Social justice is the idea that everyone should have equal rights, opportunities, and access to the same resources, but many don’t. Some faith leaders think religion and politics shouldn’t mix, and that social justice shouldn’t be a part of the gospel. But WNIJ’s Yvonne Boose has the story of a newly appointed pastor whose position will require a focus on social justice.
I met Sam Stanes Stephen Raj in a classroom at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston.
Stephen Raj will graduate this spring, then start his new job as Justice and Public Witness Pastor at Rockford’s Brooke Road United Methodist Church. He’s already doing similar work at a UMC Church in Chicago. In his new role, he’ll also work with Rockford Urban Ministries, an interfaith social justice advocacy nonprofit.
Rev. Violet Johnicker is the ministry’s executive director. She called Stephen Raj’s role co-vocational because half the time he’ll be leading a church and the rest of the time he’ll be out in the field with the nonprofit participating in rallies, protests and other engagement opportunities.
Johnicker said Jesus cared about economic justice, women’s rights and welcoming immigrants and strangers. She said Stephen Raj has a heart for justice and ministry, and she’s excited about his fresh perspective.
“Especially," said Johnicker, "in a season where we're seeing so much need for congregations to be better equipped to address different justice issues.”
Stephen Raj grew up in Chennai, India. His parents are pastors. He ministered with his father as they travelled to different areas to spread the gospel.
“Some of the communities were like...they call it Dalit, or like, low caste people,” he explained. “So, we do ministry among them. Also doing some evangelism there. Also, I did help with children's ministry.”
He was 15 years old when he first led vacation bible school back home. Stephen Raj learned about Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminar in Evanston when a former Dean of Students at the school visited India. He applied to several U.S. seminaries, but Garrett was the first to offer him a full scholarship.
“It was great news,” he said. This is God's plan in my life, and God is calling me to do ministry in this place.”.
In the fall of 2024, he moved to Illinois to work on his Master of Divinity.
There are several other steps he had to go through. In February, he got a phone call from the UMC Conference superintendent of the Prairie North District of Northern Illinois, Rev. Hwa-Young Chong.
“And she was saying that we have opportunity for you,” he said. “’Do you like to take this appointment?’”
He said that’s when he learned the position would be in Rockford.
Johnicker says the UMC has advocated for social justice for years.
“Way back when it was called the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1908,” she said. “Our denomination is one of the first that wrote something called the Social Creed for Churches.”
It’s now called the Social Principles. These are updated every four years by UMC’s global denomination. Voting is done by many members after discussions and prayers.
“We believe that when we are called to love our neighbor,” Johnicker said, “our neighborhoods ought to look a little different because of that love, that in addition to the spiritual change that people can feel through God's love, that there are real, concrete, tangible policy implications that can change people's lives."
Denominations like the United Church of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church also incorporate social justice into their practices, but some denominations are against it.
In 2018, a group of conservative evangelical leaders issued what’s called “The Dallas Statement," also known as the “Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel.” More than 17,000 people have signed the statement.
Part of the statement includes the signer’s belief that societies must have laws that correct injustices, but it also said they don’t agree that, “standards of justice that are merely socially constructed can be imposed with the same authority as those that are derived from Scripture.”
Johnicker said she’s received feedback on her social media from some Christians who say she’s not a real pastor.
“Many of us, who are deeply faithful, theologically trained folks, believe that Jesus himself was deeply political.” she said. “Not partisan in the way that we might think of it in the United States, like Republican or Democrat or Independent, but political in that he advocated for meaningful, systemic changes to real people's lives.”
Johnicker said she looks forward to Stephan Raj’s perspective.
“What a blessing to have somebody who's so newly out of graduate school,” Johnicker said, “with all the very best and most current and latest training and ideas and conversation with colleagues, to come out to Rockford and share that expertise with us and our wider community."
Stephen Raj added, “And pray with them and give hopeful words to make them be strong in this time of this political climate.”
Stephen Raj starts his new role in July.
