We believe that diversity is something that God intended and is to be celebrated. We will continue and grow our work in anti-bias through education, worship, justice, and partnerships to be the church that God has called us to be. We believe that the church is meant to be a place where we can learn to build healthier communities for people of all races.
Please join us as we share in an important tradition of Hawaii, “Talking Story.” Hosted by Pastor Gerald Chinen, it is a time to hear the story of another person’s journey as they reflect on meaningful experiences, as well as their passions, that have had an impact on their life.
Coming Soon: Anthony Lucero, born and raised in Oakland, is a writer and director. Join us for a live interview with him on Wednesday, March 17, at 11:00.
REGISTER HERE
His directorial debut film, East Side Sushi, has garnered 14 film festival awards nationwide, been listed as one of the “top 10 films of 2015” by SF Weekly, and touted as one “the most overlooked films of 2015” by the Los Angeles Times. Anthony has been an editor and director of photography in commercials and documentaries and has directed three award-winning short films. He has spent over a decade as a visual effects editor at George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic, working on such films as Star Wars: Episodes I and II, Iron Man, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and others.
Stay tuned for more information on our second Talking Story interview on Wednesday, May 12, with the Rev. Dr. Ken Fong.
Past Interviews from Talking Story:
Dr. Radcliff shares with Pastor Gerald his journey, which has led to his passion for social and racial justice. Dr. Radcliff has a unique perspective, living as a black man in this country and having served as a Deputy and Chaplain with the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
Dr. Jeung shares with Pastor Gerald how important the biblical mandate of being in this world but not of it has led him to incredible experiences of seeking God’s justice and putting his faith on the line particularly in Asian American, Latinx, and refugee communities.
Additional Resources
We are grateful for the leadership of our denomination and for the witness of our Stated Clerk, The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, in this video – there is work to do, please join us in this hard and necessary dialogue.
How do we teach our kids the values of kindness, mercy, and justice? How do we teach them about the legacies of systemic racism in age-appropriate ways without inflicting trauma?
What's Next?
LOPC’s commitment to be a more just, equitable, inclusive, and diverse community of faith gives us a clear direction of what our community needs to learn, say, and do to care for others who are harmed as a result of an unequitable world and systemic racism. We encourage our members and friends to learn more about becoming an advocate to dismantle racism and build communities that celebrate all of God’s children. If you are unsure about where to start, we recommend:
click the images for links to more information
Additionally, there will be upcoming webinars and classes in order to further educate our community. There is work to do, and we ask that you please join us in this hard and necessary dialogue to be the community of faith that we want to be.