Dear Colleagues,
Please help us amplify this op-ed authored by Rev. Dr. Dan Spencer of Montana. He is ordained clergy in the United Church of Christ and a professor of environmental studies at the University of Montana. He is one of the signers of the Montana faith leaders’ letter to Secretary Zinke regarding national monuments, and his piece links to the letter.
Shantha Ready Alonso
Executive Director, Creation Justice Ministries
110 Maryland Ave. NE #203, Washington, DC 20002
(202) 618-2501 * shantha@creationjustice.org
www.creationjustice.org * facebook.com/CreationJustice * @CreationJustice
Download our 2017 Christian education resource: Environmental Justice with Indigenous Peoples
 
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Tweet: Rev. Dr. Spencer of MT urges @SecretaryZinke & President Trump to protect #OurPublicLands, uphold #MonumentsForAll. http://missoulian.com/opinion/columnists/it-s-not-too-late-to-change-course-on-national/article_f5e3e83b-923a-5908-b59a-1df443aa336c.html
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It's not too late to change course on national monument decisions
Published in The Missoulian on September 13, 2017
By: Rev. Dr. Dan Spencer
Link: http://missoulian.com/opinion/columnists/it-s-not-too-late-to-change-course-on-national/article_f5e3e83b-923a-5908-b59a-1df443aa336c.html
When Congressman Ryan Zinke was confirmed as secretary of the Interior, manypeople in Montana were intrigued to see someone from our own state in such animportant leadership position. The secretary of the Interior is responsible for thestewardship of millions of acres of our nation’s public lands, including nationalmonuments. It is an honor and sacred duty to future generations and our Creator.
To the dismay of many Montanans, one of the first assignments President Trumpgave Secretary Zinke was to “review” whether and how to diminish or eliminatenational monuments. Zinke took on the assignment with gusto, setting a badprecedent for his tenure and creating a negative impression for the people ofMontana, as we are ardent lovers of our nation’s public lands.
Zinke made an August announcement that Montana’s national monument, theMissouri River Breaks, would not be harmed. Coming from Montana, Zinke has yearsof understanding behind him about how complex and deep our ties are to our publiclands. I wondered if, by making the Montana announcement before other states, hewas seeking comfort and affirmation from his home state. He did not get it. Rather,he received a strong push from many groups to protect all monuments. The way heframed the entire “review” process reveals he has an impoverished understanding ofthe value of protected public lands.
In August, I signed a letter to Zinke urging him to respond to a higher calling thanPresident Trump: to God’s call. In the letter, we reminded Zinke that “nationalmonuments have been thoughtfully crafted by U.S. presidents of both parties sincethe time of President Teddy Roosevelt, and each have left a powerful stewardshiplegacy. Now, you have an opportunity to do the same — to build and leave behind astewardship legacy.”
Already, Zinke has published recommendations to diminish Bears Ears NationalMonument. His recommendations show blatant disregard for the wishes of theelected leaders of the Navajo, Ute Indian, Ute Mountain Ute, Pueblo of Zuni andHopi tribes. There have been rumors he is likely considering making similardownsizing recommendations for other monuments. This is foolish, and if thisadministration fails to reverse course, it will be a lasting blemish on Trump andZinke’s legacy.
It is much easier to tear down something you do not understand than it is to buildsomething you cherish. I cannot imagine Secretary Zinke could possibly understandthe nuances of the long, storied histories of the dozens of monuments the Trumpadministration put in jeopardy over the few short weeks since the review began.
Our national monuments conserve our nation’s natural, cultural and spiritual heritagefor future generations. They should continue to do so, from generation to generation.
Rev. Dr. Dan Spencer is a professor of environmental studies at the University of Montana and is ordainedclergy in the United Church of Christ.

https://www.episcopalchurch.org/posts/eir/african-methodist-episcopal-church-council-bishops-statement-confederate-monuments


August 23, 2017The Council of Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church supports the national movement to remove all symbols and monuments to white supremacy. The purpose of these symbols is to celebrate white power and its ability to keep  "minorities" fearful, passive and powerless.
These monuments may have a place in a museum of Confederate or Southern History, where they can be put in factual historical context. These monuments have no place in a nation made up of immigrants from ethnic groups from every  populated continent. People should be judged by the "content of their character" not their skin color or ethnicity.
We celebrate all pastors and community activists who are already leading in this effort and taking strong visible stands against these symbols of white supremacy. 
We celebrate Duke University for voting to taking down a monument on their campus to Robert E. Lee.
We celebrate Mayor Catherine Pugh of Baltimore, Maryland and the courageous political leadership in Birmingham, Alabama and Lexington, Kentucky for their strong political action.
The Council of Bishops will be vigilant in monitoring the uptick of white supremacy activity, supporting all steps to protect civil and human rights, engaging with coalitions of faith based/civil rights groups, and educating the communities we serve regarding the urgent need to find solutions to racism
The Council of Bishops encourages all of our churches, pastors, ministers, chaplains, lay people, missionaries and young people to write letters/emails to the President of the United States, their U.S. Senators, Congress people and designated local officials supporting the removal of all these reminders of past white spiritual, political and economic dominion.
We encourage our pastors to share this communiqué with their members in worship and with community leaders in public forums as soon as possible. #RighteousResistance! #TheyMustComeDown!  #IAmAME!
Bishop Clement W. Fugh, President, Council of Bishops
Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, Secretary, Council of Bishops
Bishop Vashit M. McKenzie, President, General Board 
Bishop McKinley Young, Senior Bishop

NCC Condemns “Unite the Right”August 14, 2017 Steven Martin

The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA condemns, in the strongest terms, the “Unite the Right” gathering of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, August 12th.  We deplore the ideology behind it and the hatred manifest in it. White supremacy must find no sanction or shelter in America today.
We grieve for the lives needlessly lost.  Heather Heyer, 32, died in what we believe has been appropriately named a terrorist act by Attorney General Sessions.  She died as a witness to love and justice for all.  We grieve for the two officers in the Virginia State Police, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, 48, and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates, 40, and pray for their families.


We also give thanks for the moral witness given by concerned people of faith, including clergy, who came to Charlottesville to stand as a barrier before those gathered in the cause of white supremacy.  We are grateful for the leadership offered by Rev. Brittany Caine-Conley, Rev. Seth Wispelwey, Congregate C’ville (a group instrumental in the organizing of the counter-protest), and dozens of others who spent countless hours preparing for this now-infamous day.  Their courage and faith in the face of hate is an inspiration to all of us.


And finally, we call upon our government and church leaders to strongly, and in no uncertain terms, denounce racism and white supremacy  We call upon President Trump to prove his commitment to this cause by dismissing cabinet officials and staff members with known links to racist, Alt-Right, neo-fascist, or otherwise hateful groups.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amos 5:24, NRSV

Words from the Bishop—“Good is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate.”
 
Once again racism has raised its ugly head in America, even overshadowing the threat of nuclear annihilation for a bit.  Racism is not a new phenomenon—it is as old as sin.  As we delve more deeply into the Doctrine of Discovery (which we formally repudiated as a Synod and at the Churchwide Assembly in 2016), we see that there is racism embedded into the European colonization of the Americas, racism embedded into our Indian policy, racism embedded into our history of slavery, racism embedded into our immigration policies. 
 
Last winter, a particularly virulent strain of racism appeared in, of  all places, Whitefish, Montana.  A high profile White Supremacist with a political group behind him became the center of a controversy in the Flathead that included anti-Semitism.   Religious groups, including our ELCA congregations, responded appropriately, condemning White Supremacy, anti-semitism, and all forms of racism as antithetical not only to common human decency, but to the Christian faith.
 
In the 1990s, the Montana Association of Churches (MAC) adopted a Declaration on the Distortions of the Gospel.  Hate groups were claiming that their racist and violent theories and practices were a true interpretation of the Gospel.  MAC took that on, and repudiated any connection between racism and hatred espoused by these groups and the Gospel.  Eight mainline Christian denominations signed on—American Baptist, Christian Church Disciples of Christ, The Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian Church USA ( Glacier and Yellowstone) Roman Catholic (Helena and Great Falls/Billings),United Church of Christ, and United Methodist Church.  Other Christians, from across the spectrum, asked to sign on as well.  There was consensus that any attempt to justify bigotry by using religious language was simply wrong, misguided, even evil. 
 
That was a quarter century ago, before the internet was a near constant part of nearly everyone’s lives, providing information and misinformation indiscriminately.  Today’s hate groups spread demonize people of color, people of “other” faiths (especially Muslim), immigrants and more. 
 
That widespread hatred was what was highlighted in Charlottesville, Virginia, this past weekend, in the White Supremacist rally.  People of faith—of all faiths—including ELCA Lutherans—were there to stand against bigotry, to stand against hate.
 
I have read many of your Facebook posts this week, lamenting what was going on in Charlottesville, and looking for ways to move forward.  Confession is always good for the soul.  Examining ways that we as individuals and we as a primarily white church benefit from White Privilege might be a start.  The key is not getting defensive.  We have had to do that as a Synod as we have taken our Apology to tribal councils. 
 
When I was growing up in the 1960’s north of the Mason Dixon line, I thought racism was something that happened in the South.  And then I saw the violence in Boston in response to busing, and I thought it was an urban thing.  I know now that it is a human thing, a thing we must repent, and work hard to overcome. 
 
As I struggle with the implications of racism in America, I remember Bishop Desmond Tutu’s words:  “Good is stronger than evil, love is stronger than hate.”
 
Jessica Crist, Bishop

[Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs press release]

The Episcopal Church – United Methodist Dialogue group have prepared A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness; The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church – A Proposal for Full Communion, the result of dialogue for a formal full-communion relationship.


In a recent letter, Bishop Frank Brookhart of Montana, Episcopal Church co-chair of the committee, with Bishop Gregory V. Palmer, the United Methodist Church, Ohio West Episcopal Area, offered, “The relationships formed over these years of dialogue, and the recognition that there are presently no theological impediments to unity, paved the way for this current draft proposal.” The entire letter is available here.


A Gift to the World: Co-Laborers for the Healing of Brokenness; The Episcopal Church and The United Methodist Church – A Proposal for Full Communion, is located here.
In the coming months, opportunities for feedback, regional gatherings, and discussions will be slated.


Additional related information, including historical documents, is available here.
The work of the Episcopal-United Methodist Dialogue is enabled by two General Convention resolutions: 2015-A107 and 2006-A055.
For more information contact the Rev. Margaret Rose, Episcopal Church Deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations at mrose@episcopalchurch.org.


Members of the Episcopal-United Methodist Dialogue
Episcopal
Bishop C. Franklin Brookhart
Bishop David Rice
The Rev. Dr. Thomas Ferguson
The Rev. Dr. Deirdre Good
The Rev. Jordan M. Haynie Ware
The Rev. Margaret R. Rose – Staff


United Methodist
Bishop Gregory Palmer
Reverend Patricia Farris
Reverend Dr. James Howell
Reverend Dr. Pamela Lightsey
Bishop Michael Watson
Reverend Dr. Robert J. Williams
Kyle Tau, PhD, MTS – staff

Religious Freedom, the First Amendment, and Common Sense
For Montana residents it turns out that the political season is not over yet.  Our lone representative in the US House became the Secretary of the Interior, leaving us without any representation in the House of Representatives.  I have certainly felt that lack, as  I have written to my senators about various issues in these last months.  On May 25 (ironically, it is Ascension Day) Montana will have an election for our representative in the House.   

Although there is some talk out of Washington about allowing religious organizations to become more partisan in their advocacy, even endorsing candidates without losing tax-exempt status, do not yield to the temptation, no matter how strongly you feel about the candidates, the election.  In the ELCA we do not endorse candidates.  We talk about policy.  We encourage discernment.  We encourage voting as a way not only to demonstrate civic responsibility, but also to show love for your neighbor.  Voting is a way to be accountable for policies that affect the least and the lost.   

Presiding Bishop Eaton has written an important statement on Religious Freedom. You can read it below:

On May 4, President Trump signed an executive order titled “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.” The measure addresses the IRS ban on political campaigning by tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, an important protection for houses of worship. That regulation is codified into law, so it would take an act of Congress to reverse, but President Trump signaled his administration’s opposition to the rule by directing the IRS to use maximum discretion to refrain from enforcing it.

The Lutheran Confessions state “the power of church and civil government must not be mixed ... [while] both be held in honor and acknowledged as a gift and blessing” (Augsburg Confession, Article 28). The ELCA Constitution affirms that one of the purposes of this church is to “work with civil authorities in
areas of mutual endeavor, maintaining institutional separation of church and state in a relation of functional interaction” (ELCA Constitution 4.03.n.). Our social teaching encourages members and leaders to be politically active as citizens and to provide moral leadership that advocates for just and fair policies.

Nothing in the current IRS rules prohibit such activities. Neither our theological heritage nor our social teaching lift up what we would understand today as partisan activity by church officials—endorsing or funding specific candidates, for instance—because
that confuses the appropriate responsibilities of church and state leadership.
Exemption from taxation is an appropriate benefit granted to churches and other charities.

The restriction on endorsement of political candidates in no way restricts freedom of religion. In fact, it allows churches to continue to focus on ministry and protects them from being lured into participation in partisan politics to the detriment of their proclamation and mission. The ELCA provides this guidance to ministries on participation in the electoral process.

Earlier this year, the ELCA joined with 99 diverse faith groups in sending a letter to Congress opposing any effort to undermine the so-called Johnson Amendment—those IRS regulations that protect both the taxpayer and our houses of worship. We do not seek or desire a change in tax law that could prove divisive in our congregations or detrimental to our witness of Christ.

Let us not be tempted to participate in partisan politics, but rather focus on being part of God's reconciling work through Christ in the world and proclaiming the gospel word.

God’s peace,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop

Words from the Bishop - A Social Message on Homeless
 
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”  (Matthew 25: 35)

The ELCA has long been concerned about homelessness, and adopted a Social Message “Homelessness:  A Renewal of Commitment” in 1990.   Like so many of the social messages adopted several decades ago, this message is still quite relevant.  Some of it is prescient:  “Without major changes in our society, homelessness will be more pervasive in the 1990’s than it was in the 1980’s.”  And indeed it has become more pervasive.

The message affirms the long-standing efforts of Lutheran congregations, individuals and agencies to assist homeless individuals and families, acknowledging that the fastest growing segment of the homeless population is families.  Since this message was written, a number of communities in our Synod have enlisted in Family Promise, a program designed for groups of churches to help homeless families find long-term housing and employment. 

Another group with high rates of homelessness is veterans.  Montana and Wyoming have a high proportion of veterans, and homelessness is a significant issue. A large number of veterans have returned from our ongoing wars in the middle east since the message was written.

There are many root causes of homelessness articulated by the message, including: poverty, lack of affordable housing, unemployment, health issues, mental illness, addiction, racism, domestic violence, natural disaster.  In the intervening years since the message was written, the ELCA has taken on many of these issues in social messages (Mental Illness; People Living with Disabilities; Suicide Prevention; Community Violence; Gender-based Violence), or social statements ( Economic Life; Race, Ethnicity and Culture).  And ELCA congregations and individuals are responding to a number of these issues as part of their ministry.

The message note that Christians’ responsibilities for homeless and not simply responding with temporary assistance.  Helping to prevent homelessness through prevention and advocacy is essential. 

“Christians walk with the homeless when they join with others to voice deep concern about homelessness, ask hard questions, ad advocate policies that seek to provide job training, employment opportunities, housing, education, health care, and support for the homeless. While as Christians we may differ in our views on what policies will be most effective, we ought not overlook the need for new and sustained initiatives by government, businesses, and non-profit organizations, including church groups.  Church leaders are challenged to help create the public will to eliminate homelessness.” 

The message concludes:
“Let the church pray for a renewal of commitment to walk more closely with and among peole who are homeless and who are at risk of becoming homeless in their daily struggles, sufferings, and hopes.”

Jessica Crist, Bishop

EPPN Lenten Series
2017
"Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." -Proverbs 31: 8-9
"Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful." -Luke 6:36



     Today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, and as Christians, we will spend the next 40 days in preparation and reflection. We may seek to deepen our practices of contemplative prayer, to renew our commitment to worship, and to read and to meditate on God's holy Word. For many, it is a time of turning inward, of devotion, and individual daily practices that serve to ready the spirit. Indeed, we are all called to renew our repentance and our faith. We ask for this renewal when we pray: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with me." (Psalm 51:11).


     As we carry out the ministry of public policy together, what particular meaning does this season of fasting and penitence have for us? What work must we do to ready ourselves for the Holy Days to come that this season prepares us for?


     First, we must recognize that the seemingly outward-facing work of public witness is not separate from the inward work of prayer, self-examination, and repentance. In repentance, we examine our hearts and our consciences in the hopes that we can move forward transformed and renewed. From that place of ongoing repentance, forgiveness, and renewal, we turn to the work we are called to do: to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to welcome the stranger, to care for the sick, and to visit those in prison. Our advocacy aims to help our society meet the needs of the hungry, the sick, and the prisoners, and yet the work is made meaningful in and through our repentance. Ephesians 6:2 tells us that" "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God."


     Secondly, we must come to this work with humility - knowing that we live in a world that is redeemed through Christ and not through our own efforts. Advocacy at its best can address great systemic injustices and effect changes that save and improve lives. We aim to ensure protections for society's most vulnerable, responding to the call of the Prophets: "Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow" (Isaiah 1:17); "Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place." (Jeremiah 1:23); "Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." (Zechariah 7:10). We must strive for justice even as we know we live in a world that is aching and broken. We know that our faith must lie with God, and not in illusions about our own strength or power. We approach the work of advocacy with careful discernment and prayer.


     Finally, we must recognize that the work we do in the Office of Government Relations is one way among many to answer the call to righteousness and love we find in Scripture. We are grateful for those who carry out work in their communities: through feeding the homeless at soup kitchens, through visits to the incarcerated and their families, through inviting and welcoming refugees to their communities. We are grateful for those who lift up prophetic voices in public fora and in churches, calling us all to account for the injustices we are complicit in. We are not in this work alone, and we believe that through federal public policy advocacy, we can serve as a public witness, that we can advocate for more just policies and laws, even as we recognize the complexity and variety of righteously-held views. Our job is to bear witness, knowing that the outcome is God's kingdom.


     This Lent, we will share with you our perspectives on the work we do, sharing more personal stories and reflections. We will share how it is that we conceive of advocacy and how we are focusing our efforts on the three pillars of the Jesus Movement: stewardship of creation, evangelism, and reconciliation. Together, these pillars can help to ground us and help us to live out our faith.


     Creation Care: when we welcome a new member to our family at Baptism, Episcopalians recite together the Apostles' Creed, which begins: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth." God's act of creation of the earth and oceans we share together is bound to our own creation, to the spirit of life that animates our souls. We honor God by caring for creation. This day in particular, when we are reminded that we return to dust, to the earth, we must remember our connection to God's world.


     Evangelism: the work we do through public witness is sharing the good news. We encounter one another as fellow humans, where we advocate on behalf of one another and strive towards justice. Love of God and love of neighbor. At this moment, we evangelize by advocating for refugees and migrants globally and raising awareness about the life-giving work of refugee resettlement in the U.S. We strive to listen to their stories, and to work with Congress and the Administration to ensure that we can welcome refugees to the U.S.


     Reconciliation: we strive to reconcile ourselves to God and to one another. As we work towards the goal of reconciliation, we have a particular focus on the global Anglican Communion, recognizing the need for foreign assistance, for conflict mediation and peacebuilding, and for eliminating all forms of gender-based violence.


     As we engage in policy advocacy on each of these pillars, we are attentive to issues of racial justice and racial reconciliation. We remember that environmental racism has meant that communities of color may not have the same access to clean air and clean water. We recognize that discrimination plays a role in how immigrants and refugees are treated, and we aspire to look beyond national boundaries towards a global community in our international advocacy efforts.


     We will continue to work together to share Christian perspectives and values with legislators and policymakers. We will continue to ask you to make phone calls, send letters, set up meetings and attend town halls. But in these next 40 days, let us also reflect on what these three pillars of the Jesus movement mean to each of us - in our daily lives as well as on a national scale. "O give us strength in thee to fight."


     Thank you for joining with us in this journey.



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