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As the only statewide ecumenical agency in South
Carolina, SC Christian Action Council respresents a
partnership of 16 denominations and 21 regional
judicatories, including 4,500 congregations.
The Council serves as a catalyst for:
- Social justice through public policy
advocacy;
- Christian Unity and inter-religious dialogue
through relationships, collaborations and events;
- Racial and cultural healing by building bridges
of trust and understanding.
| Anticipating Crisis: A Christian Response to a Pandemic |
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Join us on May 18th in Florence for SC Christian
Action Council's 2006 Annual Meeting. Our theme this
year is preparing for pandemic.
The following is a blurb from NPR's website about the
potential threat of bird flu. Are our congregations
and communities prepared? What is the role of the
faith community?
An especially virulent strain of the bird flu has
spread from Asia to Europe and Africa. Known as
H5N1, the virus can infect humans as well as birds.
World leaders and health officials are taking the
threat of a pandemic seriously, and pressure is on to
develop effective containment measures and
treatments.
We will begin our day with an ecumenical worship
service held in the beautiful new sanctuary at St.
Luke Lutheran Church. Our preacher will be The
Reverend Dr. Anthony A. McCallum, Pastor of
Bethlehem Baptist Church in Columbia.
Following worship and a brief business session,
we will hear from a panel of medical
professionals, disaster preparedness personnel, and
congregational leaders. They will discuss the
dimensions of potential pandemic (worldwide)
illnesses: when we could expect them and how we
should prepare before such an event reaches our
communities.
Register today by downloading a copy of our flyer and registration form.
Print, fill out and mail it back to the Council with your
check for the registration fee made payable to
SCCAC. The entire day including lunch is $35, with
discounts for students.
We look forward to seeing you in Florence!
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| "BUT WHAT ABOUT US? Student Photography from the Corridor of Shame" Exhibit |
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To dramatize the need for comprehensive, long term
equitable funding of South Carolina’s rural public
schools, Ferillo and Associates, Inc. has coordinated
a student driven photo project supported by several
of the state’s leading philanthropies and community
leaders.
Some 250 students in middle and high schools in
seven rural school districts photographed images in
their school this past March and April and wrote brief
descriptions as their personal testimony to needs in
their local schools.
“BUT WHAT ABOUT US? Student Photography from
the Corridor of Shame” is a traveling exhibit that will
be unveiled at a news conference in the Entrance
Lobby, Ground Floor of the State House on Tuesday,
May 9 at 11:30 a.m. The student photographers,
their teachers and superintendents will be on hand to
unveil the exhibit.
The exhibit consists of four portable 8’ x 10’
collapsible display lighted units presenting 60
photographs, captions and the students’ names,
grades and schools. The exhibit will be on display
following the news conference on the ground floor of
the Blatt House Office Building from May 9-11.
Following its debut in the state capitol, the exhibit
will begin a tour of the state, incluing the Council's
Annual Meeting in Florence on the 18th of this
month.
Organizations and institutions wishing to host the
exhibit should contact geah@logicsouth.com or call
Bud Ferillo at 803-771-6106.
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| Community News and Events |
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May 9-11: BUT WHAT ABOUT US?
Student Photography from
the Corridor of Shame. Press conference in State
House Lobby May 9 at 11:30 a.m. Exhibit on display
ground floor Blatt Office Building through the 11th.
May 18: Anticipating Crisis: A Christian
Response to a Pandemic. SCCAC's 2006 Annual
Meeting. 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Join us for
ecumenical worship, lunch and speakers at St. Luke
Lutheran Church, Florence, SC. See article above
and click here for a flyer and registration
form.
May 21-25: "Rejoice in Hope": 26th
Convocation of Jail and Prison Ministry.
Springmaid Beach Resort, Myrtle Beach. For more
information please contact Paula Loehr at
843.347.5168.
June 1-4: Eco-Justice Conference, Loyola
University, New Orleans. This national
conference, which features various learning tracks
and plenary speakers Bill McKibbon, Beverly Wright,
Janisse Ray and Jerome Ringo, will explore the
connections of ecological, economic, and social
justice for all of God’s creation. For more information
or the registration brochure, visit
www.nccecojustice.org/conf.htm Cost:
$235 by May 15 (deadline extended) includes lodging
and meals.
October 20-22: 2006 National Weekend
of Faith and Action on the Death Penalty. NWFA
is an opportunity for faith communities, interfaith
groups, human rights activists, and others to
examine the death penalty from a faith-based or
values-based perspective. Register on-line or request more
information from khoule@aiusa.org.
Have other South Carolina community news? Let
us know at sccac@bellsouth.net.
We include information on community events as
space and time allow; and, only in accordance with
the mission and policies of SC Christian Action
Council. We do not accept unsolicited articles.
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| Comings and Goings |
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Here's a sampling of April activities for the staff of
SC Christian Action Council.
May 2: Gathering of Council Executives, hosted by
Bishoop Jim West, Reformed Episcopal Church Synod
of the Southeast and Cummings Seminary,
Summerville. (Brenda)
May 5: Training Advisory Subcommittee (TASC), a
subcommittee of the SC Bioterrorism Committee.
Current focus of TASC is preparedness for Pan-flu.
(Brenda)
May 9: What About Us? Student Photography
from the Corridor of Shame Exhibit, Statehouse
(Doris, Brenda)
May 16: Advocacy Work Day Planning Committee,
Columbia. (Julia) SC Death Penalty Organizing
Committee, Shandon Presbyterian Church, Columbia.
May 18: SCCAC Annual Meeting, Anticipating
Crisis: A Christian Response to Pandemic St. Luke
Lutheran Church, Florence. (Doris, Julia, Brenda)
May 22: SATTC Faith Conference: Integrating The
Sacred and Secular Treatment of Addiction. Panel
member. (Brenda)
May 23: National Development Institute, Columbia.
(Brenda)
May 26-27: Synod Assembly, SC Synod, Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, Newberry. (Brenda)
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Across My Desk... |
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Recently I was asked to submit a brief item to the
Baptist Center for Ethics (BCE) for a worship
resource packet in support of Public Education. The
mission of the Baptist Center
for Ethics is to provide proactive, positive and
practical ethics resources and services to
congregations.
BCE believes church leaders and faith communities
possess the keys to developing moral character,
teaching sound decision making, offering a clear
moral witness to the larger culture and advancing
social change. Their goal is to equip leaders and
churches with quality, relevant resources and
services from a christo-centric perspective.
Only occassionally does the life work of parents and
an adult child merge outside the arena of family
gatherings. So you can imagine how pleased I was
by this opportunity to reflect upon our common
values.
My attempt to write a responsive reading called to
mind my parents' careers and the efforts they made
to make our home a campground where Christian
virtues were learned. Mom was a science and math
teacher in SC public high schools. Dad was first a
teacher/coach who then spent most of his career in
SC public school administration.
As their child and having taught in public school
myself, I have witnessed the teacher's life and the
joys, the agonys, the intrinsic values and sacrifices
of most public school teachers, administrators, and
staff. I tried to reflect this in my responsive reading.
As I prepared to email my submission, I remembered
a poem written by my father, "You Can Call Me
Teacher." With his permission, I sent it along
with my effort. To my delight, the packet includes
both our efforts (Dad's is the very last item) along
with many other worthy resources for use in worship
and other settings in support of public education.
My dad's 87th birthday is Sunday, May 7. One of his
gifts will be a printed copy of the webpage
which lists both our names and a copy of the full
packet.
I recommend to you the resource with an
endorsement from the Council. We believe that
people of faith and good will support quality
education for all our state's children; and, we believe
that government's role is to make sure this happens
in public schools.
Happy Birthday, Daddy.
...and that’s the view across my desk.
Brenda Lynn Kneece
Executive Minister
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