When the Trump administration took office, a 90-day review of programs and projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was issued, immediately halting critical global work and providing a window for the administration to dismantle the agency completely. With the review period coming to an end, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that 83% of USAID programs have been eliminated.The dismantling of USAID and cutting of other foreign aid and peacebuilding programs run by other agencies, like the United States Institute of Peace, is theologically and morally reprehensible and irresponsible. It goes against our values to deprive people of life-saving HIV medications, prevent research that would cure diseases, and feed those who don’t have enough food. These are just a handful of examples of the kind of aid that is provided by USAID around the world. Join us in urging Congress to fund fully operational international development and peacebuilding institutions! While both USAID and USIP have experienced Presidential overreach, only one of these is a government agency. The U.S. Institute of Peace is an independent 501(c)3 that’s only tie to the federal government is that it receives congressional funding in recognition of the importance of peacebuilding efforts globally and U.S. responsibility to being a leader of peacebuilding both at home and abroad. No President has the authority to make decisions about or within USIP.
As a global leader, we are called to use our privilege and resources to help those in need. The United Church of Christ has been receiving updates from partners over the last 90-days whose communities have been impacted by first the freeze and now the cuts. The most immediate impact is being felt in the healthcare sphere with lack of access to various vaccines and HIV/AIDS medications. Agencies such as USAID and the United States Institute of Peace serve an important role not just in peacebuilding but global security. Through this work, our taxes help keep individuals and communities abroad safe, healthy, and secure—in turn making the world a safer place for all of us. The United Church of Christ’s call to build a just world for all requires us to advocate for programs that provide basic humanitarian support for all, including those run by USAID and USIP. Tell the President and Congress that we need fully operational international development and peacebuilding institutions today!
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Begin forwarded message:
From: FADP Staff <info@fadp.org>
Subject: One Week to Save James Ford
Date: February 6, 2025 at 2:00:25 PM EST
Reply-To: info@fadp.org
Dear Rev. Kim, In one week from today, the State of Florida is set to conduct its 107th state-sanctioned murder and execute James “Jimbo” Ford. As we count down to the scheduled execution day, we and our collaborators from across the world are planning several opportunities for you to advocate on behalf of sparing James’ life and against the barbaric practice of execution. See updates and opportunities below! Florida Supreme Court Denies Stay of ExecutionThis week, the Florida Supreme Court issued an order denying James’ request for a stay of execution. Let the Governor Know What You ThinkGovernor DeSantis is the single executive official who can stop this execution. That’s why we need you to send a message to him today urging him to stay this execution. Click here to send a message.Faith Leaders: Use Your VoicesIf you are a faith leader in Florida, you have a line to the governor’s office through his Faith and Community Initiative. You can voice your opposition to the upcoming execution of James Ford by calling the program office at 850-717-9494. Conservatives Speak Out Against Florida’s Death PenaltyDemetrius Minor, National Manager of Conservatives Concerned and a member of Governor DeSantis’ Faith and Community Initiative, has written to the governor urging clemency for James Ford. In his letter, Minor emphasizes that true justice is not found in executions but in accountability that prioritizes fairness and redemption. He calls on the governor to lead with justice and compassion by halting this execution.Attend a Planned Vigil for James FordThis week, Tampa’s abolitionist community gathered to protest the upcoming execution of James Ford. If his execution proceeds next Thursday, advocates across the state are preparing to hold vigils and protests. Join them in person or virtually to recognize James’ humanity. Find information on our website.
Sign and Share Our PetitionOn Thursday, we will be sending your signatures to Governor DeSantis, the Florida Board of Executive Clemency, and other administrative officials. Please continue to sign and share our petition and make your voices heard. Help us reach 4,000 signatures. Every signature, every voice, will be seen and heard, reinforcing our collective call for justice.Thank You for Taking ActionFinally, we would like to thank leading organizations and communities, including Catholic Mobilizing Network, Conservatives Concerned, Death Penalty Focus, Death Penalty Action, members of Allendale United Methodist Church, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, and many others that have been relentless in their advocacy for life and against dehumanization—and we would like to thank many of you for taking action with us!
Faith Expressed Freely
| Faith Expressed Freely – Statement on congressional response to Bishop Budde’s sermon |
| Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. – Isaiah 1:17 Preaching at the National Prayer Service, the Right Reverend Mariann Budde offered a sermon that was timely and prophetic following the inauguration of the 47th president. Her message offered a vision of hope and unity that is not easily lived and is needed now: |
| Unity is not partisan. Rather, unity is a way of being with one another that encompasses and respects differences, that teaches us to hold multiple perspectives and life experiences as valid and worthy of respect; that enables us, in our communities and in the halls of power, to genuinely care for one another even when we disagree. |
| Bishop Budde also warned about the normalization of a culture of contempt, of purposeful polarization manufactured to benefit a few while threatening to tear our country apart. The entirety of her message was lost in the response of the president of the United States, which focused on vilifying Bishop Budde’s appeal for mercy on the oppressed of our day. The prophetic plea was weaponized, and the message of unity presented went unheard. Bishop Budde’s words and actions are consistent with many faith leaders over the centuries and today who have provided voice in the call for justice. The voice of faith leaders must be heard in the public square calling truth to power in all times. We commend the courage and wisdom of Bishop Budde and other faith leaders who bring a message of justice and hope for the oppressed. The introduction of H. Res. 59 “Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the sermon given by the Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde at the National Prayer Service on January 21st, 2025, at the National Cathedral was a display of political activism and condemning its distorted message” is problematic as is the condemnation of the Bishop by the President. Our country’s rich history of religious freedom prohibits elected officials from dictating the message of religious communities, so their characterization of her sermon as “distorted” is deeply troubling. Faith leaders must be able to speak freely from the convictions of their faith, uncensored by threats of political retribution, following in the prophetic tradition, calling for justice in their communities. People of all faiths must be able to express their faith without fear of government harassment, coercion, or duress. As ministers of word and sacrament, we have a responsibility to seek justice for all. Our voices join with Bishop Budde and others defending the oppressed. This is a time to learn to do right, as the prophet Isaiah exhorts. The call for unity is before us. For the sake of the vulnerable with whom we are called to care and for the free expression of our faith, may we continue to center Jesus’ work and God’s vision for a just world for all. |
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| Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson General Minister and President/CEOUnited Church of Christ |
New opportunity to oppose James D. Ford’s execution
New opportunity to oppose James D. Ford’s execution and to meet FADP Executive Director Maria DeLiberato
Friends,
On Tuesday, February 4, the week before the scheduled execution of James D. Ford, we will gather to urge people to contact Governor DeSantis to stay the execution. We will gather at our usual site at the northwest corner of Ulmerton Road and 49th Street North in mid-Pinellas County from 5:00-6:00 PM.
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FADP Executive Director Maria DeLiberato will join us at the demonstration and afterwards for dinner. When we gather during executions, she is at the Florida State Prison, and she wants to meet the local death penalty abolitionist activist community.
We will have special signs for our demonstration, but feel free to make your own. We will also hold our Thursday, February 13 vigil. Details on that are below.
February 4 is the birthday of Rosa Parks, most famous for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. Before that, she spent the previous decade courageously supporting Black female victims of white sexual violence. Honor her work and legacy by joining us on her birthday.
For more information: sjstew@gte.net or (727) 492-1590, and go to the Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty website for death penalty information, updates on the James Ford execution and other news.
John Stewart
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Here are ways to oppose James Ford’s execution:
• Sign the petitionurging Governor DeSantis and the Florida Board of Executive Clemency to stay the election of James Ford.
• Contact Governor Ron DeSantis at (850) 488-7146 or by email. Prepare for your call or email with Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (FADP)’s excellent Florida Death Penalty Fact Sheet.
• Join FADP, Allendale United Methodist Church, and other death penalty opponents for a Tampa Bay area vigil from 5:00-6:00 PM on Thursday, February 13 on the northwest corner of Ulmerton Road and 49th Street North in mid-Pinellas County. This is the site of previous vigils, and it is where death penalty opponents have gathered for years. It is at the intersection of two main roads and is near the court and jail complex. Park in the vacant lot behind Checkers. We will provide signs, or you can bring your own. If the execution is stayed, the vigil will be cancelled. For more information: sjstew@gte.net or (727) 492-1590.
• Please include this information in emails, on Facebook, in newsletters and church bulletins, etc. A summary of the information for copying and pasting is at the end of this email.
Check the FADP website for information and updates. We will send email updates as the execution approaches.
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SUMMARY OF INFORMATION:
Oppose the execution of James Ford on Thursday, February 13 by contacting Governor Ron DeSantisat (850) 488-7146 or by email at flgov.com/eog/contact. For more information and a petition, go to the Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty website (fadp.org). Join FADP and other death penalty opponents at a vigil from 5:00-6:00 PM on Thursday, February 13 on the northwest corner of Ulmerton Road and 49th Street North in mid-Pinellas County. FADP will provide signs. If the execution is stayed, the vigil will be cancelled. For more information: sjstew@gte.net or (727) 492-1590.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 