Our Role in Building Up a New Church

Dear Justice-Seeker,

As United Methodists prepare to gather for Annual Conference, many of us at MFSA are asking what it means to rebuild—our churches, our witness, and our shared life together—in a time of change.

In the Book of Amos, the prophet describes a vision of a plumb line—a simple tool used to test whether a wall is straight and true. It’s a striking image, a clear measure of what is aligned and what is not.

That image has shaped the work of the Methodist Federation for Social Action for generations. We understand that faith is not just something we believe—it’s something we build. And like any structure, what we build matters. It can shelter and sustain, or it can exclude and harm.

Over the past two years following the 2020/2024 General Conference, we have seen signs of reconstruction across our denomination. After years of strain and division, there is movement toward something more grounded in justice and care. Harmful policies have been removed. New possibilities are opening. People are moving forward with cautious hope.

But reconstruction is not the same as rebuilding what was. It asks deeper questions. What kind of church are we becoming? Who is centered? Who is still left out? What needs to be torn down so something more just can take its place? What good things need to be restored?

This is where the plumb line matters.

MFSA exists to help hold that line in the work of building something better. We organize, equip, and connect people across the church who believe that justice is not optional to our faith. We work to amplify voices too often ignored. We offer resources that help communities move from intention to action. And we keep asking the hard questions that keep us aligned with love.

Because the truth is, there is much work ahead of us. Even now, there are forces—inside and outside the church—that would rather settle for comfort than transformation. Systems that still privilege some while pushing others aside. Voices that are still being silenced and othered.

But we have also seen what is possible when people refuse to let that be the final word.

You have been part of that good news. Through your advocacy, your presence, your support—you have helped shape a church that is becoming more honest, more courageous, and more committed to justice than it was before.

This Annual Conference season is another moment to decide what we are building together.

Your gift today supports this ongoing work. It helps sustain a movement that is not content with surface change, but is committed to deep alignment with justice, compassion, and dignity for all people.

We invite you to give as you are able, and to continue standing with us—holding the plumb line, asking the questions, and building toward a church that reflects the love it proclaims.

Thank you for being part of this work.

With gratitude and hope,

Bridget Cabrera (she/her/hers)
Executive Director 
Methodist Federation for Social Action

You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership donations and your generosity in giving.