Justice Ministries
Justice Ministries at Faith
We believe that a church focused only on its own needs is a dying church. We are called to be “children of the light” according to the Gospel of John. Light shines everywhere! So, we endeavor to be a voice for the voiceless, speaking truth to power, as we demand justice for all. This approach addresses the systemic needs of the broader community and world we live in. We call this our justice ministry
Open and Affirming
ONA (Open and Affirming)
Faith Church is both Open and Affirming and a Peace with Justice church. Open and Affirming means we are a safe and welcoming place for all people to worship regardless of sexual orientation, race, creed, gender identity, cultural background or socio-economic status. Peace with justice means we seek to resolve conflicts without violence, and with commitment to fairness.
FAQ About ONA
Peace with Justice
We are a Peace with Justice Church. In 2001, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ affirmed our support for the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) program (2001-2010).
We participate in the U.S. DOV Committee with our ecumenical partners in the WCC.
Many resources are available from the DOV site for use in local congregations, including an excellent study guide, “Why Violence? Why not Peace?” which can be downloaded. Go to: www.overcomingviolence.org
Practical examples of our commitment to justice:
FAST—Faith and Action for Strength Together, is an interfaith initiative in Pinellas County that strives to address systemic injustice in our community. We have had quite a few successes and politicians are beginning to take note of our collective power to speak on behalf of the vulnerable. Our last meeting yielded 3,000 members in attendance and we are still growing. Faith UCC is an active member of FAST.
Terri Schiavo—at times we find it necessary to speak to issues that call for the church’s prophetic voice to be heard. Ours was one of the churches that spoke out against the Religious Right’s hysterical stance in the Schiavo case. When the presiding judge was asked to resign his membership of his own church, Faith UCC reached out to him offering him our church family as an alternative.
Susan Stanton—when the then Mr. Steve Stanton (Largo City Manager) was fired for announcing that he would undergo sex change surgery, our pastor stood as part of the minority voice of faith leaders supporting Susan Stanton especially in light of the angry and hateful voices from the Christian right.
We believe that a church focused only on its own needs is a dying church. We are called to be “children of the light” according to the Gospel of John. Light shines everywhere! So, we endeavor to be a voice for the voiceless, speaking truth to power, as we demand justice for all. This approach addresses the systemic needs of the broader community and world we live in. We call this our justice ministry
Open and Affirming
ONA (Open and Affirming)
Faith Church is both Open and Affirming and a Peace with Justice church. Open and Affirming means we are a safe and welcoming place for all people to worship regardless of sexual orientation, race, creed, gender identity, cultural background or socio-economic status. Peace with justice means we seek to resolve conflicts without violence, and with commitment to fairness.
FAQ About ONA
Peace with Justice
We are a Peace with Justice Church. In 2001, the General Synod of the United Church of Christ affirmed our support for the World Council of Churches Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) program (2001-2010).
We participate in the U.S. DOV Committee with our ecumenical partners in the WCC.
Many resources are available from the DOV site for use in local congregations, including an excellent study guide, “Why Violence? Why not Peace?” which can be downloaded. Go to: www.overcomingviolence.org
Practical examples of our commitment to justice:
FAST—Faith and Action for Strength Together, is an interfaith initiative in Pinellas County that strives to address systemic injustice in our community. We have had quite a few successes and politicians are beginning to take note of our collective power to speak on behalf of the vulnerable. Our last meeting yielded 3,000 members in attendance and we are still growing. Faith UCC is an active member of FAST.
Terri Schiavo—at times we find it necessary to speak to issues that call for the church’s prophetic voice to be heard. Ours was one of the churches that spoke out against the Religious Right’s hysterical stance in the Schiavo case. When the presiding judge was asked to resign his membership of his own church, Faith UCC reached out to him offering him our church family as an alternative.
Susan Stanton—when the then Mr. Steve Stanton (Largo City Manager) was fired for announcing that he would undergo sex change surgery, our pastor stood as part of the minority voice of faith leaders supporting Susan Stanton especially in light of the angry and hateful voices from the Christian right.
