As a Methodist, part of my faith is to engage with my neighbors and community as a person of hope. The challenge can be how to do this is a good way. There are millions of people of faith who act for good. Unfortunately, these folks are not nearly as visible or, frankly, traumatizing, as the fewer-but-louder folks we have all been in public spaces, such as the ‘street preachers’ who scream ear-blasting condemnation from portable speakers. We have all seen TikToks that make us cringe while garnering millions of views.
Not only do these behaviors cause shame, but they can have a chilling effect. People of goodwill who seek a just community of wellbeing are sometimes reticent to speak up for fear they will be viewed as the same. And everyone feels awkward in public sometimes!
All the same, engagement in public policy is something people of faith can do well. As we grow in faith, we can grow in our ability to navigate public spaces, too, and show up in a good way in places of state and local government, in hearing rooms, and in organizing circles. We can stand and speak from the heart, and when we do that, calling for clean water, healthy air, and an end to homelessness, we do that as people of faith.
This post is intended as a 101, to offer some helps to make the process a little less intimidating. If you are already up to the 300 levels, consider dropping a comment with your experience and any tips.
What is a Public Hearing?
Public policy decisions are generally made by vote of an elected or appointed legislature, board or committee. Someone has an idea, they bring that idea to colleagues on their board, they discuss together, and then they vote. Most policymaking is fairly straight-forward.
Some policy-making requires more careful attention, such as when determining the technicalities of carbon emissions, or how money should or can be spent. Sometimes policymaking can become ‘controversial’ when emotions rise, when money feels tight, there is illness at stake. It can be challenging when good people with different perspectives disagree.
In our democratic system we have civil mechanisms to address disagreement.
To try to ‘hear’ what different folks might want to say about a proposed policy, in our civic system (and like the church ‘conference’ systems!) the Board or Committee considering the policy will hold a Hearing and ask the public—people and organizations—for Comments. The Board, Committee, or their representatives will be present at the Hearing and they will listen, collect the comments, and perhaps take notes.
Often those sitting on the panel or on the dais listening will be practiced at looking as neutral as possible no matter what is said. Don’t expect much interaction from them. They are the listeners in the hearing setting, and it is their job to be the listeners.
The goal of the Hearing is for policymakers to get a wider perspective, to learn more, and to try to create a space where both regular people and experts can participate in the process of figuring out what to do. This process is the same/similar as what happens in a Church Council. And it happens with your City Commissioners, County Water Board, and at the State and Federal level, too.
Wherever there is policy and action to consider—it’s all the same thing. At a Public Hearing you have an opportunity attend, submit a comment, and be heard.
What are Comments?
When you go to a Public Hearing with something to say, the thing you ‘say’ is generally called a Comment.
If you learn there will be a Public Hearing about an issue that matters to you, you go to the Hearing and your role there is to offer a comment. You can offer that comment in person or in writing. Comments are also sometimes called ‘testimony.’
Comments can be made at a public hearing, or over email or online. All comments are public. Comments can be given out loud in-person, or be written as a letter, email or submitted online. All are part of the public record and anyone can look though them. They are all public as a way to ensure transparency, and everyone can see what people thought about an issue, and why.
You can speak your comment out loud as testimony at a public hearing, or submit your comment in writing depending on what rules have been set out. If you go to the hearing and sign up to speak, your spoken testimony/comment will generally need to be between 2 and 3 minutes total length, it just depends on how much time is available and how many people wish to speak. If there aren’t many people at the hearing, time can be longer, 5 to 10 minutes.
If you have more to say than will fit in that time period, a written comment might be a good choice, as you can say as much as you need there. For online forms, there is often a word count. If what you need to say exceeds that count, you can submit a paper letter in the mail or drop-off, or attach a PDF.
In general, a more concise comment is often best. While you can absolutely write a lengthy comment, and if you have highly technical knowledge you might need to do that, in general if you can get to the crux of your comment and hone your feedback, that can be helpful to those who will be going through all that material.
The idea is that you speak truth about what you know, have experienced, or have expertise in, and that truth is your Comment / Testimony.
What happens at a Public Hearing?
The agency, board or organization will set a time and place for people to gather and offer comments in person, by email, or online.
Public Hearings are specifically held in venues that will be accessible for the public. A time and place will be publicized, and if you want to attend the hearing in person you simply show up at that time and at that place. Bring water and snacks.
It is a good idea to have your testimony/comment already written down and ready to submit. You may want to make notes or change things as you hear the testimony of others, but before you leave, be sure to upload your final comment, or leave a paper copy of your comment at the hearing.
You may need to show ID to enter the venue, and for very formal hearings sometimes there is security screening. On entering, there will be a sign-up sheet available for those who want to speak. Write your name down. Speakers are usually taken in order of first-come first-to-speak, so you will get a number. If you are part of a group or coalition (more on coalitions below), you can check with the coalition or group leaders to see if there will be someone designated to speak for the group (if so, you can still support the designated speaker and leave your written comments).
Sometimes groups or coalition leaders will organize a rally or march before/during or after a hearing. This builds rapport, you can meet other folks, and get to know more about the subject. More on that below.
Are people of faith at hearings?
There are always many people of faith who attend hearings, marches and rallies. Sometimes they are evident. But often, you just don’t always know they are there. Church groups often do not join coalitions or show up to call for clean air, water, and community wellbeing, even though these things are so important biblically. While the church formally may not be there, you can guarantee church people are.
Look for a faith/interfaith presence at the hearing. Your faith community might not be there, but another religious group might be, a synagogue or church or mosque or temple or prayer group that may be there together as part of the wider coalition. Your state affiliate of Interfaith Power and Light might well be there, so look for folks. Once you have found each other, make friends!
If there is an organized presence of people of faith there, you might see some prayerful activity. (Again, if there is disrespectful behavior such as shouting, condemning speech, or hatefulness, keep away. You can be prophetic by centering yourself, owning your power, and speaking your truth, not by disrespect or violence.) Sometimes interfaith or other groups plan to share Spiritual and prayerful time at the hearing during an appropriate moment. You may see signs, maybe a prayer circle, or people singing hymns.
What is a Comment Period?
Sometimes there is no public hearing, and only email or online comments are accepted. But whether there is an opportunity for in-person comment or not, the period in which public comment is accepted is called a ‘Comment Period.’
You can always call, email, or write to an elected or appointed leader, in the church or in public life. You don’t have to wait for a comment period, and if you missed it you can still submit something.
Comment periods are scheduled by organizations or policymakers to coincide with their need to hear from the public about a specific think at a specific time. A comment period will include dates during which the comments about the proposed action or policy in question will be accepted, the format in which they will be accepted, and to whom the comments should be addressed and/or directed.
Comment periods can be open for a day or it could be months.
Who can submit a Comment?
Anyone can. Comments can be submitted by individuals, groups, or organizations.
If you are submitting a comment on behalf of an faith community, church, or organization, a couple of things to be sure of:
Don’t speak on behalf of an organization unless you have permission to do so. Organizations often designate their own representative or spokesperson to ensure their concerns are clearly communicated. If you are a representative, there will be specific concerns and feedback that organization will want to highlight. While you can introduce yourself as the writer of the comment, if you are writing as a representative of an organization, be sure to switch to the ‘we’ or ‘our organization’ voice to speak about the concerns of the organization specifically.
Your personal concerns should always come from you and not be made on behalf of others.
Even if you aren’t a spokesperson for a group, you may well belong to a congregation and/or be a member of groups such as perhaps the YECA, CCA, or Mom’s Clean Air Force. While you as a person can’t speak for them, you can absolutely share that you are part of them. You can give a bit of your own ‘bio’ and indicate your membership in the groups and the congregation you belong to. Membership connections are great to mention in a comment. This way you can show that you are informed and plugged in to the conversation.
About Coalitions
Many issues of public interest have a group of people that support or don’t support a given idea or action. For instance, if your city wants to improve the air quality on public school grounds, this may be because there is a group of parents/teachers who are concerned about the health of school children. This group may be seeking remedies to unhealthy air by asking the city and school district to purchase electric commuter and school buses.
Chances are there is a whole group of parents interested in an issue like that. Local parents can get together, and name themselves, perhaps, 'Our Elementary for Clean Air.’ These parents might connect with a national group to help them, such as ‘Mom’s Clean Air Force,’ and ‘Ecomadres.’ Once they form connection and partnerships, this is called a coalition. The coalition will have strategy meetings and will learn from each other. From there, a coalition grows, with perhaps the local Lion’s Club joining next, or a group of ‘Nurses4Future.’
A coalition builds strength because it shows wide support for a policy change. Coalitions work together, sending out emails and coordinating their efforts. If there is a coalition around a policy you are interested in, learn about them and, if it looks good, connect with them. They will help you stay in the loop with comment periods and keep you informed about key concerns.
Be sure to look into the coalition participants before joining them. Look at their values. Be open to a ‘big tent’ group with lots of different folks. But be sure the coalition itself demonstrates respect and ethics. Avoid groups that promote hate or violence or participate in overt partisan or ad hominem attacks.
Can faith groups join coalitions?
Yes! Joining a coalition as a person of faith and/or as a faith-based group such as a church or youth group can be a great way to meet neighbors and build relationships around shared community concerns—such as air quality or clean water. As a person of faith, you have permission to engage with others of goodwill in the world seeking sound policy, fairness, and justice.
You don’t have to agree on everything. For example, in an Interfaith coalition people may have very different religious beliefs. Still, you can all come together around shared values such as wellbeing and clean water. The fact that people with big differences can come together around important shared values makes the coalition all the more powerful. You can show up as a person of faith and keep who you are while appreciating what is shared and what is different.
Will anyone care what I think?
Everyone is important. Yes, when the Mayor testifies, or the Fire Chief, people pay attention. But everyone has special knowledge to share and concerns that deserve a hearing. The whole point of a public hearing is to hear from the public. Everyone has expertise that matters.
But, isn’t it better to hear from someone important?
Yes and no. Leaders who are ‘important’ are important because they have respected expertise, or a constituency they lead or influence. But what makes them important?: The everyday people who appreciate their leadership.
Organizers will sometimes talk about ‘Grass Roots’ and ‘Grass Tops.’ The grass roots are everyday people who may belong to groups and have general knowledge about different subjects. This is the ‘people power,’ or in church-talk, the body or the congregation. The Grass Tops are folks in positions of leadership, who have constituencies (groups they lead or represent), and who have influence. So for a church, the grass roots are the congregation, while the grass tops are the pastors and bishops. Or for schools, the grass roots are the teachers and parents, while the grass tops would be school board members and the superintendent.
When it comes to a comment period, it may be helpful to be sure that these leaders—the grass tops—are given some priority to speak. But without the voices of everyday people, the public hearing may well fail. Everyday people hold a lot more power than they think.
Think about the most important things about human life—family, wisdom, skills, perspective, and life experience. This is the real expertise, and who better to share that expertise than a grandfather, a nurse, an engineer, and a kindergarten teacher.
Remember also that you are a person of faith. When writing a comment you have a moral voice, too. In addition to being a mom, mechanic, ecologist, student, or artist, you are a person of faith with moral concern and perspective. You can bring your moral conviction and values with you, and express them in a respectful way. Speak from the heart. Be wise. Be clear. Speak truth.
Learn about the subject.
This phrase ‘do your research’ has become very loaded! Too often a favorite news channel or youtube site is as far as we get. The most helpful way to learn in preparation for a public hearing, however, is to be sure to seek informed perspectives. To help me with this, there are certain publications I like that are accessible and generally offer links to real studies I can read for myself. This are publications such as The Guardian, Mongabay, Climate Desk, Yale 360, Phy.org, Nature, Scientific American, National Geographic, and the like.
Researched studies with measurable and repeatable results are very helpful in understanding a problem. You do not have to be a scientist, tho! Lived experience is sometimes more important than a degree. For example, the testimony of jr. high school students who share their experience with asthma and want to breathe clean air in a school bus are absolutely experts.
Other lived expertise include folks like local tribal people who have harvested clams for millennia and are experts about the ecology and biodiversity that are needed to sustain a healthy clam harvest. Grandparents who have cared for young children with asthma can testify to the suffering of those little ones due to exposure to toxic gas stoves and traffic exhaust.
Yes, be informed. If you have a degree, share what you know. And also, lived experience, and the stories that arise from those experiences, is a big deal.
What if you disagree?
During comment period, whether you agree with a proposed action or policy or disagree with it, that doesn’t matter. The hearing is designed to include agreements, disagreements, and everything in between. What matters most is being informed, and sharing how your own skills or experiences relate to the subject at hand. Especially if you disagree, be sure you are informed in speaking out.
A note about faith and respect in public spaces.
Your life experience is a powerful part of your testimony, and that includes your faith perspective. Bring your faith with you.
A word of caution, tho. Your faith is your own, and by yourself or together with other people of faith, you can share respectful prayer and teaching together during a public hearing, or a public march. Express your faith boldly, but remember modesty and humility. Share in the spirit of joy, compassion, and loving expression for your neighbors.
Respectful, faithful sharing in your public comment will strengthen, rather than detract from your message. Respectful, faithful sharing could look like shared prayer with others, a group from your congregation walking together in a march. You can also share communion in a service of celebration together.
Quick glossary
Public Hearing: A special time and day set out when the public is invited to share their views about a particular subject or a public policy under consideration. This can happen in a small hearing room, council chamber, or an amphitheater.
Comment: Your written opinion and feedback as a member of the public with your thoughts about the issue of policy or subject of the hearing. A comment can be submitted in person, by letter, or email or online.
Spoken Testimony/Comment: Your comment read out loud or spoken by you at a public hearing. There is usually a time limit of 2 or 3 minutes per person when testifying in person.
Comment Period: The period of time set out for the public to deliver their comments. This could be a day, week, or number of months in duration.
March or Rally:
A March is a gathering of people who care about a proposed public policy proposal. Those gathered together and walk together from point A to point B according to what has been planned by the March organizers. If a march is being organized, be sure of how it will be conducted. Will there be a risk of arrest? Will there be a need to carefully pack water and snacks? Will it be family friendly? Be sure to check in about this.
A Rally is also a gathering of people also who care about a proposed public policy or subject. For a Rally, the gathering is in one place and speakers take turns sharing their perspective with those gathered.
An Action. An action is a specific thing done usually in a provocative way to make a concern visible in public. Actions can include the picketing of a bank that funds pipelines, or planned communion service in front of city hall, or a prayer circle in front of a oil-train depot, or a hymn-sing in a senator’s office. Actions are not a 101 thing. Folks who organize and participate in public action have experience and coordination and have worked to be as safe and focused as possible. Before considering participating in an action, be very informed about who is involved, what risks there might be, and what the hoped-for outcome is.
A March/Rally is different than a Public Hearing, in that a Public Hearing is put together by the interested public policy-makers, agencies or boards, while a Rally/March is put together by community organizers who want to ensure regular people have a chance to show their support or displeasure for the proposed policy.
While a Public Hearing and a March/Rally/Action are different, they can coincide. If a Public Hearing is scheduled for a certain day, community organizers can gather people together for a march or rally on that same day. Be informed about what the plans are, and participate where it is safe and reasonable to do so.
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Just to say… my updates are not endorsements, and links are usually third party. Please make your own determinations. My goal here is to amplify the conversation and encourage engagement, learning, and resilience. And of course, to bless your efforts!