Minutes of the Board Meeting of
1. Rev. Nancy Ferree-Clark
welcomed the assembly and introduced Pastor Leroy Davis. Pastor Davis advised that
2. The DCIA Affirmation was read in unison.
3. Guests were welcomed:
Charles Byrd introduced Nancy Safrit, a new DCIA representative for Westminster
Presbyterian Church.
Lori Lumpkin from Durham Public Schools
advised that DPS wants to engage in dialogue with parents of schoolchildren to
enhance their well-being and achievement.
She can be reached at 560-3714.
Marilyn Hedgpeth
of First Presbyterian Church introduced Rev. Julio Ramirez-Eve, who is forming
a Latino Presbyterian congregation in
Joyce Houk,
President of Church Women United advised that November 5 is World Community
Day, for all faiths. Rev. Joe Harvard
led the assembly in thanking Joyce with a round of applause for many years of
faithful service.
Rev. Joe Harvard introduced Blair
Kendall, who heads
Rev. Nancy Ferree-Clark
welcomed Ms. Vivian Thorpe to the meeting.
Vivian is a long-time supporter of DCIA who lately has been unable to
attend.
4. Rev. Joe Harvard moderated a Panel
Discussion on the issue of: How does one's faith provide guidance in choosing
criteria for voting for candidates?
Panelists were: Rev. Mary Grigolia, Rev. Mel
Williams, Rabbi John Friedman, Pastor Leroy Davis, and Imam Abdul Hafeez Waheed.
Rev. Joe Harvard acknowledged the
presence of State legislator Jean Lucas, and her leadership as she practices
the values of her faith in representing the people of her district.
Joe noted that he was raised in a
tradition that Religion and Politics do not mix. But he has outgrown that. He once heard a minister say: "If you
tell me your Zip Code, I can tell you how you'll
vote." Joe resented the suggestion
that socio-economic demographics predict voting patterns. He is glad that so many people are excited
about the upcoming election.
The Panelists offered many thoughtful
comments:
A. Rev. Mary Grigolia,
Associate Minister with Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship [ERUUF], said that her denomination
is covenantal, not creedal. It includes
spiritual ideas from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Native American
texts. One of its 7 Principles is to affirm
and promote use of the democratic process.
ERUUF is very diverse, including Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Pagans,
Gnostics and Mystics. ERUUF congregants
explore together what it means to be people of faith with guidance from diverse
sources; and have a commitment to apply their values in the world through the
democratic process.
Mary is challenged by the depth of
polarization in current politics, which makes it difficult to maintain faith in
democracy. ERUUF seeks to return to deep
listening; to break down barriers to engaging with those who disagree, and
create an environment of active listening.
Mary is also concerned that
Congregations can be enlisted in partisan policy. It is bothersome that political campaigns
focus on personality. She believes
Congregations should preach their values on political issues, such as
encouraging peaceful relations and avoiding war.
B. Rev. Mel Williams, Minister with
Micah
6:8 – Do justice, love mercy, and walk
humbly with your Lord;
Isaiah
58:7 – Give your bread to the hungry,
and…bring the poor that are cast out into your house;
Matthew
25:40 – And the King shall answer and say
to them…Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, you have done it unto me; and
Galatians
Our enemies are war, poverty, racism –
not other people. Our loyalty should be
to God and to principles of Scripture; God is not a Republican or
Democrat. A primary question is: What
effects do government policies have on poor people? Mel reviewed 10 Principles to expect
candidates to follow, as proposed by the National Council of Churches. These Principles follow these Minutes, with a
few changes to make them applicable to Friends, Jews, Muslims and Unitarians as
well as Christians.
C. Rabbi John Friedman has been with Judea
Reform Congregation for 25 years. He
recalled a trip to
Nationally, polls indicate that over
60% of the people prefer their clergy not to preach politics, largely because
of concern that the community will become divided. But some say that such preaching is a
responsibility of clergy even if some congregations become polarized. A Biblical example: When Moses went to
Pharaoh, asking him to Let My People Go, the immediate outcome was that the
people were more burdened, forced to gather their own straw. Moses was not popular – but God wanted him to
do this. Being a leader of a faith
community is not a popularity contest.
Two more modern examples: Stephen S.
Wise, a source of inspiration, used to preach in support of labor unions – at
synagogues full of captains of industry.
He spoke truth to those in power.
We remember his acts and the difference they made in the world, not how
popular he was. And Samuel Meyerbrook, the Rabbi where John grew up in
D. Pastor Leroy Davis has led
The world is full of loving, caring
people. Each of us is a creature made in
the image of the Creator. Each of us
needs a personal relationship with God and with humanity.
In the present world, we are drifting
away from standards. War, divisiveness,
racism all undermine God's world. We
should judge candidates by our faith standards.
We may accept some negative traits for the sake of the greater good.
E. Imam Abdul Waheed
has been in
In choosing a leader, we should follow
the best among us – regardless of their origin or party affiliation. Muhammad the Prophet offers a model for
leadership, as an excellent statesman and diplomat who was able to reconcile
and unify warring factions.
Character is paramount – honesty,
sincerity, humility, patience, integrity.
Also important is knowledge as it relates to all issues – so one can see
both the big picture and the details.
There were several stimulating
questions from the audience answered by the panelists. The assembly gave a big round of applause for
the panelists and Joe Harvard as moderator.
5. Maryann Crea,
Treasurer, presented the Finance Report.
Thanks to
Congregations who made generous donations to DCIA in September; our income
statement has improved, but still is behind last year.
With the good feedback at the August
Board meeting, the Finance Committee is devising the budget for 2005.
6. The Minutes of the September 21 Board
Meeting were approved.
7. Rev. Laura Benson advised that 8
applications have been completed and submitted to DCIA's
Seed Money Committee, which will evaluate them and make recommendations,
perhaps by the next Board meeting.
8. Bob Newlin reviewed DCIA's
three goals and the Chairs for each Team to address them:
A. Identifying priorities, chaired by Kaaren Johansen.
B. Improving communications, chaired by Bob
Newlin.
C. Sharing ideas among diverse congregations,
chaired by Rev. Joe Harvard.
Each Chair spoke for a few minutes
about what they hoped their Team would accomplish.
Bob said that he hoped each DCIA member
Congregation could be represented on at least one of these Teams. People can be on a Team even if they cannot
attend Board lunch meetings.
9. David Winer
provided handouts on Community Life, which provides high quality day care for
seniors under the Council for Senior Citizens.
He also advised of an excellent
Guidebook for Faith Communities by Sally Patton on Welcoming Children With Special Needs.
He provided a useful guidance document
from the NC Council of Churches on the legally permissible roles congregations
can play during elections.
10. Prayer Requests: The 6 people engaging in
the Jimmy Carter Work Project in
11. Rev. Joe Harvard offered the closing prayer.
Minutes
by: David Winer
Principles
in an Election Year
[Adapted from a Statement by the
National Council of Churches]
Each of our faiths compels us to address the world through the lens of our relationship to God and to one another. Public discourse is enhanced as we engage civic leaders on the values and ethics affirmed by our faith. At the same time, religious liberty and the integrity of our democracy will be protected as candidates refrain from using faith-based organizations and institutions for partisan gain. We offer these ten principles to those seeking to accept the responsibility that comes with holding public office.
1. War is contrary to the will of God. While the use of violent force may at times be a necessity of last resort, blessed are the peacemakers. We look for political leaders who will make peace with justice a top priority and who will actively seek nonviolent solutions to conflict.
2. God calls us to live in communities shaped by peace and cooperation. We reject policies that abandon large segments of our inner city and rural populations to hopelessness. We look for political leaders who will re-build our communities and bring an end to the cycles of violence and killing.
3. God created us for each other, and thus our security depends on the well-being of our global neighbors. We look for political leaders for whom a foreign policy based on cooperation and global justice is an urgent concern.
4. God calls us to be advocates for those who are most vulnerable in our society. We look for political leaders who yearn for economic justice and who will seek to reduce the growing disparity between rich and poor.
5. Each human being is created in the image of God and is of infinite worth. We look for political leaders who actively promote racial justice and equal opportunity for everyone.
6. The earth belongs to God and is intrinsically good. We look for political leaders who recognize the earth's goodness, champion environmental justice, and uphold our responsibility to be stewards of God’s creation.
7. Holy Texts mandate that we welcome strangers. We look for political leaders who will pursue fair immigration policies and speak out against xenophobia.
8. We are called to help heal the sick. We look for political leaders who will support adequate, affordable and accessible health care for all.
9. Because of the transforming power of God's grace, all humans are called to be in right relationship with each other. We look for political leaders who seek a restorative, not retributive, approach to the criminal justice system and the individuals within it.
10. Providing enriched learning environments for all of God’s children is a moral imperative. We look for political leaders who will advocate for equal educational opportunity and abundant funding for children’s services.
Finally, our religious
traditions admonish us not to bear false witness against our neighbor and to
love our enemies. We ask that the campaigns of political candidates and the
coverage of the media in this election season be conducted according to
principles of fairness, honesty and integrity.