Progressive Kansas Faith Community Push Social Justice Agenda In Johnson County

A peek at the next phase of advocacy in Kansas that might be better equipped to confront a great deal of hateration from critics . . . Check-it:

When members started pushing the Johnson County Board of Commissioners to create a crisis stabilization center before 2025, the county said it was unlikely anything would get done before 2029.

But the Good Faith Network kept pushing, and the center is now slated to open soon.

“That’s a big victory for us,” said Ali Haynes, a co-president of Good Faith Network and pastor at Indian Heights United Methodist Church. “The network really helped to get that conversation going, and really pushed it and said this needs to happen.”

Each year across Kansas, elected officials stand on stages and pledge to implement wide-ranging policy proposals in front of thousands of religious congregants, organized as part of the DART network.

DART, which stands for Direct Action and Research Training Center, has planted 31 advocacy groups across 10 states. It focuses mostly on laying the groundwork for local groups, which can choose the topics most suited to their communities.

There are five DART organizations in Kansas: Johnson County; Lawrence; Topeka; Kansas City, Kansas; and Sedgwick County. Members come from a range of faiths and denominations.

The groups have been a quiet force across the state, setting wide-ranging goals and often achieving them. The results include expansive housing projects, education initiatives, public transit upgrades and more.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Faith groups across Kansas are diving into local politics - and getting results * Kansas Reflector

Each year across Kansas, elected officials stand on stages and pledge to implement wide-ranging policy in front of religious congregants.