September Bonus Movement Café:
Faith Votes and the Environment
September 12th 2024
2pm PT / 3pm MT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET
Sponsored by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement, the informal, virtual space of the Café facilitates conversation, connection, and community focused on creation care and justice issues.
Faith Votes and the Environment
Join in for a conversation with Mike Kennedy, Manager of the Faith Votes Campaign, a non-partisan program of Interfaith Power and Light. Mike will share about the Faith Votes Campaign, and we will hear also from Melanie Beikman, Executive Director of Arizona Interfaith Power and Light, about why actions of environmental and faith voters matter, and from Rev. AC Churchill, Executive Director of Earth Ministry / Washington Interfaith Power and Light together with Oregon Interfaith Power and Light inviting people to prayerful celebration when voting. You will hear also from other United Methodists in their efforts, including other resources in the Western Jurisdiction and beyond.
This event is hosted by the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement’s Western Jurisdiction group, convened by Rev. Tim Wood of the Mountain Sky Conference. Co-sponsors include Oregon Interfaith Power and Light and the UMCJM Movement Cafe.
Speaker
Rev. Tim Wood
Tim is the convener of the Western Jurisdiction Group for the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement and active in the Creation Justice Task Force for the Mountain Sky Conference, and has served churches in Montana, Idaho, Ohio and Colorado. He has a bachelor’s degree in physics and spent many years as a computer consultant and entrepreneur before following a call into ministry. His ministry focus is discipleship and creation justice.
Speaker
Melanie Beikman
Melanie has an idealistic but persistent hope for democracy, which has led to serving on a school board in her hometown of Tempe (2010-2014) and learning the craft of community organizing in various roles with Arizona Interfaith Network, both in Pinal County and in the Phoenix area. Her working life started in molecular biology and biochemistry research labs. Melanie stepped into the role of AZIPL Executive Director in 2023 having previously served as the Program & Outreach Coordinator.
Speaker
Mike Kennedy
Mike manages IPL’s 2024 Faith Votes Campaign after guiding its 2022 voter campaign. He served as director of Florida operations for MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates, executive director of the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority, and director of discipleship and mission at Harvest United Methodist Church. Mike coordinated the launch of the Solar and Energy Loan Fund’s “Southern+ Climate Equity Accelerator” in 2023.
Speaker
Rev. AC Churchill
(they/them) has been with Earth Ministry/WAIPL since 2022 as the Executive Director. They are an ordained minister within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) tradition and come to the work of environmental justice as an expression of their deep commitment to participating in healing, justice, and transformation. They view the work of environmental justice to be intrinsically connected to anti-racism and pro-reconciliation work and have over a decade’s worth of experience working in and with faith communities as a faith-rooted organizer, most recently in Dallas, TX.