Like many other denominations, the Episcopal Church maintains a presence in the nation’s capital. The Office of Government Relations, established more than 40 years ago, interacts with members of Congress and other government officials while advocating for the church’s perspective.
Alan Yarborough, associate director of the Office of Government Relations, answered several questions about the office’s work.
How does OGR represent the Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C.?
Since we were established in 1979, we have represented Episcopal Church policy priorities by engaging with Congress, U.S. government departments and agencies, think tanks, ecumenical and interreligious partners, and others in advocating for public policy change.
These policy positions come from General Convention and Executive Council. Our focus areas continue to be anti-poverty; migration, immigration, and refugees; climate change and creation care; human rights and peacebuilding; and racial reconciliation and justice.
What is the focus of OGR’s current work?
In this political moment, we are using an acronym to describe our strategic approach to government advocacy: LEAP, which stands for:
Litigation: This means joining litigation as a plaintiff, as we have done in the sensitive locations memo. It can also mean joining amicus curiae—or friend of the court—briefs, which we recently did with the Oklahoma v. Drummond SCOTUS case.
Education: We are educating our networks to help them understand what is happening since the policy landscape is changing rapidly, and having reliable, trustworthy information about what is happening is essential.
Advocacy: We manage the Episcopal Public Policy Network, through which Episcopalians can contact their elected officials and make their voices heard on legislation important to their values. Last year, Episcopalians sent more than 85,000 messages to Congress through EPPN.
Prayer: We believe prayer and action go hand in hand. Particularly on issues where the current administration has authority to act and Congress is unlikely to pass legislation aligned with our church priorities, we want to encourage Episcopalians to join in prayer. To this end, we have started sending out weekly prayers tied to recent developments.
This is our LEAP of faith—that our actions and prayers can make a difference to our neighbors and to the most vulnerable around us.
How does OGR determine what issues are highlighted and which are not?
There are more than 650 public policy-focused resolutions from General Convention and Executive Council. We determine how to prioritize in part based on the opportunities available in the current political landscape. At times, we are able to push for positive change, such as H.R. 40, legislation that would establish a commission to study reparations, which we have been advocating for since 2006. At other times, we aim to prevent legislation from moving forward, such as anti-immigrant policies.
At present, we are pushing back against budget cuts that would reduce funding for Medicaid and other programs that help the most vulnerable. We are advocating for protections for immigrants, such as permanent protections for those who came to the United States as children through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). We balance the need to focus on what is before Congress right now with the longer-term work of building Congressional champions for issues we believe are vital.
What kind of ecumenical and interfaith work does OGR do?
Coalition work is foundational to our advocacy work. We work with diverse coalitions on different issues—partnering with ecumenical, interfaith, and secular groups on all our issues where our policy priorities align. We recently joined with Church World Service and others in signing an Ecumenical Declaration on Ash Wednesday in support of migrants.
We constantly build and maintain relationships with other faith and secular organizations to strategically coordinate and leverage our unique characteristics. We seek to work in solidarity with other organizations, even when it may be on a single issue where we find ourselves in agreement.
What do Episcopalians need to know?
Your voice matters! People can feel powerless right now, but engaging politically at the local, state, and federal levels is essential and effective. Also, public policies will not change until public opinion changes. We can learn from and educate neighbors, fellow parishioners, and friends about the values and policy positions we hold. When the time comes to vote, exercise your civic duty and participate by voting! In the meantime, request meetings with your officials, attend town halls, and get engaged in your local communities.
Many of our advocacy areas are deeply complex and can feel intractable. But we are people of prayer, and, as previously mentioned, we offer weekly prayers that highlight communities or events of the week.
In a time of increasing dehumanization, we need to remember that our daily and weekly contributions in our churches can contribute to a sense of community, belonging, and dignity that is essential right now.
How can Episcopal congregations and individuals engage with OGR?
Sign up for EPPN Action Alerts. Attend our network calls each Thursday at 1 p.m. (Eastern). Join the weekly immigration update calls. Make use of—and share—our online resources. Read and share the Immigration Action Toolkit.
What wasn’t asked that you want to include?
Now is a time when political engagement is essential. Join with the Episcopal Church and others to make sure your voice is heard and that our government reflects our values! We must speak up to protect the things we cherish and to stand up for the rights of the vulnerable. Connect with the Office of Government Relations and other ecumenical or secular groups nationally or in your local area to get more involved. We are all called to engage in different ways—we hope you join us in our nonpartisan and faith-based advocacy.
Neva Rae Fox is a communications professional with extensive Episcopal experience, serving the boards of The Living Church Foundation, Bible and Common Prayer Book Society, Episcopal Community Services of New Jersey, and others.
