Peace with Justice Issues
Immigration
View the Faithful Preparedness: Equipping Churches for Witness with Undocumented Persons and additional Immigration Resources
Gun Violence
Gun Violence Prevention & Justice in General Tools
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General Board of Church & Society (GBCS) ~ https://www.umcjustice.org/
Email Colleen More, Director of Peace with Justice, at cmoore@umcjustice.org if you would like to join the United Methodist Church Gun Violence Prevention Network
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ACTION ALERTS from GBCS: Take a Stand Against Gun Violence
Call on your Representatives and Senators to support gun violence prevention legislation and oppose legislation that will make our communities more unsafe.
Go to ~ https://www.umcjustice.org/
There you will be able to follow through on The United Methodist Position as spelled out in the UMC Book of Resolutions ~ Resolution #3212 “Our Call to End Gun Violence” which calls on United Methodists to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence, below is a list of legislation to support in this Congress:
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The Assault Weapons Ban (H.R. 3115/S. 1531)
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Ethan’s Law to regulate safe storage (H.R. 1564/S. 726)
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Inclusion of funding for Community Violence Intervention (CVI) in the budget
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And legislation to oppose:
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Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act that would create a national system of permitless carry (H.R. 38/S. 65)
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Hearing Protection Act that would deregulate firearm silencers (H.R. 404/S. 364)
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Any legislation that permits sales of Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs) that essentially turn semi-automatic weapons into machine guns
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The link above will allow you to write to your elected officials in Washington D.C. as GBCS will take care of sending your letter electronically to your senators & representatives and they even have a letter prepared for you that you can use or change/personalize.
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GBCS Faith & Facts Card on Gun Violence Updated for 2025 ~ https://www.umcjustice.org/
documents/18 -
Gun Violence Archive ~ https://www.
gunviolencearchive.org/ -
Brady, Brady United: Brady is on a mission to free america from gun violence ~ https://www.bradyunited.org/
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Everytown for Gun Safety ~ https://www.everytown.org/
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Newtown Action of Alliance ~ https://www.
newtownactionalliance.org/ -
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America ~ https://momsdemandaction.org/
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Giffords: We’re on a mission to save lives from gun violence ~ https://giffords.org/
Pennsylvania Gun Violence Prevention Tools
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CeaseFirePA ~ https://www.ceasefirepa.org/
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With One Voice ~ “The With One Voice Interfaith Coalition to End Gun Violence is a group of Muslim, Christian and Jewish lay and ordained leaders in our Commonwealth who believe that working together is the key to effecting change,” said Bishop Audrey Scanlan, Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. “Together we believe in the sanctity of life, of our responsibility to care for one another and our call to work for a world where we can all live in safety. With the support of Ceasefire PA’s advocacy efforts, and our common faith, we work with hope for a better day.”
If you would like to join the With One Voice Interfaith Coalition to End Gun Violence, email Ryan Gephart, SUSUMC Peace with Justice Coordinator, at rgephart@susumc.org and I will get you signed up (this group, an extension of CeaseFirePA, has just started its major organizing over the last 6 to 8 months)
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Heeding God’s Call to End Gun Violence ~ https://www.heedinggodscall.
org/
Additional Information received at GBCS ~ Gun Violence Prevention Seminars Over the Past Two Years to the United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C.:
- Brady - Concealed Carry Reciprocity
- Brady - H.R. 404 - The Hearing Protection Act - 119th
- Brady's Legislative Blueprint for a Safer America
- CeaseFirePA Health Professionals Group
- Ceasefire April 8 - End Gun Violence Day
- Domestic Violence & Firearms PowerPoint
- Faith Action Map
- Faith and Facts Card — Gun Violence 2025
- Guns & Suicide
- Gun Violence Prevention Bills (1)
- Gun Violence Prevention Bills (2)
- Gun Violence Prevention Bills Officially Endorsed by Newtown Action Alliance
- Jewish Women International (JWI) Roundtable - scriptural references and other materials addressing gun violence prevention from a faith angle
- Operation Ceasefire Community Prevention & Intervention Programs
- Susquehanna Gun Violence Seminar PowerPoint - March 2025
- SUSUMC Gun Violence Prevention & Justice General Tools
- Talking Safe Gun Storage
Palestine/Israel
Resolution 2 was adopted at Susquehanna Conference’s Annual Conference 2025. Suggested resource materials to enable congregations to respond are attached, arranged by the bullet points of the resolution. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Lisa Bender or Lenore Hosier.
View Res-2 A Call to Respond to Inequality and Injustice
Support Materials for Resolution 2:
“A Call to Respond to Inequality and Injustice”
Engage in study and discussion of a message from Palestinian Christians called “Cry for Hope” and learn more about the Palestinian people and their struggle using United
Methodist materials.
- Read/study Cry for Hope: A Call to Decisive Action, July 1, 2020: https://cryforhope.org/
and a study guide for A Cry for Hope - https://www.palestineportal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Cry-for-Hope-Study-Guide-Final.pdf - Read The Kairos Palestine Document of 2009 from Palestinian Christians:
https://www.kairosresponse.org/kairos_palestine_document.html - UMC General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) Faith and Facts Cards: Occupied Palestinian Territories https://www.umcjustice.org/latest/occupied-palestinian-territories-faith-and-facts-card-417
- UMC Book of Resolutions
- Resolution 4108, Opposition to Israeli Settlements in Palestinian Land, p. 435
- Resolution 4109, United Nations Resolutions on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, p. 439
- Resolution 4217, Caring for Palestinian Children, p. 582
- Resolution 4219, Addressing Israeli Detention of Children, p. 584
- UMC Social Principles: The Political Committee, F. Indigenous, Native and Aboriginal Communities, p. 38 and G. Migrants, Immigrants and Refugees p. 38
- A Just Peace in Israel and Palestine statement by UMC General Board of Church and Society, May 20, 2025 https://www.umcjustice.org/articles/preview/ebfe9c13-1e46-4462-b5e3-e69fd5548c4c
- United Methodist Council of Bishops Letter in Support of Palestine/Israel, May 7, 2025 https://www.unitedmethodistbishops.org/files/letter+2+-+a+plea+for+ceasefire+and+justice+in+palestine+and+israel+(5-6-2025).pdf
- United Methodist Church Council of Bishops Calling for Ceasefire in Gaza, March 14, 2024: https://www.kairosresponse.org/umcbishops_gazaceasefire_march2024.html
- Knowing the Nakba webinar by UMKR and MFSA:
https://www.kairosresponse.org/webinar_15march2023_apartheid-free_communities.html - Bethlehem: Walking with Palestinian Christians, a short film documentary produced by GBGM and UMKR, 20 minutes: https://umcmission.org/advance-project-region/middle-east/
- GBCS’ Pages for Progress Study Guide on Mitri Raheb’s book Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible Through Palestinian Eyes: https://www.umcjustice.org/documents/732?emci=50f8e7f2-1f1a-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&emdi=a57539aa-ef1a-f011-8b3d-0022482a9fb7&ceid=5703983
- God’s People: A Series of Bible Studies Reflecting on the Holy Land for West Ohio Conference of the UMC: https://www.westohioumc.org/responding-palestinian-christians-report-and-bible-study
Learn more about religious nationalisms and Christian Zionism that feed hostilities in the Holy Land.
- Christian Nationalism, Zionism, Hindutva Webinar by UMKR and MFSA:
https://www.kairosresponse.org/webinar_30jan2025_religiousnationalism.html - The Psychology of Christian Nationalism by Pamela Cooper-White
- Website to learn more about Christian Zionism: https://www.christianzionism.org/
- Christians Against Christian Nationalism:
https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/
Oppose all efforts to equate criticism of the Israeli government’s unjust actions with antisemitism.
- Is it Antisemitic to criticize the state of Israel? Webinar by UMKR and MFSA with UM Bishop Hope Ward:
https://www.kairosresponse.org/webinar_9sept2020_antisemitism.html - Jewish Voice for Peace opposes the IRHA definition of antisemitism:
https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/2021/02/08/ihra/ - Human Rights and Civil Society Groups Urge UN to Respect Human Rights in the Fight Against Antisemitism:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human
“Come and See,” as requested by Palestinian Christians, to see the reality of their lives today in the Holy Land, then “Go and Tell” others what you experienced and learned.
- UMC Book of Resolutions 2020/2024 – Resolution 5206, Holy Land Tours, p.736
- Responsible Tourism: https://www.kairosresponse.org/tours.html
- Friends of Sabeel North America upcoming delegations: https://www.fosna.org/delegations
- “Methodists in Palestine in a Time of War” – webinar by UMKR and MFSA, with Bishop Ivan Abrahams of South Africa, David Wildman, GBGM staff, and Rev. Dr. Susan Henry Crowe, retired General Secretary of GBCS: https://www.kairosresponse.org/webinar_31jan2024_methodists_palestine_timeofwar.html
- UMC Advance Projects in the Middle East: https://umcmission.org/advance-project-region/middle-east/
Invite a knowledgeable speaker, preferably a Palestinian or an anti-Zionist Jew, to speak to the congregation on this subject. For help with this:
- Contact Lisa Bender
- Contact Lenore Hosier
- “A Deep Dive with Jewish Voice for Peace” webinar by UMKR and MFSA: https://www.kairosresponse.org/webinar_21july2021_jvp.html
To learn more and take action in support of Palestinian rights, connect with:
- United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR): https://www.kairosresponse.org/
- Subscribe to UMKR news and action: https://umkr.salsalabs.org/umkr_subscribe/index.html
- UMC General Board of Church and Society’s Peace with Justice program:
https://www.umcjustice.org/what-we-care-about/peace-with-justice - Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA): https://www.fosna.org/
- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP): https://cmep.org/
Status & Role of Women
More Details Coming Soon
Environmental Justice
More Details Coming Soon
