Witness to Innocence - From Death Row to Freedom

Since May we have partnered with Witness to Innocence to encourage the voices of death-row exonerees — those wrongly sentenced to death — to be heard in United Methodist churches across the country. In communities like Austin, TX; Chico, CA; Ithaca, NY; Lenexa, KS; and Little Rock, AR; among others, United Methodists have helped bring in exonerees who have powerful stories to educate and mobilize people to abolish the death penalty once and for all.

The speakers, all professionally trained storytellers, will share their journeys from death row to freedom and their take on the current state of the American criminal justice system. This will be an unforgettable experience for congregants and community supporters.

You can host an exonerated death-row survivor at your church, and GBCS will partially underwrite your costs for doing so. Because the exonerees depend on speaking events for their income, the events cost $600 plus travel expenses. For a limited number of events, GBCS will cover half the cost of the speaking fee. Your congregation, plus any other congregations you bring together to host this event, only pay $300 for the speaking fee. In addition, at the event, you will take a love offering to go towards the speaker. All your church is responsible for is $300, travel expenses — and many of the speakers might already be in your area or close to it — and a love offering (this offering goes toward the speaker).

This is a limited-time offer available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact Kathy Spillman for more information on arranging this truly special event.

Together we can educate and mobilize our churches and communities to abolish the death penalty!

Click here to read more about this power partnership and how it has had an impact on local churches and communities.

Bill Mefford Director,
United Methodists Against the Death Penalty