Charlottesville Clergy Collective Letter to
VA Congresspersons re: Insurrection Act
Dear Representative McGuire, and Senators Kaine and Warner:
We are members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, a community of over ten different faith traditions. We are citizens of Virginia. We write to demand due diligence and action on your part to address the following:
On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, he signed an executive order, directing Kristi Noem (DHS Secretary) and Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) to compile a report in 90 days that includes “…recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.”
That 90-day mark is April 20, 2025. We and our congregations are well aware that Mr. Trump may decide to invoke that Insurrection Act, a rarely used law that allows a President to declare martial law under extraordinary circumstances to replace a civilian government by military rule, and civilian legal processes by military powers.
Although none of this has happened yet, recent history suggests the real possibility that this President, with complicit Representatives, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices, may well declare martial law for his own ego and bank account, rather than any actual emergency. Such an unconstitutional abuse of power would be the final step in replacing our democracy with an authoritarian state. Under our Constitution, the government must be motivated by truth and justice and not hatred, prejudice, malice, or caprice.
The time to act is now. The time to enforce our constitutional protections is now. It is past time for you, our elected officials, to stop this unconstitutional power grab and to start REPRESENTING US. Not to speak out and stand for the people who voted you into office at this time is to be complicit in the destruction of our democracy.
We demand that you perform due diligence, both as elected officials and as citizens of the United States of America, to
We implore you to summon your courage to protect our democracy. Work on our behalf to make America possible again.
Signed,
Pastor Brenda Brown-Grooms, New Beginnings Christian Community
Apostle Sarah A. Kelley, Faith, Hope, and Love In’tl Healing and Deliverance Center
Rev. Leia Durland-Jones, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Rev. Karen Mann, Sojourners United Church of Christ
Rev. Eugene Locke, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Susan Karlson, retired minister, member of Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Joyce Hillstrom, Charlottesville Friends’ Meeting (Quaker)
Karen Boyle. Catholic
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey, American Baptist Churches, USA
Richard Lord, Activists Guide
Rev. Liz Forney, First Presbyterian Church
Dorothy Smith, Presbyterian
Rev. Michael Cheuk, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Rosemary Gould, Charlottesville Friends Meeting (Quaker)
Alvin Mirmelstein, Church of the Incarnation
Beverly Mirmelstein, Incarnation Catholic Church
Rev. Don Lansky, Unity (retired)
Rev. Karen Lewis Foley, retired Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Sharon Beckman-Brindley, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Douglas Reed, Charlottesville Religious Society of Friends
Deborah Reed , Methodist
Jean Thorburn , Charlottesville Friends (Quaker)
Susan Kaufman, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Anne Spanos, Ivy Creek UMC
David K Garty, Westminster PCUSA
Rev. James Hassmer, Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church
James Webb, Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Mary Johns, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Bethany Cok, Sojourners United Church of Christ
Laura S. DeVault, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
The Rev. Carol Carruthers Sims, Episcopal Priest
Hal Brindley III , Buddhist
The Rev. Sandra Wisco, Lutheran (ELCA)
Diana Brawley, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Shirley Fleishman, Unity Church of Charlottesville
Pam Marraccini, Cloud Floating Free Sangha
The Rev. Hillary T. West, Episcopal priest, Diocese of Virginia
Chris Stockwell/Goering, United Church of Christ
Deacon Don Gathers First Baptist Church West Main Street, Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. James Bundy, United Church of Christ, retired
Harry Kennon, United Methodist Pastor (retired)
Rev Ellen Longmoore, Unitarian Universalist
Julie Gottschalk, Christian values
Cindy Poots Remington, Charlottesville First United Methodist Church
Rev. Seido David Auble, Upaya Zen Center
Diana Boeke, Orthodox Christian
Marty Miles Paciocco, Crozet UMC
Rev. Patricia Barth, Retired United Church of Christ, member of Sojourner’s UCC
Peter Thompson, n/a
Katherine Canter, Charlottesville First United Methodist Church
Pat Lloyd, NA
Shirl Pohl, Unitarian Universalist
Ellen M Dudley, Episcopalian
Barbara Maille, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Gary Hatter, Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church
We are members of the Charlottesville Clergy Collective, a community of over ten different faith traditions. We are citizens of Virginia. We write to demand due diligence and action on your part to address the following:
On the day of President Trump’s inauguration, he signed an executive order, directing Kristi Noem (DHS Secretary) and Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary) to compile a report in 90 days that includes “…recommendations regarding additional actions that may be necessary to obtain complete operational control of the southern border, including whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.”
That 90-day mark is April 20, 2025. We and our congregations are well aware that Mr. Trump may decide to invoke that Insurrection Act, a rarely used law that allows a President to declare martial law under extraordinary circumstances to replace a civilian government by military rule, and civilian legal processes by military powers.
Although none of this has happened yet, recent history suggests the real possibility that this President, with complicit Representatives, Senators, and Supreme Court Justices, may well declare martial law for his own ego and bank account, rather than any actual emergency. Such an unconstitutional abuse of power would be the final step in replacing our democracy with an authoritarian state. Under our Constitution, the government must be motivated by truth and justice and not hatred, prejudice, malice, or caprice.
The time to act is now. The time to enforce our constitutional protections is now. It is past time for you, our elected officials, to stop this unconstitutional power grab and to start REPRESENTING US. Not to speak out and stand for the people who voted you into office at this time is to be complicit in the destruction of our democracy.
We demand that you perform due diligence, both as elected officials and as citizens of the United States of America, to
- Use your platform to make sure that all of your constituents know that invoking the Insurrection Act for a non-existent emergency crisis is a profound abuse of power.
- Use your platform to challenge – at every level – this abuse of power.
We implore you to summon your courage to protect our democracy. Work on our behalf to make America possible again.
Signed,
Pastor Brenda Brown-Grooms, New Beginnings Christian Community
Apostle Sarah A. Kelley, Faith, Hope, and Love In’tl Healing and Deliverance Center
Rev. Leia Durland-Jones, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Rev. Karen Mann, Sojourners United Church of Christ
Rev. Eugene Locke, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Rev. Susan Karlson, retired minister, member of Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Joyce Hillstrom, Charlottesville Friends’ Meeting (Quaker)
Karen Boyle. Catholic
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Emrey, American Baptist Churches, USA
Richard Lord, Activists Guide
Rev. Liz Forney, First Presbyterian Church
Dorothy Smith, Presbyterian
Rev. Michael Cheuk, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Rosemary Gould, Charlottesville Friends Meeting (Quaker)
Alvin Mirmelstein, Church of the Incarnation
Beverly Mirmelstein, Incarnation Catholic Church
Rev. Don Lansky, Unity (retired)
Rev. Karen Lewis Foley, retired Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
Sharon Beckman-Brindley, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Douglas Reed, Charlottesville Religious Society of Friends
Deborah Reed , Methodist
Jean Thorburn , Charlottesville Friends (Quaker)
Susan Kaufman, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Anne Spanos, Ivy Creek UMC
David K Garty, Westminster PCUSA
Rev. James Hassmer, Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church
James Webb, Charlottesville Friends Meeting
Mary Johns, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Bethany Cok, Sojourners United Church of Christ
Laura S. DeVault, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
The Rev. Carol Carruthers Sims, Episcopal Priest
Hal Brindley III , Buddhist
The Rev. Sandra Wisco, Lutheran (ELCA)
Diana Brawley, Westminster Presbyterian Church
Shirley Fleishman, Unity Church of Charlottesville
Pam Marraccini, Cloud Floating Free Sangha
The Rev. Hillary T. West, Episcopal priest, Diocese of Virginia
Chris Stockwell/Goering, United Church of Christ
Deacon Don Gathers First Baptist Church West Main Street, Charlottesville
Rev. Dr. James Bundy, United Church of Christ, retired
Harry Kennon, United Methodist Pastor (retired)
Rev Ellen Longmoore, Unitarian Universalist
Julie Gottschalk, Christian values
Cindy Poots Remington, Charlottesville First United Methodist Church
Rev. Seido David Auble, Upaya Zen Center
Diana Boeke, Orthodox Christian
Marty Miles Paciocco, Crozet UMC
Rev. Patricia Barth, Retired United Church of Christ, member of Sojourner’s UCC
Peter Thompson, n/a
Katherine Canter, Charlottesville First United Methodist Church
Pat Lloyd, NA
Shirl Pohl, Unitarian Universalist
Ellen M Dudley, Episcopalian
Barbara Maille, Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville
Rev. Gary Hatter, Waddell Memorial Presbyterian Church
Worship and study with these congregations online
Visit/Subscribe to these congregation’s online pages for worship, studies, and/or devotions! This list was compiled during the pandemic at the request of congregation leaders to promote their online services. Congregations on this list in no way endorse any CCC public statements or any content that appears in our weekly newsletter.
- Aldersgate United Methodist Church - Facebook
- All Souls Charlottesville - Facebook
- Baha'i of Charlottesville - Facebook
- Bethel Church of God in Christ - Sundays, 6 pm on Cville Public Access, Comcast Ch. 13. Weds 7:30 pm; Sundays 10:00 am on Google Hangouts. Email Pastor Ward for invitation.
- Broadus Memorial Baptist - Youtube, Facebook
- Buck Mountain Episcopal Church Earlysville - Website
- Charlottesville Church of Christ - Sundays at 9:45 am, Wednesdays at 7 pm: Zoom link, Password: 990. Website.
- Charlottesville Friends Meeting - Facebook; Online worship
- Charlottesville Mennonite - Facebook
- Church of Our Saviour - Youtube
- Cloud Floating Free Sangha - Website, Facebook. Email for information.
- Ebenezer Baptist - Youtube, Facebook
- Faith, Hope, & Love International Healing and Deliverance Center - Website
- First Presbyterian - Website
- First United Methodist - Youtube, Facebook
- Hinton Ave. United Methodist - Facebook
- Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville - Website
- Islamic Society of Central Virginia - Facebook
- Mt. Zion First African Baptist - Youtube, Facebook, Website
- New Beginnings Christian Community - Website
- Olivet Presbyterian - Website, Youtube
- Peace Lutheran, ELCA - Website
- Peakland Baptist, Lynchburg - Facebook, Sermons
- Sojourner’s United Church of Christ - Facebook
- St. Mark Lutheran - Facebook
- St. Paul’s Episcopal - Website
- Tabor Presbyterian - Website
- Trinity Episcopal - Website
- Trinity Presbyterian - Youtube
- Unitarian Universalist Church - Online worship
- Unity of Charlottesville - Facebook, Website
- University Baptist - Youtube, Facebook
- Wesley Memorial United Methodist - Youtube, Facebook
- Westminster Presbyterian - Online worship