Oak Grove Presbyterian Church is not only engaging in conversations about reparations but is actively providing reparative funds through the Restorative Actions initiative, embodying their faith through practical, financial commitments to racial justice and repair.
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Minnesota is actively participating in reparative justice efforts, focusing on addressing historic harms related to racial inequality. The church’s journey toward reparations has been documented in a new five-part video series titled “Zero to One: A Congregation’s Journey to Repair.” This series highlights the church’s transformative work grounded in faith, courage, and a deep reckoning with history, especially concerning racial justice and reparations.
Rather than merely offering symbolic gestures, Oak Grove has taken concrete steps by allocating significant financial resources toward reparative initiatives. The church has committed to surrendering 16 percent of its wealth—which includes land, property, and unrestricted financial assets, amounting to about $267,000—to trust funds set up to benefit Indigenous and African American communities. This action is part of a broader initiative called Restorative Actions, which helps congregations and other entities identify and surrender wealth deemed to be ill-gotten gains stemming from systemic racism. The funds are managed through trust structures designed to support both nonprofit organizations and individuals, overcoming typical limitations found in tax law.
The church’s leadership and members describe this commitment as a spiritual and theological imperative, moving beyond charity to address systemic injustice. Their process began with reflection and dialogue, evolving into concrete steps towards reparations under the guidance of church pastors and community advocates. Oak Grove’s model is seen as a test case, with hopes that other congregations and organizations will follow suit and scale up these efforts nationally.