The Network is growing!

United Methodist churches are increasingly not waiting for the UMC to change their policies of exclusion—they are being the church now. They are choosing Biblical Obedience, whether that be in officiating same gender weddings or choosing not to host any wedding until it is legal for all. Churches are voting to be intentionally welcoming by becoming Reconciling. Individuals are being trained by the hundreds to help those churches in their process. Three prominent United Methodists made statements for LGBTQ inclusion recently—one was a bishop, one a former Secretary of State, and one a GOP senator. The spirit of inclusion is moving and it is bringing change to places like Texas and South Carolina and everywhere in between. Hearts are changing as we learned 58% of Americans are in favor of marriage equality. As Bishop Gene Robinson said, “I know in my heart how this ends: full LGBT inclusions in our country, institutions, temples, mosques, and churches. Knowing how it ends helps you get there.”

Celebrating new communities in the network

City Square Church Phoenix, AZ
Wesley UMC Aurora, IL
First UMC Melrose, MA
Dawsey SS Class of Washington Street UMC Columbia, SC
Open Hearts Support Group at St. Peter’s UMC Katy, TX
First UMC Austin, TX
United Parish Upton, MA
Fairlington UMC Alexandria, VA
Fairport UMC Fairport, NY
Lake Park UMC Oakland, CA
Thirst (Early Worship Community of Fall City UMC) Fall City, WA
Christ in Culture Class of Wells Memorial UMC Jackson, Mississippi

MFSA Welcomes JD!

MFSA would like to welcome our new Associate for Movement Building, John Daniel (JD) Gore!  JD comes to MFSA as a Mission Intern with the General Board of Global Ministries. Prior to coming to MFSA, JD completed his international placement at Wi’am, a center for conflict resolution located in Bethlehem, Palestine.

Originally from Michigan, JD brings with him great passion for Palestinian liberation, peacebuilding, and community organizing. At MFSA, his primary tasks will include social media, building relationships with like-minded organizations, and communicating with Chapters and Chapters-in-Formation.

In partnership with the Mission Intern program, the General Board of Global Ministries provides a stipend; MFSA provides housing. Welcome JD with a gift to support his housing while he’s at MFSA!

We welcome JD into a long line of former Mission Interns who have been engaged with MFSA in a variety of ways and give thanks for the gifts he brings to the work we do!

National MFSA recent newsletter:

Click Here

Reconciling Ministries recent newsletter:

http://www.rmnetwork.org/latest/

General Board of Church & Society – Faith in Action

http://umc-gbcs.org/faith-in-action

One way in which our local MFSA chapters can help our national organization and each other is through development of a network of volunteers who have expertise in researching the availability of grant funding for the myriad issues in which MFSA is involved.  It is clear at this time that individual donations alone are not sufficient to support the work that MFSA truly needs to do.  We are looking for volunteers to research grant sources, write proposals, and work with our national office to make this successful.  If you have skills or experience in these activities and would be willing to devote some time to this effort, please contact Rowland Curry at rcurry@austin.rr.com.

How to join or support MFSA

Please join with us as we connect progressive United Methodists in putting faith into action!

Membership in MFSA is not predicated on ability to pay.  We do not have “dues”.  However, our Chapter and the National Office need funding each year for programs and activities.  Membership gifts and special giving are always appreciated. MFSA is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization by the IRS.   Membership gifts to MFSA are tax deductible as provided by law.

There are several easy ways to join or support MFSA.

• You can log onto the national MFSA website, http://www.mfsaweb.org and follow the instructions there (you can safely use a credit card
• ). Please indicate that you are part of the SWTX Chapter.
• Or, you can mail a check made out to “SWTX – MFSA” to our Treasurer, Janice Curry, at 1509 Mearns Meadow Blvd, Austin 78758.  The suggested donation is $60, but any amount is welcome.  Thanks for your support!

We have eight monthly meetings per year, generally on the second Thursday of the month.  We communicate using monthly electronic newsletters & updates to our website and Facebook page.

MFSA – Chapter Website:  http://www.swtmfsa.wordpress.com

MFSA – National Site: http://www.mfsaweb.org

Check out our Facebook Page
Southwest-TX-Chapter-MFSA

LuncheonFlyer2013

A Conversation About Gun Laws And Gun Violence

What are the gun laws in Texas?  Where may you take and not take a loaded handgun?  How is the Texas Legislature working to loosen Texas gun laws in 2013?

Will guns soon be allowed on all college and university campuses (classrooms, libraries, labs, public spaces) in Texas by law?

What has been the effect of the Newtown CT school massacre on the Texas Legislature, as well as state houses in other Western states?

Our guest speaker will be Nina Butts, with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.  Nina has lived in Austin since 1977, and founded Texans Against Gun Violence with Bruce Elfant and Debby Tucker in 1993.  She grew up in Dallas, and was an eyewitness to President Kennedy’s motorcade after he was shot on Nov 22 1963.  She was a Contributing Writer for Texas Observer 1981- 1985, and ran for Congress in the Tenth Congressional District of TX in 1986.  Nina was a full time registered lobbyist for Texans Against Gun Violence in 2 sessions of the Texas Legislature (1999 and 2001) and helped initiate the gun law linked to domestic violence that was signed by Rick Perry in 2001.  In addition to continuing activism, Nina teaches English at Austin Community College.

Come at 6:30 p.m. for snacks and mingling; the program begins at 7p.m. Invite your friends and neighbors – all are welcome.

Thanks to Bee Morehead of Texas Impact for presenting our Valentine’s Day program.  There are many Texas issues that concern people of faith.  Bee encouraged us to stay informed and contact our Legislators to express our concerns. Here is one of the issues that is of interest:

Medicaid Expansion

– Texas ranks first among states in its share of uninsured residents, at 23.8 percent in 2011 – more than 6 million people- compared with a national average of 15.7 percent.

Under the Affordable Care Act, Texas could cover adults aged 18-64 whose incomes are below 138% of the federal poverty level ($15,415 for a single adult and $31,809 for a family of four.  The federal government would pay 100 percent for the first three years and 90% of the cost of coverage in future years.  Read the Smart, Affordable and Fair publication by Texas Impact and Methodist Healthcare Ministries at http://texasimpact.org/2013-Medicaid-Expansion-Report

Governor Perry has stated that Texas will reject the Medicaid expansion provision of federal health reform.  If you are passionate about this, here is something that you can do.

Texas My Medicaid Matters – March and Rally

Tuesday, March 5 – 10:00 am – South Side of Congress Bridge

10:00 a.m. – People begin gathering for march & rally on the south side of the Congress bridge.

10:45 a.m. – March begins.

11:30 a.m. – Rally on the south steps of the state Capitol

March 5, 2013, Texans will gather at the Capitol to support Medicaid and call on state leaders to make real investments in the health and wellbeing of all Texans. We need your help to send a message to the legislature and state leadership that Medicaid is essential to the health and well being of millions of Texans.

On Saturday, February 23, the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP) presented our MFSA Chapter with an Appreciation Award for our support of their efforts to abolish the death penalty in Texas.  A highlight of the annual conference held at St. Edward’s University was the presentation by Anthony Graves, death row exoneree, who spent 18 years on death row before he was freed.

Reverend Gil Caldwell

On Saturday, February 9, about 85 people gathered at Saint John’s UMC in Austin to hear Rev. Gil Caldwell share his journey toward justice – “Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere” (MLK): Racism, Sexism, and Heterosexism.  Rev. Caldwell is a retired United Methodist Minister and a 1951 graduate of Austin’s Anderson High School.  He is a long-time activist in the Civil Rights Movement, including the Selma to Montgomery March, the March on Washington, D.C., and the March in Boston against school segregation. Rev. Caldwell wrote the following about our conversation together.

“We gathered to celebrate and energize our continuing efforts to push, pull and pray in ways that The United Methodist Church would rid itself of its language and legislation that declares; “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching”. We have never been as clear about slavery, racial segregation and prohibitions against the ordination of women being “incompatible with Christian teaching”.  But, we have chosen Lesbians and Gays as being needful of this language and legislation.  And, The UMC continues to debate what its response should be to transgender persons and same sex couples.  I used as my theme the question posed by James Baldwin; “Who wants to be integrated into a burning house?”  I spoke to them about my involvement in Truth in Progress http://truthinprogress.com/ and the Church Within A Church Movement, http://www.cwac.us/ suggesting that support of TIP would be helpful and involvement in CWAC would complement their efforts to transform the UMC.”

The Interfaith Environmental Network of Austin

Invites You to Attend our Monthly Symposium

7:00 pm Tuesday, March 5, 2013
at St. David’s Episcopal Church

301 East 8th Street, in downtown Austin

This month’s presentation:

How to Start & Sustain a Green Team
in Your House of Worship

Ever wonder how others in Austin’s faith community are caring for creation? Looking for ideas on how to get a green team going in your house of worship (or elsewhere), raise funds, and keep the good work going—all while having fun and building community?

Join us Tuesday, March 5th, to hear from green team leaders from across Austin’s diverse religious landscape. We’ll have 3 to 5 representatives who, just like you, are working to make their congregations more environmentally sustainable. They’ll share stories of “greening” their houses of worship and working within their communities—the successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Following their presentations our panelists will take audience questions. Yaira A. Robinson of Texas Interfaith Power & Light will facilitate.  Come hear Austin’s leading green congregations tell their stories!