In the January edition of the Faith-Filled Citizen, we wrote to you about the Office of Government Relations of the Episcopal Church. Their work involves communicating the priorities and values of voting Episcopalians. In February, we introduced Episcopal Church Election Activators, and shared a message from Michael Curry about this program. In this month’s edition, we share the work of Election Activators, which varies widely depending on where they are in the country.
All Election Activators are election educators and advocates who encourage people to be informed and to vote. You will not find a one-size fits all job description because so much depends on geography and prevailing issues around voting. But there is one commonality among activators – the work must be entirely non-partisan. Some activators organize voter registration drives, while others educate about elections and government at all levels. Others organize non-partisan candidate forums at churches to help people connect to the issues. One of the most important activities is partnering with other nonpartisan voter support groups. For example, in Dec. 2021, we invited Russ and Judy Griemsmann of League of Women Voters to educate the Racial Justice Discussion Group about voter registration in Connecticut. The primary work of your Election Activators (Christine DiMeglio and Dustin Trowbridge) is education about the connection between our faith, our church, and our civic duty. See you in April with information about a new government program to encourage voter participation called Civic Voting Holidays.
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Is healthy, nonpartisan, political advocacy possible in this current polarized, angry social climate? Happily, the answer is yes! The Office of Government Relations of the Episcopal Church, USA is a model of nonpartisan leadership. This office has launched a new voter advocacy and education effort called Episcopal Church Election Activators and all volunteers are required to sign a pledge of nonpartisan participation. If you do not sign the pledge, you cannot participate. The Election Activator program is open to all Episcopalians in our nation, and currently there are 39 people volunteering across the US. Perhaps you will be surprised that two of the 39 people are from Connecticut. Perhaps you will be even more surprised to read that both are right here at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Danbury. The invitation to join this voter engagement effort arrived in Fr. Dustin’s email just as our Racial Justice discussion group, lead by Susie Sarkisian, was considering next steps. Coincidence? Not for Christians. Inspired by the timing and the topic, Father Dustin and I decided to find out more about this program. In the March edition of the Faith-Filled Citizen, I will tell you more about the election activator program, but for now, listen to what Bishop Michael Curry has to share about this program.
A link to a video by Bishop Curry can be found here: https://ne-np.facebook.com/TheEPPN/videos/join-episcopal-election-activators/268097695256594 For approximately 6 months, through the summer and fall of 2021, St. James’ Episcopal Church held a series of meetings on racial justice, mediated by Susie Sarkisian and attended by many in our parish. One issue that repeatedly bubbled to the surface throughout the program was the importance of participating in public policy and governance, as a right and our responsibility. Toward the end of our series, we discovered that the Episcopal Church, USA is actively developing programs to encourage Episcopalians to get involved in civic affairs, guided by our values and faith in God.
Did you know that the Episcopal Church has an Office of Government Relations? Its purpose is to communicate to our government leaders the high priority values of Episcopalians in this country, and to actively influence policy and legislation around those issues. The policy positions for our Church emerge from General Convention and Executive Council resolutions. The main policy areas for which our Episcopal Church advocates include caring for our planet, working for racial reconciliation, and ending poverty. All Episcopalians are invited to join the efforts of Office of Government Relations to ensure that our government policies reflect our values as followers of Jesus Christ. Over the months to come, look for more short articles like this one to keep you in the loop as a faith-filled citizen. If you would like to learn more about the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations click here. |
Episcopal Church Office of Government RelationsAll Episcopalians are invited to join the efforts of Office of Government Relations to ensure that our government policies reflect our values as followers of Jesus Christ. Over the months to come, look for more short articles like this one to keep you in the loop as a faith-filled citizen. Saint James Episcopal Church Representative:
Christine DiMeglio Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Contact Christine DiMeglio. |