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As the
only statewide ecumenical agency in South Carolina, SC Christian Action
Council respresents a partnership of 16 denominations and 21 regional
judicatories, including 4,500 congregations.
The
Council serves as a catalyst for:
- Social justice through
public policy advocacy;
- Christian Unity and
inter-religious dialogue through relationships, collaborations and
events;
- Racial and cultural
healing by building bridges of trust and understanding.
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Anticipating Crisis: A Christian Response to a Pandemic
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Join us
on May 18th in Florence for SC Christian Action Council's 2006 Annual
Meeting. Our theme this year is preparing for pandemic.
The
following is a blurb from NPR's website about the potential threat of
bird flu. Are our congregations and communities prepared? What is the
role of the faith community?
An
especially virulent strain of the bird flu has spread from Asia to Europe
and Africa. Known as H5N1, the virus can infect humans as well as birds.
World leaders and health officials are taking the threat of a pandemic
seriously, and pressure is on to develop effective containment measures
and treatments.
We will
begin our day with an ecumenical worship service held in the beautiful
new sanctuary at St. Luke Lutheran Church. Our preacher will be The
Reverend Dr. Anthony A. McCallum, Pastor of Bethlehem
Baptist Church in Columbia.
Following
worship and a brief business session, we will hear from a panel of
medical professionals, disaster preparedness personnel, and
congregational leaders. They will discuss the dimensions of potential
pandemic (worldwide) illnesses: when we could expect them and how we
should prepare before such an event reaches our communities.
Register
today by downloading a copy of our flyer
and registration form.
Print,
fill out and mail it back to the Council with your check for the
registration fee made payable to SCCAC. The entire day including lunch is
$35, with discounts for students.
We look
forward to seeing you in Florence!
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"BUT WHAT ABOUT US? Student Photography from the
Corridor of Shame" Exhibit
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 To dramatize the
need for comprehensive, long term equitable funding of South Carolina’s
rural public schools, Ferillo and Associates, Inc. has coordinated a
student driven photo project supported by several of the state’s leading
philanthropies and community leaders.
Some
250 students in middle and high schools in seven rural school districts
photographed images in their school this past March and April and wrote
brief descriptions as their personal testimony to needs in their local
schools.
“BUT
WHAT ABOUT US? Student Photography from the Corridor of Shame” is a
traveling exhibit that will be unveiled at a news conference in the
Entrance Lobby, Ground Floor of the State House on Tuesday, May 9 at
11:30 a.m. The student photographers, their teachers and superintendents
will be on hand to unveil the exhibit.
The
exhibit consists of four portable 8’ x 10’ collapsible display lighted
units presenting 60 photographs, captions and the students’ names, grades
and schools. The exhibit will be on display following the news conference
on the ground floor of the Blatt House Office Building from May 9-11.
Following
its debut in the state capitol, the exhibit will begin a tour of the
state, incluing the Council's Annual Meeting in Florence on the 18th of
this month.
Organizations
and institutions wishing to host the exhibit should contact geah@logicsouth.com
or call Bud Ferillo at 803-771-6106.
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Community News and Events
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May
9-11: BUT WHAT ABOUT US? Student Photography from the Corridor
of Shame. Press conference in State House Lobby May 9 at 11:30 a.m.
Exhibit on display ground floor Blatt Office Building through the 11th.
May
18: Anticipating Crisis: A Christian Response to a Pandemic.
SCCAC's 2006 Annual Meeting. 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Join us for
ecumenical worship, lunch and speakers at St. Luke Lutheran Church,
Florence, SC. See article above and click
here for a flyer and registration form.
May
21-25: "Rejoice in Hope": 26th Convocation of Jail
and Prison Ministry. Springmaid Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach. For more
information please contact Paula Loehr at 843.347.5168.
June
1-4: Eco-Justice Conference, Loyola University, New Orleans.
This national conference, which features various learning tracks and
plenary speakers Bill McKibbon, Beverly Wright, Janisse Ray and Jerome
Ringo, will explore the connections of ecological, economic, and social
justice for all of God’s creation. For more information or the
registration brochure, visit
www.nccecojustice.org/conf.htm Cost: $235 by May 15 (deadline
extended) includes lodging and meals.
October
20-22: 2006 National Weekend of Faith and Action on the Death
Penalty. NWFA is an opportunity for faith communities, interfaith
groups, human rights activists, and others to examine the death penalty
from a faith-based or values-based perspective. Register
on-line or request more information from khoule@aiusa.org.
Have
other South Carolina community news? Let us know at sccac@bellsouth.net.
We
include information on community events as space and time allow; and,
only in accordance with the mission and policies of SC Christian Action
Council. We do not accept unsolicited articles.
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Comings and Goings
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Here's
a sampling of April activities for the staff of SC Christian Action
Council.
May 2:
Gathering of Council Executives, hosted by Bishoop Jim West, Reformed
Episcopal Church Synod of the Southeast and Cummings Seminary,
Summerville. (Brenda)
May 5:
Training Advisory Subcommittee (TASC), a subcommittee of the SC
Bioterrorism Committee. Current focus of TASC is preparedness for
Pan-flu. (Brenda)
May 9: What
About Us? Student Photography from the Corridor of Shame Exhibit,
Statehouse (Doris, Brenda)
May 16:
Advocacy Work Day Planning Committee, Columbia. (Julia) SC Death Penalty
Organizing Committee, Shandon Presbyterian Church, Columbia.
May 18:
SCCAC Annual Meeting, Anticipating Crisis: A Christian Response to
Pandemic St. Luke Lutheran Church, Florence. (Doris, Julia, Brenda)
May 22:
SATTC Faith Conference: Integrating The Sacred and Secular Treatment of
Addiction. Panel member. (Brenda)
May 23:
National Development Institute, Columbia. (Brenda)
May
26-27: Synod Assembly, SC Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
Newberry. (Brenda)
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Across My
Desk...
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Recently
I was asked to submit a brief item to the Baptist Center for Ethics (BCE)
for a worship resource packet in support of Public Education. The mission
of the Baptist
Center for Ethics is to provide proactive, positive and practical
ethics resources and services to congregations.
BCE
believes church leaders and faith communities possess the keys to
developing moral character, teaching sound decision making, offering a
clear moral witness to the larger culture and advancing social change.
Their goal is to equip leaders and churches with quality, relevant
resources and services from a christo-centric perspective.
Only
occassionally does the life work of parents and an adult child merge
outside the arena of family gatherings. So you can imagine how pleased I
was by this opportunity to reflect upon our common values.
My
attempt to write a responsive reading called to mind my parents' careers
and the efforts they made to make our home a campground where Christian
virtues were learned. Mom was a science and math teacher in SC public high
schools. Dad was first a teacher/coach who then spent most of his career
in SC public school administration.
As
their child and having taught in public school myself, I have witnessed
the teacher's life and the joys, the agonys, the intrinsic values and
sacrifices of most public school teachers, administrators, and staff. I
tried to reflect this in my responsive reading.
As I
prepared to email my submission, I remembered a poem written by my
father, "You Can Call Me Teacher." With his permission, I sent
it along with my effort. To my delight, the packet includes both our
efforts (Dad's is the very last item) along with many other worthy
resources for use in worship and other settings in support of public
education.
My
dad's 87th birthday is Sunday, May 7. One of his gifts will be a printed
copy of the webpage
which lists both our names and a copy of the full packet.
I
recommend to you the resource with an endorsement from the Council. We
believe that people of faith and good will support quality education for
all our state's children; and, we believe that government's role is to
make sure this happens in public schools.
Happy
Birthday, Daddy.
...and
that’s the view across my desk.
Brenda
Lynn Kneece Executive Minister
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