Rising into New Life

An Easter Reflection
by Bridget Cabrera, MFSA Executive Director

Easter doesn’t begin with certainty—it begins with grief, confusion, and a name spoken in love.

Mary stands at the tomb, expecting death to have the final word. The stone is rolled away, but she doesn’t yet understand what it means. It isn’t until Jesus calls her by name that everything changes. Resurrection becomes real not as an idea, but as an encounter.

That is the promise of Easter: that even when the world feels heavy with injustice, exclusion, and uncertainty, God is still calling life out of death—still calling us by name.

Resurrection is not just something that happened. It is something that is happening.

It happens every time love refuses to give up.
Every time justice rises where harm once ruled.
Every time communities come together to build something more equitable, more compassionate, more whole.

This is the work of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. As a movement rooted in justice and faith, we are called not only to witness resurrection, but to participate in it—to rise alongside those who have been pushed to the margins, to challenge systems of harm, and to build a church and world where all people are fully seen, affirmed, and loved.

We are resurrection people—not because the world is easy, but because we believe that death, despair, and injustice do not have the final word.

And more than that—we are called to live it.

To rise up where systems try to push people down.
To speak life where others sow fear.
To embody hope in tangible, visible ways.

The tomb is empty—but the world is still waiting.

Bridget Cabrera (she/her/hers)
Executive Director 
Methodist Federation for Social Action

The Power of BDS: Transforming the World
Two new campaigns to continue the transformation

April 15, 2026

1 pm Eastern | 10 am Pacific

Presented by United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR) and MFSA, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, an essential pillar of Palestinian freedom, has transformed the global understanding of the question of Palestine. 

Since 2005, the BDS movement has built a global network with tens of millions of supporters for Palestinian rights. BDS has moved large corporations to end their complicity in Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people. 

On April 15, UMKR and MFSA will present two new campaigns that we know will impact the global conversation about Palestine:

Tech giant Palantir is building tools for mass surveillance to help governments track and target individuals. It is a behemoth that is vacuuming up our data to be used in everything from denial of health insurance claims to unjust deportations and lethal drone strikes. Palantir is used by militaries, police forces, banks, hospitals, and many other businesses. 

Palantir openly supports Israel's genocide on Gaza and assists their military operations. In the United States, the company helps immigration authorities to target people for deportation and police departments to surveil our communities.

This campaign aims to stop this dangerous U.S. company from weaponizing our personal data and using it to oppress and destroy.

NO ROOM FOR GENOCIDE

Imagine taking a vacation in a territory under military occupation! And in an illegal colony in that territory! That is what Airbnb and Booking.com offer to their customers: rentals in the illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

It's time to let these companies know this practice must stop. Everyone who travels can take the pledge to avoid using Airbnb and Booking.com whenever possible.

Imagine hosting someone who has been implicated in the Gaza genocide in your home!

Those of us who have a rental can take the "Sanctuary of Peace" pledge, to not host war criminals and those who enable genocide. 

Join us on April 15th to learn from leading organizers of both campaigns. 

We will also hear from David Wildman, a United Methodist Church leader with decades of in-depth experience in BDS organizing, on the power of this transformational movement.

A Public Witness for Peace Following
the U.S. and Israeli Strikes in Iran

Methodist Federation for Social Action grieves the devastating loss of life following the recent military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel in Iran, as well as the retaliatory violence that has followed. Civilians—children, families, workers, and elders—are again paying the highest price for decisions made by governments and militaries. Every life lost is sacred, and every act of war deepens the suffering of people who did not choose this conflict.

As a movement rooted in the Gospel’s call to justice, MFSA rejects the logic that violence will create peace. The teachings of Jesus point us in another direction—toward courage, mercy, and the hard work of peacemaking. War does not liberate people from oppression, nor does it bring lasting security. It multiplies trauma, destabilizes communities, and endangers countless lives across the region and beyond...

Resisting Christian Nationalism Workshop

Free workshops focusing on resisting Christian nationalism in our church pews and in our communities have been scheduled for throughout the first half of the year throughout the Great Plains Conference.

In 2025, the conference passed the resolution “Christian Nationalism: Mercy and Justice” both rejecting the tenets of Christian nationalism and committing to sponsor workshops “to provide education on understanding, recognizing, and eliminating the tenets of Christian Nationalism from worship and ministry in their congregation.”

The Great Plains Mercy & Justice team will be hosting practical workshops across the conference. All are from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays: 

• April 11: Western and Central Nebraska districts at Kearney First UMC.
• April 18: South Central Kansas District at Wichita Woodland UMC.
• May 2: Eastern and Southeast Nebraska districts at Waverly.

Each workshop will be led by the Mercy & Justice team, as well as our speaker, Rev. Neal Christie, executive director of The Religious Nationalism Project. These workshops are open to all clergy (active and retired), lay leaders, worship leaders, youth ministers, and other church program staff. Lunch will be provided for all attendees. 

Learning to Serve Even from Afar:
My MFSA Online Internship Experience

By Camille Bianca Sumera Manangan, MFSA Organizing Associate

My internship with the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) was a meaningful experience even though it was done online. At first, I was unsure if I would really learn much since everything was done through Zoom meetings, but I later realized that learning and service can still happen in an online setting.

During my internship, I attended Zoom meetings that focused on what MFSA does with their local chapters or  the churches they work with. Through these meetings, I learned how MFSA partners with churches in addressing social issues such as human rights, poverty, and justice. These discussions helped me understand how the church can stand with communities who are facing different struggles.

Being part of MFSA also opened my heart to learning new things. I learned about non-violent direct action and how it can be used to stand up for justice in peaceful ways. I also learned about racial justice through MFSA’s racial audit, which helped me understand the importance of looking honestly at systems, structures, and our own roles in them. These experiences helped me see social action in a deeper and more meaningful way.

One of the most challenging parts of my internship was dealing with personal and technical difficulties. There were times when I had no internet connection, which made it hard to attend meetings or complete tasks on time. I also experienced sickness that affected my focus and strength. The time zone difference added another challenge, and experiencing typhoons and power interruptions made things even harder. Despite these struggles, I did my best to stay committed and continue learning.

I also had a weekly check-in with my internship supervisor, the Executive Director of MFSA- Bridget Cabrera. She was very helpful and encouraging especially during differences and tough times. She guided me through the articles I was working on for MFSA and helped me understand the work of MFSA better. Even though this was a different kind of internship, I learned a lot from her during my first semester. Her guidance and patience helped me push through the difficulties and the unique experience of doing my internship online.

Overall, my online internship with MFSA helped me grow in knowledge, faith, and compassion. It taught me that learning can happen even in hard situations, and that opening your heart to justice and service can change the way you see the world.
 

Camille Bianca Sumera Manangan (she/her/hers) is a dedicated leader in faith, justice, and advocacy. She served as an intern with the General Board of Church and Society in 2018 and is currently a board member of the General Commission on Archives and History’s Center for LGBTQ+ United Methodist Heritage.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Legal Management from the University of the East – Manila. She served as a Global Mission Fellow in the United Kingdom from 2022-2024. Camille is now continuing her theological studies at Drew Theological School in New Jersey.

Stories of Hope and Resistance

The church has long been a place where justice is not only preached but lived out in times of political and social upheaval. However, with the arrival of a new administration intent on rolling back hard-won rights and freedoms, faith communities across the country are refusing to remain silent.

This new section of our newsletter is dedicated to sharing the ways churches are standing firm in their commitment to justice. We're excited to highlight actions and movements within faith communities that resist oppression, embody radical hospitality, and insist on a future where love, dignity, and equity prevail.

Whether through direct advocacy, sanctuary efforts, mutual aid, or prophetic witness, these faith communities remind us that another world is possible—and we are called to help create it. If your church is engaged in work that challenges injustice and fosters hope—especially through acts of subversion and resistance against oppressive policies—we want to hear from you.

Here are some stories of hope and resistance:

MFSA Joins Faith and Social Justice Groups to
Argue for Contraception Coverage

Jeff Brumley | Baptist News Global

Dozens of faith and social justice groups have stepped up to support the plaintiffs in a protracted lawsuit filed to preserve the reproductive care rights of workers and college students.

Lighting the Candle of Peace, Hope, and Justice

As we navigate the realities of this new administration, justice-seeking congregations across the country are standing in solidarity with those targeted by oppressive policies. We've seen churches respond by incorporating the Candle of Peace, Hope, and Justice into their worship services, lifting up prayers and commitments to resist injustice.

Inspired by the Central Methodist Mission in Johannesburg, which lit a candle encircled in barbed wire during the struggle against apartheid, Rev. Dr. Donna Claycomb Sokol of Mount Vernon Place UMC in Washington, D.C., is one of the pastors who has reintroduced this practice. Rev. Andy Oliver of Allendale UMC in St. Petersburg, Florida, is another. Now, more than 50 congregations—including several MFSA-aligned churches—have joined this movement, lighting a candle each week and naming those suffering under policies of cruelty and exclusion.

Recently, churches have lit the candle:
🕯️ For migrants—asylum seekers facing deportation, undocumented families living in fear, and faith leaders offering sanctuary.
🕯️ For federal workers—those losing their jobs, living in uncertainty, or suffering retaliation for speaking out.
🕯️ For USAID—millions impacted by halted humanitarian aid, from hungry children to struggling farmers.
🕯️ For the National Institutes of Health—patients, researchers, and those dependent on lifesaving medical advancements.
🕯️ For the conflict in Ukraine—those enduring war, Russian dissidents, and leaders seeking true peace.
🕯️ For the judicial branch—judges facing threats, courts upholding the rule of law, and those caught in legal battles over justice.
🕯️ For institutions of higher education and students—scholars facing retaliation, lost funding, and threats to free expression.

Each time the candle is lit, congregations proclaim that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never overcome the light.

You can access the liturgy below. This document will be updated weekly, with liturgy uplifting a new group targeted by this administration.

In this moment, as faith communities, we must recommit to resisting evil, injustice, and oppression in all its forms. Together, we will continue to bear witness, proclaim justice, and keep the light shining.

"We Believe" MFSA T-Shirt and Yard Sign

We recently launched a new t-shirt design. Boldly affirm your faith-rooted commitment to justice. Featuring core convictions from our movement, this shirt lifts up the truths we live by as Justice-Seekers.

We also just launched a new yard flag, based on our popular t-shirt design! Place this fabric sign in front of your church or home to share these Justice-Seeking truths.

Since 1907 the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) has been mobilizing clergy and laity to speak out and take action on the pressing issues of our time. Your support makes this work possible.

Becoming a member of MFSA means making a financial contribution to MFSA and joining other activists who care about issues of justice and peace and actively work to make a difference.

As a fully donation and member-supported organization, MFSA depends on people like you to sustain our prophetic witness for justice in The United Methodist Church and beyond. When you become a member, you’re not only supporting national and international efforts — 20% of your contribution goes directly to your local MFSA Chapter/Regional Community. If there’s no chapter near you, that portion helps seed and grow new MFSA communities.

In a time when the call for justice in our Church and our world is more urgent than ever, MFSA continues to organize, advocate, and witness boldly.  Supporting LGBTQIA+ inclusion in The United Methodist Church; raising awareness and building solidarity with Palestine; resisting anti-trans and anti-abortion legislation and advocating for racial, disability, economic, and climate justice, we remain committed to prophetic action grounded in faith.

We invite you to join or renew your membership today. Your support sustains our work, fuels our organizing, and strengthens our collective voice.

Racial Audit Implementation Team Update

Call Your Representatives and Demand Accountability

We are reminded that respect for the office does not mean silence in the face of harm. Our democracy is under threat, and our most vulnerable communities are at risk. Now is the time to speak up—call your representatives and demand accountability.

MFSA is on Bluesky

We've noticed many of our friends and partners making the move to this platform, and we're thrilled to join the conversation there. Stay connected with us for updates, advocacy, and conversations that matter.

Connect with us @mfsavoices.org