Never doubt
that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ---
Margaret Mead
John Wesley often preached about
works of piety and mercy as inseparable. Charity is a gift, but
social action helps change systems that keep people oppressed
and dispossessed. As United Methodist Women, we believe that
these are inseparable.
For over 135 years, children,
youth, and family advocacy, racial justice, public policy, and
global policy are the foci of United Methodist Women’s advocacy
and part of their mission call. Their advocacy helps improve and
empower the lives of women, children, and youth, nationally and
internationally.
Our conference has adopted the
following Conference Priorities for Social Action for 2007:
Each
local unit is encouraged to become a member of the Conference UMW Charter
Club. Criteria for the Charter Club provides new and innovative ways for
local units to implement the Charter for Racial Justice. There are three
different levels of participation which enables the local unit to be as
involved as they would like. Please study the attached criteria and make
plans how your local unit can become a member of this new organization.
Recognition will be given to those units who achieve Bronze, Silver, or Gold
status during 2008 at the 2009 Conference and District Annual Meetings.
Click here to download 2008 Charter Club
Criteria: [Word]
[PDF]
UMW Action Network -
The United Methodist Women’s Action Network is a
tool to assist members of the organization of United Methodist Women in
being informed and prepared to act on public policy issues affecting women,
children and youth. [
þ
See
Mission Today Criteria #13 ]
United Methodist Women Online Community - The online
community makes it possible for UMW members across the country to
communicate with each other. By utilizing present-day electronic
technologies, it is possible for United Methodist Women and women around the
world to have a common platform from which to move beyond the traditional
limitations of time and space. For example, a woman in North Carolina, Idaho
or India can connect online at anytime of day or night with each other to
discuss a topic or participate in a Bible study. The online community is an
opportunity to share the love of Christ, and the United Methodist tradition,
in new and creative ways.
Women's Division Website Social Action Pages
- The Women's Division website Social Action pages have brief information
about the various areas of emphasis within the section of Christian Social
Responsibility.
United Methodist Church Resources -
All of the social action emphases & priorities of the Women's Division are
based on scripture, and on the statements of belief of
The United Methodist
Church as adopted by the
General Conference and recorded in The Book of
Discipline and The Book of Resolutions.
We believe in God,
Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God ’ s
gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous
ends. We affirm the natural world as God’s handiwork and dedicate
ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by
humankind. We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the
blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family. We commit ourselves to the
rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and
people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to
the rights and dignity of of all persons. We believe in the right
and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of
themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so
doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective
bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of
economic and social distress. We dedicate ourselves to peace
throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and
to individual freedom for all people of the world. We believe in
the present and final triumph of God’s Word in human affairs and gladly
accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world.
Amen.
The General Board of Church and Society of
The United Methodist Church - The General Board of Church and Society of
The United Methodist Church is the international public policy and social
action agency mandated to speak its convictions to the church and to the
world. Only General Conference speaks for The United Methodist Church as a
whole.
This general agency has as
its purpose....to relate the gospel of Jesus Christ to the members of
the Church and to the persons and structures of the communities and
world in which they live. It shall seek to bring the whole of human
life, activities, possessions, use of resources, and community and world
relationships into conformity with the will of God. It shall show the
members of the Church and the society that the reconciliation that God
effected through Christ involves personal, social, and civic
righteousness.
United Methodist Seminar Program - The United Methodist Seminars on
National and International Affairs is an exciting education ministry of
the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) and the Women's Division
of the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM)! Every year Christians
from around the U.S. travel to Washington DC to strengthen their
spiritual and vocational formation through custom-designed United
Methodist Seminars. Many find a place to develop a faith-filled
understanding of difficult social issues, cultivate thoughtful insights
to guide daily and vocational choices as Christian citizens, and discern
ways in which to live social holiness.
Who represents you in the United States Congress, and the North Carolina General
Assembly? - Very often, Action Alerts or
other social action articles will encourage you to write your representatives to
express your opinion about important issues that affect the lives of women,
children and youth. Use these helpful links to
find out who your representatives are in the United States Congress and the
North Carolina General Assembly.
[
þ
See
Mission Today Criteria #13 and
Mission Today Criteria #6
]
The PURPOSE of
United Methodist Women The organized unit of United Methodist Women shall be a community of women
whose purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through
Jesus Christ; to develop a creative supportive fellowship; and to expand
concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the
church.
This page was last updated on
Thursday, June 12, 2008.
