Through the Public Witness Ministry of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches we…

  • Empower people of faith, through education and skill-building, to make a difference for the common good in the public square;
  • Advocate on behalf of the Council’s member church bodies before Pennsylvania’s legislative and administrative branches of government.

Please join us in helping to build a more just society! Sign up for our Newsletter–News and Action Summary.

Public Witness is one of several ministries of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. To learn more about the Council, visit the main website at www.pachurches.org.

Taking a point of personal privilege, I want to let you know that this will be my final News and Action Summary as my retirement begins on March 1. It has been a joy and a blessing to serve you in the role of advocate for the Pennsylvania Council of Churches for nearly 19 years. While it’s the end of my compensated service in this role, it is the beginning of a new chapter. I plan to take some time to rest and reflect, but intend to continue to advocate personally and with organizations I support for the laws and policies that are important to me, write, take on some volunteer activities, and return to spend lots of time in my long-neglected garden! Travel will be on the agenda as well. I also hope to stay in touch with many of you who have been so important to me during my tenure here. If you would like to connect, please feel free to drop me a note at wombat2pa@gmail.com (and I’ll be happy to explain that address if you do!). And THANK YOU for your faithful advocacy! (Rev. Sandy Strauss, editor)

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with no end in sight. The Ukrainian people have remained resilient and have held their own in a war that has been marked by atrocities and crimes against humanity by the Russian forces. We continue to support and pray for the Ukrainian people and leaders that have showed remarkable courage and resolve.

It has now been three weeks since the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio (just a stone’s throw from the Pennsylvania border) and the release and burning of toxic chemicals. Despite numerous reports of dead fish, livestock, and pets, respiratory issues and burning skin and skin rashes, many questions remain about toxic exposure and how and why this kind of accident could happen. Norfolk Southern bears responsibility for its failure to update its safety standards in an effort to prevent what happened—and in fact, should be made to answer for fighting to roll back standards under the previous administration.

We continue to note and celebrate Black History Month, and we urge you to Honor Black History Month—Act to Demand Justice and Reparations. You can also Sign Faith Leader Letter Asking President Biden to Act on Reparations.

We hope you will support this ministry with a generous gift, or even better a monthly gift. You can help us by going to https://pachurches.org/shop/ where you will find our address and links to make your donation. If you want to support advocacy, scroll down the page to find the links for Public Witness Ministry.

Here’s some “News You Can Use”:

Please consider a gift to support our Ministry of Public Witness. One of the best ways you can help is to “subscribe” to this (almost!) weekly update by making a recurring contribution of $5/month or more. Of course, any contribution will be welcomed and appreciated! Thanks to those who have already contributed!

The Pennsylvania Council of Churches legislative priorities

The Legislative Priorities contains the underlying principles for the Council’s Advocacy Ministry. Because the Council’s advocacy efforts often extend beyond those directed solely at federal or state legislators, these principles reflect a broader view of our responsibility to be faithful advocates, recognizing the call for all Christians to engage in faithful witness in all aspects of public life.

Printer friendly version of the 2021-22 Legislative Priorities

With this new set of priorities, we seek to enhance understanding about the connections/interactions among the issues and processes that affect the work of the Public Witness Ministry. For example, we recognize the connection between “othering” (e.g., racism) and issues (e.g., criminal justice), and how this connection affects outcomes for those that get tangled in these systems. We also recognize how our political system affects whether or not our concerns can be heard, much less acted upon, because of the impacts of money and power factors on that system. None of these factors exist in a vacuum. We wish to seek better ways to educate our network regarding how legislation and policies that are part of our advocacy efforts work to resolve or avoid negative outcomes, and why it is important that we engage in this work. Read the 2019-20 Advocacy Priorities addendum.

IMPORTANT EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES!

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Please Support Our Ministry

Support for the Council’s Public Witness Ministry is always welcome! Go to our online support page to make a contribution.

Updated 2/24/23

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