Online Archives

Brother and Sisters in Christ:

As you no doubt are aware, Jefferson County will be one of four West Virginia counties to vote June 9 on the proposed expansion of gambling at horseracing venues to include table games. I am writing to urge you and your congregation to vigorously oppose this expansion and I offer the support and encouragement of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in your efforts to do so.

If you and your congregation are already opposed and engaged in Christian advocacy on this referendum, I commend you for that. If not, I remind you that faithful United Methodists, in our Social Principles, consider gambling to be a 'menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life, and destructive of good government.'

Efforts to expand this scourge to now include table games will undeniably continue West Virginia?s decline down the slippery slope into widespread gambling addiction and the broken families, economic ruin and moral decay that will inevitably follow for many citizens. Perhaps there are already people suffering from this addiction in your community because of existing slot-machine gambling at racetrack casinos. We owe it to them, to their families and to many other citizens to say, 'Enough. We will not allow this sickness to increase and to lure more victims into its destructive snare.'

I urge you to work with and indeed, provide leadership to other conscientious citizens and people of faith in and around your community in opposing this measure. Use whatever resources and tools you have at your disposal: church announcements, bulletin inserts, posters, door-to-door advocacy, special awareness-raising events, your church-building marquee if you have one, and so on.

I and my staff are in contact with other pastors and leaders in your area, including Bishop Ernest Lyght of West Virginia and the Rev. Dennis Sparks of the West Virginia Council of Churches, both of whom are actively engaged in this concern statewide. Our Justice Ministries staff executive Sandy Ferguson is ready and already working to assist you in whatever ways and with whatever resources you require. Please contact her as soon as you can to let us know of your commitment, your activities and your needs in pursuing this effort. I hope you agree that this referendum must not pass. Resource information is attached.

I will be in touch with you again soon on this matter. In the meantime, may the power of Jesus? resurrection enable you and sustain you in your continuing work of ministry and mission in His name. Thanks for all you do.

Your brother and bishop,

John R. Schol

Resource Information and Links

Information on Responding to Legislative Alerts

News on West Virginia gambling:

To contact a West Virginia state legislator:

Building 1
1900 Kanawha Blvd.
Charleston, WV 25305
 (888) 438 2731

www.legis.state.wv.us/legishp1.html