Summer fellows make impact at Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations

PC(USA) program provides opportunity for young people to engage in advocacy and practice teamwork

by Darla Carter | Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — From engaging with members of Congress to developing a voter education campaign, the last few weeks have been busy and inspiring for summer fellows of the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness (OPW) and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations (PMUN).

The fellows, who focus on transforming the world through advocacy, were in the spotlight recently as they led an online worship service for staff of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

The July 24 service included the unveiling of a video — produced by fellow Bee Wang — that provides insight into the fellows and what they do. The multimedia piece, featuring several onscreen interviews, also reflects how much the PC(USA) advocacy staffs at both sites value working with young people.

“Each summer, we have an opportunity to welcome students and young adults to walk alongside us through our fellowship program,” the Rev. Christina Cosby, OPW’s Representative for Domestic Issues and Environmental Justice, says on the video. “This program is essential to the life of the church, to the work of the Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.”

“We want to hear their voices and we care about their voices,” OPW Mission Associate Ivy Lopedito added.

This year’s fellows include Cassandra Saunders with the PMUN office in New York, and several fellows with the OPW office in Washington, D.C.: Wang, Ariyah Sadler, Olivia Phelps, Timothy Pinches, Nathan Dunn, Madalyn Sailors and Madeline Veitch.

“It has been exhilarating to see the staff of the Office of Public Witness in action and to take this opportunity to learn from them,” said Pinches, a Michigan fellow who spent part of his summer opening up lines of communication with Presbyterian members of the 118^th Congress.

During a roughly eight-week period, fellows participate in a variety of learning experiences, including writing Action Alerts, doing research, and engaging with PC(USA) partners. Fellows also get to use their gifts and talents, such as video and social media production, to promote PC(USA) events and positions on key issues, such as the need for peace in Israel/Palestine.

Summer fellows from left to right: Bee Wang, Madeline Veitch, Nathan Dunn, Madalyn Sailors, Timothy Pinches, Ariyah Sadler and Olivia Phelps. Not pictured is Cassandra Saunders. (Photo by Bee Wang)

“This fellowship allows me to see where and how faith and public service/policy intersect each other and how people of faith can continue to advocate and work towards a more just world,” said Dunn, a Colby College sophomore who helped to plan a webinar on Cuba’s humanitarian crisis during his fellowship.

Fellows also get to become more familiar with the inner workings of the PC(USA).

“I am grateful I was able to observe General Assembly this year and keep up with church policymaking,” said Sailors, a recent graduate of DePauw University. “I loved witnessing the community and shared identity emphasized by the gathering of Presbyterians.”

Another highlight for some fellows was working on a forthcoming video series.

“The project that stands out the most to me is the Prepare for the Polls video series that Olivia Phelps and I created with the help of the other fellows,” said Sadler, a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “The video series is meant to educate voters on how to prepare for the upcoming election and inform viewers of PC(USA) policy on issues that are relevant to the election.”

Such projects gave fellows an opportunity to get to know each other better and bond.

“I enjoyed meeting and building connections with the other summer fellows,” said Sadler, who served as a lead fellow with Sailors. “Even though we all come from different backgrounds, we found lots of common ground in our faith and interests and formed a team that was both productive and familial.”

Young people come to fellowships with various goals, from laying the groundwork for careers in public policy to putting their faith in action.

“Participating in advocacy work on social justice issues I am passionate about is an important practice for me as a follower of Christ, and the Office of Public Witness fostered an accepting environment for this work,” said Phelps, a recent graduate of East Carolina University.

Wang, who applied for the fellowship after taking part in PC(USA)’s Young Adult Advocacy Conference last year, appreciated how PC(USA) staffers gave fellows the freedom to be themselves. “They trusted us and encouraged each fellow’s formation instead of just telling us what they wanted us to do all the time.”

Wang, a member of First Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, Ohio, used their creativity and production skills to bear on multiple projects. “I loved the collaborative teamwork and friendship with the fellows, especially through planning the chapel service,” they said. “I also really enjoyed the commitment and expertise of the staff and how they trusted us and encouraged each fellow’s formation instead of just telling us what they wanted us to do all the time.”

Phelps worked on numerous domestic issues with Cosby. “I participated in meetings regarding different policies that are of concern to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), such as gun violence, environmental justice, human needs, etc.,” the fellow said. “I did much research and writing, including an Action Alert asking Congress to fund services for victims of violent crimes and an op-ed on the importance of voting as a follower of Christ.”

Veitch, a rising junior at the College of Wooster, enjoyed working with Catherine Gordon, the OPW Representative on International Issues, on the sovereign debt crisis as well as humanitarian issues related to Cuba and Israel/Palestine.

“Although we worked mostly remotely, the online meetings we had as a group with the Office of Public Witness and with partners were the highlight,” Veitch said. “It was so nice to meet new people and form relationships with the OPW and PMUN staff and fellows. The work these people are doing and the passion they have is inspiring.”

Getting to take part in the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development also was a standout, Veitch said, and Saunders agreed.

Cassandra Saunders

“I learned a ton and got to meet people from all over the world,” said Saunders, a recent graduate of the University of Georgia. “It was a special time to be at the UN.”

Sue Rheem, the PC(USA) representative to the UN, said, “It’s wonderful to have summer fellows because they bring new energy and excitement, making the offices come alive.”

Also, sometimes, “the fellows are very surprised to learn that the church has advocacy offices and has been doing this work for a long time, and they are eager to explore what it means to be a young person of faith engaged with the world,” said Rheem, who heads the PMUN office.

The fellowship will be a driving force for Pinches, who plans to attend Kalamazoo College.

“When I go back to college in the fall, I want to engage with the community and encourage and facilitate civic discussion and engagement,” he said. “I plan on taking the knowledge I’ve gained this summer about voting rights and using it to support student voting on campus.”

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations are part of the Compassion, Peace and Justice ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency.

Register for “Jesus and Justice,” this year’s Young Adult Advocacy Conference, here. It will be Oct. 18-20 in Charlotte, North Carolina.