Justice Together

06/02/2026

When Bob Nelson heard his pastor talk about a new faith-based social justice coalition in Wichita, he was wary. “I told her this could be dangerous and divisive,” said Nelson, who initially associated justice with revenge or polarized politics. After attending the initial meetings when Justice T...

05/15/2026

People power is moving behind God's call to "do justice". Let's keep the momentum rolling until justice flows down like waters, and righteousness like an ever flowing stream!

Join us for Justice Together Day of Action: Housing & Gun Violence as we hold our officials accountable to acting with urgency on gun violence and affordable housing in Wichita.

During the last week of April, thousands of justice-craving volunteers — many of them affiliated with Great Plains Conference United Methodist churches — gathered in churches, college campuses and hotel ballrooms across Kansas and Nebraska in an effort to make their communities better places during Nehemiah Assemblies.

Although some of the subject matter overlapped, each community was addressing its own problems, such as homelessness, affordable housing, crime, eldercare and mental health treatment.

The six organizations in Lawrence, Wyandotte County, Johnson County, Sedgwick County and Topeka in Kansas and Lincoln, Neb., belong to the Direction Action and Research Training Center, and some were funded by the Great Plains Conference’s Doing Justice Initiative.

The organizations are growing, with plans for a Central Kansas and South Sioux City, Neb., group in the works.

Here’s a look at this year’s assemblies with photo gallery: https://www.greatplainsumc.org/newsdetail/justice-warriors-across-great-plains-gather-to-solve-community-problems-19725605

05/07/2026

FIRST STEP WON – BUT WE'RE NOT DONE. - On Tuesday, the City Council voted YES on the first step of Director Sally Stang's plan to achieve $10 million in braided funding for affordable housing. This moves us closer to the commitments we secured from Councilmembers Hoheisel (at the Solutions Rally) Glasscock, Shepard, & Johnston (at the Nehemiah Assembly).

Now Shepard & Johnston have publicly reaffirmed their support for a standalone housing sales tax by 2027.

Join us on May 27th (5pm outside Council Chambers) for a community wide listening session and speak to the council with a voice so big it must be heard at Justice Together Day of Action: Housing & Gun Violence

Both said, in light of last month’s vote, a possible sales tax must have broad input from Wichitans to ensure that the design and implementation aligns with the community.

05/04/2026

Hi everyone! Today is our LAST CHANCE to submit public comments for affordable housing in Wichita. 🏠

Have you reached out to the City Council yet?

This is a quick reminder that you have until midnight tonight to send a brief comment in support of the first step toward securing $10 million in funding for affordable housing—the Annual Action Plan.

Commenting is easy and only takes a few minutes, but your voice makes a big difference. Let the Council know we’re paying attention to their vote and holding them accountable to the commitments made at the Nehemiah Assembly.

👉 Everything you need is right here:
tinyurl.com/affordablehousingactionguide

Please share and speak up before midnight!

COME TO CITY HALL ON TUESDAY MORNING FOR A DAY OF FAITH AND ACTION FOR HOUSING On January 27, the City Council will hold a special meeting to define funding priorities. Join Justice Together for a Day of Faith in Action at Wichita City Hall (455 N. Main) arrive at 8:00am, prayer vigil 8:30–9:00...

05/02/2026

Councilmember Glasscock told 1,400 people of faith united for affordable housing that his support for a referendum to fund affordable housing depends on "hearing from the community". Let's make sure we keep a united voice so big it must be heard during the community wide listening session on May 27th. Join us at 5:00pm for the Justice Together Day of Action: City Hall 455 N. Main.

District 4 residents, don't miss Councilmember Glasscock's listening session next Saturday, May 9th, 11am at Prairie Homestead Senior Living, 1605 W. May, Wichita. Tell him you support investment in affordable housing for Wichita!

05/01/2026

$10 million annually for affordable housing: We have the plan, we have the votes. Now is the time for follow through.

Watch this 3-min video → then submit a public comment by Monday midnight. Then invite your friends to join you using the event linked here: Weekend email action - Tell Council, "vote 'yes' for housing"

04/29/2026

Shout out to Aldersgate United Methodist Church who brought at least 112 people to "do justice" at the 2026 Justice Together Nehemiah Assembly making them the congregation with the highest number of people!

04/24/2026

Faith without works is dead. Let’s press toward justice—together.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

This promise is for all of God’s children—including the unhoused, the cost-burdened, and the forgotten in our own city.

Yet, as a new report from the KLC Journal makes clear, Wichita’s housing and homelessness ecosystem is at a critical crossroads. The recent failure of the sales tax measure—combined with the looming "funding cliff" at the MAC (Second Light) and a depleted Affordable Housing Fund—has left our most vulnerable neighbors in genuine peril. As the article notes, Second Light is expected to run out of money this fall. Federal relief funds (ARPA) are gone. And the reality is sobering: "There is little evidence that Wichita voters don't see the need... the bigger problem was lack of trust."

But as people of faith, we do not despair—we organize.

“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

Justice Together heeded that call. At our first Nehemiah Assembly in 2024, we named the funding cliff at Second Light and secured commitments from Mayor Wu and Commissioner Baty to achieve full ongoing funding for their operating budget. That commitment has not been fulfilled.

At our 2025 Assembly, we called on the city to replenish the empty Affordable Housing Fund. We have persisted—because silence is not an option when our siblings are without shelter.

Now, we need you to join us again.

The article highlights hopeful models—like Lawrence’s housing trust fund championed by our sister organization Justice Matters and San Antonio’s Haven for Hope—but those successes came because faith communities refused to look away. It’s time for Wichita to do the same.

Join us for the 2026 Justice Together Nehemiah Assembly
Monday, April 27th at 6pm / WSU Metroplex - 5015 E 29th St. N.

We will update our community on the progress made and issue a fresh call for our City Council to face the hard reality: the crisis is not over, and neither is our commitment. We will press onward until lasting solutions are secured.

Let us be a people who build the wall and fill the well. Let us be a people who name the truth—that without funding, without will, without faith in action—our neighbors suffer.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

Share this post. Invite a friend. And come ready to take action

Local initiatives lost out on future funding when Wichitans rejected a sales tax that would have directed some revenue toward them.

01/11/2026

As the year ends and God blesses us to enter a new one, we hope that you'll join us for the 2026 MLK Worship Celebration. 🗓️Mark you calendars for Monday, January 19th at 12:00 PM at the WSU Metroplex.