Resolution 2026-06

“Doing Justice: The Heart and Soul of Social Action”
 
General Church Budget Implications: None
East Ohio Conference Implications: Yes

 Whereas: justice is the foundation of Jesus’ ministry.

Whereas: while the Old Testament addressed the relationship between God and humans, The New Testament recounts Jesus’ life, teachings, and actions that illustrate God’s intentions for humans to be in relationship with one another.

Whereas: the purpose of our collective human lives as asked in one simple question: “What does the Lord require of thee, oh human?” is answered by the prophets Isaiah and Micah as: “to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Whereas: Jesus identified behaviors that are unjust and merciless in Matthew 25:41-43 (CEV) “41 Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me! You are under God's curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.’”

Whereas: ICE raids targeting immigrant populations in selected U.S. cities and states have caused fear, intimidation, separation, terror for parents and their children, AND resulted in death for some of those aggressively targeted.

Whereas: Immigrant populations which had been welcomed into communities in Ohio have recently experienced increased fears of being targeted and deported as hate speech and ICE raids spread across the country.

Whereas: the long history of The United Methodist Church, along with other major religions, teaches, models, and calls us to welcome the stranger, to love one another, to respond wherever we see need, and where our skills, our commitments, our love calls US to work for justice.

Whereas: each year, United Women in Faith develops justice-focused Biblical curricula. The very origin of United Methodist Women, from which United Women of Faith evolved, is rooted in Ohio’s Branche Rickey’s Seminole role in integrating/desegregating American baseball leagues, and the Methodist teachings of his mother.

Whereas: Ohio has a long history of social justice initiatives and action: from  a plethora of church-sponsored colleges that admitted both females and Black people long before the prestigious Eastern colleges did, to historic secreted “Underground Railroad” sites, to a history of social justice advocacy, writers, speakers, and religious leaders.

Whereas: “Ohio land” has a LONG history of demonstrating John Wesley’s core directive, as articulated from Micah: DO JUSTICE - LOVE MERCY … WALK HUMBLY WITH GOD.

Therefore, Be It Resolved: MAY THE PEOPLE OF OHIO LAND CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN  OUR LONG COMMITMENT TO “doing Justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with GOD,” as we see the needs around and among us, not only in our congregations, but in our neighborhoods, among immigrants, children, and wherever love, grace, and God’s love is needed.

Submitted by East Ohio Methodist Federation for Social Action, East Ohio Board of Multicultural Ministries, and East Ohio United Women in Faith.