Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Core Team is a part of the St. Paul Caucus of ISAIAH.  We are happy to report that because of ISAIAH’s collaboration with other community organizations several significant issues have obtained victories.  These victories affect the vitality of our surrounding community.  Just this week, Mayor Chris Coleman announced that there will be three stops of the Central Corridor at Hamline, Victoria and Western Avenues.  Original plans would have left these areas without stops for the Central Corridor, greatly affecting those without cars for transportation.  The coalition has worked on this issue for many months and we are very pleased with this recent announcement. Another issue currently under negotiation with the City of St. Paul is regarding Section 3 Low-Income Hiring Law and provisions, of HUD.  HUD funds from the federal government are intended to develop low-income neighborhoods with people from these communities getting the employment.  The city has been in violation of Section 3 of HUD and not ensuring low-income residents or businesses receive the benefit.  The St. Paul Caucus of ISAIAH is working with a Minister’s Collaborative for Racial and Economic Justice to correct these inequities.  We believe that our congregation is only as strong as our community is strong.  The Core Team appreciates the support of the congregation as we work for justice in our community.

Building Just Communities  It is an hour of inspiration and information about congregations acting together through ISAIAH to transform themselves and the world around them.  Interested in finding out about ISAIAH?  Attend on a Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m., or check the bulletin for a time this program will come to Redeemer.

MNDOT to Use ½ of 1% Federal Highway Funds to Train and Provide Apprenticeships to Low-Income, People of Color and Women.  May 2010 After a five-year intensive campaign and negotiations, ISAIAH has convinced the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) to invest millions of Federally allocated dollars into opening the doors of opportunity to low income people throughout the state.  Starting with close to a million dollars of Federal funds already allocated this year, MNDOT will invest in apprenticeship and training for low-income people of color and women. According to Richard Copeland, CEO of Thor Construction, the largest minority-owned construction business in the region, "This has the potential to transform the lives of thousands of low income people of color throughout the state of Minnesota.  It will provide a path to stable, well paying jobs with potential for career growth.   It is these kinds of opportunities that people of color have historically been locked out of." Starting with a public gathering in October of 2006, ISAIAH convened a stakeholders’ table comprised of community advocates, unions, contractors and training providers for the purpose of developing and implementing targeted efforts to decrease barriers to the participation of women and people of color in highway construction jobs.   Since then, we have held over 10 public meetings involving 6,000 people of faith who have written letters and postcards showing the support for these changes. We participated in four public hearings at the MN State Legislature and worked with Sen. Mee Moua and Rep. Alice Hausman to pass legislation requiring MNDOT to report on their hiring goals at regular state hearings.  Last year, ISAIAH and our partners staged four actions at MNDOT involving 100s of people of faith from across the region to search for the "Missing Persons" in the workforce.  Throughout the process, we worked with Members of Congress, starting with former Congressman Jim Ramstad to demand change. "After 17 years of MNDOT falling short of its goals to open the doors to disadvantaged workers, their partnership with ISAIAH has led to an extraordinary breakthrough," said Rev. Paul Slack, Chair of ISAIAH's Clergy Caucus.  "This breakthrough shows the power of organized people of faith to ensure that our public institutions reflect the values of our communities."

Redeemer hosted a powerful meeting in the learning center on May 4th with Pastor Jim Erlandson chairing the meeting.  One hundred and twenty five people were present, including community members and public officials from many levels of government in the East Metro area. Following several presentations, the public officials sat at tables with community members to discuss the principles needed to have Healthy Communities.  Those principles were:

Restorative Investment – build wealth in community, name the tangible things to be restored.
Opening Access to Opportunity – affirmatively connect people who are isolated in current structures to opportunity.
Growing Together – recognize and embrace that our fates are inter-connected.

Participants agreed to continue in dialogue together and to commit to finding a path for a prosperous future for all.

In April we hosted an immigration forum and coffee hour.  We learned about the very, very complex issue of immigration and heard stories of people immigrating to the US.  This was a special Sunday for immigration as Obang Agwa, one of our church members was becoming a US citizen, the end step in the real life immigration process.  Consider joining the immigration team for ISAIAH.  Information is available at our bulletin board area in the undercroft.  Check it out!!

During the last 3-4 years we have been working with Pastor Frederick Newell of True Spirit Ministries on Section 3 of the federal HUD laws concerning requirements for low-income hiring and contracting if HUD money is used in a City project.  The City of St. Paul has been put on notice by HUD, after Newell filed a federal complaint in 2008.  ISAIAH has been working with Pastor Newell since last fall and are meeting with the City.  Also, Pastor Erlandson is part of a St. Paul Pastor’s Collaborative, a partnership of pastors from ISAIAH and the Black Ministerial Alliance.  A letter is be drafted by this group to address in detail the issue and solutions for getting the City into HUD compliance.  Please keep this group in your prayers for a justice resolution of this issue.

Any time you have a question or comment please don’t hesitate to contact a CORE team member, they are Bonnie Hughes, Rhynda Landt, Lyle & Myrna Nelson, Irene Markley and Pastor James Erlandson In Christ Irene

ISAIAH is people of faith acting powerfully in the world, casting a stirring vision of a vital faith community that has the courage to declare, commit and act upon a set of values.  Those values will transform the dominant culture of despair, scarcity and fear, replacing it with a vision of community, hope and God’s abundance for all people.  (Read more at www.gamaliel.org/ISAIAH) ISAIAH takes its name from the Bible verse, Isaiah 58:12, “You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”  In other words, “building just communities in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and St. Cloud.” Lutheran Church of the Redeemer is a dues-paying member of ISAIAH.  Some church members and Pastor Jim are frequently involved with ISAIAH’s action strategies, others lend support when it’s most needed, making their voices heard by calling lawmakers and decision-makers. Many actions have recently been taken to hold decision-makers and elected officials accountable to principles of racial and economic justice embedded in existing laws, or to call for better policies and laws when they are needed.  These include:

Meeting with MN Department of Transportation officials to demand fair hiring practices and to ensure the use of federal dollars designated for job training.

Involvement with decision-makers for the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit Project, which will break ground this year, to include stops at Western Avenue, Victoria Street, and Hamline Avenue to serve people who live and work in University Avenue neighborhoods.

Advocacy for better health insurance and health care for more Americans through the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: H.R.3590, which is before the U.S. Senate as of this writing.

Read about much more action in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and St. Cloud at www.gamaliel.org/ISAIAH. ISAIAH needs the true grit and realism of more church people with something to say about “bending the long arc of the moral universe toward justice” (adapted from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.).  Please join us! Call or email Pastor Jim, 651-227-8295, jameserlandson@msn.com , or Irene Markley, 651-646-0818, markleyi@yahoo.com. Hilary Ziols The Ending Domestic Violence task force of ISAIAH is concerned about keeping victims safer and holding offenders accountable.  Meetings are held at member churches on the first Saturday of each month.  Contact Mary Lou Knipe at 651-644-5493 for further information. As always your prayers are very important to our ISAIAH Core Team and events that we sponsor.  For more information contact a CORE Team member.  Remember, it is never too late to answer the call of God. In Christ, Irene Markley – ISAIAH Core Team CO-Chair