Practicing justice begins with understanding the ways we have participated in unjust systems and practices. Understanding the realities of oppression in our culture means understanding intersectionality and that most of us have different, layered aspects of our identities and lives that mean we experience…and are part of…different forms of oppression and privilege. Eastside is a community and congregation that has folks from all walks of life, a wide range of races and ethnicities, folks who embody all kinds of gender identities and sexualities, and all kinds of family structures. We are also still a majority white congregation in a pretty affluent community, so we strive to be mindful of the privilege we hold as individuals and a community.

We believe deeply that Black Lives Matter and, truly, that matter is the bare minimum.

As a majority white congregation in a truly diverse neighborhood we seek to better understand the ways the world has privileged us while denying the humanity of our siblings of color. We recognize the ways that Christianity has (and, as a whole, continues to be) complicit in white supremacy and has caused horrific pain and trauma. We continue to learn, grow, and work around personal prejudice, systemic injustice, and the pervasiveness in white supremacy in thought and deed in our own lives, our church, our denomination, and this country. We believe in the importance of the work of anti-racism as individuals, a congregation, and in the larger community.

We believe LGBTQIA+ people are fully and truly created and beloved in the image of God.

We are also a Reconciling Congregation, part of the Reconciling Ministries Network <rmnetwork.org> and we are brutally aware of the ways the Bible and church practices have been used to deny the full humanity of our LGBTQ folks and have caused horrific pain and suffering. We are always seeking new and affirming ways of constructing and embodying our theology in order to best love all people God has created and adores.