Justice & Witness Ministry
The Justice and Witness Ministry Team of the Central Pacific Conference, CPC works with the understanding that our still-speaking God has many voices in many places. Our ministries of Justice, Equity, and Inclusion encourage congregations in the CPC to work ecumenically with faith and non-faith communities. Working with justice-seeking community-based groups in many different sectors is fundamental to our learning the words, ways, and works of a Creator God in the world.
Creating Justice based public policy is fundamental. Our team seeks to involve the CPC in the work of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, Together Lab, the Faith Action Network in Washington State, and with ecumenical public policy advocacy networks in Idaho.
Ministry Team Chair Contact
Molli Mitchell, Waverly Heights - Chair, Email
Justice & Witness Ministry Team members
Mike Huntington, Corvallis
Paula Sohl, Ashland
Nikki Manley-Smith, Bethel-Beaverton
Mo Manley-Smith, Bethel-Beaverton
Sharon Ericson, Parkrose
Jennifer Yocum, Clackamas
Laura Stavoe, Boise First
If you are you interested in serving on the Justice & Witness Ministry team, you can let us know HERE.
Do Justice, Seek Peace, Build Community
Justice and Witness Ministry shall encourage the conference and local churches to engage in direct action as prophetic voices for justice, peace, and the integrity of creation.
Our Vision
Help local churches and their congregants identify and examine all facets of justice, peace, and environmental issues affecting their communities, and facilitate discernment of the Creator God’s persistent invitation to act in response to these issues.
Offer the local churches and their congregants the information, resources, training, models, and frameworks for direct action. Raise awareness throughout the conference of issues, events, and calls for action.
Lift up and celebrate the justice and peace activities and programs being carried out by the local church and its individual members.
Assist local churches and their congregants to understand that engaging in direct action is a way to grow and live their faith.
Justice and Witness Award
The CPC Board of Directors established a permanent Conference award for Outstanding Achievement on behalf of Justice and Witness. We know that justice work is never done alone. This award seeks to recognize the teams, leaders, and advocates who bring about justice in their communities. To submit a nomination for the Justice and Witness award, please complete this online form by August 24. For questions, email Rev. Molli Mitchell.
Justice & Witness Work
LGBTQ+ Liberation
The CPC supports people of all sexualities and genders as full participants and leaders within our member churches, promoting the full affirmation and expression of gender identity in the life and ministry of our communities.
Does your church want to become Open and Affirming (ONA)? Your first step is to obtain an ONA Starter Kit from the national UCC Open and Affirming Coalition here.
Check out the resources from the national UCC Open and Affirming Coalition here.
Subscribe to RIPPLES, the Coalition’s free newsletter here.
Read our Statement on Trans Inclusion here.
Racial Justice
Our work answers a call from the Conference to engage in anti-racism education and accountability as outlined in the Resolution Declaring the Central Pacific Conference is Called to Be An Anti-Racist Conference.
In January of 2020, after a half-day training and retreat, the CPC Board decided to add "Be an Anti-Racist Conference" to our Mission Priorities, recognizing that we put our money and time into the things that we state are priorities. In the fall of that same year, at the urging of a mission partner who observed we are not yet anti-racist but are striving to become anti-racist, the Board changed the Mission Priority to "Become an Anti-Racist Conference,” and in 2025 this was further amended to “Becoming an Anti-Racist and Decolonizing Conference,”
The Board and Ministry Teams continue to live into this priority. In mid-2020, the Board and COM committed to including anti-racism education and reflection at every one of their meetings. We have reinvigorated our Nomination Subcommittee with an attempt to bring more transparency into the nominations process. In November 2021, the Board approved a multi-year phased plan to live more fully into this Mission Priority. The plan began in 2022 with an audit of our Board, Staff, Ministry Teams, and practices, in conjunction with Consulting By Design, an Oregon-based consulting agency.
Climate Action
Our work is grounded in the call to environmental justice and stewardship of creation, consonant with historic UCC witness, and formed by a biblical understanding of prophetic ministry on behalf of those who are being adversely affected by climate change.
We hope to engage our community members in shaping public policy in keeping with God’s vision of a just and loving society that seeks to protect and mitigate the warming of our global climate. We support education, direct action, collaborative programs of local and regional projects and work at local and regional levels to promote energy sustainability and environmentally friendly stewardship.
Healthcare Ministry
We promote the movement for universal healthcare, and invite constructive and ongoing discussion and action. We challenge all congregations to join the fight for universal health care as a faith-based moral movement. We encourage ways to share ideas and explore activities that will lead us to universal health care.
If your church would like support in this area of ministry, contact Mike Huntington.
Psychedelic Medicine
God’s message of love and healing as revealed in scripture involves an intimate, interdependent relationship between human and plant life. The Bible instructs that the Creator intentionally positioned human beings and plants together for mutual thriving. Throughout the biblical narrative God gives instruction through the prophets that plants may be used for healing and revelation.
Theologies of liberation encourage interrogation with prophetic integrity all policies and behaviors (including legal statutes) that may threaten human flourishing. The United Church of Christ has an established history of standing on the side of those in need of healing and healthcare. Recently, the Thirty-Fourth General Synod of the United Church of Christ passed a resolution, “Faithful Advocacy For Intersectional And Transformational Healing In Harm Reduction.” This present Resolution also seeks to enhance access to medicines that can specifically empower this work.
Read the full 2025 resolution to learn more about this work.
UCC Article: New toolkit on psychedelic medicines in the UCC offers resources, invites conversation
Psychedelic Medicine and the United Church of Christ Teaching Toolkit
Learn More about Our Ministry Teams
Oregon Coast - Image by Tyler Connoley