Faiths United to Save Democracy Launches 2024 Voter Protection Campaign

Faith and Community Empowerment (FACE) is now a partner with Faiths United to Save Democracy in their 2024 voter protection campaign to safeguard vulnerable voters seeking to vote in free, fair, and safe elections.

FACE President Hyepin Im will join other featured speakers for Poll Chaplain and Peacekeeper Training for Ordained and Lay Leaders on August 26, 2024. The training is virtual.

The training is designed to prepare ordained and lay leaders to serve in key polling sites across various states.

MONDAYS: 7:00 - 8:30 pm ET (90-minute Training)

Training Date Options: August 26; September 9, 16, 30.

Download the Voter Toolkit Here

White House Convenes Faith Leaders on Climate, Clean Energy, and Environmental Justice Issues

On August 13, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) held a White House Faith Leaders Convening on Climate, Clean Energy, and Environmental Justice. NCC President and General Secretary Bishop Vashti McKenzie was among the participants, which included faith leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country.

The group was convened for the first time to discuss opportunities to benefit from and further engage their communities on President Biden’s climate, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, including through the use of Direct Pay – a novel provision provided through the Inflation Reduction Act that enables tax-exempt entities, including houses of worship, to benefit from federal clean energy tax incentives.

The event recognized faith leaders for their unique ability to connect their communities with the information, resources, and support needed to create a more equitable and just clean energy future. This convening highlighted how meaningful community engagement with faith leaders and organizations can advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to build the nation’s clean energy economy. This includes through Direct Pay and programs covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

President Biden Designates Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument

Photo Credit: The White House

NCC President and General Secretary Bishop Vashti McKenzie was among those present to witness President Biden sign a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The new national monument will tell the story of a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community that was representative of the racism, intimidation, and violence that Black Americans experienced across the country. National outrage at the attack — which occurred mere blocks away from President Abraham Lincoln’s home — spurred action on civil rights, including the creation of the organization now known as the NAACP. The signing took place during the 116^th anniversary of the Springfield Race Riot, which occurred August 14-16, 1908.

Join the Interfaith Reparatory Justice Table Webinar on Thursday, August 22

A Civil Discourse Primer: Building Capacity for Engaging on Tough Topics

The Episcopal Church's Office of Government Relations and the Episcopal Public Policy Network will host an online workshop on
Aug 27, at 3:00 PM CT that will serve as a primer on our civil discourse curriculum, helping you understand the opportunities and limits of civil discourse as a critical tool for bridging partisan divides, learning from one another, and creating better solutions for our communities.

Election season is a time to emphasize not only voting, but also how voting is part of a year-round practice of civic engagement. This engagement is where individuals can invest in communities by paying attention and speaking out constructively through the powers and rights at our disposal. But election season, perhaps more so this year, is also a time of heightened division that also impacts church communities.

How can Episcopalians equip themselves to build and maintain relationships that are fundamental to our common life? What roles do healthy conflict and dialogue play in humanizing one another?

The full curriculum will not be reviewed on this program but rather hold an informal space to explore what civil discourse means in an election, in advocacy, and in caring for our neighbor. If you are curious about this curriculum, have or are planning to use another similar program in your community, join this call to help learn how to get the most out of such learning opportunities.

With the right framing, some disciplined practice, and self-reflection on what each of us needs to learn in this process, we can grow our individual and communal capacity for necessary conversations that leverage our diversity and help us solve problems together, even across disagreements.