Northern Light United Church Begins Era of Acknowledgment and Reparation
A local Juneau congregation is taking steps to acknowledge and repair the trauma caused by the 1963 forced closure of Juneau’s thriving Memorial Presbyterian Church. Northern Light United Church (NLUC) plans a series of concrete far-reaching actions to raise awareness, to eliminate racism, make history known, and unlearn destructive attitudes and behaviors. The list of acknowledgments and reparative actions are contained in a resolution approved by the congregation after two years of work to address the enduring pain it says it inherited from the racism surrounding Memorial Church’s closure.
Resolution of Acknowledgment, Apology, and Reparations
A resolution of the Northern Light United Church (NLUC) congregation of Juneau, Alaska, recommended by the NLUC Council, authorizing the use of church resources to acknowledge, apologize, and make reparations for the wrongful and forcible closure in 1963 of the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Juneau by the Alaska Presbytery with concurrence of the Presbyterian Board of National Missions.
Resolution 2021-01 re Reparations adopted 2021.08.29.pdf
On Directing the Office of the General Assembly to Issue Apologies and Reparations for the Racist Closure of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, Juneau, Alaska.
Overture Submitted to PC(US).pdf
Link to Overture Page, including photos, minutes, and additional documents