CALL 2 JUSTICE

REGISTER TODAY!

2012-01-18T08:53:00.001-05:00

Children Welcome! From Stumbling Blocks to Building Blocks of Faith is happening in Kansas City, February 23-25, 2012.

This fifth Children Welcome! Conference will be an opportunity for personal and congregational renewal as together we explore how best to respond to the needs and gifts of children. The time will be filled with music, worship, the learning of new skills, theological discussions, Biblical reflections, networking and much, much more.

REGISTER TODAY!

ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS for Global Peace with Justice

Is THIS the Fast I Seek? (Isaiah 58)

Economy, Livelihood and Our National Priorities

March 23 – 26, 2012 Washington, DC

EPIPHANY BLESSINGS!

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

The DISCIPLES JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK (DJAN) hopes you had a very merry Christmas, a happy New Year's Day and, if you celebrated it, a wonderful and enriching Kwanzaa.

On this holy Feast of the Epiphany, we wish you a blessed new year and pray that you will have many opportunities to share and receive gifts--especially the gifts of God's compassion, justice and peace.

The icon, "The Holy Epiphany," is the work of Lewis Williams. This and other icons can be found at Bridge Building Images.

2011-12-19T16:02:00.007-05:00

A Message from DJAN Founder, Harvey Lord

The reign of God is at hand. Prepare the way of the Lord!

Christmas greetings to all our partners in justice advocacy who daily try to incarnate in your lives and ministries that which God asks of us: “to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8). We pray that our ministry assists you in doing this.

A special thank you to all of you who have been with us over the years. And a special welcome to those of you who are just now joining us. DJAN is here and will continue its ministry because of your participation, your enthusiasm and your support.

When I look back, I am filled with amazement. I can hardly believe all that we’ve accomplished together. DJAN (Disciples Justice Action Network) began as a prophetic response to what we feared was our denomination’s backing away from controversial social justice issues and its elimination of the Department of Church and Society.

Since that time, DJAN has grown into a widely supported and widely respected network of activists that gives Disciples a strong voice for justice on issues where there might otherwise be silence. We have carried the day with General Assembly resolutions, candlelight vigils, ministerial forums, workshops, diversity in our leadership, and our outreach to young adults.

And now, the leaders of our denomination have welcomed this unique expression of justice ministry, recognizing DJAN’s importance as an independent voice for justice and even turning to our leaders for help and advice. We’ve come a long way together!

As I look ahead, I am filled with hope. Long-time volunteers and supporters are still actively involved. The following generation has taken on responsibilities of leadership and vision. And now a new generation of leaders, thinkers, and activists has caught the vision and is bringing it’s vision, experience, ideals, enthusiasm and leadership skills to the table—a table that it is helping to transform. There will always be challenges and uncertainties, but, from where I sit, both the future of DJAN and the future of justice advocacy in our denomination look very promising.

But that future depends on you and your generous support.

While May was still with us, she and I gave at least $1000 each year to the DJAN coffers and, on two occasions, gave substantially more. I tell you this not to boast, but to assure you that we do not ask you to do something we are not willing to do. We gave, and I continue to give, knowing by faith that you will do the same.

Let me conclude by saying this: I feel privileged to be associated with DJAN and, through DJAN, with you. We have worked together on justice projects. We have shared ideas and strategies at Assemblies. We have drawn strength from our shared commitment to justice and our comradeship with one another.

So many of you from all over the country have given, and continue to give, generously of your time and money in regular gifts to DJAN. We pray that you will continue to do so.

Others of you are just now preparing to join us. Again, we welcome you and thank you in advance for your commitment and generous support. We are extremely pleased to have you with us on this adventure of faith, this journey for justice.

DJAN meant a lot to May and to our good friend, James Demus, III. It means a lot to me. But most of all, it means a lot to all of us who care about the future of our church—and its impact upon our society and our world.

May our God who enables ordinary folks to do extraordinary things rekindle our hopes this Christmas, bless us with a true passion for justice, and strengthen our web of mutual encouragement and support.

In faith and friendship,

Harvey

PLEASE REMEMBER DJAN in YOUR HOLIDAY GIVING!

One Reason to Occupy: Jobs

2011-11-09T08:19:00.015-05:00

The Occupy Movement has created fertile ground for sowing seeds of change. One seed that many progressives would like to see planted is a focus on extending unemployment benefits and job creation. These issues are integral to the organic occupations springing up everywhere.

Unemployment - It's Getting Worse

Currently, 52% of the unemployed workers in this country are no longer receiving benefits - and this will be much worse unless Congress acts to extend unemployment benefits, as millions more will lose them after 1/1/2012. It's not just the United States and Europe that are seeing these kinds of crises. The new president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, warns that unemployment could become a global crisis if action is not taken to create jobs.

Who Needs to Hear From Their Constituents

From the United Auto Workers: For millions of Americans, that thread is about to break unless Congress acts now to extend unemployment insurance benefits. America wants to work, but too many people can't find jobs in this recession. Nearly 7 million Americans have been unemployed for more than six months. Not since the Great Depression have so many people been out of work for so long. Republicans in Congress have blocked the President's Jobs Act or any meaningful legislation to create jobs and lower our staggering 9.1 percent unemployment rate. Now they are about to let unemployment insurance expire for millions of Americans who can't find work. Unemployed workers depend on this modest benefit to pay their mortgages and other bills until they find jobs. But unless Congress acts now to extend this vital benefit, millions of Americans, including one million children, will fall into poverty on Jan. 1. It's time for legislators from both parties to set politics aside and pass a 12-month extension of the federal unemployment program.

Call today: (202) 224-3121 Tell your representative and senators not to leave town without passing a clean bill extending unemployment insurance for 12 months.

Senate	Senate	House
Republicans	Democrats	Republicans
AK-Murkowski	CO-Bennett	AZ-Schweikert
MA-Brown	MO-McCaskill	FL-Posey
IL-Kirk	MN-Klobuchar	IL-Tim Johnson, Walsh, Biggert, Schilling, Shock
OH-Portman	MT-Tester	MI-Benishek, Amash
PA-Toomey	ND-Conrad	MS-Nunnelee
	NE-Ben Nelson	NJ-LoBiondo
	SD-Tim Johnson	NY-Grimm
	WV-Manchin	OH-Boehner, LaTourette
	VA-Webb, Warner	OK-Tom Cole
		PA-Tim Murphy
		WV-McKinley

Job Creation - Let's Make it Happen

While many politicans see assaulting workers as more important than creating jobs, more than ninety members of the US House of Representatives have co-sponsored President Obama's American Jobs Act to create jobs which are so desperately needed. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, participants from Occupy New Haven marched for jobs and an end to violence against youth. This is a great sign that the Occupy Movement is looking at job creation as a way to turn the tide against corporate greed. Further, MoveOn.org and Rebuild the Dream are calling for November 17th to be a national day of action with the focus on job creation. How will we pay for the jobs? Tax Wall Street. The AFL-CIO has an online action to let your elected officials know a tax on financial speculation could generate enough revenue to create millions of new jobs. Bonus - take action and they'll send you a "I am the 99%" bumper sticker!

DJAN at GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2011 - Click on Image

2011-06-13T09:31:00.004-04:00

CLICK HERE to download DJAN's Special Update for General Assembly. Please share it with friends and colleagues, especially those attending General Assembly.

DJAN CO-FOUNDER PASSES AWAY

2011-02-06T22:34:00.006-05:00

On Saturday, February 5th, 2011, DJAN co-founder and, for many years, its co-coordinator, May Sweet Lord, left this earthly life behind and entered more fully into God's eternal life.

A memorial service to celebrate her life and ministry took place at 1 pm on Saturday, March 5th, at University Church in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. If you would like to have a DVD of this service, please send a request to djan@verizon.net.

Let us keep her husband, Harvey, her children and grandchildren, and all her family in our prayers as we mourn her passing, celebrate her life, and remember the many ways in which she touched the lives of so many people.

To read an obituary from the Chicago Times, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read more about the life and accomplishments of May Lord, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read reflections by DJAN President, Jack Sullivan, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To make a contribution to the Lords Justice Action Fund, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Continue the Struggle for Immigration Reform!

2011-01-28T16:51:00.003-05:00

The fight against intolerance continues!

The ineffectiveness and unpopularity of SB 1070 and similar laws are being widely discussed and recognized across the country.

Elected officials, religious institutions, and community leaders have been lining up in opposition to these bills; click here for a full list of public figures who agree that SB 1070 isn’t the right approach.

Of note: In a letter to the Kentucky legislature, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), headquartered in Louisville, announced that if the state passes its Arizona-like bill (SB 6), it will not hold any national meetings or conventions in the state. This loss in tourism could be detrimental to Kentucky in the same way that Arizona’s tourism losses continue to pile up as a result of SB 1070.

You can also read updates on copycat legislation and keep track of all things related to SB 1070 at www.boycottintolerance.org.

On Gun Control: Push the President!

2011-01-26T17:53:00.011-05:00

January 26, 2011 - Six dead and 14 wounded in Tucson at the hands of a severely deranged substance abuser who legally purchased guns and high-capacity ammuniton magazines.

13 law enforcement officers shot since Thursday in what is being described as a "war on police."

And President Obama still hasn't spoken out clearly for stronger gun laws.

In his State of the Union address last night, the president spoke for over an hour and yet only used one second to address the issue of easy access to guns in our society. Meanwhile, another 86 Americans will die from gun violence today, and tomorrow, and the next day...

Barack Obama campaigned on promises to reign in the scourge of gun violence in our country. Now it's our time to hold him to his word.

Call President Obama today at (202) 456-1111 and tell him that you are concerned that he did not speak out more forcefully about the gun issue last night.

Tell him it is long past time for him to stand up to the National Rifle Association and publicly champion reform of our nation's insane gun laws. And tell him that whenever he speaks about Tucson, you expect him to clearly announce his support for sensible gun laws to prevent future tragedies.

On Cuban Travel: Thank the President!

2011-01-25T17:43:00.003-05:00

January 25, 2011- Last week, President Obama took action easing some of the regulations on travel to Cuba.

Clearly there is more work to be done to change U.S. policy toward Cuba, but we think a "thank you" to the President and encouragement to do more is appropriate.

By clicking here, you can send an email to the White House with a message of thanks and a request for more.

As long as we show interest and continue prodding our elected officials, the issue will remain a press-worthy item and will stay in the minds of our officials and their staff.

There are MANY new members of Congress who need to hear from you about Cuba policy; we will be back to you soon with ideas and actions on how to educate these new members and get them on the right side of this issue.

You can be sure that opponents of engagement are already busy at work trying to get commitments from new members to support the outdated and unfair current policy. We need to continue to make our voices heard.

Click here to send a message to the President. Remember, you are able to edit the letter to the President to add your own comments (it is best to be brief).

Thanks for your part in this success with the White House. Let’s not quit now.

Help Us Ban High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines

2011-01-22T16:48:00.005-05:00

January 19, 2011 - Yesterday, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) held a press conference at the U.S. Capitol to introduce H.R. 308, the "Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices Act." This legislation would prohibit the manufacture and sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones used by Jared Loughner in the horrific mass shooting in Tucson.

Loughner was subdued and brought to the ground in Tucson after he stopped to reload his Glock 19 semiautomatic handgun. The problem was that the 33-round magazines he was using allowed him to fire 31 rounds in rapid succession before anyone could get close enough to stop him. There is no doubt that Loughner's high-capacity magazine increased the number of casualties that day.

Now we have a chance to prevent such magazines from inflicting carnage in our communities in the future and you can make a difference by taking these steps:

1) Call your U.S. Representative in the House at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 308, the "Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Devices Act," immediately if they have not done so already. If you are from California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Hawaii or Maryland you can inform your Representative that your state already has a law prohibiting such magazines. Tell your Representative you expect them to do everything they can to see that H.R. 308 receives a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

If you do not know who your Representative is, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

2) Call President Obama at (202) 456-1111 and tell him that it is long past time for him to stand up to the National Rifle Association and end his silence about our nation's insane gun laws. Urge him to announce his public support for H.R. 308 and do everything he can to see the bill signed into law.

Working together, we can change our laws and save lives. The time is now. Please make your calls today! Thank you for your dedication and support.

KING DAY BLESSINGS!

2011-01-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

The DISCIPLES JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK , its Decisions Team and its staff join many others within our denomination, across our nation, and around the globe to honor the birthday, life, mission, vision, and continuing challenge of one of America's strongest advocates for justice and peace: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

PRAYER: O God of our salvation, give us the grace and strength to keep Dr. King's dream alive, and to make his vision of the Beloved Community a central part of our lives as Christians, as Americans, and as members of the world community. We make this prayer in the name of the One who gave the vision to Dr. King and to us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

CLICK HERE to watch Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" Speech.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's Letter from the Birmingham Jail.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's speech to striking sanitation workers in Memphis.

CLICK HERE to read Dr. King's speech on the Vietnam War.

Jesse Jackson Reflects on Dr. King

2011-01-15T01:40:00.001-05:00

There are five terms you rarely hear in Washington: poverty; racial equality; economic justice; reconstruction; and peace budget. Today, 59 million Americans have no health insurance. Insurance premiums continue to rise. 49 million are still in poverty. Unemployment continues and these numbers will rise. 41 million are on food stamps. Over 30 million are unemployed or underemployed. Foreclosures continue to rise, outstripping loan modifications. Student loan debts are now greater than credit card debt, endangering a whole generation of our youth.

The banks got bailed out; insurance companies like AIG got massive government subsidies. Our military budget goes unchallenged. People are simmering in pain and alienation, without an identifiable plan to rebuild America and put America back to work.

This weekend should not be reduced to symbolic gestures, reducing Dr. King to a trophy. We would do well not just to admire him, but also to follow him; to provide his mission a place at the table as we debate national priorities and direction.

To read the entire editorial, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

2011-01-13T22:55:00.000-05:00

AL SHARPTON: In MLK's honor, let's strive for dialogue that's passionate but not poisonous

2011-01-12T23:39:00.003-05:00

The senseless violence in Arizona this past weekend left all of us stunned, but this devastating act hit home for me more than most. I have been a victim of violence that could have cost my life, and I have been involved in controversies that led to violence in which my words were distorted and misused.

As we try to understand the steps that led to the horrors in Tucson, it is not lost on me that the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth is fast approaching. I hope that we can heal in this moment rather than just take sides and assign blame. Although his house was bombed, he was stabbed, and he lived under constant threats, Dr. King never pointed his finger at others. He sought to be a healer rather than exacerbate tensions.

As a first step, we must reflect on the climate in our public discourse and our personal responsibility.

To read the rest of this editorial printed in The Washington Post, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

E. J. DIONNE: Gabby Giffords, a tragic prophet

2011-01-11T21:52:00.003-05:00

There is one commentator whose words should enlighten us on the meaning of Saturday's shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the savage murders that took the lives of, among others, a federal judge and a 9-year-old girl. The person is Giffords herself. In an interview last March, the Arizona Democrat anticipated almost everything being said now and explained why what happened on Saturday is a violation of our national self-image as "a beacon." Our pride, she said, is that "we effect change at the ballot box" and not through "outbursts of violence."

. . ."We're on Sarah Palin's targeted list," she said, "but the thing is that the way she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district. When people do that, they've got to realize there's consequences to that action."

To read more of this editorial printed in The Washington Post, PLEASE CLICK HERE

DJAN Mourns Victims in AZ Shooting; Decries Political Hate Speech

2011-01-09T11:47:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, January 8th, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, Federal Judge John Roll and many others, including a nine-year-old girl, were shot during the congresswoman's constituency meeting at a Tucson, AZ, Safeway grocery store parking lot. As of Sunday morning six have been reported killed, including Judge Roll, and 12 wounded, including Rep. Giffords, who was shot in the head but is expected to survive.

DJAN joins its voice with those who strongly and unequivocally condemn this outrageous act of violence. We extend our prayers and condolences to the family and friends of the victims. We pray for full recoveries for all the wounded, including Congresswoman Giffords.

While we do not yet know the motivation of the crime, many have surmised that the motivation is political because of the atmosphere of violent language and threats against Rep. Giffords because of her support for health care reform and immigration reform. (She is a supporter of the DREAM Act and an outspoken critic of the Arizona immigration law).

We agree with those who observe with grave concern that certain right-wing movements and their emotionally-loaded anti-government rhetoric help create an atmosphere that allows or even encourages this kind of attack. For instance, until the day of the event when it was removed, Sarah Palin featured Giffords on her webpage with the congresswoman's district in the crosshairs of a gun, targeting her because of her support of health care reform.

Before this attack, when her Arizona office had been broken into and vandalized after her vote for the national health care reform bill, Giffords said in a TV interview, “Palin has crosshairs on our district; people have to realize there are consequences to that.”

Giffords was a frequent target of the Tea Party movement. It was Giffords father, 75-year-old Spencer Giffords, who wept when asked if his 40-year-old daughter had any enemies, and answered, "Yeah," to The New York Post, "The whole Tea Party."

Let us keep Congresswoman Giffords and all the wounded, as well as the families of the wounded and dead, in our thoughts and prayers. Let us also pray for greater recognition on the part of all political movements that political hate speech has consequences.

2010-12-29T23:05:00.001-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2010-12-25T07:40:00.001-05:00

The DISCIPLES JUSTICE ACTION NETWORK wishes you, your families and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas, a Happy Kwanzaa, and a New Year full of God's goodness and blessings!

Please remember DJAN in your holiday giving.

DJAN
PO Box 35887
Tulsa, OK 74153-0887

- or -

CLICK HERE to make an ONLINE CONTRIBUTION.

CLICK HERE to make a special end-of-the-year contribution to the Harvey and May Lord Justice Action Fund.

CLICK HERE to download the Holiday edition of DJAN's newsletter, Call to Justice.

The icon is Mother of God: Mother of the Streets by Br. Robert Lentz, OFM. More of his work and other religious art can be found at www.trinitystores.com.

Demonstration in Chicago to Stop Eviction

2010-12-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

U.S. Representative Kucinich Decries Corruption and Waste of Tax-Payer Money in Afghanistan

2010-06-29T15:57:00.001-04:00

BP's Bad Science

2010-06-29T13:56:00.004-04:00

June 29th - Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) are pressuring BP to ditch a private contractor, the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH), that it hired to do public health response in the Gulf. The company, they say, has been "cited in a long line of controversial cases" in which it has botched data collection methods and supplied bad data. These bad test results, Capps and Welch say, have served to promote the "corporate interests" of CTEH's employers over the protection of public health.

To read more of this article from Mother Jones, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Resistencia, Golpe y Militarización en Honduras

2010-06-29T13:53:00.000-04:00

Jimena Paz, a member of the Honduran National Popular Resistance Front, was part of the SOA Watch South-North Encuentro that took place from June 22-26, 2010 in Venezuela. The Encuentro brought together organizers from 19 countries to strategize together and to build a cross-continental movement against militarization.

House Dems, Citing Corruption, Block Reconstruction Funds For Afghanistan

2010-06-28T22:14:00.000-04:00

June 28th - The House Democrat who oversees funding for Afghanistan's redevelopment and reconstruction said on Monday that she is stripping money from her foreign aid bill in reaction to pervasive corruption. Dave Obey, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, supports the move made by subcommittee chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), according to an Obey spokesman.

Lowey cited pervasive corruption in Afghanistan as the cause for her decision to pull the funding from the appropriations bill working its way through her State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee.

To read more of this article from The Huffington Post, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Rioters Disrupt Peaceful Protests at the G20

2010-06-27T21:58:00.003-04:00

June 27th - More than 560 people were arrested across Toronto over the weekend after violence erupted between riot police and masked protesters as leaders of the G20 countries gathered behind the toughest security cordon in the history of the summit.

Many of those arrested had been staging peaceful protests, but trouble broke out on Saturday afternoon when a group of anarchists broke away from the main, non-violent protest by trade unions and other groups around the summit conference centre and began smashing the windows of banks and chain stores and torching police patrol cars in the shopping and financial districts.

To read more of this story from The Guardian, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Another Unionist Murdered in Honduras

2010-02-12T12:27:00.004-05:00

February 12, 2010 - Today, the people of Honduras will march in the streets of Tegucigalpa to honor the life of the most recent victim in a spate of selective murders against activists from the resistance movement. Vanessa Yamileth Zepeda, a 29- year old nurse, was abducted last Wednesday after leaving a meeting of the SITRAIHSS labor union. She was murdered and her body was dumped in a neighborhood with ties to the Resistance movement. Vanessa leaves behind 3 small children, and a country where fear is a growing commodity.

Since the "election" of President Porfidio Lobo in late November, in a balloting process boycotted by the majority of Hondurans, over 10 leaders of the resistance movement have been murdered. Those who dare to raise their voices about this situation are also targeted. Last week two cameramen from media programs opposing the government were kidnapped and tortured. After filing reports on these and other situations, members of the COFADEH human rights team received death threats.

While most Latin American nations view the recent Honduran elections as an illegal effort to whitewash a coup, the U.S. insists that they are legitimate, and the resulting change has been positive. The death of Vanessa and other resistance leaders tells a different story.

Contact your member of Congress today: (202) 224-3121.

We urge you to send a message to your Member of Congress to share your concerns for the deteriorating human rights situation in Honduras and to insist that the United States stop their efforts to push for international recognition of the Lobo government.

Contact your member of Congress today: (202) 224-3121.

Black Farmers Rally for Justice

2010-02-12T11:49:00.007-05:00

Black farmers rally for justice on the steps of the state capitol building in Montgomery, Ala. on Wednesday February 10, 2010. (Montgomery Advertiser, Mickey Welsh)

February 11, 2010 (AP) - Black farmers from Alabama are rallying for government payments to settle a long-standing discrimination case against the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The National Black Farmers Association planned a demonstration for Wednesday in Montgomery to urge Congress to approve a $1.15 billion discrimination settlement against the government.

President Barack Obama included funding for the settlement in his budget proposal. Now, the group is trying to get lawmakers to back the payments.

The money would pay claims filed by black farmers who say they were denied government assistance because of their race. Farmers filed the lawsuit in 1997, and it was settled in 1999. The money would go to farmers who filed claims after a court deadline.

For more pictures of the rally, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Act Now to Save the Lives of Community Activists in El Salvador

2010-02-12T11:00:00.003-05:00

Canada, February 10, 2010 - Act now to stop the killings of human rights activists and environmental protestors in El Salvador. Since June 2009, four people have been murdered and threats continue against leaders of the Santa Marta Association for Economic and Social Development (ADES), a non-governmental organization that is a partner of The United Church of Canada.

ADES works closely with the journalists of Radio Victoria, the Cabañas Environment Committee, and others concerned about the ecological impact of a proposed Canadian-owned gold mining project in El Salvador.

Send an e-mail or fax officials in El Salvador and Canada demanding a stop to assassinations of anti-mining protesters.

To learn more and respond now, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To watch a video report in Spanish, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

United Church of Canada Calls for Release of Detainees in Philippines

2010-02-10T10:30:00.003-05:00

February 10, 2010 - The following is a statement by Omega Bula, Executive Minister of the United Church of Canada’s Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit, about the arrest of 43 health workers in the Philippines:

"The United Church of Canada strongly condemns the arrest by 300 government security forces of two medical doctors, a nurse, a midwife, and 39 health workers in the Philippines on February 6, 2010.

"We call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately ensure that their rights are respected and to order their release. . . .

"We call on the Government of Canada to condemn the arrest of the 43 health workers and call for their immediate release.

"We call on the Government of Canada to help safeguard the future of democracy in the Philippines by putting pressure on the Philippine government to take immediate and concrete steps to implement measures to stop and prevent election-related violence and human rights abuses."

To read the entire statement, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

THE QUESTIONS NOBODY DARES ASK (Part Two)

2010-02-10T09:51:00.003-05:00

By Charles Bayer
Theologian-Activist
A Founder of DJAN

There are two questions seldom asked regarding the violent attacks that have afflicted our nation. The first we introduced last week. “Are we really at war?” This week we look at the second, "Why do they hate us?"

People will not strap explosives around their waists and blow themselves up because they have some modest disagreement with a political policy. That must come from some deep-down hatred. Simplistic answers to that question won’t cut it. Some of my colleagues wring their hands and claim it is all our fault. On the other side of the political spectrum there are those who hold that it is simply a matter of good verses evil We are the good. They are the evil. If for every complex question there is a simple answer, which is always wrong, these two opposite propositions are solid examples.

While there is no single answer to our question, there are clues, many of which lie deep in history. Let’s look at a few.

To read the rest of this editorial, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Extend Jobless Benefits!

2010-02-10T09:22:00.003-05:00

February 8, 2010 - On Dec. 16, 2009, the House passed the Jobs For Main Street Act of 2010 (HR 2847).

The emphasis of the bill is on job creation and extended emergency relief for the unemployed (see details here). The bill would be funded with unspent TARP funds that had been set aside for saving Wall Street.

In his State of the Union speech, President Obama stated that 2010 would be the year of help and compassion. Senate Democrats are expected to bring the bill to the Senate floor in February, and conservatives are signaling strong opposition.

Contact your Senators and let them hear from you! (202)224-3121

Urge them to include the same extension for unemployment benefits that is in the House bill.

Soon unemployment insurance offices around the country will be closing down the program. Without this extension, millions of unemployed workers and families will be dropped from the rolls, falling deeper into poverty and hopelessness.

Contact your Senators today: (202)224-3121

Please take action now!

Sponsor of the National Prayer Breakfast Should Repudiate Extreme Anti-Gay Law In Uganda

2010-02-02T19:34:00.003-05:00

February 2, 2010 - At a Washington, D.C., press conference this morning, The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, joined religious leaders in criticizing the organization known as 'The Family' for its ties to David Bahati, a Ugandan legislator who is pushing an unjust and deadly anti-gay law.

The Family, also known as the Fellowship Foundation, sponsors the National Prayer Breakfast, which attracts the president and a large number of members of Congress each year, as well as foreign dignitaries. According to researcher Jeff Sharlet, Bahati is a member of The Family.

Rev. Lynn also called on President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to attend the prayer breakfast, to condemn the Ugandan proposal, which calls for the execution of gays and the imprisonment of those who promote homosexuality.

DJAN joins other religious organizations and Americans United in making this call.

JUSTICE SERVED: THE TILLER MURDER TRIAL

2010-01-29T17:43:00.008-05:00

by The Rev. Carlton Veazey
President and CEO
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice
January 29, 2010

The first-degree murder conviction today of Scott Roeder in the death of Dr. George Tiller serves the cause of justice, and we thank the prosecutors and jury for their clear message that violence against abortion providers will not be tolerated.

We pray the verdict sends a clear message to other violent extremists that there is no justification for murdering abortion providers and that their crimes will be punished to the full extent of the law.

To read the rest of this statement, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

THE QUESTIONS NOBODY DARES ASK (Part One): ARE WE AT WAR?

2010-01-27T12:46:00.007-05:00

by Charles Bayer
Theologian-Activist
A Founder of DJAN

The United States has enemies. There are increasing numbers of people in the world with blood in their eyes. These agents of destruction come from a sturdy number of nations. Recent activities have added a dozen more to the list. From Pakistan to Yemen there are those intent on inflicting deadly attacks on us. But are we at war?

To read more of this opinion piece, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

No More "Christian" Weapons!

2010-01-21T09:30:00.017-05:00

UPDATE: Manufacturer Trijicon has agreed to take the Bible verses off U.S. military weapons. Concerns about this issue have been heard! (Click here for the new story from ABC).

DJAN joins other people of faith and conscience in welcoming this change--and thanks you for your advocacy on this issue!

January 21, 2010 - Just this week, ABC News broke a disturbing story: sights on guns used by the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan have been inscribed by their manufacturer with Bible verses. [Click here for the story from ABC].

That's right. The high-powered weapons feature clear references to Christian scriptures like "2 COR 1:6" and "JN 8:12."

Religion-based wars have caused some of the deepest scars in our world's history. Branding tools of war with Christian messages is a dangerous misuse of faith that falsely implies America is at war with Islam in the Middle East. It degrades all of our faiths by seeming to pit them against each other in the midst of combat.

CLICK HERE to tell the Pentagon: "Keep our faith off tools of war. Remove the Bible verses now!"

Trijicon, the manufacturer, is digging in and inflaming the conflict - dismissing the group who originally broke the story because they're "not Christian."

Some military officials have said they'll investigate this abuse of faith, but they and other officials need a push to make sure they'll remove the verses.

Our leaders need to know that we won't stand for this "faith-based" militarism and religious divisiveness done in the name of the Christian faith.

Scripture on military weapons is an abuse of faith, a misuse of our tax dollars, and a violation of church-state separation.

CLICK HERE to tell the Pentagon: "Keep our faith off tools of war. Remove the Bible verses now!"

Photos courtesy of ABC News.

Brit Hume to Tiger Woods: Forget Your Own Faith, Try Mine

2010-01-07T09:34:00.005-05:00

Speaking about Tiger Woods on "Fox News Sunday" January 3, 2010, reporter Brit Hume observed that Mr. Woods’ recovery "depends on his faith." After telling his audience that Mr. Woods is a Buddhist, Hume said, "I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith." Hume then addressed Woods personally, saying "Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."

To watch a response on the 'Countdown with Keith Olbermann' show from The Rev. Welton Gaddy, President of The Interfaith Alliance, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

BREAKING NEWS!

2009-12-24T07:17:00.003-05:00

Today, December 24th, 2009, at 7.16 AM, the Senate passed its health care bill by a vote of 60-39. Negotiations will now begin to reconcile the Senate and House health care reform bills.

DJAN Supports Senate Health Care Bill--But with Strong Reservations

2009-12-22T21:31:00.009-05:00

DJAN strongly supports the passage of health care reform: There are just too many people without coverage, too many people losing coverage, and too many people dying from lack of coverage.

At the same time, DJAN has serious concerns about the Senate health care bill. While it would expand coverage to 31 million Americans and would eliminate “pre-existing conditions” as a barrier to insurance, the Senate bill, as is, represents a massive public subsidy to a private insurance industry which retains as much as 40 per cent of its premiums for administration, executive salaries, marketing, and profits.

The Senate bill contains no public option (immediate or triggered), no Medicare buy-in for those under 65, no competition for for-profit plans, no meaningful cost-containment and no prohibition against insurance companies colluding on premiums and terms of coverage.

Furthermore, the Senate bill would deprive millions of women access to the full range of reproductive health care and impose onerous restrictions on millions more. The provision that requires women to write a separate check for abortion is designed to undermine the health, dignity, and well-being of women in order to impose a particular religious-theological view of reproductive health care on everyone, including millions of people of faith who, like DJAN, support reproductive choice.

DJAN will continue to work with the progressive community of faith and others to insure that the bill that emerges from the conference committee addresses these concerns.

Palestinian Christians Call for an End to the Occupation

2009-12-17T08:07:00.002-05:00

A group of Palestinian Christians representing a variety of churches and church-related organizations have issued an animated and prayerful call for an end to occupation of Palestine by Israel.

The call, issued at a 11 December meeting in Bethlehem, comes at a time when many Palestinians believe they have reached a dead end. It raises questions to the international community, political leaders in the region, and the churches worldwide about their contribution to the Palestinian people's pursuit of freedom. Even in the midst of "our catastrophe" the call is described as a word of faith, hope and love.

Referred to as "The Kairos Palestine Document" the call echoes a similar summons issued by South African churches in the mid-1980s at the height of repression under the apartheid regime. That call served to galvanize churches and the wider public in a concerted effort that eventually brought the end of apartheid.

The authors of the Kairos Palestine Document, among them Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Lutheran Bishop of Jerusalem Munib Younan, and Archbishop Theodosios Atallah Hanna of Sebastia from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, have raised the challenge of the urgency for peace with justice to religious and political leaders in Palestinian and the Israeli society, international community, and to "our Christian brothers and sisters in the churches" around the world. They believe that current efforts in the Middle East are confined to managing the crisis rather than finding pertinent and long term solutions to the crisis.

To read more about this meeting and document, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read the full text of the document, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

DJAN Supports Principles of House Immigration Bill

2009-12-15T15:41:00.005-05:00

DJAN joins the Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) in welcoming new immigration legislation by Representative Luis Gutierrez. The introduction of “Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity” (CIR A.S.A.P.) in the House of Representatives is a sign of progress and momentum for action on real, common sense immigration reform this Congress that reflects the best of our values.

We are pleased to see immigration reform legislation which reflects our priorities in the faith community. CIR A.S.A.P. seeks to provide a pathway to earned legal status that honors immigrants’ contributions to our society. It also protects workers, promotes family unity, ensures due process for all and offers educational opportunity to youth through an expansion of the DREAM Act.

We applaud the leadership of Rep. Gutierrez and look forward to working with him and other members of the House and Senate to pass fair and just comprehensive immigration reform. Like other organizations in the coalition, DJAN is deeply committed to the struggle for immigrants’ rights and is helping to mobilize support for immigration reform at the grassroots level.

In the months to come, DJAN will support IIC in its efforts to organize prayer vigils in hundreds of cities across the nation and we will urge Disciples to join other people of faith in Washington, DC, on March 22, 2010 to support just and fair immigration reform.

Ask the Attorney General to Release the OPR Report!

2009-12-15T09:42:00.000-05:00

Please email Attorney General Holder today to ask him to release the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) report. The OPR report is believed to detail instances of professional misconduct by lawyers in the previous Administration's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). Specifically, it is reported to demonstrate how lawyers in the OLC purposely misinterpreted the law in order to sanction torture and other abusive acts.

On Wednesday, Nov. 18th, Attorney General Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee that a career prosecutor was going to review the report but that he expected that that review would be completed and the report released by Nov. 30. As of December 14, the OPR report has not been released.

Please email the Attorney General's office to ask him to release the OPR report. A model email can be found here.

Second Chance Act to receive $100 million in FY2010!

2009-12-14T19:12:00.007-05:00

DJAN is pleased to announce that the House and Senate have passed an omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010 that provides $114 million for prisoner reentry programs in the Department of Justice, including $100 million for Second Chance Act grant programs!

That’s four times the amount that was available for Second Chance Act grant programs in FY2009, an unprecedented increase in funding that reflects both the high demand for these important programs and the ongoing advocacy efforts of DJAN and our ecumenical and interfaith partners.

Thank you to all of you who have worked so hard in support of the Second Chance Act in 2009! Your continued advocacy is crucial to the continued expansion of this important program: DJAN and its allies need your support to make even more progress on this next year.

President Obama Accepts Nobel Peace Prize; Peace Groups Respond

2009-12-11T09:18:00.004-05:00

On Thursday, December 10, 2009, President Obama accepted the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. The Nobel committee said that they chose the President of the United States because of his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

In his acceptance speech, the President acknowledged that there are many people in the world today who suffer for the cause of justice, peace, freedom, and human dignity who are "far more deserving of this prize than I." He also pointed out that "perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars."

He continued, "And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict – filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other."

Prior to the President's speech, a coalition of peace groups wrote a letter to the Nobel committee saying, "it is regretful that [the President] could not be guided by the example of a previous Nobel Peace Laureate, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who identified his peace prize as 'profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time -- the need for man [sic] to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression.'"

To read a text of the President's speech, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read a response to the President's speech by United for Peace & Justice, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

DJAN mentioned during Senate debate by Senator Boxer

2009-12-09T21:52:00.003-05:00

DJAN Sponsors Candlelight Vigil for the "Public Option"

2009-12-09T09:01:00.001-05:00

Last night, as Senators negotiated about the future of a "public option" in a Senate health care bill, people of faith from diverse religious traditions gathered near the Senate to hold a candlelight vigil and rally. The purpose of the event was to demonstrate strong support for the "public option" by people of faith.

Participants in the vigil sang, prayed, and listened to speakers from the political, medical, and religious communities--including two senators and six members of congress. Two mothers also spoke about children who had been denied health insurance because of a preexisting condition: one child survived while the other tragically joined the 45,000 who die each year because of insufficient or no health care.

General Assembly Resolution 9915 called for a combination of "initiatives both private and public" to achieve affordable, quality health care for all. However, no General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has spoken specifically about the current issue of a "public option."

Disciples Justice Action Network was one of the sponsors of the event and, like a number of denominations and other faith-based organizations, is a strong supporter of a robust version of the "public option."

Ending U.S.-Sponsored Torture Forever

2009-12-07T17:58:00.008-05:00

DJAN joins with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) in encouraging your congregation to show a new, revised version of the 20-minute video Ending U.S.-Sponsored Torture Forever and use a corresponding discussion guide between now and April 1, 2010.

NRCAT has set a goal of having 300 congregations in at least 30 states make a commitment to show the video and hold an adult discussion during this period.

Let's help them make this goal!

To learn more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

NCC officers support Cuban church plea to Obama to review case and grant visas for the 'Cuban Five'

2009-12-06T18:29:00.005-05:00

The President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches have endorsed and forwarded to President Obama a message from 37 Cuban church leaders asking for a review of the case of the "Cuban Five," and for the granting of visas so the Cuban prisoners held in the U.S. can be visited by their families.

"The churches that make up the National Council of Churches have long supported a review of the judicial proceedings that led to the sentencing (we believe unjust) of the so-called 'Cuban Five,'" said the message signed by Archbishop Vicken Aykazian and the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon. "And we have supported the granting of visas to their wives so that they may, at least, visit their imprisoned husbands. With this in mind, we forward to you the enclosed letter, signed by colleagues in Cuba, with a prayer that you will take their plea to heart."

The letter from the Cuban church leaders, addressed to both President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, took note of the President's Nobel Peace Prize and praised his reputation as an advocate of human rights.

"We are asking that you help in having this case be re-examined, considering the hundreds of documents compiled by the defence, the decision of the three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals of 2005 and the frequent violations of human rights that have occurred in this process, which have been acknowledged by international institutions, parliaments, and international public opinion," the Cuban church leaders wrote.

To read more, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

100 Cities Protest Afghanistan Escalation

2009-12-05T12:56:00.004-05:00

On December 1st and 2nd, 2009, one hundred cities protested the Afghanistan escalation.

The Peace, Justice & Environment Project produced an almost 5 minute piece that includes video and photo contributions from activists across the country.

To see the video, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Say 'NO' to Escalation of War in Afghanistan!

2009-12-02T09:43:00.008-05:00

Last night President Obama announced an increase of 30,000 troops to be deployed to Afghanistan. This escalation of troops means more war, conflict, death and injury for the people of Afghanistan as well as the American men and women in uniform and the families they leave at home. Today, the majority of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan.

The decision also runs counter to the President’s own emphasis on diplomacy and negotiation as the basis for U.S. foreign policy. As the president remarked about U.S. occupation of Iraq: "there is no military solution" to the problems in Afghanistan.

The costs of the war and occupation of Afghanistan are great at home and abroad. At a time that the U.S. faces the worst economic crisis in eighty years and is attempting to reform healthcare for the benefit of the vast majority of the people, the massive cost of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is a barrier to solving our many domestic problems.

Nearly 1000 U.S. soldiers have died in Afghanistan, and this year is the bloodiest since the NATO invasion eight years ago. Countless Afghan civilians have suffered, caught in the crossfire between U.S. troops, the Taliban and corrupt militias.

Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) stands with those opposing the escalation and calling for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Today, Wednesday, Dec. 2, we encourage our members and activists to join with the people around the country who are gathering in town squares, parks and churches to protest the President’s decision and call for diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the problems in the region.

Afghanistan is very different from Iraq, but they have at least one fact in common: there is no military solution.

For a list of local "day-after" events in your area, visit United for Peace and Justice.

STOP STUPACK! 888-423-5983 (Wednesday)

2009-12-01T16:02:00.003-05:00

THIS WEDNESDAY (December 2, 2009) . . .

Support both health care reform AND reproductive choice!

Stand up to right-wing Catholic Bishops and defend religious liberty!

Call toll-free at 888-423-5983 and tell your Senators you support health care reform that protects women's existing access to reproductive health care.

Prefer email? Please act now: send a message to your congressional representatives.

Make this message viral! Forward it to all your friends and colleagues! Repost it on your blogs and on facebook as YOUR status message.

CALL or EMAIL TOMORROW!
888-423-5983 (toll free).

Close Guantanamo Now! (Sign the Petitition to Congress)

2009-11-20T09:16:00.003-05:00

Dear Members of Congress,

As people of faith, we are very aware of the importance of symbols in one's spiritual life. So, too, are symbols important in the spiritual life of a country.

Guantanamo is the symbol of our country's violation of our deepest values. Regardless of how it is operated now compared to how it was operated in earlier years, it stands in the minds of hundreds of millions of people in our nation and around the globe as a place where America broke faith with itself and used torture as an interrogation technique. Torture is immoral, illegal, and never justifiable -- without exception.

Our government must close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay now to help us heal spiritually and to put an end to this dark and errant chapter in our history. For those detainees that must continue to be incarcerated, we believe that appropriate alternative sites can be identified.

We ask that you do everything in your power to help close Guantanamo--now!

In faith,

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Preserve Religious Freedom and Reproductive Choice

2009-11-12T07:21:00.001-05:00

While we strongly support health care reform, we are disturbed that the cost of passage of this legislation in the House of Representatives is greater limitations on women's full access to reproductive health care.

Just as appalling as the exemption of this area of health care is the role of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in making it happen. The Bishops made clear, through intense lobbying, that they would oppose health care reform that did not specifically correspond to their theological views about reproductive health care.

This denies the support of major religions and millions of Americans for women's reproductive rights. In keeping with our nation's constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, we oppose civil laws that impose specific theological views about reproductive health care on all Americans. As Congresswoman Barbara Lee noted in floor debate on the health care legislation, "we're a democracy not a theocracy."

Please take ACTION NOW and tell your Senators and Representative to stand up for religious freedom--and protect reproductive choice!

CALL TODAY: 202-224-3121

Don't Let Teabaggers Speak for You!

2009-11-05T10:09:00.002-05:00

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) fights progressive causes at every turn, and now she's rallying her right-wing teabaggers to fight health care reform.

On FOX's Sean Hannity show Rep. Bachmann urged viewers to call their U.S. Representative this Thursday to oppose the House health care reform bill with a public option. She kicks off her Thursday call-in day with a press conference rally for all her tea-bagger troups at the U.S. Capitol.

This summer we saw the damage a crowd of hollering tea baggers can do. EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM: Call your Representative TODAY:

1-888-797-8717 (toll free)

We need to make our voices heard. We need to match -- or better yet, exceed -- Rep. Bachmann and her army's phone calls. Please call your representative today and ask him or her to support the House health care bill.

1-888-797-8717 (toll free)

We already know that the majority of Americans support health care reform with a public option. Now, we need to make sure that we do not cede the struggle to health care opponents. Please call your US House representative today:

1-888-797-8717 (toll free)

CALL TODAY!

EDWARD M. KENNEDY 1932 - 2009

2009-08-26T10:02:00.001-04:00

Statement by President Barack Obama: "For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. . . . An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time."

Statement by The Reverend Jim Wallis: "On the occasion of his death, I pray that God may now move us as a nation to address the greatest commitment of Senator Kennedy’s life–the need for a comprehensive reform of the health care system in America–as a deeply moral issue and one that calls forth the very best that is within us."

Disciples Join President Obama and 140,000 People of Faith on a Health Care Conference Call Hosted by Religious Organizations

2009-08-20T06:57:00.000-04:00

An estimated 140,000 people of faith (including at least 1000 Disciples) gathered on a historic national conference call with President Barack Obama and the American faith community. Sponsored by Faithful Reform in Health Care, the Disciples Justice Action Network, the Disciples Center for Public Witness, and more than thirty other denominational, ecumenical, and interfaith organizations, the conference call included prayer and moments of silence, stories from people struggling with and suffering from the current health care system, suggestions from local religious leaders about ways to engage people in dialogue and action, answers to questions about health care reform from a White House domestic policy advisor, and comments by the President of the United States about the moral imperative for health insurance reform and the important role of people of faith in making it happen.

Among the speakers on the call were two prominent Disciples: Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and Dr. Cynthia Hale, Senior Pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, GA. Also on the call was Dr. Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor of Northland, A Church Disributed, in Northland, FL. (Joel attended seminary at a Disciples institution of higher learning, the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, IN).

This highly successful conference call was linked with two efforts that are currently underway: the "40 Days for Health Reform" campaign to mobilize people of faith to pressure Congress to pass health insurance reform; and the "Let Our Light Shine" campaign to organize health care reform prayer vigils, worship services and other events throughout the month of August. (The health care vigil and rally at the recent General Assembly, organized by Faithful Reform in Health Care and the Disciples Justice Action Network, was the kick-off event for this campaign).

Yesterday's call lifted up the inspiring efforts of tens of thousands of people of faith across the United States to promote a civil dialogue and ensure that Congress passes legislation in 2009 that will make quality health care accessible and affordable for all Americans.

A recording of the call is available at www.blogtalkradio.com/40mins4health, which live-streamed the call.

More information about the call and about ongoing campaigns is available at www.faithfulreform.org and www.faithforhealth.org.

CONFERENCE CALL with PRESIDENT OBAMA

2009-08-17T15:03:00.001-04:00

RSVP HERE to join a conference call with President Obama on health care: Wednesday, August 19, 2009, at 5 PM Eastern.

The conference is being hosted by religious organizations--including DJAN--and will include thousands of people of faith. Religious leaders speaking on the call include GMP Sharon Watkins and Ray of Hope Senior Pastor Cynthia Hale.

The organizers of the conference call invited the President of the United States to join the call. He accepted. Won't you? Please RSVP TODAY.

------------------------

Call your members of Congress today and urge them to support

health insurance reform: 1-888-797-8717 (toll-free).

END TORTURE: SIGN a statement of conscience HERE.

Call for a Commission of Inquiry by clicking HERE.

DJAN Hosts Vigil in Support of Health Care Reform

2009-08-02T16:51:00.000-04:00

Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) hosted a prayer vigil and rally for health care reform on Saturday evening in a ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center.

"We are gathered in this place to raise our voices against the injustice of a health-care system that costs too much, covers too little, and excludes too many," said Linda Hanna Walling, a Disciples minister who serves as executive director of Faithful Reform in Health Care and a Senior Advisor on Health Care Reform to the Disciples Center for Public Witness.

The vigil was originally scheduled to be held on the grounds of the Indiana state capitol, but concerns about the weather moved the event indoors. Instead of lighting candles, [close to 600] attendees filled the darkened room with the lights from their cell phones.

Several speakers from both the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the local church community were featured, including Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Disciples of Christ; her seminary classmate, Angelique Walker-Smith, executive director and minister of the Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis; Rabbi Lewis Weiss; and John Thomas, general minister and president of the United Church of Christ.

Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin, Jr., senior pastor of Light of the World Christian Church in Indianapolis, gave the keynote address.

To read the entire article from DisciplesWorld, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To read an article about the vigil from the Indianapolis Star, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Disciples Turn Down "Call For Action"

2009-08-01T18:55:00.000-04:00

In the 2009 General Assembly’s final business session, delegates rejected Resolution 0925, "A Call for Action."

Speaking on behalf of the Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform, Barbara Jones, regional minister of the Great River Region, addressed concerns from yesterday’s debate: "Public witness is now and becoming more and more a grassroots movement. 'Call for Action' is part of that movement."

Jones continued, "The difference between this document and what we had in past is ownership. Ownership now comes from the General Board, which is made up of congregational members now as well, so now there will be an interlinking of congregations, the regions, and the general church.

"Once items are selected, information will go out and there will be ample time for education prior to and at the Assembly for whatever is selected. That’s why we have fewer items. Many perspectives can be included.

"Let’s try it," she concluded. "We have an opportunity for change."

. . . [But] Charles Bayer, a retired minister from Claremont, CA . . . described the resolution as "basically anti-democratic." Congregations may exert considerable effort to draft impassioned, thoughtful, spirit-led resolutions that will never make it to the floor of the General Assembly, he said, "because the General Board and Office of the General Minister and President decide what gets to floor and who gets to debate."

Finally, argued Bayer, "Our resolutions (under this resolution) can’t speak to the world or the National Council (of Churches in the USA) where we stand on issues."

The standing vote failed to receive the required two-thirds majority, so Resolution 0925 was rejected. . . . Rejection of Resolution 0925 means the procedure for handling resolutions will continue as is.

To read the entire article from DisciplesWorld, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Floor Fight Likely Over Handling of Social Justice Issues

2009-07-30T17:57:00.000-04:00

A floor fight is shaping up over proposed changes in how the General Assembly handles social justice issues.

Almost 70 people met after the conclusion of Wednesday evening’s worship service at 9:45 p.m. for a meeting billed, “Justice Advocacy: the Future of Prophetic Witness in Our Church.”

Members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)’s two major social justice organizations – the Disciples Peace Fellowship and the Disciples Justice Action Network (DJAN) – led the talk, which focused on General Assembly Resolution 0925, “A Call for Action.”

The proposal, scheduled to be taken up Friday, would eliminate the sometimes-controversial Sense of the Assembly resolutions, which may be offered by local congregations, and replace them with four main issues screened by the General Board. The changes would go into effect provisionally with the 2011 General Assembly.

DJAN’s Charles Bayer proposed that when the issue comes up Friday, a procedural motion will be offered to refer Resolution 0925 back to the General Board. Such a move would bypass the Committee on Reference and Counsel, where resolutions are typically sent for revision while the General Assembly is still under way. . . .

Kathy Coggins, program director for Disciples Peace Fellowship, said a vote against the resolution does not equate to an endorsement of the current way of handling social justice issues. "But we don’t want to take one broken system and replace it with another broken system," she said.

To read the entire article from DisciplesWorld, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

DJAN EVENTS at GENERAL ASSEMBLY

2009-07-15T00:38:00.009-04:00

WEDNESDAY, July 29, 2009

Justice Advocacy After Session:
'The Future of Prophetic Witness in Our Church'
A Discussion of Resolutions
Co-Sponsored by DJAN and DPF
9 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Indiana Convention Center: Room 102

THURSDAY, July 30, 2009

DJAN Meeting and Discussion of Resolutions
Noon - 1.30 PM
Indiana Convention Center: Room 115

FRIDAY, July 31, 2009

RESOURCE GROUPS

Moral and Ethical Issues in Health Care Provision
Steven Baines
Westin Senate II
2 - 3.30 PM
View Details

Faithful Security: An Ecumenical Approach to War and Peace
Michael Kinnamon
Convention Center 201
3:45 - 5 PM
View Details

AFTERSESSION with DISCIPLES CENTER for PUBLIC WITNESS
Convention Center 115
9 - 10.30 PM

Note: This aftersession will be canceled so that all members of the CENTER, DJAN, DPF, and other advocacy groups can attend the 'UNITY - Celebrating Our Own Diversity' Reception in Convention Center 120-121. Please join us there.

SATURDAY, August 1, 2009

RESOURCE GROUPS

Can I Get A Witness? Looking for the Prophetic Church
Eric Brown, Noeme Mena, Charles Bayer, and Rita Brock
Convention Center 202
2 - 3.30 PM
View Details

Controversy and Community: Looking for Resolutions
Dick Hamm, Chris Hobgood, Michael Kinnamon, Jack Sullivan
Convention Center 109
3:45 - 5 PM
View Details

AFTERSESSION

EVENT for DISCIPLES and the INDIANAPOLIS COMMUNITY:

"Music and Prayer for Better Health Care--for Everybody"

9:15 PM (Music) - 9:30 PM (Program)

Location: State House Lawn

Confirmed Speakers include
Dr. Sharon Watkins
Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin
Dr. John Thomas

A SPECIAL MESSAGE from DJAN CO-CHAIR JACK SULLIVAN

2009-07-14T22:00:00.000-04:00

DJAN is a clear and present voice for justice in our denomination. In many ways our work is informed by America's authentic social justice organization, the historic Black Church. And our leadership is diverse, with most of the leaders who give guidance to DJAN are African Americans, other People of Color, and women.

I believe that God is doing a mighty work through DJAN and that those of us who care about promoting justice and peace in our denomination-- especially those of us who value the work of bold, courageous Christians who take the risk to speak out for justice--should do all we can to support this important and much needed justice ministry.

To read all of Dr. Sullivan's Special Message, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To support the justice ministry of DJAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

2009-07-14T21:30:00.000-04:00

"ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE"
by Ken Brooker Langston

An old saying goes, "You can’t be all things to all people." Yet, with all that we stand for and all the things in which we are involved, it often seems that DJAN is trying to do just that.

As a multi-issue organization, we are the network of people within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that supports a multitude of issues and causes and coalitions promoting greater justice, peace, diversity, and inclusion. We are the people who work inside the church and also the people who work outside the church. We are the people who criticize our church from the prophetic perspective of the gospel and yet love it and support it and celebrate when it boldly and faithfully promotes the Biblical vision of justice and shalom.

To read more of this message from DJAN's Director, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

To support the justice ministry of DJAN, PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Moral and Ethical Issues in Health Care Provision

2009-07-01T21:33:00.001-04:00

Sponsor(s): Office of General Minister and President

Leader(s): Rev. Steven Baines, Director of Interfaith Outreach at the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice in Washington, DC.

Audience: Clergy and lay leaders

Location: Westin Senate II
Date: Friday, July 31, 2009
Time: 2:00:00 PM

Health care today poses new ethical issues, some of which are raised by "Guidelines for the Ethical Provision of Health Care in a Pluralistic Society," produced by the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Learn about these new challenges and improve your ability to comprehend and wrestle with these justice issues.

Faithful Security: An Ecumenical Approach to War and Peace

2009-07-01T11:40:00.001-04:00

Sponsor(s): Office of General Minister and President

Leader(s): Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches; Dr. Ken Brooker Langston, DJAN Director and Coordinator of the Disciples Center for Public Witness

Audience: All Disciples

Location: Convention Center 201
Date: Friday, July 31, 2009
Time: 3:45:00 PM

Should the church support war? What is true security? How can Christians contribute to a more just, peaceful and secure world? Dr. Michael Kinnamon begins a discussion of these and other issues of war, peace, justice and international security within the framework of "hopeful realism."

Can I Get A Witness? Looking for the Prophetic Church

2009-07-01T10:42:00.001-04:00

Sponsor(s): Christian Church Capital Area

Leader(s): Dr. Charles Bayer, Progressive Christians Uniting; Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock, Interfaith Voices for the Common Good; Dr. Eric Brown, We Believe Ohio; and Rev. Noemi Parrilla-Mena, Iglesia Cristiana Nacional at National City Christian Church

Audience: All Disciples

Location: Convention Center 202
Date: Saturday, August 01, 2009
Time: 2:00:00 PM

What does it mean to be a prophetic church? Leaders from African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, and Euro-American traditions discuss how the Church, our denomination and diverse church traditions have-or have not-responded faithfully to God's call to be a prophetic church, and how they might do so in the future.

Controversy and Community: Looking for Resolutions

2009-07-01T09:43:00.002-04:00

Sponsor(s): Christian Church Capital Area

Leader(s): Dr. Richard Hamm, Executive Administrator of Christian Churches Together; Dr. William Chris Hobgood, President of the Disciples Center for Public Witness; Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches; and Dr. Jack Sullivan, DJAN Co-Chair and President of the Black Ministers Fellowship

Audience: All Disciples

Location: Convention Center 109
Date: Saturday, August 01, 2009
Time: 3:45:00 PM

As part of a larger conversation, denominational leaders share ideas about the relationships and tensions between justice and unity, congregational autonomy and covenantal relationships, denominationalism and ecumenism, and prophetic and pastoral ministry. Special attention will be given to the role of General Assembly resolutions in these relationships.

Event for Disciples and the Indianapolis Community

2009-07-01T00:02:00.010-04:00

"Music and Prayer for Better Health Care--for Everybody"

9:15 PM (Music) - 9:30 PM (Program)

Location: State House Lawn

Confirmed Speakers include
Dr. Sharon Watkins
Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin
Dr. John Thomas