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Protestant, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Jewish Leaders Unite to Meet National Urban Crisis

Diocesan Press Service. April 4, 1968 [64-9]

The Rt. Rev. John E. Hines, Presiding Bishop, announced March 14 the formation of the first national interfaith coalition of religious leaders designed to tackle the desperate urban problems facing our country.

Known as Operation Connection, the coalition will utilize Roman Catholic and Jewish resources as well as those of the National Council of Churches and 19 Protestant and Anglican churches.

Joining with Bishop Hines in announcing Operation Connection at a press conference on March 14 were: the Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr., President of the Federation for Self-Determination and Pastor of the Central Congregational Church, Detroit, Mich.; Rabbi Abraham Heschel of the Jewish Theological Seminary; and Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum of the American Jewish Committee. The Most Rev. John Wright, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh and Chairman of the Social Action Department of the National Council of (Roman) Catholic Bishops also joined in the announcement, but could not be present at the press conference.

Operation Connection is a limited program. It will be in effect for eight months in a minimum of five target areas to be selected shortly. Tactics designed to empower the poor, especially the black will be designed for each of these areas after detailed study and analysis.

It was stated by leaders of Operation Connection that some $10 million will be needed for these efforts, $2 million in each target areas. This money will be used to stimulate both action and concern in private and public sectors. Said Bishop Hines: "We realize that alone we cannot effect massive social change. We hope to relate the support of others -- foundations, business and industry -- as well as public resources. "

Policy for Operation Connection will be pet by the Executive Committee, composed of top leaders of the bodies participating. Bishop Hines and the Rev. Mr. Cleage are co- chairmen of the Executive Committee. Vice-chairmen are Rabbi Heschel and Bishop Wright. A Planning and Strategy Committee, composed of representatives appointed by each participant's Executive Committee member, will meet at least twice a month to recommend policy action to the Executive Committee. A full-time staff will be employed to conduct research and enact policy decisions. The necessary financial support for such a staff has already been pledged.

Participating Protestant bodies in the coalition are: American Baptist Convention, National Baptist Convention of America, National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Progressive National Baptist Convention, Southern Baptist Convention, Presbyterian Church, U.S., United Presbyterian, Methodist, United Church of Christ, Episcopal, A.M.E. Zion, A.M.E., Lutheran, C.M.E., Disciples of Christ, Church of the Brethren, Church of God in Christ.

Following is the full text of Bishop Hines' statement.

STATEMENT ON OPERATION CONNECTION

Statement issued by the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. John E, Hines, Co-chairman of Operation Connection

The first national interfaith coalition of religious leaders, designed to confront immediately the desperate problems of the American cities, has been formed under the name Operation Connection. Operation Connection combines national representation of the Roman Catholic and Jewish communities and some twenty Protestant denominations.

Other leaders joining with me in issuing this statement are: the Rev. Albert Cleage, Jr., Pastor of the Central Congregational Church, Detroit, Michigan, and Co-chairman of Operation Connection; Rabbi Abraham Heschel of the Jewish Theological Seminary, New York City; and the Most Reverend John Wright, Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh and Chairman of the Social Action Department of the National Council of Catholic Bishops.

The recent report of the President's Commission on Civil Disorders has correctly warned of imminent social disaster and correctly identified the pervasive condition of racism in our nation. We believe our country is confronted with a national moral challenge. As religious leaders, we have rallied to respond, in the hope that we may be influential in redirecting the energies and resources of America for realistic solutions to human problems. We believe that our nation has the resources to solve her domestic problems, if they can be properly mobilized. We believe that the current social, racial, economic and political divisions in this country are not inevitable. We are combining our resources, both human and financial, to demonstrate this belief concretely.

Operation Connection will immediately select specific urban areas in which to concentrate our efforts. Our effort is predicated upon the belief that the poor of this nation, especially the black poor, must have political and economic power to effect any real social change. We shall attempt to mobilize the considerable resources of white affluence, including our own, for the creation of such power. The poor themselves must design, conduct and control strategies which will lift them to power from their present condition of powerlessness, We realize that alone we cannot effect massive social change. We hope to relate the support of others -- foundations, business and industry -- as well as public resources.

Operation Connection will attempt to encourage communication and understanding between the white and black communities, where currently fear, apathy, resentment and frustration combine to prohibit the free flow of conversation and understanding. It will be an eight month experiment which will hopefully stimulate a sane alternative to current urban discord.

[thumbnail: The Rev. Marc Tanenbaum o...]