About St. John's Mission & Justice Commission
St. John’s Mission & Justice Commission was established in 2004 and cultivates local, national and international engagements that advance St. John’s century-long legacy of peace and justice.
Through legacy projects and current work, we have championed climate justice, economic justice, education justice, food justice, gender justice, health justice, housing justice, immigrant/refugee justice, racial justice, & anti-militarism campaigns.
Congregation members bring passion projects that spark broader congregational engagement, and the Mission & Justice Commission works to support the development of these projects under the guidance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Mission & Justice Partnerships
The Mission and Justice Commission organizes our congregation’s work with the work of other communities of faith through ecumenical and interfaith organizations with roots in Berkeley and Oakland:
- East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC): St. John’s was one of five founding congregations of the Sanctuary Movement in 1982. Now 30 congregations strong, EBSC provides sanctuary–support, protection and legal advocacy to low income and indigent refugees and immigrants. Since its inception, EBSC has secured asylum from the US government for thousands of immigrants;
- East Bay Interfaith Immigration Coalition/Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity (EBIIC/IM4HI): St. John’s is a part of a group of faith leaders who work for humane immigration reforms including advocating for the rights of immigrants held in detention;
- Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana (PIPH): St. John’s partners with our sister congregation in East Oakland (PIPH) and secured a $50,000 Partnership Grant from the San Francisco Presbytery, first secured in 2021 and renewed in 2025. It is administered jointly by PIPH/St John’s. We are particularly proud of a lending and life crisis fund that has facilitated micro loans to individuals and families at PIPH. An initial allocation of $14,800 from the Presbytery has been supplemented by additional gifts from St John’s members and replenishment by repayment of the loans.
Mission and Justice has also disbursed more than $100,000 since its inception in 2005 in benevolence funds to a core group of recipients doing important work rooted locally but often with a global reach—A Safe Place, Berkeley Presbyterian Mission Homes, Berkeley Insight Housing (formerly Berkeley Food and Housing Project), East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, More Light Presbyterians as well as newer recipients including Presbyterians for Earth Care (supports climate justice) and MECA (supports children displaced by military campaigns in the Middle East). Beginning in 2025, St. John's partnered with Synod of the Nile to fund The School of Hope in Al-Arish, Egypt, serving Gazan refugee school children and families.
Mission Trips
Historically Mission & Justice has supported and commissioned mission trips both nationally and internationally with participants returning to share with and energize the congregation.
Mission & Justice's Support for a School for Palestinian Refugee Children
In 2025-2026, we have been particularly thrilled to support the opening of a school in El Aresh, Egypt serving Palestinian refugee children displaced by hostilities in Gaza. In conjunction with the Synod of the Nile (Presbyterian Church of Egypt), the largest single giving campaign by the St John's congregation has provided a return to the classroom and nourishing meals to 250 Palestinian children displaced by military campaigns in the adjacent region. The 2026-2027 academic year promises opportunities to expand services to these refugee children.
Bring you passion and energy and come join us in this transformational work. Together we will heed the call “to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God”--Micah 6:8.
To get involved, please email sjoffice@stjohnsberkeley.org.