Session I. How to be an Advocate - October 6 - recording and slides
Mr. Alan Yarborough, Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, will begin our conversation about the role of advocacy in the broader framework of engaging the wider world, carrying our faith out through action. This will include tips for engaging in advocacy and the role of relationship-building between the Church and government officials, as well as civic participation. He will also review the role of the Office of Government Relations and how people can get involved through the Episcopal Public Policy Network.
Biography of Presenter: Alan is the church relations officer with The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations, where he helps manage their grassroots advocacy engagement and develops resources aimed at educating and equipping the church in policy advocacy. Prior to this, he lived and worked in Haiti with the Young Adult Service Corps, working in economic development, communication and project management. He holds a BS in economics from Clemson University in South Carolina and is currently getting his Masters in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from the Office of Government Relations
Session II. Moses and Jesus as Public Theologians - October 13 - recording
The Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford, civil rights attorney, explores our call to public advocacy through the Call of Moses and his role in the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and Jesus’s public call to mission on the Road to Emmaus and in the breaking of the bread. Through this lens, we will be grounded in a firm biblical foundation in why we do public advocacy. We will explore what our call is, how Christianity is being abused in the current political climate, and what we can do about that now.
Marcia is the convener of the Province V Public Theology Network and founder of Political Theology Matters.
Biography of Presenter: The Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford is a civil rights attorney representing society’s most marginalized. An Episcopal priest, she earned her Doctor of Ministry in political theology from Pacific School of Religion. Dr. Ledford founded Political Theology Matters, LLC, to help the faithful develop public theology mission for greater social justice.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from Marcia:
Session III. "Can I say that?": Religious Speech, the First Amendment and your 501(c)3 Status - October 20 - recording
Join Alan Yarborough (from Session I), Marcia, and Mr. Adonis Flores of Michigan United, a community organizing entity in Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Learn about what the "separation of church and state" means. We'll explore the relationship of religious speech (by churches and individuals4 and the Six protections of the First Amendment. We will touch on the following topics:
1) Church advocacy for social justice;
2) Individual faith-based advocacy in various forms;
3) What is Community organizing? Why is it essential?
4) Using Zoom groups, we will look at IRS case scenarios;
5) the difference between a 501c3 and 510c4 organization.
Biographies of Presenters:
Adonis Flores is a Community Organizer in Detroit. He has organized campaigns that advocate for the just treatment of refugee children fleeing from violence in Central America. Adonis has also been a leader in Michigan for the national campaign for Compassionate Immigration Reform, advocating to stop the deportations that separate families. Currently, he is working on efforts to pass state bills that allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses and to prohibit local and state law enforcement from collaborating with ICE. Civic engagement and voter participation are essential activities for these efforts. Adonis Flores is a former undocumented immigrant and DACA recipient who has lived in Detroit since he was 8 years old. Thanks in part to marriage equality he is now a legal permanent resident.
Alan Yarborough's and Marcia Ledford's biographies can be found above.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from Session #3:
Session IV. What does the world really think about the U.S.? - October 27 - recording
Stories from those who have lived in other countries will be shared. This will lead us into an engaging conversation around racism in the USA.
Biography of Presenters:
The Rev. Ian Delinger is the Rector of St Stephen's. After working in the Silicon Valley, Fr Ian went to seminary in Cambridge (UK). He was ordained and served in a parish in Manchester, and then as Chaplain of the University of Chester. Fr Ian endeavors to bring the Church into the public arena, supporting the marginalized, and celebrating individuals and community achievements.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas Everett Sparks and his twin sister, Debbie, were born and raised in the inner city of St. Louis, and later Ferguson, Missouri. Raised in the Roman Catholic Church, Doug was a chorister at the Cathedral from second through eighth grades and this experience drew him closer to God, with an increasing love of music and a sense of call to ordained ministry. Learning the story and witness of St. Vincent de Paul was especially compelling for Doug as he wanted to live his life as a priest in service to the poor.
Doug’s faith journey took several twists and turns. He was ordained a deacon in 1983 and a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1984 serving in Missouri and Colorado. After much personal reflection and for a number of theological reasons, Doug made the decision to move to The Episcopal Church and was received as a priest in 1989. He has served faith communities in Whitewater and Waukesha, Wisconsin; Wellington, New Zealand; and Rochester, Minnesota. In 2016, Doug was elected and ordained as the VIII Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana.
Doug and his wife, Dana, live in South Bend and have three adult children – Christina, Graham, and Gavin.
Learn more at ednin.org/douglas-sparks.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from Session #4:
------------
Return to the Public Theology Network page.
Contact Heather Barta, Province V Coordinator, with any questions.
Mr. Alan Yarborough, Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations, will begin our conversation about the role of advocacy in the broader framework of engaging the wider world, carrying our faith out through action. This will include tips for engaging in advocacy and the role of relationship-building between the Church and government officials, as well as civic participation. He will also review the role of the Office of Government Relations and how people can get involved through the Episcopal Public Policy Network.
Biography of Presenter: Alan is the church relations officer with The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations, where he helps manage their grassroots advocacy engagement and develops resources aimed at educating and equipping the church in policy advocacy. Prior to this, he lived and worked in Haiti with the Young Adult Service Corps, working in economic development, communication and project management. He holds a BS in economics from Clemson University in South Carolina and is currently getting his Masters in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from the Office of Government Relations
- EPPN sign up: Join the grassroots network of Episcopalians to speak out about policy and legislation.
- Plan Your Vote: Perhaps the most important and stable message between now and the election is making a plan to vote. Given changing processes with COVID-19, this is more important than ever.
- Vote Faithfully Toolkit for election engagement
- 2020 Census Toolkit for census engagement, right now effective through the end of September.
- Civic Engagement on this page we will continue to add resources as we create them, on track for at least one new resource a week between now and Election Day.
- Faith and Citizenship: A Guide to Effective Advocacy for Episcopalians: we just rewrote this training guide for advocacy. (not yet available in Spanish)
- Postcard Project: a guide for hosting “slow advocacy” events to write elected officials. (not yet available in Spanish)
- Resource on Misinformation: a critical resource that is unique for faith communities. (coming soon in Spanish)
- Make Me an Instrument of Peace: a course with ChurchNext on civil discourse. There are multiple ways to engage this material. An overview of the tool.
Session II. Moses and Jesus as Public Theologians - October 13 - recording
The Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford, civil rights attorney, explores our call to public advocacy through the Call of Moses and his role in the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and Jesus’s public call to mission on the Road to Emmaus and in the breaking of the bread. Through this lens, we will be grounded in a firm biblical foundation in why we do public advocacy. We will explore what our call is, how Christianity is being abused in the current political climate, and what we can do about that now.
Marcia is the convener of the Province V Public Theology Network and founder of Political Theology Matters.
Biography of Presenter: The Rev. Dr. Marcia Ledford is a civil rights attorney representing society’s most marginalized. An Episcopal priest, she earned her Doctor of Ministry in political theology from Pacific School of Religion. Dr. Ledford founded Political Theology Matters, LLC, to help the faithful develop public theology mission for greater social justice.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from Marcia:
- Session #2 packet and Rogan's List
- Marcia's email
- Political Theology Matters Website
- Faith Based Advocates Facebook Group - this group was created and moderated by Political Theology Matters. Join us to continue our conversations about public theology in a safe and private setting.
Session III. "Can I say that?": Religious Speech, the First Amendment and your 501(c)3 Status - October 20 - recording
Join Alan Yarborough (from Session I), Marcia, and Mr. Adonis Flores of Michigan United, a community organizing entity in Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Learn about what the "separation of church and state" means. We'll explore the relationship of religious speech (by churches and individuals4 and the Six protections of the First Amendment. We will touch on the following topics:
1) Church advocacy for social justice;
2) Individual faith-based advocacy in various forms;
3) What is Community organizing? Why is it essential?
4) Using Zoom groups, we will look at IRS case scenarios;
5) the difference between a 501c3 and 510c4 organization.
Biographies of Presenters:
Adonis Flores is a Community Organizer in Detroit. He has organized campaigns that advocate for the just treatment of refugee children fleeing from violence in Central America. Adonis has also been a leader in Michigan for the national campaign for Compassionate Immigration Reform, advocating to stop the deportations that separate families. Currently, he is working on efforts to pass state bills that allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses and to prohibit local and state law enforcement from collaborating with ICE. Civic engagement and voter participation are essential activities for these efforts. Adonis Flores is a former undocumented immigrant and DACA recipient who has lived in Detroit since he was 8 years old. Thanks in part to marriage equality he is now a legal permanent resident.
Alan Yarborough's and Marcia Ledford's biographies can be found above.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from Session #3:
- 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 comparison chart
- Slides from Marcia
- Slides from Adonis part 1 and part 2
- Slides from Alan
Session IV. What does the world really think about the U.S.? - October 27 - recording
Stories from those who have lived in other countries will be shared. This will lead us into an engaging conversation around racism in the USA.
Biography of Presenters:
The Rev. Ian Delinger is the Rector of St Stephen's. After working in the Silicon Valley, Fr Ian went to seminary in Cambridge (UK). He was ordained and served in a parish in Manchester, and then as Chaplain of the University of Chester. Fr Ian endeavors to bring the Church into the public arena, supporting the marginalized, and celebrating individuals and community achievements.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas Everett Sparks and his twin sister, Debbie, were born and raised in the inner city of St. Louis, and later Ferguson, Missouri. Raised in the Roman Catholic Church, Doug was a chorister at the Cathedral from second through eighth grades and this experience drew him closer to God, with an increasing love of music and a sense of call to ordained ministry. Learning the story and witness of St. Vincent de Paul was especially compelling for Doug as he wanted to live his life as a priest in service to the poor.
Doug’s faith journey took several twists and turns. He was ordained a deacon in 1983 and a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1984 serving in Missouri and Colorado. After much personal reflection and for a number of theological reasons, Doug made the decision to move to The Episcopal Church and was received as a priest in 1989. He has served faith communities in Whitewater and Waukesha, Wisconsin; Wellington, New Zealand; and Rochester, Minnesota. In 2016, Doug was elected and ordained as the VIII Bishop of The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana.
Doug and his wife, Dana, live in South Bend and have three adult children – Christina, Graham, and Gavin.
Learn more at ednin.org/douglas-sparks.
Pre-event email
Post-event email
Resources from Session #4:
- Fr Ian Delinger offers this article as further support of the idea that the activities of the United States are well-known to the rest of the world, in an outsized way. This gives the rest of the world the opportunity to form opinions about who Americans are and what they are like without ever having to set foot in our country.
------------
Return to the Public Theology Network page.
Contact Heather Barta, Province V Coordinator, with any questions.
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