Campaign Against Gun Violence (CAGV) is a First Church Boston group with ties to the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence. Time sensitive needs for call-ins to legislators, invitations to rally at the Statehouse or attend meetings etc. come from this group via the church’s Social Justice Community e-mail list. The most prominent annual activity is the Vigil Against Gun Violence which occurs in December. 

The Coalition is a collaborative organization consisting of over 120 member institutions, including FCB, and has proven to be highly effective advocating for strong gun violence prevention laws in Massachusetts. Major law upgrades were passed in 2014 and 2018.

The Coalition’s priority bill for the 2023–2024 Massachusetts legislative session is the “Crime Gun Trace Data Reporting and Analysis Bill.” If passed, this law will require a detailed analysis of MA crime gun trace data to better understand the origins of crime guns. The Coalition is also trying to address the root causes of urban gun violence. Therefore, additional priorities include advocating for legislative funding of youth jobs, trauma response, and direct intervention with court-involved and violence-involved youth.

For the first 6 years of its existence, this organization was made up of a group of volunteers, but as its size and scope grew, it was able to hire an executive director, a communications director, and a community organizer. To read more about the Coalition and its latest initiatives, go to mapreventgunviolence.org, where you can also donate to support its work.

First Church Boston hosts a Candlelight Vigil for all Victims of Gun Violence

Every December, in honor of all victims of gun violence, First Church Boston holds a vigil to remember those who have died in the past year as a result of shootings. Speakers at these services have included John Rosenthal, founder of Stop Handgun Violence; Chaplain Tina Chery of Louis D. Brown Peace Institute; David Hogg, of March for Our Lives and MA Attorney General Maura Healey.

For more information contact Ellie or Doug Miller: cagv@firstchurchboston.org