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This past weekend, The Rev. Allison Liles, EPF's Executive Director, represented EPF at the annual Conference of the Consortium of Endowed Parishes at Omni Plantation, Amelia Island, Florida. In the photo above, Allison greets the Rev. Chris Girata, rector of Calvary Episcopal Church in Memphis, an EPF Peace Partner Parish.
Allison shared updates on EPF's current work and offered resources for peacemaking in parishes. Thanks for representing EPF at CEEP, Allison.
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The execution of Kelly Gissendaner was postponed on March 2 for the second time.We continue our prayers at this 11th hour. Over 75,000 signatures were delivered to Georgia Governor Nathan Deal protesting this execution. During her years on Georgia's death row, Kelly has experienced redemption, grace, & earned a theological degree. EPF joins Bp. Robert Wright in urging Gov. Deal to halt all executions in Georgia and commute Kelly's death sentence, changing her punishment to life in prison without parole. Let us continue the pressure in Georgia and in all places where state sanctioned killings still occur.
Read a reflection on Kelly's spiritual journey, published in the Huffington Post HERE
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Journey of the Refugee
9:30 - Noon
Trinity Church, Columbus, OH
a miniconference on March 14
The journey of the refugees is one of resilience and hope, but it also includes loss, uncertainty, upheaval, trauma and unfulfilled dreams. Join us for a first-hand account of this journey from Norah Bagirinka, a Rwandan genocide survivor. Norah will shed light on the challenges of Rwandan refugees, in particular women refugees, who are now an increasingly integral part of our Columbus community. Community Refugee and Immigration Services (CRIS) Executive Director Angie Plummer will address how her organization assists refugees who settle in Columbus as well as explain how we can learn from and support our neighbors. This miniconference is an outcome of event collaboration between Trinity Church and EPF.
Norah
We are Russian, Japanese, Burmese, Mexican, Thai, Argentine, Polish, German, Ecuadoran, Peruvian, Iranian, Nepali, Canadian, Turkish, Palestinian, Vietnamese, Somali, Ethiopian, French, Pakistani, Chinese, Eritrean. In all, more than 104,000 of us were born somewhere other than in the U.S. We color and flavor the city with our languages, our culture, our art, our culinary traditions and our clothing. We grow communities of fellowship and faith with our fellow countrymen. We are American. We are Columbus.
For further info on the miniconference, please contact The Rev. Dick Burnett: r-burnett@trinitycolumbus.org *********************************************
 From Churches for Middle East Peace:
30 international aid agencies, including Mennonite Central Committee, Oxfam, various United Nations organizations and World Vision Jerusalem issued a joint statement saying, "We must not fail in Gaza. We must realize the vision of making Gaza a livable place and a cornerstone of peace and security for all in the region." The aid agencies call attention to the 100,000 Palestinians that continue to be displaced from last summer's war, the ongoing negative impacts of the Israeli blockade, the urgent need to open the Rafah crossing and the lack of adequate international assistance. They said, "Israel, as the occupying power, is the main duty bearer and must comply with its obligations under international law," and warned "a return to hostilities is inevitable if progress is not made and the root causes of conflict are not addressed."
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