September 2, 2010

              Fourth Presbyterian Church of South Boston has witnessed first hand the economic and emotional distress caused by the financial crisis, recession, and stagnant recovery of the past two years. For this reason, it has targeted the upcoming election for 4th Suffolk District state representative as an opportunity to take action. 

              “People are hurting,” Rev. Burns Stanfield, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church, said of the situation, “not just in Fourth Church circles but all over South Boston. And we knew we couldn’t just be political bystanders, watching in silence.” To make its voice heard, the church has invited the five candidates for the state representative seat, Republican Patrick Brennan and Democrats Jacob Bombard, Nick Collins, Mark McGonagle, and Michael McGee, to a candidate accountability forum on September 8. 

              As with other candidate showcases, the forum will be an opportunity to learn the candidates’ positions on a variety of issues important to the church community and to the 4th Suffolk District. But in light of the pain their community has witnessed, church leaders are after more.  “It is definitely important for us to hear from the candidates,” said church youth organizer Mark Longhurst. “It’s also important for them to hear from us, though. We want to join in setting the agenda.” 

The central piece of the Sept. 8th gathering will therefore be the presentation of the church’s “platform,” which consists of issues like youth jobs funding and banking legislation on which the church wants specific action taken. Candidates in turn will be given the opportunity to respond to the platform with whatever level of commitment they find appropriate. 

Regardless of the candidates’ answers, church leaders say, the goal is accountability. By making its demands in a public venue and asking for a public response, the church hopes to make the next state representative answerable to the community’s concerns.

To arrive at its platform, the broader Fourth Church community – including not merely regular congregants but also those who participate in church activities such as addiction recovery meetings, music and arts programs, and youth groups – held a series of house meetings. Gathering in groups of six to ten people, community members shared with each other their concerns for South Boston and also the personal stories behind those concerns.

The breadth and depth of the issues raised in the meetings surprised some participants. Carla Martin, who volunteers at the church’s food pantry, had seen a dramatic increase in demand since the economic crisis began, so she knew some were experiencing trouble. “But there have been a lot of stories. Everyone has been affected in one way or another.”

The accountability forum will take place at 7pm at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 340 Dorchester St., in South Boston. This is an open meeting and everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.