Greetings! I am writing to you from the meeting of the General Convention Task Force on Imagining a Church Grounded in Social Justice as Christian Ministry, where we just joined in Morning Prayer on the Feast Day of Vida Dutton Scudder, one of the greatest saints of faith in action in our Church. I will write more about the work of the Task Force later. Today, I want to address something that I have encountered in recent weeks in my work as Champions Organizer at Missouri Jobs with Justice - the incorrect assumption that we as Episcopalians are not allowed to gather signatures or take stands on policies as individual faith leaders (lay or ordained) or as congregations, ministries, or as a Diocese. This is incorrect.
All 501(c)3 organizations - including all Episcopal congregations, ministries and Dioceses - are ALWAYS allowed to take positions on and advocate for policies that align with their mission and values. If we did not take stands on policy issues, how would we put our faith into action in the world beyond our pews? Legal actions include signature gathering for regular petitions and signature gathering for ballot initiatives, such as the one that Missouri Jobs with Justice, Metropolitan Congregations United and many other grassroots groups in Missouri are currently involved in to increase the Minimum Wage to $15 per hour and to give hourly workers access to paid sick time.
On the Missouri Jobs with Justice Labor in the Pulpits page, you will also find a PDF with materials that we developed in consultation with our attorneys that outline Guidelines for what Congregations are allowed to do with regards to collecting signatures. Additionally, on the Labor in the Pulpits page, you will find theological, Biblical, homiletical - the Rev. Dr. Barbi Click contributed an amazing reflection! - and practical resources to assist in educating Episcopalians (and people of many faith traditions) about the importance of putting our faith to work for justice - in this moment, through the Missourians for Healthy Families and Fair Wages ballot initiative.
Please contact me at 314-503-7415 or teresa@mojwj.org if you have questions and if you - as an individual or as a representative of a congregation or ministry - want to participate in this signature gathering effort for higher wages and paid sick time. We are particularly seeking engagement and signature gathering in US Congressional Districts 6, 3 and 2, which are (broadly) the northern half of Missouri, Central Missouri, St. Charles County and West St. Louis County. We will be collecting signatures through March, 2024 or until we collect 200,000 signatures in 6 of 8 US Congressional Districts in Missouri.
Learn more about Public Advocacy in the Diocese of Missouri.