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Voices for Justice
Who are we and when did we organize?
Voices For Justice is a group of Holy Faith members who feel compelled by our faith to defend human dignity, stand with the poor and powerless, advocate for justice, work for peace, and care for the earth. Our group emerged in 2025 from conversations about how to respond to the current crises of democracy and human rights in the US and the world.
Who can participate?
We welcome all to participate in our meetings, offer perspectives, and/or to give of their time and talent. For more information please contact Judy Kullberg at Judithkullberg@gmail.com or James Hilton at jameslhilton@gmail.com.
What do we do?
We strive to be visible reminders of the core teachings of Jesus. As Christians, we are commanded to love our neighbors without exception. We are told to do right, to seek justice, and to defend the oppressed.
To those ends we advocate for policies that expand human dignity, freedom and justice in the U.S. and the world, and engage in peaceful protest against policies that violate Christian teachings. We call and write letters to people in positions of power. We study the teachings of Jesus and the positions of the ELCA and Episcopal Church as they apply to social justice and Christian action. As we go about our work, we believe that prayer is essential and action is transformative.
When Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar what Caesar is due and render unto God what God is due,” didn’t he mean that politics should be kept out of the church?
To be sure, there are many aspects of government/political life where the church has little to say. But when the actions of the government go against God’s law, we are called to resist. When asked about taxes, Jesus said pay them. But when confronted by unholy acts in the temple, he fought for a more just order.
As we look at the world around us, we find ourselves asking: How can we love our neighbors if we turn them away or imprison them without due process and in violation of U.S. and international law? How is cutting aid to the poor consistent with Jesus’ commandment to feed his people?
What do our national church bodies – the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Episcopal Church – say about the relationship between faith and civic action?
Beginning with the baptismal covenant, wherein believers vow to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being,” both national churches urge their members to participate in civic life.
The ELCA asserts that “Because God redeems us through Christ, we are made new to love and serve all neighbors. Loving neighbors includes working for justice in our personal and public lives. Together as church and as individual Christians, we are called to love neighbors as we love ourselves.”
The ELCA’s 1991 social statement, The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, takes the position that “Christians have the responsibility to defend human rights and to work for freedom, justice, peace, environmental well-being and good order in public life.”
Similarly, the Episcopal Church sees “social justice and advocacy engagement” as “the work of Episcopalians to build community networks for justice by connecting and mobilizing people “from the pews to the public square”. In a letter to members about the Episcopal response to recent actions of the U.S. government, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe, wrote “we are finding ways to respond as Christians to what we see happening around us. We are exploring options to support litigation challenging the travel ban on the grounds of religious freedom; advocating for federal spending that safeguards the welfare of the most vulnerable; caring for immigrants and refugees in our congregations and communities; and standing in solidarity with other faith groups. In short, we are practicing institutional resistance rooted not in partisan allegiance, but in Christian conviction.”
Learn More
For more information about their issue positions and advocacy, see the ELCA’s Advocacy Action Center and the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations.
