Christian leaders began 2007 by outlining their social agenda for the new Congress. During a teleconference held Jan. 9, the National Association of Evangelicals urged Congress to help reduce pollution, raise the standard of fuel efficiency and provide proper care of natural life and natural habitat. Meanwhile the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq called for an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and Sojourners expressed support for raising the minimum wage, the Christian Post reported. Sojourners is a supporter of the Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, a nonpartisan coalition of faith-based organizations, including the Episcopal Church USA, that is urging Congress to raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 per hour. Also last week the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), which is led by Pentecostal minister Samuel Rodriguez, sent an open letter to Rep. Nancy Pelosi urging her to see that Congress develops a compromise on immigration reform. “The current state of immigration in this country is a complex situation; nevertheless, we as Americans have the intellectual wherewithal, the political acumen and the spiritual fortitude to reconcile the principles of law and order with a pathway to citizenship for those that seek to live the American dream,” the letter stated. The NHCLC is calling on Congress to pass legislation that protects U.S. borders, ends illegal immigration and creates ways for families without legal status to gain citizenship.
Cheri Fuller and Cindy Lamb Curry 
Marilyn Hickey 
Charisma Staff 
