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A Season of Good Friday
and Easter Hope
By Rev. Dr. Angelique Walker-Smith |
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For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NRSVue) Recently, Bread for the World held a timely national prayer vigil in DC to advocate for life-saving international aid. It was an initiative-taking response to recent executive orders of the Administration. These orders were further discussed at our recent National legislative update session and in a recent Bread article, “Meeting Human Needs Because We Can.”
The article states, “The foreign assistance community is reeling from the order to pause new and existing U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days, the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the termination of nearly all current U.S. foreign assistance programs. This is an existential threat and an escalation of persistent efforts to disrupt U.S. assistance to vulnerable people around the world.”
As of January 2025, The Independent cites a model showing 15,000 having died, including 1500 children, because of these executive decisions. During recent discussions with African leaders and leaders of African Descent preparing for the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent in April, they observed that these decisions are not just part of domestic and international trends identified from within the US, but that such is part of a global scene of larger geo-political shifts disproportionately affecting Africans and People of African Descent.
Read the article in its entirety HERE. |
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House of Bishops Address "Christian Nationalism and Christian Witness" |
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Photo: Bishop Wright speaking to the House of Bishops |
From The Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta | Mar 27, 2025
Bishop Wright urges the House of Bishops to call out “idolatry, blasphemy, and heresy.”
On the recent 60th anniversary of a seminal moment in American civil rights, Atlanta Bishop Rob Wright spoke on “Christian Nationalism and Christian Witness” to the approximately 140 members of the House of Bishops. He urged this governing body to stand up to totalism just as David did to Goliath, only with five modern “stones” that every Jesus follower can carry. The House of Bishops is part of the bicameral government of The Episcopal Church, which is set up like the US Congress. The House of Bishops is like the US Senate, and with the House of Deputies forms the General Convention. The presiding bishop (Sean Rowe) is president of the General Convention. All bishops of The Episcopal Church, active or retired, have voice, seat, and vote in the House of Bishops. Bishop Wright spoke on March 21, as the House of Bishops weeklong meeting in Nauvoo, Ala., wrapped up. The date coincided with the anniversary of the March 21, 1965, escorted civil rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in support of voting rights. |
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Read the full article HERE. |
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350+ Scholars Condemn Vatican’s Complicity in Erasure of Armenian Church Heritage |
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‘Christianity in Azerbaijan’ conference flyer |
More than 300 scholars and professionals from around the world have signed a statement condemning the Vatican’s complicity in legitimizing Azerbaijan’s cultural erasure of Armenian Church history and heritage.
The statement follows the April 10, 2025, conference titled “Christianity in Azerbaijan: History and Modernity” held at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The signatories demand accountability and call for Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Fr. Mark Lewis, and Bishop Vladimir Fekete to be declared personae non gratae by Armenian churches, communities, and institutions worldwide.
Read the Full Story HERE. |
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CJM Ecumenical Earth Day Prayer Service |
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This Earth Day, join Creation Justice Ministries (CJM) for a time of sacred pause, powerful prayer, and faithful imagination. CJM invites participants to attend their Ecumenical Earth Day Prayer Service on Tuesday, April 22. Inspired by Creation Justice Ministries’ 2025 annual resource, The Power of God: From Extractive Theology to Transformative Faith, this virtual service will guide participants into prayerful reflection through seven original pieces of music, created exclusively for the resource. The service will also feature a powerful reflection from Derrick Weston, Creation Justice Ministries’ director of theological education and formation. Check CJM’s website or social media pages for the link to the prayer webinar. |
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Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
A Vital Conversation on Black Mental Health—Reserve Your Spot! |
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Mental health is a critical issue in Black communities, yet access to culturally competent care remains limited. Join us for our Policy for the People Virtual Summit Series, Beyond the Stigma: Barriers and Breakthroughs in Black Mental Health, as we explore real solutions to address these challenges. This powerful two-part webinar will feature policy experts, industry leaders, community activists, and Members of the Congressional Black Caucus discussing how we can expand access to mental health care and create a healthier future for Black communities.
Session 1: 11 AM - 12 PM Session 2: 1 PM - 2 PM *Your computer holds on to information. Please clear the cache before the event to ensure a smooth experience. * |
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Refugia, Restoration, and Resilience: A Christian Leaders for Creation Justice Retreat |
Join Creation Justice Ministries and the Anabaptist Climate Collaborative as they host “Refuge, Resilience, and Resistance: A Christian Leaders for Creation Justice” retreat. They will join with local scientists and theologians from this gathering of local leaders at the beautiful Avila Center for Community Leadership for two days of learning, networking, and mobilizing.
This “day school” model invites local leaders to come together for conversation, learning, and connection with God’s Creation. The event will conclude Tuesday evening with a special evening event at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, including happy hour, dinner, a presentation on heat resilience, and an opportunity to explore the museum. |
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS |
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Executive Order Trackers Available Online |
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Two organizations have set up websites to help interested parties keep track of executive orders and administrative executive actions
Congressional Black Caucus The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation has established the CBCF Executive Order Tracker: Understanding What’s at Stake for Black America. CBCF’s Executive Order Tracker provides detailed information on each executive action’s legal status, an in-depth analysis of their impact on Black communities, and highlights responses from Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members, including statements on the threats these directives pose and actions that maintain crucial checks and balances on presidential power.
Click here for more information about the CBC tracker site.
Network Advocates for Catholic Social Justice Network Advocates for Catholic Social Justice has created a Trump Administration Executive Action Tracker. The charts contain the executive orders and their impacts. Lawsuits that may be in progress are available through NETWORK's Executive Action Tracker on Google Drive. They are organized according to how they undermine NETWORK's An Economy for All agenda areas. The Executive Action Tracker will be updated regularly.
Click here for Network Advocates' online tracker. |
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Lenten Journal Available
from Friendship Press |
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