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Four church leaders jointly support the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and urge a permanent ceasefire.

[Religion News Service] A prominent Lutheran leader invoked the story of a martyr while defending work to help the needy after Elon Musk, a billionaire who runs a Trump administration government efficiency task force, described federal funding for Lutheran aid organizations as “illegal” over the weekend. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in the country, posted a video debunking comments by Musk and others on Feb. 2. “Despite misinformation and baseless doubt cast today on funding that supports Lutheran organizations across our country, the ELCA remains steadfast in our commitment and work with our many Lutheran partners and expressions of our church,” Eaton said. “The ELCA is also concerned for other faith-based communities and organizations who have similarly come under attack.” Eaton recounted the story of Saint Lawrence, a deacon in Ancient Rome. In the presiding bishop’s retelling, the Roman emperor demanded the Christian church turn over its riches, but Lawrence responded by selling the church’s possessions and giving the money to the poor. When the emperor finally confronted him and demanded the riches, Eaton said, Lawrence pointed to the “hungry, the poor, the naked, the stranger in the land, the most vulnerable.” He then declared: “These are the treasures of the Church.” “He was martyred for that,” Eaton concluded. “Be of good courage, Church, and let us persevere.” The controversy began late Feb. 1, when Michael Flynn, a Catholic and retired Army general who previously served as an adviser to President Donald Trump, published a post on X alongside screenshots of a spreadsheet detailing federal funding dispersed to Lutheran groups in the last two years. The spreadsheet — which also included organizations that were not Lutheran — listed groups such as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (now Global Refuge), one of several organizations that partner with the federal government to resettle refugees; Lutheran colleges such as Pacific Lutheran University; and various local chapters of Lutheran Social Services. Without citing evidence, Flynn accused the groups — who have longstanding funding agreements with the government — of “money laundering,” a federal crime. He also insisted the numbers amounted to “billions” of American taxpayer dollars, a claim not supported by the attached spreadsheet. Musk, who describes himself as a “cultural Christian,” quote-posted Flynn’s claims, saying his so-called Department of Government Efficiency “is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments.” Global Refuge was quick to respond to the post, with CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah saying in a statement she “condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the false accusations being lodged against our humanitarian work.” “As a faith-based nonprofit, we have proudly served legally admitted refugees and immigrants for more than 85 years,” she said in a statement to Religion News Service. “This includes Afghan Allies who risked their lives to protect U.S. troops, as well as persecuted Christians, all of whom have been extensively vetted and approved by multiple U.S. government agencies before traveling to our country. We also remain committed to caring for legally admitted unaccompanied children forced to flee to the United States.” She added: “Across Democratic and Republican administrations, we have partnered with the U.S. government to ensure vulnerable children are safe from human trafficking and can be safely reunified with their parents or guardian.” Flynn’s post also noted funds granted to Lutheran Social Services of the South, the legal name of a Texas-based group that does work under the name Upbring such as assisting parents who wish to adopt a child. Efforts to reach DOGE — also known as as the U.S. DOGE Service, which is the new name of the U.S. Digital Service — were unsuccessful. The targeting of Global Refuge comes after Trump already all but froze the United States Refugee Admissions Program in one of his first executive orders, shutting down the entry of refugees into the country aside from rare exceptions. Seven of the 10 groups that partner with the federal government to resettle refugees are faith-based, including Global Refuge and Episcopal Migration Ministries. Several of the groups condemned Trump’s executive order at the time and have since vowed to aid refugees in whatever ways they can. In addition, Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, recently accused U.S. Catholic bishops of “resettling illegal immigrants” — a claim made without evidence — in an interview with CBS, as well as accusing prelates who defend the work of only being concerned with their “bottom line.” Over the weekend, the Trump administration also began dismantling the United States Agency for International Development, with Musk saying on X early Feb. 3 that his DOGE team “spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper.” In the past, USAID has partnered with religious groups that do international work, such as Lutheran World Relief and Catholic Relief Services.

[Episcopal News Service] The Episcopal Church’s Washington, D.C.-based Office of Government Relations released an “Immigration Action Toolkit” on Feb. 4 with information, resources and suggestions for engaging on immigration issues in response to the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on both legal and illegal immigration. That resource page can be found here. “The Trump administration has made sweeping policy changes on immigration that are already having an impact on millions of people,” the office said in an introduction to the toolkit. “Many of these new policies have been — and will be — challenged by the courts, and we anticipate continued shifts. In our ongoing support of migrants, and those living in our communities who face uncertain futures, obtaining and sharing accurate information is critical.” The toolkit also includes a link to an updated summary of the dozens of immigration-related policies that have been adopted by The Episcopal Church through General Convention resolutions and actions of Executive Council since the 1980s. That summary can be found here. Trump, in the hours after his Jan. 20 inauguration to a second term, issued a barrage of executive orders, many of them aiming to limit both legal and illegal immigration in the United States. Episcopal Migration Ministries has gathered information here on the immigration orders and the church’s response.

[Episcopal News Service] Cristosal, an Episcopal-affiliated organization committed to defending human rights and promoting democratic rule of law in Central America, was forced last week to cut its staff and terminate its humanitarian assistance program in response to the U.S. foreign aid freeze. Cristosal provided protection and reintegration services to 1,600 internally displaced people through its humanitarian aid program. “Essential legal and security assistance for human rights defenders and community leaders facing oppression has been drastically reduced, while Cristosal’s ability to represent thousands seeking justice for grave human rights violations is now at serious risk,” Noah Bullock, the organization’s San Salvador, El Salvador-based executive director, wrote along with Flor de María Salazar, Guatemala country coordinator, and Karen Valladares, Honduras country coordinator, in a Jan. 30 letter to supporters. “These leaders and families partnered with us in courage, trusting we would stand with them—and we refuse to abandon them in their fight for justice and human rights.” Cristosal was founded as a partnership between clergy in El Salvador and the United States in 2000. It has since become an independent nonprofit, with continued Episcopal support, and has expanded operations to Guatemala and Honduras. Over the past two and a half years, its staff has assisted over 7,500 internally displaced people in the Northern Triangle, where violence is driven by organized crime, narco-trafficking, and, increasingly, political instability. “Family networks are the first protection response for Central Americans fleeing violence; most internally displaced people come from poor communities and cannot sustain themselves through prolonged crisis. Without humanitarian assistance [from organizations like Cristosal] victims are forced to choose between the risks of suffering new violence at home or the violence on the migratory routes,” Bullock told Episcopal News Service when asked about the cut’s broader implications. Among the many executive orders signed during his first week in office, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day pause on more than $60 billion in foreign aid to evaluate it against U.S. foreign policy goals. The administration’s cuts have decimated nongovernment and grassroots organizations serving migrants and other vulnerable populations across Latin America. U.S. foreign assistance agencies have recognized Cristosal as a regional leader in the defense of human rights. In 2016, Cristosal received its first federal grant from USAID to assist people forcibly displaced by violence in El Salvador and it then expanded assistance to people in Guatemala and Honduras. Between 2016 and 2024, Cristosal’s staff increased from 30 people to 150. Since Trump’s election in November, Cristosal has laid off 70% of its staff in Central America. “The work of a human rights organization is a partnership between courageous victims seeking justice, defending rights and rebuilding lives and the committed professionals who accompany them, often at great risk to themselves,” Bullock told ENS. “Laying off human rights defenders is uniquely painful because both victims and defenders are left unprotected.” In addition to assisting people who’ve been internally displaced, Cristosal provides legal and accompaniment services to individuals and families whose human rights have been violated by the state, due to the absence of the rule of law imposed by the “state of exception.” In late March 2022, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele declared a state of emergency, suspending citizen’s fundamental rights by giving authorities the power to arrest and imprison anyone suspected of gang activity without due process (the “exception”). On Feb. 4, Bukele reportedly offered to jail convicted criminals deported by the United States. “Cristosal has a register of about 4,000 families who have made human rights violations complaints during the state of exception. We’ve investigated and confirmed at least 350 people have died by torture in prisons,” Bullock said, adding that Cristosal represents some 40 families whose loved ones have been killed in prisons, who have disappeared or, in the context of the militarization of communities, whose daughters have been raped, disappeared or murdered. In the wake of the Trump administration’s cuts, Cristosal continues to receive support from private philanthropic organizations like the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation, and from Episcopal churches and Episcopalians, to aid victims of violence, to investigate and seek accountability for human rights violations and to combat corruption. “Our priority in this moment is to sustain our legal representation and support of victims seeking justice in cases of corruption, torture, rape and trafficking, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killing, forced disappearances and war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Bullock said. “We will also maintain a team of investigators to continue to document abuses for historic memory and future justice.” To continue this work, Cristosal must sustain its human rights work independent of government grants, which are subject to political will, Bullock, who also serves as an Episcopal Church missionary, told ENS. “The original seed capital to start what is now the largest human rights organization in Central America came from different churches’ mission outreach funds and the personal relationships with church members and those networks within The Episcopal Church,” he said. “That support continues to be an important source of funding for Cristosal. Episcopalians’ unrestricted support allows us to respond quickly to emerging problems and to make sort of bridges between funding gaps from bigger grants.” Click here to learn more about Cristosal and support its work. -Lynette Wilson is a reporter and managing editor of Episcopal News Service.

It has been a long practice of churches to open their doors to immigrants faced with threats of deportation as part of their ministry.    United Church of Christ congregations have quite a few stories to share of families, including young…

The post ‘Welcoming immigrants in our midst’: New resources for churches in the wake of policy changes appeared first on United Church of Christ.

The landscape of ministry is being re-shaped. Are we ready?

The post Praying for the humility to change, and accept change appeared first on The Anglican Church of Canada.

We welcome the January 19, 2025, temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. This is a first step and potentially a meaningful one toward a permanent ceasefire and peace in this fractured land.

The post Church leaders call for permanent ceasefire appeared first on The Anglican Church of Canada.

[Episcopal News Service] The Rev. Kevin Laskowski will always have the distinction of being a “Jeopardy!” champion, after winning three times on the quiz show in November, but on Jan. 31 he felt short of adding “tournament champion” to his resume. Laskowski, the priest-in-charge at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Virginia, appeared in the first round of the popular TV show’s Tournament of Champions. In this episode, Laskowski was playing catch-up from the start, as Mark Fitzpatrick, the eventual winner, built an early lead. By the Final Jeopardy round, Laskowski’s $6,200 was far behind Fitzpatrick’s $16,400 and Allison Gross’ $10,000. None of the contestants guessed the final clue correctly, and Fitzpatrick advanced to the semi-finals easily. This was the second straight year an Episcopal priest appeared in the Tournament of Champions. The church will have to wait another year to see if one of its own will have better luck in the 2026 tournament. Full recaps of the Jan. 31 episode can be found on The Jeopardy! Fan website and The J! Archive.

The Very Rev. Dr. Marion Pardy, 37th Moderator of the United Church, will receive the King Charles Coronation Medal in recognition of her leadership and commitment to community service.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and King’s College London, with Our Children’s Trust and Generations Together, have released a new report, “Accelerating climate solutions through youth-focused litigation: Report and findings of roundtables held at King’s College London on 5 April 2024 and 6 December 2024.”