First Presbyterian Church of Tecumseh
- Our congregation firmly supports the Black Community.
- We stand against inequality and racism.
- Black voices need to be valued, and heard.
We are a Matthew 25 church. What does that mean? Last year our leadership board approved a decision to join this denominational initiative based on the verses from Matthew 25:
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me… truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least… you did it to me.“
The three planks of Matthew 25 churches and presbyteries are: 
1. Congregational Vitality
2. Dismantle Structural Racism
3. Eradicate Systemic Poverty
By adopting this initiative, we are committed to pursuing these goals as Disciples of Christ.
As such, we are actively engaged in this conversation. We support the following statement from the PCUSA Matthew 25 Church-wide Anti-racism Policy: “Because of our biblical understanding of who God is and what God intends for humanity, the PC(USA) must stand against, speak against, and work against racism. Anti-racist effort is not optional for Christians. It is an essential aspect of Christian discipleship, without which we fail to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.“
First Presbyterian Church of Tecumseh continues our commitment to better understand racial inequities and divisions within our community, below are examples of our continued efforts:
2021 Adult Education:
- No Innocent Bystanders led by Rev. Cathi King and Christine Tracy
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree led by John McConnell
2020 Adult Education:
Adult education in 2020 consisted of classes, Courageous Conversations, and book club meetings:
- Classes on Zoom included “Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man” led by David Hammond.
- “Christ in Crisis” led by Chuck Gehrke and John McConnell.
- “Raising White Kids” led by Cathi King.
- Courageous Conversations included “How to Do Good Without Being a Do-Gooder” led by Stephanie Jass, a discussion with Ben Hollenbach of his research on church climate, and a report on asylum seekers by Andrew Bahena.
The book club read:
- “White Awake” by Daniel Hill,
- “Race in a Post-Obama America” edited by David Maxwell
- “Tears We Cannot Stop” by Michael Eric Dyson.
First Presbyterian Church Tecumseh 