May 2015 Launch of LEAMNJ! June First Board Meeting Mission Statement Faith Statement LEAMNJ Policy Board

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1 May 2015 Launch of LEAMNJ! The Lutheran Episcopal Advocacy Ministry New Jersey (LEAMNJ) began May 1, This new organization represents the official positions of the ELCA and the Episcopal Church on issues of justice and social policy. The Director, the Bishop of NJ Synod, the Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, the Bishop of the Diocese of New Jersey and the LEAMNJ Policy Board have identified particular issues in our state that are of priorities and in which advocacy can make a difference. Our advocacy efforts are have two primary foci; congregational education and involvement and advocacy at the state level. LEAMNJ advocates to the executive and legislative branches of state government, leaders of NJ s departments and commissions as well as municipal governments. Interaction with elected officials, including face to face meetings, testimony at hearings, letters, , phone calls and public rallies are part of our strategy. Our advocacy ministry also includes preaching and teaching in congregations and organizing efforts to engage all the people of God in influencing pubic policy. June First Board Meeting At our first LEAMNJ Board meeting in June 2015, we adopted Governing Documents, a Mission Statement, and a Faith Statement. We also adopted a budget and began work on our legislative agenda. Mission Statement Rooted in God s covenant, LEAMNJ addresses the systemic causes of injustice and poverty in New Jersey through civic engagement, shaping public opinion, and advocating for public policies that will alleviate the suffering of our fellow children of God and the care of God s creation. Faith Statement Our faith guides us in our understanding of the world we live in; it aids us in our decision-making; and it inspires us to work for justice. LEAMNJ seeks to equip all baptized people of God, so that together we may live out the gifts of our baptismal blessing through public witness in the shaping of public opinion and policy. LEAMNJ Policy Board Chair- Daniel E. Somers, Esq. V Chair- Kathryn Prinz Diocese of NJ

2 Secretary- Serena Rice Treasurer- Phyllis Jones Board Committees: Communication- Diane Riley Fund Raising- Education & Outreach- Laura Russell, Esq. Clara Gregory Members: Bert Hartmann The Rev. Dave Stoner The Rev. Michael Allen The Rev. Tracie Bartholomew, The Right Rev. William Stokes, The Right Rev. Mark Beckwith, Diocese of NJ Diocese of Newark Diocese of Newark Diocese of NJ Diocese of Newark Bishop, New Jersey Synod Bishop, Diocese of New Jersey Bishop, Diocese of Newark Legislative Priorities 2015 Violence Prevention In the face of violence, God s resolve for peace in human communities is unshakable. Deliberate acts to harm or kill innocent people violate God s intention for human community. God s commandment is You shall not murder (Ex. 20:13). In proclaiming God s law, we declare that all people are accountable before God and the community to honor and respect the life God has given. We call upon congregations to: Offer vital spiritual and moral resources for replacing fear and violence with hope and reconciliation in our homes, communities, and nation Stem the proliferation of guns in our streets, schools, and homes by supporting legislation to keep firearms from persons with serious mental illness Build strong anti-violence coalitions in our neighborhoods and communities by supporting survivors of domestic violence Engage in education related to human trafficking in New Jersey and take steps to build community awareness Protect our youth from the epidemic of violence through equitable law enforcement, and the promotion of education, social programs, anti-drug programs, and real job opportunities Support efforts to dialogue with local police forces encouraging the implementation of community policing Criminal Justice The United States is the world's leader in incarceration with 2.2 million people currently in the nation's prisons or jails -- a 500% increase over the past thirty years. These trends

3 have resulted in prison overcrowding and state governments being overwhelmed by the burden of funding a rapidly expanding penal system, despite increasing evidence that large-scale incarceration is not the most effective means of achieving public safety. More than 60% of the people now in prison are racial and ethnic minorities. For black males in their thirties, 1 in every 10 is in prison, jail or in probation system on any given day. These trends have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of the "war on drugs," in which two-thirds of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color. We call upon our state to: End the school to prison pipeline through reading programs, tutoring, and mentoring ministries Fully fund pre-school education Support treatment in lieu of prison for those suffering from addiction We encourage congregations and clergy to volunteer with the NJ Dept. of Corrections providing pastoral care and worship with those incarcerated. We encourage congregations and clergy to assistance with those returning from incarceration Medicaid Enrollment- Rights for employment- Fair Chance Hiring: The Opportunity to Compete Act Support to individuals and their families Immigration Justice To uphold the dignity of every human being by advancing our nation s legacy of welcome, LEAMNJ supports the care of refugees and immigrants. International human rights principles dictate that immigrants should only be detained as a last resort. In the United States, immigration detention is not, in theory, meant to be punitive. Rather, the government s sole interest in detaining individuals is to ensure compliance with immigration court dates and orders of removal. However, the current system uses a one-size-fits-all approach, presuming nearly all immigrants require detention to comply with these government interests. We call upon our government to: Welcome 100,000 refugees from Syria and allocate appropriate funding to do so End Family Detention of Women and Children Support the reform of the U.S. immigration detention system and implementing humane alternatives to detention We encourage Congregations to partner with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and Episcopal Migration Ministries to minister to all persons being pushed from their homelands.

4 Economic Justice Through human decisions and actions, God is at work in economic life. Economic life is intended to be a means through which God s purposes for humankind and creation are to be served. When this does not occur, as a church we cannot remain silent because of who and whose we are. Outrage over the plight of people living in poverty is a theme throughout the Bible. The poor are those who live precariously between subsistence and utter deprivation. It is not poor people themselves who are the problem, but their lack of access to the basic necessities of life. Without such, they cannot maintain their human dignity. We call upon our State to: Increase the minimum wage for tipped workers to 70% of the state s new minimum wage and supporting congressional efforts to increase the national minimum wage to $10.10, with automatic adjustment for inflation. Affordable Care Act; increasing rates to providers where access is a problem such as for primary doctors and specialists; and providing state subsidies to lowincome families to make marketplace plans more affordable Expand access to key education, work supports, and training services for New Jersey s most vulnerable residents by increasing the eligibility levels in WorkFirst NJ; developing innovative training programs for other low-income individuals, especially the long-term unemployed. Support educational success among low-income children by expanding preschool to the 96 NJ school districts where most of the remaining poor students live. Summer Communication Tools During the summer, LEAMNJ began developing a web presence, an e-advocacy center and promotional materials. These resources are online resources and print materials for congregations and clergy to aid in education and outreach. We are utilizing the expertise of Hopeworks in Camden, NJ to accomplish our web presence. We plan to have it up this winter; it will feature blog posts, worship resources, issue updates, and commentary. We have developed a State based Action Center for LEAMNJ with the help of the ELCA. A constituency that reflects congregations, clergy and individuals who would like to be informed regularly about our priority issues is populating our database. This database will also be utilized to communicate with constituents for Action Alerts. Our Facebook page has been developed; this is a location where we share news from our advocacy partners and communicate directly with our constituents. A print brochure has been developed to circulate during in-person presentations and as a leave behind product. Fall Outreach and Education The fall brought presentations at all of the Convocations at the Diocese of New Jersey, and with presentations at ELCA clergy gatherings. We also developed 2 educational

5 videos focusing on Criminal Justice and Human Trafficking. Finally we developed and led several workshops that equip congregations to host one-on-one conversations with community members to build better understanding of the context where congregations are rooted Legislative Accomplishments Criminal Justice Reform: Juvenile Justice Reform- LEAMNJ advocated for and Gov. Christie signed into law S20003/A4299. This legislation raises the minimum age at which a child may be prosecuted as an adult from 14 to 15, narrows the list of offenses that can lead to prosecution as an adult, and amends the standard governing such decisions to reflect the continuing maturation of young people through their mid-twenties; Eliminates the use of solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure in juvenile facilities and detention centers, and places time limits on the use of solitary confinement for reasons other than punishment, such as safety concerns. Economic Justice: LEAMNJ has been advocating for fully funding the Childhood Nutrition reauthorization bill and for the funding of Supplemental SNAP benefits for Seniors. LEAMNJ was also able to successfully advocate for an increase to EITC benefit. Op Ed Published- Congress Should Follow N.J.'s Lead By Investing in Working Families Op-Ed in the Star-Ledger by Rev. Sara Lilja EITC Op Ed Violence Prevention: Support of S2360- LEAMNJ worked with a coalition of advocates to pass a bill that would allow the Judiciary to communicate with local, county, and state police before ruling on mental health expungement request for the purpose of buying a fire arm. The bill passed both houses of the legislature and voted to overturn the Governor s veto In the Senate. Immigration Justice: Supported A4425/S2925- This bill would allow New Jerseyans without documents proving their immigration status to apply for a limited drivers license. The license would say Federal Limits Apply on the front, meaning that it could not be used to board flights, for example. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved a similar model legislation that the state of California has drafted into law. Other Accomplishments 2015: Community Forum- LEAMNJ helped to organize and promote the event held in August.

6 Attended by over 300 people, this event was an important and meaningful opportunity to share, learn, and connect with advocates, faith leaders, and neighbors who are directly or indirectly impacted by the criminal justice system. Senator Cory Booker lead a panel discussion on criminal justice, mass incarceration, race, faith, and the impact on our communities. Race and Poverty in New Jersey- Rev. Sara Lilja is chairing the committee working on Race and Economic Justice as part of the Anti Poverty Network s year long research project. The research highlights the gender inequality in compensation between women of color and whites, it lifts up the serious economic strain on working families when paying for quality childcare, and it identifies the inequality of banking deserts in our state. Developed a Statement on Respect for our Muslim Brothers and Sisters entitled For the Love of God (November 2015). Steadfast love is about God; God acts in steadfast love in hesed toward his people. We do not live up to God s expectations. Our treatment of others, the poor, and the marginalized is inadequate. But God is abounding in steadfast love. We pursue love of our neighbor, and welcome for God s sake. Unfortunate periods of hostile discourse and actual warfare between Christians, Jews and Muslims, such as the Crusades have left a legacy of mistrust, misunderstanding and stereotypes. This legacy has been confirmed in the imaginations of many. The rise of militant Islamist ideologies has spawned acts of terrifying violence--acts repudiated, it must be emphasized, by the great body of Muslims. We are not naive about possible new threats of terrorism, but denying refuge to thousands of desperate people is not who we are as Children of God, nor will it guarantee our security. New Jersey is a religiously diverse society, and our welcome to refugees should continue to reflect this. We must redouble our efforts to work for a more secure world one with less hate and more understanding, one that witness to the Steadfast love of God. The thousands of courageous Syrian refugees fleeing their homeland go through a rigorous security screening involving the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Department of Defense and multiple intelligence agencies. Refugees are the most scrutinized and screened individuals to enter the U.S. Intensive security screening by the government of all refugees prior to admission to the U.S. is and should continue to be a detailed and thorough process. For Jesus is our peace; in his flesh he has made all groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, the hostility between us. (Eph 2:14)