My name is Jason Leighton. I’m the pastor at Cavalry Memorial UMC in Snow Hill, North Carolina. I joined the Sound District Committee on Dismantling Racism because I believe the heart of the Gospel calls for us to be in community with all people.
As a youth, I grew up with Redneck stickers, t-shirts, and belt buckles bearing the Confederate flag. I wrote school newspaper articles walking out the argument for heritage over hate, and I could not for the life of me understand why people could not see that my enthusiasm in sporting the “stars and bars” represented the better parts of the South. Looking back, I realize I could not understand because I could not see, I did not want to see, that my experience of the South or the Confederacy was not the only one.
Being a pastor, I believe it is my call to help others think critically about their faith and integrate that faith into every aspect of one’s life, so much so that it becomes the starting point for everything he or she does. I am by no means perfect in this practice, but it is the understanding and experience of looking through the lens of my faith that led me to do the work of social justice. When I began to look at the rebel flag in terms of my faith, I saw that it kept me from sharing my faith with others and therefore had to go. This awareness began a snowball effect, first begging the question, what else was I missing, and then, how could I better understand my neighbor?
Thinking about my own journey and the work this team will do in our District, I am drawn to the image of those who sojourned out of Egypt with the Israelites. I think about the relationships they shared and the love they must have carried for their brothers and sisters so much so that it caused them to leave behind the things that no longer served their purpose. My core purpose or desire is to bear witness to the Kingdom of God and to proclaim salvation through Jesus Christ. Doing the work of dismantling racism and seeking reconciliation allows me the chance to do this by raising awareness and understanding of experiences that exist outside of our own. It offers me the opportunity to help grow the Kingdom in a manner that not only supports a deep connection with others but strengthens the foundations of our faith.
