On February 1, 2024, more than one hundred United Methodists from throughout the Virginia Conference met at the Pace Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University, to spend the day learning about social justice issues and meeting with their legislators. Co-hosted by United Women in Faith and the Virginia Board of Church and Society, this annual event has been ongoing for more than 30 years.
In the early 1990s a member of United Methodist Women, serving as Mission Coordinator of Christian Social Involvement, and a member of the Virginia Conference Board of Church and Society formed the Conference Monitoring Team, to monitor bills and inform others in the Conference. Initially they organized a phone tree to encourage United Methodists to call their legislators and voice their opinions, to advocate for or against bills. Ultimately that phone tree became a daylong event in person in Richmond, with the first United Methodist Day at General Assembly held in 1993.
Through the years the monitoring team became the Conference Legislative Network, with members from both United Women in Faith and Church and Society. The team has partnered with the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy (VICPP), Virginia Interfaith Power and Light (VAIPL), and the Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC). These partner organizations provide guidance on current issues and legislation before the General Assembly. Members of their staffs have educated the gathered participants on the procedures and processes of law-making in Virginia, as well as specifics on bills.
Each year the team picks several issues and related bills to follow, and with help from the partner organizations, develops a packet of fact sheets on the bills to distribute before the daylong event, allowing participants time to prepare for advocacy efforts. The choice of issues/bills to follow is influenced by several factors:
Guidance from the Social Principles
Expressed interest of United Methodists in the Conference
Ability to potentially effect passage of bills
This year those issues/bills included affordable housing, expanding health care coverage for children, utility shutoff protection during extreme weather, and gun reform. Participants could also raise other issues/bills of specific concern to them.
The event starts with an opportunity for more in-depth discussion by staff of the partner organizations on potential bills the evening prior to United Methodist Day at General Assembly. Participants can attend either in person or via Zoom. The actual day begins early with a briefer version of the overview of bills and welcome addresses. This year the keynote speaker was Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, who gave welcoming remarks prior to spending the entire day with the assembled group.
Constituents of legislators are grouped together, with a guide to facilitate getting to offices and suggestions for effective meetings with the legislators. A VIP group of the Bishop, the Conference Lay Leader, and leaders from United Women in Faith and Church and Society, along with Kim Bobo, Executive Director of VICPP, met with Methodist legislators who are in positions of importance for passage of priority bills.
After spending the morning at the General Assembly, participants return to the Pace Center for a time of debriefing on the meetings with legislators. This time is also important for the partner organizations, who can then follow up with legislators with additional information. Bishop Haupert-Johnson concluded this year’s event with the keynote address focused on Methodist heritage and the call to deeper involvement in current-day social justice concerns.
After the conclusion of United Methodist Day at General Assembly, participants have opportunities to engage further with the partner organizations, such as serving as congregational liaisons. An evening Zoom event several weeks after UMDay, but prior to the end of the General Assembly session, allows for updates on those bills which may still be live. This is hosted by staff from VICPP.
Karen McElfish is Co-chair of the Conference Legislative Network, which organizes United Methodist Day at General Assembly.