The St. John’s Mission and Justice Commission mandate is to:
• Oversee the development of our congregation’s mission and justice programs under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Jesus Christ;
• Coordinate our work with the work of other churches;
• Allocate and administer the Mission and Justice budget;
• Raise St. John’s profile in mission and justice issues.
Some of St. John’s Mission and Justice current activities include:
• Deepening our relationship with two active interfaith organizations in Berkeley and Oakland known by their initials as EBIIC and EBSC.
- EBIIC (East Bay Interfaith Immigration Coalition) is a group of faith leaders who meet monthly, in close collaboration with Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, to work for humane immigration reform. One of its main programs is advocating for the rights of immigrants being held in detention.
- EBSC (East Bay Sanctuary Covenant), comprised of 30 congregations, provides sanctuary – support, protection and advocacy – to low income and indigent refugees and immigrants. St. John’s was one of the founding members of EBSC in the early 1980s. EBSC has successfully secured asylum from the US government for over 3,000 immigrants.
• Deepening our relationship with our sister congregation in East Oakland, Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana (PIPH). With PIPH, and with support of a Partnership Grant from the San Francisco Presbytery, a Legal and Life needs lending fund was created with oversight by a joint PIPH/St. John’s Committee. The initial allocation of $14,800 from the Presbytery grant has been supplemented by additional gifts from St. John’s members, an anonymous donor, and replenishment by repayments from borrowers.
• Continuing our accompaniment relationship with three asylum families from Central and South America.
Supporting and commissioning mission trips and engagements by individual members of the St. John’s congregation and learning from their reports and experiences:
• Photo and video ministry documenting events at our church and sister organizations in the area, along with advocacy for human rights and hurricane disaster relief efforts in Central America through collaborative initiatives with the SHARE Foundation.
• Activist ministry organizing the Good Friday protest against Livermore Lab’s development of nuclear weapons; fundraising efforts for the Haiti Emergency Relief Foundation and the Aristide Foundation; advocacy work with the Haiti Action Committee and the Ecumenical Peace Institute.
• Assistance with organizing the local (Berkeley) Church World Service- sponsored CROP Hunger Walk, raising funds for Church World Service projects and to support local programs of Berkeley Food Pantry, Dorothy Day House, and Youth Spirit Art Works.
• Coordination of regular sales of Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate and other products to benefit small farmers in developing countries.
• Coordination of St. John’s participation in Greenfaith’s Global Action and the collaborative organizing of two conferences on Climate Justice by our congregation and residents of Berkeley Presbyterian Mission Homes.
• Participation in the annual worldwide shoreline cleanup project — renewing our commitment to clearing the beach at the mouth of Schoolhouse Creek, which drains part of our watershed.
• Coordinating the collection and delivery of gift cards, toiletries, and socks for the women being helped at the Women’s Daytime Drop-in Center.
• Assisting our congregation’s response to social justice overtures to the Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly.
• Free use of St. John’s Center kitchen by Food Not Bombs in preparing meals two days a week for the unhoused.
Contact: Fred Goff or Glenda Pawsey at sjoffice@stjohnsberkeley.org or call (510) 845-6830
Please join us in this important work!
