IMNE Social Justice Team Mission Statement
"We recognize that the patterns of social injustice in our country have their roots in the theft of land and the genocide of native peoples, as well as the forced labor and suffering of enslaved peoples brought to this country against their will. Justice matters. Without it, acts of compassion are hollowed and there can be no right relationships.
As Interfaith Ministers we are called to be a compassionate presence in our communities. We are called to witness when hateful words and actions continue historical patterns of violence and oppression. We seek to stand in solidarity with the marginalized and oppressed. In living out our faith, we seek to alleviate pain and embody a world for all living beings based on moral courage, kindness, and love.”
Reverend Angie Arndt - IMNE Social Justice - July 2025
“Dare to be a doer Dare to stand alone Dare to have a purpose And make that purpose known!”
Those are words I heard over and over again as a child from my father. He used the quote when trying to motivate me and my three brothers to do everything from chores to helping those in need. It really sunk in. It wasn’t until I was a student at ChIME that I learned it was adapted from Dare to be a Daniel in the Bible. Which didn’t really change the impact on me at all…it was in my DNA…dare to be a doer…dare to stand alone…dare to have a purpose…and make that purpose known!
The other message that was drilled into us as kids was from the grace my parents offered at dinners…
“Bless, oh Lord, this food to our use, And us to thy service, And make us ever mindful Of the need of others. Amen.”
“…And Us to they service and make us ever mindful of the needs of others”. We said it so often that it became rote but, again, when I was a student at ChIME, I paused and really sat with the message and realized that my parents instilled in us a strong message to care…really care about the world around us.
As a young adult I comfortably turned my back on all organized religion focusing instead on travel then settling down and starting our family.
But one day, I found myself in the back pew of a UU church for “service Sunday”. I was there as the Volunteer Coordinator of the local crisis line and the service was about motivating the congregation to be of service. I was blown open by that service. Hearing the Unison affirmation (abbreviated here):
“We are united in seeking To increase love with Justice… And are devoted to the common good in community, nation and world. We are committed to this world and open to the future.”
It was also at this church that I first heard the phrase “faith in action” - what a concept! And clearly what my Dad had been getting at way back when. I can’t say I swung into action but I did hear my calling to Ministry in that church.
So today, as a member of the Social Action Committee of IMNE I find myself reflecting on the messages in my DNA and asking almost daily: “What is mine to do?” I find it is no small question. I want to “dare to be a doer”…but it is not easy. So for now I chose to do what I can…offer Spiritual Companionship in groups - where people can be reminded they are not alone in “not knowing” what to do; help the IMNE explore defining our call to action and enjoy being in beloved community and exploring these unchartered waters together.
May a way be found And the courage to take it Step by Step. Amen
Rev. Pat Cannon - IMNE Social Justice - July 2025
Social Justice is working personally and collectively for greater Inclusion, Mutual Value and Partnership.
Growing up a strong Irish Roman Catholic, I found inspiration with those who heard a different drummer and forged new pathways from the mainstream of their times (Oscar Romero, St. Therese of Avila and more.) It used to be the church of my youth discouraged entering any protestant church-reinforcing a division that seems ridiculous now. Changehappens!
Many of my Irish relatives left a country where there was oppression by the English and then received poor treatment upon arrival in Boston. They brought with them the dreams of their ancestors who dared to imagine a world more whole. This story sadly is playing out on repeat across the globe. Clear Ethnic and racial lines within the neighborhoods of city of Boston demonstrated unsettling divisions and questions that of course persist around our country as structural forces seek to “keep people in their place.”
From these roots, the attraction of Interfaith Dialogue and Ministry holds one hopeful pathway for Inclusion, Mutual Value, Curiosity and Partnership.
Over the years, I have gleaned much from studies and practice with Permaculture (technology of earth partnership), sociociracy (format for businesses and organization to hear and value all the voices) My primary ministry and work in the world, bringing people together to sing in a way that all voices are valued and also when working with individual students learning to discover and appreciate their unique expression of music.
Social Justice takes many forms and is a collaboration across time. To work for justice is to believe that even now, something beautiful is being born through us. Any action we can take with intention now, weaves into the fabric of what our ancestors across time and place have begun, and undoubtedly, what future generations will continue. Each action is a weaving of Becoming in our lifetimes.
What threads are you holding?
What core values motivate your actions of intention for the world we all want to live in?
For me, a world we ALL want to inhabit, means all abilities, all living forms (plant, animal, mineral), all humanity.
Influences on my philosophical understanding and practice in the sphere of social justice are many and include: Riane Eisler (history, economics (partnership economy) Marshall Rosenberg/Robert Gonzales (language of connection-NVC), Stephen Nachmanovitch/Pauline Oliveros (Improvisation/Faith).
In the face of dominator culture—where power is hoarded, voices are silenced, and disconnection thrives—we in IMNE can affirm a different way: power with, not power over. Together, we can practice building relationships grounded in mutuality, healing, and shared responsibility. This is spiritual work. It calls us to deepen our capacity for empathy and compassion—not as soft ideals, but as tools of liberation.
Words form worlds, join us to amplify sacred timeless values.
Rev. Karen St. Peter - IMNE Social Justice - July 2025
I grew up in the French Catholic Culture in Northern Maine. I went to a Catholic grammar school in 1961. In 1962 "Vatican II" was named for deep significant changes in how Catholics were asked to respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. With the help of the written documents (encyclicals) that many theologians and Pope John XXIII wrote that proclaimed "all people deserved the right to be treated with dignity and respect" as they highlighted the gap between rich and poor, the arms race, and the importance in creating a more just world. It was the encyclical of Pacem In Terris(1963)(Peace on Earth) that caught my attention the most. It was this document that outlined fundamental human rights and called for international cooperation to achieve peace.
This went well with the story of Jesus at the well as Jesus spoke with a woman often referred to as Mary Magdalene. The story went that in his time men were not supposed to speak with women outside in public places. Jesus did not follow the rule of this law and responded to His own call of Spirit and spoke with that woman that touched her deeply. She was shocked and surprised that a man would speak with her with such kindness and ultimately changed her life. I was about 10-12 years old and I already saw the oppression of women.
As a female I wanted to be a priest but even in the institution that proclaimed we must treat everyone with dignity and respect this would not happen. As a female in the 60's we were given about 4 options to follow: get married, join the Religious Life (nun), work as a nurse, teacher or serve the people through jobs of social work. I was able to believe and find hope in the story of Jesus who went against his own culture rules and speak with the woman at the well. This act of defiance of the culture was what drove my Faith and beliefs towards living a life of Peace and Justice.
At this time I also recall reading the Diary of Ann Frank. This also impacted my thinking and sense of outrage against injustice and hatred. While reading the book I wondered how long this family could hide in an attic. I remember she wrote in her diary that people were "kidnapped" in the middle of the night and disappeared long before she had to hide in that attic. I also read "While 6 million died" that added to my question of how can so many people just let this atrocity go on? This stirred my drive for justice, equality, and respect for the dignity of every human being.
Another influence in my life that stirred the call to justice was watching the movie, "To Kill a Mocking Bird". I recall Atticus Finch, the white male lawyer, stood up against his own town to defend an innocent Black man accused of rape. He did not legally win but he did win as he was a leader witnessing to how people need to be treated with respect and dignity.
I believe that we, as IMNE members, have an opportunity to stand up for Justice. There are many now being kidnapped and taken to places unknown. With the new "Big Ugly Bill" more money is being designated towards the deportation of US citizens. Next will be anyone who disagrees with the Trump regime.
As Elie Wiesel wrote, " And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
And for these reasons I choose to combat indifference and stand up for human dignity and Justice for all.
Jean Adamson - IMNE Social Justice - July 2025
ChIME revealed to me that we need more than just good works to change humanity's present trajectory. Right now we continue to buy, consume, and pillage the Earth while we measure success and happiness in terms of monetary value and power. We have lost our connections with each other, and we feel entitled to take what we want, to use the planet and other beings as unlimited resources. We act in isolation, separation, and for individual benefit while ignoring the whole.
We need a transformative paradigm - a shift in human consciousness - in order to evolve and to survive. We must remember that we are one. It's about re-imagining how we think of ourselves in relation to all beings and to the Earth.
The roots of oppression are not just the "acts" of oppression like colonization/the genocide of indigenous peoples or black slavery and prejudice. Oppression begins with "thought processes" - a belief in human supremacy over animals (specieism) and our Earth. It is a false belief in dominance and superiority over the natural world. Laila Kassam in her article "Joining the Dots: Animal Exploitation, Human Oppression, and Environmental Destruction" states, "Specieism...underpins all other forms of oppression. Our reduction of sentient beings to mere commodities or objects to be exploited and used for our own benefit has naturally extended to our commodification and objectification of humans and nature."
Victoria Loorz in her book "Church of the Wild" states, "Our humanity is broken, because we embrace a false world view of separation and dominance...where value is based only on usefulness. We need a spiritual and cultural transformation of the heart.
Rev. Thomas Kircher - IMNE Social Justice - Personal Statement, June 2025
For me social justice involves the recognition and righting of wrongs – theft, exploitation, morally corrupt actions – perpetrated by one part of society on another. These wrongs are typically done for the purpose of accumulating wealth, power, and status at the expense of the other. Those who benefit usually become comfortable with what has happened or is happening and utilize their wealth, power, and status to create institutional mechanisms and cultural narratives to maintain the status quo.
I believe that my humanity requires that I engage with the moral struggles present in my life and times. I believe that moral awakening in human beings is not a given. It often requires action, confrontation, and interruptions in the status quo for a human conscience to recognize existing systemic injustice and historical wrongs. I know this has been true for me. I believe that for social justice to become real I need to challenge myself and others to consider “who benefits”. I believe this is a collective work for humankind and urgently needed now.
Rev. Deborah CR Cotter - IMNE Social Justice - Personal Statement, June 2025
I am a cradle Episcopalian grown into an Interfaith Chaplain. My earliest memory of feeling a spiritual presence was at the back of St George’s Episcopal Church in Durham, New Hampshire, waiting for the signal to carry the church school offering plate forward. My father, the lay reader, was at the lectern. A bright light was cascading through the stained glass window behind the altar into the sanctuary and I thought “wow. There is something MORE, something BIG and BEAUTIFUL out there”. I missed the cue to take the plate forward and got nudged to move. I was maybe 4 years old. Whatever the MORE is, I have been connected to it, perceived it as a life giving force that sustains all that is, most of my life.
I became a Godparent at an early age-12. Two more times as a Godparent participant and countless times as a witness, I said the Baptismal Covenant of the Episcopal Church. The lines that have always spoken most strongly to me are “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?” Respect the dignity of every human being. That hooked me and reeled me in. The response to this question is “I will, with GOD’S help.”
Through experience with Quakerism, Sikhism and Buddhism and the study of indigenous/world religions, I find a common thread of concern and dedication to “the least of us.” Fair play, responsibility, forgiveness, reparation are all components of respect. When I feel that there is injustice, disrespect, I wish to have an active voice or be involved in an act of service toward bringing awareness. I am moved to use my spirit for life giving solutions toward justice and peace; most definitely with GOD’S help.