FOLLOW UP (05/09/07): You can listen to the complete press conference here.

MEDIA ADVISORY: May 7, 2007
CONTACT: Reva Patwardhan: (o) 510.849.2272 x112, (c) 510.681.7075
Faith Leaders Announce a Major Initiative for a Nuclear Free World

Two Events Mark the Rise of Faith-based Opposition to the President’s Plans for New Nuclear Warheads

EVENT 1: Press Tele-Conference

EVENT 2: Northern California “Nuke Talk.”

SPEAKERS:

Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar is General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the leading U.S. organization in the movement for Christian unity. Thirty-five Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, historically African-American and peace communions, to which approximately 45 million congregants belong, work together in the Council to promote unity and to serve churches and people worldwide. Dr. Edgar is also well known for his service as a six-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was the first Democrat in more than 120 years to be elected from the heavily Republican Seventh District of Pennsylvania. See full bio here.

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Jessica Wilbanks is co-coordinator of the National Religious Partnership on Nuclear Weapons Danger and Program Associate for the Fourth Freedom Forum. She graduated from Hampshire College in 2002, where she studied theology and literature. Since then, she has helped to run a get-out-the-vote campaign in St. Petersburg, FL and worked with student government presidents to develop the new organization Students for a Secure Future.

Rev. Dr. Rick Schlosser is the Executive Director of the California Council of Churches and California Church IMPACT, which seek to be a prophetic witness to the Christian gospel on behalf of 52 denominations and judicatories throughout California, more than 4,000 congregations, with over 1.5 million church members in our nation’s largest state. Dr. Schlosser has been involved in ecumenical and interfaith ministry for over 25 years. He is a United Methodist clergyperson, having served churches in New York, Ohio and California as both pastor and minister of music. His business background is in project management and non-profit administration as well as broad experience as a New Media Publisher for a national media company. Rick holds five degrees, including the M.Div. from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio and the Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a former director of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Freedom of Northern California, and past national co-president of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. He currently lives in Sacramento with his partner and two teenaged daughters.

Jon Rainwater is Executive Director of Peace Action West. For over 25 years, Jon has been active in campaigns on issues of peace, nuclear disarmament, social justice and environmental sustainability. An experienced policy advocate, he has worked on nuclear issues for Greenpeace, advocated for victims of domestic violence for the California Alliance Against Domestic Violence and served as director for the California League of Conservation Voters. Jon has also been involved in the electoral arena in dozens of campaigns for progressive candidates and ballot measures. Before joining Peace Action West, he worked in the environmental field helping to pass groundbreaking legislation on global warming emissions and environmental justice in California. Jon now leads Peace Action West’s efforts to stop the development of new nuclear weapons, to end the war in Iraq and to promote diplomacy with Iran. More information on the organization is available here.

Download high resolution photo here.