March for America - Ecumenical Advocacy Days
This year's Ecumenical Advocacy Days will be held in Washington, D.C. March 19-22, focusing on immigrants and refugees. Each year hundreds of faith based advocates seeking legislative action on issues of justice join together in the nation's capital. Among the speakers this year will be Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). To register or to find out more, go to AdvocacyDays.org.
On March 21, in coordination with the Ecumenical Advocacy Days Conference, tens of thousands of people will gather on the West Lawn of the Capitol at 2 PM to send a powerful message to President Obama and to Congress: The time to fix our broken immigration system is now.
People of faith will join together with immigrants' rights groups, labor groups and others who support immigrants and their families in the March for America: Change Takes Courage and Faith. The moral urgency of repairing the broken immigration system can only be seen in a dramatic display of unity among supporters of comprehensive immigration reform as we come together from all across the United States.
Throughout 2009, people of faith have been hosting prayer vigils and potluck suppers, meeting with members of Congress in their home districts, creating networks with other faith groups, labor groups, and businesses, building the historic movement for just and humane immigration reform. People of faith have been building this movement in order to meet the fierce urgency of this moment with bold, faithful action. We stand on the edge of making history and now is not the time to step back, give up, or let down. Now is the time to move ahead stronger than we ever have.
Gini Lohman Bauman, a member of First Baptist Church, Granville, our newest United Church of Christ congregation in the Association, is working with Church World Service on immigration reform. Gini is organizing several buses to travel to Washington on March 21. It is an opportunity to make history and to make our voices heard in the White House and on Capitol Hill, and to see just and humane immigration reform finally enacted. Now is the time to March for America because we well know that Change Takes Courage and Faith.
You can contact Gini by emailing vlb@windstream.net or calling 614.432.0346
