Multimedia: Jayne Oasin on slavery, racial reconciliation

March 23, 2007 [Episcopal News Service] The Rev. Jayne Oasin, social justice officer for the Episcopal Church, speaks about the abolition of slavery bill and General Convention resolutions regarding slavery and racial reconciliation.

"While it is undoubted that there are many Churches, many Christians, many people of God who vigorously fought against slavery, the Church as an institution was often not so quick to do so," she said. "We need to be one of the main voices -- and I would submit the major voice -- that says this was wrong ... we were wrong, and we apologize."

Resolution A123, passed by the Episcopal Church's 75th General Convention in June 2006, declared "unequivocally that the institution of slavery in the United States and anywhere else in the world, based as it is on 'ownership' of some persons by other persons, was and is a sin and a fundamental betrayal of the humanity of all persons who were involved."

The resolution also urged every diocese initiate a comprehensive program and to collect and document during the next triennium detailed information on "the complicity of The Episcopal Church in the institution of slavery and in the subsequent history of segregation and discrimination."

A video stream of Oasin's message is available here.

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