Last week, I represented the Church of the Brethren by attending a hearing held by the US Senate’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights. The hearing was entitled “Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence: Protecting Our Communities While Respecting the Second Amendment.” The event was presided over by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and it provided an array of incredibly informative testimony regarding the effectiveness of certain gun laws, the human cost of gun violence, and what lessons from the past we can apply to our present problems.
Peace
Church of the Brethren Written Testimony to the Senate Subcommittee Hearing on ‘Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence’
The written testimony, submitted in letter form, made by the Peace Witness Ministry on behalf of the Church of the Brethren denomination to the Senate Subcommittee hearing on ‘Proposals to Reduce Gun Violence,’ held Feb. 11, 2013.
Now Is the Time: A Photo Essay from Martin Luther King Day 2013
Cat Gong provides photos of a Martin Luther King Day food collection hosted at the warehouse at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Ill. Youth from across the city of Elgin came together to sort the collection, an estimated 4 tons of donated food.
Church of the Brethren Joins in Religious Coalition Working to End Gun Violence
The Church of the Brethren has been collaborating with a coalition of over 40 religious groups as a part of Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, alliance of religious groups that bases its work in the belief that, “Gun violence is taking an unacceptable toll on our society, in mass killings and in the constant day-to-day of senseless death. While we continue to pray for the families and friends of those who have perished, we must also support our prayers with action” (www.faithsagainstgunviolence.org ).
Applicants Sought for Ministry Summer Service, Youth Peace Travel Team
The denomination’s Youth and Young Adult Ministry is seeking applicants for Ministry Summer Service and the 2013 Youth Peace Travel Team. Registration for both of these summer programs closes on Friday, Jan. 11.
Litany of Commitment: A Worship Resource on Gun Violence Using the Words of Martin Luther King Jr.
This Litany of Commitment includes words of Martin Luther King Jr., from a speech to Clergy and Laity Against the Vietnam War, delivered less than a month before his death. Written by pastor Dolores McCabe and Susan Windle, it was first published in the Heeding God’s Call newsletter before the most recent school shooting at Newtown, Conn. Newsline shares it here as a resource for celebrations of Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 21.
Brethren Leaders Send Letter of Support to the People of Newtown
In a call made from Jerusalem Dec. 14, Church of the Brethren general secretary Stanley Noffsinger expressed his deep sorrow upon hearing the news of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The news reached him while he and other Brethren leaders were on a delegation to the Middle East. Noffsinger and the delegation has sent a letter to the people of Newtown.
NCC Asks Churches to Ring Bells for Newtown Victims, Support January Action Day on Gun Violence
The National Council of Churches (NCC) is inviting the nearly 100,000 churches related to its member communions to ring church bells the morning of Friday, Dec. 21, to mark one week since 20 children and six adults were killed by a gunman in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school.
NCC Provides Resources for Churches to Address Gun Violence and Its Aftermath
The National Council of Churches is making a number of the response to Newtown tragedy available online, along with worship and action resources for churches to address gun violence and help parishioners deal with the aftermath of a tragedy that has affected the entire nation.
NCC Press Conference Will Call for Meaningful Action on Guns
The National Council of Churches (NCC) has been active since the school shooting in Newtown, by making available resources to congregations and encouraging religious leaders to address the issue of gun violence. Tomorrow the NCC holds a press conference in Washington, D.C., where religious leaders will speak out on gun violence.