Christ the King Episcopal Church
Lakeland, Florida
JUSTICE ADVOCACY
"Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?"
"I will, with God's help"
(The Book of Common Prayer)
Doing FaithJustice*
Social Justice Advocacy at Christ the King seeks to follow Jesus in seeking justice, peacemaking, and advocating for the disempowered. We participate in initiatives and events, and we belong to a variety of community organizations that address issues of diversity and inclusion, the protection and care of the environment, racial reconciliation, and ending the cycles of hunger and poverty.
We employ FaithJustice because we believe faith and justice are intimately bound. God calls us – as individuals and communities – to act on behalf of the vulnerable, oppressed, and marginalized.
(*The term "FaithJustice" was first applied by The Rev. Fred Kammer, SJ, in Doing FaithJustice: An Introduction to Catholic Social Thought, first published in 1991.)
Through the work of FaithJustice, faithful disciples commit themselves to their baptismal covenant to "strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?" (Book of Common Prayer, 305). Christ the King Episcopal Church seeks to live out its faith by influencing godly change in the community and endeavoring to make systems more inclusive, equitable, and responsive.
We intentionally align our efforts with The Episcopal Church (TEC), taking our cues from General Convention, the Office of Government Relations (OGR), and the Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN), among other TEC ministries. You can find out more about how General Convention and The Office of Government Relations has responded to certain issues here. We will consider all issues from the perspective of sacred Scripture, the church's tradition, and our baptismal covenant. The Church's ministry strives to remain non-partisan.
Office of Government Relations (OGR)
OGR represents the policy priorities of The Episcopal Church to the U.S. government and helps to shape the discussion of political issues throughout the Church.
Episcopal Public Policy Network (EPPN)
EPPN is a grassroots network of Episcopalians dedicated to the active ministry of public policy advocacy.
Interfaith Coalition of Polk County (ICPC)
ICPC is a coalition of faith leaders and religious professionals and/or their respective congregations from the wide variety of traditions, experiences, and spiritual practices dedicated to pursuing peace through interfaith dialogue, understanding, and cooperation.
Creation Care
As follower of Jesus, caring for creation is a clear moral imperative. Following the biblical narrative, caring for creation was one of the first vocations given to us as humans (see Genesis 2:15). Christ the King is guided by the principles of the Episcopal Church's Covenant for the Care of Creation, which involves not only formation and conservation but also liberating advocacy, "standing alongside marginalized, vulnerable peoples" as we "advocate and act to repair Creation and seek the liberation and flourishing of all people."
Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment (PEACE)
Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment (PEACE) is a congregation-based community organization whose purpose is to build justice ministries and train members from diverse congregations to work together to identify root causes of community problems and to take action to resolve them. The purpose of the organization is to build a strong coalition capable of negotiating the interests of our community with a special concern for the vulnerable.
Vote Faithfully & Election Engagement
For people of faith, democracy is an opportunity and a responsibility. The Episcopal Church and EDOW seek prayerfully to bring the teachings of Jesus to our common life together through the cycle of elections, advocacy, engagement with elected officials, protest, and other civic engagement activities. Vote Faithfully and Election Engagement are tools provided by The Episcopal Church and the Office of Government Relations.