A Statement from Wisconsin Faith Leaders

January 15, 2021

We, the undersigned Wisconsin faith leaders, are profoundly disturbed by persistent attempts over the last two months to overturn the will of the people as expressed in the November election, which has been called “the most secure in American history.”[1] These efforts came to a head last week in the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol and our democratically elected leaders of all parties. As leaders of faith, we claim our role as part of our country’s moral conscience. We decry attempts to subvert and overthrow democracy. We lament that President Trump has encouraged these acts and, in so doing, has violated his oath to defend the Constitution. His actions have put the country, its leaders, and our democratic institutions in danger. Our prayers go out to the families of the five people who died as a result of this attack.

January 6, 2021, was a day of great moral reckoning. Leading up to it, we had witnessed the remarkable strength and perseverance of voters who braved a pandemic to make their voices heard, election officials who worked diligently to ensure safe and honest vote counts, and public officials, notably judges across the country, who carefully examined all alleged instances of fraud and ultimately certified the results as sound. We looked forward to Congress completing the process by formally certifying the results.

Instead, we witnessed an attempted coup. We watched in horror as a mob, led by white supremacists, antisemites, conspiracy mongers, and seditionists—incited by the President and encouraged by some Congress members—stormed the Capitol, physically abusing the seat of our national government and forcing members of Congress to flee for their safety. We saw as well how the indulgent treatment of this armed and dangerous crowd by some law enforcement officials compared with the ways in which police around the nation have all too frequently subjected unarmed Black Lives Matter protestors to highly aggressive crowd control. Some crowd members hoisted the banner of the secessionist Confederacy, which fought to uphold slavery and its racial ideology proclaiming that all human beings are not created equal. As people of faith, we are called to witness against the immorality of that claim and its inversion of our country’s highest ideals.

This attempt to overturn the election ultimately failed, but it reminds us that our democracy is fragile and needs protection. Because we cannot accept half-measures to defend our nation’s safety and stability, we join together to call for:

1. The impeachment and conviction by Congress of President Donald Trump in order to restore the rule of law.
2. The resignation or expulsion of the 8 Senators and 139 Representatives, including Wisconsin Congress members Scott Fitzgerald and Tom Tiffany, who supported attempts to overturn the election by voting against the certification of duly and legally selected electors.
3. The passage of bills by the Wisconsin Legislature to protect the voting rights of all the state’s citizens and to redraw maps of the state’s legislative and congressional districts in a fair and non-partisan manner.
4. Those who wish to protest to do so in a non-violent manner which respects our democratic institutions and does not harm any person.

Signed,

Organizations
Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH)
Pastors United
Souls to the Polls
Wisconsin Council of Churches
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice
 
Individuals
Rev. Beth Abbot, Pastor, First Congregational United Church of Christ, South Milwaukee
Rev. Dr.Curt Anderson, retired minister, United Church of Christ
Rev. Jane B.Anderson, Associate Conference Minister, Wisconsin Conference United Church of Christ, Appleton
Rev.Karen Armina, Minister, James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Madison
Rev. Joseph B. Baring, Jr., African Methodist Episcopal Church, Madison
Rev. Roger Bertschausen, Interim Minister, First Unitarian Society, Madison
Rev. Claire A. Beutler-Cruise, United Church of Christ, Milwaukee
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, Madison
Rev. Winton Boyd, Pastor–United Church of Christ and Retreat Leader–Center for Courage & Renewal, Madison
Rev. Carin Bringelson, Minister, Lake Country Unitarian Universalist Church, Hartland
Omega S. Burckhardt, Unitarian Universalist Candidate for Ministry, Milwaukee
Rev. Erik David Carlson, Lead Minister, Bradford Unitarian Universalist, Kenosha
Rev. Kimberlee Tomczak Carlson, Minister of Religious Education, First Unitarian Society, Milwaukee
Rev. Denise Cawley, Minister, Unitarian Universalist, Milwaukee
Pastor Adam Clausen, Pastor, Life Center Madison, Madison
Charles Cohen, E. Gordon Fox Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison
Rev. Ruth Costello, Pastor, Community Church of Fontana, United Church of Christ, Fontana
Pastor Marianne Cotter, Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Baraboo
Rev. Kelly Crocker, Minister of Congregational Life, First Unitarian Society, Madison
The Rev. Monica L. Cummings, Assistant Minister for Pastoral Care, Bradford Community Church Unitarian Universalist, Kenosha
Rev. Joseph W. Ellwanger, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Milwaukee
Rev. Alissa Kretzmann Farrar, Pastor, Lake Park Lutheran Church, Milwaukee
Rev. Dr. Jerry Folk
Rabbi Betsy Forester, Rabbi, Beth Israel Center Madison
Rev. Kelly R. Fowler, Pastor, Our Lord’s United Methodist Church, New Berlin
Rev. Selena Fox, Senior Minister, Circle Sanctuary, Barneveld
Rev. Reirin Gumbel, Milwaukee Zen Center and Buddist Peace Fellowship, Milwaukee
Rev. Karen Hagen, Pastor, Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church, Milwaukee
Rev. Sonja L. Ingebritsen, Minister, Community of Hope United Church of Christ, Madison
Rev. Joseph H. Jackson Jr., President, MICAH, Milwaukee
The Rev. Dr. Andrew C. Kennedy, Minister Emeritus, First Unitarian Society Milwaukee
Rev. David Kraemer, Minister, United Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Waukesha
Rev. Erik J. Koepnick, United Church of Christ, Milwaukee
Pastor Walter Lanier, Minister, Progressive Baptist Church, Milwaukee
Rev. Tony Larson, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church North, Mequon
Rev. Christina Leone-Tracy, Senior Minister, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Appleton
Minister Greg Lewis
Rev. Suzelle Lynch, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Church West, Brookfield
Rabbi Bonnie Margulis, Executive Director, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, Madison
​Rev. Dr. Trinette V McCray, Urban Center Milwaukee, American Baptist Black Caucus of Wisconsin
Rev. Dena McPhetres, Associate Minister, First Unitarian Society, Milwaukee
Rev. Dr. Sydney A. Morris, retired minister, Unitarian Universalist, Oshkosh
Rev. Jennifer Nordstrom, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Society, Milwaukee
Rev. Dr. Sarah Oelberg, retired minister, Unitarian Universalist, West Allis
Rev. Diane Olson, Milwaukee
Rev. Jennifer Olson, ELCA, Milwaukee
Rev. Leah Ongiri, Associate Minister, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Appleton
Rev. Kerri Parker, Executive Director, Wisconsin Council of Churches, Madison
Rev. Kenneth L. Pennings, Associate Pastor, Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ, Madison
Rev. Ellen Rasmussen, Pastor, Brown Deer United Methodist Church, Brown Deer
Rev. Karon Sandberg, Community Minister, Fox Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Appleton
Rev. Karla Schmidt, Campus Minister, The Crossing, Madison
Rev. Dr. Larry Sexe, Board President, Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice, Deerfield
Rev. Valerie Showalter, Pastor, Madison Mennonite Church (MC USA), Madison
Rev. Patrick Siegler, Madison
Rev. Bryan Sirchio, Pastor McFarland UCC, McFarland
Rev. Daniel J. Stark, Pastor, Christ Church UCC, Milwaukee
Reverend Tory V. Topjian, Senior Minister, Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Church, Milwaukee
Pastor Alexis Twito, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Cedarburg
Rev. Nick Utphall, Pastor, Advent Luther/Madison Christian Community, Madison
Rev. Marlene Walker, Minister, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rock Valley, Rockton (IL)
Mallory Yanchus, Executive Director, The Crossing Campus Community, Madison
Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman, Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, Madison
 
[1] https://www.cisa.gov/news/2020/11/12/joint-statement-elections-infrastructure-government-coordinating-council-election
 

WISCONSIN INTERFAITH VOTER ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN STATEMENT ON THE INSURRECTION AT THE CAPITOL

Shock, Grief, Horror, Fear, Disgust, Anger, Anxiety – we have felt all this and more in the last few days. Our country will never be the same. On Wednesday, armed insurrectionists surged into the Capitol building in an attempt to overturn by force the lawful election of Nov. 3. Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who lost their lives during the attack on the Capitol. We support every American’s right to peaceful protest.  However, this was not a protest, but a violent and dangerous attack on our democracy. Its perpetrators, from the top down, must be held accountable and brought to justice.

We cannot help but note the stark contrast between the response of police to this gang of White vigilantes and how police have responded to Black Americans protesting racism. After the murder of George Floyd last summer, the streets of Washington DC were filled with police in riot gear and peaceful protestors were greeted with smoke bombs and pepper spray. On Wednesday, the Capitol police were lightly scattered around the Capitol and neither the DC police nor the National Guard were called until after the building had already been breached. 

We can take comfort in the fact that those who tried to seize our Capitol and defeat democracy have failed. Democracy survives: Congress reconvened after the Capitol was secured and, at 3:41am Thursday, formally declared Joseph Biden the winner of the presidential election.

We fervently hope that the events of Wednesday will prove to be a wake-up call for our nation and that the new administration will help the country heal from the last four years. It is clear that we cannot go back to business as usual but need to start fresh and look at what needs to change in our country for the good of all.  As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King jr. said in his final speech before his assassination: “Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation”.

All of you who have participated in the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign have been part of this work of making America a better nation.  You have phone banked, written letters and postcards, registered voters, given rides to the polls.  Your efforts were part of what gave this past election the largest voter turnout in our history. This work continues with renewed energy and vigor in this new year, with all its challenges and opportunities.

On Inauguration Day we will celebrate the successful transition of power, as we have done for 244 years. Then, our newly elected representatives must get down to the business of governing, to stem the spread of the pandemic, to help our hard-working families that are struggling in this economy, to address, finally, the looming issue of climate change, and to root out the racism that has too long poisoned our society. Rev. Kerri Parker of the Wisconsin Council of Churches said, “As a Christian, I believe in repentance. I believe there is always time for turning around and seeking a better way....and so, my prayer today is one which calls forth respect, honor, and right relationship.”

As we look to tomorrow, we pray for restoration of sanity to our country. We pray for an end to partisan rancor and that the forces that seek to use misinformation and disinformation to divide us fail. We pray that we can rebuild trust in factual information, trust in our democratic processes, and trust in those institutions that protect democracy, including objective and factual reporting on the workings of our government.  We pray for leadership that will bring us together, heal a nation afflicted by a deadly pandemic, and protect and strengthen our democracy for the good of all, rather than undermine it to preserve the power of a few.
But prayer alone is not enough. As people of faith who are committed to making real the ideals on which our nation was founded, we must join together in the fight to protect our democracy.  There are those in our state houses and Congress who would take recent events as an opportunity to enact new restrictions on the right to vote and on the right to protest. 

Instead, we must break down barriers to voting and protect and defend the right to raise our voices together in nonviolent opposition to injustice.  This is the time for us all as an interfaith community to unite to protect our democracy and our country. Nothing less than our democracy is at stake.
​
Dr. King famously said, “the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”  But it will not bend on its own, it will take all of us working together. So let us rise together as Dr. King called us to do so many years ago, with greater readiness and greater determination, to make America a better nation!
 
From the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign, a joint project of Wisconsin Council of Churches and Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice