A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

- John 13:34

In an ever-present dominant culture of violence, hatred and widespread systems of supremacy that determine who is worthy of belonging and who is labeled as “other”, we cannot take lightly the full breadth and responsibility of what it means to choose and embody God’s love in our daily lives.

MCC U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries program on racial equity and advocacy provides training and support for constituent groups and churches to identify and resist oppressive systems of racism and colonization as well as to advocate for an end to mass incarceration. Groups can learn about historic patterns of injustice, its prevailing legacies and promote healing within organizations, communities and homes. Through training initiatives and resources, we seek to be transformed and reconciled through Christ. In the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

If your church, group or community is seeking to engage in topics of anti-racism and anti-colonialism, browse below to find ways to connect or contact us directly.

Learn more about our adult Sunday School curriculum, Embracing Beloved Community.

The Doctrine of Discovery education

The Doctrine of Discovery is the theological, philosophical and legal framework established by the Christian Church that gave European governments moral and legal rights to invade and seize Indigenous lands and dominate Indigenous peoples.  MCC offers education and resources for congregations that address the impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery through speaking opportunities, Loss of Turtle Island exercises and Doctrine of Discovery trainings.

The Loss of Turtle Island is a participatory learning experience that depicts the historic relationship between European settlers – including Mennonites – and the Indigenous nations, the original inhabitants, of the land we now call the United States of America.

Central States

MCC Central States Indigenous Visioning Circle exists to support the strength and genius of Indigenous people as they address injustices past and present by:

  • Building relationships with and among Indigenous people in the U.S., Canada and around the world
  • Educating MCC-supporters about the intersecting history between Native Americans and European settlers
  • Supporting the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery
  • Exploring reconciliation between Native Americans and Mennonites
  • Advocating for justice for Native Americans today

Mass Incarceration education & advocacy

In Jesus' first sermon, he calls for the captives to be released and for the oppressed to be free. The U.S. has 5% of the world’s population and 25% of the world’s prison population. MCC answers Jesus’ call be journeying alongside communities who have been targeted by the mass incarceration system towards healing and restoration. MCC walks with churches as they work for justice alongside impacted communities.

MCC works with partner organizations to reach out to inmates through discipling and training, and through housing and employment opportunities.

Pipeline to Prison Learning Tour  
Join MCC for a Pipeline to Prison Learning Tour to learn about mass incarceration in the U.S. The tour will include visits to prisons and agencies working with incarcerated people and returning citizens in your local area.

“You got Booked!”
“You got Booked!” is an interactive learning tool developed by MCC. It provides youth and adult participants with an insight into the many flaws in the U.S. criminal justice system that lead to mass incarceration. MCC staff are available to meet with groups and guide discussion.

Engage in advocacy through MCC U.S. National Peace & Justice Ministries
We are in touch with MCC staff around the world so that we can better advocate for U.S. government policies that make for a more peaceful and just world.