The Faith Action Network, formerly the LPPO and WAC, facilitated the meeting that took place Wednesday, July 6, 2011.

On June 26, Lutheran Public Policy Office director, Rev. Paul Benz, visited Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Bremerton to discuss the work of the LPPO and the Advocating Congregation program.

Busy as always, after visiting at Our Saviour’s, Benz also visited Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Bremerton.

On Tuesday, June 21 LPPO Director, Paul Benz attended a press conference supporting the Seattle Paid Sick Leave plan. Before the Press conference Rev. Benz participated in a meeting with representatives from the Church Council of Greater Seattle and the United Black Christian Clergy Association of Seattle at St. Mark’s Cathedral.

Board members of the WAC and LPPO celebrate the merger over champagne.

On June 11, the day before Pentecost, the Statewide Council of the Lutheran Public Policy Office (LPPO) and the Board of Directors of the Washington Association of Churches (WAC) met and gave birth to a new organization that will bring together the staff and constituencies of both the LPPO and the WAC to better serve our shared mission.

Members of the LPPO and WAC board met together before voting to spend some time sharing about themselves.

The Faith Action Network: A Partnership for the Common Good, or FAN for short, is the name of this new organization, broadly defined as “a statewide partnership of faith communities striving for a just and sustainable world through community building, education, and courageous public action.”

The decision to lay down two organizations with long histories and dedicated supporters in order to do something new was taken after several years of discussion and much prayerful discernment. It was a decision that we believe was called forth from us by the power of the Spirit as well as by thoughtful reflection on our context. LPPO and the WAC have shared a common public policy agenda for years; both organizations have a commitment to being statewide; and both work ecumenically. It is good stewardship of limited resources to bring together two organizations with such similar purposes.

Members of the newly formed FAN applaud one another after all members voted yes to merge.

The June 11 meeting elected six people (three from LPPO’s Statewide Council and three from the WAC Board of Directors) to a new FAN governing board. Three additional persons will be added with the intent of widening the constituencies served by the new organization, including faith groups that are not Christian. An Advisory Council is being formed as well that will also serve this purpose of broadening our base and giving a diverse range of faith groups a voice in FAN. There are many, many organizational details that will need to be discussed and decided upon by the new board over the next 6-9 months.

FAN will continue to be the ELCA’s public policy office in Washington State, and the ELCA has been supportive of this new development.

FAN will approach its educational and organizing work in congregations drawing on the scriptural, theological, and historical roots for advocacy within that congregation’s faith tradition.

Think of this new organization as an orchestra with different instruments and parts in the symphony, not a monochromatic blend. Faithful advocates in communities from Spokane to Port Angeles have been teaching us that education and action for the common good is more effective ecumenically and in interfaith partnership than as individual faith communities.

For the first six months, staff of both organizations will be retained, with co-directors Paul Benz and Alice Woldt. The board will be working on a future staffing plan as well as the mechanisms for uniting the administrative dimensions of the two predecessor organizations.

While the governing board of FAN has yet to have its first formal meeting, it has expressed its strong commitment to the statewide, congregationally-rooted character of the new organization. It recognizes the enormous “assets” that LPPO and the WAC have in terms of people’s commitments and history with the two organizations. As two members of that new board, we are committed to preserving as many of these assets as we possibly can, and expanding the reach of FAN to new constituencies.

Success!

Attendees listen to LPPO chair, Rev. Carol Jensen, introduce the live music.

The event featured live music preformed by Jim Johnson.

Executive Director, Rev. Paul Benz, thanks all those who came to support the LPPO and give a brief update about legislative session in Olympia, WA.

For more photos check out our flick’r site.

huge success!

LPPO Director, Paul Benz, speaks to advocates at the service which began InterFaith Advocacy Day. The Service was held at The United Churches of Olympia.

The service included testimonies from people of different faiths. These testimonies were about advocacy within the different faith traditions.

Rabbi Seth Goldstein, of Temple Beth Hatfiloh of Olympia, speaks to advocacy within the tradition of Judaism.

Shaykh Hamzah Maqbul, of the Thawr Institute, talks about the tradition of caring for people’s immediate needs, as well as societal inequality within the Muslim tradition.

Rev. Guo Cheen, of The Compassion Network Buddhist Center in Seattle, discusses the alleviation of suffering and advocacy within Buddhism.

Advocates from the 36^th district meet with their representatives.

Reuven Carlyle’s assistant, Bryan Bissell listens to the concerns of these faithful advocates. Although State Representative Carlyle was out of the office, these advocates voices were heard. Bissell will deliver notes from the meeting to Carlyle.

There were so many advocates from the 36^th district that the meeting with Jeanne Kohl-Welles needed to be moved from her office to meeting room.

Another Part of InterFaith Advocacy Day was attending a rally for Economic Justice. It was a great opportunity for advocates to lend their voices to so many others concerned for economic justice as well.

To prepare for meeting between the advocates and their representatives four breakout sessions were offered.

Tony Lee, the Advocacy Director of Solid Ground, led the budgetary discussion. In this photo he discusses the need to consider the most vulnerable when budgets are drafted.

Alice Woldt, the Executive Director of the Washington Association of Churches, and Rev. Paul Benz, the Executive Director of the Lutheran Public Policy Office give updates to the status of various bills during a break out session.

Rev. Kirlin Hackett of the Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness discusses the impact the Disabilities Lifeline makes in the lives of many Washingtonians during the Homelessness breakout session.

Jessie Dye, the Outreach and Program Director of Earth Ministry discusses the impact of coal on the health of children in the environmental breakout session.

For more photos visit our Flickr photo album from the 2011 InterFaith Advocacy Day.

Rev. Paul Benz leds an Adult Forum for the LPPO Sunday. In the forum Rev. Benz covers the LPPO’s 2011 legislative agenda, where various bills are in their process to becoming a bill, updates about Olympia, information about upcoming issues, and addressing questions and concerns of those attending the forum.

Rev. Doug Knutson-Keller wishes congregation members a nice afternoon, at the final service for Gloria Dei’s LPPO Sunday.

The training event was sponsored by the two churches as well as the Washington Leaders Christian Coalition and the LPPO.

Attending and co-sponsoring this event is part of the LPPO’s ecumenical work, and work with the African American Community.

From left to right: Paul Benz, Toppenish United Methodist Pastor Denel Olson, and LPPO Director of Congregational Relations, David Hacker smile for a quick photo.

Toppenish UMC features an impressive mural. Scroll down for more photos:

As the Spring approaches LPPO representatives are eager to visit other congregations to share about the exciting work of the LPPO. Right now we are especially focused on finding interested congregations for April, May and June. If you are interested in having your congregation host the LPPO during one of these months call the LPPO office for more details: (206) 464-4133.

In this photo, Director of Congregational Relations, David Hacker, gives a presentation to attendees.

The legislative briefing was titled: Justice for Youth: Our Kids in the Balance.  The legislative briefing included a panel on gang prevention and education funding.

Also, read the article the Yakima Herald published about the briefing here.

Scroll down to see other photos from the event.