Launching the Grassroots Advocacy Program: Join Us for a Training Webinar 6.21

In Acts 1:8 Jesus says to His disciples, 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; 

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, 

and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Presbyterians have heard the call from Jesus fully commit to being faithful witnesses to the call from God to transform the world. We are called to be active in social and moral issues as we engage the world in the public square.  Over the years much of our justice work out of this office has focused on direct advocacy with Congressional offices, the White House, and government agencies. This year alone we have met with members of Congress and their staffers on such vital issues as the travel ban, the Johnson Amendment and the federal budget. Over and over again, members of Congress insist that they want to hear directly from their constituents while also building a relationship with representatives of the denomination. While our presence on Capitol Hill is essential, we see the need to build political power with the church to advance a justice agenda and know we cannot do all of that necessary work from Washington D.C. Every member of Congress is elected from their district and their ultimate loyalties lie with their constituents. It is indeed true that all politics is local for politics is originated and determined locally.

It is with great enthusiasm and excitement that we share with you our Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator Program. We created this program to offer a higher level of engagement and leadership development for congregations who want to build power in their communities, states, and amplify the voice of the faith community on the national level. Our vision is that every congregation will have a robust social witness ministry that is deeply involved in local work and has strong relationships with state and national legislators. Over the course of the next year, the Office of Public Witness will connect with Grassroots Advocacy Coordinators to offer team-building workshops, issue briefs and grassroots advocacy and community organizing trainings. OPW staff will also be available to for regular consultation by phone to support Grassroots Advocacy Coordinators with the cohesion of their team and as they prepare for in-state Congressional visits, participate in local campaigns, and engage in congregational education.

If you are interested in becoming a Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator, fill out this form and we’ll be in touch with you shortly!  For an introduction to the program, please join us for a webinar entitled “Grassroots Advocacy and Organizing 101, ” :

Please register here: 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4797280666033270274



After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

I know there are those among you who have further questions about the relationship between faith and politics. Should Christians and people of faith be politically active? If so, how far should individual Christians go in order to make a difference and not cross lines separating church and state? These are questions which the church has struggled with over the centuries.

Our guide first and foremost is the Bible. Our biblical understanding of the mission of the church, and individual Christians, is shaped and established by what God is doing in the world. Since we are created by a loving God who cares for us, we are to care for the lives of others, as well for all of God’s created order. God is a God of liberation who covenants with faithful humanity. God first made a covenant with Israel through Abraham promising that through him all the families of the world would be blessed. Abraham responded by showing hospitality to the strangers as he fed them and granted them rest. God liberated the people of Israel from oppression: God covenanted with Israel to be their God and they to be God’s people, that they might do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with the Lord...The prophets proclaimed the Word of God as a word of justice for the people of Israel and for all nations as Amos 5:24 declares “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. God is incarnate in Christ Jesus who preached his first sermon from Luke 4 as borrowed from the prophet Isaiah (61:1): “good news to the poor, proclaimed release for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, let the broken victims go free, and proclaimed the year of the Lord’s favor... “

John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, writes that the sufficient motivation for doing justice lies in the fact that each human being is made in the image of God: ““The Lord commands all men without exception ‘to do good’ [Hebrews 13:16]. Yet the great part of them are most unworthy if they be judged by their own merit. But here Scripture helps when it teaches that we are not to consider mens’ merit by themselves but to look upon the image of God in all men, to which we owe all honor and love. Therefore, whatever man you meet who needs your aid, you have no reason to refuse to help him.”

A secondary resource is the Constitution of the PC(USA) as it informs our faith. The Book of Order (G-1.0304: The Ministry of Members) reads:

“Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ is a joy and a privilege. It is also a commitment to participate in Christ’s mission (through): proclaiming the good news in word and deed; supporting the ministry of the church through the giving of money, time, and talents; responding to God’s activity in the world through service to others; living responsibly in the personal, family, vocational, political, cultural, and social relationships of life; and working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment,…”

Historically the Book of Order has stated that

“The Church is challenged to be Christ’s faithful evangelist... participating in God’s activity in the world through its life for others by: healing and reconciling and binding up wounds ministering to the needs of the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the powerless, engaging in the struggle to free people from sin, fear, oppression, hunger, and injustice, giving itself and its substance to the service of those who suffer, sharing with Christ in the establishing of his just, peaceable, and loving rule in the world. (G-3.0300)

This is our calling, to work, serve and minister with and unto others. The Office of Public Witness invites you to renew and expand the work of your social witness ministry by building a Grassroots Advocacy Team. More information on the teams and the trainings can be found at our website: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/compassion-peace-justice/washington/advocacy-teams/

We look forward to working more closely with you as we lift our voices to advocate for education, investment in peace and not war, economic and racial justice, and the whole inhabited earth.

In Faith We Share,

Rev. Jimmie Hawkins

Recognizing Race: A Guest Post from Seminary Intern Bridget Wendell

In Second Samuel, after David saw Bathsheba bathing on a roof, and murdered her husband, there is a poignant moment of reckoning between the King and his Prophet.  Nathan comes into David’s court and tells him the story of a poor man who’s lone ewe is stolen by a rich man.  In the moment after David’s anger is “kindled against the man” the prophet turns to him and in a brave assumption of risk, tells David, “You are the man!”  Following Nathan’s profession, David is convicted, and he, the most powerful man in Israel, comes face to face with his own naked sin.  Despite its glaring presence and seemingly obvious nature, David himself was blind to it until Nathan mirrored it back to him in new words.  We all have prophets in our own lives who can be easy to ignore.  When was the last time you were confronted by one of them? In my own life recently, I have felt both the pain and the freedom that comes with the prophetic mirror, especially around the issue of race. 

As someone who grew up in a predominantly white area, it took longer for me than for most people to consider the impact of race on my life.  I began seminary in September of last year and quickly found myself piled under a stack of theology books in the expansive library, with the sudden knowledge that seminary was going to challenge my beliefs about the world and God.  One of these challenging experiences happened for me in late October, in a corner room on the top floor of the building.  Twelve students and our TA were gathered in a loose circle discussing the theological perspectives of Chung Hyun Kyung, a Korean feminist theologian.  The conversation began to heat up as students of different ages, races, economic backgrounds, and life experiences struggled to make themselves heard.  As our discussion unfolded, the professor posed the question: “Can we ever really fully understand another person’s experience?”

I raised my hand. “Yes,” I answered unequivocally.  “Of course we can.”

My response was greeted with entirely justified looks of suspicion from the Black, Korean and Latino students in the classroom.  Another student raised her hand.  “I don’t think that’s true,” she said. 

We went back and forth;  I  posited that if I read enough, thought hard enough, and talked to enough people, then I could fully understand her experience. She continued to push back on me, saying there were some aspects of growing up a person of color in America I could never understand  I left the classroom feeling let down, like somehow there was no hope to end division if we couldn’t all be the same.  I realized later that uniformity was not a prerequisite to relationship, and that my comments had been informed by a set of beliefs that make white, European experiences “normal” and other experiences “abnormal”. I’ve now learned to name that system of beliefs as a system of white supremacy. 

White supremacy is “the beliefs and ideas purporting the natural superiority of lighter-skinned, or “white,” human races over other racial groups.”[1]  The term “white supremacy” has often been associated with extremist racist groups, but it in fact describes the underpinnings of a country founded on the stolen labor of enslaved people. Today, it can take the form of using stereotypes to maintain unjust systems.  It can be white flight or assuming that the “white” idea of success or practice is the right way of doing things.  For me, it looked like assuming my experience was standard, and so believing that I could understand other people’s experiences as a result. 

In that moment in class, I had made the mistake of confusing “head knowledge” with “lived knowledge.” I thought that if I could understand a concept, it would be as though I had experienced it.  In other circumstances, I would have thought this to be illogical.  I know that watching someone lose a loved one, seeing them mourn, and understanding the grieving process is not like experiencing loss for myself.  In the classroom that day, I had incorrectly assumed that the experiences my classmates of other races had been similar to mine, intelligible to me. In reality, the loss they had experienced in their lives was the lived experience of being in a world that systematically tries to tell you that what is right is something that you are not.   

My classmate held up a prophetic mirror to me that has helped me to see my own blindness to the pieces of myself that are influenced by my privilege as a white person and my participation in the systems that hurt others.  Like Nathan the Prophet confronting King David, it has called me to account.  It has led me to consider the words of Ta-Nehisi Coates and look deeply into the mirror so that I can see and sit and struggle with the injustice that surrounds me in order to become less blind to the sin in me.  In the story of King David, the King went on to repent, and mourn for the consequences of his sin.  I believe that this process for me, like the rest of white America, will be a long one, but not one without hope.  It will be a parallel process of liberation.  As Lila Watson, an artist and leading activist for aboriginal rights in Australia, said, “If you have come here to help me, then you are wasting your time… But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

I have spent the last weeks thinking about, learning about and trying to understand what it means to embody solidarity, or unity of thought or action among people with a common goal.  I believe that solidarity begins in relationship, extends to caring, listening, and then helping in ways that the oppressed group feels are needed.  As I think back to the seminar at Princeton, I realize that solidarity is not sameness, as I once thought.  Solidarity is recognizing and valuing our differences and using our social location to work towards communal liberation.  Rather than believing one should gain nothing from acts of solidarity, I think that true solidarity benefits all.  I have chosen to share my own story, not because it is original, but because it is not.  I hope that others can see begin to recognize the prophets in their midst who hold up the mirrors to their own experiences. 

As a woman who is preparing for ministry in the church, and I believe that I cannot faithfully proclaim the word of God without addressing white supremacy culture in my own life, and in the communal life of the mainline church.  This means addressing and education congregants on the history of the church and the way that we have excluded people of color.  It also means examining the effects of history on our lives and being humble enough to listen to the Nathans all around it.  We have created a culture of comfort in the mainline church that often times obscures the mirrors God places in our midst to draw us closer to God’s self.  So go out into the world this summer; be uncomfortable, be challenged.  Find the prophets and listen to them, and if you don’t see anyone in your midst who looks or thinks differently than you, reach out to people who will help you bravely confront yourself.  Find out what solidarity means to you and in the process, let’s move the church together.

Bridget Wendell was the Spring 2017 Seminary Intern with the Office of Public Witness.  Bridget is attending Princeton Theological Seminary, and is pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree.  This semester she participated in Wesley Seminary's National Capital Semester for Seminarians program.  Through this program she had the opportunity to meet with advocates and politicians in DC and delve into advocacy work with the OPW.  She felt her call to ministry while participating in a summer long mission program in Pucallpa, Peru.  A desire to do long-term mission work led her to attend Princeton Theological Seminary.  Through participation in various programs, her seminary experience, and her work with the OPW, she is continuing to discern her specific call.  Integral in this process has been her work with local churches.  Throughout last year, she worked as a Youth Minister in a PCUSA church in Glenside, PA and spent the past summer working with a Methodist church in Wilmington, NC.

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[1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/white-supremacy

The Presbyterian Church (USA) Joins 22 Faith Based Organizations Urging Congress to Stand Firm in its Commitment to Foreign Assistance

June 7, 2017

The Honorable Thad Cochran Chairman
Senate Appropriations Committee Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Patrick Leahy Ranking Member
Senate Appropriations Committee Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen Chairman
House Appropriations Committee Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Nita Lowey Ranking Member
House Appropriations Committee Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairs and Ranking Members,

We are a diverse group of national faith-based organizations committed to saving lives and advancing the dignity of vulnerable and marginalized persons and communities across the world. We support U.S. investment in international humanitarian and poverty-focused development assistance and peace-building programs that alleviate suffering from hunger, extreme poverty, forced displacement, debilitating illness, natural disasters and violent conflict.

While representing various faith traditions, we all believe that people and nations are accountable for how we treat our brothers and sisters at home and abroad who are vulnerable and in need. The Federal budget is a moral document, which reflects the values of our nation. In the rich history of our country the American people have responded with a hand up to millions of people suffering from hunger, disease, displacement and violence.

We believe that the international affairs budget proposed by the Administration does not reflect this moral and compassionate commitment. Proposing to decrease funding for development assistance, disaster assistance, food aid, migration and refugee assistance, and the bureau of conflict and stabilization operations - compromises our foreign policy strategy, endangers our development and peacebuilding experts, and threatens our position in the world as a leader in global development. It also halts the progress that we have made over the last 20 years eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.

Fortunately, Congress has continued to provide bipartisan support for the international affairs budget, and we applaud concerns that have been expressed in response to the Administration’s proposal. We urge Congress to stand firm in its commitment to foreign assistance, and why we join the international advocacy community in support of $60 billion for the international affairs budget. The U.S. must remain the global leader, committed to reducing poverty and increasing opportunity – at home and abroad.

Most of the 150 budget is within the jurisdiction of the State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee. As you allocate subcommittee funding we urge you to protect these programs by providing at or above the current FY17 levels of $53.1 billion for the SFOPS subcommittee. Investing in life-saving peace building, humanitarian, and poverty focused development assistance is critical for helping create a healthier world, and generating goodwill toward the United States.

U.S. foreign assistance investments literally mean life or death for millions of people. Almost 800 million people still suffer from hunger, 767 million people still live in extreme poverty, and thousands of children die each day from preventable diseases. We are also facing the largest combined humanitarian crisis since WWII. Currently 60 million persons have been displaced from their homes – the highest number in decades. Famine has been declared in South Sudan, and near famine conditions are in northeast Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen-threatening starvation for over 20 million people within the next six months. Now, more than ever, we need to think about what our role is in the world.

Again, thank you for considering our request. We look forward to working with you in building a world of hope and prosperity for the future of all God’s children, including our own.

Thank you! 

Sincerely,

1. Adventist Development and Relief Agency
   
2. American Jewish World Service
   
3. Bread for the World
   
4. Children's Medical Ministries
   
5. Christian Connections for International
   Health
   
6. Church World Service
   
7. Conference of Major Superiors of Men
   
8. Disabled Children's Fund
   
9. Evangelical Lutheran Church in
   America
   
10. Faiths for Safe Water
    
11. Food for the Hungry
    
12. IMA World Health
13. International Aid, Inc.
14. Islamic Relief USA
15. Jewish Council for Public Affairs 
16. Lutheran World Relief
17.  Mennonite Central Committee, U.S, Washington Office 
18. Office of Social Justice, Christian Reformed Church in North America 
19. Presbyterian Church (USA)
20. Union for Reform Judaism
21. United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries 
22. United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society 
23. World Renew

Rev. Hawkins Responds to Exit from the Paris Climate Accords

Remarks as prepared for climate rally in front of the White House 6.2.17

The Bible begins, “In the beginning, God created the heaves and the earth…” Christians are called to care for the earth and its inhabitants, including the sea, birds, and “every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” The environment, the world, the stars, the moon and the sun, everything that is was created by God and given to human beings to care for and to protect. We are called to be stewards of God’s creation, not abusers of it.

On Thursday June 1, 2017 at 3:30 President Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord agreed to on Dec. 12, 2015.This decision on his part will do tremendous damage to this planet. It will not create jobs, rather slow tremendous job growth already occurring in clean energy production. The United States economy has benefited greatly from the decision to adopt green energy sources and cut down on emissions in order to limit the rise of global temperatures. The threat of climate change is "urgent and potentially irreversible," and can only be addressed through "the widest possible cooperation by all countries" and "deep reductions in global emissions." This agreement gives direction and needed momentum to the movement for Christian stewardship of creation.

Unfortunately the United States is not fully equipped with leaders who are ready to lead in climate justice. Far too many voices are speaking for God who, quite frankly, don’t understand theologically what Christian stewardship means. Many of our politicians have adopted a uninform theology which denies the reality of climate change.

·      Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) preached last Friday at a town hall “Well, as a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us, and I’m confident that, if there’s a real problem, he can take care of it.”

·      In 2011, North Carolina Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx  complained that environmentalists “think that we, human beings, have more impact on the climate and the world than God does.”

·      And in 2013, GOP Texas Rep. Joe Barton said, “I would point out if you’re a believer in the Bible, one would have to say the Great Flood is an example of climate change, and that certainly wasn’t because mankind overdeveloped hydrocarbon energy.”

But I urge you, rather than listen to politicians who are way out their lane when talking theology, listen to those who have an informed faith, who are in conversation with the 97% of climate scientists who agree that warming trends over the last decades are due to human influence.

·      Listen to the Presbyterian Church which has for decades been an advocate for protecting the earth, eliminating the use of fossil fuels and warning about the dangers of climate change. Read The Power to Change the climate justice policy approved by the 218^th General Assembly which outlines our role and responsibility to act on climate.  

·      Listen to the more than 80 groups and 3,600 individuals of Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, and Muslim faith who have signed on a declaration against climate change including the Dalai Lama, the head of the World Council of Churches and several Catholic cardinals. Listen to the  majorities of American people of faith who say that dealing with climate change now will help prevent future economic problems: 82% of Jewish Americans; 76% of black Protestants, and 69% of Hispanic Catholics 1.8 million people have signed faith-based petitions calling for climate action.

·      Listen to Pope Francis who has explicitly presented global warming as a moral issue. He issued a 184-page papal letter titled “Laudato Si” (“Praise Be to You”) describing global warming as a worldwide problem rooted in greed, apathy and unceasing environmental exploitation. Pope Francis wrote that the poor and powerless are paying the heaviest price for those behaviors and that climate change “represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth… Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity.”

What we say as a church and what we do makes a difference. We can influence others who are hesitant to support the science which informs us of the current danger. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the Pope’s encyclical on climate change was a “game changer.” According to a report from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 17%  of Americans say the Pope’s stance on global warming has shaped their view of the issue.

So don’t stop protesting. Don’t stop shouting. Don’t stop marching. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop demanding that the United States support the Paris Climate Accord. Don’t stop what you are doing in the name of God for climate justice.