On Wednesday afternoon, people of faith have been invited to participate in a live webcast call-in with President Barack Obama.
The webcast, called 40 Minutes for Health Reform, is sponsored by more than 30 denominations and religious organizations including Protestants, Roman Catholics, Jews and Muslims.
People of faith who have struggled with the current health care system will share their stories.
Read the press release at the jump.
5 PM ET TODAY: Faith Community's Live Health Care Call with President Obama to Focus on Real People, Local Leaders, Civil Dialogue
Call-in to feature personal stories, local leaders, and live Q&A with Senior White House Staff
The faith community's live webcast call-in with President Obama on August 19th - "40 Minutes for Health Reform" - will be unlike any other town hall or public event about health care. People of faith who have experienced the consequences of our broken system will share their stories. Clergy working in their own communities to reform health care will highlight ways they are impacting the debate. The President will speak directly to the faith community. A high-level Administration official will answer questions on pressing issues for religious voters. Finally, listeners will have the opportunity to "take the pledge" to join a multifaceted grassroots effort from the faith community to ensure that Congress makes quality health care affordable and accessible for all Americans.
Speakers on the call span the political spectrum. They are lay leaders and clergy from congregations that cut across ideology, religious tradition, race and region. "40 Minutes for Health Reform" is sponsored by more than thirty religious denominations and organizations representing millions of people of faith from the Evangelical, Catholic, Mainline Protestant, Jewish and Muslim traditions.
The call begins at 5 pm EST today, August 19. To listen, log on to www.faithforhealth.org at the time of the call. Back up url: www.blogtalkradio.org.
SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
· Father Bob Amundsen, pastor of the 1,200-family Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lafayette, Colorado
· Karla Carranza, a 15-year-old who attends Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, Colorado, and whose family is going without needed medical care because they recently lost their Medicaid coverage
· Rev. Stephen Copley, United Methodist pastor in Little Rock, Arkansas
· Linda Filippini, a small business owner who attends Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Melbourne, Florida, and is struggling to afford health care with her husband and does not know how she will get coverage when he retires
· Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the 13,000-member Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas
· Dr. Cynthia Hale, founding and senior pastor of the 6,000-member Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia
· Dr. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of the 10,000-member Northland Church in Northland, Florida
· Dr. Yasir Shareef, a neurologist practicing in a community hospital in Mesa, Arizona and a member of American Muslim Health Professionals
· Rev. Cory Sparks, pastor of Faith Community UMC in Lafayette, Louisiana
· Rabbi David Stern, senior rabbi of the 2,500-member Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, Texas
· Rabbi Susan Talve, founding rabbi of Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri
· Pastor Jennifer Thomas, senior pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kansas City, Missouri
· Rev. Jim Wallis, President of Sojourners
· Dr. Sharon Watkins, the first woman General Minister and President of the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ
· Rev. Heyward Wiggins, pastor of Bible Tabernacle Church in Camden, New Jersey who recently lost an uninsured parishioner to cancer after being repeatedly denied tests and treatment
· Katie Paris, Faith in Public Life (Emcee)
Leave a comment