Religious liberals gather in Cleveland

CLEVELAND (RNS) A coalition of religious liberals – many of whom were active in the civil rights and anti-war movements of the 1960s – met May 16 in Cleveland at the first national conference of the Clergy Leadership Network for National Leadership Change.

One of the immediate goals of the group is to oust President Bush in the November elections, but organizers hope it will lead to longer-term political mobilization across the country.

The Washington-based network was formed last year by a group of prominent clergy, including Chief Executive of the Clergy Leadership Network Albert Pennybacker, former Yale chaplain William Sloane Coffin and Joan Brown Campbell, former official of the National Council of Churches. The national committee includes longtime civil rights leader and former Democratic presidential candidate Jesse Jackson.

About 1,100 people have signed on as members of the group, said Brenda Bartella Peterson, executive director of the network.