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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.
| South Carolina Ranks in the Bottom 4 States in Child Well-Being |
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South Carolina ranks of 47th among the 50 states in
child well being (1=best; 50=worst) according to the
2006 national Kids Count Databook. The ten Kids
Count Databook indicators point out many areas
preventing our children from achieving their highest
potential. These risks impact children starting from
birth.
Just before the 2006 Legislative session, Judge
Cooper ruled in the Abbeville law suit that "...the
constitutional requirement of adequate funding is not
met by the Defendants as a result of their failure to
adequately fund early childhood intervention
programs..." The importance of early childhood
development is supported by a large body of
research showing that early learning directly affects
brain structure and positive development.
South Carolina Kids Count Project Director Baron
Holmes observes: "In order for young children to
reach their potential, their health, family, economics,
and safety would have to improve by at least 20%
on the Kids Count indicators."
The required reduction to reach the national average
would be:
* Low Birthweight by 22%;
* Infant Mortality by 17%;
* Single-Parent Families by 22%;
* Births to Teens by 18%;
* Poverty by 22%;
* Child Deaths by 16%.
Dr. Holmes summarizes the troubling picture from the
2006 Kids Count Databook, the 2002 South Carolina
Childcare Survey, and the 2003 NSCH (SC
sample): "Despite our best efforts over past
decades, South Carolina still is not competitive with
the nation in our economic, social, health, and
educational well-being. Judge Cooper listened to 102
days of testimony from 112 witnesses. On the basis
of that evidence he correctly concluded that the
best way for South Carolina to become truly
competitive is to prepare our youngest children to be
successful in school and life. I believe that his early
childhood remedy, starting in the first years of life
and through at least grade three, is the strategic
path to our state's competitiveness."
The complete analysis of the 2006 Kids Count
Databook, 2002 South Carolina Childcare Survey and
the 2003 NSCH can be found on the South Carolina
Kids Count website.
Click
here for the document, "Kids Count Reflects on
Judge Cooper's Ruling."
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| Save these dates! Brown Bag Series |
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The Advocacy Work Group of SC Christian Action
Council is pleased to announce its Autumn Brown-Bag
Lunch Series.
The Council is continually reviewing the issues facing
South Carolina to discern how we, as the state-wide,
collective Christian voice can weigh in on matters of
faith, prophetic witness and social justice.
In recent months you've seen highlighted here some
of the issues we've focused on this year: promoting
education equity, curbing predatory lending
practices, opposing the death penalty and preparing
for pandemic among others.
And there are others. We'd like to discuss them with
you.
Please join us for this issues series. Put on your
thinking cap, bring a lunch and a friend, and join us
for stimulating conversation. We will have an
announced theme, a facilitator to brief us on the
topic and guide the discussion, and a timekeeper to
make sure you make your next appointment!
Each forum will be held at Shandon Presbyterian
Church, 607 Woodrow Street, Columbia. We will
begin promptly at noon and adjourn at 1:00 p.m.
So save these dates:
September 19: Restorative Justice,
facilitated by Viginia Barr, SC Department of Juvenile
Justice.
October 17: Immigration, faciliated
by Mark Cerniglia, Lutheran Family Services of the
Carolinas.
November 21: TBA. Have an idea or
a speaker? Please email Julia Sibley-Jones at
juliasj@bellsouth.net
Looking forward to lunch with you this Fall!
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| Vigil Schedule and Death Penalty Update |
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On July 14th South Carolina will hold its
36th execution since re-instating the Death Penalty.
William Downs has forfeited his appeals and can
choose to die by electrocution or lethal injection.
Legalized killing by the state is destructive of the
goals of a civilized and humane society. We grieve
that every citizen of South Carolina participates in
this killing. When an executioner acts he does it in
the name of “the people”. He does it for all of us.
Here is a list of vigils.
Columbia: July 13th Thursday Evening at
Thomas Moore Center near USC campus.
Columbia: July 14th 6PM--Broad River
Road-SC Dept Corrections, Vigil in front of
Department of Corrections on 4444 Broad River Road.
Conway: July 14th 5pm, St. James
Catholic Church, 1071 Academy Drive Conway.
Even as support for the death penalty and the
number of death sentences continue to decline
across the country, legislators in South Carolina
Carolina recently passed a law authorizing the death
penalty for defendants convicted twice for raping a
child younger than eleven. The statute does not
require that the rape be forcible.
The National Association of Criminal Defense
Lawyers’s Death Penalty Counsel, Colin Garrett,
thinks that the law is likely unconstitutional and
predicts that the first prosecution will quickly result
in a constitutional attack. "And at this time, even
with two new conservative justices, the U.S.
Supreme Court would very likely find that such a law
violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel
and unusual punishment" he writes.
For a copy of the entire article, contact Colin Garrett
at cgarrett@schr.org or request one from us at
sccac@bellsouth.net.
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| Community News and Events |
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July 11-12: SC Wesleyan District
Conference at Table Rock. For more infomation
click here.
July 13 and 14: Vigils in Columbia and
Conway. See article above for more information.
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.
July 7:TASC. (Brenda)
July 8-10: National Association of Ecumenical and
Interreligious Staff, Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Julia)
July 11: Interfaith Restorative Justice Network.
(Brenda)
July 27: UMC Advanced Specials Ministry. (Doris)
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Across My Desk... |
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The Body of Christ.
Hunger.
Children.
Civil rights.
Family.
Marriage.
Discrimination.
Homelessness.
Poverty.
Education.
Global warming.
Restorative justice.
Predatory Lending.
Immigration.
The Household of Faith.
These are some of this year's topics of conversations
around the table of the South Carolina Christian
Action Council.
Living and working as the Body of Christ, the member
bodies, congregations and individuals of the Council
move from prayer and conversation to action.
Although with theological underpinnings (faith) and
practices of faith (order) which are often dissimilar,
each has a place at the Council's large and diverse
table. We listen to and learn from each other. We
seek to understand one another.
Desire for reunion ground within the Christian family
fuels our work of listening and understanding. Passion
for social justice invigorates our shared ministry.
In a time when individualism is strong and seductive,
the common table of the Council is to be treasured.
In a time when some withdraw from those with whom
they disagree, the reunion ground of the Body of
Christ is to be desired.
In a time when half-truths and private agendas
create distrust in the Church as well as in
government, the hard work of seeking ways to work
together for the common good is priceless.
So we'll keep on inviting you to be a part. We'll keep
on praying over and talking about hard issues. We'll
keep on working together in areas where we can
agree and trust Holy Spirit to lead.
Give us a call. We'd love to hear from you. You're
always welcome.
...and that's the view across my desk.
Brenda Lynn Kneece
Executive Minister
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