01/24/2025
A letter from the Massachusetts Council of Churches, signed by many faith leaders including our New England ELCA Bishop Nathan Pipho:
"And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” ~ Isaiah 56: 6-7
"Churches are, and have always been, places of prayer, solace, and safety since the time of Jesus Christ; this does not change with any new emperor, king, or president.
Churches are houses of prayer for all people, as the Prophet Isaiah proclaims. These houses of prayer for all people are, and must remain, places where all people can gather without fear, intimidation, or threat of violence. All who gather in houses of worship must be able to do so freely, based on our American values and the free exercise of religion.
We oppose the Trump administration’s policy change to allow Immigration and Customs enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CPB) to enter houses of worship, among other “sensitive spaces” like schools, hospitals, libraries, and domestic violence shelters, rescinding longstanding Department of Homeland and Security policy.
Churches are, by definition, sanctuaries.
We resist this policy change as Americans on the First Amendment principle of our right to gather freely and exercise our right to worship. We also resist this policy change as Christian leaders, claiming our baptismal covenant to resist evil. Finally, we invite all people of good will to resist this policy change as it sews chaos and uncertainty in the lives of many people as they simply desire to gather in prayer, free from intimidation and fear."
https://www.masscouncilofchurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025.01.24-Church-ICE-Letter-1.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjawIAuzpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHftX3otztI-eYFicyWj_5gZ3IMY1DqJ45kIeJ65ArUmCVm7jeOCAOeSzGw_aem_5aeYBBs6eCbryRl4XEGIMw
