wfn.org | Faith-Community Partnership on Poverty, Voting Launched

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

For Immediate Release

"LET JUSTICE ROLL" FAITH-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP 
ANNOUNCES NATIONAL ELECTION-YEAR INITIATIVE

June 16, 2004, WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new alliance, "Let Justice Roll: Faith
and Community Voices Against Poverty," was launched Tuesday (June 16) with a
national audio news conference, and its first initiative was announced -
events in 15 cities to challenge voters, public officials, delegates to the
Party Conventions and this year's candidates for public office, especially
the presidential candidates, to make ending poverty a top priority.

"Webll ask them 'What will you do to end poverty?' and we'll expect an
answer," said the Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, Poverty Mobilization Coordinator for
the National Council of Churches USA, and former President of the United
Church of Christ, who noted that "Let Justice Roll" events will be held in
Boston and New York City concurrent with the Democratic and Republican
National Conventions, respectively. 

The Council and the Center for Community Change are co-sponsoring "Let
Justice Roll" with other national, state and local partner organizations.
This new non-partisan alliance also will work to educate, register, mobilize
protect voters, especially low-income voters. 

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

"Historically, our country has made progress against poverty only when
low-income people have articulated what must be done, and only when people of
faith have lifted their voices in solidarity with the poor to demand
justice," said Deepak Bhargava, Executive Director of the Center for
Community Change, Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of
Churches, New York City, a United Methodist, noted that nearly 35 million
Americans, including more than 12 million children, live below the official
poverty thresholds. One out of five children under age six live in poverty.

"With the large tax cuts and the massive increases in defense expenditures,
few resources are left to address these important needs," he said. "We as a
nation pride ourselves on our values and our moral commitment, and we as
people of faith believe we ought to care for the poor."

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.

These events will address both national and local realities. The Rev. Dr.
Jack Sullivan, Jr., Regional Minister for the Northwest Region of the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Co-Chair of the Governing Board
for the Washington Association of Churches, among sponsors of the first "Let
Justice Roll" event in Seattle June 25-26, described Washington as a state in
"a lot of economic distress."

"We have the greatest disparity between rich and poor of any of the states,"
he said, "and consistently rank among the top five states in terms of hunger.
700,000 people in our state don't have health insurance, and half of those
have full-time jobs. The federal government is planning further reductions in
programs that meet the needs of the poor, is giving huge tax cuts for the
wealthy and is increasing the deficit our children and grandchildren will
have to pay. Churches see this as a clear and present danger to human
wholeness and potential."

During today's audio news conference, "Let Justice Roll" partners in Seattle,
Wash., and Minneapolis, Minn., described their goal of registering 100
percent of eligible voters in participating congregations. 

The Rev. Tom Quigley, Acting Executive Director of the Washington Association
of Churches, a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), said
25 African American congregations in Seattle - part of the A. Philip Randolph
Institute, a "Let Justice Roll" partner, "already have begun an extensive
voter education, mobilization and registration effort. They've set the goal
of registering 100 percent of their members, then 100 percent of their
members' families, and finally going into their neighborhoods to register
their neighbors."

The Rev. Peg Chemberlin, Executive Director of the Minnesota Council of
Churches, a Moravian, said that Council is partnering with the Minnesota
Baptist Convention (NBCUSA, Inc.), the oldest and largest historic Black
denominational body in Minnesota, to address issues of voter disparity.  "The
historic Black church has always carried forward the biblical imperative for
economic justice, and has held a high value that people of faith would enter
into the public square," she said.

The July 23 "Let Justice Roll" worship and praise event called "Revive the
Vote" will focus on communities reclaiming their right and responsibility to
vote and will culminate with canvassing and voter registration, she said.

The Rev. Ian D. Bethel, Sr., President of the Minnesota State Baptist
Convention, said, "In order to get change, we must begin by having members of
our congregations voting. We must have individuals at the polls and bring our
numbers to the table so we can leverage with those who make the laws.

"God ordained government to take care of 'the least of these,'" the most
vulnerable members of society, he said. "We must remind government of that
God-given responsibility so that men and women, boys and girls have access to
the vital necessities for their lives."

David Leslie, Executive Director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, a member
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), said voter registration also will be an
essential element of "Let Justice Roll" in Oregon, where "more than 30
percent of eligible voters aren't registered, and the vast majority of those
live on the margins of society." Voting is especially important in a state
like Oregon, where citizens can put issues that impact the common good on the
ballot.

"In a state with one of the highest rates of unemployment, hunger and
rich-poor disparity, experiencing a meltdown of the public education system
as weeks are cut off the end of the school year to balance the budget, it is
important that people register and participate more actively," he said,
adding that "Let Justice Roll" will especially seek to register Oregonians 18
to 25 years old.

The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr., Senior Minister of The Riverside Church in
New York City who was featured recently on PBS-TV's "NOW with Bill Moyers,"
has been confirmed to speak at eight "Let Justice Roll" events - Seattle,
Wash. (June 25-26); Portland, Ore. (June 26-27); Eugene, Ore. (June 28);
Rochester, N.Y. (July 11-12); Minneapolis, Minn. (July 23); Boston, Mass.
(July 28); New York, N.Y. (Aug. 31) and Chicago, Ill. (Oct. 9-10).

"All faith communities say, 'We do not do well until we take care of the
marginalized and the poor,'" Dr. Forbes said. "We may differ on many things,
but we agree that we need to feed the hungry and provide adequate shelter,
educational opportunities and health care.

"Whether we are on the 'right' or the 'left,' we are going to make the case
at the Democratic and Republican Conventions that if America is so beautiful,
as we sing about it, it will make real the promises of a good life for all of
us. If we manage to solve this problem, it will give us so much more strength
for our efforts to bring the good news of democracy and respect for all
people around the world."

Besides the events listed above, "Let Justice Roll" events have been
scheduled for Milwaukee, Wis. (Sept. 18), and Albuquerque, N.M. (Sept. 18),
and are being scheduled in Raleigh, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio;
Philadelphia, Pa., and in New Jersey.

"Let Justice Roll" begins today, but it "will end when poverty ends and not
before," Dr. Sherry said. Following the elections, said Mr. Bhargava, "we
will carry our concerns into the policy debate."

-end-

NCC Media Contacts: Carol Fouke, cfouke@ncccusa.org or 212-870-2252, and
Leslie Tune, ltune@ncccusa.org 202-544-2350 x 11 or 202-297-2191