Join justice-seeking United Methodists in the California-Pacific Conference for an important day of discussion and planning for the long-term work of dismantling racism in our church and our society.

Saturday, February 11, 2023 (10 AM – 3 PM PST | 8 AM – 1 PM HST)
in person: St. Mark UMC in Los Angeles ($20 including lunch)
online: Click HERE to pre-register.

Dr. Magaela Bethune of Loyola Marymount will be our keynote speaker, followed by a thought-provoking discussion with a stellar panel of change-making leaders and a small group session for next steps in our antiracism work.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: DR. MAGAELA BETHUNE
Magaela C. Bethune, Ph.D. (she/hers) is an author, researcher, and assistant professor of African American Studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. She received her Ph.D. in Community Research and Action from Vanderbilt University. 
Dr. Bethune’s teaching and research interests lie in the following areas: race & health; race, gender, & sexuality; Black studies; digital media & technology; health policy & policy studies; and social justice. Another thread of her research examines racial and gender disparities within the Christian church. 
As a social justice-oriented educator, Dr. Bethune emphasizes cultivating, facilitating, and partaking in a co-teaching and learning community that is nurtured through knowledge exchange, reflexive praxis, and real-world applications. 
With Dr. Venus Evans-Winters, she co-authored an edited volume, entitled (Re)Teaching Trayvon: Education for Racial Justice and Human Freedom.

PANEL DISCUSSION
Responding to Dr. Bethune’s keynote message and considering how we can address concerns over racial disparity in our conference and our society, our diverse panel includes these passionate justice-seeking, change-making leaders:

• Piula Ala’ilima: Lead Pastor, Wesley UMC, Honolulu HI
• Chris Carter: Professor of Religious Studies at USD & Associate Pastor at Westwood UMC
• Eugene Han: Senior Pastor, Christ UMC, Honolulu HI
• Allison Mark (Moderator): Senior Pastor, Faith UMC of Torrance, Torrance CA
• Phil Valdes: Senior Pastor, La Plaza UMC, Los Angeles CA

SMALL GROUP SESSION
Institutional change is difficult, and Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) tries to help our church move from study and discussion to effective action. After lunch, in our small group session, all of us (including our Zoom participants) will have the opportunity to respond to what we have heard and consider ways for our conference to disrupt and dismantle racism and grow in an antiracist direction.