Insist on Love: Bishops' Letter to the ELCA

Bishop Stoller co-signed the letter below along with many of her colleague bishops at their meeting in Minneapolis in early October. For more information about the ELCA’s teachings on social issues, please refer to our collection of Social Statements or Bishop Stoller’s Wayfarer article from the June 2025 issue.

 
 

October 8, 2025

A Letter from Bishops of the ELCA to the Church

Beloved in Christ,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

As bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we write to you in this moment of national and global tension with clarity and conviction. Our faith compels us to stand where Jesus stands—with and for those whom society often seeks to exclude, erase, or diminish.

Our shared confession that every person is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) grounds us in the conviction that all people possess inherent dignity. The incarnation of Jesus Christ reveals God’s profound solidarity with humanity—especially with those who are marginalized or oppressed. The gospel we proclaim insists that our neighbor’s need is the occasion for our love and that our public life is shaped by justice, mercy, and a commitment to the common good.

Further, we have a shared tradition in our social teachings which grounds us. The ELCA’s Social Message on Immigration reminds us:

“We are to respond to newcomers as we would to Christ—welcoming them, meeting their immediate needs, and advocating for justice in our laws and policies.”

Likewise, our recently adopted Social Statement Faith and Civic Life affirms that Christians are called to be “a public witness, holding leaders accountable when they fail to protect the vulnerable.”

We are living through a time when vulnerable communities are being scapegoated and attacked. Immigrants and refugees are vilified, though Scripture commands us to welcome the stranger. People of color continue to bear the devastating weight of racism woven into the fabric of our society. Transgender people, beloved by God, are being targeted with laws and rhetoric that deny their dignity and even their right to exist. These assaults on our siblings are not political abstractions—they are deep wounds in the body of Christ.

In this time of division and fear, we, as people grounded in our faith, insist on love. This commitment flows from our faith in Christ crucified and risen—the One whose love breaks down barriers, confronts hatred, and transforms hearts.

Love insists on the dignity of every human being.
Love insists on justice for the marginalized and oppressed.
Love insists that the church must reflect God’s diverse, life-giving community.
Love insists that we listen, speak, and act with respect, even in disagreement.
Love insists on hope, trusting that God’s kingdom of justice and peace will prevail.

This love also compels us to speak clearly against Christian Nationalism, which our Churchwide Assembly named as a distortion of the Christian faith and an unhealthy form of patriotism. Christian Nationalism confuses the Gospel with political power, turns God into a mascot for the state, and privileges some people over others based on race, religion, or birthplace. This is not the way of Jesus. The kingdom of God is not a nation, not a culture, not a political ideology—it is God’s reign of love, justice, and mercy for all people.

Therefore, as bishops of this church, we declare that the ELCA cannot be silent. Our call is clear:

  • To proclaim the God-given dignity of every human being.

  • To resist systems and ideologies, including Christian Nationalism, that oppress, dehumanize, or erase.

  • To stand shoulder to shoulder with those who are targeted or harmed.

    • To bear public witness that the love of Christ is stronger than fear, stronger than hatred, and stronger than death.

We call on all members of the ELCA to join us in prayer, advocacy, and action:

  • • Pray for those who are vulnerable and for all who work for justice.

    • Advocate in your communities, legislatures, and Congress for laws that protect migrants, advance racial justice, and safeguard LGBTQIA+ people.

    • Engage in the holy work of hospitality, creating spaces of safety, affirmation, and belonging for all God’s children.

    • Model respectful dialogue in a polarized world, seeking understanding rooted in love.

    • Hold fast to hope, trusting that the Spirit is still at work renewing creation and reconciling the world to God.

In baptism, we are marked with the cross of Christ forever. That cross is not only a sign of our hope—it is also a summons to follow Jesus into solidarity with those who suffer.

In the power of the Spirit, let us be bold. Let us be faithful.

Let us Insist on Love—in our words, our actions, our public witness, and our life together.

Together in Christ,

Bishop Kevin Strickland

Bishop Susan J. Briner

Bishop Becca Middeke-Conlin

Bishop Vivian Davila

Bishop Donna Simon

Bishop Bill Gohl

Bishop Anne Edison-Albright

Bishop Pedro Suarez

Bishop Deborah Hutterer

Bishop Paul Erickson

Bishop Felix Malpica

Bishop Stephen R. Herr

Bishop Wayne Miller

Bishop Katrina D. Foster

Bishop Philip C Hirsch

Bishop Jen Nagel

Bishop Scott Alan Johnson

Bishop Nathan Pipho

Bishop Christa Compton

Bishop Emily K. Hartner

Bishop Julie Schneider-Thomas

Bishop Kevin Jones

Bishop Amy Odgren

Bishop Laura Barbins

Bishop Christopher deForest

Bishop Katherine Finegan

Bishop Stacie Fidlar

Bishop Erik Gronberg

Bishop Meggan Manlove

Bishop Martin Halom

Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee

Bishop Daniel G. Beaudoin

Bishop Kristen Papson

Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar

Bishop David Nagler

Bishop Meghan Johnston Aelabouni

Bishop Jeff R. Johnson

Bishop Ginny Aebischer

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe

Bishop Amy Current

Bishop Bryan Penman

Bishop Brenda Bos

Bishop Melissa L. Stoller

Bishop Keith Marshall

Bishop Tracey Breashears Schultz

Bishop Craig Miller

Bishop Lee M. Miller II

Bishop Phyllis Milton

Bishop Scott Dalen

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