Churches hold all kinds of 12-step programs, but a North Carolina place of worship is taking the move one significant step further.
WCNC reports that Trinity United Church of Christ in Concord has been hosting “Racist Anonymous” meetings for about a month now.
Roughly a dozen people from all backgrounds have attended so far.
Rev. Nathan King, the church’s pastor, said he is sick of the racial unrest in the country and wanted to do more.
“It seemed like every week we were coming into worship and we were doing another prayer because someone had been killed in the street,” King said.
The program, led by a licensed therapist, follows the traditional 12-step model found in alcoholics anonymous and narcotics anonymous programs. It encourages people to participate in conversations as much or as little as they choose.
While King is committed to pushing for change, he admits that race isn’t the most comfortable topic of discussion.
“It may not be the first thing you want to talk about at the table at the Thanksgiving dinner with your family, but those conversations are going to be more common going forward.”
Photo: WCNC, Charlotte
