A voice for justice in the UMC and the world.

The Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM) is a movement of United Methodists in the annual conferences of the Western Jurisdiction who are committed to carrying out the prophetic statements and actions of the Western Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church.

The core values of WMJM are:

Intersectional Justice – Recognizing that spheres of justice-seeking overlap
Inclusive Community – Working together a larger, more inclusive table.
Beloved Community – Interconnectedness that builds relationships in a healthy way
Solidarity – Coming together in equal power relationship; moving alongside one another
Decolonization – Removing the colonization of power
Spiritual Leaven/Living into Possibilities – Allowing the Holy Spirit to be our change agent.

WMJM’s work focuses on diverse priority areas, including;

• Diversity, Equity & Belonging in the Church
  Supporting churches in becoming communities where people of all backgrounds are welcomed, valued, and able to participate fully, while addressing systems of exclusion, including racism and Christian nationalism.

• LGBTQIA+ & Gender Justice
  Working for the full inclusion, dignity, and leadership of LGBTQIA+ people in the life of the church while supporting bodily autonomy and reproductive rights for all.

• Immigration Justice
  Supporting immigrant communities and advocating for humane policies that respect the rights and dignity of all people.

• Global Relationships & International Justice
  Building relationships beyond the U.S. while advocating for justice with communities around the world, including ongoing work related to the Philippines and Israel-Palestine.

• Responsive to Emerging Justice Issues
  Remaining responsive to legislative issues and emerging justice concerns in both the church and the world.

Birth of WMJM

The seeds for the WMJM were planted at the Western Jurisdictional Conference 2012 in San Diego, at a pre-conference gathering organized by progressive United Methodists across the jurisdiction. That meeting was attended by laity and clergy from all eight annual conferences of the Western Jurisdiction. People with a passion to bring about change in the Church gathered into Action Groups according to their interests. Several resolutions were drafted by these Action Groups, immediately submitted to the WJC 2012, and adopted.

During WJC 2012, Bishop Grant Hagiya of the Seattle Episcopal Area invited everyone to take the authority to advance the Jurisdiction's goals and commitments, rather than waiting passively for the institutional church to take the lead. He reminded us that the mission of creating a radically hospitable, Jesus-centered Church that was committed to the advancement of justice belongs to everyone in the church.

In November 2012, a group of progressive activists came together again; they wanted to maintain the momentum of the Action Groups formed in July 2012 and respond to the call from Bishop Hagiya. Out of that gathering, the Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM) was formed, with a mission to build a multi-cultural and inclusive community of leaders in the Western Jurisdiction who would work in diverse settings for local and global justice.

The important thing is always to remember that justice cannot be divided. In the Church of Jesus Christ, we are called to bring our passions together... to struggle together to build the beloved community of God's people.

Convener: Jan Nelson

Leadership Team:
Austin L. Adkinson, Israel Alvaran, M. Theresa Basile, Richard Bentley, Paul Cosgrove, Katharine H.H. Wingate, Julia Frisbie, Ella Luna-Garza, Allison Mark, Greg Nelson, Jan Nelson, Karen Nelson, Micheal Pope, Jean Reynolds, J. Benjamin Roe, Jessica Rooks, Cynthia Tuell, Jason Takagi, Frank Wulf, Michael Yoshii

Communication Support: Ashley King

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