The Resolution presented to the 2025 General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, “A Biblical Call to Followers of Christ: Speak Up Against Injustices,” invites us to reflect together on what it means to follow Jesus in a time when many people, including immigrants, refugees, racial and religious minorities, people with disabilities, and others, face injustice and dehumanization.
A Biblical Call to Followers of Christ: Speak Up Against Injustices
WHEREAS, God calls us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8), showing compassion and hospitality to foreigners, refugees, immigrants, and to all who are oppressed or subjugated (Deuteronomy 10:18-19; Hebrews 13:2-3); and Leviticus 19:34 reminds us that aliens among us shall be as citizens, and we shall love the aliens as ourselves, for we were aliens in Egypt; and
WHEREAS, God calls us to never be silent about injustice but to speak out for the rights of all who are destitute (Proverbs 31:8), to rescue all who are oppressed (Isaiah 1:17), as our Confession of Faith also declares (6.31): We are advocates for anyone the law or society treats as less than people for whom Christ died; and
WHEREAS, God calls us to oppose anyone who encourages violence or hatred or who denies any person the full, fair processes of law for any reason, including persons violently targeted or illegally seized because of race, religion, gender, or immigration status. James 2:1-9 reminds us: As followers of Christ, we show no partiality in our treatment of others. We stand up for all the oppressed (Ezekiel 22:29–30; Matthew 23:23) because Jesus died for the whole world (John 11:52). As our Confession of Faith (6.30) affirms, we are to oppose, resist, and change all circumstances of oppression – political, economic, cultural, or racial – that deny persons the essential dignity God intends for every human being in creation; and
WHEREAS, in the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus teaches us that shared theologies are not prerequisites for practicing love. Who is the neighbor, showing mercy? The Samaritan shows mercy although his beliefs and traditions differ from those of the injured man and the man’s community. And Jesus tells us to “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:36-37) because theological differences are irrelevant to God’s call on Christ’s followers to love everyone; and
WHEREAS, Jesus was threatened and hunted for challenging systems of power, promoting equality, and rejecting violence in all forms. He healed the ear of a man in the group that had come to arrest him, a man whose ear Peter cut off trying to protect Jesus. Didn’t Jesus instantly heal the man and reprimand Peter? (Luke 22:51). Didn’t Jesus shame those who wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery? Didn’t Jesus thwart their lust for violence toward someone less powerful, violence they justified by weaponizing scripture (Deuteronomy 22:22), which Jesus invites them and us to see through his eyes of love and mercy, equity and justice; and
WHEREAS, our Jesus, whom we have pledged to imitate, celebrated his calling to uplift the poor, to release captives, to heal the sick, and to free the oppressed (Luke 4:18–19); and
WHEREAS, Jesus tells us to act mercifully toward the imprisoned (Matthew 25:36): Jesus himself was imprisoned despite his innocence under Roman and Jewish law, a fate suffered by many today who are illegally detained or deported without legal assistance or access to their families; and
WHEREAS, these injustices reflect a global rise in oppression and unchecked power of those who expect unquestioned obedience while rights of ordinary people in many nations are denied. If our neighbors face tyranny and genocide, as followers of Christ, we will never be silent; and
WHEREAS, repealing aid to children, the sick, the hungry, the elderly, the poor, and persons with disabilities everywhere is justified with distorted “us-first” theology; such policies prioritize the wealthy —contrary to Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 25:35–40) that caring for “the least of these” is caring for Christ himself, and
WHEREAS, as we witness the loss of hard-fought gains in civil rights and racial equality, Christ’s sacrifice for all contrasts starkly with favoritism and racial injustice (James 2:1, 9); and
WHEREAS, disinformation and supremacist ideologies spread falsehoods and deny the equal worth and just treatment of all people, such as when white refugees are prioritized over refugees of color, which contradicts the inclusive vision of all people created by God, as seen in Acts 2 and Revelation 7:9–10; and
WHEREAS, our allegiance to Christ is proven when we obey his commandments, foremost of which are to love God and love all neighbors as we love ourselves. Love transcends ideology. Our Confession of Faith (6.05) reminds us that we are never to forsake or confuse our allegiance to Christ with our connection to any nation. We will speak out against all injustices, as Jesus taught us, including unjust practices of any government; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America adopt the following statement as part of our shared witness to all our congregants and to the world, and that this statement be sent to our elected government officials, published on our official websites and in our magazines and newsletters, and that this statement be sent to presbyteries and congregations for study, reflection, and conversation:
STATEMENT
In our Confession of Faith (6.31), we affirm that Christ died for all and that we, therefore, are to advocate for all victims of violence and for all those whom the law or society treats as less than created persons for whom Christ died. Our advocacy will involve opposition to all unjust laws and oppression, including tyranny, torture, and genocide anywhere and in any form.
We denounce all forms of hatred and injustice, and we advocate for the dignity and rights of all who are oppressed or marginalized, including immigrants, refugees, racial and ethnic minorities, religious minorities, prisoners, and persons with mental or physical challenges, limitations, or differences.
We speak out against actions and policies—governmental, institutional, or societal—that threaten God’s creation, human dignity, and the fairly applied rule of civil law in any nation because Christ calls us to act in solidarity with those who seek justice, liberty, and God’s promise of the fullness of peace for all people.
Signed by:
Cynthia Fansler Burdick, Minister Commissioner, Red River Presbytery
Ellie Kennemer, Youth Advisory Delegate, Robert Donnell Presbytery
This resolution was presented to the 2025 General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church by Reverend Cynthia Burdick and Youth Advisory Delegate, Ellie Kennemer and referred to the The Unified Committee on Theology and Social Concerns (UCTSC).
