Resources for Martin Luther King Day and
Race Relations Sunday

In faithful witness to the love of Christ, the church is committed to confronting the ideology of racism and racial oppression, working to overcome racism with prayer, discernment and worship-based action. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19, and Race Relations Sunday, January 18, provide opportunities to celebrate the diversity of God's family. Use the worship resources and reflections provided below as you plan celebrations in your congregation.

Martin Luther King Day worship resources

Presbyterian Peacemaking Program Liturgical Resources
The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program makes available worship resources for a number of holidays that have dimensions of peace and justice. These resources for Martin Luther King Day may also be used for worship services on themes of race relations.

Martin Luther King Day Liturgy
Order of worship drawn from the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other sources.

MLK Chronology
A chronology of important events in the life of Dr. King.

Excerpts from order of worship (January 10, 2007) honoring the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. and those youth and young adults who were part of the movement and who work for justice today.

Reflections on Dr. King
Members of various communities within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) offer their reflections on the legacy of Dr. King.

• The Rev. Dr. Unzu Lee
  Presbyterian Women Program Associate, serving at the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Ky.
• The Rev. Buddy Monahan
  Chaplain of the Menaul School in Albuquerque, N.M.
• The Rev. J. Mark Davidson
  Pastor of the Church of Reconciliation in Chapel Hill, N.C.
• The Rev. Marthame Sanders
  PC(USA) missionary who served the church in Palestine
• The Rev. Dr. Gloria J. Tate
  Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Teaneck in Teaneck, N.J.

Presbyterians and civil rights

Discover the legacy of Black Presbyterians
Learn about the contributions of Black Presbyterians as they worked to shape the consciousness of the Presbyterian denomination. Be challenged by their call to be a witness to God’s desire for a just and free society, open and inclusive to all. Listen to the successes and failures experienced by Black Presbyterians in their efforts to become full participants in the household of God.

The new DVD, “Black Presbyterians: The Legacy Series,” features three fifteen-minute segments that tell the stories of Black Presbyterians active during the Civil Rights Movement. Watch a video clip and order this DVD.

Add this video to your Web site or blog.

“Stories from Our Past: Presbyterians and the Struggle for Civil Rights” is a paper that Fred Heuser gave at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church on January 14, 2007. Heuser’s paper, an assortment of stories about how Presbyterians were involved in this tumultuous struggle for justice, was written exclusively from archival material at the Presbyterian Historical Society (PHS). Heuser is an associate stated clerk and director of the historical society.

Next Steps for MLK and Race Relations Day

Building the Beloved Community in Your Community
Originally published in ideas! for Church Leaders magazine, Winter 2004-5, this article by Dr. Teresa Chávez-Sauceda highlights ways in which your church and community can explore partnerships that help dismantle racial injustice. Also available as a PDF.

Resources for Race Relations Sunday

Race Relations Sunday Liturgy
by Margaret Aymr

Minute for Mission
A prayer and reflection resource that honors the ordination of racial ethnic women.

Reformadores de Justicia
This sermon by the Rev. Mauricio Chacón celebrates the legacy of Rosa Parks in relation to the Protestant reformers.  In Spanish only.

Civil Rights Online Photo Galleries
These online albums celebrate the women of the Civil Rights Movement in society as well as in the Presbyterian Church.

A Civil Rights Leader in Her Own Right
Coretta Scott King (1927-2006): A Presbyterian tribute to Coretta Scott King.

Rosa Parks
A Legacy of Grassroots Activism: A celebration of her lifelong activism in commemoration of her passing.

Worship Resources on Cultural Diversity and Racism

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