Webinar on Values-Based Banking - October 27, 2011 - 1PM Eastern

During the July 2011 United Church of Christ General Synod, a resolution titled Putting Our Money Where Our Values Are was passed by the delgates. This resolution calls for all settings of the church to examine their banking relationships and move toward banking with institutions that have records of fair lending. The resolution also points out “rampant” banking practices that resemble usury in credit card, mortgage and payday lending.

The resolution speaks to work that CSR has done through its dialogues and shareholder resolutions with banks concerning credit card lending practices. The CSR actions regarding responsible lending are ongoing, are one way that UCF is continuing to act in concert with the resolutions of General Synod.

Lastly, any endeavor by UCC churches and entities to make moves to banks with better perceived social responsibility also could prompt them to look into making sure that their investments are handled in a socially responsible manner. United Church Funds is a socially responsible investing practices. As such, staff is convening a webinar on October 27 which will help to begin the process of evaluating Values-Based Banking. Speakers include the author of the resolution, a member of the Evangelical Reformed UCC church in Frederick, MD; the director of faith-based outreach for the Center for Responsible Lending, a national organization that has created a toolkit for evaluating banks; Edie Rassell, the Justice and Witness Ministry staff member on economic justice who has been tasked with implementing the General Synod resolution; and Cheri Lovell, who will emphasize that right-sizing churches’ banking relationships could be expanded to right-sizing churches’ investments.

We hope that this webinar will be a way to help churches fulfill their responsibility to the General Synod resolution and also highlight how UCF has been acting in accordance with the spirit of this resolution.

Register here for the webinar:

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/305973470