Discussing the church’s role in social justice issues will bring pastors lawyers politicians and people from other professions together at the School of Law on Friday for a conference titled “The Role of the Church in Doing Justice.” Pepperdine’s Nootbaar Institute on Law Religion and Ethics will host the conference.
Jay Milbrandt director of the Global Justice Program at Pepperdine summed up the goal of the conference for students.
“This conference is focused more on discussing an innovative way of thinking for the church and less on presenting opportunities he said. The church plays an important role in the lives of many Pepperdine students and will do so for a lifetime. Hopefully this conference will help shape the way our students lead and serve at their churches.”
The event’s speakers include Rich Stearns from World Vision U.S. Kay Warren from the Saddleback Church Joseph D’Souza from the Dalit Freedom Network Michael Cromartie of the Ethics and Public Policy Center Sean Litton of the International Justice Mission (IJM) and the Fuller Theological Seminary’s Mark Labberton.
Milbrandt cited “the accomplishments of the International Justice Mission in combating modern-day slavery and the lauded efforts of World Vision to provide relief in Haiti” as examples of successful Christian organizations following a mandate to seek justice. The conference encourages thinking of the church as a powerful catalyst for social change.The School of Law’s Global Justice Program (GJP) sends students to countries in Africa to serve in legal capacities. Matt Joens who is in his third and final year of law school traveled to Uganda with GJP two years ago to bring clarity to the country’s court system.
“Until 10 or 15 years ago the country [Uganda] was being ravaged by rebels in the north Joens said. Our entire legal system [in the US] is based on legal precedent but over there they don’t have records. We would work for the judges and find cases from other English commonwealth countries and apply them to Uganda. They could essentially pick their precedents.”
Faith seemed to be the impetus for some students involved with GJP. “Seven of the 10 kids that went to Uganda my year were part of the Christian Legal Society Joens said.
I’m curious now to see what they’re going to say about the role of church and justice which is an interesting concept first-year law student Keith Morriesette said. When you say ‘the church’ and its role in justice you’re dealing with separate religions having an effect on the law that applies to all although each religion applies only to its followers.”
IJM and Advocacy International two Christ-centered advocacy groups are sponsoring the conference. Blake McAllister president of Pepperdine’s IJM chapter expressed his hope for the event.
“I’m incredibly passionate about seeing Christians take accept and embrace the responsibility that we have toward bringing about justice for the oppressed he said. And I think this [conference] is a way to start.”
McAllister encouraged students to attend a film screening in conjunction with the conference. “Come to Malibu Presbyterian at 7:30 [Friday night] McAllister said. The conference is not specifically geared at undergraduates; it’s for the entire community. But this film screening is [for undergrads].”
IJM will show “Kavi an Oscar-nominated short film about a modern-day slave in India, followed by At the End of Slavery IJM’s latest documentary. Coffee and dessert will follow the film screening.
Soon our generation will be running the churches in this nation McAllister said. As a church I don’t think we want to pawn our responsibility off. As a church we have the power to help people spiritually not just physically. That’s what Jesus and the Gospel is all about— bringing freedom to the oppressed and sight to the blind.”