A new day for advocacy in the church and seminary
Seminary conference connects advocacy, faith and DEI
When other institutions of higher education are backing away from diversity, equity and inclusion policies due to recent proclamations by the U.S. Department of Education and its future withdrawals of government fundings, Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, is lifting up the need to train students in advocacy and has decided to stay committed to the diversity, equity and inclusion policies that have shaped its community of staff, faculty and students and informed its curriculum.
On March 6-7, the seminary hosted a conference, Call to Justice: Advocacy Training Days, with topics ranging from recent executive orders, systemic poverty, immigration, environmental justice, gun violence, affordable housing, Israel-Palestine and voting rights as well as equity concerns related to gender, sexuality, disability and reproductive health.
The conference drew representatives from local, regional, denominational and international advocacy groups like Presbyterians for a Better Georgia, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, the Hosanna Preaching Project, Highlander Research and Education Center, Fair Fight and Faith in Public Life Action. Representatives of the PC(USA)’s Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People were among many advocacy partners represented in plenaries, panels and breakout sessions over Thursday and Friday.
In his welcome address, the seminary’s president, the Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, described the desire of the seminary to prepare its students with calls outside the church to advocacy, nonprofits and journalism, whether those are separate from or alongside their calls to ministry, and to “create stronger bonds of relationship and partnerships with social service agencies, organizations and denominational officers for the provision of a more holistic approach to leadership formation.”
In one such partnership, the Office of Public Witness of the Interim Unified Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) will be hosting its annual Jesus and Justice Young Adult Advocacy Conference on the seminary’s campus in 2026.
The Rev. Jimmie Ray Hawkins, mission director of the Office of Public Witness, spoke at the opening plenary for the Call to Justice conference.
“I'm firmly convinced that the church is in a new day where advocacy, where prophetic ministry, where the desire to make a difference in our local communities, is coming to the forefront of the life and ministry of the church,” said Hawkins.
Before presenting the biblical foundation, theological witness and historical legacy of advocacy, Hawkins introduced staff members of the Office of Public Witness and their work on behalf of political issues as affirmed by the General Assembly, including gun violence and peacemaking, Israel-Palestine relations, U.S.-Cuba relations, foreign aid funding, environmental protection and immigration.
“We're the national staff of the Presbyterian Church for the two advocacy offices: the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations and also the Washington Office of Public Witness. And we're here for you,” said Hawkins, who urged future graduates to call upon his office to talk about issues, set up a training in their church community, or to help gain access to the United Nations or to meet with a member of the United States Congress.
“Each individual is called to be a person of justice in our individual lives; we will do everything that we can to live a just life, treating people fairly, dealing with the issues that marginalized communities are facing in this world,” said Hawkins, who centers this call for Christians in their relationship with Jesus.
“Once we have a relationship with Jesus, everything about you is different, and therefore we are called to understand that as people who are followers of Jesus Christ, justice advocacy is one of his primary calls,” Hawkins said before referring to multiple verses in the Gospels to illustrate this call to advocacy.
“Our efforts make a difference,” Hawkins emphasized as he set the stage for why advocacy matters even in an atmosphere of resistance. “Children are listening to what we say and watching what we do.” Hawkins then described how young adults are organizing protests and leading direct action in the public square. In Hawkins’ experience, speaking of faith and advocacy or wearing one’s clerical collar to a march for justice matters in these contexts and others.
“God is a god of steadfast love,” Hawkins said, looking through the lens of the Scriptures beginning with Genesis, “and God patiently works to restore justice to the world.”
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