Please see the updates below on UCC Disaster Ministries’ efforts following Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. We are starting to hear from some of our conference churches and members about how they are planning to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery. Next week we will share some examples and creative ways people are offering to help. We encourage you to donate to UCC Disaster Ministries through your congregation
Read MoreThe nearly 15 million people who call the Southern Border region home are part of a vibrant community that contributes to and strengthens our nation. But for decades, border communities have endured hyper militarization to the detriment of our economy, our safety, and our dignity. It’s time for common-sense border policies that revitalize, not militarize, our communities, and do the following:
Read MoreTo speak out that “less lethal” force is not acceptable when American citizens are acting within their constitutional rights, you may attend local listening sessions hosted by representatives from the police and mayor’s office who will be receiving questions and comments from the public.
Read MoreThe Conference Minister for the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ, Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons, has issued the following statement regarding the administration’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy.
Read MoreAs we mark Just Peace Sunday on Sept. 17, we share John Leung's sermon from August 6, which he kindly forwarded to us.
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Terminating DACA would mean turning our nation’s back on immigrant youth who are valued members of our communities. The consequences of repealing DACA would be severe and profound, as it would put the nearly 800,000 dreamers at immediate risk of deportation.
Read MoreWe pray God’s blessings in abundance on Taos UCC as they hold their first Sunday gathering!
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As we watch the devastation being wrought by Hurricane Harvey we join with many of our fellow Americans who are praying for and extending their concerns to those affected. Events of this scale are accompanied with immediate shock. But, it will be many days before we will begin to comprehend the full extent of loss of life and property damage (both personal and real). We assure you we will keep you informed about our UCC congregations impacted and how you can assist them and their communities. Phil Shea is your point of contact for the Southwest Conference, philipshea@justicestar.org or 602-663-5065.
Read MoreUCC Disaster Ministries is already gearing up for long-term recovery work in the region.
Read MoreHaving learned that the President has pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio, the Southwest Conference of the United Church of Christ stands in solidarity with our Latino neighbors, and we share their outrage. As a Christian and a person of faith, we denounce the president’s action as an affront to the worth and dignity of all human beings, particularly people of color and immigrants.
Read MoreThank you, Tom Martinez, Marilyn Rampley, and Barb Doerrer-Peacock for getting these fantastic shots.
Read More"I invite you to check out my Letter to the Editor in Today's Arizona Republic. Just what I was hoping for to send my voice and presence since I cannot join folks at the rally.
Read More“The news headlines don’t tell the whole story about Phoenix police use of force to disperse crowds outside the Phoenix Convention Center on Tuesday night,” said Rev. Dr. Bill Lyons, spiritual leader of the United Church of Christ in Arizona, New Mexico, and El Paso, TX. “Police continued to deploy chemical munitions against a crowd that was chanting, ‘Peaceful protest! Peaceful protest!’ while holding their hands in the air. I know because I was there. I was gassed.
Read MoreIn the words of First Church UCC Phoenix: Thank you for your joining us for an incredible vigil and march downtown! We made our presence known.
Read MoreOur deepest condolences to Debby Stinton, pastoral assistant at Church of the Palms, on the loss of her son, Rick Woodford.
Read MoreThe progressive Protestant leadership in Arizona is uniting behind a call against the evil of white supremacy in advance of President Donald Trump's visit to Phoenix Tuesday evening, as two UCC faith communities and the Southwest Conference organize an assembly of love and justice in response to the president's rally at the Phoenix Convention Center.
Read MoreAs leaders of our faith traditions in Arizona, we, the undersigned members of the Bishops and Executives Roundtable, join our voices to affirm the value of every human being. We stand together to bear witness to what is happening in our streets, offering a truthful counternarrative to stories that blame victims and rationalize bodily harm and murder. We name as evil the thoughts, words, and deeds of white supremacy because they violate the image of God in which every human being is created.
Read MoreThis year, Just Peace Sunday is September 17th and our theme is Remember, Repent, Renew: The Way of Just Peace. This theme is based on the lectionary passage Genesis 50:15-21 in which Joseph is reconciled to his brothers.
Read MoreSeptember 10, 2017 is World Suicide Prevention Day. That weekend, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Faith Communities Task Force invites faith communities across the nation to pray for those whose lives have been touched by suicide. In collaboration with other leaders in faith, business, government, healthcare, and social justice, the Task Force has organized a campaign for a National Day of Prayer for Faith, Hope, & Life.
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