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CHICAGO (Feb. 14, 2025) — ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a video message in response to the executive order on immigration that rolled back guidance to immigration authorities in protected areas such as places of worship, schools, and hospitals.
Eaton spoke out against the order and urged members and others to add their voices. “You are a superpower. They don’t expect thousands and thousands of ordinary people in our pews and in our communities to join together for this action. So, get motivated and get organized. We are church together, and together we will continue to defend the most vulnerable communities and people among us as Jesus taught us.”
Eaton also addressed the numerous lawsuits challenging this action. “Given the ELCA’s polity and denominational structure, the churchwide organization would not be an appropriate plaintiff in these actions,” she said. “But congregations can demonstrate that they could be harmed by the recision, and they would have standing in this lawsuit. We will continue to speak out against harmful policies and in support of our marginalized neighbors.”
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.