The Clergy Leadership Network sent out their first online newsletter today. It is posted below. You can sign-up to get copies of the newsletter on the CLN site.
The Clergy Leadership Network technology train has finally pulled out of the station! And the exciting news is that our train is headed to Cleveland, OH for a National Clergy Gathering May 16-18, 2004. Don't miss it! We will gather together to receive information, inspiration and influential messages from religious leaders. We will begin the conference by inviting the City of Cleveland to join with us in worship, music and sharing the message of CLN. We will hear from the Democratic Presidential Candidate! We will provide workshops and briefings on a vast range of topics to give you information and tools for active involvement in the Presidential Election 2004. Rev. Dr. James Forbes of Riverside Church in New York City will close the conference on Tuesday at noon. Other speakers and events will be posted as they are confirmed. Visit www.clnnlc.org/gathering for online registration and for up-to-date news of the conference events.Now for those of you who have been patiently awaiting news of what's happening at CLN:
HOW FAR WE'VE COME
- Media coverage has been phenomenal! Over 30 print news stories and 50 plus Internet news stories followed our launching Press Conference. We have been covered by The New York Times, The Associated Press, Knight-Ridder, Religious News Service, ABC News, The Atlanta Constitution, The Lexington Herald-Leader and The San Francisco Chronicle, SRN News and The Washington Post as well as Christian Century, Newsweek, Boston Phoenix, DisciplesWorld, Church & State, and even The Institute for Religion and Democracy (IRD). We have been featured on TV programs from Al-Jazeera TV to The O'Reilly Factor. We have been guests of radio talk shows in Washington, Louisville, Lexington, San Francisco, New York, Chicago and other cities.
- Membership Success: New members continue to sign on daily from across the U.S. with members from as far as South Korea and Paraguay ("We heard...You give us hope!"). CLN has received $20,000+ in gifts (averaging a little over the basic $25) from membership sources alone! While our support is overwhelmingly clergy there are a sizable number of laypersons signed on as well. An affiliated CLN unit focusing on seminarians is being developed. The initiative has come from seminarians themselves. Visit the website often to watch progress on the seminarians' unit.
- National Committee and Staff Development: Visit the website to meet new National Committee members who have joined us and several more who will be joining us in the coming weeks. We have added a full-time intern, Greg Mancini, in our Washington office. We have begun to use volunteers in numerous ways including: entering the database material, helping with the website and developing plans for fund development through e-mail and direct mail.
HOW FAR WE HAVE TO GO
- In order to bring about National Leadership Change, we need YOU! The development of state and local CLN groups is essential to the future and success of our mission. We will organize committees in the 19 swing states first, but we must develop networks in all states to accomplish our mission. Voting impact by moderate and progressive religious community members occurs only at the precinct level. That is where we have to be and that means your involvement on the local level. Please stay alert for news from your State Chair or local Key Contact person.
- The National Clergy Gathering in Cleveland will be an excellent opportunity for state and local members to receive training, briefings and excellent tools for local organizing. We hope to see you there!
- The ongoing cost of running a national organization requires continued financial support of a stable and growing membership. Please give more when you are able and direct friends and family to our online giving.
At our January meeting of the National Committee, National Committee member Rev. Dr. Jesse Jackson expressed the need for a CLN/Rainbow-PUSH relationship to be instrumental in reclaiming the commitment to social justice by both White and African-American clergy. At a time when personal adjustment and prosperity "theologies" are infecting religious leadership, we cannot compromise the integrity of religious voices. Rev. Jackson reminded us, It is "easy to love God; the problem is loving our neighbors." "It is not about black and white, but wrong and right."
Thank you for waiting patiently for this first CLN Membership Alert from us. The days have been full. In summary, there is much to do. Clearly we have become well established in a short time. Our work remains urgent: exerting public influence grounded in religious commitment to God's justice and God's inclusive care for all humanity.
May the blessings of God in these days fall gently and generously upon you all. And, remember, YOU are Clergy Leadership Network. The Network doesn't exist without you. Direct your friends to our website and our new online membership registration. Look for news about state and local committees. Make plans with friends and family to be in Cleveland on May 16-18th and stay tuned for the exciting future of CLN.
