Giving Testimony Where It Counts

Jenny and Luca after giving testimony in support of the Reproductive Health Equity Act at the Colorado Capitol on March 9, 2022. Photo Credit: Carl Gibson, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado

How do I express how embarrassed and angry I am with myself, my colleagues, and the wider Church, while also inviting us all to do better?

As our states enact violent, criminalizing, and abusive laws against the marginalized, too many of us do nothing. Except perhaps, screaming into the void of social media or bed pillows, or complaining to our family, friends, and colleagues.

Perhaps we are too content and our calendars over-filled with addressing the immediate needs of individuals to bother with engaging systemic change.

Yet, our faith prepares us to take action.

We are well prepared to bear witness, are we not? Our whole faith tradition and sacred text is birthed from testimony, we are in positions of power, we represent communities, and some of us even have collars to denote our role in public spaces.

Why aren’t more progressive Christians, clergy and lay leaders alike, testifying on behalf of their faith?

It’s not prohibited by law for clergy and churches to advocate for legislation. So what is holding so many of us progressives back?

I would love to know what opportunities and barriers you face in publicly advocating for justice. Here are my reflections and commitments to do better.

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In March, I testified in support of the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), once at the Colorado House Health & Insurance Committee and a second time at the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee.

This bill was written specifically to protect Coloradoans from what we anticipate will be forthcoming restrictions from the Supreme Court this spring or summer. RHEA was signed into law by Colorado Governor Jared Polis on April 5, 2022

I’ve long been a supporter of reproductive rights, and felt urgency in responding to the call to give testimony because of my recent experiences with pregnancy and childbirth alongside the many stories shared with me of both reproductive heartbreak and hope.

I was one of only two protestant clergy who testified in support of the bill, and the only protestant clergy who pastors a congregation—at both testimonies from what I saw in the four and three hours respectively as I waited for my name to be called. All of us were from the United Church of Christ.

Quite a number of Jewish clergy and lay leaders testified in support of the bill from both local synagogues and representing national Jewish organizations.

A large number of Catholic and Evangelical lay and parachurch leaders showed up to testify against the bill. In addition, a representative read a written testimony from the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver.

Across all faiths, I was the only clergy who testified on behalf of my congregation, Juniper Formation, as well as myself. Normally clergy testify only on behalf of themselves, and not their congregation. It doesn’t have to be that way.

At Juniper Formation we took a congregational vote to support reproductive rights in October of 2020, when we advocated for “no” votes on Colorado Proposition 115, the Colorado 22-week Abortion Ban Initiative. Juniper Formation’s congregational vote allowed me as its pastor to continue advocating on behalf of the congregation for future reproductive rights bills.

In May 2021, our congregation voted to partner with the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA) to advocate in support of Senate Bill 88 Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Act and Senate Bill 21-073 Civil Action Statute of Limitations Sexual Assault. Both bills passed after very active opposition by the Catholic Church and Boy Scouts of America—to give you a sense of what was at stake.

For both of these legislative opportunities we were invited to advocate. I gave testimony in March at the request of the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, who sought clergy and faith voices to support the Reproductive Health Equity Act. Juniper Formation advocated with the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA), because one of our church members, Theo Isoz (they/them), serves on the CCASA board and asked for our support.

Both bill’s advocates were searching for progressive faith voices to advocate publicly for what is right and just. Unfortunately not many responded, and also, perhaps people doing progressive legislative work and progressive clergy and churches are not in relationship with one another. That has to change.

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How many congregations vote to support certain legislation or political issues, offering their pastors and lay leaders the support they need to speak publicly for justice on behalf of the congregation?

Alternatively, how many pastors are too afraid of losing their jobs to speak out and advocate for legislation when it might be at the expense of their family’s economic well-being? Or worse, simply choose to play it safe, and don’t bother to ask for congregational support.

Church, we’ve got to figure this out, because our silence is murderous. Our silence costs the lives of people who continue to be oppressed by society and the rule of law.

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It had been a long time since I had stepped foot in the Colorado Capitol—not just because of the pandemic. In the early years of Juniper Formation, I admit that I didn’t feel like I had the authority of my ordained position to even consider giving testimony. I didn’t have a congregation in a traditional sense, so I didn’t feel that I could authentically represent a constituency of people. But you know what, the only other clergy who showed up to testify for the Reproductive Health Equity Act last month don’t have congregations—so that tells you how wrong I was.

Reflecting back, I was waiting until I was “good enough.” I was waiting for a personal invitation. I was busy, we were starting a new church, and I figured other clergy and other people had this work covered. I was comfortable, and my life wasn’t on the line. Sound familiar?

People have asked me about my experience, and honestly, with an endless “to do” list, it feels like a huge waste of time to wait for hours all day to be called to give testimony and to not know if what you said in two minutes has any impact at all. It is also a privilege to feel that your time is worth more than the time of others, the time of people who don’t get paid time off, but show up anyway to give their testimony. My long day is absolutely nothing compared to the rights and pain of people who suffer because of our laws.

The truth is, it is not a big deal in terms of my time and effort, but it is a huge deal for those on the margins that progressive clergy and congregations learn how to be thoughtfully concise in 2-3 minutes and show up to contribute to public discussion on legislation that affects people’s lives.

It does take time and effort to track legislation, and that is one area where I happily rely on good colleagues.

I’ve now made a commitment to let progressive legislative nonprofits know that I am available to give testimony as an ordained clergy, and also on behalf of Juniper Formation (pending congregational vote), so that these nonprofits know they can call on me. I’m not waiting for them to somehow magically identify me and send me a personal invitation. I’m making the invitation to join them as an advocate and ally.

This is especially so for nonprofits who usually experience clergy and faith communities as legislative opposition, rather than allies (e.g.: advocates for: Critical Race Theory and antiracism, LGBTQ+ rights, against sexual assault, and supportive of reproductive rights). I leave the legislative work to them, because that’s their area of expertise. My area of expertise as a pastor is learning and understanding how certain legislation affects people—particularly people on the margins. Giving testimony is just one way as a pastor I can support more just legislation and protection for the rights and lives of people and all of God’s creation.

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Sometimes testimony also includes letting legislators know that faith communities shouldn’t have the power to deny the rights of others. This was part of my testimony on reproductive rights. It is not any business of the Church or the Legislature to interfere in bodily autonomy or an individual’s healthcare, period. And also, faith communities don’t know enough to give an informed opinion, because within places of worship and legislative halls we don’t talk about how truly risky pregnancy and childbirth are. Government and religious interference make already difficult situations so much worse by causing further harm and death to pregnant people, harm that can last whole lifetimes, and for whole generations.

As a pastor, I am compelled to preach and teach the Gospel, and central to progressive theology is that God gifted humankind the freedom of choice.

We are not controlled by a puppeteering God, nor are we fated to a destiny laid out by our God. Instead we are offered liberated sacred choice about our lives and bodies.

As a pastor, I am therefore compelled to preach, teach, and advocate about liberation.

I hope you will join us in moving more clearly into public and legislative spaces, our lives depend on it. I’ve been part of the problem, and I’m changing my behavior.

The progressive Church has been too silent where it counts. There is no sense in feeling powerless, when you do have power, and just don’t use it.

In Partnership,

Rev. Dr. Jenny Whitcher, Ph.D. (she/her)

Minister of Prophetic Formation

jenny@juniperformation.org