Justice Seekers Reconnect

“Reconnecting for Justice” was the theme of a half-day event hosted by Western Methodist Justice Movement (WMJM) on November 1, 2022, one day before the 2022 Western Jurisdictional Conference meeting began. Over 60 justice-seeking persons gathered in Salt Lake City at Our Saviour's Lutheran Church to reconnect in person for the first time since the pandemic brought most in-person meetings to a halt. The time offered opportunities to gather, share and reconnect with other justice seekers from across the Western Jurisdiction. The greetings were warm and enthusiastic as folks gathered around tables for lunch, in small group sessions, and in the hallways.

Jan Nelson, convenor of WMJM, welcomed attendees with an overview of WMJM including the organization’s role in broadening participation in Jurisdictional support for justice issues and encouraging the adoption of the Christmas Covenant.

Rev. Kimberly Scott, Chair of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) board, brought greetings and an update on RMN priorities and activities. Intersectionality of justice issues is increasingly important in RMN's work. A Bible Study on sexuality and a resource video is being planned, as is an equity council and increasing lay membership on its international board.

Rev. Allison Mark, senior pastor of Faith United Methodist Church, a historically Japanese American congregation in Torrance, California, spoke about why justice matters. She inspired with stories and insights about the importance of a justice focus in our faith, saying that justice-seekers need to be the movement forward towards justice. You can listen to her entire keynote address at.

Attendees broke into several "birds of a feather" groups which centered justice-related areas chosen by the participants. This provided the attendees the opportunity to reconnect over their areas of passion. Some of the groups included: Pastoral Care for the Marginalized; Indigenous Peoples; Queer Identities; Intersectionality of Justice Issues; Immigration; Racial Justice and Anti-Racism Work; and Ableism.

The Pastoral Care group outlined who are the marginalized and then discussed specifics. Justice and care are often absent for the unhoused sleeping (and dying) on the streets. Health care for black and brown people is often not equitable. Sometimes medical staff are uncomfortable with homeless and people of color, and thus not as compassionate or helpful. Another marginalized group is the incarcerated, who are often stigmatized and forgotten. Even retired clergy can feel forgotten. The group decided that a better title for their concerns would be Spiritual Care for the Marginalized, implying a broader group of providers than just clergy.

Rev. Calvin Hill, of the Navajo Nation and pastor of the Blackfeet UM Parish in Montana as part of the group focusing on Indigenous Peoples. He shared information and insights into justice issues faced by members of the indigenous nations including Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW), residential schools and repentance for the abusive treatment of students, and land acknowledgment. Hill spoke of the importance of language such as addressing indigenous people by their nation rather than "first nations," "American Indian" etc. In discussing the acknowledgment of events being held on land that was once used by various native nations, some acknowledgments can have a colonizing flavor. He said many older members don't think of the land as stolen because they never "owned" it. Instead, these older members felt that land should be shared. The best way to acknowledge the land on which an event is being held is to include a member of the nation to welcome, pray or otherwise participate. 

The LGBT Queer Identities group shared life experiences within the UMC. They noted much progress for inclusion has been made in the Western Jurisdiction, especially with the Safe Harbor policy. But there is a temptation to be complacent. In looking at candidates for bishop, it was important to hear an explicit mention of a commitment to LGBTQ inclusion. If it isn't present there is a concern whether the courage to genuinely support LGBTQ individuals will be absent when the chips are down.

The Intersectionality Group grew to include over 20 people. It worked to define intersectionality and the intentional naming intersections between justice issues. A wide-ranging list with 14 facets of intersectionality was compiled. It included: Collaboration; Inclusion; Diversity of persons, issues, hopes, experiences, beliefs, disciplines, beliefs and perspectives; Awareness; and Understanding that any injustice leads to many injustices. Suggestions and strategies to grow in intersectionality included: Understandings of oppression; Personal and collective power along with collaborative works; Decentering status quo and systemic processes that perpetuate challenges to living in love; and Practicing intentional inclusivity.

After returning and reporting on the break-out groups, now-bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank and Ben Roe sent the attendees out to do justice work in community, using words from the prophets Amos, Jeremiah, and Joshua. 

These persons contributed to this report:

Louise Kienzle

Calvin Hill

Maggie Roe

Nestor Gerente

Ella Luna-Garza

Richard Bentley

Greg Nelson

Dottie Escobedo-Frank