Monday, October 21, 2013
CANFIELD
Attacking crime and bullying and reviving “Holy Ground” marches aimed at blight were among resolutions that ACTION members voted to place on the faith-based community organizing group’s agenda for 2013-2014.
ACTION, the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, asked two representatives from the group’s 17 members to vote via paper ballot and electronically on eight proposals at its annual convocation Sunday at St. Michael Family Life Center.
Eight proposals were rated between 0 and 6, six being the highest, and six of the eight receiving the requisite 4.5 average score to be placed on ACTION’s list of efforts for the remainder of 2013 and until its annual meeting 12 months from now in 2014.
Because two proposals did not receive the needed 4.5 score to be immediately considered doesn’t mean they are dead.
“They can be reworked and resubmitted to the board at any time,” said the Rev. Joseph Fata, chairman of the clergy caucus.
Voting on proposals is a new format for ACTION’s annual meeting, this year organized under the theme “Building a Stronger Valley through Action,” which its leaders said went well.
“I was pleasantly surprised it went at well as it did,” said Father Fata, pastor or St. Luke Church in Boardman.
In the past, he said, ACTION’s annual meetings were more of a rally at which people lobbied for issues that interested them and from which the board developed an agenda for action.
The resolutions reflect what people are worried about and gives them a formal way to be heard.
“A lot of thought went into every resolution. All of them have value. It it were up to me, all of them would be worked on,” said the Rev. J. Dwayne Heart, president of the ACTION board and pastor of Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church in Youngstown.
ACTION, consisting of churches and faith-based nonprofit organizations, is a community organizing group that focuses on social issues, including crime prevention, education, immigration and health and wellness.
The meeting was also led by the Rev. Rosetta Carter, director and lead organizer of ACTION, and the Rev. Edward P. Noga, ACTION vice president and pastor of St. Patrick Church in Youngstown.