Guest blog: A public witness from Southern Arizona clergy
Guest blog by the Rev. John D. Kautz, a retired pastor who worships at Lutheran Church of the Foothills, Tucson, AZ
Four Southern Arizona Lutheran clergy start a movement, just like that.
In early summer a group of four Lutheran clergy began meeting in Tucson to find a way to respond to the actions of our current administration and the rise of “American Christian Nationalism”. As conversation continued we decided to draft a statement from Christian leaders opposing policies and actions hurting many people in our community. As the idea took shape, we thought it might be a good idea to widen the circle and invite clergy from other denominations to form an ecumenical coalition of Southern Arizona Clergy (Ministerium).
Several individuals worked together to write a first draft which was reviewed and refined by the larger group. The result was the document, “For God So Loved the World: A Christian Witness Against Harm”. More than 100 clergy and leaders signed the statement which was also shared in congregations across Tucson on August 17. In addition, the statement was printed as a “Local Opinion” article by the Rev. Amalia Vagts and the Rev. Tracy Daub in the Arizona Daily Star on August 26, 2025.
A companion action is to convene a scheduled prayer service every other Monday night. “Pray without Ceasing” is a time for reflection, chants, and prayers to sustain the participants in these troubling times. It is loosely modeled after the Prayers for Peace which took place in 1989 at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Germany. Read NPR article.
Editor’s note: Our thanks to Pastor John for sharing their Christian witness, the Ministerium’s first document, and his thoughts with us. We’d love to hear your story! All are invited and encouraged to share an article or blog with us at the LAMA weekly newsletter.