Mayor Nutter To Join Leaders & Members of 40 Philadelphia Congregations To Launch P.O.W.E.R.

Sept. 21, 2011 - PRLog -- Philadelphia, PA September 21, 2011:  Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter will be among the more than 2,000 people expected this Sunday, September 25, at 6pm at historic Tindley Temple United Methodist Church located at 750 South Broad Street in Philadelphia for the founding convention of P.O.W.E.R. (Philadelphians Organized to Witness, Empower & Rebuild). POWER consists of more than 40 congregations including Rodeph Shalom Synagogue, Mother Bethel AME, Harold O. Davis Baptist, and Holy Innocents Parish (see complete list below) who have come together to promote a vision for change for Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. POWER’s areas of focus include, but are not limited to: poorly performing public schools, lack of youth services, homelessness, neighborhood blight and crime, loss of support for ex-offenders and loss of jobs.  “As communities of faith, we are called not only to help heal broken individuals, but to confront broken systems,” says POWER clergy leader Fr. John Pidgeon, pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic Church. POWER will call on the private sector, public sector and labor leaders to commit to connecting 10,000 Philadelphians to living wage jobs in the coming years.  
POWER congregations have conducted 1,000 one-on-one interviews with people in their communities. Together, their stories create a narrative of pain, frustration with broken systems, and diminishing opportunity. However, the stories also contain themes of hope and faith.  POWER congregations are now poised to channel this research and these stories into organizing campaigns for change.  “It’s time for bold and creative leadership to confront Philadelphia’s skills-deficit and jobs crises” says POWER clergy leader Rev. Zack Ritvalsky, Pastor of Sweet Union Baptist Church in West Philadelphia.
POWER’s Founding Convention will mark the formal, public launch of the organization and spark neighborhood and city-wide campaigns. For more information about Sunday’s official launch of POWER contact Leslie Patterson-Tyler via email at Leslie@TylerMadePRcom or cell phone at (609) 247-2632.

POWER is a congregation-based community organizing effort affiliated with the PICO National Network http://www.piconetwork.org.  








Congregations in the Building of POWER
Arch Street UMC
Calvary/St. Augustine Episcopal
Calvary UMC, Chestnut Hill
United Church
Cookman UMC
Congregation Rodeph Shalom
Epiphany of Our Lord
Evangel Chapel
Grace Christian Fellowship
Harold O. Davis Baptist
Holy Innocents Parish
Holy Spirit Lutheran
Kol Tzedek Synagogue
Congregation Leyv-Ha-Ir/
Heart of the City
Living Water UCC
Mater Dolorosa Parish,
Mishkan Shalom Synagogue
Morris Brown AME
Mother Bethel AME
Mt. Pisgah AME
Mt. Tabor AME
New Life Ministries
Old First Reformed UCC
Philadelphia Praise Center
Prince of Peace Lutheran
Second Baptist Church of Germantown
Society Hill Synagogue
Spirit and Truth Fellowship
St. Benedict’s Parish
St. Joan of Arc Parish
St. Malachy's Parish
St. Martin‐in‐the‐Fields
St. Peter’s Episcopal
St. Raymond of Penafort Parish
St. Rita of Cascia Parish
St. Rose of Lima Parish
St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish
St. Vincent de Paul Parish
St. William Parish
St. Paul Baptist Church
Sweet Union Baptist Church
Tindley Temple UMC
West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship
Woodcrest UCC

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