About Faith in Action
Contrary to partisan rhetoric, the truth is that Democrats are people of strong faith and we are guided by our values. As a Democrat I believe that we should welcome the stranger, that no child should go to bed hungry, that housing and a path to homeownership should be accessible to all, that everyone in America deserves universal health care, that war should be a last resort only after diplomacy has been exhausted, that everyone deserves equal rights under the law, that we should be good stewards of the Earth, that hard working people should earn a living wage, that we ought not pass debt onto our children, that faith should not be used to divide people but rather to bring us together, and that you and I have more in common than we have differences.
- Excerpt from Chairman Howard Dean’s remarks at the 2007 National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast
Established in 2005 under the leadership of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Chief of Staff Rev. Leah Daughtry, the mission of the DNC Faith in Action initiative (FIA) is to develop and maintain an integrated strategic plan for communicating with and for organizing in communities of faith around our shared priorities, including eliminating poverty; protecting the environment; and providing affordable healthcare to all. We are increasing the national visibility of Democrats on issues of faith and public life. And we are strengthening local outreach and organizing efforts around these same priorities.
Since its inception, FIA has reached out in many ways to reach its goals from national press events to local grassroots organizing. FIA engages the faith community at key religious events and institutions including recent addresses at Eastern University and the National Hispanic Prayer Breakfast. At the same time, we train Democratic staff and volunteers in strategies for religious outreach and work to implement long-term models for comprehensive field strategies and infrastructure building at the national Party and local level.
To help us in these efforts, we’ve also assembled a Faith Advisory Council, a group of skilled and knowledgeable clergy, theologians and faith community leaders from diverse faith traditions. The Council meets throughout the year to advise Democratic leadership and to receive tools to take back to their communities to speak out about these critical issues.
This is a growing initiative and an ongoing commitment of the Democratic Party. Please join us today and we can keep you updated on all the Faith in Action developments.
