Annual Report - 2003-2004
Annual
Martin Luther King Celebration
Based on
the Evaluations, the 2004 Annual Martin Luther King Celebration
was a big success as we focused on our theme: "Thinking Globally,
Acting Locally: Globalization and Human Rights in These Times."
Despite
the cold, Pastors Timothy Ives and Melanie Miller and First Church
's members welcomed us warmly as we fellowshipped at the First
Congregational Church, Chappaqua , NY.
Cliff Frasier set the tone
for the day as he shared of his prison experience - civil disobedience
related to the School of the Americas - under the theme "Maximum
Security." The workshops added to the
day's success: Young Adults by Lisa Robinson; Immigrants Rights/Violations
by Luis Barrios; Patriot Act by Mark Lukens; Building Bridges to
the Third World by Carter Via. Moderator Henry Simmons' summary
of the workshops included:
- Conversation: We must
engage in conversation around issues, regardless of our beliefs
about certain issues. We heard of the Patriot Act and we are
unwittingly in compliance with it if we don't speak out against
it.
- Education/Examination: As a Church we need
to take an inventory . we don't know who we are and how unwittingly
we participate in injustice. Committee might prepare a survey
and suggest to our churches to do a self-examination.
- Collaboration: No
one church can solve these problems alone.there must be collaboration.
We must learn again from Civil Rights movement and Viet Nam
protests about coalition building. We may work together with
people whose ideological views we don't support, but all of
us have a stake in this, so we need everyone at the table and
we need to learn how to collaborate.
- Mobilization: We must mobilize
individuals and church communities to do justice. Send communication
from Conference to local congregations, stating the issues
and how we might address them.
Survey
We prepared a Survey to collect information
on what areas to address. One of the areas - Rockefeller Drug Laws
by Mark Lukens - will
be a workshop at the April Association Meeting. We hope you will
continue to provide us with your input.
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Membership
There has been a large turnover in our
membership. As the following members leave us, we give thanks for
their service:
- Cathlin Baker
- Melanie Miller
- Karel Boersma
- Ronald Winley
- Stephen Jordan
Nominees have been submitted to the Nominating Committee
for the majority of the vacancies.
Those serving: Luis Barrios,
Insook Chun Oakes, Freeman Palmer, George Rodney.
Next Meeting
Our next meeting is scheduled for May
4, 2004 , to receive our newly-elected members and to begin discussion
of our future plans.
We give thanks for where we are and look to new
and heightened horizons.
Dorothy Gist
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