Other Group

Southern Christian Coalition

Website:

southernchristians.org/%20

Fiscal Sponsor:

Forward Tennessee (ForwardTN)

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The Southern Christian Coalition is a left-of-center network of more than 100 Christian churches and organizations across the southern United States. It supports left-of-center policy proposals on issues such as health care, immigration, and gun control. 1

The Southern Christian Coalition primarily advocates for progressive policy through open letters and petitions. It cites the Bible to argue for a moral basis for its advocacy. 2

Background

The Southern Christian Coalition is a project of Forward Tennessee (ForwardTN). 3 ForwardTN is a social-progressive nonprofit organization that promotes identity politics-based policy and is part of the ActBlue Civics network. 4

The Southern Christian Coalition claims that Southern Republican politicians use Christianity incorrectly to associate their politics with Christian values. It argues that true Christian values promote left-progressive policies regarding health care, immigration, and gun control. 5 6

Advocacy

In an open letter titled, “Moral Declaration in Tennessee,” addressed to Tennessee state leaders, the Southern Christian Coalition cited Christian scriptures to advocate for policy changes in Tennessee. The letter made a “moral call” for Medicaid expansion under the name of “health care for all,” raising the minimum wage, expanding unemployment, expanding government subsidized housing, increasing welfare services and funding, hiking infrastructure spending, raising taxes on higher income earners, enacting stricter environmentalist regulation, repealing voter ID laws, adopting same-day voter registration, increasing the number polling locations in urban areas, and putting stricter anti-discrimination protections into law. 7

After President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 13894 granted state governors the discretion to accept or reject refugees from Syria, the Southern Christian Coalition petitioned governors to admit Syrian refugees, including signatures of over 191 southern Christian church leaders. 8 Additionally, it wrote an open letter to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) demanding that he immediately accept Syrian refugees, citing the Christian season of Advent as justification for the demand. 9

The Southern Christian Coalition advocates for a single payer healthcare system and calls on state governors and local representatives to expand Medicaid. It cites Scripture to support its call for a government controlled single-payer health care system. 10

Membership

There is no official membership for the Southern Christian Coalition. Rather, as a project organized by Forward Tennessee, it garners supports for open letters and policy recommendations from various Christian organizations, churches, and leaders based in the southern United States. As of January 2022, the Southern Christian Coalition’s volunteer and donation pages on its website are blank and only allow church leaders to post a video about why they support the coalition. 11 12

References

  1. “Home.” Southern Christian Coalition. March 5, 2021. https://southernchristians.org/.
  2. “Moral Declaration in Tennessee.” The Action Network. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/moral-declaration-in-tennessee.
  3. “About.” Southern Christian Coalition. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://southernchristians.org/about/.
  4. “About.” Forward Tennessee. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://forwardtn.org/about/.
  5. “Home.” Southern Christian Coalition, March 5, 2021. https://southernchristians.org/.
  6. “Southern Christians Coalition: Southern Christians Coalition.” The Action Network. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/groups/southern-christians-coalition.
  7.  “Moral Declaration in Tennessee.” The Action Network. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/moral-declaration-in-tennessee.
  8.  “Christian Leaders Respond to Politicians Refusing to Help Syrian Refugees.” Southern Christian Coalition. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://southernchristians.org/leaders/.
  9. “Gov. Lee: This Advent, Welcome Refugees.” Southern Christian Coalition. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://southernchristians.org/this-advent/.
  10. “Expanding Health Care.” Southern Christian Coalition. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://southernchristians.org/healthcare/.
  11. “Volunteer.” Southern Christian Coalition. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://southernchristians.org/volunteer/.
  12. “Donate.” Southern Christian Coalition. Accessed January 17, 2022. https://southernchristians.org/donate/?ms=DonateViaWebMenu.
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