All Saints Parish Hires Justice Minister
September 1, 2022
When Brenda Meyer, retired after a 44-year career as a mental health provider, was approached about the All Saints Parish Justice Minister position, she responded that it should be a “justice saint”, someone she could follow like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa.
After some thought and encouragement, she realized that she had always been interested in how people work and work together in the larger community. She had participated in many justice activities because “people brought me along” on issues relating to voting, women’s issues, housing. Brenda had been active as an All Saints CAJE team leader and is currently serving on the CAJE board; she had also participated in several Just Faith groups sponsored by the parish.
Brenda began serving as Justice Minister in April of this year and now sees her job as bringing people along in the work of justice. Brenda’s energy and dedication are evident in several initiatives begun in the past year. Believing that all work begins with prayer, Brenda and the justice committee prepared and distributed a justice prayer card, reminding all parishioners that they can be involved in the work for justice. Brenda initiated a group discussion of Pope Francis’s book Let Us Dream. After the successful conclusion of two groups, more are planned.
Brenda is working to increase team leaders for All Saints CAJE involvement and has joined the core team of Building Respect & Integrity in Diverse Greater Evansville (BRIDGE) in its work for racial equity.
Brenda is currently collaborating with Reverend Floyd Edwards of Mt. Olive Galilee Baptist Church to sponsor a faith and justice pilgrimage to St Louis. The pilgrimage involves a visit to St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church, stops at places at the center of the struggles for racial and civil liberty that call us to examine our own social justice actions. The pilgrimage is scheduled for Sunday, September 11. Anyone interested can contact Brenda Meyer at 812-457-5529 or bmeyer@evdio.org.
Additional Information about All Saints Parish Commitment to Justice Work and a Welborn Foundation Grant All Saints Parish has a long history of involvement in works of justice and charity. The former St. Anthony School was used for a family shelter for homeless (Ozanam Family Shelter), the early Echo Clinic, the UCC day shelter, and this summer as a cooling shelter. All Saints’ pastor, Father Jay Davidson, and other ministers in the area were instrumental in creating a covenant to
address social issues in the community. This was the beginning of CAJE and led to the first action in 2003.
In April of 2020, All Saints Parish began a listening session to determine strengths and needs in order to plan for the future. A survey sought input from parishioners. Responders highlighted the parish’s commitment to justice and charity as one area that attracted them to the parish.
This became the basis for a focus group to determine ways to strengthen and coordinate this work in the parish. Subsequent meetings of the Justice Focus Group led to discussion of a parish justice minister and a grant application to the Welborn Foundation to fund this work and the
coordinator position. While the Foundation typically funds projects and not positions, in the summer of 2021 All Saints was awarded a 2-year $70,000 grant that included the hiring of a part-time Justice Minister.
Welborn stressed the importance of work to develop leadership in
addressing racial issues in the community. The Justice Minister’s role is “to advance and facilitate parish justice and charity ministries.
The Justice Minister serves as a staff support person for the parish Justice Ministry committee and serves as a liaison between the parish,
justice and charity volunteers, and other community justice organizations and partners.”
Welcome Brenda Meyer!