As Christians, we know that seeking justice is central to our faith. From the Old Testament prophets, to Jesus’s own teachings, the message is clear: seek justice; challenge injustice; stand with those who are suffering.
It is easy to see unjust structures and actors in our society today, and the consequences of that: people face exclusion and injustice because of their race, sexuality, economic background, disability or other circumstances.
Churches know they are to pursue justice, but making that an ongoing part of church life isn’t easy. During our Church on the Margins work a few years ago, we met many churches doing incredible work, but also met other churches who earnestly wanted to do more yet were stretched and didn’t know where to start. We’ve set up the ‘Just Church’ programme as a direct response.
Churches, when working well, are powerful catalysts of change. The programme equips churches to celebrate what they’re already doing, while exploring next steps they can take. It’s a membership programme to uphold and enhance what churches are doing. Every church, whether just starting out or already excelling, can keep looking at the next step on its journey. Like so much of what we do at Church Action on Poverty, this is all about helping churches to meet the fourth mark of mission: to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation.
‘Just Church’ isn’t just about promoting Church Action on Poverty. We’re pleased we can use the programme to connect churches with great initiatives and resources from our allies and partners too – including other ecumenical bodies like Trussell, Christians Against Poverty and the Joint Public Issues Team.
The programme launched last week, with a special service at Luther King House. It was a beautiful time of worship, prayer and sharing of ideas. One of the speakers was Rev Kate Gray, a URC minister from a church community in Wythenshawe, which has become one of the first churches to sign up, and she said: “It was really great to hear about Just Church and the process of how it came about, because it is about relationships. It doesn’t feel like an additional burden or like work, but it has given us a frame and a structure.”
Another of the first sign-ups, Nick Waterfield, a Methodist pioneer minister in Sheffield, has told us: “A just church is not really negotiable, it’s what we are called to be. We hope this programme will help us get stories from other people and places, and moral support and encouragement and a sense that we are not on our own all the time, but are part of a big group doing things.”
I hope your church and all of Churches Together in England’s national Member Churches will get involved and join us in striving to become drivers of hugely positive change across our communities.
Find out more at just-church.org.uk
Main photo from Just Church launch. Left to right: Rev Dr Clara Rushbrook of Luther King House, Liam Purcell of Church Action on Poverty, Rev Kate Gray and Rev Marie Pattison
Church Action on Poverty is a Charity and Network in Association with Churches Together in England.