The first meeting of the Southwest Texas chapter of the Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) for the 2010-2011 year is scheduled for Thursday, September, 9 at St. John’s UMC.  The topic will be The Death Penalty in Texas.  Two speakers will be featured:  Bob Van Steenburg and Linda L. White, Ph.D. 

Bob is a retired military officer who served in the U.S. Army for 27 years.  He has commanded soldiers at the platoon, company, battalion, and brigade levels.  Together with his wife, Bob has been involved in social justice issues throughout his life.  He is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. 

Linda is a former adjunct faculty member at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, in the Department of Psychology and Philosophy.  Following the rape and murder of her 26-year-old daughter in 1986, she returned to college to study grief and loss in order to be able to educate others and counsel those with similar losses.  Linda is a volunteer mediator with the Victim Offender Mediation/Dialogue program in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and was appointed in 2003 by Governor Rick Perry to represent victims’ issues on the Texas State Council for Adult Offender Supervision. 

Bob and Linda will share their unique perspectives concerning the death penalty and why they are opposed to it.  There will be time for Q&A and an opportunity to speak with the presenters. 

The meeting will be in Fellowship Hall beginning at 6:30p with snacks and mingling, and the program will begin at 7:00 p.m. and end by 8:30 p.m.  It is free of charge and open to the public. 

Please join us for this important discussion.