wfn.org | June 15 Tele-News Conference Launches Voter, Anti-Poverty

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

MEDIA ADVISORY: National Audio News Conference June 15

National Election-Year Initiative Challenges Candidates, Voters to Address
Poverty
 "LET JUSTICE ROLL: Faith and Community Voices Against Poverty" to Launch
June 15

National Audio News Conference Set for 1 p.m. (Eastern) Tuesday, June 15
Featuring Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes Jr., Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, Deepak
Bhargava
and Organizers of Local Events

Information on How to Participate Follows

"What will you do to end poverty?" 

A new national alliance of community and faith-based groups wants an answer
to that question from public officials, delegates to the Party Conventions
and this year's candidates for public office, especially the presidential
candidates.  The alliance, "LET JUSTICE ROLL: Faith and Community Voices
Against Poverty" also will work to register, mobilize and protect voters,
especially low-income voters, whose voices must be heard on policies that
affect them.

"LET JUSTICE ROLL" will mark the national public launch of its multi-city
campaign with a national audio news conference Tuesday, June 15, from 1 to 2
p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time).  The National Council of Churches and the
Center for Community Change are co-sponsoring these public events with
national, state and local partner organizations to keep the issue of ending
poverty front and center in this presidential election year.

Participants will seek commitments from local, state and national public
officials and delegates to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions
that they will work to shape public policies to meet the needs of people
living in poverty and, ultimately, to help lift them out of poverty.

The Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, former President of the United Church of Christ and
now Coordinator of the NCC's Mobilization to Overcome Poverty, will moderate
the June 15 audio news conference.  

Lead speakers for the audio news conference will include:

* The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister of The Riverside Church,
New York City, who will be speaking at at least seven "LET JUSTICE ROLL"
events across the nation. 
 
* The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary, National Council of
Churches USA, New York City.  Under his leadership, the NCC has made ending
poverty its top priority.  The NCC's 36 member churches count 45 million
adherents in more than 100,000 local congregations nationwide.

* Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for Community Change,
Washington, D.C., a national nonprofit organization that provides technical
assistance, training and policy support to low-income community groups. 

* The Rev. Peg Chemberlin, Executive Director, Minnesota Council of Churches,
and the Rev. Ian D. Bethel, Sr., President, Minnesota State Baptist
Convention, Minneapolis, Minn., sponsors of a July 23 "LET JUSTICE ROLL"
worship and praise event called "Revive the Vote" that will focus on
communities reclaiming their right and responsibility to vote.

* The Rev. Tom Quigley, Acting Executive Minister, Washington Association of
Churches, Seattle, Wash., sponsor of the first "LET JUSTICE ROLL" event, June
25-26.	At least two dozen Seattle-area congregations are participating in
this push to register voters and eliminate poverty.  The Washington
Association of Churches convenes a statewide coalition on tax fairness.

* David A. Leslie, Executive Director, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon,
sponsor of the second and third "LET JUSTICE ROLL" events, June 26-27 in
Portland, Ore., and June 28 in Eugene, Ore.

* Contact people from other cities will be on the call and available to take
reporters' questions.

Local "LET JUSTICE ROLL" events will be one or two days in length and
typically will include meetings of religious and community leaders with
elected officials and Party Convention delegates; a news conference on local
and national issues; voter education, registration, mobilization and
protection, and a worship service or rally that roots the work to overcome
poverty in religious convictions. 

To date, events have been scheduled for:

* Seattle, Wash., June 25-26.  Contact: Washington Association of Churches,
206-625-9790 x11, in collaboration with the Philip Randolph Institute, Church
Council of Greater Seattle, NAACP and Central Area Motivation Program

* Portland, Ore., June 26-27.  Contact: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon,
503-221-1054

* Eugene, Ore., June 28.  Contact: Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon,
503-221-1054

* Rochester, N.Y., July 11-12.	Contact: Downtown Rochester Presbyterian
Church and the Interfaith Community of Churches, 585-325-4000 x23

* Minneapolis, Minn., July 23.	Contact: Minnesota Council of Churches,
612-870-3600, and Minnesota State Baptist Convention

* Boston, Mass., July 28, concurrent with the Democratic National Convention.
 Contact: Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ,
508-875-5233; Old South Church, 617-425-5150, with Bread for the World

* New York, N.Y., August 31, concurrent with the Republican National
Convention.  Contact: National Council of Churches, 212-870-2361, and The
Riverside Church, 646-483-3459

* Milwaukee, Wis., Sept. 18.  Contact: Wisconsin Council of Churches,
608-837-3108; Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee, 414-276-9050, with
the Gamaliel Foundation

* Albuquerque, N.M., September 18. Contact: New Mexico Conference of
Churches, 505-255-1509, with Bread for the World

* Chicago, Ill., October 9-10. Contact: Protestants for the Common Good,
312-223-9544, with Call to Renewal

Additional events are being organized in:

* Raleigh, N.C.  Contact: North Carolina Council of Churches, 919-828-6501

* Columbia, S.C.  Contact: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbia,
803-772-5087/252-9000, with South Carolina Fair Share and South Carolina
Christian Action Council

* Columbus, Ohio.  Contact: Ohio Council of Churches, 614-885-9590 x15

* Philadelphia, Pa. (tentative date October 17).  Contact: National Council
of Churches, 212-870-2361

* New Jersey.  Contact: New Jersey Council of Churches, 609-396-9546

"LET JUSTICE ROLL" takes its name from the Bible book of Amos: "Let justice
roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream ..."
(Amos 5:24 NRSV)

The audio news conference will originate from Washington, D.C.	Reporters
will be able to phone in toll free from wherever they are.  RSVP to Carol
Fouke, NCC-New York, cfouke@ncccusa.org (please put "JUNE 15 AUDIO NEWS
CONFERENCE" in the subject line) to obtain toll-free call-in number and
instructions for the call.  For further information, phone Carol Fouke at
212-870-2252 or Leslie Tune, NCC-Washington, D.C., 202-544-2350 x 11.

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