Material History of American Religion Project

Assessment Tool for Congregations for Use In Developing a Congregational Ethic for Worker Justice

American religious congregations live conflicted lives. Theologically they want to be moral communities, committed to what they perceive as God's justice in the world. And yet practically they are also institutions struggling to compete in a dynamic free market economy. They wrestle with both economic justice and financial survival. This is particularly an issue in personnel matters, where the wrestling involves real human beings who are dependent on the congregation for their livelihoods. Other documents reveal controversies over clergy salaries, but other employees (teachers, janitors, secretaries, etc.) are involved as well. (See A Lutheran Rebellion, What is adequate compensation for ministers?, The Pastor's Wife; Or What Becomes of the Salary, The Minister and His Savings, A denominational official testifies his embarrassment, and an alternate view of "low" clergy salaries.)

This document shows a new phase in the struggle. A friend received the draft document at a meeting of the Staff-Parish Committee of her church. It attempts to apply the "justice" language typical of much of progressive Christian economic ethics to the church's business activity. It asks church members to look at their practices from a new perspective. As our friend astutely observes, "in all my years in the church I have heard little about 'worker justice' except for migrant workers, etc.--those awful farmers--never anything which has pertained to us in the pew."

INTRODUCTION

This assessment tool is meant to help your congregation become more attentive to how your decisions regarding hiring and treatment of employees, investments and banking, and contracting and purchasing reflect the values and beliefs of your faith community. This assessment tool is not meant as judgment on any community. Instead it is our hope that this tool will help you become more intentional about bringing your faith convictions to bear on these important aspects of congregational life.

HOW TO USE THIS RESOURCE

The first section of this resource is a Judeo-Scripture reflection on worker justice. You can share it with your congregation or committee and pick some of the Scripture references for further prayers and reflection.

The scripture reflection is followed by four areas related to congregational ethics and worker justice. Each area begins with a series of assessment questions to which you can answer "yes" or "no." This is not meant as a test that will be scored or graded. It is meant to help you assess how intentional your policies and procedures reflect your professed faith values and principles.

Following each set of assessment questions are a list of resources to help you further explore issues raised in the assessment questions. Your congregation or committee might want to start with one or two areas surfaced in these assessment questions to begin working on. No congregation can do everything. The important thing is to begin somewhere.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

A basic principle of Judeo-Christian faith is that religion must be lived out in our relationships. Faith is not merely a matter of individual piety. In I John 3:18 we are charged to "...Love not in word or speech, but in truth and action." The book of James is clear that "faith" without action is empty.

In the Hebrew tradition, God demands of those who have received the mercy of God's own justice, liberation and abundance, that they ensure the same treatment is given to people with whom they would live in peace. Amos 5:24 charges God's people to "Let justice roll down like waters."

It is not always possible to "proof text" our economic choices with particular biblical verses. Yet the clear expectation of God in scripture is for fair treatment of others in our employment: "You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages..., because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt" (Deuteronomy 24:14-1 5). James 5:4 warns, "The wages of the worker held back in fraud cry out!"

Further, all are to have the opportunity for work to support themselves and their families. This is certainly implied in Jesus' parable of the workers waiting in the market place (Matthew 20:1 - 15): the landowner goes repeatedly to find those who are without work, to guarantee their employment.

The God of scripture demands fair treatment of workers. So Malachi 3:5 warns: "I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against... those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts." Jeremiah 22:13-17 indicts those who build luxurious homes for themselves without treating fairly the laborers who build it: "Woe to [the one] who builds [a] house by unrighteousness, and upper rooms by injustice; who makes neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages."

No religious organization would intentionally treat workers unfairly. Yet it is easy to overlook the needs of our workers. In the interests of keeping budgets low, there is often a practice of paying church workers less than the "market rate" with an expectation that working for a religious organization is a reward in itself. There is truth in this assumption for many, yet it is still clear that "the worker is entitled to his wages." When we use contractors who may not embrace the values of just compensation, we must be especially vigilant to ensure workers receive an amount providing a decent living for themselves and their families.

I. Hiring Employees For Your Congregation

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:

RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOU

(This section will include information about organizations, publications and other resources that can help congregations further address issues raised by these assessment questions.)

II. Treatment of Employees of Your Congregation

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:

RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOU:

(This section will include information about organizations, publications and other resources that can help congregations further address issues raised by these assessment questions.)

III. Investments & Banking

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:

RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOU:

(This section will include information about organizations, publications and other resources that can help congregations further address issues raised by these assessment questions.)

IV. Contracting and Purchasing

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:

RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOU:

(This section will include information about organizations, publications and other resources that can help congregations further address issues raised by these assessment questions.)

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