January MFSAVoices

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Dear Justice-Seeker,

This issue of MFSAVoices is jam-packed with resources and information. So much so that it won't all fit in your email message so be sure to click view entire message at the bottom of this email to view the entire issue. Our newsletters are designed to be used all month long. So take a quick glance and take note of important dates to add to your calendar but also come back in the following weeks to work your way through the action items.

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We continue to see the urgency of our work to make broad systemic change. Change that honors the dignity and worth of all people, puts people over money, and honors the earth and all her inhabitants. Since 1907, MFSA has been shining a light on injustice and organizing to change it.

You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership dues and your generosity in giving.

Make a Gift to MFSA Today

Racial Audit Implementation Team Update

The Racial Audit Implementation Team came into being almost one year ago. There are six members of the team, two of whom were part of the Racial Audit Team. Bridget Cabrera, our Executive Director, is also part of the team. The team has been challenged by a number of logistical things in the past year – finding dates in everyone’s busy schedules to meet monthly, taking time out to prepare for and attend General Conference in the spring, and working only by Zoom meetings.

One of the things we discovered early in the process of working together was that we needed to build a strong level of trust among team members. The work we are doing requires a level of trust that makes it possible to say the difficult things that need to be said as we examine the themes of the audit.

Right now, the team is in the midst of digging deeply into each of the six themes of the audit – examining what the themes say about MFSA, unpacking the language of the themes, and the ways in which these themes came into existence. What does the data tell us? And what do the stories about MFSA tell us? As we examine the themes, we are discussing how we might help the MFSA board and the MFSA chapters determine how to look at their work through the lens of these themes. We are also discussing what actions might work best for us to interrupt these themes in our organization. How might what we are discovering benefit from the recommendations for action provided by the racial audit team?

As we continue this work, the Racial Audit Implementation Team will be providing additional reflections on the themes and what we are discovering and discussing. Just as the racial audit took longer to do than expected, we are finding that the implementation process is a much longer-term process than anticipated. We are moving at a speed that we believe provides the best possibilities for reducing further harm and for changing the nature of MFSA in the best possible ways.

by Co-Convener Rev. Karen Nelson

Meet the Team Here

CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM, ZIONISM, HINDUTVA:

The Dangers and Similarities of Religious Nationalism Around the World

Thursday, January 30, 2025
1:00 pm Eastern, 10:00 am Pacific (US/Canada) / 6:00 pm UTC

Religious nationalism in the United States, Israel, and India: what threats do these dangerous ideologies bring to our lives and our communities, and what do they have in common?

Religious nationalism has roots in racist perspectives about humanity and unholy beliefs about God's favoritism, conflating those in order to grant power and privilege to one people over another.

Varieties of religious nationalism - the merging of religious faith, political philosophy, and national loyalty – have long served to justify political oppression and condone colonialist greed.

We know religious commitment can be a positive force that inspires care for all people and for the planet.

However, the misuse of religious traditions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism to harm and exclude whole segments of populations betrays the essential values of these faiths, while also violating universal human rights and greatly damaging our societies.

In recent years, religious nationalism is sweeping the globe in ways that promote violence and authoritarianism.

On January 30^th, we will look at three prominent and timely examples of religious nationalism today: White Christian Nationalism, Zionism (Jewish Nationalism), and Hindu Nationalism.

The similarities between these ideologies are striking. When we expand our understanding of each to see the common ground they share, we can build strength in our mutual efforts as faith advocates to refute them and stem the harm they can do in our faith communities and in the world.

An exceptional panel of experts will present and discuss the distinct features of each of these dangerous ideologies and help us to understand the compelling intersections among them.

OUR PANEL:

REV. KENDAL L. MCBROOM is the director of Civil and Human Rights at the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. He is responsible for managing and developing the agency’s legislative and policy advocacy in support of civil and human rights. He also collaborates with United Methodist faith and secular coalitions to develop and implement strategies that advance GBCS priorities. Before joining GBCS staff, Kendal served as the senior pastor of Turners Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in High Point, North Carolina and is an ordained elder in the AME Church.

RABBI ALISSA WISE is an organizer, ritual leader, and organizational steward with over two decades of movement building experience. She is currently Lead Organizer of Rabbis for Ceasefire. She was a staff leader at Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) from 2011-2021, serving as Co-Director of Organizing, Deputy Director, and interim Executive Director. Alissa is a national public speaker and commentator, and her work has appeared in such news outlets as Newsweek and The Guardian. She lives in West Philadelphia, where she facilitates and coaches human rights and movement-building NGOs toward deeper strategy, organizing, and leadership.

REV. NEAL CHRISTIE is the Executive Director of the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations and former staff at the UMC General Board of Church and Society working in Education and Leadership Development; Neal served as lead staff for the worldwide revisions of the UMC Social Creed and Social Principles. He is a recent co-convener of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition, and a leader in justice advocacy and community organizing throughout the United Methodist Church, as well as diverse ecumenical and interfaith communities and coalitions

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