| |  | | | 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. Gmail users—move us to your primary inbox - On your phone? Click the 3 dots at the top right corner, click "Move to" then "Primary"
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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. | | | | | |  | Our Role in Building Up a New Church Annual Conference season is a moment to ask what we are building together—and who must be centered in that work. | As United Methodists prepare to gather for Annual Conference, many of us at MFSA are asking what it means to rebuild—our churches, our witness, and our shared life together—in a time of change. In the Book of Amos, the prophet describes a vision of a plumb line—a simple tool used to test whether a wall is straight and true. It’s a striking image, a clear measure of what is aligned and what is not. That image has shaped the work of the Methodist Federation for Social Action for generations. We understand that faith is not just something we believe—it’s something we build. And like any structure, what we build matters. It can shelter and sustain, or it can exclude and harm. Over the past two years following the 2020/2024 General Conference, we have seen signs of reconstruction across our denomination. After years of strain and division, there is movement toward something more grounded in justice and care. Harmful policies have been removed. New possibilities are opening. People are moving forward with cautious hope. But reconstruction is not the same as rebuilding what was. It asks deeper questions. What kind of church are we becoming? Who is centered? Who is still left out? What needs to be torn down so something more just can take its place? What good things need to be restored? This is where the plumb line matters. MFSA exists to help hold that line in the work of building something better. We organize, equip, and connect people across the church who believe that justice is not optional to our faith. We work to amplify voices too often ignored. We offer resources that help communities move from intention to action. And we keep asking the hard questions that keep us aligned with love. Because the truth is, there is much work ahead of us. Even now, there are forces—inside and outside the church—that would rather settle for comfort than transformation. Systems that still privilege some while pushing others aside. Voices that are still being silenced and othered. But we have also seen what is possible when people refuse to let that be the final word. You have been part of that good news. Through your advocacy, your presence, your support—you have helped shape a church that is becoming more honest, more courageous, and more committed to justice than it was before. This Annual Conference season is another moment to decide what we are building together. Your gift today supports this ongoing work. It helps sustain a movement that is not content with surface change, but is committed to deep alignment with justice, compassion, and dignity for all people. We invite you to give as you are able, and to continue standing with us—holding the plumb line, asking the questions, and building toward a church that reflects the love it proclaims. | | | Thank you for being part of this work. | | | | | | | | | | | |  | New MFSA Gear Is Here! New items are now available in the MFSA online store! From shirts and totes to tumblers and yard signs, these designs help you show up with a visible witness for justice—at Annual Conference, in your community, and wherever your faith calls you to speak up. The store includes MFSA’s “Justice-Seeking People of Faith” designs, items featuring the plumbline/plumb bob logo, and pieces that name our shared commitments with clarity and courage. Every purchase supports MFSA’s work of mobilizing justice-seeking people of faith across the church and world. Visit our store to shop the latest items! | | | | | | | |  | WMJM Preparing Potential Delegates By Western Methodist Justice Movement This summer, all Western Jurisdiction annual conferences will elect delegates to the 2028 General and Jurisdictional Conferences. These delegates will also serve at the first U.S. Regional Conference. Who would you like to represent your annual conference? Are you someone who could represent justice values well? It is not too late to put a name forward. While the initial nomination deadlines have passed in many annual conferences, there are still additional ways to nominate candidates, including nominations from the floor. WMJM would like to help potential delegates make informed decisions about running. Understanding what serving as a delegate involves before election time is critical. Strong and effective delegations are built when everyone on the team is prepared for the commitment. WMJM hosted two forums for potential delegates in April. WMJM leaders shared their experiences serving on delegations and discussed important issues anticipated at the 2028 General Conference. A video link of one of the WMJM delegate forums is available below. WMJM has also compiled answers to key questions potential candidates should consider. Please share these resources with anyone who may be a strong delegate candidate. Western Jurisdiction delegations have worked well together, especially on justice issues, during recent quadrennia. WMJM prays the delegates elected this year will continue that trajectory. | | | | | | | | Continuing to Serve and Grow: My MFSA Internship Journey By Camille Bianca Sumera Manangan, MFSA Organizing Associate As I continued my internship with the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) this Spring semester, I can truly say that I have grown in ways I did not expect. Looking back at where I started, I was unsure of myself and still adjusting to the challenges of an online internship. But now, I feel more confident not only in what I can do, but also in who I am becoming. This semester, I became more comfortable and open with my supervisor. I wholeheartedly participated in my weekly supervision meetings, sharing things about my studies, and I was also able to understand more deeply the importance of the work of MFSA and how it continues to stand for justice, human rights, and the dignity of all people through our open conversations. I found myself not just listening, but also reflecting and connecting with new learnings to my own faith and experiences. It made me realize that social action is not just something we study, but something we live out. One of the most important things I learned this semester is how to appreciate both my strengths and my vulnerabilities. Before, I would often focus on what I could not do in this online internship, especially when I faced challenges like unstable internet, health issues, or exhaustion. But through this experience, I learned that my willingness to keep showing up, even when things are difficult, is also a strength. I learned to be more patient with myself and to see that growth does not always look perfect. I am deeply grateful for my mentor, Bridget Cabrera, the Executive Director of MFSA. Her guidance, patience, and encouragement helped me navigate both the work that I have to do for MFSA and my personal struggles. She saw my potential even when I doubted myself, and she created a space where I felt supported and heard. Because of her, I was able to continue learning and growing with confidence not just in my internship but with life in general. MFSA has truly been a meaningful place for me as an intern. It is not just an organization, but a safe space that cares deeply about justice and people. MFSA showed me that they cared about me when I had a hard time caring for myself as a Theo student and as a person. Being part of MFSA has helped shape my understanding of what it means to serve, especially as someone who wants to keep being involved in faith and advocacy. It showed me that even from afar, I can still be part of something bigger than myself. Overall, this second semester of my internship has been a journey of growth, resilience, and deeper understanding. I am thankful for the lessons, the challenges, and the people who walked with me through it. This experience will continue to guide me as I move forward in my calling to serve others with faith, compassion, and courage. This may be the end of my MFSA internship but the lessons I have learned are something that will surely take me to the future that God has already laid out for me. | |  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. | | | | | | Carrying MFSA’s Spirit Forward By Connor Prusha, MFSA Organizing Associate As I conclude my time with the Methodist Federation for Social Action, I find myself filled with gratitude for the journey I’ve shared with this incredible community of Justice-Seeking People. From the very beginning, MFSA has been a collaborative space for learning, reflection, and encouragement. I have seen the outcomes of faith and justice meet in action. This internship has challenged me in ways I did not anticipate, and yet it has also been a source of growth and affirmation. I have learned to approach both my work and my life with increased patience, to recognize the value of persistence, and to embrace both my strengths and my limitations. MFSA has reminded me that service is not about perfection, but about showing up, listening, and acting with integrity and compassion. I am deeply thankful for the guidance and support I received, particularly from Bridget who has mentored and inspired me along the way, and the members of the Governance Committee and ProgramCouncil who gave so much time and consideration to our work together. Your encouragement helped me to step into new responsibilities with confidence and to connect more deeply with the values that brought me here. You’ve shown me what it means to engage in faith-driven advocacy that centers justice, dignity, and hope, and that example will continue to guide me beyond this internship. Though my time with MFSA is ending, the lessons and experiences I carry forward will endure in my ministry and personal call to seek justice long into the future. I leave with a renewed sense of purpose to continue learning, growing, and serving both in my own faith journey and in the pursuit of a more just and compassionate world. I am committed to carrying the spirit of MFSA with me, wherever the Spirit leads. Thank you for welcoming me, challenging me, and believing in me. This chapter may be closing, but the work, the relationships, and the vision of justice and love that MFSA embodies will remain a guiding light in all that I do. With gratitude and hope, Connor Prusha | |  Connor Prusha (he/him/his) serves as an Organizing Associate for the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA). He is a nonprofit professional with 4+ years of experience in fundraising, program administration, grantmaking, communications, and community organizing. Connor also serves as Lead, Philanthropy at United Methodist Communications. He is a Certified Candidate for Ordained Ministry in the East Ohio Conference and is a Master of Divinity student at Drew Theological School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Baldwin Wallace University and a Master of Public Administration from Bowling Green State University (OH). Connor is deeply passionate about bringing people together and creating safe spaces that promote a holistic approach to Christ-centered justice and community healing. | | | | | |  | Calling for an Open Meeting
and Key Values at the Leadership Gathering 15 members of the Love Your Neighbor Coalition (LYNC), including Methodist Federation for Social Action, released an open letter to the Council of Bishops, urging them to fulfill their leadership role as the church faces climate change, war crimes, trafficking, full inclusion, global partnerships, genocide, and more while preparing for an upcoming meeting of select United Methodist leaders from around the world. The bishops have called for a Leadership Gathering, October 20-24, 2026, in Calgary, Canada. The invitation-only meeting is expected to envision the future of the denomination. LYNC is pushing for the fall meeting to be transparent, include transferable leadership development for the whole denomination, and remain clearly focused on key values for the church, as exemplified at the 2024 General Conference. An invitation-only event also raises questions of favoritism and conformity with the denomination’s open meeting rules. The LYNC statement concludes: “In Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.’s online invitation, he identifies rebuilding trust and strengthening our connection as key issues. He calls on young leaders and global voices to shape our imagination. The gathering itself will be a test of that trust-building, as church members will expect new movement toward justice that came from the decisions of General Conference 2024. This is an opportunity for those who have been placed on the margins by the church to be centered in inclusion, resources, and voice. We are fifteen organizations representing those on the margins. The future of the United Methodist Church belongs to all of us as we follow Jesus. Our policies are moving toward a more inclusive, creative, and just denomination. We believe in partnerships locally, globally, and at all levels. We urge bishops and all United Methodist leaders to work together transparently and with the whole church in mind.” | | | | | | | |  | MFSA Action Opportunity:
Stop ICE Overreach & Restore Human Dignity The United Methodist Social Principles affirm the inherent dignity of every person, the right to seek asylum, and the fundamental humanity of migrants and refugees. They call us to support immigration policies that are humane, just, and rooted in the recognition that every person bears the image of God. Current enforcement practices violate these principles at every turn.
Immigration raids are tearing families apart without warning or due process. People are being held in detention centers that violate basic standards of health and sanitation. Asylum seekers are being deported to countries embroiled in active conflicts. Military assets and rhetoric are being deployed against civilian populations who have committed no crimes. The asylum system this country has upheld for decades is being systematically dismantled. We see these things happening in our communities, in our congregations, and to our neighbors. It often feels like we cannot win. But the fight isn't over yet. Senators and Representatives have done little to stand up to the Trump administration — but they still hold legislative, financial, and governing power they can wield, if they are brave enough to do so. The time is now to make your voice heard. Contact your senators and representative today. Urge them to rein in a rogue ICE agency that continues to harm the most vulnerable among us, and to support comprehensive immigration reform. | | | | | | | |  | Take Action: Contact Congress Today Our partners at United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR) are inviting us to engage in a meaningful act of advocacy. A set of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval in the Senate, along with the Block the Bombs Act in the House, aim to halt the transfer of U.S. weapons—including bombs and armored bulldozers—used in the destruction of Palestinian homes and communities. These measures offer a clear opportunity to interrupt ongoing harm and call U.S. policy back toward accountability and the protection of human life. It can be easy to feel like speaking out won’t make a difference. But public pressure is already shifting the conversation in Congress, and each message adds to that movement. Reaching out is about bearing witness. It lets our leaders know that we see what is happening, that we believe our tax dollars should not fund devastation, and that we are committed to a future shaped by justice, dignity, and peace. | | | | | | | |  | 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: | | | | | | | |  | 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. | | | | | | | |  | MFSA Racial Audit Implementation Team Expansion | In June 2023, the Methodist Federation for Social Action Board of Directors took a clear step forward by creating the Racial Audit Implementation Team. This team was formed in response to the findings of MFSA’s racial audit, with a shared goal: to help reshape the organization so that equity and justice are not just values we name, but practices we live out—within MFSA, across the church, and in the world around us. Since then, this team has been doing the steady, often behind-the-scenes work of implementing the Racial Audit's recommendations. Originally composed of seven members, the team has been guiding how these recommendations take root in real structures, relationships, and decisions. Now, that work is growing. We’re expanding the team with two new members: Julius David and Deaconess Megan Hale. Julius David brings more than 25 years of involvement at East Lake United Methodist Church in Florida, along with leadership in disaster recovery, interfaith justice work through FAST (Faith & Action for Strength Together, a local inter-faith congregation-based justice group), and district-level anti-racism efforts. His experience spans both church leadership and community organizing, grounded in a consistent commitment to compassion and justice—especially for those whose voices are too often overlooked. Megan Hale brings a deep connection to both the history and future of justice work in the church. A consecrated deaconess in the United Methodist Church, she has served in leadership roles in Reconciling Ministries and social justice advocacy across multiple regions. With academic training in theology and social justice, and ongoing involvement in MFSA’s New York Chapter, Megan’s work is rooted in both lived experience and a long tradition of faith-based organizing for change. The work of the racial audit team and the implementation team is important, and that’s why we continue to invest in it. The racial audit is not a finished report sitting on a shelf. It’s an ongoing invitation—to listen more closely, to act more faithfully, and to keep becoming a community where justice is practiced, not just proclaimed. | | | | | | | | | |  | 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. | | | | | | | |  | 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 | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | Contact Us Methodist Federation for Social Action
996 Maine Ave SW #307
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
(202) 240-2546
[email protected] | | | | | | | |
