The following letter was written by Bishop Pipho and sent to members of the New England Synod.
Dear New England Synod:
In a filing in federal court in Boston yesterday, the New England Synod, ELCA was named as one of several plaintiffs in a civil case against the Department of Homeland Security and Kristi Noem, in her official capacity as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in response to the decision earlier this year to allow I.C.E. to enter “sensitive locations” such as local churches.
The decision to enter the New England Synod into this lawsuit was made in my consultation with New England Synod Council Vice President Cassandra Wilson, the Synod Council Executive Committee, Synod Attorney Brad Cook, and ELCA Attorney Tom Cunniff. In our conversations, we took direction from the 2025 New England Synod Assembly’s overwhelming adoption of Memorial 25-02 entitled “To Authorize ELCA Participation in National Legal Actions In Support of Vulnerable ELCA Communities” which resolved that the leadership of the ELCA be authorized to participate in national legal matters.
Though the ELCA Churchwide organization declined to participate in this lawsuit, we believe the same spirit of advocacy and action desired by our churchwide leadership is also desired from our synodical leadership and that participation in the lawsuit is consistent with the will of the New England Synod Assembly as expressed in its adoption of Memorial 25-02.
The New England Synod is one of five (5) synods participating in the lawsuit. The other synods are Greater Milwaukee, Sierra Pacific, Southwest California, and Southwestern Texas. Additionally, there are two other denominations who have chosen to participate: the American Baptist Churches USA and the Metropolitan Community Churches.
A full press release is attached here.
In response to God’s gift of grace poured out upon us in Holy Baptism, we promise to “serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.” Participation in this lawsuit is one way we serve those in the New England Synod who are harmed by these mean and cruel policy decisions intentionally enacted to cause harm to our beloved siblings in Christ. It is one way we can actively strive for justice and peace on the earth.
I ask for your prayers. Please pray for all among us living in fear. Please pray for each of the Plaintiffs. Please pray for the judge. Please pray for President Trump and his advisors. Please pray that each of us in our public actions would proclaim the love of Jesus in ways that build relationships of justice for all God’s children.
To God be the glory!
Yours in Christ,
Bishop Nathan Pipho