Robert Parham is founder and executive director of the Baptist Center for Ethics in Nashville, Tenn., a group that promotes proactive and positive messages about the Christian community.

The Rev. C. Welton Gaddy is president of the Interfaith Alliance and author of numerous books, including First Freedom First: A Citizen’s Guide to Protecting Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State. Gaddy serves as pastor for preaching and worship at Northminster Baptist Church in Monroe, La. The alliance is based in Washington, D.C.

Jim FitzGerald is executive director of Call to Action USA, a Catholic social action group that pushes for equality and justice.

Rabbi Rick Jacobs is president of the Union for Reform Judaism, the central body of Reform Judaism in North America.

Mark J. Pelavin is associate director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. The group has previously criticized federal budgets for not reflecting the value of compassion.

Clare J. Chapman is interim general secretary of the National Council of Churches, which is made up of 35 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox member denominations. The group has opposed tax cuts at the expense of programs that help the poor.

Sister Simone Campbell is executive director of Network, a Catholic social justice lobby in Washington, D.C. She has organized several “Nuns on the Bus” trips, raising awareness of issues like immigration reform and economic justice. Contact her through Lee Morrow.

Helene Slessarev-Jamir is a professor of urban studies at Claremont School of Theology in California. She is an expert on anti-poverty policies and is writing a book on faith-based social justice work.

William Beach, director of the Center for Data Analysis at the conservative Heritage Foundation, says an ethical budget calls for effective spending. Contact James Weidman.