Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) is one of five covenanted ministries of the
United Church of Christ. JWM is responsible for national office ministries related to four areas:
economic justice; "
human rights, justice for women and transformation;" "public life and social policy;" and "racial justice".
The justice page of the UCC homepage reports the statement that "Doing justice, seeking peace and building community are central to the identity of the United Church of Christ," although no formal resolution of synod has ever made this declaration of denominational identity.
Locations and organization
In addition to its offices in Cleveland, JWM also maintains an office on
Capitol Hill in
Washington, D.C.[1] JWM is also affiliated with:
Franklinton Center at Bricks, a conference, retreat, and educational facility in eastern North Carolina with a focus on justice advocacy and leadership development.[2]
Centro Romero, a border immersion Center focusing on issues of globalization, economic policy, immigration and community empowerment in San Ysidro, CA.[3]
Pilgrim Firs, a space for studying
environmental justice that is part of a partnership with the Pacific/Northwest Conference of the United Church of Christ.[4]
The current Executive Minister for Justice and Witness Ministries is Ms. M. Linda Jaramillo.[5]
The JWM has four teams:
Economic Justice Ministry Team
Human Rights, Justice for Women, and Transformation Ministry Team
Racial Justice Ministry Team
Public Life and Social Policy Ministry Team -- (based in Washington, D.C)
Bernice Powell Jackson was the Executive Minister of JWM from the creation of the post in 1999 (during the UCC National office reorganization) until 2005. Prior to leaving the UCC, Bernice Powell Jackson was elected in 2004 as the President of the North American Region of the
World Council of Churches[1][2] .
Relationship to other bodies within the UCC
JWM regularly sponsors
General Synod resolutions, especially ones dealing with perceived justice issues of the day. JWM also maintains an office called "Minister for Children, Families and Human Sexuality Advocacy" that promotes the
Our Whole Livessex education curriculum.
Their web presence is as follows:
The Justice tab at ucc.org,
The UCC "Justice and Peace Action Network," a mass email network, to include the "our faith our vote" political engagement campaign.
The "www.ucctakeaction.org" automated system for writing your congressperson.
Political Stands and external engagement
In addition to is internal activities JWM has allied with organizations outside the UCC and endorsed legislation and political positions. Such positions include the following:
Supporting Universal Access to Health Insurance
[3]
Supporting the cause of Washington DC residents to get legislative representation
[10]
Speaking out in favor of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples against state
[11][12] and federal
[13] legislation that would limit
marriage to one man and one woman.
Joining the
Coalition on Human Needs in endorsing a statement against the
President's proposed 2007 Budget.
[28] Publishing a 20-page study guide for understanding the shortcomings of President Bush's proposed Federal budget
[29] and signed on to a proposed priorities for the 110th Congress
[30]
Endorsing a "Walmart week of action" to protest
Walmart.
[31]
Opposing the
death penalty and coordinating several letter-writing campaigns to the Tennessee governor’s office supporting clemency for
Philip Workman.
[32]
Sponsoring an art show for Puerto Rican independence advocates convicted of criminal/terrorist activity
[33]
Opponents and critics
Given that the United Church of Christ has no explicit political orientation, the statements and actions of the type issued by JWM has been criticized by
conservatives within the UCC.
Notable UCC Blogger critic UCCtruths.org
[34] has accused former JWM minister Bernice Powell Jackson of being a “
spin doctor” when making justice statements on behalf of JWM.
[35]
renewal groupBiblical Witness Fellowship has accused The UCC and other mainline denominational leaders of “long [drawing] their issues and positions directly from the playbook of
leftist political groups”
[36]. BWF states " An increasingly divisive ideological agenda by denominational leaders and antagonism following the failed dialogue [in the years 1991 – 2005] increase[d] the rates of loss to their highest in UCC history...In the United Church of Christ, Denominational leaders and Conference Ministers bear personal responsibility for the loss of members and churches. This is a sad legacy. "
[37]
In response to the consistently leftist statements issued by JWM, The Biblical Witness Fellowship submitted
[38] (and General Synod passed) a 2001 resolution “Mutual Respect Within Faith Communities”
[39] that sought to limit the kinds of statements that were made by denominational leaders.