The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Religious leaders rail against racial injustice
Use Lamont’s coronavirus event to condemn death of George Floyd in Minneapolis
“There’s another virus that’s plaguing the faith community ... and that’s racism, 45.”
The Rev. Kelcy G.L. Steele, pastor of the Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in New Haven
HARTFORD — Religious leaders came together in Hartford Friday for the stated purpose of backing Gov. Ned Lamont’s easing of restrictions for religious and social gatherings. They used the platform to condemn the death of an African American man at the hands of the Minneapolis police — an outrage all the worse, they said, in light of racial injustice in the coronavirus crisis.
The assault and death of George Floyd occupied their minds at least as much, and probably more, than expanded numbers of people allowed in indoor religious services, to 25 percent capacity, up to 100 people.
“There’s something that has been on my heart and in my spirit as we’re talking about COVID-19,” said the Rev. Kelcy G.L. Steele, pastor of the Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in New Haven. “There’s another virus that’s plaguing the faith community... and that’s racism, 45.”
That was a reference to President Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States. “I can’t stand here without bringing up the name of George Floyd.”
Steele likened Floyd’s death to many of those who have perished from COVID-19, noting he had lost his job as a security employee during the pandemic. The faith community must care for disenfranchised people, he said.
“This black, unemployed man didn’t deserve to die,” Steele said. “The way he died was senseless. He begged for his life, pleaded for his life. And when you try so hard to put faith into this system, a system you know isn’t designed for you, it’s sad that we still have to talk about race in this day and time, in this climate, as well as in this pandemic.”
“I feel like it’s time for us as a faith community to be the church, speak the truth, stand for those who have no voice.”
Steele led a moment of silence during the governor’s noontime event at the state Capitol.
Bishop Ian T. Douglas of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut thanked Steele for “making the connection between those who suffer at the hands of racism and white supremacy in our nation and those who suffer from the realities of COVID-19,” and said faith leaders would stand together to care for the poor and needy.
“This is an incredibly difficult time in our nation and in our state, and it’s a very crucial space that our religious leaders need to occupy if we are going to heal and serve God’s mission of restoration and reconciliation and peace for all people,” Douglas said. “We invite the good people of Connecticut, working with their religious leaders, to come back together, following the careful guidelines presented by the governor and his team, and once again serve the least of these.”
Some groups, including the conservative Yankee Institute for Public Policy, said Lamont’s move discriminated against large churches and other religious organizations that are still limited to 100 people for an indoor service.
But Douglas said that even with the relaxed restrictions on congregations, Episcopal churches will continue to perform virtual services and keep their buildings closed.
The Rev. Boise Kimber, a Baptist minister with congregations in New Haven and Hartford, said churches would follow guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as they reopen. Religious leaders will recommend that vulnerable populations and those over 65 stay home during the pandemic and attend services through computer devices.
A rally against the Floyd homicide, which resulted in the arrest of at least one Minneapolis officer on Friday, was scheduled at the Capitol for late Friday afternoon.
Faith leaders who attended the noon event included the Rev. Lindsay Curtis, pastor of Norwalk’s Grace Baptist Church; state Rep. Charlie Stallworth, a Bridgeport minister; Imam Kashif Abdul-Karim, a Muslim leader; and Swaranjit Singh Khalsa of Norwich, representing the Sikh community. State Rep. Brandon McGee of Hartford also attended.
“We want to thank the governor and his team for the care that they have provided as we together have discerned how to best provide for the spiritual needs of the people of Connecticut,” Douglas said.