In July 1970, the Program Council of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church sponsored a conference on race relations and religion held at North Carolina A&T State University. The Program Council set up black and white task forces, each of which presented position papers at the conference. This 16-page position paper reflects the work of the white task force which included UNCG Chancellor James Ferguson, Mrs. Leslie E. Barnhardt (Lurlene Barnhart), Mr. J.R. Graham Jr., and the Reverend Jerry D. Murray.