Introduction
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called both individually and collectively to fearlessly apply our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression. The Committee for Social Justice is dedicated to God’s work of justice in the world. The committee focuses on raising awareness of social issues through education and believes that we are called to act on our beliefs to change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate injustice. See more....
Eviction Crisis
A Successful Advocacy Campaign – Thank You
The passage of the federal Covid stimulus act in December, 2020 averted the eviction crisis that would have happened at the start of the new year. Since then the North Carolina General Assembly passed and the Governor signed Senate Bill 36 which provides $543 Million for housing relief assistance to North Carolinians. The expectation is that these funds will be deployed through the HOPE (Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Eviction) program. No action is needed at this time, but be ready for additional advocacy at the state level if it becomes necessary. In the meantime we can celebrate a small step of success in helping our neighbors who are suffering in the Covid pandemic.
Join Us
We’d love to connect, share resources and tell you how you can get involved!
- Want to learn about and discuss social justice issues? Join the committee and stay informed about meetings, special speakers and issue groups. We are organized with a “loose” structure allowing members to participate in issues as they have time and interest.
- Have questions? Contact committee chair Mike Schley at socialjustice@sapc.com
Committee Events
District Attorney Lorrin Freeman to speak at March 11 Meeting
Wake Country District Attorney Lorrin Freeman will be the featured speaker at the March 11 Committee meeting. Everyone is welcome to attend. She will be speaking about initiatives in Wake County to make the criminal justice more fair, particularly for poor people and minorities. The virtual meeting be by Zoom at 7:00pm on Thursday March 11. To register and get the meeting link, click.
Previous Meeting Recordings
View recordings of previous meetings and learn about future meetings here.
Issues We Are Working On
Housing
The Housing group is focused on advocacy for renters facing immediate eviction because of the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. Long-term, we are exploring the best way for our church to address ongoing issues impacting housing affordability and security. See more.
Education
The Education group is seeking to learn about inequity in our educational system and encourage action for equality-based change. We are currently exploring partnerships with education-focused advocacy groups and other organizations to focus in on key local and state issues. See more.
Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice group is seeking to understand and support local and state initiatives that advocate for everyone being treated equally under the law. Key areas we are exploring include bail reform, pretrial justice improvements and possible advocacy related to recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. See more.
Social Justice Resources
See links to relevant organizations and resources here.
Social Justice News
- Rev. Suzanne Miller, Executive Director of Pastors for NC Children to Speak at April Meeting
Rev. Suzanne Miller, a Moravian minister and the Executive Director of Pastors for NC Children will speak at our April 8 meeting about mobilizing faith communities to advocate for better education in our state. The virtual meeting be by Zoom at 7:00pm on Thursday April 8. - Saint Andrews Session Supports Eviction Proclamation
On December 15, the Session of Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church voted support for the Proclamation regarding the Current Eviction Crisis and Congregational Response. The proclamation, a proposal by the Committee for Social Justice, explained the impending eviction crisis threatened when the CDC moratorium on evictions expired on December 31, 2020. The proclamation called for a …Saint Andrews Session Supports Eviction Proclamation Read More »
- New Report – Racial Disparities in the NC Criminal Justice System
Governor Roy Cooper’s Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice released a report in December 2020 that provides recommendations for 2 key areas: law enforcement and the court system. Read more here. - Eviction News
The passage of the federal Covid stimulus act in December, 2020 averted the eviction crisis that would have happened at the start of the new year. Since then the North Carolina General Assembly passed and the Governor signed Senate Bill 36 which provides $543 Million for housing relief assistance to North Carolinians. The expectation is …