Program planned and produced by Texas Impact 

 JANUARY 27-29, 2013

Austin, Texas 

Holiday Inn Austin Midtown
6000 Middle Fiskville

Monday Evening Keynote Speaker:

Harriett Jane Olson, United Methodist –

Women’s Deputy General Secretary

PROGRAM AGENDA AND MORE INFORMATION AT

WWW.TEXASIMPACT.ORG

 EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 6, 2013

http://txumw2013.eventbrite.com/#

Partnership for the Common Good: Texas Impact’s Guide to the Issues 2013

Download “Partnership For The Common Good” in PDF Format. (right-click and choose “Save As…” to download the PDF)

Note: In addition to this legislative agenda, Texas Impact holds historic legislative positions based on long-affirmed social principles of our member denominations. Read a brief overview of our legislative principles here.

Introduction

Texas faith communities know that government is essential, but for public programs to be effective we need real partnerships—between local communities and state programs, between concerned individuals and institutions, and between for-profit service providers and the charitable community. Texas can prepare for the future by building robust partnerships that ensure we are moving forward on a strong foundation, with an ethic of shared responsibility and a true sense of community.

Legislators took positive steps toward community partnerships in 2011, and those steps are bearing fruit. Faith and community-based organizations, local governments, business and state agencies are coming together to feed hungry Texans, support at-risk youth, conserve precious resources, and other strategies to advance the common good.

Texas Impact urges the 83rd Texas Legislature to continue its investment in community partnership programs and policies. The following specific strategies will build the capacity of all Texans to work in partnership for a vibrant, prosperous and healthy Texas.

Strategies for Building Community Partnerships in 2013

• Promote family financial stability
• Improve access to healthy, affordable food
• Ensure Texans have access to quality, affordable health insurance
• Strengthen Texas’ public education system
• Build capacity for service in local communities
• Improve law enforcement and criminal justice outcomes for individuals with mental illness
• Promote clean, reliable, affordable energy
• Build an accountable-stewardship foundation for water policy
• Take an appropriate and balanced approach to immigration issues
• Strengthen the state revenue system

http://texasimpact.org/PDFs/LegeAgenda2013.pdf

Women’s Advocacy

Lives of our gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender brothers and sisters in Uganda are in jeopardy Take a stand to protect the lives and safety of our brothers and sisters in Uganda The Uganda Parliament will be considering a bill that would outlaw homosexuality in that country, putting LBGT individuals and their families at great risk.  It has been called the “world’s most harsh and comprehensively homophobic law.” Sign the petition December 12, 2012 Oppose Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Law Within The United Methodist Church, we have had significant disagreements over issues of human sexuality. We have been unified in our commitment to non-violence, however, and to the protection of LBGT individuals from discrimination and harm. As our Book of Discipline clearly states, we believe that “all persons, regardless of …sexual orientation, are entitled to have their human and civil rights ensured and to be protected against violence.” The Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which could be considered by the Uganda Parliament any day now, makes homosexuality punishable by imprisonment and endangers LGBT individuals and their loved ones. Please take a moment to sign these petitions to Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Uganda Parliament Speaker Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga to urge them to drop this discriminatory legislation, and instead engage in open dialogue about human sexuality. Yours in Christ’s love for all God’s creation, Amee Paparella Director of Women’s Advocacy action alert! On Christmas Eve, another gun-related tragedy struck: two firefighters in a New York town were shot and killed by a man with a semi-automatic assault rifle. When will our lawmakers step up to stop the violence?   Congress: Protecting Americans IS Bipartisan On Christmas Eve, yet another town in America fell victim to gun violence. An ex-convict, armed with a semi-automatic assault rifle, set fire to his house in Webster, New York and then killed two of the firefighters who showed up to protect him — one of whom was just 19 years old. How many more needless gun deaths must Americans watch before our elected leaders take action? Aurora. Sandy Hook. And now Webster. After every massacre, Americans ask the same question — what laws can we pass to protect our families? And every time, the answer’s the same: nothing. Time after time, the discussion gets derailed by needless partisan bickering. It’s high time that we as Americans declared “Enough is enough.” There is no reason for any member of Congress to maintain that military-grade weaponry should be available on the market, no matter which party they belong to. Tell Congress to prioritize our country’s safety ahead of political games, before more innocent people die. Thank you for taking action,Kathleen Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

action alert!

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.

November Chapter Meeting on Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON)

The November 8 MFSA meeting will focus on the Justice for Our Neighbor (JFON) ministry. The speaker will be Rev. Liliana Padilla, pastor at the Emanuel UMC in San Antonio where the new JFON clinic opened on October 20. Rev. Padilla was an ordained UMC minister in Mexico before immigrating to Texas. As a former JFON client, she is familiar with the difficult journey through immigration policy and laws.  Prior to opening the JFON clinic in San Antonio, she was involved in the JFON clinic in Dallas. Her husband, Miguel, is the leader of the JFON site team at Emanuel UMC.

The Austin District will select a UMC site in Austin in January 2013.  The request for proposal (RFP) deadline is December 4.  Information from the Austin District RFP:

To expand our capacity to be in ministry with our community, the Austin District seeks a host site for a permanent JFON Immigration law clinic within the Austin District limits.  The JFON Clinic will provide free immigration legal aid to qualified individuals to assist them to attain full resident status with the USA.  JFON will also provide education to the public and advocacy services on behalf of people with immigration problems.

Please join us on Thursday, November 8, at Saint John’s UMC, 2140 Allandale Rd., for this interesting program.   Snacks and visiting begin at 6:30pm; the program begins at 7:00.

This past week the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church met in Elk Grove, IL, and declared the decisions of General Conference  surrounding guaranteed appointments and clergy appointments to “transitional leave” as unconstitutional, “null, void and of no effect.”  The Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) celebrates these actions as crucial to a deeper understanding of clergy covenant and effectiveness.

In relation to the security of appointment, the Judicial Council cited contradictions in the Discipline between paragraphs and violations of the third and forth restrictive rules of the Constitution of The United Methodist Church.  In relation to the changes made in language around transitional leave, giving a Bishop the ability to appoint a clergy person in good standing to transitional leave and in effect leave them without appointment, the Judicial Council stated, “Fair process procedures, trials and appeals are integral parts of the privilege of our clergy of right to trial by a committee and of appeal and is an absolute right which cannot be eradicated by legislation.”

“The Judicial Council’s ruling not only affirms our Wesleyan heritage of itinerancy, but also highlights the importance of theological, age, gender, and racial diversity within The United Methodist Church,” states Chett Pritchett, Interim Executive Director of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. “The work of the Church is best done through diffused power-sharing among both laity and ordained clergy, Cabinets and Boards of Ordained Ministry. This ruling is a strong reminder that such leadership is crucial to The United Methodist Church remaining a relevant reflection of God’s world.”

At The United Methodist Church’s General Conference this past spring, MFSA had hoped the Church might engage in conversation about ways to strengthen the clergy covenant and empower Bishops to better utilize their Boards of Ordained Ministry in cases of clergy effectiveness, rather than developing an adversarial approach leading to a culture of fear and distrust.   The Judicial Council ruling opens a door to broader discussion about faithful calling, training, and support of clergy in a two-way covenant system.

You can read the full text of the Judicial Council’s decision here.

Please consider helping our neighbors through UMCOR and the American Red Cross.

UMCOR – United Methodist Committee On Relief

United Methodists come together to help neighbors face massive Hurricane #Sandy. #umc #umcor #dreamumc

http://www.umcor.org/UMCOR/Resources/News-Stories/2012/October/Millions-Fear-Storm

You can help people affected by disasters like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, fires and tornadoes, at home or around the world, by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10001