WCC news: WCC expresses deep concern over attack against hospital in South Sudan

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed profound sorrow and concern over an aerial attack on the Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) hospital in Old Fangak, South Sudan, on 3 May.  Photo: Sean Hawkey/WCC 5 May 2025 "This heinous act, which claimed the lives of at least seven people—including a 9-month-old child—and injured more than 20 others, is a heartbreaking violation of international humanitarian law and a direct assault on the dignity of human life,” Pillay said. “The hospital in Old Fangak stood as the only lifeline for over 110,000 vulnerable people in Fangak County.” Pillay cited the deliberate targeting, including the destruction of a pharmacy and bombing of nearby civilian areas, as morally indefensible and a shocking breach of the sanctity of medical neutrality. “The WCC condemns this attack in the strongest possible terms,” he said.  He called on the government of South Sudan and all armed actors involved in the conflict to respect and protect all humanitarian personnel and facilities. “We urge an independent investigation into this attack and accountability for those responsible,” Pillay said. “The WCC also calls on the international community, churches, and ecumenical partners to redouble efforts toward a sustainable peace in South Sudan." Pillay concluded: "We pray for the grieving families, the wounded, and the displaced. May God comfort them, and may the churches continue to be agents of healing, reconciliation, and justice.” Read the full statement See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

SojoAction Alert - Call on Congress to have Moral Courage

View this email in your browser In just one hundred days we’ve seen the Trump Administration freeze funds Congress already approved, dismantle entire government agencies, and use emergency powers to push harmful policies without due process or oversight. We’ve seen our community members taken from our communities and sent to foreign prisons without any ability to protest their treatment or see a judge. Children as young as two years old who are American citizens have been sent out of the country. This has all happened with administration officials insisting “due process” is a luxury that cannot be afforded to everyone running counter to our bedrock principles. These and other actions go far beyond everyday government measures. They tear away at democratic norms and put our civil society at risk. It is time to be clear eyed in recognizing the constitutional crisis before us. It is time we demand Moral Courage. Take Action Now We call on Congress to have the Moral Courage to:  Reinstate and fully fund agencies that serve the common good such as USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as a moral and constitutional imperative.  Block the Trump administration’s potential invocation of the Insurrection Act to further militarize the border and misuse the military to support mass deportations.  Stop abusing the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants and green card holders without due process and suggesting the same for citizens and permanent residents  Support bipartisan legislation that reins in tariff policies hurting the global and U.S. economy  Defend SNAP, Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other programs that serve as a lifeline to millions of children and families, with daily and emergency food and medical assistance.  Block any attempts by the Trump administration to revoke the tax-exempt status of Harvard University and other tax-exempt organizations based on their DEI policies or other political disagreements with the administration.  Overall, demand an end to the abuse of executive power that undermines our freedoms Email Congress Now This isn't about party or personality—it's about principle and the common good. Our diverse faith traditions teach us to care for one another, stand up for justice, and protect the most vulnerable. And right now, that means standing up to prevent unchecked executive power. As Dr. King once said, “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but…because conscience tells him it is right.” We urge Congress to act now, with moral courage, to end this abuse of power. Oversight isn’t optional, it’s essential to our democracy. In faith, Adam Russell Taylor President Sojourners

Presbyterians for Earth Care - New Webinars in May and June + Conference Updates

Protecting Sacred Lands for Culture, Climate and Justice Stopping the Sell Off and Destruction of National Public Lands Webinar Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 Time: 7:30 pm EDT (6:30 CDT, 5:30 MDT, 4:30 PDT) Presenters: Tara Benally, Travis Hammill, Jenny Holmes Most people describe their experience of the deep river canyons, spectacular mesas and deserts of the colorful redrock country of Southern Utah as sacred. There is no landscape on earth like the awe-inspiring heart of the Colorado Plateau in Utah. And, it is one of the most threatened area of our national public lands in the US, including proposals for public land sell offs to private interests, rampant off road vehicle use, and mining, oil and gas development. Will people of faith act in solidarity before it is too late? Hear directly from a Tribal member and organizer, Tara Banelly, about the meaning and significance of these lands to Tribes. Learn why Congressional support from throughout the US is essential to protecting these national public lands in Utah and throughout the West from sell-offs and short-term exploitative use from Travis Hammill, DC Director for Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Jenny Holmes, of the PEC Advocacy Committee will share about the 2024 Presbyterian Church, USA  policy to protect and restore Utah's wild lands and National Monuments - Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, and actions everyone can take to make a difference.  CLICK HERE for Info & Registration Wild Indigo: Stewarding for Ecology on Church Land Webinar Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025 Time: 7:30 pm EDT (6:30 CDT, 5:30 MDT, 4:30 PDT) Presenter: John Creasy, Founder and Director of Wild Indigo Guild What if congregations understood their stewardship of land to be a primary missional calling in our world today? Most congregations own some amount of land, some own large swaths of lawn. Imagine if every church saw their land as opportunities to bless their neighborhood, grow food and create opportunities for ecological restoration. John will share some exiting examples of churches doing this kind of work with their neighbors. We’ll consider the possibilities for gardening, farming, reforestation and more, on church land.  SAVE THE DATE - MORE INFO COMING SOON! WEBINAR RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE The Book of Revelation: All Creation’s Hallelujah Presented by author Dr. Robert Bryant Webinar Date: April 29, 2025 CLICK HERE to view and share the webinar recording. Online Bible Study Nature is a part of God’s love for humans, and our interaction with nature is one of the ways God cares for us. How have you seen personal healing happen through your connection to the earth, animals, plants? What will you do now to participate joyfully in the restoration of creation? We will explore these questions and more in our upcoming study of a lesson on Sustaining Creation’s Health for All. You are invited to join Presbyterians for Earth Care on Sunday, May 25th for our FINAL online study of: Let Justice Roll Down: God’s Call to Care for Neighbors and All Creation by Patricia K. Tull Suggestions for Leaders by Rebecca Barnes   Time: 7:00 pm Eastern/ 6:00 pm Central/ 5:00 pm Mountain/ 4:00 pm Pacific. The study will run for 75 minutes. Study Leaders: Rev. M. Courtenay Willcox and Rev. Lucy Youngblood CLICK HERE for Info & Zoom Link Presbyterians for Earth Care Biennial Earth Care Conference “Sacred Creation: Justice Flows Down Like Water” October 8-11, 2025 Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center in Little Rock, AR Conference Workshop Topics and Presenters: The Future of Water by Linda K. Smith Dam Removal/Stream Restoration by Joel Gill Spiritual Practices and Personal Renewal in a Threatened Creation by Rebecca Langer Water: Essential Resource for Health Yet Vulnerable to Contamination by Marilyn Howarth When the Earth Cries Out: Disasters and Creation Care by Edwin Gonzalez-Castillo Soil to Soul Awakening by James & Joyce Skeet Applying the Precautionary Principle to Restoring God’s Water by Thomas Pakurar PLUS Worship with Rev. Rebecca Barnes (Presbyterian Hunger Program) and Rev. Jocelyn Wildwright (Ferncliff Camp & Conference Center)! More details available next week! How can we help you care for God’s creation?  Drop us an email and let us know at presbyearthcare@gmail.com Help us grow! Please let us know if there is anyone we should add to our list!  Just reply to this email.  Thank you! Please help us to continue to assist individuals and churches in creation care work by donating to PEC through our website by CLICKING HERE.  Thank you!

Copyright (C) 2025 Presbyterians for Earth Care. All rights reserved.

MLP May 2025 Newsletter!

In This Issue *Staff Update: A note from Claudia, Jesy, and Teddy *Upcoming Events *WELCOME OUR NEW CHURCHES! *A word from our partners *MLP Merch! *Donate Today

From Director of Engagement: Claudia Aguilar Rubaclava

So… I saw this meme on social media (surprise?!) that has been living rent-free in my brain for the last few weeks. It says: “imperfect allies aren’t enemies” and then it gives 10 valuable lessons for stronger movements. I keep thinking about that phrase and it is so true: imperfect allies aren’t enemies. Sometimes we get stuck when someone isn’t the perfect ally: when they make tasteless and mindless jokes, when they don't support all of our personal agendas, when they fail at speaking up that one time, when they are micro-aggressive. And when I say we, I mean I. I am so quick to dismiss someone once they fail my ideal of what their allyship should look like as if I was the perfect ally. And the truth is that I am far from perfect. I try really hard, every day, but I am not the perfect ally to any movement, so why do I expect that from others? If we start focusing on building on people’s strengths and not their failures, maybe our movements will get somewhere. So I pray that we (I) change our focus so we can move forward.  -Claudia

From Director of Operations: Jesy Littlejohn

I have been rewatching The West Wing. This isn't new for me — I watch it a few times a year. Initially, when it aired in realtime, I wasn't versed in the nuances of politics. It was just a well-written, well-acted drama. As I grew up and watched in reruns my idealism would creep in and say "Oh, if only Bartlet were really the president!" Then, it became "Wow--this administration was actually plagued with scandal, none of this would fly today" And then Donald Trump became President...again, and suddenly the fallibility of the Bartlet Administration didn't seem quite so problematic or out of the realm of possibility. If anything, the "scandals" that riddled the Bartlet Administration seem relatively mild compared to what we face today in the United States in 2025. In someways I am back to: "Oh, if only Bartlet were really the president!" Not because he's perfect or even ideal. My appreciation now comes from his willingness to own his fallibility, his weakness, his mistakes, and his responsibility. He is willing to be held accountable: To his staff, to the Office, to his constituents. His humility was his strength.  Claudia is right, we aren't going to be perfect allies. There is no such thing, but we do need to be willing to face correction. We need to be willing to be humbled. We need to be willing to see where we have messed up, so that we can move forward with the intent on doing better. Our strength comes from our humility. Our success comes from genuine community.  -Jesy

From our Intern: Teddy Brock

Dramatic works of art are interesting because, growing up, we are introduced to them as literature. As if they are something to be read. Whether it be Shakespeare, The Crucible, Streetcar, etc. While they are incredible works of literature, creating an accessible way for anyone to experience a different world that comments on ours, they are written to be experienced. To be breathed in. For the artist and the audience to share it. I have spent the last four years studying this phenomenon. This life blood of our society (because that is what art is). The communities it builds and the effect theatre has on people is profound, historic, and deeply tied into religion…yet it is an aspect of society and religion that is profoundly under respected. Whether it be a production in a living room, on Broadway, in a church (there are some great ones in NYC), at a high school, or at a community theater, these stories and communities change lives. They are a chance to breathe with art, with community, with life. So I say keep supporting art and their communities in any way you can, as an act of justice and resistance.  What I read in April: *Fat Ham by James Ijames *Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl *John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower (also saw on Broadway, HIGHLY suggest) *The Pride by Alexi Kaye Campbell *Native Guard by Natasha Trethaway   -Teddy

Upcoming Events! May 21: THE YOUNG ADULT GATHERING! Calling all 20-30-year-olds to join us at 7 pm EDT on Zoom for a time of connection and community. Contact hello@mlp.org for more information and check out our social media in the coming days for how to sign up! June 24-27: The UKirk National Gathering. Join director of engagement, Rev. Claudia Aguilar at this event. She’ll have coffee hours so stay tuned on social media to see the times and spaces where you can meet with her. ----------------------- Ongoing: Presbyteries are voting on Polity Amendments 24A and 24 C. Amendment 24A has passed! Yay! We still need a few more for 24C to pass! We hosted a webinar in collaboration with Covenant Network to answer frequently asked questions. Watch it here.

Welcome our newest ministries   Rejoice with us as we welcome new ministries to the MLP network! At the end of each quarter, we will list our newest members so you can shower them with love.    Quarter 1 of the 2025 Mt Hebron Presbyterian Church - Ellicott City, MD The Table NWC - Wilmington, NC Wingspan ILM - Wilmington, NC Southminster Presbyterian Church - Arlington Heights, IL Kenmore Presbyterian Church - Buffalo, NY

“Gender variation is as old as stories about creation.” This is the very first sentence of the groundbreaking book Trans Biblical: New Approaches to Interpretation and Embodiment in Scripture. This brand new book interprets the Bible with a trans-positive approach.  You’ll explore Mordecai, Jael, and Jesus as potential trans and non-binary characters in the Bible. Plus, you’ll see that stories that may not seem like they are about gender identity can be interpreted from a trans lens, like The Good Samaritan, or John 1.  This book from Westminster John Knox Press can be on your bookshelf soon! Right now you can order directly from the publisher for a 40% discount at https://www.wjkbooks.com/Products/0664268897/trans-biblical.aspx with the discount code TRANSBIBLICAL40 through May 10. Also available on Amazon and other retailers!

Trans Kids, Our Kids: Stories and Resources from the Frontlines of the Movement for Transgender Youth shares the stories of transgender youth and their families, exploring the choices they are making to survive in today's environment. The book also gives voice to the medical providers who are providing care to transgender youth, as well as the activists, teachers and faith leaders who are leading the resistance efforts. By contextualizing and sharing these stories, as well as offering resources and next steps, Trans Kids aims to both narrativize the pain and fear experienced by everyday Americans in this cultural moment, as well as highlighting the courage, hope, and resilience of transgender and LGBTQ+ youth, their families, and the people who support them.

kin·dom camp is an opportunity for LBGTQIA+ youth ages 12-17 to feel safe and free to show up as their full selves. Campers have the chance to experience all the fun that camp has to offer in a week filled with affirmation, community, and celebration.   This camp is affirming – full stop. It affirms all genders, sexualities, identities, abilities, and varieties of belief. The only thing we expect is a commitment to welcoming and celebrating everyone where they are, as they are. Our 2025 camp dates are June 15-20 in Illinois and July 20-25 in Nevada and Texas. Keep up with us @kindomcommunity on Facebook and Instagram for camp registration information and other news!

Our collective wisdom and knowledge can take us farther than what we can do on our own. You can help us this month in a few ways: *Read Tomorrow Will Be Different by Presbyterian Congresswoman Sarah McBride. *Donate! We educate individuals and congregations, offer pastoral care to queer people and the ones who love them, we guide congregations as they seek to discern best steps, we advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community in our denomination and in the public arena. We can’t do it without your help. *In light of recent political developments, the number of LGBTQIA+ couples seeking to get married has increased. More Light Presbyterians is compiling a list of queer and queer-affirming clergy willing to officiate wedding ceremonies and preach at MLP congregations on short notice. Please spread the word widely within your networks. If you are in need of an officiant, please contact us at hello@mlp.org indicating your location and the date of the ceremony.  *Do you have pictures of various LGBTQIA+ related events that you or your congregation have participated in? Let us highlight them! Keep them coming! Please email them to hello@mlp.org  *We are trying to collect a list of all of our former board members to create an MLP alumni group. Have you served on our board or do you know someone who has served on our board? Send us an email or fill out this form and someone will be in touch soon. *Has your congregation paid dues this year? If not, you may submit them here.Your dues help us do this work.

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