Humanitarian Resources

Gun Violence

Denominational Response

“The 2019 Gun Violence Resource packet provides congregations and mid-councils a robust package of material to help congregations put thoughts and prayers about gun violence into obedient action. The packet is a mixture of online and print resources compiled by the ministries of Compassion, Peace and Justice over the course of the last decade, but still maintain present-day value.”*
*This resource and all the information pertaining to it come from the Presbyterian Mission Agency website, linked below.

Resources
Local Response

In the local Birmingham area, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church experienced a tragedy related to gun violence on June 16, 2022. Below you will find their response and resources.

Resources
National Response

Listed below is an article by the NY Times that is a partial list of all of the mass shootings in the USA this year, 2022. Please refer back to this page for future updates of resources.

Resources

Abortion Rights

Denominational Support

The PC(USA) has a long history of supporting Women’s rights in this country, and the article below maps out

Historical Support

They made a denominational ruling at our national governing conference stating our support for women’s right to choose.

Current Information

Local Support

“The Yellowhammer Fund is a 501(c)3 abortion fund and reproductive justice organization serving Alabama, Mississippi, and the Deep South. We envision a society in which reproductive decisions are made free from coercion, shame, or state interference, a society in which individuals and communities have autonomy in making healthy choices regarding their bodies and their futures. We commit ourselves to community education and empowerment, policy advocacy, and the development of systems of mutual aid to ensure that our friends, families, and neighbors never go without the things they need.”*

*The above information comes from the Yellowhammer Fund website, linked below.

Website

Mayor Randall Woodfin expressed his support with Vice President Kamala Harris at the annual National Urban League’s Conference. Read the article below.

Article

This was an online webinar that took place on August 30, 2022. It was led and created by a multitude of faith leaders to talk about why reproductive rights & justice are part of their faith, not something they believe in in spite of their religion. Our resident Supervising Pastor, Rev. Joe Genau was one of the panelists.

LGBTQ+ Affirming

Denominational Resources

Local Resources

More Light Presbyterians

UKirk Birmingham’s booth at the 2022 Birmingham Pridefest downtown. We also were in the Pride Parade this year, as well.

The Presbyterian Church (USA), has made statements and changed our dogma to be one of the mainline denominations that is open and affirming to the LGBTQ+ community. More specifically, they welcome queer individuals to be ordained as Pastors within their congregations, as well as, supporting them in every other role within the church world. To learn more about the history of our denomination and how it relates to LGBTQ+ issues, and to see our current policies, click on the photo below.

There are so many local resources and supporters for LGBTQ+ rights in the Birmingham area. BAO, Birmingham AIDS Outreach, is the parent company for some many other wonderful programs, such as: Magic City Acceptance Center (MCAC), Magic City Wellness Center (MCWC), Magic City Acceptance Academy (MCAA), Magic City Research Institute (MCRI), Magic City Legal Center (MCLC), and so many more. To learn more about BAO and it’s affiliates click the photos below.

More Light Presbyterians, MLP, are an organization with the PC(USA) denomination with the following Vision statement: “Following the risen Christ, and seeking to make the Church a true community of hospitality, the mission of More Light Presbyterians is to work for the full participation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) people in the life, ministry and witness of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and in society.”

UKirk Birmingham is designated as a MLP congregation.

For more information about MLP and what they do visit their website via the photo below.

Racial Justice

National

Organizations including Black Lives Matter and NCAAP are working to uplift people of color and their culture and inform communities across the country about racial injustice
Denominational

The PC(USA) denomination is outspoken in its’ pursuit of antiracism and has started programs such as the “Week of Action” and “Bearing Witness” to aid their efforts. Many PC(USA) churches and organizations, including Ukirk, are also conducting racial justice pilgrimages to learn more about the civil rights movement.
Local

We are fortunate to have the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute nearby, as well as the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery.