MEDIA ADVISORY                                                                                                                                             

Monday, July 11, 2011

CONTACT: Tim King at tking@sojo.net/ 202-631-7763

Or Evan Trowbridge at etrowbridge@sojo.net / 202-745-4625

**Telephone Press Conference: Wed., July 13 @ 10 a.m. EDT**

4,000 Pastors sign open letter to Congress decrying budget cuts

In a full-page ad in Politico, Christian leaders remind politicians of human impact of budget negotiations

Washington, DC — As the political standoff on the “debt ceiling” continues, more than 4,000 pastors from across the country signed an open letter in opposition to federal budget cuts that threaten the poor and vulnerable in their congregations and communities.

Several of the high-profile names on the list will hold a telephone press conference on Wednesday, July 13 at 10 a.m. EDT to discuss their efforts to refocus the political conversation on the human toll of draconian budget cuts.

The call will take place on the same day that a full-page ad will run in Politico entitled “Listen to your Pastors.” It will feature text from the letter and will launch other work across the country to remind politicians of the moral implications of budget decisions and the importance of government safety net programs in protecting families.   Signers of the letter come from every state in the country.

The full text of the open letter is available here.

WHAT: National press call with local pastors standing against budget cuts that hurt the poor and vulnerable

WHO:

Rev. Jim Wallis (moderator), President and CEO, Sojourners, Washington, DC

Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, Founding Pastor, House for All Sinners and Saints, Denver, CO

Rev. Derrick Harkins, Senior Pastor, Nineteenth Street Baptist Church, Washington, DC

Rev. Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor, Vineyard Church of Columbus, Columbus, OH

WHEN: Wednesday, July 13 at 10 a.m. EDT

CALL-IN INFO: 512-225-3184 (access code 587482#), please email etrowbridge@sojo.net to register

Quote sheets and contact information for local pastors from across the country are available. Please contact etrowbridge@sojo.net for more information.

Background:

The 4,000 pastors’ letter adds to growing momentum from the faith community to defend the poor and vulnerable.  Thousands of Christians and people of conscience have already committed to form a “Circle of Protection” around programs that serve those in need.  For more on the “Circle of Protection,” a statement signed by the leadership of many Christian denominations, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Association of Evangelicals and the National Council of Churches, visit: www.circleofprotection.us

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Jim Wallis is the president and CEO of Sojourners, the largest network of Christians in the United States who are focused on the biblical call to social justice. Wallis is also author of the New York Times bestsellers God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It and The Great Awakening: Se