Faith in the Public Square

The Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State will hold its Virtual Moral Fusion Leadership Awards on November 17 to “honor leaders who were on the front lines of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting critical needs in our communities and fighting for justice, equity, and protection for workers.”     The recipients this year are:   Mark Emanatian (Capital District Area Labor Federation) and Sister Betsy VanDeusen (Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany), who partnered with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to coordinate hundreds of drive-through mass food distributions throughout the Capital Region during the pandemic.   Workers at Pindar Vineyards (RWDSU/UFCW Local 338), who this year became the first group of farmworkers in the state to unionize under the 2019 Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act.   Albany Medical Center Nurses (NYSNA), who won a fair first contract that offers them a stronger voice in patient care, as well as...

The New York State Council of Churches will have its sixth annual awards and fundraising gala on Wednesday, December 8. The gala will be held virtually from 6:30 to 8 with a reception from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Awards will be presented in five different categories to individuals and organizations all across the state.   More information about the event and the opportunity to purchase a sponsorship or make a donation is available here .    Here is list of those being honored: ‍ Excellence in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Community Development Award Bishop Dr. R. C. Hugh Nelson, Senior Pastor, Church of God of East Flatbush Partnering with Brisa Builders Development Corporation, Church of God of East Flatbush completed 315 units of affordable housing in the neighborhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn New York as part of their Ebeneezer Plaza development. The Reverend Dr. William Shillady and The United Methodist City Society Partnering with The Bronx Pro Group, United Methodist C...

An Episcopal Liturgy for Planetary Crisis, featuring Presiding Bishop Michael Curry,  will be offered on Saturday, November 6, at 11:00 a.m.  The service is in conjunction wi th the UN Climate Conference, known as COP26, a nd will include the “ Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop’s Delegation and all who have been present in witness and advocacy at this global climate conference.”   This service is open to all and will focus on “the need for swift, just action to bring us back into right relationships across the human family and with all of God’s creation. The liturgy will draw on our Episcopal Church tradition and beyond and will offer strength to the community at COP26. Spanish interpretation will be provided.”   You can register  here:   https://buff.ly/3q1oi0i

The New York State Council of Churches is promoting local participation in an international program called “Ring the Bells for Climate Justice.” At 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 30, churches across the United States will be ringing their bells for 30 minutes in support of the Climate Gathering in Glasgow, Scotland. According to the announcement, “Church bells have traditionally been used as warnings and this time the danger to humanity couldn't be greater. Let our bells be our voice for climate justice!”   The gathering, known as COP 26, is the 26 th  meeting of the Conference of Parties. This UN global warming conference will address the threat of climate change.   Among the local churches that are participating are First United Methodist of East Greenbush, First Reformed Schenectady, Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church in Saratoga Springs, and Messiah Lutheran Church in Rotterdam.    For more information and to let the Council know that your c...

For more than 50 years, SiCM (Schenectady Community Ministries), a partnership of 50 congregations for ministries of social service and social justice, has addressed public health needs such as food insecurity and nutrition education, racism and diversity concerns, and summer recreation through community collaborations and exceptional services and programs. On Friday, October 15, at 3 p.m., the organization will honor its former director, Rev. Phil Grigsby, when they dedicate the food pantry to him and rename it the Reverend Phil Food Pantry. Rev. Grigsby served the organization for 33 years.   The Official Grand Opening of the SiCM Community Hub will be at 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $75 and provide access to this unique celebration including a tour of the brand-new building, wine tastings, and a commemorative gift.    According to the website: Your support provides the best programming possible to our neighbors and community partners. With your help, we can connect ...

 Members of local religious groups are gathering at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge in Hudson on Sunday, October 17 to promote climate justice. The event is part of an international project called Faiths 4 Climate Justice . According to a news release from the organizers, “thousands of people of faith with support from over 200 high-level faith leaders are calling on political and financial leaders to meet a series of ambitious climate demands that get at the heart of the problem.” Those demands include an end to new fossil fuel projects and tropical deforestation; universal access to renewable energy; policies creating green jobs and a just transition for impacted workers and communities; support for those forced to migrate due to climate impacts; and reparations from the countries and industries responsible for the lion’s share of the problem.   The local event is sponsored by GreenFaith and the Buddhist Action Network. Participants are asked to park on either the of the bridge at...

Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian Christian and human rights activist who served as the head of the Legal Committee negotiating the Cairo Agreement of 1994 between Israel and the PLO, will discuss the current crisis in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on Sunday, October 21, at Trinity Community Center, 705 Curry Road in Rotterdam. Billed as a Community Conversation entitled "Beyond the Two-State Solution," the session is hosted by Messiah Lutheran Church of Schenectady, with support from the New York State Council of Churches.   In this YouTube video , Kuttab explains that the two-state solution (that he supported) is no longer viable. He proposes a one-state solution that challenges both Zionism and Palestinian Nationalism.    Kuttab is the co-founder of the Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq and co-founder of Nonviolence International. A well-known international human rights attorney, he practices in the United States, Palestine, and Israel. He serves on the Board of Be...