As we enter into the fall season of 2022, I can’t help but reflect on this past year and how in many ways things are very much the same and also very different.  COVID is still ever present in our lives and our minds as we seek to live more fully while also seeking to be good neighbors. In 2022 many of us traveled to see loved ones making up for the time we lost being apart. We also saw skyrocketing inflation in the cost of gas, groceries, and everyday essentials reminding us that while we are seeking to get back to "normal", the way our society had operated and continues to operate– putting profit over people (rising inflation), worshiping power and control over justice and fairness (the wars in Ukraine and on reproductive rights, the rise of White Christian Nationalism and Facism)- harms our communities (especially the most vulnerable). Even the Earth is crying out evidenced in the increasingly felt effects of climate change as we see stronger, more destructive hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts. The list of the world’s harm goes on.  

It is easy to feel overwhelmed and isolated by our everyday responsibilities and worries on top of the justice work we do. Working for justice in our communities in relationship with each other is essential for broad social change. I'm so grateful that not one of us does this work alone. Because of the generosity of our movement, together we have been able to advocate for more just social policies both in the church and the world, make progress on much-needed infrastructure work, and continue to offer unique educational opportunities that deepen our collective intersectional systemic analysis and lens in order to more effectively organize across our movement. Together we have:

• Worked in coalition to file Amicus Briefs to the US Supreme Court to advocate for reproductive rights and bodily autonomy for all people and the protection of people from the rise of White Christian Nationalism

• Empowered and supported the Racial Audit Team as they conducted a racial audit of MFSA and have completed all three audit tools, a triangulated analysis of the tools and data, and are in the process of writing the final report

• Launched a bookstore to more effectively share book recommendations and resources with our movement of Justice Seekers and continued to improve our communications to help us communicate more effectively and better resource our movement

• Built upon our successful educational webinar series in partnership with United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR) and completed our 5 part webinar series on the Doctrine of Discovery with the Native American International Caucus and UMKR

• Cultivated the Program Council space (which has representatives from every MFSA Regional Community) and built upon our bi-monthly Program Council meetings, to better resource each other, build stronger relationships, and strategize for collective action

• Participated in movement strategy conversations across our denomination

• Created the new intern position of Organizing Associate and welcomed Carol Ngwenyama

While we have been able to accomplish a lot to build our collective capacity to make a bigger impact in the church and the world, we still have more work to do and we need your help to make even more progress together. With your help, we can:

• Organize for Jurisdictional Conferences and elect justice-minded individuals to the episcopacy.

• Complete the Racial Audit Report, present the report and recommendations to the MFSA Board of Directors and Program Council for adoption, and present the report and findings publicly to our whole movement.

• Begin implementing the recommendations of the Racial Audit. Doing the real work of dismantling and interrupting white supremacy within MFSA and the church at all levels.

• Continue to find creative ways to resource our movement with webinars and partnerships.

• Be a more powerful voice of conscience in imagining what the United Methodist Church will be in the future, and advocating for more voices to be present at the table(s).

• Speak as people of faith who are grounded in God’s love, care, and compassion for all people, and train more people to do the same

• Empower organizing in areas without regional offices and help build their capacity to form new regional communities, so fewer justice-seekers feel alone!

• Resource our regional communities and their leadership and offer training and support.

• Expand our justice-seeking congregation program

• Participate in more coalition-building work in the church, across the US, and around the world, advocating for whoever isn’t being heard

• Expand the justice-seeking movement of Jesus followers, to transform the world!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I am so grateful to work for a more just future with you.  We can't do this work alone. Make a gift to MFSA today!

Seeking Justice Together,

Bridget Cabrera, MDIV
Executive Director, MFSA