Hundreds of Christian leaders and scholars across the country have condemned President Donald Trump’s administration and urged believers to become more active in resisting “the injustice and anti-democratic dangers sweeping the nation.”
“We face a cruel and oppressive government,” their collective statement began. “In moments like these, silence is not neutrality—it is an active choice to allow harm.”
The letter, titled “An Appeal to Christians in the Crisis of Faith and Democracy,” said the nation is facing a profound moral, spiritual and democratic emergency. Its release coincides with the beginning of the Christian season of Lent, a time of repentance, self-reflection and resistance to temptation.
“We believe it is important to incorporate a season that allows many Christians to go deeper into their faith,” said Adam Russell Taylor, president of the Christian social justice group Sojourners. “Part of our criticism stems from the fact that many white evangelical Christians have succumbed to unconditional government support despite the fact that the government is acting in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus.”
Leaders of all faiths are increasingly speaking out and participating in protests against Trump administration policies, particularly those that many view as overly aggressive in detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants. Priests were arrested and hit with pepper balls during demonstrations.
The statement said Christians have a moral obligation to speak out against “the demonization, disappearance, and even killing of citizens and immigrants; the erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms; and deliberate efforts to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity—all of which push us toward authoritarian and imperial rule.”
“This moment is a decisive test of Christian discipleship and civic responsibility,” said the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder and director of the Georgetown Center for Faith and Justice in Washington, D.C. “Democratic freedoms are being taken away and the gospel is being twisted. The vulnerable people Jesus told us to stand together and defend are being targeted and attacked.”
Wallis and Taylor organized the collective effort along with Barbara Williams Skinner, director of the Skinner Institute in Baltimore, a faith-based leadership development organization.
A U.S. immigration agent grabs the backpack of 5-year-old Liam Ramos as he is detained in Minneapolis on January 20, 2026.
About 400 people initially signed the statement, representing leaders from a range of Christian denominations, black, Asian and Latino churches and associations, and Christian universities and institutions. Organizers say hundreds of people have added their names to the letter since it was posted on February 18.
The Executive Office of the President of the United States, including the White House Office, did not respond to requests for comment on the statement.
Christian leaders and academics say that in addition to the risks to democracy, they are troubled by “the corruption of the Christian faith by the heretical ideology of white Christian nationalism.”
“People think this is just a democratic crisis, but it’s not,” said the Rev. Cynthia Hale, pastor of Light of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia, who signed the letter. “This is a crisis of faith.”
Christian nationalism, the idea that Christians and biblical law should govern American life, has seeped into the highest levels of the U.S. government, with conservative evangelicals becoming a major political force behind Trump. Evangelical pastor Doug Wilson, who has said women should not vote or hold religious or political leadership positions, was recently invited to the Pentagon by War Secretary Pete Hegseth to officiate at a ceremony.
“Their religious leaders have been so unconditionally supportive that in the minds of many Americans, this administration has been labeled almost religious, which is a distortion,” said Bishop Raymond Rivera of the Integral Council of Churches and Ministries, who also signed the letter. “They confuse access to political power with access to God’s power. They are not the same.”
The Rev. Douglas Wilson, co-founder of the Reformed Evangelical Church, speaks at the National Conservative Conference on July 9, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Taylor called the conflation “a form of idolatry” and said the Trump administration has in turn misused Christian language to support its campaigns, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement job ads quoting scripture in their appeals — one ad, for example, included the verse “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
“This feels particularly offensive and shocking given the tactics we’ve seen them employ in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere,” he said. “It’s corrupting the Christian faith to advance their own political agenda.”
People are “scared”
Christine Corbis Dumais, a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University, a Christian institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said she initially wondered before signing if the moment would require more than signing another statement.
“I realize this statement is not primarily for those who have been on the front lines of these issues, but for pastors and ordinary Christians who may be just realizing what’s going on and what’s at stake,” Dumais said. “I think it’s important to provide a statement that clarifies the political and theological stakes and allows people to put their name… It’s a way for ordinary Christians to step up.”
The letter concludes by linking a set of core theological beliefs to actions the signatories have committed to taking to live out their faith and protect democracy, including defending voting rights, pursuing peace, and standing with unjust immigrants.
Michael Woolf, pastor of Lake Street Church in Evanston and a faith leader, was detained by Illinois State Police during a protest against immigration actions outside the Broadview ICE facility in Chicago, Illinois, on November 14, 2025.
Dottie Escobedo-Frank, the California Pacific Conference bishop of the United Methodist Church in Pasadena, said she signed the letter to encourage the Southern California community and all Christians to live out their mission to serve the oppressed, show compassion and demand political leaders take action on their behalf.
Yet as church ministries that provide food distribution, child care or assistance to the elderly face disruption from ICE agents or anti-immigrant demonstrators, “we see people in our communities afraid to practice their faith because of the actions of our government,” she said.
Taylor understands that many people may have reason to be afraid of living out their creeds, but says that at a time when “the authoritarian playbook is very effective,” people’s participation is crucial, he said.
In addition to relying on the resilience of the faith itself, one way to overcome this fear is to connect with other Christians, he said. The letter effort includes a website where supporters can find ways to get involved.
“One of the most consistent statements in the Bible is ‘Do not be afraid,'” Taylor said. “Authoritarian governments thrive on people feeling isolated and overwhelmed, so we are working to build a network of unity and courage. We have the power to prevent things from getting worse.”
This article originally appeared in USA TODAY: Christian leaders say silence is no longer an option amid ‘crisis of faith’
