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Gun Violence, Nigeria, Yemen, & the US Budget
NCC Newsletter June 10, 2022 |
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| Our Hearts are with Nigeria |
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The NCC joins the Nigerian Baptist Convention for prayers after the massacre at a Catholic church in Nigeria. The Nigerian Baptist Convention is a long-time member of the Committee on the Uniform Lessons Series (CUS) and they have alerted us to this attack as well as to others on Christians in the past few weeks. A representative has told us, “It is tough being a Christian in Nigeria today. We leave home in the morning not having hope of coming back home.”
Rev. Dr. Tammy Wiens, NCC Director of Christian Education and Faith Formation who also directs the work of CUS, reflected on the tragic news, saying, “I am blessed by a deep friendship with colleagues from the Nigerian Baptist Convention through our shared work in developing the CUS outlines used to develop Sunday School curriculum both in the US and abroad. Hearing that our brothers and sisters in Christ are victims of kidnappings, vandalism, and murder is even more heart-wrenching when you have a personal relationship with those who report living under a constant threat of violence. Our hearts are heavy with grief upon receiving word of this attack, and the call for prayer out of Nigeria is yet another reminder of the suffering that many in this world endure. Our hearts unite in prayer and wrap around our neighbors near and far.”
We will continue to monitor with alarm the growing, lethal violence against Christians in Nigeria. Credible sources are beginning to characterize the violence as genocide including Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Jubilee Campaign for Religious Freedom, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), International Christian Concern (ICC) and the Lift Up Now grassroots foundation led by Southern Baptist Nigeria native Adeniyi Ojutiku. |
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| Ministry of Presence in Uvalde |
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| Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC Interim President and General Secretary, traveled to Uvalde, Texas on June 4, 2022 to provide a ministry of presence as they experience unspeakable tragedy following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School. During the visit, Bishop McKenzie attended the morning worship service at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 5, 2022, where Rev. Dr. Michael K. Marsh is the rector.
Ways to Help
The Uvalde community is still in need of our prayers and any assistance we can offer. While large amounts of money are being collected through various organizations and foundations, it is not yet being released and some families need financial assistance now. St. Philip’s is collecting monetary donations to assist with those immediate financial needs. Here’s how churches can help:
Online Giving
https://stphilipsuvalde.breezechms.com/give/online Use the dropdown arrow on the right to designate that you would like your donation to go to “Robb/Uvalde Outreach Fund”
Text Giving
Text the amount and “Uvalde” to 830-240-2070. For example: text “$50 Uvalde” – please be sure to include the notation of “Uvalde” after the amount.
Giving by Mail
Make checks payable to “St. Philip’s Episcopal Church” with a notation of “Robb/Uvalde Outreach,” and mail to:
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
343 North Getty
Uvalde, TX 78801
Purchase Gift Cards
Purchase a $100 or $50 Visa or Amex gift card and mail it to St. Philip’s at the address above.
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| NCC at Rally Against Gun Violence |
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"We are tired of thoughts and prayers being used as excuses to do nothing. We are sick and tired and we have had enough," said Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland Tune, NCC Chief Operating Officer, at a major rally at the US Capitol on June 8, 2022, where elected officials, faith leaders, activists, and survivors spoke to end gun violence. Members of the leading gun violence prevention organizations and over 1,000 gun safety advocates were present to demand action on gun safety legislation.
"I believe in the power of prayer and I believe that prayer is an action word," continued Dr. Copeland Tune. "So, it is long past time for Congress to turn their thoughts and prayers into action. For those of us gathered here today, we can pray for them. We can pray that they have courage but we can act to make sure that they vote for common sense gun legislation. We can pray for them to do more than they have been doing but if they don't we can act and make sure they get voted out of office. Prayer and action go together and don't let anybody tell you they don't."
The House of Representatives voted to pass a gun reform package, “Protecting Our Kids Act,” later that day, including raising the legal age to buy certain semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21 years of age and strengthening existing federal regulations on bump stocks and ghost guns.
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| Faith Letter to Congress on the US Budget |
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| On June 7, 2022, the NCC signed onto a faith letter to the US Congress regarding US budget priorities. Among our partners in this effort were the Alliance of Baptists, American Friends Service Committee; Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Pennsylvania Council of Churches; Presbyterian Church (USA); Presbyterian Peace Fellowship; The United Methodist Church -- General Board of Church and Society; and United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries.
Together we stated:
"As faith organizations with deep ties in communities across the United States and around the globe, we know that budgets are moral documents that reflect our national priorities. Our faiths call us to reject war, to love our neighbors, and to invest in human wellbeing. The most serious challenges to the security of Americans arise from non-military threats, such as pandemic disease, climate change, poverty, and racism. This fiscal year presents Congress with an opportunity to invest in areas that address these root causes of insecurity. We urge Congress to dramatically cut the level of spending allocated for weapons and war in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget far below President Biden’s request of $813 billion and to instead invest that money in programs that serve human needs.
Our faith traditions denounce war and violence as solutions to global problems, decrying the harm they cause to both the victims and the perpetrators of violence. We assert that regardless of the reason for its onset, war is destructive by nature, resulting in physical demolition, emotional trauma, and ongoing cycles of retribution and violence. To build a true and just peace, we must remove ourselves from the cycle of perpetual warmaking, and end our practice of spending an overwhelming portion of the U.S. federal budget on weapons and war.
These themes are also evident in our sacred scriptures. In Romans 12: 20-21, we read, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Likewise, Pope Francis has warned that it would be “madness” for Western countries to increase their military budgets in response to the Ukraine war, instead challenging nations to replace the “perverse and diabolical logic of weapons” with a new strategic approach to international relations that prioritizes peace.
Congress should expand U.S. government funding to address the health, safety, and well-being of people and our planet– not subsidize weapons and war. Without financial investments in global vaccination efforts, COVID-19 will continue to spread, disrupting livelihoods and threatening lives around the world. Similarly, climate change presents an existential threat to our planet and contributes to severe weather events and forced displacement. Poverty and racism deny millions their inherent dignity and perpetuate marginalization and violence. These important challenges cannot be addressed with weapons or military might. The Pentagon receives enormous amounts of money every year, while human needs programs are routinely neglected and have not kept pace with inflation. With just $100 billion of the $813 billion requested for weapons and war, Congress could choose to provide nearly 35 million children from low-income backgrounds with healthcare, manufacture 2.5 billion coronavirus vaccines, or create nearly 580,000 clean energy jobs over the course of one year. These investments will build a more sustainable security for our communities and society as a whole.
In FY23, our faith communities urge Congress to push back on the massive proposed budget increase for weapons and war, and instead call for investments in programs that benefit people in need."
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| Additional Information on US Budget Priorities |
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The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has just released two new blogs that are useful in understanding upcoming budget negotiations. The first explains why the Senate should join the House in passing a revenue package through reconciliation that unwinds the 2017 Trump tax law. The second articulates why Congress should prioritize tax proposals impacting children and low-paid workers ahead of those that only benefit corporations.
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| Calling for US Support of the War in Yemen to End |
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| On June 1, 2021, the NCC joined with more than 100 organizations to sign a letter that supports the introduction of the Yemen War Powers Resolution. This bill would put an end to the United States' unauthorized support for the Saudi-UAE war in Yemen. This brutal military campaign has created one of the worst modern humanitarian crises. The letter asks for these outcomes, "Congress must reassert its Article I war powers, terminate U.S. involvement in Saudi Arabia’s war and blockade, and do everything it can to support the Yemen truce." |
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COVID-19 Pandemic Response: Get Children Vaccinated Ahead of Summer
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| Summer is almost here! For our children, this means it's time for vacation Bible school, camps, play dates, and various indoor and outdoor activities for children. Churches can help encourage parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19 before these activities begin to ensure they have the strongest protection from severe illness.
The We Can Do This campaign has social media messages available that can help encourage parents to get their children vaccinated as soon as possible. These social media messages are also available in Spanish.
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For the 7th Commemoration of the Mother Emanuel AME Martyrdom, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Jr. from the Healing of the Nations Institute and the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference (SDPC) have partnered with Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church to offer a National Bible Study toward healing. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC Interim President and General Secretary, will be moderating.
“What Kind of Soil Are We? What Kind is God Calling Us to Become?” is a nationally coordinated Bible study that will be held LIVE on Facebook, June 17, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. CT.
Dr. Forbes envisions this 7th anniversary as an opportunity for clergy across the country to preach on this material, asking within the nexus of race, history, and politics at this critical time: How can we become good soil in which seeds of the gospel of grace and redemption can grow? What is God saying to America about its spiritual dilemma?”
Bible study ministry resources prepared by Dr. Marvin McMickle and SDPC are available to review, download, and use.
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| Join the NCC in Washington, DC on June 18th |
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There are 140 million poor and low-income people in this country who are on the frontlines of multiple, interlocking injustices everyday. The Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls, on Saturday, June 18, 2022 is not just a day, but a declaration of an ongoing, committed moral movement to 1) shift the moral narrative on these injustices; 2) build power among the 140 million and moral allies; 3) make real policies that center the poor and fully address poverty and low wealth from the bottom up.
The last few weeks alone – from heinous acts of violence in schools and in our communities, growing housing and economic insecurity, war-mongering, extreme weather events that can no longer be called “natural” disasters, and an ongoing pandemic that has taken 1 million lives – reveal a nation that is wailing.
Will you join thousands of poor and low-wealth people to make the country hear and see the pain? Together, we will lift up a moral call to revive the heart and soul of our nation by centering the poor and lifting this country up from the bottom. |
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Make sure you RSVP in advance and when you do, select "National Council of Churches USA" as your Mobilizing Partner on the form. |
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Executive Director - Odyssey Impact, National Interfaith Cable Coalition, seeks a social-justice minded, passionate, visionary leader skilled in driving creative and business strategy, fundraising, and managing and motivating a versatile team. Odyssey Impact employs award-winning films and social impact campaigns to change attitudes in the critical areas of religious intolerance, race, gender, gun violence, criminal and economic justice, and mental health. See the full job description.
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| Here's this week's faith-related Wordle! We've customized the game solutions to be religion-based each Friday. If you have never played, click on the "Play" button and you will be able to find instructions by clicking the "i" for information. Please share this newsletter with your friends, family, and faith community members who may enjoy completing these special Wordles! |
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