Christian leaders denounce Trump actions, warn of ‘crisis of faith’
Hundreds of Christian leaders and scholars across the country are condemning President Donald Trump’s administration and calling for more active resistance among believers against the “injustices and anti-democratic danger plaguing the country.”
Their collective statement begins: “We face a cruel and oppressive government.” “Silence in moments like these is not neutrality; it is an active choice to allow harm.”
Article titled “A Call to Christians in the Crisis of Faith and Democracy” letter says the nation faces a profound moral, spiritual and democratic emergency. Its release coincides with the beginning of the Christian season of Lent, a period of repentance, personal reflection and resistance to sin.
“We thought it was important to connect to a season when many Christians are growing deeper in their faith,” said Adam Russell Taylor, president of the Christian social justice organization Sojourners. “One of the things we criticize is that many White Evangelical Christians are acquiescing in the administration’s unconditional support, even though their actions are completely contrary to the teachings of Jesus.”
Leaders of all faiths are increasingly speaking out and participating in protests against the Trump administration’s policies, especially those that many see as extreme. aggressive efforts detaining and deporting undocumented immigrants. During the demonstrations, priests were arrested and shot with pepper balls.
The statement says Christians have a moral obligation to speak out “against the demonization, disappearance, and even murder of citizens and immigrants, the erosion of hard-won rights and freedoms, and calculated efforts to reverse America’s growing racial and ethnic diversity—all of which are pushing us toward authoritarian and imperial rule.”
“This moment is a defining 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 distorted. The defenseless people Jesus told us to support and defend are being targeted and attacked.”
Wallis and Taylor organized the collective effort with Barbara Williams-Skinner, president of the Skinner Institute in Baltimore, a faith leadership development organization.
A U.S. immigration agent holds the backpack of 5-year-old Liam Ramos, who was detained in Minneapolis on January 20, 2026.
The declaration was initially signed by approximately 400 people representing various Christian denominations, leaders of Black, Asian and Latino churches and associations, and Christian universities and institutions. Organizers say hundreds more people have added their names since the letter was published on February 18.
The Executive Office of the President of the United States, which includes the White House office, did not respond to a request for comment on the statement.
Along with the risks to democracy, Christian leaders and academics say they are also disturbed by “the Christian faith being corrupted by the perverted ideology of white Christian nationalism.”
“People look at this as just a democratic crisis, but it’s not,” said the Rev. Cynthia Hale, pastor of Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Georgia, who was among the signatories of the letter. “This is a crisis of faith.”
Christian nationalism, the idea that Christian people and biblical law should guide American life, has infiltrated the highest levels of the American government, with conservative evangelicals becoming a major political force with strong support from Trump. Evangelical pastor Doug Wilson, who said women should not vote or hold positions of religious or political leadership, was recently invited by the Secretary of War. Pete Hegseth carry out a service at the Pentagon.
“Their religious leaders have been so unreserved in their support that they have almost branded this administration as religious in the minds of many Americans, which is a distortion,” said Bishop Raymond Rivera of the Council of Integral Christian Churches and Ministries, who signed the letter. “They confused proximity to political power with proximity to the power of God. They are not the same thing.”
Pastor Douglas Wilson, co-founder of the Association of Reformed Evangelical Churches, speaks at the National Conservative Conference on July 9, 2024 in Washington, DC.
Taylor called such conflation “a form of idolatry” and said the Trump administration is misusing Christian language to support its activities, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruiting ads that quote scripture in their appeals. an advertisementfor example, it contains a verse that says, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”
“This feels especially offensive and egregious considering the tactics we’ve seen them use in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles and elsewhere,” he said. “He is corrupting the Christian faith to advance his own political agenda.”
People are ‘scared’
Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University, a Christian institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said she initially wondered before signing whether the moment required more than signing another declaration.
“I realized that this statement was not primarily for the people who are on the front lines of these issues, but for pastors and ordinary Christians who are just becoming aware of what is going on and what is at stake,” Du Mez said. “I think it’s important to provide an explanation that clarifies political and theological issues and that people can put their own names behind. This is a way for ordinary Christians to stand out.”
The letter concludes by tying a set of core theological beliefs to actions that the signers pledge to take to practice their faith and preserve democracy, including defending voting rights, maintaining peace, and standing up for immigrants who are unfairly targeted.
Faith leader Michael Woolf, minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston, is detained by Illinois State Police during a protest against immigration enforcement outside the Broadview ICE facility in Chicago, Illinois, on November 14, 2025.
Dottie Escobedo-Frank, bishop of the United Methodist Church’s California-Pacific Conference in Pasadena, said she signed the letter to encourage the Southern California community and all Christians to live up to their calling to serve the oppressed, show compassion and call on political leaders to act on their behalf.
But church ministries offer food distribution, child care or assistance to the elderly We faced disruption. Whether it’s ICE agents or anti-immigrant demonstrators, “we see people in our communities who are afraid to practice their faith because of the actions of our government,” he said.
Taylor understands that many people may rightfully be afraid to live out their beliefs, but said it’s critical for people to get involved at a time when “the pages of the authoritarian playbook are so effective.”
Overcoming such fears, he said, involves connecting with other Christians, as well as trusting in the resilience of faith. The letter effort also includes a website where supporters can find ways to be included.
“One of the most consistent refrains in scripture is ‘do not be afraid,'” Taylor said. “Authoritarian governments thrive because people feel isolated and overwhelmed, so we’re trying to create a network of solidarity and courage. We have the power to stop things from getting worse.”
This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Christian leaders say silence is no longer an option amid ‘crisis of faith’
