When Presbyterians Become Christ's Voice for Change

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When Presbyterians Become Christ's Voice for
Change
Andrew Kang Bartlett Associate for National
Hunger Presbyterian Hunger Program
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Born in 1969
A Ministry of the
Working to alleviate hunger and eliminate its
causes
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1) We have not solved the problems of global
poverty.

• 3 billion people live on less than 2/day.
• GDP of poorest 48 nations less than combined
  wealth of the world's three richest people.
• A billion people entered the 21st C. unable to
  read or write.
• Less than 1 of annual world expenditures on
  weapons would put every child into school.

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• Half of the worlds children live in poverty
• 640 million exist without adequate shelter
• 400 million have no access to safe water
• 270 million have no health services
• 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached
  age 5

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2) We have not solved the problem of affluence.
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Anxiety
Alienation
Addiction
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Isaiah 58 Woe to you who join house to
house, who add field to field, until there is
room for no one but you, and you are left to live
alone on the land!
A trophy home in the California wine country
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3) We have not solved the problem of wealth
disparity in the U.S.
Victims of Hurricane Katrina wait for buses at
the staging area along Interstate 10 in Metairie,
La. Photo US News and World Report.
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Change in Average Household Net Worth, 1983-98
From 101 Economic Facts that Every American
Should Know, Archdiocese of St. Paul and Mn.
Office for Social Justice
Distribution of Wealth, 1998
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We stand at a critical moment in Earths
history, a time when humanity must choose its
future. The Earth Charter
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THE GREAT UNRAVELING
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OR THE GREAT TURNING
To Earth Community
From Empire
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So how does PHP attempt to address all this?
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Peel away the skin
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JHAH Country Networks
JHAH Presbytery Networks
Advisory Committee
PHP Louisville Staff
JHAH Companionship Facilitators
Hunger Action Enablers
Deployed Staff
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• Grants
• Programs
• Resources
• Advocacy

• Denominational program
• Presbytery programs
• Congregational ministries

• Hunger Action Enablers
• Overseas Partnerships
• Grant Programs

• Community Ministries
• Offerings of Letters
• Enough for Everyone

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• Works in five program areas
• Makes over 200 annual grants
• More than 100 million in grants
• Participates in and supports ecumenical efforts
• Produces educational resources
• Provides financial and training support for
  Congregation-Based Community Organizing

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Congregation-Based Community Organizing (CBCO)

• Never do for others what they can do for
  themselves.
• THE IRON RULE OF ORGANIZING
• We can do more together than we can do on our
  own.

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What is a CBCO?

• A CBCO is generally a coalition of congregations
  (usually interfaith in nature) whose mission is
  to listen to/with community residents, identify
  critical issues, and respond in strategic ways
  that affect the quality of life of the community.

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Why do CBCO?

• CBCO is a strategy for rebuilding communities,
  revitalizing congregations, and developing
  individuals into effective leaders to work for
  social justice.

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Organizing Process
One on ones

• Evaluate / Reflect/
• Celebrate

Identify key problems
Research
Action
Clarify issues
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Why one on ones?

• Power is in the relationship. Through
  relationship and one on ones, that we understand
  each other and the concerns of our families.
• It is through relationships that we successfully
  mobilize our followers, create effective
  partnerships, and change systems.
• PICO National Network
  

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How do you identify a good issue?

• Improve peoples lives
• Give people power
• Build community power
• Be winnable
• Be widely felt
• Be deeply felt
• Be easy to understand

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How do you identify a good issue?

• Have a clear decision maker
• Be non-divisive
• Build leaders
• Set up the next issue
• Increase stewardship
• Be in line with organizations mission and values

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Developing Your Action Plan

• 1) Goals
• What are your long term goals?
• What are your short term goals?
• 2) Organizational Consideration
• What do we need to do?
• Who will do it?
• When does it need to be done?
• What resources do we need?

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Developing Your Action Plan

• 3) Constituencies/Allies Opponents
• Who are our allies/partners?
• Who are our opponents?
• 4) Targets/Decision Makers
• Who are the decision makers?
• Primary target
• Secondary target
• 5) Tactics/Strategy

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BENEFITS OF CBCO

• More and deeper relationships with congregation
  members and community
• Art of listening
• Establish trust and credibility
• Identifies and develops new leaders
• Increase lay leader involvement

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BENEFITS OF CBCO

• Identify and develop a mission partnership with
  the community
• Revitalization of congregation/renewed passion
  for mission
• Move from direct service to justice ministries
• Deeper understanding of our Christian call for
  social justice

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Luckily, people are waking up. For example, 10
million people took to the streets on one day to
protest a war BEFORE it began. Evangelical
Christians are working with others on critical
environmental and social issues.
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Interfaith collaborations Social movements
growing . . . Indigenous Peoples finding their
voice and power, Latin American elections, World
and U.S. Social Forums, Via Campesina
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Active nonviolence Losing appetite for anonymous
food Planet at crossroads sustainability is an
option Consumerism played out Reclaiming
democracy Reawakening to racism and
classism Indigenous rights go global Global
justice movement grows
Hopeful trends
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