sent Him into the world. (Luke 11:17; John 17:21)

WHEREAS, Jesus’ Great Commandment is, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved, we, the Shepherds of our Communities, and the Triad, humbly repent of failing to establish and maintain Christ-honoring relationships with one another, particularly those who are our nearest neighboring pastors. (Galatians 6:2)

NOW, THEREFORE, Be it resolved that we acknowledge that the Church of Jesus Christ has been complicit in perpetuating the racial divide in our nation, and we call for repentance as the Body of Christ, not just as individuals. (1 Cor 12:26-27)

NOW, THEREFORE, Be it further resolved that we, the Shepherds of our Communities and the Triad, recognize that faith without works is dead, and we dedicate ourselves to pray together that we may discover God’s plans for us to equip and engage His people in practical and united ways of serving our communities as well as intentionally developing ethnic partnerships with one another. We will boldly accomplish the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment. (James 2:26)

NOW, THEREFORE, Be it further resolved that we desire to be a part of the process of transformation in the criminal justice system, while at the same time supporting the work of individuals in the criminal justice system, including law enforcement. (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

NOW, THEREFORE, Be it further resolved that we also commit to systemic impact in the Triad in the areas of Education, Community Engagement, and Economic Empowerment. (Jeremiah 29:7)

NOW, THEREFORE, Be it further resolved that we commit to intentionally reconcile and live in accordance with 2 Chronicles 7:14 and John 17:21, humbly coming together before God, seeking His face, turning from our wicked ways, crying out to the Lord to forgive our sins … and to heal our land and intentionally becoming one.