A Local Ad with National Implications
GraniteCityGossip.com January 12, 2026
Recently a promotional flyer appeared in a Granite City Facebook group advertising a Zoom training class titled “Answering the Call: Interfaith Nonviolent Civil Resistance 201”. The event, scheduled for January 12, 2026, is hosted by Interfaith Alliance in collaboration with several national NGOs. The flyer calls on faith leaders to organize resistance against authoritarianism and defend democracy.
What caught local attention wasn’t just the timing or the theme, it was the Faith Coalition-Edwardsville, a small Christian volunteer group that is promoting the event. The post raised eyebrows about why a local service group is pushing a national training event about “Civil Resistance 101 training”, even in Granite City.
In today’s political climate, protests have become so frequent and fragmented that their impact often feels diluted. What once stirred public conscience now risks being dismissed as noise. The posts language — “the best time to start was a year ago” — suggests urgency and regret, implying missed opportunities for coordinated action.
Faith Coalition-Edwardsville presents itself as a Christian service group focused on yard work and home repairs for seniors. But its promotion of this Civil Resistance 101 training makes it appear to be connected to a much broader national network:
These affiliations are mostly service-oriented, but the flyer connects them to national activist groups and coalitions involved in interfaith training and advocacy,
including:
Interfaith Alliance, “Left‑of‑center religious organization”
Formed to combat conservative‑aligned religious groups.
Supports LGBTQ+ rights and gender self‑identification.
Opposes school choice and public funding for private/religious schools.
Supports removing school resource officers in some contexts.
These positions align overwhelmingly with the Democratic/progressive policy space.
Donations from individuals associated with Interfaith Alliance go entirely to Democratic candidates in the current cycle. According to OpenSecrets, 100% of the political contributions made by individuals associated with Interfaith Alliance in the current election cycle went to Democratic candidates.
Interfaith Alliance is not officially Democratic or Republican, but it is widely recognized as a progressive, left‑of‑center organization whose advocacy, messaging, and donor base align far more with Democrats than Republicans.
(notably co-organizing the Zoom class with Faith in Action, GU Center on Faith and Justice, Political Research Associates)
Center on Faith and Justice.
Sojourners.
Political Research Associates.
Horizons Project.
Additionally, the Zoom class is co-sponsored by a broad coalition of faith and social justice organizations, such as:
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice.
American Friends Service Committee.
Faith in Public Life.
Franciscan Action Network.
Hindus for Human Rights.
Interfaith Alliance of North Dakota.
Pax Christi USA.
Shoulder to Shoulder.
Tikkun Ha-Ir.
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice.
United Church of Christ.
West Virginia Faith Collective.
This flyer isn’t just about a Zoom class. It’s a signal that national political movements are filtering into local spaces — sometimes through unexpected channels.
Faith Coalition-Edwardsville may still mow lawns and fix porches, but its promotion of Civil Resistance 101 training suggests a deeper ideological alignment. Whether this energizes or alienates Granite City residents depends on how they interpret the intent: is this about empowering faith communities to resist injustice, or is it about importing national political agendas into local service networks?
In a time when protests feel more performative than powerful, this flyer reminds us that organizing — even in small towns — is still happening. The question is: who’s organizing whom, and for what purpose.