Dear Pollinators,
A recent headline from the BBC reads, “Why the U.S. Election Could Decide Battle against Climate Change.” The article indicates how the rest of the world is watching this election. It notably concludes by discussing where religious groups in the U.S. stand on the climate crisis.
Recent studies on voters and non-voters have pointed to the potential power of churches around election time. In the past, researchers mistakenly thought that whether or not one voted had to do with one’s income or education level. As it turns out, these are not the underlying determinants. Of particular significance is how voting is a social phenomenon. It has to do with what your friends, family members, coworkers, and parishioners are talking about and doing. Are they talking about the election? Are they voting themselves? Are they asking if you are voting? Notably, churches can play a powerful role in high voter turnout areas.
In the past month, members of the Pollinator audience have been doing an incredible job of maximizing the power of churches to make a difference in this election. The Environmental Ministries Team of the Southern New England Conference led a campaign that led to over 500 people taking the Creation Care Voter Pledge, a pledge to consistently vote one’s values. In the Pacific Northwest Conference, the Rev. Roberta Rominger has organized 39 UCC volunteers from across the country to send text messages to potential environmental voters in encouraging them to vote. Altogether, they have sent over 100,000 text messages!
We have heard about the importance of individuals having a voting plan. Now, we realize how important it is for churches to have their own plan when it comes to encouraging members and others to vote. The next few weeks offer a vital opportunity to make the most of your faith community’s collective power.
With gratitude for your ministry,
Election Resource Round-Up
The UCC's Our Faith Our Vote program has outlined six ways church members can engage this election season. Additionally, there are these election resources:
-Join #TheUCCVotes social media campaign to share why voting is important to you.
-Take a pledge to defend the democratic process as a person of faith.
-Participate in an October 25th training to become a precinct chaplain for this election.
Energizing Energy Justice in the South Conference
Over the next two days, faith leaders and others in the South will be coming together for a virtual conference on energy justice. Conference attendees will learn how faith communities can act to address the disproportionate economical and environmental impacts of energy inequity. Register now!
New England Environmental Justice Youth Summit
The New Hampshire conference is partnering with the Southern New England Conference and 350NH to offer an environmental justice youth summit. It will feature speakers such as the Rev. Gordon Rankin, the Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Marla Marcum, and more. There will also be screenings of documentaries on Standing Rock and the struggle to close a coal plant. Register now for this summit on November 19th and 21st.
Healthy Eating and Justice
The racial and economic disparities witnessed now with COVID-19 were long in the making as a result of pre-existing inequalities. Unequal access to healthy food is a critical issue for long-term health, and a matter in need of faith-rooted action. Ian Skoggard of the UCC's Food Justice Affinity Group reflects upon these issues in a new commentary.
Movie Review: Kiss the Ground
Bill Bross reviews a new documentary on Netflix called Kiss the Ground. In this movie, science experts and celebrity activists unpack the ways in which the earth's soil may be the key to combating climate change and restoring a bit of paradise here on earth. Read more...
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