wfn.org | NCC Renews Mobilization to End Poverty in the U.S.

["Carol Fouke" <carolf@ncccusa.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Photos Available: 202-544-2350 x 11

National Council of Churches Renews Mobilization to End Poverty in the U.S.;
Coordinating Committee Will Meet in Chicago March 2 to Expand 2004 Efforts

February 9, 2004, NEW YORK CITY - U.S. religious and grassroots leaders are
undertaking a new plan of action for the 2004 elections and beyond aimed at
making the elimination of poverty a top priority in the United States.

Beginning with a presidential candidates forum and intensive planning
session Jan. 30-31 in Columbia, S.C., and continuing with a March 2
follow-up meeting in Chicago, the National Council of Churches USA (NCC),
member denominations and other groups are focusing on voter registration and
education and on making their voices heard in the public square on poverty
and economic justice issues.

The South Carolina activities began Jan. 30 with a day-long civic event
sponsored by the Center for Community Change, focused on a forum featuring
six Presidential primary candidates being confronted with the concerns of
poor people in what was called, The Peoples Agenda for Economic Justice: A
Dialogue with Americas Families.

After the forum, nearly 500 people of faith representing nine faith
traditions attended an NCC-sponsored interfaith worship service at
Washington Street United Methodist Church, where songs, testimonies,
dramatic readings and a sermonic charge by the Rev. Darrell Jackson prepared
the group for a faith-based strategy session the next day on how to best
organize around issues affecting poor people.

As people of faith the greatest question that we can ask ourselves is What
does God require of us? asked the Rev. Jackson, the pastor of Bible Way
Church of Atlas Road and a state legislator in South Carolina. He contended
that an answer to the question is found in the Old Testament Scripture Micah
6:8-to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before God. According to the
Rev. Jackson that means doing the right thing even if it has political
consequences.

This is not a charge given to you by the government; in fact, this is the
charge of a higher authority, said the Rev. Jackson.

Taking the Rev. Jackson's charge seriously, a group of about 130 religious
and grassroots leaders from across the country gathered on Saturday (Jan.
31) to map out a plan of action.  Although much of the fanfare and media
frenzy of the day before had ended, this group participated in an intense
strategic planning session to discover how the faith community could
collaborate with grassroots groups and one another to overcome poverty and
economic injustice.

The group began by first examining the reasons America is losing on issues
of poverty, how the faith community can reclaim the moral ground on these
issues and why faith demands engagement in issues of poverty and economic
justice.

State legislator and Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Chester, S.C., the
Rev. Joseph H. Neal, said that he believes poverty could be eliminated in
this country if we chose to do it. There is enough wealth in America to do
away with poverty if we choose to do so. All we choose to do is allow
poverty to continue, said the Rev. Neal. He also contended that people of
faith allowed the religious right to co-opt the language of faith, leaving
a void in public discourse about the issues that impact people living in
poverty like unemployment, health care and schools.

All evil needs is silence and it wins the day, he said.

Those of true faith, argued the Rev. Neal, understand that people living in
poverty do not need pie in the sky. They need someone who understands that
they have to eat, have a place to stay, health care and employment.  We
(people of faith) have to find our voice and never, ever again let
peopledefine us. If we dont, people will die. People will suffer. Its our
responsibility.

The Rev. Mary Louise Frenchman, a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) and a Native American who works with Native
Americans in Charlotte, N.C., pointed out that people of faith must walk in
solidarity with poor people and ask them questions like, "What is your pain
and what do you need?," not, "Are you saved?"
My faith demands that I listen to people, find out what their needs are and
do something about it, said the Rev. Frenchman.

She also urged people of faith who want to work with poor people to treat
them with dignity and respect. I see the faith community as a bridge," she
said.  "We are here to walk without fear.

One of the major themes of the day was the importance of getting people to
register and vote in the 2004 election and beyond. Various grassroots groups
that are organizing voter registration and education efforts encouraged the
faith groups to mobilize and inspire people in their congregations to be
engaged in this aspect of the political process.

Kim Baldwin of The Interfaith Alliance pointed out that people of faith do
not make the connection between civic responsibility and voting. In fact,
according to a survey done by The Interfaith Alliance, the number one thing
people of faith think of as being their civic responsibility is paying
taxes, not voting. We need to get the message across that voting is a civic
responsibility, said Baldwin. If we can make that connection, it is one of
the easiest things we can do to impact issues of poverty and economic
justice.

The Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell, NCC Associate General Secretary for Public
Policy, envisioned people of faith working together to empower people,
particularly as it pertains to voting. People of faith have to get mad
enough to stand up and say, no more, she said.

Other issues that were identified as having an impact on poverty and
economic justice, and that were areas where grassroots and religious
organizations could work together, included tax and budget fairness, hunger;
advocating for living wage laws that would prohibit companies from paying
employees less than what it costs to live in a community; and inequality in
the criminal justice system, among others.

According to Charlene Sinclair, the principal organizer for the Center for
Community Changes Peoples Agenda for Economic Justice events in Columbia,
Poverty in this country is an immoral state of beingit is a responsibility
as well as a mission for people of faith to deal with this issue. She
challenged those assembled to step boldly in their beliefs so that other
families might say, "I know that tonight I will eat."

The National Council of Churches USA and the Center for Community Change
organized the Faith Mobilization To Overcome Poverty session, which had
participation from the following groups:  Project Vote, the Association of
Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the National Interfaith
Committee for Worker Justice, Protestants for the Common Good, the
Presbyterian Church (USA), The Interfaith Alliance, U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops, Alliance to End Hunger/Bread for the World, Call to
Renewal, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbia, the Gamaliel
Foundation, the United Church of Christ and the South Carolina Christian
Action Council along with local, regional and national leaders of churches,
synagogues, mosques and temples.

In addition to the numerous faith groups and grassroots organizations that
attended, approximately 30 students from seminaries also participated in the
days activities, representing the next generation of leadership on this
issue. This included students from Duke University, the Interdenominational
Theological Center, Emory University, Union Theological Seminary in New
York, Harvard Divinity School and Asbury Seminary in Indiana.

The Rev. Joe Darby, Senior Pastor of Morris Brown A.M.E. Church and former
president of the South Carolina NAACP, told the group to be bold in their
actions because many will look to the faith community for leadership. Be
strong and be courageous, said the Rev. Darby during the closing service.
And, remember that you are not alone, he told the representatives of
various faith traditions and grassroots organizations.

The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, Director of the NCCs Poverty Mobilization,
assured the group in his closing remarks that the fight against poverty
would continue. We will not cease until poverty is no more, he said.

-end-

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