The CFCU Story

The founding story of Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence (CFCU) opens in a coffee shop. The year was 2014 and people were still reeling from the massacre of 26 children and school staff at Sandy Hook Elementary in December 2012. Then several prominent Colorado legislators were recalled for advocating for a pair of gun safety bills that passed in the 2013 session. Colorado’s legislative efforts to curb gun deaths and injuries were clearly at risk.

To take action, 24 congregations staged awareness activities in support of the National Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath from March 14–17, 2014. The success of that first joint effort led to the coffee shop conversation where three people, representing Christian, Jewish, and Unitarian Universalist faith traditions, first laid out the role that people of faith could and should play in reducing gun violence in our state on an ongoing basis.

Within a few months that coffee shop encounter blossomed into a network of 16 faith communities committed to working together to build consensus and support, turning the collective grief of firearm violence into shared hope and concerted action.

From the beginning, the purpose of CFCU was clear: to help end deaths and injuries in Colorado caused by the improper use of firearms.  And from its founding, CFCU has been the only group In Colorado consisting solely of faith communities that is focused only on gun violence. CFCU now embraces more than 45 congregations.

How big is the problem? Nationally there are over 45,000 firearm deaths each year and more than twice that many non-fatal injuries. In Colorado, a total of 925 people died in 2020 by firearms, the highest number on record in our state. And, tragically, the largest number of firearm deaths in Colorado were suicides — 651 in 2020, accounting for 70% of all firearm deaths. For more data, click here.


It is in this context that CFCU’s two-fold mission is clear:

  • to advocate for legislation and policies at the state and national level that promote gun safety and reduce the levels of violence arising out of the improper use of firearms;

  • to develop a large and strong inter-faith coalition of congregations to increase our impact when talking to public and private decision-making groups.

 


And why faith communities?  Our holy writings call us to action. 

The Torah — You shall not stand idly by while the blood of your neighbor is shed. Leviticus 19:16

Old Testament — They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit under their own vines and their own fig trees and no one shall make them afraid. Micah 4:3b-4

New Testament — Then Jesus said unto them, “Put your sword back in its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.” Matthew 26:52

The Prophet Muhammad — None of you shall point a weapon at one’s brother in humanity.

Unitarian Universalism — Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Unitarian Universalism’s 7th Principle.

 

CFCU’s purpose and organizational structure, developed and agreed upon by all members, are:

  • Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence would be a politically non-partisan, issues-focused organization with roots in our respective faiths’ traditions regarding acts of violence, specifically those coming from the inappropriate use of firearms;

  • actions taken by CFCU would be based on the consensus of its members;

  • each faith community joining CFCU will remain free to take actions on its own as its members see fit regarding firearm violence;

  • at least two general meetings a year would be held for all member congregations and individuals.

 

CFCU is currently organized around four action teams: Advocacy, Public Health Strategies, Outreach, and Communications. This is where the real work is done, and there is information about the priorities and functions of each of these teams located under Our Work.

 

How can your faith community help? It’s straightforward:

  • Join CFCU.

  • Appoint your representatives and create a gun violence prevention (GVP) team to work locally within your congregation and with your CFCU representatives.

  • Use our resource materials to promote gun safety awareness within your congregation.

  • Create a Rapid Response Network of members who are willing to contact their legislators about gun violence issues in Colorado.

  • Get involved in at least one Action Team.

  • Take a congregational position on gun violence.

 

Colorado Faith Communities United to End Gun Violence seeks to offer faith leaders and congregations a place to witness for safe and peaceful communities. It has formed strong relationships with other organizations concerned about gun violence, including Colorado Ceasefire, the Colorado Coalition Against Gun Violence (CCAGV), and state and local health departments. Our work continues, and we invite you to join us and raise your voice to address the crisis of gun violence.