Grand Rapids Clergy sign a statement of confession to work for justice

On Sunday, roughly 25 people gathered at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids to publicly,  and collectively, make a statement regarding the belief that, “justice work is not optional to the gospel but central to the call of discipleship”

I was invited to be part of a low key event, where people broke bread together and made a public commitment to be “in covenant with the marginalized, oppressed, and vulnerable.”

After people introduced themselves, they collectively read the following statement:

Grand River Confession of 2025 

As Christian clergy in West Michigan, we confess that justice is at the heart of God’s kingdom. We believe that the gospel calls us to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). We affirm that Christ’s ministry was one of liberation, reconciliation, and radical love, and we commit ourselves to following Jesus’ example. 

We confess that injustice persists in our communities and that the church has been complicit in systems of oppression. As followers of Jesus, we affirm a theology that calls us to combine our historic faith with the work of justice. We hear and believe that to love God is to love our neighbor, and we repent of the ways we have failed to act for the benefit and in covenant with the marginalized, oppressed, and vulnerable. We will follow the call from Jesus to: 

• Love the Lord our God 
• Love our neighbor 
• Love ourselves. (Matthew 22:37-39) 

Rooted in the hope of the resurrection and the promise of God’s kingdom, we will work for justice in our congregations and our communities (Romans 8:18-25). We will stand with the poor, the immigrant, and the oppressed, advocating for policies and practices that align with the values of God’s reign (Psalm 82:3-4). 

We find strength in Christ, who came to proclaim good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed (Luke 4:18). We stand together as communities of faith, believing that justice work is not optional to the gospel but central to the call of discipleship. 

After reading the statement, those in attendance were invited to sign the statement,  following in the tradition of the many religious groups when confronted with living in difficult times. Many German Christians signed what became known as the Barmen Declaration of Faith, which was also a statement of confession in 1934 in the early years of the Nazi regime. These Christians were part of the Confessing Church.

While I don’t identify with the Christian faith, such a public act can motivate and inspire others to do the same. Having said that, statements in and of themselves don’t mean much until faith-based groups put their words into action.

It would be wonderful to see this group of clergy do things like:

• Practice radical hospitality and provide housing to people on a temporary or permanent basis.
• Offer Sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, regardless of the consequences the state might want to impose.
• Practicing an economics that was based on cooperation and meeting people’s basic needs rather perpetuating Capitalism.
• Denounce systems of power and oppression, then actively resisting those same systems.
• Condemn militarism and US imperialism in the same manner that Dr. King did in his 1967 speech, Beyond Vietnam. Dr. King said, “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”
• Stand up for Trans and queer people and fight like hell to make sure they have safe spaces in this city.
• Make commitments to BIPOC communities, to interrogate their own complicity in white supremacy, along with practicing reparations.
• Practice environmental justice and provide space and resources in the fight for Climate Justice.

Just like politicians, we need to hold faith leaders accountable for what they say and what they do. This public declaration and confession was a good start.