A year ago, Advocacy Teams were asking big questions: How can we better get the attention of our members of Congress? How can we be more effective in our advocacy? With support, could we build relationships with community leaders and host in-person lobby days in our districts? To explore these questions, more than a dozen teams have begun building local coalitions, starting with faith leaders.
How can we better get the attention of our members of Congress? How can we be more effective in our advocacy?
These teams began by partnering with FCNL staff to write a sign-on letter. Advocates then shared the letter with faith leaders in their communities. In Utah, one advocate invited her pastors to sign and encouraged them to share it with other clergy. In Virginia, an advocate dropped by a local pastor’s office; the pastor signed and later lobbied with the team. Beyond ordained clergy, Franciscan sisters, social justice committee chairs, retired rabbis, Islamic center directors, and others joined the lists. By early summer, more than 600 faith leaders had signed letters across 10 districts or states.
Advocacy Teams then sent their letters to congressional offices, requesting meetings with members of Congress and inviting faith leaders to join them. Between May and August, this effort resulted in 23 lobby visits across nine in-person events. We are especially grateful to Representatives McBride, McClellan, Cline, and Clyburn for meeting personally with coalitions built by Advocacy Teams. More than 80 faith leaders attended, alongside more than 75 Advocacy Team members and friends.
A few months ago, FCNL’s small-but-mighty Nebraska Advocacy Team took on a daunting challenge: organizing a coalition to persuade Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2), a Republican from a purple district, to vote yes on an Iran war powers resolution. Only two of the team’s five members live in Bacon’s district, and past lobby visits had left the team discouraged. Still, they decided to take on the challenge.
Throughout April and May, the team reached out to nearly every house of worship in Omaha, contacting leaders from diverse denominations and inviting them to sign their letter. Their hard work paid off: nearly 40 faith leaders signed on. The team hand-delivered the letter to Rep. Bacon’s office, along with an invitation to their August advocacy day.
Twelve faith leaders attended, representing Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian, Unitarian Universalist, Muslim, and Quaker communities. Although Rep. Bacon’s office was unavailable, Senator Pete Ricketts’ office sent a staff member to meet with the group.
Advocacy Team member Sharon Conlon shared, “We enjoyed each other’s honest and straightforward discussions and appreciated each other being there and working for the common good. When the Senator’s staff member arrived, we were impressive, organized and polished. We got 45 minutes with her and all of us ended the day satisfied.” The team capped the day off by driving down to Rep. Bacon’s office with their letter.
While Rep. Bacon has not yet voted in favor of an Iran war powers resolution, the Advocacy Team discovered something powerful: five people can build a much larger coalition. As they continue to strengthen that coalition, they will be able to bring community voices to their lawmakers and make it harder for their member of Congress to overlook them.
“Most of all, it reminded me of the bigger picture: we’re called to work at every level to build the beloved community here on earth.”
Advocacy takes time, but faith leaders across the country are discovering that the investment is worth it. One pastor who joined a similar advocacy day in Virginia shared, “Attending was a real time commitment for a busy pastor, but it was worth every minute. I connected with colleagues, learned more about the issues closest to my heart, and gained practical skills for talking with my elected officials. Most of all, it reminded me of the bigger picture: we’re called to work at every level to build the beloved community here on earth.”
After a year of incredible work, Advocacy Teams are taking some well-deserved time to rest, but not for long. As we continue working toward a world of peace and justice, we are called to take the next step. Advocacy Teams look forward to keeping their coalitions engaged, building relationships with more types of community leaders, and meeting again with their members of Congress with even more community support behind them.
