Our Vision and History
Our vision comes from our rich history and confidence that our future is assured by the constant need for giving voice to issues that matter.
From Left to Right: The Rev. Pat Bumgardner, GJI, and The Rt. Rev. Disani Christopher Senyojo
Centering Justice, Centering People.
The Global Justice Institute began as the Moderator’s Global Justice Team of Metropolitan Community Churches, and held its first meeting in New York City, May 9th, 2006. "We were originally comprised of MCC spiritual activists from around the globe who came together to work on a plan to coordinate our work under the umbrella of MCC’s founding vision {salvation, community and social action"
We were passionate about the Gospel as a radical social manifesto and about the belief that Queer rights are human rights.
Our work quickly expanded to include projects or partnerships in Pakistan, Malaysia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Canada, parts of the United States, Eastern Europe and parts of Africa. Safe space emerged quickly as the overwhelming need of almost everyone we were in contact with. We had an amazingly small budget, and a big heart — and often resembled a human rights triage unit.
We produced a periodic Global Justice newsletter, Action Alerts, Press Statements, and a Global Justice Day or 2 at MCC’s General Conferences.
Eventually, we realized that the structure we were operating under was not the best for the work we were envisioning ~ a bit like “herding cats.” — At some point, largely as the brainchild of MCCers who worked in or around the federal government and its agencies in Washington, DC, a Public Policy Team emerged as the arm of Global Justice in the United States. It remains operational and highly productive.
In December of 2011, after approximately two years of work, the Global Justice Team of MCC became The Global Justice Institute, a separately incorporated 501{c}3 that is housed in the offices of Metropolitan Community Church in New York City.
The Rev. Pat Bumgardner transitioned from Chair of the original Team to Executive Director of the Insitute.
An originating Board of Directors included The Rev. Nancy Wilson, Rev. Pat, Scott Long {then of HRW}, Grace Poore of ILGHRC, and Bradley Curry {who served as staff to the Institute}.
The Institute is incorporated in New York State and its bylaws comply with requirements therein.