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To the congregations, members, and friends of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Minnesota:

We, the six ELCA bishops in the state of Minnesota, are writing today with a word we hope will anchor and sustain all of us in the days to come.

In recent weeks, several thousand ICE and Border Patrol agents have been sent to our state. Their tactics of stopping and questioning our neighbors and their aggressive interactions with the communities where we live have caused fear and anxiety. We grieve the killing of Renee Good on January 7.

All of this comes after other experiences of devastating violence in recent months and years.

We are tired, and our hearts are broken. Yet we are not deterred. 

At every act of violence, we have seen you respond with compassion and resilience. This has been a season marked by profound grief. It is also a season in which we have refused to be defined by what the baptismal liturgy names as “the forces that defy God.”

To our pastors, deacons, chaplains and ministry leaders, we say this: we are with you. We give thanks for your faithful leadership, for your courage and discernment, and for all the ways you live into the vocation we share. Dear friends, we believe you have been called and anointed for ministry in this time and place. It is our honor to serve with you.

To all members of our congregations, and our neighbors throughout Minnesota, we say this: we commit ourselves to continue to pray, to advocate and act alongside you, and to use the resources and gifts we have to work toward the fulfillment of the reign of God, so that all may know the abundance of life Jesus comes to give (John 10:10). We encourage you to remain connected to one another and actively support the efforts in your communities to meet the needs of those directly impacted in this time of fear and intimidation.

This past Sunday, congregations across our state marked the Baptism of our Lord. It is a celebration and remembrance of the moment when Jesus himself was baptized, and the voice of God broke through the heavens to declare, “This is my Son, the beloved, with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). 

We believe the voice of God still speaks. We know that all our neighbors bear the image of God. Through the waters of baptism, we have been named and claimed as beloved children of God.

It is our sure confidence in this truth that sustains us. We know we are God’s children, and we know that you are, too. We pray that this truth will continue to anchor, guide and compel all of us as we work for justice for all people in every place.

We also know there are voices around us that challenge the truth of who we are and who our neighbors are. It is our fervent hope that every one of us would remain deeply rooted in our identity as God’s beloved.

To that end, we write with a word of encouragement: go to church or your place of worship, ground yourselves in Scripture, and surround yourselves with those who will echo the voice of God for you. This is the nourishment that will sustain us.

Along with Presiding Bishop Curry, we “join calls for a thorough investigation into this case, accountability for the shooting and a de-escalation of ICE enforcement across the United States.”

When the challenges that surround us are overwhelming, we cling to what is true. We serve a God who sees us and who enters into the beauty and messiness of human life in the person of Jesus the Christ. Because of what God in Christ has done, we know that God is with us and we are not alone (Romans 8:38-39). 

Until the day the reign of God arrives in full, we continue to work for justice and peace, grounded in prayer, rooted in Scripture, and compelled by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

In sure and confident hope, 

Bishop Regina Hassanally
Southeastern Minnesota Synod

Bishop Patricia Lull
Saint Paul Area Synod

Bishop Jen Nagel
Minneapolis Area Synod

Bishop Amy Odgren
Northeastern Minnesota Synod

Bishop Dee Pederson
Southwestern Minnesota Synod

Bishop Bill Tesch
Northwestern Minnesota Synod

 

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