CHURCHWOMAN News and Updates
BUDGETS ARE MORAL DOCUMENTS
Background Information: Budgets Are Moral Documents
The Federal Budget: Overview & Background
Talking Points
Press Release
Dear Friends,
Despite the strong and united cries raised by people of faith around the country during the House and Senate budget reconciliation processes, some political leaders’ priorities are still in question. Your Representative and/or Senator represents an uncertain vote, and we have two weeks left to ensure that he/she stands up for the needs and dignity of low-income Americans.
At a time when our country needs their moral leadership, and its most vulnerable citizens need their help, members of Congress may still pass budget cuts to life-giving programs alongside tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Americans. The religious community has led the way in the Senate - its version of the budget cut about $35 billion, with virtually no cuts in services to low-income people. The House, however, narrowly passed a budget bill that cuts $50 billion, including essential services for low-income families – health care, food stamps, foster care, student loans and child support enforcement. The differences between the House and Senate bills now have to be resolved in a joint conference committee, and the result brought back to each body for a final vote in mid-December.
Over the next two weeks, Call to Renewal, Sojourners and other partners in the fight for a just budget are mobilizing our partners and allies once again to speak out and take action against such unconscionable actions by Congress. Following up on your great work in October, we’re hoping you or a leader from your community or organization can work with us again now in the following ways:
- Organize a delegation of community and religious leaders to visit your Senators or Representative before they return to Washington from Thanksgiving recess (the House returns Tuesday 6 December, the Senate Tuesday 13 December). Insist that they use their vote and their voice to pass a budget that protects the vulnerable.
- Join us in DC on Wednesday 14 December for a peaceful and prayerful act of Civil Disobedience at the Capitol. We’ll gather Tuesday evening for a worship service, then begin Wednesday morning with a training session before proceeding to the Capitol. This act will likely result in arrests for those who participate. We expect that all participants will be processed and released by late Wednesday night. If you can’t make it to DC yourself, please consider sending a member of your community. We are pleased to share that dozens of our partners have signed up to join us already!
-or-
- Organize or attend a prayer vigil for a moral budget outside your legislator’s local office on Wednesday night 14 December
We will be providing two tool kits to assist you, one for organizing a delegation visit, and one for organizing a vigil. We’ll send an email with the delegation visit toolkit later today. The vigil toolkit will be available tomorrow on the Sojourners website (www.sojo.net) and in a special Action Alert to SojoMail subscribers.
This is an exciting and opportune moment in the struggle for a moral budget. We hope you’ll decide to join forces with us once again. We will follow up with you via phone later today. If you know that you are interested in helping to organize a delegation or a vigil, it would be great to know upfront – please feel free to email me or Nadia Stefko at nstefko@sojo.net or call the number below to let us know. If you can commit to being with us in DC on the 14th, we ask that you sign up at www.sojo.net/capitol so we can get a good headcount.
Thanks so much for considering joining us in this important and urgent work!
Blessings,
Adam Taylor, Christa Mazzone and Nadia Stefko
PS- Below is a more detailed description of what we have planned for the 14th. Please feel free to forward this widely to your networks.
COME TO WASHINGTON TO PRAY FOR A MORAL BUDGET
Sign up at www.sojo.net/capitol
“Woe to you legislators of infamous laws … who refuse justice to the unfortunate, who cheat the poor among my people of their rights, who make widows their prey and rob the orphan” (Isaiah 10:1).
There are moments in every generation when a society must decide on its real moral principles. This is one of those moments in history – when our legislators put ideology over principle, it is time to sound the trumpets of justice and tell the truth.
In the wee hours of the morning before leaving for their Thanksgiving break, the House of Representatives passed a budget bill that cuts $50 billion, including essential services for low-income families. Funding for health care, food stamps, foster care for neglected children, student loans, enforcing child support orders – all fell to the ax. In the next few years, more than 200,000 people will lose food stamps, people already struggling to make ends meet will have to pay more for health care, and low-income students will find it harder to pay for college loans. When they return, the House plans to pass a tax cut bill benefiting the wealthiest people in America.
It is a moral disgrace to take food from the mouths of hungry children to
increase the luxuries of those feasting at a table overflowing with plenty.
There is no moral path our legislators can take to defend a reckless,
mean-spirited budget bill that diminishes our compassion. It is dishonest to
stake proud claims to deficit reduction when tax cuts for the wealthy that
increase the deficit are the next order of business. It is one more example of
an absence of morality in our political leadership.
“Oppressing the poor in order to enrich oneself,
and giving to the rich, will
lead only to loss” (Proverbs 22:16).
The religious community has already led the way in the Senate - its version of the budget cut about $35 billion, with virtually no cuts in services to low-income people. Congress now faces a stark choice that requires moral clarity and outrage. The differences between the House and Senate have to be resolved in a joint conference committee, and the result brought back to each body for a final vote in mid-December. A final bill containing the House cuts must not be passed. Budgets are moral documents that reflect our priorities. The choice to cut supports that help people make it day to day in order to pay for tax cuts for those with plenty goes against everything our religious and moral principles teach us. It is a blatant reversal of biblical values. It’s time to act.
Contact your legislators - Call your Senators and Representative during their Thanksgiving break, and demand that they refuse to pass a budget cutting services for low-income people.
Come to Washington - On Tuesday evening, December 13, as the budget bill is being debated in Congress, religious leaders, pastors, and church workers from around the country will gather for a worship service and training session. The next morning, December 14, we will kneel in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda to proclaim the word of God and to pray for people in poverty. We will pray for those in our own neighborhoods who are under assault, and we will call our nation’s political leaders to repentance – recognizing the Bible’s insistence that the best test of a nation’s righteousness is how it treats the most vulnerable among us. This act of prayer is likely to result in peaceful arrests for those who are willing. We must lift up another voice – a voice in prayer that speaks the truth of God’s word. “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you… and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will have your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).We urge you to prayerfully consider joining us. Please sign up at www.sojo.net/capitol to let us know.
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED ADOPTS INTERFAITH INITIATIVE 2005: FAITH WOMEN UNITED
Washington, DC –– National leaders of Church Women United (CWU), meeting in Orlando, Florida, issued a policy statement urging Christian women to promote interfaith dialogue. They reaffirmed their ongoing dialogue with Jewish and Muslim women and, with new resolve, affirmed the need for dialogue with women of other sacred traditions and religious practices as an essential part of Christian faithfulness.
The traditional World Community Day Celebration and the new Human Rights Celebration annually encourage women of all faith traditions to explore together those common values upon which depends all effective work for peace and justice.
According to Anne Griffis, Chair of CWU’s National Action/Global Concerns Committee, many American women are making interfaith dialogue an essential ingredient in their Christian faithfulness.
Church Women United is a Christian ecumenical women’s movement founded in 1941 and carried out by volunteer women in the United States and Puerto Rico. CWU engages women in twenty-six participating denominations, representing women of diverse races, cultures and traditions in local, state and national fellowship, prayer, advocacy and action.
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED ADOPTS POLICY STATEMENT SUPPORTING THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
Washington, DC –– National leaders of Church Women United (CWU), meeting in Orlando, Florida, issued a public policy statement calling on the President of the United States to restore our signature to the Treaty establishing the International Criminal Court.
For reasons of moral leadership and national interest, the United States is urged to once again fully participate in the shaping of the policies of the ICC and cease efforts to undermine the courts effectiveness and international support and to prepare for the eventual ratification by the Senate of the United States.
CWU will educate and advocate on behalf of the ICC among its more than 1,200 local chapters.
The International Criminal Court is an international institution, since 2002 located in The Hague, that sustains the advancement of human rights and, within the norms of international law, supplants impunity with accountability concerning crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Church Women United is a Christian ecumenical women’s movement initiated and carried out by volunteer women in the United States and Puerto Rico. CWU engages women in twenty-six participating denominations, representing women of diverse races, cultures and traditions in local, state and national fellowship, prayer, advocacy and action.
Ribbon of Tangible Hope
A display of the segments of the Ribbon International is planned for May 2005 in New York City at the time of the meeting of the Non-Proliferation Treaty members of the United Nations, and as a reminder of the bombing of Hiroshima. As yet the place and time are to be determined, but we will share them via the News and Updates, and by way of the CWU website, www.churchwoman.org. For those planning to be in New York, this is a must see for the inspiration of the work the international committee is doing to promote the Ribbon of Tangible Hope.
Also, Church Women United is invited to be a part of the fourth annual Ribbon International's Ribbon of Tangible Hope march and display in New York City in September. While the specific details are not yet available, we know it is necessary to give CWU a "heads up" so they can plan to take part in this special acknowledgment of HOPE - TANGIBLE HOPE, individually or collectively.
You are invited to join Michele Peppers of the Ribbon International, who will head the arrangements for this event, and the women of the Waterside Unit of CWU at the early morning prayer service at St. Bartholomew's for the opening of the UN General Assembly. Thereafter the women will proceed with their segments to the Dag Hammarsjkold Park across from the United Nations, and then to the World Trade Center to join the march there.
Arrangements are being made for those CWU unable to attend the march in person to send their Ribbon of Tangible Hope segments for others to carry for them in this memorial to those who died on 9/11/01. As soon as those arrangements are made, they will be posted on the CWU website with a link to Ribbon International at www.theribboninternational.org for updates.
Remember, sisters, we are encouraged to use our Ribbons of Tangible Hope in our own communities. Anne Griffis, CWU Ecumenical Action Chair and member of the Washington, DC unit, says that unit is planning a Ribboning on 9/11. Think how you might "Ribbon" at a specific function or place. It is very rewarding to seek folks' approval with waves, thumbs up, and car horns. Don't forget to take copies of the folder with you to give to people who might like to join you in other "ribbonings." Be sure to give a contact on the flyer and begin to collect contact information of other people who might like to join you in other "Ribbonings." And do share your activities with me sot hat the News & Updates can inform everyone.
In these troubled times, we need to stand firm in our HOPE for humanity, women, and our world. CWU has always worked TOGETHER to achieve the impossible, and it works!
Vaya con Dios!
Martha DeWarf,
dewarf1@webtv.net
Ribbon of Tangible Hope Interim Chair
United Nations Has Strong CWU Commitment
As of April 1, CWU has two New York sites for our ongoing United Nations work: a desk location at the Church Center for the United Nations, across from the UN Secretariat, 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, and work space in the National CWU Office at 475 Riverside Drive, NY, NY 10115. In addition, CWU-UN work is supported by our Action/Global Concerns Committee through the Washington Legislative Office, 100 Maryland Avenue, Washington, DC 20002
This is good news! CWU thanks, especially, the United Methodist Women for graciously making the desk available at 777 UN Plaza, in April, as a temporary location until building renovations are completed. Currently, the desk is free and will have a nominal monthly fee when permanent. CWU-UN Volunteers Marjorie Burns and Choon-Whe Cho, along with other CWU-UN Volunteers, will use the desk as they continue CWU's presence as an accredited NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) in many UN meetings and events.
Ms. Burns, a longtime member of CWU, is President of the Jamaica CWU Unit, Chair of the Queens Coordinating Committee for CWU, Area Chair for New York State Metropolitan Area for CWU and Vice President of the Queens Federation of Churches. For many years, she has represented CWU in the Ecumenical Working Group on the United Nations.
Ms. Cho, also a longtime member of CWU, is CWU Representative from Korean American Church Women United and is a member of the Flushing, NY CWU Unit. She is on the UN Planning Committee for NGOs and on the UN Global Aging Committee as a Minority Representative. She has just been appointed to represent CWU in the Ecumenical Working Group on the United Nations.
You may contact the CWU-UN locations in New York by calling 1-800-298-5551. You may talk with Patty Burkhardt about CWU interest in UN issues by contacting the Washington Legislative Office at 202-544-8747 or by email cwu-dc@churchwomen.org.
Many thanks to everyone in CWU across the country for your renewed interest in the work of the United Nations in this, it's 60th anniversary year. All State Units are urged to appoint your UN Liaison in accordance with our Social Policy Resolution "Support of the UN", 1991, pg. 213 of the Social Policy Book. I sent State Presidents and UN Liaisons a special letter in March 2005 with UN program suggestions and a brief questionnaire. Your Unit is invited to join the growing number of Units that are learning more about the UN's work and are urging strong American leadership in the United Nations. Please contact the Washington Legislative Office for further information.
A New ACTION INFORMATION Newsletter from Action/Global Concerns
Send us your email address and we'll make sure you receive the new ACTION INFORMATION newsletter. ACTION INFORMATION will supplement, from time to time, the Washington Legislative Office's Email Alerts and Inform and Act. The first issue was on International Women's Day and the second was on the United Nations and Tsunami Relief. Contact Patty Burkhardt, Washington Legislative Officer, or Anne Griffis, Chair, Action/Global Concerns Committee at cwu-dc@churchwomen.org.
Special Common Council in August
Last year at the Common Council in July a resolution was passed requiring that all state presidents gather for a meeting one year into the new quadrennial. The National Board discussed this at their October 2004 meeting and agreed that we felt it would be important to invite the regional coordinators and the denominational staff liaisons and representatives to join this group and form a special Common Council meeting. We felt this was very important in light of the changes and also the need to come together to do the necessary the work and to envision together what CWU can be in this twenty-first century.
We have searched several sites in a number of states. We were looking for ways to contain costs and to choose a site where travel arrangements could be made easily from all the states. We have chosen a site suggested to us by our Episcopal denomination. It is the Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center, a Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. It is located close to the Orlando airport and the address is 1601 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo, Florida 32765. Their phone number is 407-365-5571 and their fax number is 407-365-9758. You can also go to their website at www.canterburyretreat.org
The Common Council will convene for all members on Monday evening August 22, 2005. We are asking everyone to try to arrange their arrivals by 3:00 p.m. that day so that you have enough time to check in and have some leisure time before the group dinner and evening worship and celebration. We will meet all day Tuesday and Wednesday, August 23 and 24, and we will meet for approximately one half day on Thursday the 25th. We are hoping that all members plan to arrange their travel if at all possible to be part of the entire experience together. This will be an important time and we suggest you schedule flights after 3:00 p.m.
The agenda for the daily schedule will be created over the next couple of months and we should have packets out to everyone by the end of June. We are asking the states to fund the travel and meeting expenses of each state president as was done last year. We recognize that this may be hard for some of the smaller states and we have asked regional coordinators to work with state presidents to see if some larger states can contribute more. We have asked regional coordinators to check on possible funding assistance, and the denominational staff liaisons and representatives pay their own way.
We were pleased to negotiate a daily cost that is less than in previous years. The daily cost per person is based on a shared room, and in some cases three can stay in a room and save $10/night. Based on two to a room, the cost is $84.00 a day and covers room, all meals, snacks, hospitality room, and incorporates all our meeting needs. There is a choice for a few to choose a single occupancy, but that would be higher by $25/night.
The Canterbury contact person tells us that airline accessibility and good fares should be available to everyone especially if they book early. Because of Disney World there are a lot of flights each day. And speaking of that, the Canterbury has a group coming in on Friday the 26th and so we do have available a list of motels nearby if anyone needs or wants that information to stay in Florida a little longer. We will send more updates about Common Council in the near future. Thanks for your help in making it happen.
Gail Mengel, President; Vera Lander, Vice President; Carol Kolsti, Secretary; Jane Gray, Treasurer
Young Church Women United Initiative
April
8, 2005
Grace and peace to you from God our Creator and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a joy to report to you that Young Church Women United is up and going! We are excited about what God is birthing in our midst! Young Church Women United who met July 2004 in Arizona made a covenant to continue on this journey, and we have met in monthly conference calls, e-mail working teams (Vision/Purpose, Planning, Bible Study/Worship, Finance, Communications, Social Policy), and several small group planning sessions. The essential information for the upcoming Young Church Women United Leadership Initiative Weekend Retreat includes:
Date:
July 29-31, 2005
Registration: Begins at 1 p.m. July 29, 2005
Place: Calvin Center, 13550 Woolsey Road, Hampton, Georgia 30228.
Phone: 770/946-4276. (30 minutes south of Atlanta)
Website:
www.findthedivine.com/retreatcenter/calvincenter/home.html
Cost: $250/person
Theme: "Continuing the Journey"
Scriptural Focus: Jeremian 29:11 and I Corinthians 12:1-31
Target Audience: Persons between 21-45 years old
Registration Deadline: Extended to June 1, 2005
Registrations are slowly coming in; we are expecting at least 40 persons to attend. Our leadership team for the weekend includes Thelme Adair, Martha Wiggins, Dodie Younger, Gail Mengel, and Vera Lander.
This weekend will be a spiritually fun-filled time! We will be focusing on developing transformational leadership through worship, small group sessions of Bible study, working groups "sister circles," and reflective time with God. We are asking that you pray for our journey, sponsor a younger woman to attend, encourage, press, or pull younger someones from your units or congregations to attend. Promotional information has been sent to each council member and state president. (Part of that material is reproduced here.)We are coming in great expectation! Come and join us!
Click
here to read the March 2005 newsletter. (PDF - 116k)
Summary of Resolutions Adopted by Common Council 2004
CWU
Birthday Celebration Offering
February 10, 2005
It's not too late to join the Celebration. Mail your tax-exempt birthday gift contribution to Church Women United, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1626, New York NY 10115.