Faith In Action
Before we can begin a new journey, we need to understand the map. Two terms that are central to this work, and which are often confused, are "racial justice" and "decentering whiteness." While they are deeply connected, they have different focuses.
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We are living in a time of ecological urgency. As climate protections are rolled back and sacred lands come under threat, people of faith are called to respond—not with despair, but with moral courage and hope. The Season of Creation invites us into this sacred work: to honor the Earth, to lament its desecration, and to act boldly for its healing.
From September 1 to October 4, Christians around the world observe this liturgical season as a time to reconnect with Creation and recommit to justice. This year’s theme, drawn from Isaiah 32, reminds us that peace cannot flourish where justice is absent and relationships—between humanity, Creation, and God—are broken.
In partnership with 19 national faith organizations, Creation Justice Ministries is leading public witnesses across the country to call for “peace with Creation.” One such gathering will take place on September 9 at 8:00 AM at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, where Arizona faith leaders will lift their voices in prayer, testimony, and prophetic call for climate justice.
Let us come together in faith, in solidarity, and in action. The Earth is crying out—and we are called to listen, to respond, and to lead.
Read MoreBurke Scot Beu, a member of Washington Park UCC in Denver, introduced this poem/song at the General Synod of the UCC in Kansas City in July. It was read at a poetry reading hosted by the UCC's General Minister, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia Thompson.
Burke has shared it with us for use in our congregations on Indigenous Peoples' Day (Monday, October 13) and the day before (Sunday, October 12). He's been focusing his efforts recently on DC-based organizations to promote the idea of reciting his poem with the national anthem on Indigenous Peoples' Day.
This poem can be spoken or sung as lyrics to St. Denio, a traditional Welsh melody known in many churches as the hymn "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" by Walter C. Smith. The first verse is a stand-alone secular piece. The second verse, for church, is a modified version of the original hymn.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Open our eyes
to that which we overlook or minimize.
Let's see all of history, the best and the worst.
Remember and honor those who were here first.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible, above the skies,
the highest, most holy, the Ancient of Days –
yet think of the lowly when God’s name we praise.
© 2025 Burke Scot Beu
(free to use w/ copyright acknowledgment)
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Emerging threats demand emerging strategies. The rise of AI data centers has been a driver in the rise in power demand and increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Moreover, the advanced cooling systems required by these data centers necessitate high levels of water consumption which can have serious ecological consequences, especially in places of water scarcity. Finally, the technological components of AI data centers require the extracting of rare earth minerals in addition to generating enormous amounts of electronic waste. The justice concerns intertwined with these issues are many when one considers the racial and economic disparities in bearing the cost of everything from increased utility bills to the harms of climate change.
To address what is at stake and point us toward emerging strategies, we will hear from Anthony Rogers-Wright from the Black Hive of Movement for Black Lives, Nayyirah Shariff from Flint Rising, Wanda Mosley from Black Voters Matter, and Lindsay Harper from Arm in Arm.
Even if you cannot make our scheduled time of Wednesday, September 10th at 1 pm ET/10 am PT, still sign-up, and we will send you a recording afterward. Register now!
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The Southwest Conference is thrilled to introduce our new dedicated website section: Decentering Whiteness: Our Journey Together. This new resource is designed to provide your congregation with clear pathways, resources, and support. Our objective is to deepen your understanding of how whiteness has shaped our society and church life, to build a shared vocabulary, and to create a foundation for ongoing transformation. This is a journey we are taking together, and this new section is our shared map and compass.
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Read MoreVarious dates/times, August 21 - September 16 via Zoom
Join Election Protection Arizona (EPAZ) to help answer voter questions during the CD-7 election on September 23 across Tucson, Yuma, San Luis, Bisbee, Tolleson, Avondale, Gila Bend and more! Election Protection Arizona volunteers act as nonpartisan poll monitors and help answer voting process questions in real time. This training is virtual through Zoom and will last approximately 1 hour. Completing this training is a prerequisite to serve as a poll monitor. Upon completion of the training volunteers will be allowed to sign up for an in-person shift on Election Day.
AFN is working in partnership with EPAZ to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count.
Read Morewritten by Diana Winston in the Scottsdale Congregational newsletter, iConnect:
Even in this era of aggressive immigration enforcement, immigrants in our community are not without rights. Many are unaware of those rights, and as allies to our immigrant friends and neighbors, we can help them by letting them know they are not helpless and by speaking up if we see anything we believe violates their rights.
Contrary to what some would claim, the Bill of Rights of our US Constitution applies to visitors and immigrants as well as citizens. Generally speaking, people approached by ICE or CBP agents have the right to remain silent. They should not speak or answer questions. They particularly should not answer questions about where they are from or how long they have been in the US. Other general rules are to never lie or run away, and to refuse a search.
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Read MoreThe A.C.T OUT Initiative is the next chapter in the Open and Affirming movement—calling churches to move beyond symbolic statements into Advocacy, Community, and Transformation. As hate rises and justice is under attack, we’re organizing a national team to build toolkits, trainings, and campaigns that move churches into real-world activism and faithful advocacy.
Want to be part of it? Fill out the form to get involved: openandaffirming.org/actout
For my UCC siblings who are delegates to General Synod, I would appreciate your prayerful consideration of the resolution the Southwest Conference UCC and the UCC Movement for Palestinian Solidarity are bringing to Kansas City this week. Thank you, and please share with your network. - Christopher Schouten
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Dear Conference Ministers, General Synod Delegates, and Siblings in Christ,
At this General Synod you will be asked to consider a resolution from the Southwest Conference, "Declaration for An End to Genocide in Palestine." In order to help you prepare for this important discussion and vote, we encourage you to review the resources found in the links below.
Read MoreLast weekend, the launch of the seventh Climate Hope Affiliate was celebrated in Atlanta, Georgia. Affiliates address the interconnected crises of climate change and societal injustice by developing ongoing relationships with Members of Congress, local media, and others in the broader community. Let us know if you are interested in starting an affiliate where you live.
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Arizona Faith Network has already welcomed over 15,000 visits to their Heat Relief Centers this summer. Each visit represents a neighbor seeking refuge from triple-digit temperatures, often with no other place to go.
But the need keeps growing. Right now, vulnerable individuals and families are facing historic challenges, limited shelter access, overwhelmed services, and life-threatening exposure.
See how you can help: Donate supplies, attend a bag-packing event, or volunteer at a cooling & hydration center.
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As a faith-rooted organization committed to justice, stewardship, and the flourishing of all creation, the Arizona Faith Network strongly opposes the public lands sell-off proposal embedded in the Senate budget reconciliation package, introduced by Senator Mike Lee.
Selling over 2 million acres of public lands, lands that belong to all Americans, betrays our shared moral and spiritual obligation to care for the earth and ensure equitable access to its abundance. These lands are sacred: They hold ecological, cultural, and spiritual significance for Indigenous communities, sustain local economies, and provide sanctuary for all who seek renewal in creation.
This proposal is not only reckless but also a violation of public trust. Congress is prioritizing short-term political and corporate interests over the long-term well-being of our communities, our climate, and our common home by attempting to force through this sell-off under the guise of budget reconciliation without public input or environmental review.
As people of faith, we say clearly: public lands are not for sale. Their purpose is not to fund tax breaks for the wealthy, but to support life, biodiversity, and intergenerational justice. Once these lands are privatized, they are lost forever, fences go up, access is denied, and the public loses an irreplaceable gift.
We call on Arizona’s Senators to reject any provision that authorizes the sale of public lands. Let us uphold our sacred trust to future generations by defending our shared landscapes, not auctioning them off.
Let us act with courage and care now for public lands.
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Apache Stronghold vows to continue fighting to save sacred site from destruction
Washington, DC: On June 23, the Apache Stronghold will be filing a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to reconsider its refusal to hear our appeal. As you heard, two Justices voted to hear our case, calling it "vitally important," and criticizing the Ninth Circuit's ruling against us as "highly doubtful as a matter of law." In addition, any day now, the Supreme Court will issue its ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor, which is another case about government-imposed burdens on religious exercise. We think the Supreme Court's decision in Mahmoud will add further support to our case.
The fight to protect Apache Religious Freedom and the sacred land of Chi'chil Bildagoteel (Oak Flat) from destruction IS NOT OVER! Dr. Wendsler Nosie, Sr. and the Apache Stronghold will begin their journey to the Supreme Court on Thursday, June 19. We ask all our supporters to join with us in praying that the Supreme Court will reconsider its terrible decision not to hear our case.
Dr. Wendsler Nosie, Sr. reminds us that while we are petitioning the Supreme Court of this nation, there is a higher court with the Creator as judge that guides our journey. Just as Moses spoke in the Bible warning the people of breaking from God’s ways, we pray that this nation’s people and the Supreme Court will finally change their path of death and choose life. “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” (Deut. 30:19)
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Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth is a moral failure and a heartbreaking injustice. This ruling abandons vulnerable children and their families to the political whims of state governments, disregarding the lived realities, medical consensus, and human dignity of transgender youth.
As people of faith committed to justice and radical inclusion, the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ grieves this ruling and the harm it inflicts. We reject the idea that any government has the right to deny life-saving, evidence-based healthcare because of a young person’s gender identity. We reject a theology that would permit such cruelty. And we reject the misuse of power that seeks to control, erase, and endanger trans lives.
Read MoreThe Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ is honored to partner with the Alzheimer’s Association to offer two powerful new resources: the Purple Sunday Toolkit and Clergy Guide. These tools are designed to help ONA congregations raise awareness, extend care, and build inclusive communities of support for those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias especially within LGBTQ+ communities.
Read MoreWe received this update from Melanie Beikman of Arizona Power & Light:
Greetings Amicus Brief supporters of Apache Stronghold,
We have updates for you today. Last month we shared with you the news that Apache Stronghold’s case was not taken up by the Supreme Court. With the Trump Administration preparing to start the land transfer on June 16, the timeline for saving Oak Flat was very short. Now, the timeline has extended a bit. We want to share that development and the next steps for Apache Stronghold. And we will invite you to take action.
Read MoreThe US Supreme Court has refused to hear the petition of the Apache Stronghold to overrule a lower court ruling that transfers the Holy Ground at Oak Flat to the Resolution Copper Company for total destruction of this sacred ground in the mining process.
We are saddened and upset to learn of this decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear and rule on this petition. We remain in solidarity with the the Apache Stronghold, the Apache Nation, and the many Native peoples and their allies in this fight to Save Oak Flat.
Arizona Poor People's Campaign
Click HERE for the press release provided by the Apache Stronghold and its legal representative, Becket Law.
Click HERE for the news article from the Arizona Republic.
Watch Wendsler Nosie interviewed on CNN on May 31, 2025.
Read MoreAs immigration enforcement intensifies across Arizona, our faith communities are being called to respond—not with fear but with courage, compassion, and collective action.
You are invited to a Virtual Statewide Interfaith Training on Rapid Response for Accompaniment hosted by Corazón Arizona and the Arizona Faith Network. This gathering will offer tools and guidance for faith leaders, advocates, and community members who want to show up in solidarity with immigrant families facing ICE activity in Phoenix, Tucson, and beyond.
🗓 Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
🕡 Time: 6:30 PM (Arizona time)
💻 Location: Zoom
🔗 Register here:https://form-usa.keela.co/652025-training
On September 21st, faith communities across the country will be joining a grassroots climate action to celebrate Sun Day! This will be a day to celebrate the gift and power of clean energy while standing up to the profiteers, polluters, and potentates who threaten our health and future. This event will kick off our national mobilization with the theme of "Bringing Climate Hope to Sun Day."
Learn about what's being planned. Get plugged into resources for worship and action. Registered congregations will be provided with advocacy cards directed at Congress that feature the artwork of this year's Climate Hope Art Contest winner.
Speakers for this kick-off event will include Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree, Rev. Michael Malcom, Sue Mueller, and more.
Even if you cannot make it at the scheduled time of 1 pm ET on Wednesday, June 11th, still sign up, and we will send you a link afterward.
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☀️ As triple-digit temperatures return, Arizona Faith Network is gearing up to open our Heat Relief Sites across the Valley. These sites provide life-saving hydration, cooling, and care for our neighbors experiencing homelessness or heat vulnerability.
We need your help. From volunteering onsite to donating water, snacks, or sun protection gear, there are many ways to get involved.
💧 Learn more and sign up to volunteer today.
Together, we can make sure no one is left in the heat!
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