University Carillon Diversity Posture
University Carillon acknowledges…
- Our rich orthodox Wesleyan Tradition that serves as a historical foundation to embrace the social implications of our personal and communal transformation by the power of the Gospel. We depend on the Holy Spirit to empower us to cultivate Christian love and demonstrate mutual care in word and deed to our neighbors inside and outside of the church.
- God’s creation as expressed in the term Imago Dei, the Image of God, which began when He breathed life into humanity. This foundational truth holds us firmly to the conviction that every human being is immeasurably loved by God and therefore has inherent dignity and sacred worth.
- That God has deliberately included a diversity of people in His creative work and redemptive plan to deliver humanity and restore all of creation marred by sin. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ all are welcomed into His family. Therefore, we affirm the image of this family that is cast in Scripture: a broad inclusion of people in heaven from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue. We also celebrate our similarities and differences, recognizing that unity without diversity is merely uniformity. Diversity serves as an essential element of the church’s faithful witness to a watching world and a foretaste of God’s coming kingdom.
- That we are committed to being “a community sent to help anyone and everyone become a follower of Jesus.” We believe this vision bears proactive implications for how we live and how we care for our community and the world. This care intentionally and mindfully seeks to include and walk alongside people from all cultures, ethnicities, nationalities, ages, abilities, and socioeconomic statuses. Where injustice may exist, we will raise our consciences and voices for understanding, while prayerfully seeking the discernment and wisdom needed to pursue justice, demonstrate acts of mercy, and advocate for our fellow image bearers. When we fall short, we will pursue restored relationships with our neighbors, characterized by accountability, repentance, forgiveness, and grace for the glory of God and the sake of the world.