“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.“

Romans 12:9-10

Dear Parkview,

Veronica and I are dismayed and horrified by the shootings that took place in Atlanta yesterday which killed eight people, six of whom were Asian American women. This has yet to be officially declared a hate crime, but this is clearly targeted towards the Asian community. As the AAPI said in their statement, “This latest attack will only exacerbate the fear and pain that the Asian American community continues to endure.” Since the pandemic began, there has been a 150% rise in attacks against the Asian American community. Veronica and I sent out a statement about the rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community last year and we are heartbroken that here we are – again – sending out another statement.

So Parkview family, we want you to know that your pastoral staff is here for you to listen, to bring comfort and to take action as needed. If you need a listening ear, we are here. If you don’t feel safe to go out grocery shopping, let us know and we will assist you with this need. If you want to organize an action, please reach out to us as we connect to more organizers in this community. We condemn the hate crimes that are taking place against the Asian American community and we will do our part to put our city officials, fellow clergy and colleagues on notice to do more to take a stand against hate. We are in the midst of a pandemic where a virus is running rampant and racism is a virus, too. We must stamp out this virus of hate, by calling it and naming it and doing our part to make it no more.

In solidarity and hope,

Pamela & Veronica
Rev. Dr. Pamela Anderson, Interim Pastor
Veronica Gould, Pastoral Resident