FURTHER EQUIPPING CHURCH LEADERS WHO OPPOSE THE DEATH PENALTY IN KENTUCKY
Purpose:
There is a need to equip spokespersons for churches more effectively to advocate an end to the death
penalty in Kentucky. This project will sponsor an event for this purpose that will take place in two
different parts of Kentucky. Attendance will be actively promoted with the goal of equipping someone
from as many as 100 different electoral districts of the KY legislature. Those who attend will already
want to end the death penalty and will be open to training and mutual coordination in that effort.
Lead partner:
The Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is the lead partner. As the lead partner, KCADP will
take on responsibility for the content of the two equipping/training events, set the logistical and
expense parameters (place, time, speakers, menu, travel subsidies, etc) enter into any needed contracts
and make payments. The KCADP would provide the coordination of all parties to the events.
Supporting partners:
Two supporting partners for the project are the KCC and the CCK. They will provide information about
leaders to invite, will use their communications systems to promote the events, and will help recruit
volunteers and/or interns.
- The Kentucky Council of Churches has a policy statement that permits opposition to any and all
uses of capital punishment. Twelve Christian traditions have member judicatories that belong to
the Council and have churches in Kentucky. These members include the four Catholic dioceses
that also support the work of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. The Justice Commission of
the Council will be asked to endorse the proposed events and in so doing to authorize the
sharing of contact information and other uses of the Council’s communications infrastructure.
- The Catholic Conference of Kentucky in addition to agreeing to the KCC policy statement has its
own tradition and commitments in the abolition area. It has two committees who will be asked
for volunteers to assist with the two events of this project.
Some initial thoughts about the two events:
- They would either end or begin with lunch and last a half-day.
- Berea might be a good site for the eastern event. The KCC has some good contacts there.
- The tentative budget at this point is at most $3,000.
- Stephen Deere might be brought in as a speaker.
- Volunteers to work under KCADP coordination could be given geographical areas in which to
work for promotion purposes. For instance, Fr. Dan Kreutzer of the Owensboro Diocese of the
Catholic Church has ties to both the KCC and the CCK and could promote the event in both
Catholic and Protestant circles in western Kentucky.
O Draft of April 13, 2011
In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted