Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

What might it look like for Episcopal congregations to act faithfully in tumultuous political times? Hannah Bowman offers ten ways faith communities can intentionally direct themselves toward becoming communities of deep solidarity with the marginalized.

In a world where division seems to deepen and barriers grow, the Gospel continues to call us toward unity, dignity, and love—where people of every tribe, language, and nation are brought together. But how do we live into that vision today? This webinar, convened by the Episcopal Parish Network (EPN), invites us to reflect on how we can reimagine our resources, strengthen our resilience, and faithfully steward the Gospel in the face of change.

What does it mean to be a part of the “Jesus Movement” that Bishop Michael Curry often speaks about? In his 2020 Vestry Papers article, the Rev. Dr. Francisco Garcia argues that community organizing, rooted in relationship-building, is the key to transforming our congregations from the “church institution” into the Jesus Movement.

In Part One, written during the early stages of the emerging COVID pandemic, Rev. Dr. Francisco Garcia focused on the relational aspects of organizing, often rooted in one-on-one conversations, and shared an example of an ecumenical, community-based campaign focused on housing justice. Five years later, we find ourselves in a different set of crises, one of rising authoritarianism at the highest levels of political office and targeted attacks on many of the most vulnerable members of our community. In this current political moment, Rev. Dr. Garcia offers a Part Two, focusing on how many communities are organizing and responding to stand in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors.

Whether your community has a deep history of organizing or you're just beginning to explore this work, this list of books can guide your congregation’s discernment. Each book invites reflection on how the Holy Spirit might be calling your congregation to live out your faith and values in the public square.

This set of Prayers of the People focuses on the specific needs of and injustices faced by migrants and those involved in the immigration system.

Based on vigils held at detention centers in New Mexico and Texas during the Migration With Dignity Pilgrimage in June 2025, this liturgy brings an Episcopalian witness to issues of migration. Included are instructions for holding the Vigil in a parish context or at a place of detention or other direct action.

Praying allows our congregations to weave values of human dignity and justice into the liturgical fabric of the community. Encourage members of your congregation to pray this prayer from Episcopal Migration Ministries. If you have a welcome ministry or are discerning starting one, consider using this prayer to ground your discernment meetings or welcome gatherings.

EMM offers two free Bible studies based on Epiphany readings for Lectionary Years B & C, along with studies on the Gospels of John and Mark. Each is rooted in scripture and adaptable for use any time of year—equipping communities to deepen their faith, expand their welcome, and stand in solidarity with our migrant neighbors.

Migration with Dignity offers a transformative framework for discussing immigration, rooted in environmental justice and deeply connected to scripture and Christian theology. This study guide pairs each principle with thoughtful biblical and theological reflections, helping communities embody a new, faith-driven approach to solidarity with migrants.

Congregational solidarity and mobilization can be daunting. Starting locally can be a great way to ground action in pre-existing relationships. Who do you know in your congregation or community that is in need of solidarity and support? You can use this Congregational Solidarity Inventory to identify needs and relationships in your congregation.

A critical step in discerning the types of actions your congregation should take is identifying the resources/assets your congregation has to offer. This tool, created by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, helps identify resources within your congregation that you can bring into your solidarity work.

Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg and Zach Teutsch collaborate to provide an exhaustive checklist of things your congregation can do to engage in “Good Trouble.” This tool offers ideas and reminders to help your community take practical, concrete actions against injustice.

Congregations across The Episcopal Church have varying degrees of familiarity with solidarity and community organizing. This Ladder of Engagement, designed by the Rev. Rex McKee for the Episcopal Migration Caucus, guides individuals and communities from initial awareness to sustained leadership in immigration advocacy. By moving through these levels, we can strengthen collective impact and uphold the dignity and rights of all immigrants

Preparation, education, and advocacy from Episcopal congregations are critical if we aim to be in solidarity with marginalized members of our communities, especially our immigrant and asylum-seeking neighbors. This toolkit from the Episcopal Migration Caucus includes various ways to learn and act in support of just migration policies and welcome for migrants - prayers, talking points, preparedness resources, and advocacy resources

Traditional “Community Power Mapping” is a practice used to help map out people and power within a clearly defined community related to a specific issue, goal, or campaign. With Community Power Maps, organizers can identify key stakeholders (such as individuals, institutions, organizations, and/or community groups) who have a relationship to the issue at hand. This tool, developed for use in the context of UU reproductive justice activism, helps you identify where your congregation has power and relationships that can make a difference in its campaigns.

Aimed both at religious communities looking to be more involved in justice work and activist communities looking to integrate spirituality into their actions, this handbook is a resource for religious or spiritual leaders who will be involved in protests and are interested in providing spiritual care in the context of nonviolent direct action.

The Episcopal Migration Caucus is a group of Episcopalians, lay and ordained, advocating for strong migration-focused policies and actions in The Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Migration Caucus has two current calls to action: 1) Hold a Migration With Dignity Vigil at a place of detention or other public site, and 2) Bring a resolution to your diocesan convention to hold and promote a Migration With Dignity Sunday in the season of Epiphany, with liturgical and educational materials.

Episcopalians across the Diocese of Los Angeles are mobilizing networks of Sacred Resistance to support vulnerable communities targeted by the new federal administration’s threats of mass deportations and rollback of other rights. Their site includes resources for those who may face discrimination, deportation, or marginalization. They also lead training for those standing in support of those threatened. LA Sacred Resistance works alongside local coalition partners CLUE and CHIRLA.

The Clergy Emergency League (CEL) is a grassroots network of clergy speaking with a unified voice against the abuses of power at the federal, state, and local levels.

Detention Watch Network (DWN) is a national coalition building power through collective advocacy, grassroots organizing, and strategic communications to abolish immigration detention in the United States.

Freedom for Immigrants is an immigrant-led, abolitionist organization committed to ending immigration incarceration. Their National Immigration Detention Hotline and interactive detention map offer congregations and individuals concrete ways to get involved and informed about immigrant detentions happening near them.

TransEpiscopal is a group of transgender, nonbinary, and allied Episcopalians dedicated to fostering the full embrace of trans and nonbinary people, and our loved ones within the Episcopal Church and to inspiring faith-based advocacy for trans and nonbinary justice in the wider world.

Solidarity with and support of prisoners is a Gospel imperative. It was central to Jesus' ministry and as his followers, we accompany Christ's work of "reconciling all things". Learn of a few ways your congregation can enter into this work.

Palestinian Anglicans & Clergy Allies (PACA) is a grass-roots organization of Palestinians - both living in the land of Palestine and in the diaspora - who are members of the Anglican Communion worldwide, and the ecumenical alliance of clergy and seminarians who support them.

The Episcopal Peace Fellowship exists to end violence — in our hearts, in our Church, and in our world — through obeying Christ’s call to justice, peace, and reconciliation. Currently, EPF supports local chapters, individual members, and issue-focused action groups: Palestine Justice Network and Gun Violence Prevention.

St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, founded in 1799, is one of Manhattan’s oldest sites of continuous worship. Rooted in radical welcome, justice, and hospitality, the church serves as a refuge for marginalized communities. Its Welcome Center provides essential services to over 100 migrants and asylum seekers weekly, and its newly opened asylum-seeker home offers six months of free housing for stability and community.

In Fall 2024, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Home, Arkansas, began reimagining its mission through new formation and outreach efforts. In a region dominated by white Evangelical Christianity, the church is actively resisting Christian nationalism and offering a Gospel-rooted alternative. Through public witness, online engagement, and a new podcast called Aux Arcs Maquis, the congregation is amplifying Jesus’ teachings of justice, compassion, and radical welcome.

How can congregations, even small congregations in decline, respond in love to rising hatred and harmful policies toward our migrant neighbors? Trinity Church of Morrisania didn’t grow in numbers—but in radical welcome and deep relationships with its migrant neighbors. This is a story of sacred community, solidarity, and resurrection in the face of decline.

The Rev. Tanya Lopez's recounts a harrowing story of her interaction with masked ICE officers who used her church's parking lot to arrest an individual without a judicial warrant. Rev. Lopez responded similarly to how many religious leaders in the Los Angeles area have responded: she began advocating for the man who she believed was an immigrant.

Christians for Abolition is a group of Christians whose goal is to organize people for abolition from a perspective that is Christian, Mainline, and intersectional. They develop a hub of educational and lectionary resources to “call in” people from the Mainline Christian traditions to anti-racist abolitionist work.

In a time of increasing violence toward our trans, non-binary, two-spirit, and other LGBTQ+ siblings, we are called to embody a bold, visible love that reflects God’s radical welcome. This toolkit provides us with resources from Vital Practices, TransEpiscopal, The Episcopal Church, and other allied organizations and individuals to help us deepen our solidarity with trans, non-binary, and two-spirit individuals through education, worship, advocacy, and congregational relationship-building.

Episcopal Migration Ministries hosts an Episcopal Migration Response Network that meets virtually on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The Network’s collaborative work and conversation focus on best practice-sharing in areas of direct service, organizing, advocacy actions, Christian formation and worship resources, and community education to protect asylum, promote humane and dignified alternatives to detention, and support asylum seekers and those harmed by the immigration detention system.

The Reproductive Rights Resource Hub from ECF Vital Practices equips congregational leaders with Episcopal Church statements, liturgical materials, news, and other resources to deepen understanding and strengthen moral witness in support of women’s reproductive rights. This curated collection hopefully serves to empower faith communities as they navigate this critical moment of challenge and advocacy.

A Soulful Revolution newsletter features essays and podcast at the intersection of spiritual transformation and social change. The Rev. Lauren Grubaugh Thomas shares strategic insights on nonviolent resistance, woven with theological reflection, and stories of people taking courageous action rooted in faith.