Interfaith health-care reform summit

Defining the religious community's distinct prophetic vision for and role in transforming U.S. health care was the focus of an interfaith health-care reform meeting this month. Convened by Faithful Reform in Health Care, 75 local, state and national leaders met in Cleveland with the shared understanding that health care is a human right and that the system is not working for everyone. They confirmed that faith communities have a moral imperative to be catalysts in bringing about a health system that is inclusive, just, compassionate and sustainable.

The interfaith and multicultural group of clergy, laypersons and health-care professionals represented 60 organizations from 23 states and Washington, D.C.

Participants reflected the diversity of faith communities working on this issue including Buddhist, Protestants, Catholics, Jewish Reform and Orthodox, Muslim and Unitarian traditions.

Health-care staff from The United Methodist Church’s General Boards of Church & Society and Global Ministries represented the denomination’s commitment to health care for all.

Framework of shared values

The U.S.’s racial and ethnic diversity was represented as well with African-American, Asian-American, Caucasian, Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander attendees.

Shared values of the diverse religious traditions provided a framework for articulating the role of faith in working for health-care access. These shared values were identified as the following: compassion, community, concern for those who are vulnerable, equitable sharing of resources, and acknowledgement that each person embodies the Divine.

The shared values enabled creating strategies for a common message on a prophetic message about health. The discussions were led by a facilitation team from The Difference.

The shared values enabled creating strategies for a common message on a prophetic message about health.

Participants developed short- and long-term action and communication plans. They also designed an organizational model to carry the work forward.

Moral theologian Dr. Jack Glaser, founder of the St. Joseph Health System Center for Healthcare Reform in Orange, Calif., focused in two keynote speeches on moral framing and the role of the faith community in public conscience work.

Other presentations addressed the connection between immigration and health-care reform; communicating with new media; lessons learned from earlier campaigns; working together within the interfaith community and with secular organizations; and research about how voters think about health-care reform.

Faiths fundamentally united

''Never have I ever been given such an ecumenical and simultaneously interreligious opportunity,” commented David Lamarre-Vincent, executive director of the New Hampshire Council of Churches. “Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, all faiths are fundamentally united at the deepest level to ensure that American society provides affordable, accessible health care for all.” He said each group wanted to redirect the failing structure to a system supported “by the pillars of human dignity, compassion, stewardship, health, healing and wholeness for all”

This is an opportunity for us to knit all of our economic justice, human dignity, immigrant rights, etc. concerns into the societal conversation.

State and national reform of health care has rapidly moved up the societal agenda, according to Lamarre-Vincent. “The question before us is whether we seize this moment in time of ripeness and redirect ourselves for the next month, quarter, years to fully engage and be present in the public square with a bold, prophetic voice,” he said. “This is an opportunity for us to knit all of our economic justice, human dignity, immigrant rights, etc. concerns into the societal conversation.''

The Rev. Linda Hanna Walling, executive director of Faithful Reform in Health Care, said this was the first time in nearly 15 years that leaders representing the interfaith community have gathered to strategize about getting more effectively engaged in working for compassionate and sustainable reform. “The commitment exhibited by those who attended this meeting marks the beginning of the faith community's unique contribution to the cultural transformation that will be needed to move toward a health-care future that works well for all of us,'' she said.

More information about the meeting, including video segments, is available on the Web, linked from the Faithful Reform in Health Care.

An opportunity exists for you to express your opinions in the health-care reform debate. You can take part in a faith community survey on health care through the Web.

For more on health care-related topics, visit the “Health & Wholeness” page on the General Board of Church & Society Web site: Health and Wholeness.

Health & Wholeness Action Network

The Rev. Cynthia Abrams, director of the Board of Church & Society’s Alcohol, Other Addictions and Health Care program, supervises a Health & Wholeness Action Network that provides legislative updates, educational resources and identifies opportunities to act on issues such as access to health care, Medicare, Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), mental health access and parity. She issues “Action Alerts” periodically through e-mail.

Joining the Health & Wholeness Action Network is free: go to umpower.org or click on My GBCS on the General Board of Church and Society Web site, www.umc-gbcs.org. You can also contact Donna Brandyberry, (202) 488-5641.