(RNS) — On most mornings, Zenobia Bingham sets her alarm for 6:55 a.m. so she can join the prayer call at Washington’s Shiloh Baptist Church, where she has attended for 53 years. The call, she said, has become a chance to center herself before she contemplates the loss of another anchor of her life: a federal job.
“That daily prayer call is essential for my life,” said Bingham, who has worked for the U.S. government for four decades. The call features inspirational messages, Bible discussion and an open time when those dialing in may name prayer requests — including recent or pending loss of employment.
Bingham is pursuing a buyout offer after the General Accounting Office, where she manages information technology contractors, announced earlier this month that it’s downsizing due to expected cuts from Congress.
Zenobia Bingham. (Courtesy photo)
“It has been a great job,” Bingham said. “The benefits of raising a family and the work-life balance is amazing. And the whole remote and telework options that we’ve had, it’s been good. But it’s very stressful now.”
More than 50,000 people who worked for federal agencies, CNN recently reported, have been laid off or targeted for layoffs by the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, once headed by Elon Musk. As of June, according to The Washington Post, more than 154,000 workers from dozens of agencies took part in the deferred resignation program and will be paid through Sept. 30. Others have been fired outright.
At houses of worship across the D.C. metropolitan area, clergy and lay leaders are grappling with the loss of “the good government job,” causing ripple effects around the nation’s capital and far beyond. Most offer prayers and preaching, but some provide practical assistance by fellow congregants who have legal, job hunting or counseling expertise.
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