SJ@SJ: Social Justice at St. John’s

Thirty Saints of John and others from across the Charleston community participated in our parish’s brand new ministry, ‘Social Justice at St. John’s’ (SJ@SJ for short) which is committed to following the example of Christ by engaging the church and surrounding community in identifying and eliminating systemic and systematic injustices that impact our lives.

Co-chairs Margaret Chapman Pomponio and Christine Teague kicked off the March 26th gathering with a focus on gender identity awareness. Isabella Cortez from Fairness WV spoke on transgender/nonbinary facts and myths, shared her lived experience, provided an update on the current state of legislative policy in West Virginia and at the national level, and discussed ways in which we, as a faith community, can be supportive. We shared a meal of soup, salad and cookies, and participants made small gifts for our trans/non-binary neighbors. Cards were signed with messages such as: We see you; we care about you!

SJ@SJ will meet the last Wednesday of the month at 5:30pm in Hunter Hall. The April 30th gathering will offer a simple meal and a recap of the state legislative session. Local legislators will be invited to join us, and we will make tokens of appreciation for lawmakers who stood for social justice during this difficult 2025 session. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for the event, and share with friends!