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Gamaliel director promotes ‘living out your faith on the streets’
By LINDA M. LINONIS
youngstown
Ana Garcia Ashley ended her talk at the ACTION clergy caucus breakfast meeting Thursday morning with these words: “If I offended you, I did my job.”
The executive director of Gamaliel spoke to about 85 clergy and community leaders during the gathering hosted by Bishop George V. Murry of the Diocese of Youngstown at St. Columba Cathedral hall, 154 W. Wood St. He said ACTION’s “outreach to the community improves it.”
The faith-oriented organization, based in Chicago, was founded in 1986 “to train community and faith leaders to build political power and create organizations that unite people of diverse faiths and races.” Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods is a long-time affiliate of Gamaliel.
The gathering was convened by Monsignor Robert Siffrin, vicar general of the diocese and pastor of St. Edward Church, and the Rev. Dr. Robin Woodberry, assistant pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church and executive director of Mahoning Valley Association of Churches.
“Our organization takes ordinary people and helps them accomplish extraordinary things,” Ashley said. “This is living out your faith on the streets.”
Ashley said it is part of her job to “agitate people” and make them uncomfortable and accountable about the level of their participation. She continued that religious and community leaders must draw strength by “energizing one another.” Ashley added that those who wish to better the communities they live in must “get out on the front lines” by attending rallies and working on improvement projects.
“We have to call out politicians and each other,” she said.
Ashley encouraged the 21 ACTION members to make sure that ACTION was a “line item” on their organization’s annual budget. “To get the job done, there has to be resources,” she said.
She said ACTION members “must have an incredible commitment to the ministry” and focus on the “vision and mission.”
Ashley charged ACTION members and community leaders with the directive that “the world can be changed to be a better place.”
Monsignor Siffrin said, “The clergy caucus is ACTION’s life blood. ACTION takes on issues that should be addressed.” He noted that “if we don’t work for justice, there will be no peace.”
ACTION activities include working to eliminated “food deserts” in the city through Farmers Marketplace and urban gardens, conducting Holy Ground marches in crime-plagued neighborhoods, distributing “hot spot cards” that allows people to anonymously alert police to neighborhood problems, working to have abandoned properties razed or rehabilitated, establishing Home for God, a re-entry and resource center for formerly incarcerated individuals and helping set up block watches.
The Rev. Mrs. Woodberry said ACTION’s strength is in its “diversity of religious and community leaders.”
The Rev. Ed Noga, board of directors member and pastor of St. Patrick Church, said, “ACTION’s work is to lift up the community and move people to a better life.”