The Circle of Directors of FCM, one of the country’s largest groups of ministers, faith communities, and professional chaplains serving in multitudes of settings such as hospitals, hospice centers, addiction recovery centers, higher education, and more, on behalf of our membership, join the chorus of voices condemning the attacks on immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and LGBTQIA+ individuals and families through the flood of Executive Orders and other public statements released by the Trump Administration.

As a community of faith, we are committed to following and promoting the traditions and scriptural texts that call on us to welcome and love our neighbors, in the same way that we love ourselves. The actions of this administration have already escalated an already alarming rising streak of hatred, oppression and discrimination within the United States. An example of this ever-increasing level of harmful behavior include the President’s posting of the pink triangle, an image that is traumatic for many as it is a remnant of the Nazi persecution of diverse peoples during the holocaust. The effect of these statements, actions and orders continue to desensitize the people of our Nation, and create space for the dehumanization of our human siblings.

Our members meet individuals, families, and communities often in the most difficult points in their lives. Our members know the tender pain of suffering and isolation intimately, in the street, in the hospital room, or in the pew. The Trump Administration’s decision to issue statements and orders that are in direct opposition of our country’s core values, inflicts pain and suffering on the lives of individuals, families and communities that are so often already oppressed. We stand on the side of our Creator, who has proclaimed over and over, throughout human history, that we are called to set the oppressed free, to love the stranger as our sibling, and to resist the existence of hatred and evil in the world. We call for a radical change in policy and governing that propels the Nation towards this Divine intention.

FCM’s history is firmly planted in the pursuit of expansive ministries of inclusivity and love, while rejecting bureaucracy that exists to limit, control, or diminish the existence of love in our world. We believe that love does no wrong to its neighbor (Romans 13:10) and is the only way to answer the Sacred Call that has been placed upon each of us.

Disclaimer

This statement is issued by the Circle of Directors as an expression of FCM’s collective spiritual and ethical commitments. While it reflects the values and mission of the organization, it does not obligate any individual member to assent to or act in accordance with its contents. FCM affirms the Divinely granted autonomy of its members and acknowledges their right to freedom of thought, conscience, and expression in accordance with their individual vocations and contexts. Consistent with long-standing judicial precedent protecting freedom of association and religious expression, no part of this statement should be construed to represent the personal beliefs, professional responsibilities, or institutional affiliations of any individual member.