California Council of Churches - Latest News

Reminder: Free webinar on separation of church and state tomorrow, July 12. Join us!

7/11/2017

Dear Friends:

We are sending a reminder about a very important webinar you may want to do with us tomorrow, July 12 at 10 am Pacific Time.

https://calnp.memberclicks.net/webinar71217#/

One crucial and under-scrutinized component of President Trump's tax reform package concerns the Johnson Amendment, which guarantees that nonprofits — including churches and religious organizations — cannot endorse candidates for election.

This law, named after then-Senator Lyndon Johnson and signed by President Eisenhower, protects nonprofits from being pressured by donors to support particular candidates in any election. (Nonprofits can take positions on propositions, but not on candidates.)
On Wednesday, July 12th at 10AM (PDT), CalNonprofits and the California Council of Churches will be presenting a fast-paced webinar to educate church and nonprofit members, staff, and board members about who supports and who opposes repeal of the Johnson Amendment, and what the arguments are on each side.

We’re pleased that the National Council of Nonprofits — which is tracking the issue closely in Washington — will be on hand to explain the specifics of the Johnson Amendment and give an up-to-the-minute status report.

Key topics:
• What is the Johnson Amendment and why is it so important to the nonprofit community?
• What are the various groups supporting and opposing repeal, and what are their reasons?
• What are the projections for whether repeal will succeed?
• What steps are nonprofits, religious organizations and foundations taking?

Speakers:
Nancy Berlin, Policy Director, CalNonprofits
Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser, Executive Director, The California Council of Churches
David L. Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy, National Council of Nonprofits
Tiffany L. Gourley, State Policy Counsel, National Council of Nonprofits

To register for this important webinar as either a Cal Nonprofit member or non-member, please click here

We hope you will join us for the important and timely look at an issue critical to us all.

Thank you.

Join our webinar July 12 on the impacts of overturning separation of church and state

7/3/2017

Dear Friends:

One crucial and under-scrutinized component of President Trump's tax reform package concerns the Johnson Amendment, which guarantees that nonprofits — including churches and religious organizations — cannot endorse candidates for election.

This law, named after then-Senator Lyndon Johnson and signed by President Eisenhower, protects nonprofits from being pressured by donors to support particular candidates in any election. (Nonprofits can take positions on propositions, but not on candidates.)

On Wednesday, July 12th at 10AM (PDT), CalNonprofits and the California Council of Churches will be presenting a fast-paced webinar to educate church and nonprofit members, staff, and board members about who supports and who opposes repeal of the Johnson Amendment, and what the arguments are on each side.

We’re pleased that the National Council of Nonprofits — which is tracking the issue closely in Washington — will be on hand to explain the specifics of the Johnson Amendment and give an up-to-the-minute status report.

Key topics:
• What is the Johnson Amendment and why is it so important to the nonprofit community?
• What are the various groups supporting and opposing repeal, and what are their reasons?
• What are the projections for whether repeal will succeed?
• What steps are nonprofits, religious organizations and foundations taking?

Speakers:
Nancy Berlin, Policy Director, CalNonprofits
The California Council of Churches (speaker to be announced)
David L. Thompson, Vice President of Public Policy, National Council of Nonprofits
Tiffany L. Gourley, State Policy Counsel, National Council of Nonprofits

To register for this important webinar as either a Cal Nonprofit member or non-member, please click here

https://calnp.memberclicks.net/webinar71217#/

We hope you will join us for the important and timely look at an issue critical to us all.

Thank you.

Updates on federal health care and what's happening in CA: Background reading

6/1/2017

Dear Friends:

Federal Health Care Proposals

The Congressional Budget Office has ‘scored’ or analyzed the costs and consequences of the proposed House of Representatives replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA). We can now see what will come.

First – it will cut 23 million people from coverage. This is on top of those already not covered totaling 51 million uninsured, the highest number in the history of health coverage.

Included in this number will be people with pre-existing conditions regardless of age. They will nominally have the ‘right’ to coverage but the removal of ACA-guaranteed community benefit costs – sick people are charged the same as healthy people – means premiums will skyrocket. Also there will be no required coverage for preventive or essential issues – gone are guaranteed coverage for maternity, mental health, substance abuse rehab, pediatric dental, physical rehab and home care – all would require cost increases.

Medicaid will be sharply reduced. Those receiving Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) will be forced to work, despite the fact that they either cannot find jobs or are too unwell to perform them. That is rather the point of the program – to insure those who cannot otherwise do so themselves.

Andrew Dreyfus, president of Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Massachusetts decries this trend. (The Hill, May 31, 2017.) It may seem odd for insurance executives to be against higher premiums, but experience with ACA shows that while insurance company profits are much lower, the extension of coverage provides stability for both patients and for insurers. It’s also a moral good to make sure health is not another ‘wedge issue’ dividing our people.

The House bill also cuts subsidies for the middle class. These are what ACA offered to offset higher costs for the working families especially in the lower end of the earnings spectrum. Up to 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, not only was the premium subsidized, so were the out of pocket costs on copays and deductibles. That’s all gone in the House bill.

Should people now fall on hard times and have to drop coverage – which they may do with no penalty – if they renew it, they pay a ‘surcharge’ for non-insurance. This is the same ploy desired by Mercury Insurance on auto coverage that we, the voters of CA, turned down. The idea that being uninsured somehow requires you to pay more when you begin or renew insurance is outrageous. So if you have a pre-existing condition and renew your insurance, and you are lower income, you will probably have to choose between health care coverage and every other thing you need.

Most of the burden will fall on those getting older. It is a matter of fact that as we age, we may be healthy but can still have problems. Someone over 50 but not yet 65 for Medicare and earning $26,500 per year will see their premiums jump from $1700 per year to as high as $16,200 per the CBO scoring. Growing older is a great thing. It shouldn’t become an impossible one.

California Health Plans

In the May Revise (our non-grammatical, wonky term for the May revision of budget projections) the Governor did not make cuts in Medi-Cal before final decisions are made in Washington, DC on federal plans for health care.

Health advocates are urging the Governor and Legislature to use some of the tobacco-tax funds generated by Proposition 56 that we recently passed to expand or restore benefits to our state’s Medi-Cal program. Since this now covers single adults without children, a huge benefit to homeless and low-wage workers, and since many of them have smoking-related health problems, this is a good and consistent use of these funds. (Note- anecdotally it appears the higher tobacco tax is actually working. Smoking and other tobacco uses are on the decline among homeless people who just cannot afford it.)

Other plans include:
Expanding Medi-Cal to all income eligible young adults, regardless of immigration status building on the success of the #HealthforAllKids expansion last year. Young adults are often those who serve us in food handling and retail. Having them healthy keeps us healthy, too.
Restoring and improving Medi-Cal dental care.

Restoring other coverage removed in the 2009 budget cuts.

Expanding Medi-Cal eligibility for aged and disabled.

Increasing provider rates to improve access to Medi-Cal care.
Single Payer is Back

Last but not least – Single Payer, the long-debated and long-desired health coverage is back.
SB 562 (Lara and Atkins) would create a uniform body of coverage open to all people with no insurance companies and full access to any physician or health system in California.

The sticking point for years has been cost and coverage. Former Senator Sheila Kuehl had done an excellent analysis, but there were sticking points as well. He scaled cost (adopted by the Affordable Care Act) that based cost upon income was excellent, but the other taxes were not acceptable, such as the surtax on all estates regardless of amounts.

Now, however, Robert Pollin, an economist from University of Massachusetts-Amherst, has done an analysis that, while needing tweaking, seems to be solidly possible. While the entire cost of health care ranges around $400 billion, the actual amount needed to replace private premiums is $100 billion. That would come down, simplistically, to a 2.8% payroll tax for working people. This tax would replace premiums and be far lower for most people.

There are still difficulties, especially for organized labor and federal labor laws and for low wage workers who, under ACA paid much less, but overall the evaluation shows that single payer is within the grasp of possibility. A bigger problem may loom in the presumption that many federally funded programs will continue. If they do not, the cost evaluations will be massively out of balance. At this point, however, single payer appears to be a significant proposal with many benefits for everyone.

California is not yet facing serious problems in health care coverage. We will be working with you over the next months to make sure no one is sacrificed to a false fiscal austerity.

Next week we will post what is happening with the federal budget, and how it relates to the proposed cuts in health care. It’s not a pretty story, and it will require our full attention to prevent harm and promote good. This will be a challenging year for all of us.

Thank you!

Blessed Ramadan - download and print or buy a sign of affirmation

5/24/2017

Dear Friends:

With another horror of extremism in our midst, we are also coming up on the blessed season of Ramadan, the holiest time for our Muslim neighbors. Extremism is on the rise both globally and in our own human family as people use the acts of the few to target the many. Hate crimes and distrust of our Muslim allies and neighbors have increased over 1000%.

We need to show that not all of us hate. We need to offer support to our Muslim neighbors, even those unknown to us personally. Therefore we are sharing some of the work of our state ecumenical ally, the Minnesota Council of Churches who give us a simple way to do this. There is also a story attached from one of their clergy that shows how much such actions can change people's hearts and minds.

Ramadan begins at sunset this Friday night, May 26. Never was there a better moment to put love ahead of hate.

A #BlessedRamadan sign is a catalyst

"To our Muslim neighbors, Blessed Ramadan." It's just a lawn sign. Yet it is a door to so much more. Last year one person who posted a Blessed Ramadan sign in their front yard had a relationally transformative experience with his delivery man as a result. Read the story here. Learn how to acquire a sign here.

https://mncouncilofchurches.wordpress.com/2016/06/20/a-blessedramadan-conversation/

A Blog from the Minnesota Council of Churches

A #BlessedRamadan conversation
June 20, 2016

This story, stemming from a Blessed Ramadan sign, brought tears to audience members at a luncheon last week. It came to us from a metro area clergyperson:

Today I wasn’t home when our groceries were delivered. My husband was home.
When he answered the door, the delivery man asked, “Is that your sign?”
My husband said yes, although to be honest he most likely wouldn’t put up a sign if I weren’t here to ask him to because he likes his privacy and prefers not to draw attention.
My husband and the delivery man had a 20 minute discussion – with the delivery man first challenging the sign in light of what happened in Orlando over the weekend. My husband explained that our Muslim neighbors are as horrified as we all are by that act of hate and violence. He explained that his wife is a pastor and that in our family we focus on loving people, honoring that people believe different things, and being good neighbors. And none of our neighbors think it’s okay to kill 50 people.
By the time the man left to deliver the rest of the groceries in his truck, he asked my husband if at our church this weekend we would be talking about how to love people even when you are kind of afraid or confused. My husband said, probably since in some way we talk about that most weeks. The man asked where our church is and said maybe he’ll stop by. He said, “God bless you AND your neighbors,” as he walked away.
May God offer continued blessings on your ministry.
http://mnchurches.org/respectfulcommunities/interfaithprogramming/BlessedRamadanSigns.html

Blessed Ramadan is Back!
Now, more than ever, it is time to speak up. Join the Minnesota Council of Churches in showing respect for our Muslim neighbors, as we wish them a #BlessedRamadan.
Extend your goodwill with a #BlessedRamadan lawn sign.

How can I get a lawn sign?
Order or print your own lawn signs locally.
Download our design from the links above and send it to a local printer near you or do your own. They do best on 11 x 17 paper.

Order signs directly from Impact Printing in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The 18 x 24-inch signs are $8 each, including the accompanying metal stands, and the buyer can either pick up the signs directly or pay for shipping. Call Impact Printing at (651) 489-0803, or visit their website.

Fill out our online form to request signs and donate to the Minnesota Council of Churches today!
We suggest a donation of $16 for each sign (including the stand), plus $11 for the cost of shipping, if applicable. Signs are available for pick-up or delivery.
Are you requesting signs on behalf of a congregation or organization? Click on "Promotional Tips" on the sidebar for some helpful hints for your congregation.
Have questions? Maybe we already answered them--visit our Frequently Asked Question page to find out.
We at the California Council of Churches thank our Minnesota friends for sharing this information.

Please take advantage of this simple way to make a powerful statement of humanity.

Thank you!

Good News! A look at people who are keeping us safe.

4/5/2017

Dear Friends,

In a time of worry and concern about, well, everything, I found a story that made me smile. So I'm sharing it with you.

In early February you may remember the growing concern about the Oroville Dam in northern California. The nation's highest, it was rapidly filling with water creating a hazardous situation that usually would be resolved by releasing surplus over the spillway. However, the hard rains overtaxed the spillway that had a partial collapse meaning the emergency alternative would have to be used. It was a scary situation for towns around Oroville that were already flooded in part and for even Sacramento that would receive an unusual volume of water from the Feather River feeding into the Sacramento River that itself was fighting against overtopping the levee system.

My husband and I drove up to Orovile on a Saturday afternoon to look. That didn't work out well since police had the road blocked, our first indication that this was more dangerous than we had heard in news reports, so we turned away from the dam itself. As we started back home, we passed the emergency responders' headquarters that must have had over 100 vehicles from every agency and repair group possible. Then we knew it was truly serious. It was the next day that the order came to evacuate over 200,000 people as the secondary emergency spillway also began to collapse. It was truly terrifying to know that many people were at risk.

Even from our cursory drive-by, it was very clear how extensive was the all-out dedication of every single person responding. From law enforcement to repair crews, people were working ceaslessly to prevent disaster. Steam shovels and trucks with gravel and rock toiled directly under the eroding emergency spillway lip trying to repair the weakened section, risking their lives on the edge of the unknown.

Here is a story about some of the men and women who labored to do those repairs. It's very interesting to understand the actual work they had to do to make sure the rest of us were kept out of harm's way. People with this kind of nerve and this kind of dedication make clear that we are surrounded daily by dedicated human beings who help us through dark times. We thought you might like to read it - it's very uplifting to see this side of the story and know who kept us safe.

https://aflcio.org/2017/3/31/spillway-saga-ibew-members-work-repair-damage-oroville-dam

As long as good and courageous people exist, we all can take heart and keep moving forward.

Thank you.

Follow the advice of the real Mother Jones!

3/20/2017

Dear Friends:

What we have heard today from a Congressional investigation may be one of the most troubling things our nation has ever faced. It matters not at all how you voted or whom you supported. We have evidence that another nation systematically tampered with our 2016 election, and that is a danger to our entire nation and its basic democratic process.

To preserve justice, we are now called to increase the momentum and depth of our work as people who believe in a just, moral, and democratic society. We know these revelations are shocking and painful, especially if, down the road, we find there was collusion between Russia and Amrican citizens. That would be horrific.

The must not let this defeat us in sorrow. We need to keep going, keep working, keep believing in our nation's essential justice.

We believe first in the example of Christ's courage. He knew, walking into Jerusalem knowing that he faced violence, opposition, even death. And he did it anyway. That profound courage is our guidestar.

We have examples in our modern life of those who put everything they had on the line for justice.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew he "may not get to the promised land" but kept on fighting for human and civil rights anyway. Dolores Huerta lost her spleen standing for farm workers while Cesar Chavez damaged his health with long fasts to send a message about the importance of justice for immigrant and local workers.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, having followed a largely quiet scholarly life and just finding the love of his life, nevertheless gave up his own life to oppose Hitler and the horrors of genocide.

In 1980 three nuns, Ita Ford, Maura Clarke, and Dorothy Kazel plus Catholic lay worker Jean Donovan, were raped and murdered as they stood for justice for the poor in El Salvador.

The "Miner's Angel", known as Mother Jones, lost her entire family in one week, taken by Yellow Fever. She turned her incredible personal sorrow into action for miners whose life was despicably hard.

And it is from her we take an important rallying call:

"Pray for the dead. Fight like hell for the living!"

We likely will never be called to sacrifice our lives as our heroes and heroines have done. But this moment in history calls us to commitment nonetheless.

We at the Council and IMPACT won't stop, no matter what the issue, whatever the opposition. We hope you will do the same.

This time in our nation's history is critical. We could lose all we cherish of our democracy, or we could win it, improve it, enlarge it, make our nation finally more inclusive and just. It's really up to us. We can mourn, or we can act. We hope you will choose the latter, howsoever you can.

It is a time of worry and sorrow, but it's also a moment for spiritual renewal and recommitment to justice.

We hope you will continue to stand with us, strong in the conviction that we can keep our nation's promise, keep the dream and hope alive.

Thank you!

Sanctuary Trainings in Northern CA

2/15/2017

From our Friends at Interfaith Mobilization 4 Human Integrity:

Two months of opportunities for discussions, trainings, and actions to protect immigrant families and preserve our democracy!

Please feel invited and join in when and where you can.

Dear Friends!

Here are several upcoming training and workshop opportunities for ways we can be prepared in the face of increased Immigration Enforcement.   Please scroll below for workshops taking place for faith and community members in Berkeley, Oakland, Hayward. There will be more of these in the months to come.

1) A Workshop on Accompanying Newly Arrived Migrant Families. Hear from several of our seasoned "accompaniment teams" and new migrant youth and families....what they've learned, offered and received in the process.

2) A Dynamic Popular Theater Workshop on Faithful Nonviolence and Deportation Defense...for people engaged in Sanctuary, Accompaniment, Hospitality and Rapid Response

Please spread the word! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sunday, February 19th 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Workshop on Accompaniment Teams
Learn how you can support newly arrived migrant families and youth.
Location: Kehilla Synagogue 1300 Grand Avenue, Piedmont, CA 94610

Faithful Nonviolence & Deportation Defense
(Know Your Rights) Interactive Training & Popular Theater
(Bilingual - translation provided)
February 26th - 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: Primera Iglesia Presbyterian Hispana,
1941 High St., Oakland

Hands-on training- what to do in case of ICE
Practicing scenarios of Sanctuary and Nonviolent resistance
Spiritual resources in a time of fear and oppression.

For people engaged in: Sanctuary, Accompaniment, Hospitality & Deportation Defense
Light dinner will be provided. (donations accepted)

Please RSVP to sanctuary@im4humanintegrity.org

Other Upcoming Events & Actions

Friday, February 17th, 9:30 -11 - Walnut Creek
Multifaith Immigration Coalition for Action- Contra Costa County Organizing Mtg.
Mt, Diablo UU Church, 55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek

Monday, Feb. 20th, 9:30 am -3 pm - Berkeley
United Methodist Conference with Bishop Minerva Carcaño
Forum on Immigration: Advocacy, Sanctuary Today
Epworth United Methodist Church 1953 Hopkins St, Berkeley

Tuesday, February 21st 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm - San Francisco
Forum: Sanctuary as Love of Neighbor
University of San Francisco, Building McLaren 250, San Francisco
San Francisco Sanctuary Congregations Organizing Meeting - 6-8 pm (Romero Room, USF- following the event)

Saturday, February 25th 9:00 am - 12:00 pm - Hayward
Labor & Community Know Your Rights Training in HAYWARD
Carpenter's Hall: 1050 Mattox Rd, Hayward

February 26th - 9:30 am - Pinole
Worship Service & Sanctuary Forum
Christ the Lord, 592 Tennent Ave. Pinole

**** February 26th - 3:00 pm-7:00 pm ****
Faithful Nonviolence & Deportation Defense (Know Your Rights) Interactive Training & Popular Theater
Location: Primera Iglesia Presbyterian Hispana, 1941 High St., Oakland

Friday, March 3rd - 12 Noon - SF
1 Year Anniversary Vigil for Berta Caceres (martyr of Honduras)
SF Federal Buiilding, 90 7th St., SF

Saturday, March 4th - Monthly Immigration Vigil at Richond Detention Center
11 am- 12 noon
5555 Giant Highway, RIchmond CA
This month will be led by Bishop O'Dowd High School students

Save The Date: Faith Rooted Organizing Training

Sunday March 12, 2:00-5:30* Monday March 13, 9:00 am - 4:00 p.m. in Oakland.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Hotline to Report ICE Activity: ICE -Out- Of California: 1-844-878-7801

Sanctuary Info on the Web: im4humanintegrity.org

Sign up for Action Alerts- Bay Area Wide - bayresistance.org

Thank you!

TALKING ABOUT RELIGIOUS EXEMPTIONS LAWS

2/3/2017

Talking About Religious Exemptions Laws is a guide to building effective conversations about the ways in which harmful religious exemptions threaten not only laws that protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people from discrimination, but also health care (including women’s reproductive freedom), public safety, and more.

The guide offers approaches for talking about both broad religious exemptions laws (like proposed state RFRAs) as well as religious exemptions that are often specifically designed to harm LGBT people and circumvent nondiscrimination laws. It also focuses on approaches for talking about the ways in which broad religious exemptions laws can interfere with women’s reproductive health.

Click here to visit the LGBTMap site to download the guide: http://www.lgbtmap.org/talking-about-religious-exemptions-laws

Looking for a Congregational Study Guide on Interfaith Understanding for These Troubled Times?

2/2/2017

Many congregations are asking for resources to encourage open discussion of understanding and embracing diverse faith traditions in an environment designed to create fear, suspicion, and separation.

One resource you might consider is our Building Bridges of Understanding: An Interfaith Response to 9/11. While a little dated in some respects, it still presents a very good basic introduction into six major religious traditions that coexist in California.

You can download a PDF of the study guide here. Print copies and a VHS tape is available from our office. We are looking into finding to revise the study guide and to reissue the DVD version of the video resources. If you want information, or can help us with this project, please let us know!

Summer Workshop on Theology and Disability

1/4/2017

We are sharing this invitation from the Director of the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability for your information and use.

Interested in the intersections of theology, faith, and disability?

The 2017 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability will be held at Azusa Pacific University, June 5-8, and hosted by Azusa Pacific University in partnership with Fuller Theological Seminary.

Highlights:

A multi-faith conference that includes scholars, clergy, seminarians, laity, and people involved in inclusive faith supports, including people with disabilities and their families in all of those roles. We draw about 150 people from North America and other countries around the world.

Planned and led by faculty who are widely known for their work in this area with new plenary speakers invited each year. Videos from previous Institutes are on the website.

Workshops led by Institute participants.The Call for Workshops for 2017 is at the website below. Deadline: January 1, 2017 but please check since opportunities may still be open.

A Cooperative Resource Exhibit featuring books, A/V materials and other resources related to disability, any theological discipline, and ministry. A chance for authors and publishers to promote their resources in this area to a very interested audience. Contact us for an Exhibit Entry Form.

We will also distribute information about new resources to over 1000 people, organizations, and networks. A Ph.D. seminar for graduate students doing work in this area, led byHans Reinders and other faculty.

A Jean Vanier Emerging Scholar Plenary Competition. See website.

For more information, visit the website, contact Bill Gaventa, and/or Facebook page for information and announcements as plans develop.