A Reflection from Dr. Miguel De La Torre
"My colleague Vincent Harding would often say, 'I am a citizen of a country that does not yet exist.' I would add that the country that he envisioned is a just and compassionate country thwarted from becoming reality by a pervasive Christian nationalism that needs the final nail hammered into its coffin before we could ever hope for the resurrection of Christianity. To dream with Vincent Harding of being citizens of a country that we must bring forth is to give meaning to the abeyant and unfulfilled rhetoric concerning 'liberty and justice for all.'
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Let us dream of a new nation by awakening from the nightmare of the nation in which we currently live--a nation that Euro-American Christianity christened as supposedly holy and pleasing to the Lord. Questioning the goodness of the United States can be deplorable and unpatriotic. But whenever patriotism replaces justice, we are in mortal danger of idolatry. If we believe the United States can be a force for good in the world, then the ultimate act of patriotism is to confront and challenge the country's current grievous race-based sins by demanding it lives up to the rhetoric it avows. True patriotism is proved by the tangible, transformative actions its citizens take to bring forth a justice-based social order."
Read the rest of the excerpt on the ECM blog
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Immigration Accompaniment and Advocacy
ECM is collaborating with the Canon for Immigration & Multicultural Ministries to support parishes across the Diocese in taking action for immigrant justice. There are two primary ways to take action:
(1) Accompaniment - provide transportation, allyship and spiritual and material support for immigrants navigating the immigration and criminal justice system
(2) Advocacy - advocate in your community for the passage of the
Safe Communities Act
and other pro-immigrant legislation
For more information about how to be involved in these actions, or to organize a coffee hour conversation on immigration in your parish, contact
Carly@episcopalcitymission.org
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Episcopal Youth Explore Moral Questions of Immigration through Las Fronteras
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Las Fronteras is a high school youth program that ECM runs in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of MA. The program explores issues of security and hospitality, stranger and neighbor, privilege and disadvantage through service learning opportunities in Massachusetts, facilitated conversations, and a trip to the Nogales borderlands. Read the update here
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ECM is hiring for two positions! Join our team in this urgent moment in our country and exciting time in our organization's life.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER
Episcopal City Mission (ECM) is looking for a committed, energetic and high-performing organizer to work with our lead organizer, developing our leadership base across Episcopal communities in Massachusetts and organizing teams to take justice-based action.
Click here for a full job description
GRANTS MANAGER
Episcopal City Mission (ECM) is looking for a committed, energetic and high-performing team member to manage all aspects of ECM's grants programs: Burgess Urban Fund, Parish Partnerships, Wider Community Partnerships and Amos Fund from publicizing availability to evaluation and follow up with grantees.
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Youth Leaders from B PEACE for Jorge and the Pioneer Valley Project Youth Voices United Rally Outside Smith & Wesson
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On Friday, March 15th, 2019, high school student leaders from B PEACE for Jorge and the Pioneer Valley Project Youth Voices United and adult allies gathered across the street from Smith & Wesson Gun Manufacturer. This marked one year since youth organizers from these two organizations began the call for Smith & Wesson's CEO James Debney to be a part of the solution to address the epidemic of gun violence.
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A leader with B PEACE for Jorge and 12th grader at Fenway High School in Boston, Maoly Lara Pena, says, "This is not how the world has to be or should be. We are coming together to re-imagine what might be possible between the people that make the guns and the people who suffer from the guns. We think we can find a better way forward." Read the rest of the story on the ECM Blog
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Take Action with Bristol County for Correctional Justice
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Bristol County for Correctional Justice (BCCJ) is an ad hoc, grassroots group that formed in 2017 to get elected officials to look into Sheriff Thomas Hodgson's abusive practices towards incarcerated people in his custody, and questionable financial practices, as head of the Bristol County House of Correction (BCHOC). What started out as community opposition to Hodgson's plan to send people in his custody to build Trump's wall, and his decision to have his personnel do ICE's work in a 287g agreement (Jan. 2017), has built into far-reaching critique of almost every aspect of his administration.
READ MORE on the ECM Blog
TAKE ACTION: BCCJ is asking community members to show up at the Bristol County Sheriff's Department annual 287(g) steering committee meeting on
Wednesday, April 10, 2019, from 6-7:30 p.m.
Anyone planning on attending must RSVP with Jonathan Darling, BCSO Public Information Officer, by email at jonathandarling@bcso-ma.org by Friday, April 5. BCCJ recognizes that t
his year's new requirement to RSVP in advance represents a new hurdle for public participation.
Click to RSVP
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Action Opportunities with Parish of the Epiphany, Winchester
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| Sunday, March 31 at 2:00 pm - Prayer Vigil outside ICE Detention Center, South Boston. Sunday, March 31, 2:30 - 4:00 pm, and Monday, April 1, 6:00 -7:30 pm, Boston Public Library, Copley Sq. Rabb Hall - New Immigrant and Refugee Visions in Film Celebrations. Join Community Supported Film (CSFilm) and the New Immigrant and Refugee Visions (NIRV) filmmakers to celebrate the screening of all documentary films by and about immigrants and refugees Questions? Contact Roz Nazzaro rosalyn02478@yahoo.com or Pam Chester pgachester@gmail.com |
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Global Missions "Shared Partnerships" Event
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The diocesan Global Mission Commission is hosting a
"Speed Partnering" event on Saturday, April 13
from 1 to 3 p.m. at St. John's Church in Arlington. This is a matchmaking opportunity for congregations and organizations with established global mission efforts to build relationships with other congregations and individuals committed to doing justice through global ministry.
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ECM'S 2019 ANNUAL CELEBRATION: DISRUPTING HOPE
JUNE 11, 2019 from 5:30 - 8:30 P.M. at BOSTON UNIVERSITY
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This year's Annual Celebration will focus on the importance of finding hope in the now, through taking action for change in a place rather than focusing on a lofty intangible hope that will manifest in the future. The featured speaker is Dr. Miguel A. De La Torre, professor of Social Ethics and Latinx Studies at Iliff School of Theology, scholar-activist, author, and ordained Baptist minister. His books include
Embracing Hopelessness
and
The U.S. Immigration Crisis: Towards and Ethics of Place.
Sponsorship
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Visits - April 26, 2019
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The Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be visiting Massachusetts beginning on April 26th. Please view the list of events and download promotional materials
here
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Praxis Groups: Studying the work of Miguel De La Torre
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Praxis is a community of faith-rooted leaders who believe God calls us all to build liberating and joyful communities. To this end, we have dedicated ourselves to dismantling oppressive cultures of racial and economic injustice, such as white supremacy and individualism, by challenging dominant systems of power.
Praxis members meet monthly in small groups to both reflect on how they are called to lead and to commit to practicing courageous leadership in their various communities. This spring, Praxis groups will be studying the work of Miguel De La Torre. If you are interested in learning more about Praxis contact Dan Gelbtuch: Dan@EpiscopalCityMission.Org.
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