March 9, 2023
Following up to Pastor Elizabeth’s sermon on July 3, 2022, she gave testimony at the State House in support of H5006, a bill that will extend abortion access to state employees and Medicaid users. You can read the Providence Journal article about her testimony here (https://tinyurl.com/H5006-ECF-030723), and can hear her sermon from July 3 on our YouTube channel.

May 17, 2022
Beneficent member Amy Santiago, a caseworker at Better Lives Rhode Island, added her voice to those protesting at Governor McKee’s office in search of more affordable housing opportunities and support for those experiencing homelessness. As pandemic-related funding for emergency beds runs out, BLRI’s clients and others in our state are struggling to find alternative housing options. 

March 25, 2022
Beneficent member Terry Bontrager co-authored this piece in The Providence Journal. In it, he and colleague Martina Müller address a column entitled “Workers have a climate plan for region” (Commentary, March 9) by Cynthia Phinney, Pat Crowley, and Joe Toner.  Bontrager and Müller remind us that “the era of fossil fuels is rapidly ending, and resources invested in fossil fuel infrastructure will turn into stranded assets. Investing now in the transition away from gas and toward electrification will get us on track faster to healthier, clearer air for ourselves and future generations.”

July 13, 2021
Beneficent member Jonathan Hird addresses a recent column by Mackubin Owens (June 15, 2021, “The Case Against Critical Race Theory”); his response was published by The Providence Journal on July 13. Beneficent Church has spent the last year understanding our own experience of race and racism within the community, and continues to engage in conversations about how our own behaviors and structure can be changed to better reflect the culture of our members.