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The Council for Racial and Ethnic Ministries (COREM) issued a statement referred to as “A Prophetic Cry,” condemning the policies and actions implemented by the Trump Administration. The statement, which did not mince words, described the administration's measures as "cruel and delusional" and compared them to “an exorcism attempt — meant to purge this nation of the stories, identities, and truths that refuse to conform to white supremacist lies.”
COREM, which functions under the United Church of Christ (UCC), aims to bring forth the diverse gifts of racial and ethnic groups to the Church and advocates for these communities' concerns within the denomination. This statement emanated from a discussion on immigration at a recent COREM meeting. It was primarily authored by Rev. Jason Carson Wilson, vice president of the Ministers for Social, Racial, and Economic Justice (MRSEJ), and unanimously approved at the meeting held on April 10.
Deborah Dee Brayton, first vice president of United Black Christians, another group under COREM, acknowledged the strong language in the statement. She pointed out that the Trump Administration's executive orders aimed at removing significant health information from government websites triggered the response. Specifically, the statement decries Executive Order 14151, which focused on ceasing "Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing," leading to the removal of numerous web pages that provided essential resources and program information.
Rev. Carson Wilson expressed deep concern over what he labeled as the administration's tyrannical actions against marginalized communities, remarking, “We are witnessing another empire in the form of the tyrannical Trump administration gleefully torture marginalized communities one Executive Order at a time.” He suggested hopeful community actions for those feeling despondent.
Libby Fairchild, interim executive director of the Council of American Indian Ministries (CAIM), echoed these concerns, noting the unexpected severity of neglect towards Indian issues post-election. This has manifested in the stopping and questioning of members of her tribal nation, the Hochunk Nation of Wisconsin, by ICE agents.
Carson Wilson emphasized the UCC’s rich tradition of social justice, urging the church to actively resist oppression and fulfill its founding principles. “Staying silent in the face of this Administration’s sadistic moves isn’t an expression of God’s love,” Carson Wilson asserted.
To comply with content guidelines, material on the UCC's website, including this statement, has usage restrictions as delineated by the National Setting of the United Church of Christ.
