Members of an Asheville congregation have taken the unusual step of voting to give away the anticipated tax rebates recently approved by Congress and signed into law by President George Bush as an economic stimulus package.

In a special business meeting on Sunday, 24 February, Circle of Mercy Congregation approved an open letter to President Bush and leaders of Congress which states members’ intentions to “give away all or part” of the rebate “to organizations that foster justice.”

The letter begins by thanking the President and Congressional leaders for their bipartisan work to address the nation’s economic crisis, but goes on to speak of the “frightening, and escalating, pattern of economic disparity” both within the U.S. and between nations, saying “In the language of our faith, this disparity is a sin and the evidence of spiritual distress.”

In criticizing the rebate goal of boosting consumer spending, the statement says, “We do not believe that shopping is an appropriate response to our trauma.” Claiming no “special expertise” on policy options, the letter urges “there must be more commonness in the good we pursue.”

Circle of Mercy’s co-pastor, Ken Sehested, who drafted the statement, said when the idea for redirecting tax rebates came up, “We did some very quick calculations and realized checks totaling at least $25,000 will be coming to the 33 households in our membership. That’s a significant influx of cash — and an exciting opportunity for us to consider extravagant missions funding.”

Sehested acknowledged not everyone will choose to contribute all or even part of their rebate. “We have a few households living on a very thin margin.” More important than the total amounts of money redirected, he said, is “prompting our congregation — and other communities of faith—to ask these kinds of questions [about economic disparity] in the context of who we are as followers of Jesus.”

This is something everybody can do, Sehested said, “regardless of whether they agree with our perspective.” People across the theological and political spectrum can agree that “there’s something terribly wrong” with the way things are. “And together we can rise up, enter the public arena with our concerns and insights, and find ways to alleviate the suffering caused by poverty.”

Recognizing that “relinquishing our rebate checks is a modest step,” the open letter explains “our vow to forgo the extra income is a sign of our resolve to bear the cost of moving toward the beloved community.”
 Founded in 2001, Circle of Mercy is affiliated nationally with the Alliance of Baptists and the United Church of Christ. Sehested, Nancy Hastings Sehested and Joyce Hollyday serve as co-pastors.