Letter to Congregations and Members of the Vermont Conference, United Church of Christ.

Approved by Department of Mission January 25, 2014 and by the Board of Directors February 1, 2014:

In June of 2013 the Annual Meeting of the Vermont Conference adopted the following resolution asking our elected representatives

to support gun safety legislation both in Vermont and at a national level. The action steps of the resolution stated:

“Be it resolved that the Vermont Conference, United Church of Christ calls upon individuals, congregations, and the Conference Office to:

prayerfully consider actions which lessen the prevalence of gun violence in our communities and contact State and Federal legislators, Governors, and the President and ask those officials to support legislation which would:

• Ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
• Require a criminal background check for every gun sold in America.
• Make gun trafficking a federal crime, with real penalties for “straw purchasers” (those who arm criminals).

Be it further resolved that the Vermont Conference submit this resolution to the National Synod of the United Church of Christ asking for a similar effort on a national level.”