Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

As you may know, our state legislators are currently authoring this coming year’s budget. These are challenging and uncertain times; there are complex issues surrounding our state’s budgeting process and unknown consequences of spending or not spending federal stimulus money. The Missouri House of Representatives has sent its version of the budget to the Senate, for several weeks of hearings and meetings. Final passage deadline is May 8. The Governor signs the negotiated budget into law before our state’s fiscal year begins on July 1.

I am joining a diverse, nonpartisan group of faith leaders to call upon the Missouri State Assembly to consider carefully our funding of vital services for our most vulnerable neighbors, family members, and fellow citizens. It is time for people of faith to say clearly that as Followers of Jesus Christ we cannot allow the “least of these” – children, seniors, the disabled – to suffer, particularly in this time of economic crisis. The teaching of Jesus – the Beatitudes (Matthew 5, Luke 6), the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), the healings that Jesus performed in all of the Gospels– compel us to speak out.

I invite you to contact your state legislators and ask them to advocate for prioritizing critical services for our marginalized communities in the 2010 budget. You will find contact information for your state representative and senator at http://www.moga.mo.gov/ or by calling 573-751-2000.

I invite you to join me in attending the Rally for a Compassionate Missouri Budget on Palm Sunday, April 5, 2:00 pm at the Old St. Louis Courthouse, 11 N. 4th Street in downtown St. Louis.

A copy of Faith Based Principles for the Missouri’s 2010 Budget Process is available online.
.
May God bless you in this Season of Lent and the Paschal mysteries of Holy Week and Easter.

In Christ, Faithfully,

+Wayne Smith
Bishop of Missouri
March 31, 2009

Related News

• Call for a Compassionate Missouri Budget Process in the Media (2009)
• We Welcome the Rt. Rev. Greg Rickel to this year’s Flower Festival (2009)
• Note for Priests in Charge of Congregations, Rectors, Vicars, Senior/Bishop’s Wardens, Treasurers, Program Chairs, Diocesan Staff: Budgets due July 15th (2009)
• More Sudan news from mission team leader Debbie Smith (2009)
• Online Survey invitation from the Episcopal Church for all Episcopalians (2009)