Working for a Better World

Even before the Rev. Sam May helped lead the “Jerry Rescue”of an escaped slave in 1851, leaders from May Memorial have been standing up for what they believe.

The Social Justice Committee and other members of the congregation join in doing good works locally, and take principled stands on social issues at home and in the wider world. May Memorial members advocated for social justice even before our namesake, Samuel Joseph May, took over the pulpit. He set a model for social engagement. He was outspoken and a man of action, advocating for equal rights, education and social welfare, and against slavery and the death penalty. He also was a skilled negotiator, conciliator and collaborator, a leader of Syracuse’s faith community.

In recent years, May Memorial has been active in worthy local causes, both on its own and in association with the InterReligious Council of Central New York. Our activities range from preparing meals for the homeless and hungry, to volunteering for and donating to a battered women’s shelter and its domestic violence programs, to low-income housing enrichment.

Standing up for what we believe

In the 1980s, May Memorial became a sanctuary for a refugee family from El Salvador. The congregation continues to be allied with the Salvadoran community of La Estancia. Since the 1990s, May Memorial has been deeply involved in the effort to close the former School of the Americas, a military facility in Georgia that “trained” some of the worst dictators and henchmen in Central America.

May Memorial recently became a Green Sanctuary. In coming months, we will explore and act on concrete ways to become environmentally responsible neighbors, both as a congregation and individually. We look forward to being part of a network of faith communities across the country, outposts beckoning toward our green future.

Members of the congregation responded to Hurricane Katrina with repeated trips to the affected area to help with relief and reconstruction. Most recently, the May Memorial congregation passed a resolution opposing the use of torture as sanctioned U.S. policy. Our hope is to offer the resolution for endorsement by more congregations, as part of a denomination-wide effort to promote adherence to the Geneva Conventions in the treatment of all captured combatants.

May Memorial seeks new and creative ways to further its commitment to justice, equity and compassion in human relations.