Restorative Actions is born from the intersection of theology, justice, and economics. It allows U.S. Americans who benefit from institutional racism, to provide a credible witness for justice by surrendering ill-gotten gains toward the establishment of just relationships with Afro-American and Indigenous communities.
Restorative Actions is a grass roots voluntary initiative for churches, individuals, mid-councils, and agencies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) as well as other ecumenical partners and interested organizations, to take a leadership stance in opposition to racism and racial privilege. Its premise is that it would be right and fair for predominantly white churches and affiliated organizations to return benefits that have accrued to them directly or indirectly from systemic inequities. The act of gathering and turning back resources that would otherwise benefit others could be redressive to complicity, restorative to conscience, and could represent a good faith step toward broader reconciliation.
Guidance for restorative action of wealth is based on the estimated national financial disparities between the income and wealth of white American households and the income and wealth of households in historically marginalized Indigenous and Afro-American communities.
Allocation of commitments will be determined by the composition of donors’ sources of income or wealth. Commitments based on real estate gains or assets would be transferred to facilities entrusted to benefit Indigenous people and communities. Commitments based on levels of non-missional income or undesignated financial assets would be transferred to facilities entrusted to benefit Afro-American communities.
All monies gathered will be transferred to a legal fiduciary that will provide ongoing income for the self-development of Indigenous and Afro-American communities, as directed by trustees which will be comprised of leaders from within these respective communities.
Until ultimate fiduciary trust facilities become operational, the funds that churches set aside for restorative actions can either be held in designated accounts on the books of contributing organizations, or transferred to one of two mission partnership funds that are being established in the meantime by the Synod of Lakes and Prairies of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Foundation.
CORE TEAM
Our core team is comprised of a group of individuals with different lived experiences, seeking economic justice.
Although Restorative Actions was initiated by individuals affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), anyone is invited to contribute. There will be no denominational, religious affiliation or doctrinal considerations limiting the distribution of the program’s funds or earnings. We invite you.
In addition to our core team, we consulted with the following individuals and groups during the formation of the program:
New Covenant Trust Company
Presbyterian Foundation
