UCC Conference Ministers to head to nation’s capitol for advocacy, witness

More than 20 Conference Ministers of the United Church of Christ will head to Washington, D.C., the nation’s capitol next week for a week of advocacy, training, a prayer vigil, and meetings with their elected members of Congress. Hosted by the Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, the gathering, called ‘Love Knows No Borders,’ the Conference Ministers hope to proclaim a message of sacred solidarity with those who’ve suffered under systems of hate, greed, and division. 

“As both a faith leader and a local elected official, I believe advocacy is where our prayers meet policy. When we bring our stories to the halls of power, we remind decision-makers that every policy has a human impact,” Rev. Darrell Goodwin, Executive Conference Minister for the Southern New England Conference said. “Coming to D.C. is a sacred act of witness where faith, justice, and community converge for the common good to make real and tangible change.” 

The gathering comes at a time where the United States is divided on many key issues, and the Trump administration continues its unprecedented immigration raids as part of its mass deportation agenda. The President has deployed National Guard troops to mainly Democratic cities across the nation to clamp down on crime, a tactic many see as political. And many government agencies, social services, and protections for vulnerable populations are being challenged in courts, or dismantled altogether. 

Conference Ministers that will be in attendance say the voices of faith leaders have always played a vital role in the health of democracy, and they will draw upon their voices, and the voices of the people they’re representing to give voice to the social issues of today.

“Whether it is the intimidation of immigration arrests and detention centers, the need for affordable health care, or the care of our transgender youth, we proclaim collectively that God’s love knows no borders,” the Rev. Chad Abbott, Conference Minister for the Indiana-Kentucky Conference said. “We know that the dominant narrative of Christian nationalism does not have the final word and so our gathering brings a testimony of those voices crying out in the wildernesses of the communities that make up our conferences.”

UCC News will be in D.C. to cover the activities of the week, as the Conference Ministers engage in their advocacy work. Those in the Washington D.C. area are invited to attend the Wednesday, October 29 public witness in person. You can also stream it via the UCC’s livestream. 

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